Chapter 33 – Does She Really Know Chen Yang?

“Ms. Song, when your car was brought in for repairs, our staff found a cellphone wedged in the seat seam.”

After the car accident, Song Qiao had thought her phone was lost. Chen Yang had even given her a new one, and she assumed the original had been thrown out and lost in the crash. Turns out, it had been there all along.

She reached out to take the paper bag, opened it, and saw that the phone’s screen was shattered. She tried turning it on and saw the screen flicker—it was clearly broken. She put the phone back in the bag, thanked the staff at the dealership, and left.

On her way home, she happened to pass a phone repair shop. Although she had already backed up the important work files and photos to the cloud, this particular phone had been a birthday gift from Bai Shuyu last year, and it held great sentimental value. She wanted to fix it as a keepsake.

So she parked the car and went into the repair shop. After examining it, the staff told her it could be repaired, but the earliest it would be ready was tomorrow. Since she didn’t need it urgently, she agreed and headed home.

As soon as she walked through the door, she saw Bai Shuyu had already prepared a table full of dishes—everything she liked to eat. She suddenly felt famished. After greeting Bai Shuyu, she quickly washed her hands and sat down to eat.

Just after she took a bite, Bai Shuyu picked up half a braised pig’s trotter and placed it in her bowl, speaking with concern:
“Qiao Qiao, you’ve gotten so thin lately. I especially stewed this pig’s trotter for you—it’s great for your skin and nutritious. I simmered it on the stove for over an hour. Eat it while it’s hot.”

Song Qiao usually loved Bai Shuyu’s braised pig’s trotters—they were tender and not at all gamey. She thanked her and was just about to take a bite when a wave of nausea suddenly welled up from her stomach.

It surged violently, and at the same time, she felt acid rising in her throat. She quickly put the trotter back into her bowl, covered her mouth, and ran to the bathroom.

After she had emptied her stomach, she rinsed her mouth and returned to the table.

But the moment she sat down and looked at that pig’s trotter, the nausea came back. She pushed it away, and Bai Shuyu looked at her closely and asked,
“Qiao Qiao, are you… pregnant?”

“Pregnant?”

Song Qiao was stunned. She and Chen Yang had been together for six years, but they had never had that kind of relationship. How could she possibly be pregnant?

She quickly denied it:
“Mom, what are you thinking? How could I be pregnant?”

Bai Shuyu got up and sat beside her, holding her hand seriously:
“Qiao Qiao, you’re 26 now. You and Chen Yang have been together for years, you’re already engaged, and you’ll be getting married soon. Even if you were pregnant, it’d be completely normal—it’d be a joyful double blessing. Don’t think your parents are old-fashioned or unreasonable.”

Seeing how pleased and certain Bai Shuyu was, Song Qiao quickly interrupted:
“Mom, you’re overthinking. I’m really not pregnant.”

But Bai Shuyu, having lived through it herself, clearly didn’t believe her. She scrutinized Song Qiao and asked,
“Qiao Qiao, have you gotten your period this month?”

Song Qiao thought for a moment. She had, but it only lasted a day. She had meant to get it checked at the hospital, but work got so busy she forgot.

Not wanting Bai Shuyu to worry, she quickly nodded and explained,
“Mom, I’ve had it already. And even though I’ve been with Chen Yang for a long time, he’s always said he wants to respect me and wouldn’t touch me before marriage. So how could I possibly be pregnant? You’re really overthinking.”

Only then did Bai Shuyu realize she had jumped to conclusions. But thinking about Song Qiao’s reaction, she still spoke sternly:
“Qiao Qiao, then it’s probably a case of gastritis caused by irregular eating habits. Take a break from work tomorrow and go to the hospital to get checked.”

Song Qiao recalled that she had been hospitalized a few days ago for gastritis. She figured she hadn’t fully recovered and that was why she was nauseous again. She didn’t think it was anything serious, but to keep Bai Shuyu from worrying, she agreed.

Her stomach was still churning even after throwing up, and she had no appetite. She drank a bowl of soup to settle her stomach and didn’t eat anything else.

She was just about to go upstairs to lie down when Bai Shuyu called her back with a serious tone.

“Qiao Qiao, did you just say Chen Yang never touched you at all?”

Bai Shuyu stared at her and plainly laid the issue on the table, looking serious. Song Qiao immediately felt awkward and embarrassed.

Though she didn’t want to talk about this kind of topic with her mom, since Bai Shuyu had asked, she answered truthfully:
“Mm, Chen Yang said he wants to be responsible. Only after we’re married.”

Song Qiao had thought that, as her elder, Bai Shuyu would think that made Chen Yang dependable. But after a long silence, Bai Shuyu’s tone turned somber:

“Qiao Qiao, your father and I have also been through that stage of life. You two have been together for six years and are now about to get married. Don’t you think it’s strange that he still hasn’t touched you?”

Song Qiao had always been taught by Bai Shuyu to value her self-respect and dignity, so she hadn’t expected her to say something like this. She frowned and replied,
“Mom, why are you thinking this way? I know guys like Chen Yang are rare in today’s fast-paced world, but don’t you think he’s really precious?”

Bai Shuyu looked at her meaningfully and added,
“Qiao Qiao, when someone really loves another, it’s hard to restrain themselves. If a person can use logic to control their love and desire, it just means their rationality far outweighs their love for you.”

“Mom, how can you say that? Chen Yang is just—”

Bai Shuyu interrupted her:
“Qiao Qiao, maybe I’m being harsh and unfair to Chen Yang. Of course I hope he really cherishes you. You’ve spent the most time with him—you should know him better than I do. As long as you believe he’s acting out of love and respect, then I’ll be happy for you.”

Song Qiao’s eyelashes fluttered. To say Chen Yang didn’t love her—he had certainly done a lot for her over the years. But to say he did—aside from a few hugs and kisses, they’d never gone further.

She couldn’t help but recall Shen Yao’s earlier doubts about Chen Yang. If Chen Yang truly respected her and didn’t want to force things, then what about those times she gave him subtle hints when emotions were high? He always turned her down.

Now, with Bai Shuyu voicing these thoughts, she couldn’t help but feel Chen Yang might be overly conservative for a modern man. Suddenly, countless questions surged in her mind.

Did she really know Chen Yang at all?