Chapter 24

Jiang Yu didn’t know if Jiang Zhe was already asleep. She hesitated as she opened his door.

At that moment, the man suddenly turned on the light and walked over, asking, “What’s wrong?”

His eyes were clear, not at all like someone who had just woken up.

Jiang Yu asked, “You haven’t slept yet?”

Jiang Zhe replied, “I changed places suddenly and drank a bit too much tonight, so I couldn’t sleep.”

Jiang Yu was puzzled, “Isn’t it easier to fall asleep after drinking too much?”

She had heard of people becoming messy after drinking a lot, even if they didn’t act out, they would at least fall asleep right away. It was the first time she had seen someone like him.

Jiang Zhe explained, “Drinking too much makes me uncomfortable. I don’t really like alcohol.”

Jiang Yu was taken aback. “Then why didn’t you refuse?”

Jiang Zhe smiled lightly, “Your dad was really happy tonight.”

Jiang Yu couldn’t help but scold him, “You’re such an idiot. No matter how happy he is, is it more important than your health?”

Jiang Zhe, being scolded, pressed his lips into a line, looking very obedient. “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

“Why did you come to find me? Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Yu nodded slightly, her voice low. “Yes, a little.”

“Let me massage you.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Yu sat down and put her legs on the bed, allowing him to massage her. Jiang Zhe’s movements were much more skillful now, making her feel very comfortable. After a while, Jiang Yu no longer felt sore. At that moment, the baby moved, and Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up as she told Jiang Zhe, “The baby moved.”

Jiang Zhe immediately leaned over to listen. As he lowered his head to hear the baby’s movements, he looked up and smiled at Jiang Yu.

He didn’t quite know what happiness felt like, but at that moment, he felt truly happy.

After Jiang Yu’s legs were no longer sore, she went back to sleep. The next morning, she told her parents, “Jiang Zhe is leaving today.”

Her parents naturally didn’t want Jiang Zhe to leave so soon and frowned, asking, “Why the rush? Can’t he stay a few more days?”

Jiang Yu said, “He has a lot of work to do. When I want to go home, he’ll come to pick me up.”

Mother Jiang glared at her, “It’s definitely you who doesn’t want Xiao Zhe to stay, so you’re sending him away.”

Jiang Yu felt wronged and pointed at Jiang Zhe, “I didn’t. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself. It’s his decision to leave, not mine.”

Jiang Zhe actually wanted to say he could bring his laptop and work from here, but Jiang Yu preferred spending time with her family. He said, “I do have some work to do. I’ll come back for Xiao Yu’s birthday. Of course, if anything happens, you can call me anytime, and I’ll come right away.”

Mother Jiang understood that her son-in-law’s job, which earned a lot of money, must be very demanding. Unable to persuade him to stay, she let it be.

Jiang Zhe stayed until the afternoon before leaving. When he was about to leave, Jiang Yu wanted to see him off downstairs, but Jiang Zhe refused, saying, “It’s inconvenient for you. Running around is too troublesome. You don’t need to see me off.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yu stayed back and said, “Then I’ll wait for you to come back.”

The scene resembled a loving couple reluctantly parting ways.

Jiang Zhe wanted to tell her to remember to miss him, but he thought it wasn’t the right time to say it, so he just said, “If anything comes up, remember to call me.”

Jiang Yu didn’t think there would be any issues at her parents’ place. “Don’t worry, my parents are here.”

Seeing his worried look, she added, “Okay, if anything happens, I’ll call you.”

“Alright, bye.”

“Bye.”

Jiang Zhe quickly went downstairs and got into his car. As he drove away, he thought about how he had come with her but was leaving alone, and for the next few days, he would be by himself. He already started feeling lonely.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yu was much happier. In the afternoon, her father wanted to go to the market, and Jiang Yu wanted to tag along.

Her mother teased her, “You’re about to become a mom, and you still want to go to the market with us?”

Jiang Yu didn’t mind her mother’s teasing at all and said, “In front of you, I’m always a child.”

Mother Jiang dotingly tapped her nose, “You.”

On the way, with her father driving, Mother Jiang asked about Jiang Yu and Jiang Zhe’s relationship.

“How is Jiang Zhe treating you? Is he good to you?”

Father Jiang, sitting in the front, immediately perked up his ears to listen.

Jiang Yu nodded, “He’s pretty good.”

“In a marriage, you need to be understanding. It’s okay to be headstrong at home, but don’t be too capricious with Jiang Zhe. Men have tempers too. He might be tolerant now, but over time, he might get tired.”

Father Jiang protested, “What’s wrong with my daughter? She’s great. If he doesn’t like it, Xiao Yu can come back home, and we’ll take care of her.”

“Our daughter shouldn’t be wronged.”

Mother Jiang scolded him, “Am I saying she should be wronged? If she is, she should tell us. But she also needs to tone down her temper. Xiao Zhe is a good kid. If they ever split up, and she regrets it later, who will she cry to?”

Jiang Yu understood her mother’s point. It’s fine to be a little dramatic occasionally, but being overly dramatic could harm their relationship.

Jiang Yu imagined herself being so difficult that it drove Jiang Zhe away…

Forget it. She couldn’t see herself being as violent as her other self.

Jiang Zhe had a good temper. In the novel, he didn’t remarry after their divorce. If they had no major conflicts, they might live together for a long time.

Of course, that was if she didn’t change her mind.

What if she met her true love someday?

But thinking about it, meeting another man as good as Jiang Zhe seemed unlikely. He had both looks and money, and he was diligent. In a world where the average man was so disappointing, men like him were rare.

However, Jiang Yu wasn’t entirely sure she and Jiang Zhe would never part ways. After all, life often had a way of playing tricks. For now, she decided to cherish all the present happiness.

Her parents were heading to a nearby larger market, which wasn’t far away. It took less than ten minutes to get there. After getting out of the car, Jiang Yu held her mother’s hand like a child, looking around and getting tempted by the food stalls. She eventually bought a radish cake, eating it while watching her parents haggle over vegetables.

Calculating the time, Jiang Zhe should be home soon. Jiang Yu sent him a message: [Have you arrived home yet?]

A few minutes later, he replied: [Just got home.]

Jiang Yu took photos of the things she found interesting and sent them to him: [I’m shopping for groceries with my parents.]

Jiang Zhe, while heading upstairs, asked: [What are you buying?]

With people in the elevator, his expression tensed up.

Jiang Yu replied: [I’m not sure. They’re buying whatever they want.]

Jiang Zhe: [Is there nothing you want to eat?]

Maybe because he was distracted by her words, Jiang Zhe felt the pressure from the others around him lessened, and even the time in the elevator passed quickly.

Jiang Yu sent him a picture of the half-eaten cake in her hand: [This is what I’m eating now. My mom laughed at me, saying I’m like a child who wants to eat everything.]

Jiang Zhe praised her: [It looks delicious.]

Jiang Yu, happy with his response, complimented him: [You have such good taste. Do you want to try it next time? I’ll bring you here.]

Jiang Zhe, who usually wasn’t interested in such things, found himself intrigued because Jiang Yu liked it. He agreed: [Sure.]

Jiang Yu was quite talkative, and once she started, she had a lot to say. Throughout their shopping trip, she sent Jiang Zhe photos of what they were buying and told him how her parents were bargaining. When they passed by a flower market, she sent him pictures of the beautiful flowers.

Despite it being a mundane daily routine, Jiang Zhe found it very interesting. Without realizing it, he stood at his door for half an hour before remembering to take out his keys and go inside.

Once inside, the house felt a bit empty without her. However, Jiang Yu continued to text him, so his feeling of loneliness only lingered briefly before a faint smile appeared on his face.

Actually, it wasn’t just Jiang Zhe who felt out of place. Jiang Yu also felt a bit strange.

Before going to bed that night, she felt a bit hungry. Seeing the light on in the kitchen, she instinctively called out, “Jiang Zhe, I’m hungry. Can you make me something to eat?”

Her mother’s voice responded, “It’s almost bedtime, and you still want to eat?” Despite her words, she asked, “How about some noodles?”

The tone carried a mix of teasing and affection. Jiang Yu then realized she was at her parents’ home, and Jiang Zhe had already gone back.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Jiang Yu quickly recovered and cheerfully said, “Sure, Mom, don’t forget to add some chili.”

Her mother was puzzled by her change in taste, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t eat spicy food anymore?”

Jiang Yu explained, “Since getting pregnant, my tastes have changed.”

Then, catching onto her mother’s hint, she asked, “Did I used to love spicy food?”

Zhu Zhi smiled, “When you were little, you often went to your grandma’s, and you both loved spicy food. But in high school, you suddenly said you didn’t like spicy food anymore and your taste changed.”

Jiang Yu recalled that it was the year another version of herself fell for Lin Sicheng.

Back then, in high school, Lin Sicheng sat next to her. His friends often joked that they were a couple. Lin Sicheng never denied it and even seemed to enjoy her attention. This led her to mistakenly believe that he liked her. Not only did she think so, but her friends did too. Because Lin Sicheng said he liked girls with long hair,  so she grew her hair out. He also said girls who like spicy food were too rough, so she changed her taste.

They had been the ones to approach her, yet later they accused her of being delusional.

What nonsense.

That jerk deserved to explode on the spot.

Jiang Yu told her mother, “Mom, I like spicy food again. I think chili is delicious.”

Her mother, however, was relentless, “Even so, you can’t have too much.”

Jiang Yu protested, “They say craving spicy food means having a girl. I’ll give you a chubby granddaughter.”

Zhu Zhi, amused, laughed but still refused, “No, what if it upsets your stomach?”

Jiang Yu, unable to argue, complained to Jiang Zhe: [My mom is bullying me. She won’t let me eat spicy food.]

Jiang Zhe quickly replied: [I’ll take you out to eat.]

Jiang Yu immediately told her mother in the kitchen, “Mom, you don’t need to cook. Jiang Zhe is taking me out to eat.”

Zhu Zhi turned off the stove, put the noodles away, and laughed, “So late, and you have the nerve to make him come over.”

Jiang Yu boasted, “He’s my husband. Why wouldn’t I?”