Chapter 20: Wild Grass

Zhu Jia and Mo Yichen entered the studio, where Xiao Wen had already changed. He was dressed in a small white shirt and a black vest, which made Zhu Jia laugh at his “mature” collegiate style.

With the two adults now present, the photography setup height increased, and the photographer adjusted the lighting.

Taking advantage of Xiao Wen’s stable mood, everyone quickly made preparations and entered shooting mode, as they knew the baby’s mood could change suddenly.

“Alright, Mom and Dad, come closer.” The photographer held the camera and directed their positions.

“Dad, hold the baby, and Mom, rest your head on Dad’s shoulder. Yes, like that, very sweet, now smile.”

The photographer was quick and focused, “Let’s change poses. Mom, you hold the baby, and Dad, wrap your arms around Mom’s waist.”

“Hey, Dad, hold a little tighter. Dad, tilt your head and look at the baby. Yes! That’s the feeling, now be a bit closer. Great, this looks perfect!”

Zhu Jia could clearly feel the solid chest and powerful arms behind her, and it felt a bit awkward. She had never been so close to a man.

Because of the height difference, his face lightly brushed against her ear, his warm breath barely touching her cheek. A strange tingling sensation rose on one side of her face and shoulder.

Zhu Jia shifted uncomfortably, and the person behind her seemed to freeze for a moment, immediately pulling back a little.

This felt much better, and the tingling sensation finally subsided. Zhu Jia smiled sweetly at the camera.

After a couple more changes in poses, the shoot was finally complete. The photographer, looking at the photos on the camera, was glowing with excitement, unable to help but praise: “You guys are the best-looking family I’ve ever photographed! When the baby grows up, he’ll look amazing, no matter who he resembles!”

The photographer looked up, expecting to see smiles of appreciation from them, but instead, he saw their expressions were strange, lacking any warmth.

The customer manager stepped forward. “Mr. Mo, Mrs. Mo, you can now select the photos. The best shots will be retouched and made into an album.”

The customer manager led them to the computer, where the newly shot photos were uploaded.

Zhu Jia clicked through the pictures, while Mo Yichen sat beside her. Xiao Wen’s solo shots were all adorable, with him wide-eyed in carefully prepared scenes, looking like he could almost talk to the camera.

Dressed in a stretchy blue outfit, Xiao Wen’s chubby little belly and limbs melted Zhu Jia’s heart. She almost felt overwhelmed with affection.

However, the atmosphere of the parent-child photos was even more moving. Zhu Jia blushed as she looked at the pictures of herself.

In one shot, she was holding Xiao Wen in her arms, smiling sweetly, while Mo Yichen embraced her waist from behind. His usual indifferent smile was now slightly curved, and his gaze was filled with unprecedented tenderness. They were so close, creating an intimate, almost romantic vibe.

Zhu Jia pursed her lips. This only meant that both she and Mo Yichen were good actors. They were nothing more than roommates under the same roof, yet they managed to convey such an old married couple-like intimacy.

Another photo showed Mo Yichen holding Xiao Wen in his left arm, while his right arm wrapped around Zhu Jia, who leaned closely against him, looking delicate and affectionate. Xiao Wen’s eyes held a playful gleam, as though he could speak.

There were several other shots like this, all showing the happy family dynamic. Anyone who saw them would believe they were enjoying the most precious and beautiful kind of relationship.

As Zhu Jia kept scrolling, her lips grew more pressed together. A sense of unease and guilt started to rise within her.

Zhu Jia began to feel like a thief, because in this family of three, the position of the mother was not supposed to be hers—it should have been Xiao Wen’s biological mother’s place. She was enjoying the happiness that only Xiao Wen’s real mother should experience.

She had never thought about Xiao Wen’s mother before, because she thought it had nothing to do with her. But at some point, her thoughts began to shift quietly, like a seed that was destined to sprout. Now, that seed had broken through the soil.

This had nothing to do with the system or points; her desire to take photos with Xiao Wen was entirely selfish. She wanted to leave behind a beautiful memory for the future.

But she was unsure whether her actions might hurt another woman.

“All these photos will be kept.” A deep voice beside her interrupted her chaotic thoughts.

Zhu Jia turned her face to glance at Mo Yichen, whose expression was cold and stern, completely different from the warm, happy man in the photos.

“Of course, Mr. Mo. All these photos will be retouched for you. Additionally, we will send you all the raw images,” the customer manager said with a smile.

After leaving the photography studio, Zhu Jia remained silent, a rare look of concern on her face.

It wasn’t until they got home that she finally turned to Mo Yichen and said, “Mo Yichen, we need to talk.”

Mo Yichen sat on the sofa, staring directly at Zhu Jia. She had been looking troubled all this time, which made him feel uneasy. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I want to talk to you about Xiao Wen’s mother,” Zhu Jia said directly, “Why did you give Xiao Wen to me instead of letting him be with his biological mother?” She asked the question she had been keeping inside for a long time.

A trace of surprise flashed across Mo Yichen’s face. He turned his head away, silently avoiding eye contact with the woman in front of him.

“Although this question might be overstepping, I have to ask. I’m asking for Xiao Wen’s sake. Why don’t you let him see his mother?” Zhu Jia wasn’t afraid of the increasingly cold atmosphere around Mo Yichen, her tone unusually serious.

Mo Yichen furrowed his brow, as if considering how to answer the question. After a while, he spoke: “Xiao Wen’s mother passed away three days after he was born.”

Although she had already anticipated this answer, Zhu Jia’s eyes still welled up with tears in an instant.

It reminded her of her past life. Zhu Jia couldn’t remember much of her childhood, but she could still clearly recall the feeling of growing up without the company of parents.

It was like the song that says: “A child with a mother is like a treasure, a child without a mother is like wild grass.” For a long time, she had felt like that wild grass, something that could be trampled by anyone.

Although this wild grass grew up stubbornly, a piece of her heart was always missing, a gap that would remain barren forever. No matter how wonderful things were in her life later, that gap could never be filled. She would always be a person with an incomplete heart.

Zhu Jia wiped away the tears on her face, her makeup now ruined. She stood up and looked down at Mo Yichen, saying seriously and solemnly, “Thank you for telling me. I will take good care of Xiao Wen.”

Mo Yichen frowned, watching her as she took Xiao Wen out of the crib and carried him upstairs.

So she cared about this matter? Mo Yichen pinched the bridge of his nose. If she really cared that much, it wouldn’t be impossible to tell her later when the time was right.

That day, Zhu Jia was a bit absent-minded. She placed the sleeping Xiao Wen on her big bed and lay beside him, gazing at the quiet little figure.

“Host, stop worrying so much! No matter what Xiao Wen’s background is, he will be the heir to the Mo family. From the moment he was born, he already has wealth and status that others can never dream of. Why are you still concerned about him?” The system, which hadn’t spoken in a while, finally reappeared, sensing Zhu Jia’s low mood.

“8888, you’re a system, you wouldn’t understand. Even if someone has mountains of gold and silver, they can never heal the pain of not having a mother,” Zhu Jia said softly, stroking Xiao Wen’s chubby little hand.

The system fell silent, seemingly contemplating Zhu Jia’s words.

Do your best. As long as I’m here by your side, I’ll do everything I can to make up for the regret you’ve carried all your life from not having a mother, Zhu Jia silently made up her mind.

More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Xiao Wen had visibly grown larger each day. Children really grow fast. Clothes that seemed a bit too big for him just half a month ago were now tight on him.

While Xiao Wen was sleeping, Zhu Jia decided to tidy up his wardrobe. She took out all the clothes that no longer fit and put them in a vacuum-seal bag, sucking the air out.

What was once a puffy bundle instantly shrank by two-thirds. Zhu Jia stuffed these outgrown clothes into the back of the wardrobe.

The small crib with wheels that Xiao Wen had brought when he first arrived was no longer usable. Zhu Jia put it in the storage room.

The weather was nice today, so Zhu Jia decided to change Xiao Wen’s bed linens. She placed him on her big bed and took the crib bedding to the laundry room.

After finishing all the chores, Zhu Jia had worked up a sweat. Seeing that Xiao Wen was still fast asleep, she planned to take a shower.

The warm water sprayed over her pinkish-white skin, and Zhu Jia sighed in comfort.

As she was about to loosen her hair, which had been tied up in a bun, and wash it, she suddenly heard a heart-wrenching cry from outside the bathroom door.

Zhu Jia froze. This cry was different. Xiao Wen wouldn’t cry like that after just waking up. Zhu Jia felt a surge of panic and quickly dried herself off and hurriedly dressed.

“Host! Host! Are you there? Xiao Wen fell off the bed!” The system’s panicked voice echoed in her mind.

Zhu Jia’s pupils contracted. She rushed out and saw that Xiao Wen was not on the bed at all! He had fallen to the ground and was crying uncontrollably, his face turning red with distress.

Zhu Jia quickly ran over and picked Xiao Wen up from the cold floor. Xiao Wen seemed to be completely scared, his hands and feet flailing uncontrollably, unable to be comforted.

Did Xiao Wen fall by himself? When did he learn to turn over?!

System: “Host, Xiao Wen just suddenly learned to turn over just now!”

The bed was quite high, and the place where Xiao Wen fell didn’t have a carpet.

Zhu Jia quickly checked his body, and in a short amount of time, there was a large red bump on the back of his head!

Seeing the frightening bump, Zhu Jia was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She immediately grabbed her phone, picked up Xiao Wen, and rushed downstairs.

“Old Xu, take me to the hospital, quickly!” Fortunately, Old Xu was nearby, and he immediately drove over.

After getting into the car, Xiao Wen in her arms finally stopped crying, but he looked a little listless and not as lively as usual.

The car soon arrived at the hospital entrance. Zhu Jia rushed into the pediatric clinic, carrying Xiao Wen.

Upon hearing the news, Mo Yichen also arrived. When he walked in, he saw Zhu Jia holding Xiao Wen, standing in the clinic. Her hair and clothes were disheveled, her eyes were red, and her lips were tightly pressed together.

Although Xiao Wen wasn’t crying anymore, there was a red bump on the back of his head, and his little face looked very aggrieved.

Mo Yichen’s heart was deeply moved. He stepped forward and gently embraced the two of them.