Chapter 44

“Even if we get divorced, I’ll always be your dad. That’s an unchangeable fact.”

“Oh, a fact is just a fact. Whether I call you ‘Dad’ or not doesn’t change anything.”

Cheng Yue was so infuriated that he hit the brakes, stopped the bike, and turned around to glare at the second child. The boy, though scared, stubbornly glared back. Father and son locked eyes, neither willing to back down.

Cheng Yue was so mad he almost wanted to toss the little brat off the bike.

Taking a deep breath, he told himself: He’s my own child. My own child. My own child!

“What’s 2 + 3?”

“5!” the boy blurted out.

Cheng Yue was surprised. “What about 5 + 4?”

“9!”

“6 + 6?”

The boy paused for a moment, looked at his fingers, and answered, “12!”

Cheng Yue was genuinely shocked now. “Hey, you’ve got some brains, kid.”

“Of course! I inherited my mom’s intelligence!”

What?? So he had nothing to do with it, huh? For the record, I’m smart too!

When they reached the building, Cheng Yue parked the bike and carried both the second and third children upstairs. While they initially resisted, they decided to let him carry them since they’d be leaving soon and figured they’d give him this chance.

Carrying the two kids up the stairs left Cheng Yue drenched in sweat. He took off his shirt and wiped his face, revealing a toned upper body.

“Oh!” Su Qianqian exclaimed.

Her eyes were glued to his chest and abs.

One, two, three… eight? Woohoo! Eight-pack abs! He really had eight!

Cheng Yue’s muscles weren’t the exaggerated type seen on bodybuilders but rather evenly proportioned with smooth, powerful lines that radiated strength and energy.

“I’ll go get the watermelon.” He retrieved the watermelon that had been chilling in cold water, sliced it up, and served it. The cool, juicy fruit was perfect for quenching their thirst.

The three children happily ate, their faces smeared with juice. “So sweet!”

“You each get only one piece,” Su Qianqian warned. “Otherwise, you’ll wet the bed tonight.” With the watermelon’s high water content, there was a good chance of “map-making” on the sheets if they ate too much.

As the kids ate, Su Qianqian couldn’t help but steal glances at Cheng Yue. He sat eating his slice, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed, and his abs subtly flexing with his movements.

Wow, so sexy!

Who could resist a body like that? Su Qianqian didn’t consider herself a big admirer of physiques, but her eyes kept wandering to him.

Now I get why the original owner fell for him.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Cheng Yue announced, standing up.

“Make sure you put on a shirt afterward,” Su Qianqian reminded him. “There are two little girls in the house.”

Cheng Yue immediately felt embarrassed—how had he forgotten that?

In truth, Su Qianqian was more worried about herself being unable to resist.

After his shower, Cheng Yue put on a tank top and a pair of black pants. Even in simple clothes, he looked like a walking mannequin, effortlessly stylish.

He went to the study to read some documents for a while before heading back to his room. To his surprise, the room was empty. Listening closely, he realized the three kids were in Su Qianqian’s room. Are they all sleeping with her tonight?

He soon heard Su Qianqian’s voice narrating a story. Tonight’s tale was The Little Mermaid.

Her gentle voice rose and fell with the story, accompanied by subtle emotional inflections. The three children were completely absorbed, listening with rapt attention.

“That’s the end. Now, back to your own rooms to sleep,” Su Qianqian said after finishing the story.

“Goodnight, Mommy,” the three children said in unison, each giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading off.

Cheng Yue felt a bit embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping, but there was a faint twinge of jealousy in his heart.

Su Qianqian didn’t go into the children’s room after saying goodnight but stayed in her own room.

Lying in bed, Cheng Yue waited. He thought to himself that tonight he wouldn’t reject Su Qianqian if she asked to give him a massage. But he waited and waited—long enough for the three little ones to fall asleep—and still, she didn’t come over to mention it.

This left him tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He wasn’t even sure if he was angry with himself or with Su Qianqian.

The next morning, Su Qianqian was making breakfast while listening to the radio. In these times, there wasn’t much entertainment, but life was still fulfilling in its own way.

During breakfast, Cheng Yue looked at the three kids and couldn’t help but ask, “When are you going to start calling me Dad?”

The question stumped them. They exchanged glances before the second child, eyes gleaming with mischief, replied with a grin, “The day after tomorrow!”

“Why the day after tomorrow?” Cheng Yue asked, puzzled.

“Because I said so,” the second child retorted. “You’re the one who wants to hear it, not us who want to say it.”

Cheng Yue gritted his teeth, barely resisting the urge to grab a feather duster.

This brat’s sole mission in life is to annoy me.

“Fine, the day after tomorrow it is!”

Cheng Yue went to work, where he had a meeting with quite a few attendees. The meeting lasted over two hours, after which he was called aside for a private discussion.

His recent contributions and achievements hadn’t gone unnoticed, especially his significant accomplishments not long ago. Recognition and promotion were only a matter of time.

“Your leg’s fully healed now? I noticed you’re walking without any issues,” his superior asked with a smile.

“It’s healed. I can run and jump again, though I’m not sure if I’ll fully recover to my previous state. But I’m already quite satisfied with how it is now. With some extra training, I think I can regain full strength.”

“Excellent!” The superior was pleased.

Previously, there had been concerns about how to accommodate Cheng Yue if his injury didn’t fully heal. But with his recovery, he could fully utilize his talents.

“As for your divorce… I expect you’ll have an answer by the end of this week.”

Cheng Yue’s heart skipped a beat. A flurry of thoughts flashed through his mind, but they slipped away too quickly for him to grasp. All he could do was nod. “Thank you, Captain.”

Throughout the rest of the day, Cheng Yue found himself distracted, replaying the Captain’s words in his mind. He had to repeatedly force himself to focus on his work.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to him, Zhou Yun had gone to his home.

Wu Sufen had been chatting with Su Qianqian, asking for cooking tips. Ever since her son and husband had tasted Su Qianqian’s dishes, they’d been raving about them, so she came over to learn.

“You’re here to see Cheng Yue? He’s at work,” Su Qianqian said coldly.

“I’m here to see you,” Zhou Yun replied, carrying a box of milk which she placed on the table upon entering.

Wu Sufen, sensing the tension, excused herself and left.

“You’re here to see me? What for?”

“I came to let you know that your divorce application with Cheng Yue will be approved soon,” Zhou Yun said.

Su Qianqian’s face lit up briefly, but she quickly composed herself and nodded. “Got it.”

Zhou Yun hadn’t expected her to be so calm. “Deep down, you know you’re not a good match for him. It’s best to part on good terms. He’ll still look out for you in the future. If you ever need help, you can still turn to him. But don’t make things ugly, or he won’t help you at all.”

“What position are you speaking from right now? Cheng Yue’s future wife?” Su Qianqian asked mockingly.

Zhou Yun smiled without answering.

“I think you should ask Cheng Yue for more money. After all, you’ve given birth to three kids,” Zhou Yun suggested.

“He doesn’t have that much money,” Su Qianqian replied flatly. Cheng Yue’s salary might seem decent to most, but compared to the truly wealthy, it was nothing.

“Not much? Even so, if you took it back to your family, they’d be thrilled. And if he doesn’t give it to you, just fight for custody of the kids.”

What was Zhou Yun trying to do? Giving her advice now?