Chapter 66.1

Song Ci’s expression was hard to ignore, especially the sense of desolation in his tone, which dulled Meng Zhengrong’s happiness a bit.

Because Song Ci wasn’t lying, and he didn’t seem to be joking.

Meng Zhengrong chuckled dryly. “What nonsense are you talking about? My wife is different from your wife.”

That statement lacked persuasion. Song Ci looked at him and sneered. “Most women in this world are the same. After having a child, you basically won’t see your husband anymore. You’d better accept this fact early on… otherwise…” Song Ci sighed here, “you won’t end up as miserable as I am.”

He had always thought that having a child with the one he loved was a beautiful thing, and it still was, but who would have thought that after having a child, his wife would give him so much less attention?

Meng Zhengrong waved his hand, not wanting to let Song Ci’s good intentions affect his mood. “You’re just trying to scare me. I’m telling you, my wife loves me a lot.”

Song Ci shivered. “You’re really disgusting. Anyway, we’ll see in a few months whether I’m scaring you or not.”

The two of them returned to the private room, where Song Yu looked very melancholic. Meng Zhengrong, wanting to divert his attention, pretended to care and asked, “How’s your relationship with Yu Yu now?”

Song Yu glanced up, puzzled by the sudden concern from Meng Zhengrong, who had just been hit with a blow himself.

He had to admit that this kind of concern felt nice, and Song Yu sighed, “Still the same, she’s unyielding. I’m almost at my wit’s end.”

“Hey.” One of the friends perked up at this. “Don’t do that. It’s too low. If you’re going to pursue her, do it properly; don’t go for that desperate act. Nothing’s worse than a man who’s willing to die for love.”

Meng Zhengrong rubbed his chin. “Sorry, I can’t help you. My wife has made it clear she won’t wade into this mess.”

Song Yu nodded. “Got it. I won’t put her in a difficult position. As long as she doesn’t speak ill of me, I’ll be grateful.”

“Tsk, how could you say that about my wife? Is she that kind of person?” Meng Zhengrong shot him a glare. “But I did ask her, anyway. It seems Yu Yu doesn’t have a boyfriend and doesn’t seem to be interested in dating. Is that good news or bad news for you? You can weigh it yourself.”

Song Yu spread his hands, pointing at Meng Zhengrong. “I don’t get it. You guys tell me, aren’t we two extremes? I’ve kept my distance from all women except Yu Yu, and this guy here had a rich dating history before getting married. And what’s the outcome? He’s got a wife and kids, while I’m all alone. Is the world fair or not?”

Meng Zhengrong picked up a pillow beside him and threw it at him. “What kind of talk is that? What do you mean by ‘rich dating history’? What do you know?”

In truth, hearing this made him feel somewhat uneasy.

He always felt he owed Xu Yuan in this regard.

On one hand, he knew he couldn’t have predicted he would marry her or that he would come to like her so much, which left him unable to share his past with her.

On the other hand, he thought it would have been better if he had never dated at all. Even a good friend like Song Yu would say that, and sometimes he wondered if Xu Yuan would think about that, question what past relationships he had, and whether she would worry that what he was doing for her he had done for others before. Just the thought that Xu Yuan might have such concerns made Meng Zhengrong’s heart ache.

A friend once said that if you truly love someone, you wouldn’t want to hurt them or make them angry. You’d be afraid they’d hide away and feel miserable. Just imagining that scene would make your heart hurt.

The one who makes you cry and suffer, do they truly love you?

Seeing that he had gone too far with his words, Song Yu quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I misspoke.”

But this action made the group of friends understand just how important Xu Yuan was to Meng Zhengrong.

Indeed, after getting married, Meng Zhengrong rarely went out to have fun anymore. Not to mention, his social media was now a showcase of love, filled with friends who understood his nature. If he didn’t truly like or love her, he wouldn’t act like this.

==

When Meng Zhengrong returned home, he saw Xu Yuan already back, sitting on the sofa, counting today’s spoils.

He leaned over next to her, inhaling her fragrance, feeling an immense sense of satisfaction.

He had never realized before how happy it could make him to build a little family with someone he loved.

Song Ci was right; someone like him, with a past, could still be so happy—truly, God was being too kind to him.

“What did you buy?” Meng Zhengrong really wanted to kiss her.

On the coffee table lay a big pile of items. Xu Yuan earnestly replied, “I bought two pairs of flat shoes, and Yu Yu gave me two beautiful sets of maternity clothes. I also bought a skincare set for pregnant women. Oh, and I got some clothes for Panda; baby clothes are so cute!”

“You don’t even know the gender yet; how can you buy things?”

“I bought them in blue and white. Those colors work for both boys and girls.”

At that moment, Meng Zhengrong recalled Song Ci’s earlier words and, without thinking, asked, “What else? Didn’t you buy anything for me?”

Xu Yuan used to buy him little gifts whenever she went out shopping with Yu Yu.

Sometimes it was a set of men’s facial masks, sometimes a shirt; he had never paid much attention before, but today he strangely did.

Xu Yuan glanced at him. “You didn’t tell me you wanted me to buy something.”

Her tone was very natural, as if she didn’t find anything wrong.

Meng Zhengrong’s heart sank inexplicably. Could it be that Song Ci’s ominous words were coming true? Now that she was out shopping, she didn’t buy him anything; would she not even look at him in the future?

He wanted to say something but remembered that Xu Yuan was pregnant, so he held back.

Noticing that Meng Zhengrong was unusually quiet, Xu Yuan sensed something was off. If it were usual, he would be talking non-stop, but today was strange.

“What’s wrong? Are you wanting to buy something?” Xu Yuan nudged him and asked.

Meng Zhengrong shook his head. “…Nothing I want to buy.”

“You seem off today. I’ll give you three minutes. If you don’t say anything in three minutes, just keep it to yourself.”

Meng Zhengrong glanced at Xu Yuan with a hint of sorrow, then, without thinking, hugged her and rested his head on her shoulder. “When you go shopping for Panda in the future, bring me something too.”

“Is that all?” Xu Yuan chuckled softly.

He really didn’t lack anything; his wardrobe was already full.

“Yeah.” Meng Zhengrong nodded. “Even if you just buy me a pair of socks.”

“What’s going on? Why are you suddenly saying this?”

Xu Yuan understood Meng Zhengrong’s personality; when she used to go shopping, she didn’t always buy him something. The fact that he was suddenly acting this way must mean something had happened.

“I don’t know if I should say it.” Meng Zhengrong knew he had to consider Xu Yuan’s feelings, especially since she was pregnant. If she weren’t pregnant, he would have been more open, but now… could he say it?

What if they ended up arguing over it?

She couldn’t be too agitated right now.

Xu Yuan rolled her eyes at him. “Just say it. If you don’t say it now, you’ll hold it in for the rest of your life. I’ve given you a chance to vent; you’d better cherish it.”

Meng Zhengrong thought for a moment and decided to just say it, lest he feel uncomfortable.

“After Panda is born, will you not pay as much attention to me anymore? At least not as much as now.” Meng Zhengrong paused and continued, “Song Ci told me today that his wife doesn’t even bother to talk to him anymore. Before, if he didn’t come home by nine, she would call to urge him. Now, if he doesn’t come home at night, no one cares. Will you treat me like that in the future?”

Xu Yuan’s expression was calm, but inside she was noting, Is that what Song Ci thinks? Noted.

“Are you telling me that if I don’t pay as much attention to you in the future, you’ll stay out all night?” Xu Yuan asked, maintaining her composure.

Meng Zhengrong quickly shook his head and hugged Xu Yuan tighter. “Of course not. If you don’t pay attention to me, I’ll just show up in front of you every day until you notice me.”

Xu Yuan gently patted Meng Zhengrong’s head like one would a dog, focusing intently on his eyes. After a moment, she smiled and said, “I won’t.”

“What?”

“I won’t neglect you. But Song Ci’s not completely wrong; it’s a simple fact. After Panda is born, we won’t think of just each other all the time. We’ll both have another person in our hearts—our child. There will be times when you might feel neglected, and the same goes for me. But so what? Panda is our child.”

Since getting pregnant, Xu Yuan has become softer and gentler.

Just by touching her belly and thinking about the baby inside her, the whole world felt so beautiful, and there wasn’t much to be sad or angry about.

Perhaps this is why there’s a saying: a woman becomes stronger when she becomes a mother. It’s not just about becoming stronger; it’s about becoming happier too.

She didn’t know if her partner was her armor, but a child would surely be the armor for parents, as well as their weakness.

“Just think about it. Panda will grow up and call us Mom and Dad…” Xu Yuan smiled. “Zhengrong, in our lives, there won’t only be each other; there will be children as well. If I neglect you in any way in the future, you can tell me directly. Don’t think that just because we have a child, I don’t pay attention to you or love you anymore. Panda isn’t an outsider; he’s your child too.”

Meng Zhengrong had to admit that he was touched by her words.

Song Ci was just too petty; he was nothing like that.

Xu Yuan was right. Panda was his child, and once Panda was born, he definitely wouldn’t be able to focus solely on Xu Yuan.

One shouldn’t be double-standard, right?

Meng Zhengrong kissed Xu Yuan. “Yeah, you’re right. Panda is our child.”

Xu Yuan glanced at Meng Zhengrong. “I’m worried that after I get pregnant, my figure will change and my skin will lose its glow. Will you find me ugly and go look at other girls?”

She wasn’t really worried; she trusted her own judgment and believed in the man she liked. She just thought that showing a little insecurity might make him happy.

He had given her so much joy; she should let him know how important he was to her.

Her feelings for him wouldn’t change with the arrival of a child; instead, they would probably deepen.

Xu Yuan guessed right. Meng Zhengrong was overjoyed by her words; didn’t that mean Xu Yuan cared about how he felt?

He patted her on the head and said, “How could that be? No matter how pretty those girls are, they’re not my wife. Besides, I think you look even more beautiful now, really.”

Seeing that he didn’t look as gloomy as before, Xu Yuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She caressed her belly and thought, “Panda, your dad is already feeling jealous, and you haven’t even been born yet. What will happen in the future?”

He was too immature, wasn’t he? But don’t dislike him; he’s a good husband and will be a good dad too.