Chu Weiyuan slammed her chopsticks down with a snap after hearing this, unable to contain her true nature. "That damn Tao Yunjia, that matcha bitch!! What on earth is she trying to do?"
"It was right of my dad to get rid of her back then! Otherwise, having someone like that in the house would be a disaster!"
"Your dad? You mean... she was taken away by your dad through some tricks?" Shu Yi'an repeated, her little face full of confusion.
Chu Weiyuan then realized that Shu Yi'an didn't know about Tao Yunjia's affair back then, but she had been the first to say the wrong thing, and it was too late to take it back. She could only stammer out a general account of how Tao Yunjia had disrupted the engagement banquet. After listening, Shu Yi'an felt incredibly stupid.
It turns out that Tao Yunjia didn't break up with Chu Mu for the reason she thought; it turns out that she had always deeply loved Chu Mu; it turns out that all her efforts were just to go to Germany with Chu Mu...
Chu Weiyuan, fearing that Shu Yi'an might overthink things, quickly reassured her. "That's just Tao Yunjia's wishful thinking. My brother definitely doesn't have any other feelings for her. They're just ordinary colleagues. Really, sister-in-law, believe me! I know my brother. He wouldn't promise you marriage and then go off and mess around with other women. I don't know what you two have been through together, but for him to marry you, you must have something that moved him. If he dares to betray you, I'll be the first to rush to your aid."
People who haven't experienced marriage tend to think of many things very simply. Looking at Chu Weiyuan's youthful face under the lamplight, Shu Yi'an felt a bitterness ripple through her heart.
The author has something to say: Writing is so exhausting. I was packing my bags to go home while also revising the text. I even wrote two thousand words and then had to abandon it again.
That's how it is when two people are in a relationship. Even though they're arguing like crazy, they still can't help but worry about each other. Chu Mu is deeply in love with Shu Yi'an now, but he just lacks a certain opportunity to make the stubborn person say it.
Chapter 46 Meimei is Pregnant
Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Shu Yi'an has been feeling increasingly tired and sleepy lately. Chu Mu has probably been very busy these past few days, and when he occasionally calls Shu Yi'an, she is either sleeping or in a bad mood and doesn't want to answer. It's been a week since he went on his business trip. During that time, she went back to the compound once for a meal, and Chu's father even made a special explanation to her.
“He has some work-related issues that require his personal attention, and he's been very busy. Things will get better once this period is over. Let him stay home and keep you company.”
However, Beijing was teeming with Chu Mu's spies, making it incredibly easy for him to find out Shu Yi'an's whereabouts. Tomorrow was her return to work, and tonight she had arranged to meet Zhou Hui for hot pot, a meal they had been craving for a long time. The hot pot restaurant was packed, and they waited for half an hour before a seat became available.
The hot pot restaurant's main selling point was its spicy and refreshing flavor. Watching the bright red broth being poured into the pot, Shu Yi'an secretly swallowed. "Excuse me, could you please change it to a half-clear broth?"
Zhou Hui tapped the table unhappily, "What are you doing? Didn't you say you couldn't live without spicy food? Why are you hiding like a coward now!"
Shu Yi'an covered her face with her hands, feeling extremely ashamed. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she had come full of enthusiasm, but the sight of the bright red chilies in the soup suddenly killed her appetite. She touched her stomach; it had been so long since she'd had such stimulating food, she was probably just not used to it anymore…
As Zhou Hui added vegetables to the pot, she scoffed at Shu Yi'an's bland seasoning. Perhaps it was the heavy oiliness of the restaurant, or perhaps the gradually cooling weather had dampened her appetite, but just as Shu Yi'an picked up a piece of cooked bok choy and before she could even put it to her mouth, a strong wave of nausea washed over her. She quickly grabbed a tissue, pointed to the restroom, and ran away from her seat, leaving Zhou Hui alone, lost in thought.
Since she hadn't eaten much, she didn't vomit anything. After rinsing her face with warm water, Shu Yi'an looked at her somewhat haggard and pale reflection in the mirror and thought she really should go to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow; maybe her stomach problems had flared up again. Zhou Hui, while chewing on seaweed, stared at Shu Yi'an as she wiped her hands with a tissue. After slowly finishing chewing, she dropped a bombshell, making Shu Yi'an almost spit out the lemonade she had just drunk.
Are you pregnant?
Shu Yi'an, with a sour lemon half-filled in her mouth, frowned and thought seriously for a while. About a minute later, she suddenly pulled her phone out of her bag to check the date of her last period. 2, 4, 6, 8—ten whole days had passed, and she hadn't even noticed… Shu Yi'an was startled and froze. No wonder she'd been feeling something missing lately.
Zhou Hui, being an experienced woman, knew her guess was right when she saw Shu Yi'an's expression. She flicked Shu Yi'an's forehead with a hint of exasperation, "Look at you, such a big thing, don't you even remember it?"
Shu Yi'an hadn't recovered from the shock Zhou Hui had given him. His mind raced, trying to recall when he and Chu Mu had stopped using protection. It must have been... the night they came back from Jiang Yitong's place. The next few times, including in Sanya, were also without protection... Shu Yi'an gently pressed the calendar pages. If what Zhou Hui said was true... he must have gotten pregnant not long after he came back.
Her hand unconsciously touched her flat stomach. Shu Yi'an's heart was filled with anticipation and trepidation. Was she really pregnant with his baby?
"I'm not sure if I'm pregnant... I've just been feeling very tired and have no appetite lately, and I thought it was all because of the fire." Now that I think about it, it must have been there long before the fire.
"Then that's it!" Zhou Hui moved the chili peppers next to Shu Yi'an to her side and gave her a clean plate. "Take Julie off tomorrow to go to the hospital for a checkup. If you're really pregnant, your husband will be overjoyed."
Many people in the company witnessed the tense atmosphere between Xiao Ke and Chu Mu that day. Zhou Hui later secretly interrogated her, demanding an honest confession. Since the two had maintained a good relationship since joining the company and understood each other, Shu Yi'an simply told Zhou Hui the general details of her departure from Anya'er. After listening, Zhou Hui gave an even more shocking conclusion than Su Ying, that crazy woman.
"If I also decisively chose Mr. Diplomat, then Shaw would be damned!"
"Hey!!!" Shu Yi'an exploded, "I'm not choosing between two people, okay? I'm already married and I have absolutely no feelings for him!!"
What did Zhou Hui say back then? Oh right, she looked at Shu Yi'an with great confusion while applying nail polish, and after a long while, she nodded understandingly. "You're right, with the way your husband treats you, and his own qualities... tsk tsk, if it were me, I wouldn't even give other men a second glance. Shu Yi'an, this is called... taking advantage of your husband's affection."
Will he be happy...? Shu Yi'an pursed her lips and smiled secretly, wondering what his reaction would be if she told him.
Zhou Hui, being considerate of the pregnant woman, drove the whole way home, making sure Shu Yi'an got home safely before taking a taxi herself. During the trip, the two even bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy.
Shu Yi'an stared at the two purplish-red bars in the bathroom upstairs, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest. After all, she was still a young woman, and the excitement and exhilaration of a young girl couldn't be hidden from Shu Yi'an, who was usually calm and composed. She tossed and turned in bed several times, but still couldn't resist picking up her phone and looking up the person she hadn't seen in a very long time.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Chu Mu's slightly tired voice came through the crackling radio waves, carrying his usual deep and sensual tone. "What is it?"
Hearing his voice, her initial anticipation and nervousness gradually subsided. Recalling the argument they had had in the study that day, Shu Yi'an quietly pouted, lowered her head, and clutched the corner of the blanket without making a sound.
"Are you feeling unwell? Or has something happened at home?" Hearing the soft breathing on the other end, Chu Mu asked again, still a little worried.
The words she had prepared were swallowed back down, and after thinking for a long time, Shu Meimei finally managed to utter, "When...are you coming back?"
Chu Mu glanced at the gloomy sky outside and asked gently, as if coaxing a child, "Did you miss me?"
Shu Yi'an was laughing foolishly on the other end of the phone, but stubbornly retorted, "I haven't decided whether to forgive you or not. You left me alone at home for so long... you don't even care about me."
"It's my fault. I'll definitely explain everything to you when I get back, okay?"
"Mmm." Shu Yi'an looked at the pregnancy test on the bedside table, feeling an unusually strong sense of belonging. She couldn't help but show weakness on the other end of the phone. "Chu Mu, let's talk properly when you get back, okay? I have something I want to tell you."
It was rare to see Shu Yi'an so gentle, or rather, Chu Mu had never heard her so noticeably soft and sweet. For a moment, his heart was filled with tenderness because of her.
"Okay, wait for me to get back. I also have something to tell you."
"Then... I should hang up?"
"Hang it up..."
Chu Mu had a very gentlemanly habit. Aside from calls from his childhood friends and a few close acquaintances where he might hang up first because he couldn't listen or was too busy, he politely let the other person hang up first in almost every other call. This was especially true for Shu Yi'an; he never answered before her, always waiting until he heard the dial tone before hanging up. Shu Yi'an couldn't remember how many such details of Chu Mu's life she knew. Holding her phone, she thought anxiously, "When he comes back, when he comes back, I must make sure we live a good life together."
Chu Mu hung up the phone and stood motionless in the hospital corridor, staring blankly at a certain point in the window. In a ward not far from him, Tao Yunjia was fast asleep with an IV in her arm.
The secretary brought a blanket and handed it to Chu Mu, looking somewhat worried. "You should go back to your car and rest. You haven't slept much for three days."
Chu Mu pushed the blanket back to his secretary and pointed outside. "Why don't you go take a nap? You've been with me all this time, the kids must be worried."
"Hey!" The secretary waved her hand somewhat awkwardly. "He's so young, what does he know? These past few days have been quite dangerous. You must have been even more exhausted than I was. I heard from the doctor that Miss Tao is fine now, and the wound isn't too big."
Chu Mu nodded and glanced at the time displayed at the nurses' station. "Notify her family to come tomorrow."