"Swear again! Whether you mean it or not, you can never lie to me again in this lifetime!"
"Okay, I swear!"
Xiao Yuan squinted as he watched Yi Chunjun hold up three fingers, his face showing a reluctant yet determined expression.
Okay, he swore he would never lie to her again, but he didn't expect her to lie to him again and teach him a lesson.
Chapter 81 of "The Flower Smile": After the Sweetness is Eaten
Xiao Yuan gently sat up and looked at Yi Chunjun sleeping in the bed. For the first time, she got up without disturbing him. He was usually very alert, even when he was sleeping, but yesterday he slept as relaxed as a child.
He was really fast asleep, and he nestled his head in her arms, looking as cute as a little animal seeking warmth.
She couldn't help but stroke his thin, handsome face... No wonder Xiao Ji said he was exhausted these past few days. She felt a pang of tenderness, and her touch didn't wake him. She smiled; she never expected that the suspicious young master Yi, whose paranoia ran deep, could sleep so soundly and peacefully beside her.
She trusted him as much as she trusted herself... and he could trust her just as much.
Stepping out of the room, she breathed in the warm spring air with delight. After four months, she finally felt this relaxed again. Many more flowers had bloomed, their rich fragrance making her feel languid all over. She took a deep breath, wanting to burst out laughing.
"Xiao Yuan!" A slightly panicked shout suddenly came from inside the room, startling her. Before she could react, Yi Chunjun rushed out of the room, saw her, and walked over with an angry look on his face to hug her tightly.
She nestled in his arms, listening to his rapid heartbeat... Suddenly, she realized that he had opened his eyes but didn't see her, and thought she had run away again.
"Fool." She wanted to laugh at him, but her nose stung with tears.
"From now on, you're not allowed to get up earlier than me!" he declared irrationally, and the feeling of finding no one beside his bed made him panic! This woman was his only weakness in life!
"Fool..." Tears finally flowed, bittersweet.
His hand covered her puffy belly, and the baby inside suddenly moved. Yi Chunjun jerked his hand up as if pricked by a needle. Xiao Yuan turned to look at him; he had a strange expression on his face.
"It moved?" the person who had never been a father said in surprise.
Xiao Yuan glared at him, both amused and annoyed. "Of course it will move, it's about to give birth."
He still stared at her stomach with a strange expression, squinting his eyes in confusion.
Xiao Yuan snorted, grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. The fetus seemed to feel the pressure and moved in resistance. Yi Chunjun's eyebrows twitched slightly, showing a mixture of tension and excitement.
"You, as a father, have missed out on so much in the past four months!" She rolled her eyes at him reproachfully.
Yi Chunjun was stunned and remained silent for a long time.
"I was wrong this time," he said after a long pause. "I'll make it up to you next time."
She glared at him, "Next time? What next time?! Do you want to abandon me again? Even if there is a next time, it will be me abandoning you!"
"Xiao Yuan!" he glared at her back. "Don't even think about it!"
She rolled her eyes defiantly.
Xia Lan and Xia Guoan stared, mouths agape, at the endless stream of goods being delivered through the gate. Deliveries had been going on all morning, causing a stir among the neighbors who gathered around the Xia family's door, discussing and peeking.
Xiao Ji chuckled beside her, "Yi Chunjun, are you out of your mind? Your wife is only carrying one child. What are you doing? Opening a nursery?"
Lan Yanfeng sneered, "So what if you're playing the role of a father? It's not like anyone can't be one."
Yi Chunjun glanced at him. "Master, it's your turn next time, isn't it?"
Lan Yanfeng rolled his eyes. "Xiao Ji, you saw that? This kid is too arrogant, he needs to be taught a lesson! So, when are you going to let me get my revenge?"
Zhu Liancheng shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Being a father will make you proud?" Xiao Ji asked in surprise. "That's great! I'm going to make you look bad for the rest of your life!"
Lan Yanfeng killed her with his eyes.
Xiao Ji glanced at him dismissively, then said earnestly, "I'm doing this for your own good. Without children, you can leave gracefully when we break up. But if we really have children..." Xiao Ji frowned, looked up at the sky, seemingly contemplating the future, "...wherever Lan Yanfeng goes, he'll raise a child..."
"Xiao Ji!"
Yi Chunjun watched them bicker coldly, and scoffed disdainfully, "Childish! Don't ever tell people you're my master and mistress again, you'll lose face!"
Xiao Ji stared at him with ill intent. "Shameful?" She turned her expression and called out in a mocking tone, "Xiao Yuan... my Xiao Yuan, where are you?"
Yi Chunjun's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he glared at her. He glanced somewhat awkwardly at Xiao Yuan, who was standing to the side. She seemed not to have heard their conversation, her face cold as she looked at the items still being delivered.
Pei Junwu stood beside her. He didn't look at her; he didn't need to. Her image was already deeply etched into his heart. His love for her... was to silently bless her, to stay away from her, to be forgotten by her. He didn't want to be a burden to her; his indifference was her relief.
"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Yi Chunjun walked to her side.
Pei Junwu lowered his eyes. What pained him now was not the way she looked at Yi Chunjun, but the way Yi Chunjun looked at her. He envied his ability to express his love for her so openly.
"What is this?" Xiao Yuan looked coldly at Yi Chunjun. "Compensation?"
Yi Chunjun was taken aback.
"Are you trying to compensate the child or me? Or are you trying to compensate for your own guilt? Do you think you can make me happy by doing this? This isn't the kind of compensation I want!" she snapped, turning and walking away.
"You!" Yi Chunjun glared fiercely.
Xia Lan watched coldly, "Young master, pregnant women's emotions fluctuate greatly. Sometimes they can be unreasonable. You must not make Miss angry. If she is always happy, the baby will be easier to deliver."
Xiao Yuan walked angrily and accidentally tripped over a few pieces of fabric haphazardly piled on the ground. She deliberately stumbled—as expected, Yi Chunjun, with a sullen face, rushed over and hugged her immediately.