What's going on? Qiu Mi gripped Ouyang Xiaoqing's hand tightly, glaring at the engagement ring on her finger as if she wanted to crush the diamond on it with her stare.
"What's the meaning of this?!" she exclaimed. "It's only been a year, and you've got another ring on your finger, and it's with Du Yuheng?! That guy clearly said he had no plans to get married!" What kind of promises were those? She might as well be speaking to a wall!
Ouyang Xiaoqing didn't know what Du Yuheng was thinking; she only knew that her future was now bound by a ring, and there was no turning back.
"From a different perspective, Kai Yin and Kai Feng have a father now. Isn't that a good thing?" When she had to fill in "father unknown" on the household registration form years ago, it had truly pained her, and the disdainful look from the clerk had stabbed deep. "Isn't it better for them to lose the label of being illegitimate children?" She knew the damaging power of those three words.
"Xiaoqing, this isn't like you to say." She could see that Xiaoqing was feeling low. If Yi Zhou were here, he would know how to lighten the mood. "Can you really ignore your own feelings? You love him; can you accept the fact that he doesn't love you but is marrying you for the kids? How can you manage such a marriage?"
"I don't know."
"When is he planning to get married?"
"He said he would notify me."
"Notify? Is that how a soon-to-be bride talks?" What else did he say?
"He wants me and the kids to move in with him."
"What—?"
Because of this, Qiu Mi stormed into Du Yuheng's office, banging on the table for three consecutive days, and no one could persuade her to stop. It was only after Lei Ziping, usually calm, finally lost his temper, along with Ouyang Xiaoqing's tearful pleas, that the matter was put to rest, but it left scars in both their hearts.
Kai Yin and Kai Feng were now old enough for kindergarten, and Du Yuheng agreed that she could continue her flower business, but insisted she be home before the kids got back from school to take care of them. He was also trying to act like a husband, coming home on time for dinner every day.
She had thought she would be the one to hold on to their little nest until the end, but she ended up being the first to leave.
Ouyang Xiaoqing didn't understand. She had simply fallen in love with someone, simply given birth to her beloved children, and only wanted to live a simple life. Yet now everything had become so complicated, so complex that she felt trapped.
"Ugh! It hurts…" She pressed her hand tightly against her stomach, trying to suppress the cramping pain.
Du Yuheng lived in a high-end apartment with an open kitchen layout, and her squatting in pain naturally caught the attention of the two kids.
"Mommy!" Little Kai Feng was the first to notice something was off. "What's wrong?"
Kai Yin rushed over as well. "Mommy, where does it hurt?"
"Mommy's fine, you two go play." It was probably the recent stress that triggered her gastritis. Her stomach was her weakest link; whenever her emotional burden increased, it would flare up.
Was living with Du Yuheng really a psychological burden for her? Had she made the wrong bet? It made both of them unhappy, yet they had to pretend to get along for the sake of the kids.
Was the facade of harmony beneficial for the children? Should she do something to improve their relationship?
The diamond on the engagement ring sparkled so brightly it hurt her eyes. She wanted to take it off and return it to Du Yuheng but didn't dare to.
He didn't love her—this ring was absurd.
She still remembered that day when he dragged her to the jewelry store to buy the ring. He had worn a tense expression the entire time, nearly scaring the sales clerk. In the end, he didn't even consult her, simply picked a ring, shoved it onto her finger, and then left her at home, ordering her to move in with him and the kids.
Living together was merely sharing a house. He truly was a big boss; the fifty-ping apartment was quite impressive. Kai Yin and Kai Feng now had their own rooms to fill with their favorite things, while she got a guest room larger than her previous one.
Yes, a guest room. She didn't share a bedroom with Du Yuheng; she didn't want to complicate matters further, so she had requested to sleep in the guest room. It was better for both of them, minimizing unnecessary and trivial interactions in daily life.
Du Yuheng seemed to think the same way, as he immediately nodded in agreement when she made the request. Honestly, she had hoped for a moment that he would take the initiative to improve the cold atmosphere between them, but his quick agreement extinguished that hope, dousing her with a bucket of ice-cold water.
She was so tired, truly tired. This way, no one would find happiness, and no one would live joyfully.
Just the thought of how many more days she would have to endure this terrified her; compared to the loneliness that had already consumed her, the weight of this new fear was multiplied hundreds of times.
Looking back, she saw the kids engrossed in their video games, and then glanced around; Du Yuheng was indeed better equipped to provide for their clothing, food, housing, and education. In this house, the one who felt the most like an outsider was probably her. The kids quickly accepted their father's sudden presence and interacted well with him, while she, as their mother, felt neglected. They no longer clung to her like before...
How could she put it? Without the love from her children and the work she did, all that was left of her was emptiness. Originally, this emptiness was masked by the imagined presence of Du Yuheng from her memories; now, the real Du Yuheng stood before her, within reach, yet this reality shattered her illusions.
In her imagination, Du Yuheng loved her; it was this fantasy that filled her inner void. But the real him didn't love her, and her emptiness was now stark and exposed.
At twenty-two, she had left her mother to ensure her happiness. Now, at twenty-nine, was she meant to leave her children so their father could find his true love and build a happy family with the child she had carried for ten months? How could she endure that? Was she truly destined to be alone, unloved by anyone?
Why wasn't she happy? Du Yuheng didn't like to leave the smell of smoke in his office, but the recent frustrations had forced him to break that rule, one cigarette after another, as he thought about the little woman who had moved into his home.
She wasn't happy; no matter how indifferent she seemed to the changes around her, he could still feel her unhappiness.
Why? Was it because he forced her to move into his place?
Ren Qiumi's provocative words echoed in his ears—
"What do you think you are? Why should Xiaoqing bring the kids to live with you? Can you guarantee her happiness? Do you think just because you're a big CEO, she should be grateful for your condescension? Let me tell you—she doesn't care! Today, the kids will be called Ouyang, not Du. Du Yuheng, don't think you can do everything; I dare say Xiaoqing won't be happy moving over there. Did you hear me?"
Her words rang true; from the very first day, Ouyang Xiaoqing was no longer the Xiaoqing he knew.
He knew the Xiaoqing who would smile, shout, blush, and playfully swipe at him with her cute cat-like claws. But now, although she still smiled, it was like a flower drained of water and sunlight, always smiling lifelessly.
Had he made a mistake? He thought this arrangement would be good for both of them. She loved him, didn't she? Then why did living together strip her of her laughter? Even after moving in together, their conversations became less frequent and less engaging than before!
She was unhappy but wouldn't tell him why. He suppressed his anger, agreeing to sleep separately entirely at her request, holding back his natural desires as a man, yet this still didn't make her joyful.
He was frustrated, more annoyed at his helplessness; if marriage was a course, a required credit, he was sure he wouldn't pass— it was difficult, so difficult that he felt like giving up, but he couldn't accept that. He had never failed at anything, not in the past, not now, and not in the future! He wouldn't allow himself to fail, not ever!
Bang! The office door swung open.
"You didn't knock again." Du Yuheng snapped back to reality, frowning at the intruder.
"Thanks to you, my 'left hand' has been on leave for over a month." He was referring to his beloved assistant. "Qiumi is insisting on striking." As if she thought her absence didn't make him exhausted like a dog.
"Let her be." Du Yuheng lowered his head, skimming through a document, not looking at him. "Is that the only reason you're here?"
"Of course not." Lei Ziping casually picked up a photo frame on the desk. "Wow! Where did you find such a warm photo? It's Xiaoqing with those two little devils!"
Du Yuheng snatched the photo back. Of course, he couldn't tell Lei Ziping that he had secretly taken it from the album Xiaoqing had moved. "What do you really want?"
"Personal matters," Ziping replied with a smile. "Purely personal matters."
"You can't talk about personal matters during work hours."
"Are you planning to do it after work?" Once a man has a family, his weaknesses come to light. "Calling home to say Daddy won't be home for dinner will make the kids very sad."
Du Yuheng tossed down his pen. "What are you trying to say?"
Lei Ziping grinned. "I really don't know what's gotten into you, but you're starting to have a human side."
"What do you mean?"
"You're beginning to care about other people's emotions, aren't you?" Ziping noted his recent observations. "You're starting to understand what it means to be helpless, what it means to feel frustrated, and you're also beginning to understand—what love is."
"When did you become a psychologist?" No wonder he and Ren Qiumi were a pair. "Did you come here just to say this boring stuff?"
"No," Lei Ziping shook his finger. "I came to tell you a little something, something related to Ouyang Xiaoqing—" Hey! Yuheng's expression changed!
Seeing Ziping smile like a cat who got the cream, Du Yuheng knew he had been discovered.
He stood up, turning to face the large floor-to-ceiling windows, turning his back to him. "Speak!"
"She's an illegitimate child."
This statement stirred something deep within Du Yuheng.
He forced himself to remain calm. "So what?" That didn't pose any threat to him or change his perception of her; he was just surprised by how little he knew about her… and he felt a pang of unwillingness.
"Do you know why she was homeless?" Lei Ziping began to explain. "Her mother was originally the other woman, and after her father's legal wife died of cancer, he married her mother. However, the two sons born to his first wife blamed her for their mother's death, so while agreeing to their father's remarriage, they imposed a condition that she could not live in the house— you know how Xiaoqing would react, right?"
He certainly knew—she would choose to leave. "What a fool."
A reaction! Lei Ziping secretly laughed; it was rare to see him with a look of pity, and he wanted to take a good look at it.
"Because she was pointed at and criticized from a young age, she always buried her worries deep inside, even suppressing her desire for parental love. On the surface, she appears cheerful and easily gives care and love, but in fact, she needs love more desperately than anyone else; she longs to have love."
"Love is just an illusory word," Du Yuheng replied lightly. He tried to learn, but couldn't find a starting point; he didn't think it mattered much for something that didn't exist.
"Then I have to question whether you truly love your own children," Lei Ziping said bluntly.
"That's instinct, natural." Du Yuheng knew he loved those two little treasures.
"What about Xiaoqing? Do you think you love her?"
"…" He couldn't answer.
"See? I knew it." Lei Ziping shrugged, holding up his hands. "No wonder Qiumi was so furious when she heard you wanted the three of them to move in with you. She had already predicted you were just acting out of a sense of responsibility, so it's no surprise she concluded that Xiaoqing would have a hard time." He couldn't help but admire his girlfriend's attention to detail; it turned out she was not just all about justice and always spoke before thinking. He had underestimated her, and it was no wonder she refused to come to work despite his pleas, turning her protest into a way to punish him.
"All right! I've delivered what I needed to, and it's time to get back to work. You need to seriously consider Xiaoqing's place in your heart; this is for both your sakes, and it's what my girlfriend asked me to convey to you." Lei Ziping smiled.
"Ren Qiumi?"
"Don't let her tough exterior fool you; she's just got a sharp tongue," he explained. "She hopes Xiaoqing can be happy, and that all depends on what you do."
Just before the door closed, Lei Ziping peeked back in, leaving behind one last piece of advice he had forgotten to mention. "My girlfriend specifically told me that if you cause even the slightest harm to Xiaoqing, she'll break every bone in your body. Trust me, she's a black belt in Taekwondo and definitely means what she says." He had learned this from experience and remembered it vividly. "I'm off now." With a wave of his sleeve, he prepared to return to his busy role as manager.
But halfway out, Lei Ziping turned back, opening the door and poking his head in. "I forgot to tell you—"
"What?" Du Yuheng turned back, wondering what else he had to say.
"You think love doesn't exist because everyone around you actively loves you, so you've never needed to seek it, and therefore you don't believe it exists. You see, people often find it hard to notice what they inherently possess but easily envy what others have. That's all I really wanted to say; bye."
With a bang, the door shut behind him.
Why not believe it exists, if you never seek it? Du Yuheng pondered over Lei Ziping's words.
At that moment, the private line rang sharply.
"Hello, Du Yuheng."
"Daddy! Mommy has fainted!" The panicked voice of Xiao Kai came from the other end.
"Neurogenic gastritis is mostly caused by psychological stress or mental tension," the doctor explained the condition in detail. "Your wife has fainted because her gastrointestinal function is relatively weak. Don't worry; as long as she takes care of herself and relaxes, she'll be fine. If there are no issues, I'll go check on other patients. If anything happens, ring this bell, and the medical staff will come immediately." With that, he left, as there were many patients waiting for him!
"Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?" Kaiyin and Kaifeng followed closely, their childish voices slightly calming Du Yuheng's racing heartbeat.
"It's nothing."
"Is Mommy sick?" Little Kaifeng asked. "Otherwise, why is she sleeping all the time?"
"Mommy will be okay, right?" Kaiyin frowned, her brows resembling her father's as she glanced from her unconscious mother to her father. "She will be okay, right?"
"Of course, silly." Although it was just a minor illness, it left him feeling anxious and helpless.
"But you won't be okay." A voice suddenly came from the door. It was Ren Qiuli, glaring at him with her arms crossed. Du Yuheng had informed them to come.
"Mommy Qiuli! Mommy Yizhou!" The two children rushed over to hug them.
Ren Qiuli handed little Kaiyin over to Jiang Yizhou, feeling too furious to risk hurting the children.
"Did Lei Ziping deliver the message to you?"
Du Yuheng nodded.
"Hmph!" Ren Qiuli had to lower her voice, fearing to wake the sleeping Ouyang Xiaoqing. In fact, she wanted to yell. "Should I crown myself as a fortune teller? What I just said has come true immediately. I told you, you should let her lie in the hospital—Du Yuheng, do you still think what you did and how you approached this was right? Why tie her down if you don't love her? Do you know? Xiaoqing simply wants to raise the children. Even without you, she has no plans to get married for the rest of her life. Do you understand?"
"Qiuli, keep your voice down," Jiang Yizhou advised. She could see that Du Yuheng didn't seem indifferent toward Xiaoqing. He looked quite distressed.
"Mr. Du only cares about the kids." This was infuriating! "I really can't understand how Xiaoqing could love you for so long!"
Sitting silently in the iron chair next to the hospital bed, Du Yuheng had remained quiet since Ren Qiuli entered. The only reaction he had was to tuck Ouyang Xiaoqing's messy hair behind her ear after her tirade ended.
"I don't understand either." His voice was hoarse.
This man… Ren Qiuli clenched her fist. She really wanted to hit him, but his expression and the gentle way he treated Xiaoqing made it hard for her to do so. Ugh… so frustrating! With her fists raised in conflict, she eventually let them drop in defeat.
"Tonight, Kaiyin and Kaifeng will stay with me and Yizhou."
Jiang Yizhou couldn't help but chuckle. She knew Qiuli wouldn't be able to go through with her anger.
"What's so funny?" Ren Qiuli shot her a glare. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing." Fearing to be caught in the crossfire, she quickly changed the topic. "Kaiyin, Kaifeng, how about sleeping at our place tonight?"
The children, innocent as they were, calmed down once they knew Mommy would be okay, and they nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Du, we'll take the kids."
"Thank you." Du Yuheng responded without looking back, his tone flat.
"Regretting now is pointless!" Before leaving, Ren Qiuli couldn't help but take another jab at him. She couldn't help it; she was just too angry.
What was he doing?
Du Yuheng asked himself. His authoritarian ways had left a woman lying in the hospital. His decisions had caused her life to be tense and filled with pressure—
She simply wanted to raise her children—Ren Qiuli's words echoed in his mind.
His presence had indeed disrupted her simple hope. The children were born because of her insistence; he had contributed nothing, and after learning the truth, he had acted like a concerned father, though he had no right to intervene. At best, he could only be seen as the one who sowed the seeds, with no reason to reap the rewards of someone else's hard work.
In fact, it was he who needed to accept reality; he needed to admit he had two children, admit he genuinely wanted to live with them, admit he was willing to create a family with their mother, and admit—he loved her.
When did he realize this feeling? Ironically, it was when Kaiyin called to tell him she had fainted.
Is this a sad trait of human nature? In the panic of worrying whether she was okay and fearing losing her, he suddenly realized that he truly understood love and genuinely loved her.
People often only learn to cherish what they have after they risk losing it… fortunately, he hadn't really lost her, thankfully…
Now he finally understood why he hadn't discarded the small card in his wallet.
Initially, he thought he was keeping it for some future use to confirm handwriting, but he was wrong.
The reason he kept it was to hold on to her, to preserve the image of her in his mind. That's why he hadn't thrown it away; it remained in his wallet, forever close to his heart.
He gently took her hand, cradling her small palm in his. This hand was only half the size of his, yet it managed to raise two children on its own.
"Is it still too late to understand the importance of cherishing someone?" he murmured, his gaze fixated on Ouyang Xiaoqing's peaceful sleeping face. "Is it still too late..."
"Daddy, when will Mommy wake up..."
Ouyang Xiaoqing opened her eyes to see three blurred figures—three people she should know best.
The pale yellow room and the sharp smell of disinfectant made her realize she was in the hospital.
"Mommy." The twins jumped up onto the bed to embrace their mother.
Ouyang Xiaoqing hurriedly attended to their affection, asking, "How did I end up here?"
"Neurogenic gastritis," Du Yuheng replied. "You fainted; Kaiyin informed me."
"How long have I been asleep?"
"One night."
That long! She noticed the fatigue on his face. "You've been here all this time?"
"Mm."
"Uh..." She hadn't expected his answer to be affirmative, leaving her momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.
"Uh... thank you." In the end, that was all she could think to say.
"You don't need to thank me." What a fool. "It's my fault; it's the mental pressure I caused that overwhelmed you—"
"No, it's not like that." What was wrong with him? "Are you unwell? Do you need to rest?" His unusual demeanor made her forget her usual defenses, and she instinctively reached up to feel his forehead. "You're not running a fever?"
Du Yuheng placed his hand over hers, which rested on his forehead. "I didn't mean to make you unhappy." This was his way of expressing regret. "I thought living together would be the best solution for the kids, for you, and for me." It was hard for him to genuinely admit he was wrong because, from his earliest memories, he had never believed he had made mistakes. Sometimes, admitting wrongs was merely to provide the other person with a way out, but this time, he sincerely acknowledged his error.
"You didn't do anything wrong." Ouyang Xiaoqing abruptly withdrew her hand. It was so hot; the warmth from his grip lingered. "I just didn't think things through. I overlooked the kids' feelings." She had been selfish, preoccupied with the question of whether Du Yuheng loved her.
"Can we give each other another chance? We can try to change this deadlock." "Is that possible?" He asked her in a tone that was both humble and pleading, something she had never heard from him before, yet it made her feel anxious.
"Of course it is."
"For the kids?"
"And for each other." He had previously said that flippantly, but now he genuinely hoped to improve their situation.
Unfortunately, his sincerity couldn't truly reach her heart. Ouyang Xiaoqing only believed he was saying it for the children, and that "for each other" was merely a form of pretense.
But despite these thoughts, she still nodded in agreement. As a mother, providing her children with a healthy family life was her responsibility and cannot be evaded.
Yet, what about herself? She hoped to remain the Ouyang Xiaoqing who loved the imagined Du Yuheng through the children, so her heart wouldn't be hurt—hurt by the real Du Yuheng.