The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 477 - 479. Miss Shen’s Second Child Plan

Fu Hengyi slightly arched his brows, not knowing why Shen Qinglan suddenly changed her mind, but he couldn’t have asked for more. Ever since they had Anan, the opportunities for just the two of them had been few and far between, with a little third wheel always by their side, making everything inconvenient.

"Okay," Fu Hengyi gladly agreed.

The couple didn’t rush to head back home as it had indeed been a long time since they last went out alone on a date, so they simply strolled along the beach.

"Fu Hengyi, we haven’t been this relaxed in a long while," Shen Qinglan said with a smile. Last year, Fu Hengyi rarely came home. Mostly, it was her taking Anan to visit him at the military base. But even so, Fu Hengyi would only be home in the mornings and evenings, while she and Anan would go to the cafeteria for lunch.

It is worth mentioning that considering Sister-in-law Zhang’s home only had her elderly mother left, to facilitate Sister-in-law Zhang taking care of her family, Brother Zhang voluntarily requested a transfer from the Beijing Military Region to his wife’s hometown.

Though the area was close to Sister-in-law Zhang’s home, it wasn’t a major military city. Thus, making a name for oneself wasn’t as easy as in Beijing. Brother Zhang’s choice could be seen as halting his career progress. However, it was his personal decision, a reflection of his love for his wife, and was nothing to criticize. Moreover, with Brother Zhang’s rank, though advancing further might be challenging now, securing a decent position wasn’t difficult, especially with Fu Hengyi secretly lending a hand.

And after Brother Zhang left, his responsibilities nearly all fell upon Fu Hengyi, which was one reason why he had been so busy.

"Yes, the household responsibilities fell on your shoulders last year, and you worked hard."

Shen Qinglan swayed their intertwined hands, "Fu Hengyi, I’m not telling you this to get your thanks."

"I know. I want to thank you," said Fu Hengyi with a smile. Actually, being a military wife is tough, involving much one-sided sacrifice. Being in the military for so many years, he had seen many marriages end because husbands couldn’t return home, or families were unhappy. He was lucky, as Shen Qinglan had never complained about his absences or the inability to take care of the family, not even a murmur of dissatisfaction.

Fu Hengyi recalled last summer when Anan had caught a cold from playing too much, and it turned into a fever that lasted several days. He couldn’t return because of a closed training, and it was Shen Qinglan who had taken care of everything alone. By the time he knew, Anan had already recovered.

The sacrifices Shen Qinglan made for their family were forever etched in Fu Hengyi’s heart, but she never talked about her hardships or sacrifices in his presence, which made him feel even more indebted.

"Qinglan, I plan to switch to a civilian role in a couple of years," Fu Hengyi mentioned.

Shen Qinglan glanced sideways, "Why?"

"I am getting older, and my body can’t keep up. Although I mostly design training programs and don’t need to participate directly, I still need to oversee them personally. The workload is too much, and I want to rest." He didn’t say that civilian jobs offered more freedom, and that he could come home every day.

But he didn’t need to state it for Shen Qinglan to understand. "Actually, you don’t have to do this."

"I have been considering this for a while, and those above wanted me to stay a couple more years before they approve my move."

Seeing that Fu Hengyi had already made his decision, Shen Qinglan naturally didn’t pursue the matter further.

The two strolled on the beach for nearly an hour before they returned, not to their home, but to a hotel.

In the hotel room, Shen Qinglan looked at the pajamas in her hand, which she had bought while shopping for clothes.

The material of the pajamas was, well, scanty. Shen Qinglan hesitated for a long time with the pajamas in hand. Thinking of what she intended to do, she gritted her teeth and slipped them on, covering them with a bathrobe before she stepped out.

Fu Hengyi had taken his shower first and was now sitting on the bed waiting for Shen Qinglan. The couple not returning home but staying at a hotel carried an unspoken implication.

Shen Qinglan’s hair was not yet dry. Fu Hengyi held a hair dryer, drying her hair. Just as it was nearly dry, her bathrobe suddenly loosened, revealing her fair skin and the pitifully thin pajamas underneath. Fu Hengyi, who had been focusing on drying her hair, suddenly caught sight of the flash of white, and his thoughts instantly wandered.

His Adam’s apple moved up and down, and lowering his head, from his angle, he could perfectly see the view over her chest. Just as her hair was almost dried, Fu Hengyi casually placed the hairdryer aside, bowed his head, and kissed Shen Qinglan’s earlobe, asking indistinctly, "When did you prepare this?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t answer, just asked, "Do you like it?"

How could Fu Hengyi not like it? He proved his liking with actions, but just as he was about to go further, Fu Hengyi suddenly stopped, "Wait." He reached out to grab the box on the bedside table, Shen Qinglan held his hand, having already planned not to let him use it, how could she allow it now?

"Fu Hengyi, let’s have a daughter."

Fu Hengyi’s eyes were deep, "Wait a bit longer, let’s wait till your body fully recovers."

Shen Qinglan knew he would use that as an excuse, held the hand he was moving towards the box to keep it still, "You promised me we would have a daughter." Back then it was her health that didn’t allow it, but now that her health permitted, there was no way she would let Fu Hengyi escape, not to mention for the sake of having a daughter, she had made such a big sacrifice tonight, she absolutely couldn’t let the plan be aborted.

Fu Hengyi looked at Shen Qinglan intently, sweating from restraint, ready to proceed but stopping here, making not only Shen Qinglan uncomfortable but himself even more so, "You had this planned?" Otherwise, how could even the pajamas be prepared.

Shen Qinglan smiled lightly, "If you think so, that’s okay. It’s you who agreed, after recovering from the illness we would have a daughter," It had been two years now, "are you still trying to wriggle out of it?" Her heart also felt bitter, usually, men want a second child and the wife refuses, but in their case, it was reversed with Fu Hengyi trying every means to escape.

"Alright, I’m scared of you now, but let me say this first, only this one time, if it doesn’t happen, it means fate hasn’t arrived yet, and we won’t consider having a daughter for a while." Fu Hengyi compromised, in front of Shen Qinglan, he only had room to yield.

Shen Qinglan nodded, deciding to deal with future matters later. Fu Hengyi no longer held back and with a movement of his waist, their long night began.

The next morning, Shen Qinglan rubbed her sore waist, inwardly sighing for the lengths she went to in order to have a daughter, having only gone to sleep at two in the morning.

When she awoke, she didn’t see Fu Hengyi. She casually put on a bathrobe and went to the bathroom. While changing clothes, seeing the marks on her body in the mirror, her waist felt even more painful. Daughter, for you, mom really gave her all.

By the time she came out, Fu Hengyi had already brought up breakfast, which he had personally picked from the restaurant, all Shen Qinglan’s favorite foods. A well-fed man was naturally more agreeable, personally taking care of Shen Qinglan as she ate.

Shen Qinglan felt perfectly entitled to enjoy Fu Hengyi’s attention; she had been exhausted last night, and it was only right for Fu Hengyi to look after her. What Fu Hengyi was thinking at this moment was that indeed, without Anan around they could truly enjoy themselves, as when they previously lived at home, fearing that the noise would be too loud, they hadn’t dared to make much sound, unlike last night, they let loose completely.

Thinking this, Fu Hengyi secretly planned to bring his wife out more often, to enhance their marital bond.

At this moment, Shen Qinglan naturally did not know the small schemes in Fu Hengyi’s mind, instead, looking at her abdomen, her eyes filled with a smile; these few days were just her ovulation period, the chances of success were high, which was also why she had made such a great sacrifice last night.

After finishing breakfast, the couple finally returned home. Old Sir Fu did not ask them where they had been last night, as young people’s matters were best left alone.

Anan was eating breakfast, pouting slightly, unwilling to eat, holding a bite of food in his mouth for a long time without swallowing, occasionally glancing towards the door, having not seen his mother last night and this morning, he was feeling moody.

Seeing Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi come in, Anan immediately slid off his chair and ran to Shen Qinglan, "Mommy, where did you go?"

"I went out with Daddy, there were some things we needed to do. Did you miss Mommy?" Shen Qinglan gently spoke, always patient with her son.

Fu Hengyi, well-fed and content, found his son very pleasing to the eye and no longer minded him clinging to his wife.

"Anan, mommy is back, isn’t it time to eat now?" Aunt Liu walked over with a small bowl in hand.

Shen Qinglan looked at the bowl in Aunt Liu’s hand, the food inside had hardly been touched, then looked at Anan, "Didn’t you eat well?"

Anan lowered his head, and Shen Qinglan continued, "Didn’t you promise Mommy last time to eat well, you are a little man, how can you go back on your word?"

Anan spoke softly, "I don’t want to eat when Mommy isn’t here."

"Anan, you can’t do this anymore. What if Mommy has to go to work and won’t return for several days? Would you also not eat for several days?" Shen Qinglan’s tone became more serious.

As Shen Qinglan disciplined her son, others naturally wouldn’t interrupt; they went about their own business, pretending they hadn’t seen anything.

"But Mommy didn’t tell me where you were going yesterday."

"Okay, not telling you where I was going was Mommy’s mistake. I’m sorry, Anan. If I go somewhere in the future, I’ll try to tell you. But don’t you want to say something to Mommy about what happened today?"

"Mommy, I’m sorry. I will eat well from now on and won’t worry everyone." Anan was a good boy who corrected his mistakes once he realized them, and he immediately apologized.

"Now that you know your mistake, Mommy forgives you. But you cannot skip meals in future. Not eating will make everyone worried, okay?"

Anan nodded, "Okay," and didn’t cling to Shen Qinglan’s embrace anymore; he voluntarily followed Aunt Liu to eat.

Anan could eat by himself without being fed, managing his spoon quite well.

After finishing his meal, Anan went to play with Er Pang, the plump dog, who had a good diet at the Fu family’s home, grown stout and shiny.

The two little fellows ran around in the yard, having a great time, while Shen Qinglan returned to her studio. The painting from a few days ago still needed completion in its last part.

Fu Hengyi had nothing to do, so he took a book and sat in the yard, reading while watching his son.

"Daddy," Anan ran over, holding a ball, "Daddy, play with me."

Anan was already sweaty. Fu Hengyi first wiped his son’s sweat, then stood up, "Okay, let’s go."

When Shen Qinglan came out of the studio, the first thing she saw through the living room’s french window was this scene—Fu Hengyi playing soccer with his son, a smile hanging at her lips, quietly watching them.

Fu Hengyi looked up, just in time to catch Shen Qinglan’s gaze. His eyes immediately softened, and he smiled back at Shen Qinglan before tossing the ball to Anan, "Go play with Er Pang."

Anan, holding the ball, watched as Daddy left him to find Mommy. Anan pouted but didn’t chase after him, knowing it was futile; his dad would find an excuse to send him away, just like he had done before.

While Anan played outside with Er Pang, Shen Qinglan still watched her son from the window. Fu Hengyi approached her, "Qinglan, I’m right here."

Shen Qinglan chuckled, turning to look at Fu Hengyi, "Are you competing for attention with your own son? Aren’t you embarrassed?"

Fu Hengyi responded earnestly, "Anan wanted to play outside by himself; I didn’t compete for attention."

Shen Qinglan laughed. Last time, she didn’t know who had tricked their son out to play just to have a moment alone with her, even promising to buy him a toy car if he played until sunset. The poor naive Anan had actually listened to his dad and stayed outside the Military Region family building for more than an hour before Shen Qinglan realized her son was missing and went downstairs to bring him up. She had scolded Fu Hengyi then, having never seen such a carefree father, who would just confidently leave his son unattended downstairs.

Fu Hengyi argued confidently, "This is the Military Region. You have to sign in to enter or leave the family building, and with so many soldiers and officers coming and going, what could possibly go wrong?" His response left Shen Qinglan speechless; indeed, there was no place safer than the Beijing Military Region.

"Qinglan, I forgot to give this to you earlier," Aunt Zhao came over with a package in her hand. "It was delivered this morning; I got busy and forgot."

Shen Qinglan took it. It was an international courier that seemed to contain a document. Looking at the address, it was sent from Xueli City. She was puzzled as she didn’t know anyone from Xueli City. What could this parcel specifically addressed to her be about?

"Why don’t you open it and see?" Fu Hengyi suggested. Shen Qinglan nodded. Inside was a wedding invitation; unexpectedly, it was from Catherine. Next month was Catherine’s wedding day, inviting her and Fu Hengyi to attend. Shen Qinglan glanced at the sender’s name—it was indeed from Catherine herself. She handed the invitation to Fu Hengyi. "Guess they really want to invite you."

Fu Hengyi glanced at it casually and tossed the invitation aside. "Don’t bother with it." Two years ago, Catherine had someone steal Shen Qinglan’s painting and framed her for plagiarism. Later, Shen Qinglan exposed her and handed the evidence directly to Catherine’s mother, resulting in Catherine being grounded and Daisy compensating Shen Qinglan with a large sum of money. The matter had finally been resolved. Now, two years later, Catherine had found someone to marry and sent an invitation. What was she implying? Was this a show of defiance?

"Do you think I should go?" Shen Qinglan looked at Fu Hengyi with a calm gaze.

Fu Hengyi’s expression remained indifferent. "No need." A person of no significance—is she worth the effort? As long as Daisy was around, Catherine wouldn’t be able to cause much trouble, as Daisy certainly wouldn’t want to offend both the Fu Family and the Shen Family.

Even though the Boyle Family held a prestigious status in Xueli City, her role as the sister of a mafia boss was a secret she couldn’t reveal. Knowing her secret, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi were definitely not the people she would want to offend.

She had thought about getting rid of those who knew her identity, but what kind of people were Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan? The cost of eliminating them was too great—she couldn’t afford it. She could only step back as far as possible, especially since it was originally her own daughter who had caused the trouble.

"Do you want to go?" Fu Hengyi asked, noticing Shen Qinglan looked thoughtful.

Shen Qinglan’s lips curved up slightly. "Since they went out of their way to invite us, wouldn’t it be rude not to go?" she said teasingly.

Fu Hengyi’s gaze was light. "If you’re interested, go ahead, but just to be clear, I’m not going."

Shen Qinglan glanced sideways. "Of course you’re not going." Given his active military status, he couldn’t easily leave the country. If it were for such a woman, Shen Qinglan would have a serious talk with Mr. Fu tonight.

A hint of a smile flashed in Fu Hengyi’s eyes. "So, you get jealous too."

Shen Qinglan gave him a half-smiling expression and turned to head for the study.

**

Daniel hadn’t expected to run into Jin Enxi so soon. "Miss Lola?"

Jin Enxi turned around, surprised to see Daniel. "Mr. Daniel, I didn’t expect to meet you here. We really must be fated. We just saw each other last night, and here we are again." In reality, she had tracked Daniel’s phone and knew he was coming to the gallery, so she had hurried over.

"Yes, I didn’t expect Miss Lola to be interested in oil paintings."

Jin Enxi pointed to the oil painting in front of her and laughed. "I’m not interested in oil paintings, but I am interested in Qinglan’s paintings. I knew she was a painter and quite famous when I met her, but I never had the chance to see her original works. Now that I’m in Beijing, I definitely had to come to the gallery."

Daniel’s eyes flickered slightly. "You’ve known Qinglan for a long time?"

"Not long, we met a few months ago," Jin Enxi said. "Mr. Daniel, I’m a layman; there are some paintings I don’t understand, could you perhaps explain them to me?"

"Of course," Daniel said, though he had initially wanted to refuse. When his eyes met Jin Enxi’s, the words on his lips suddenly changed.

Their discussion lasted until noon. Jin Enxi looked at the time. "Mr. Daniel, it’s already noon. Would I have the honor of inviting you to lunch with me?"

"I..."

"I can’t refuse—I’m very sincere."

"Alright." Daniel changed his words again. For some reason, Miss Lola’s eyes always seemed hauntingly familiar, yet he couldn’t place where he had seen them before. It seemed like he had, yet it also felt like an illusion.

"I have never been to Beijing; do you have any good restaurant recommendations?" Jin Enxi appeared somewhat distressed.

"Is this Miss Lola’s first time in Beijing?"

"Yes, I’m just here to have fun. If Qinglan wasn’t in Beijing, I wouldn’t have come; not just Beijing, this is my first time in this country."

Daniel glanced sideways. "Miss Lola isn’t from this country?"

"No, I’m from Country H. Do you think I’m from here because my Chinese is very good?" Jin Enxi playfully smiled. "I learned Chinese from a friend. She’s from here and a very good friend of mine."

Daniel’s gaze darkened, so she was from Country H, was that familiar feeling just because they were from the same country?

"Mr. Daniel, you still haven’t told me where the food is tastier." Seeing Daniel lost in thought, Jin Enxi waved her hand to bring his attention back.

"Sorry. If you don’t mind, Miss Lola, take my car, I’ll take you."

"I’d be truly grateful; I’m really not familiar with Beijing."

Jin Enxi smiled broadly as she got into Daniel’s car. Her gaze lingered on a car hanging ornament, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Mr. Daniel, your ornament is quite unique." She picked up the ornament to look at it, a nostalgic expression appeared in her eyes—it was a photo turned into a heart shape, with a picture of her and Daniel in the middle.

Daniel initially wanted to stop her, but seeing that she had already taken it, he refrained from saying anything.

Jin Enxi closely examined the photo, especially the image of herself. That face, which should have been very familiar, now seemed so foreign. She felt a warmth in her eyes, blinked, and forced down that emotional surge.

"Is this your girlfriend?" asked Jin Enxi.

Daniel’s expression softened tremendously, "Yes, her name is Jin Enxi, just like you, she’s also from Country H." His voice softened unconsciously when he mentioned Jin Enxi’s name.

Jin Enxi’s heart ached slightly; the longing embedded in his simple words was perceptible.

"Where is she now? Didn’t she come to Beijing with you?" Jin Enxi asked curiously. Seeing Daniel’s expression change, she quickly added, "Just curious, if it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say."

Daniel slightly forced a smile, "It’s nothing inconvenient. Two years ago, my girlfriend fell ill and didn’t want to see me; I am waiting for her to come back."

"Why don’t you go find her?"

"She doesn’t want to see me right now; perhaps she doesn’t want me to see her sick. I respect her choice. I believe that one day she will come back to me, so I wait."

Jin Enxi’s heart trembled fiercely, tears almost spilling over. She blinked rapidly, tilted her head slightly back to stop the tears from falling. Fortunately, her long hair, which was down today, covered half of her face, and Daniel, focused on driving, didn’t notice her abnormality.

"What if she never comes back?" Jin Enxi asked.

Daniel smiled gently, "That won’t happen; she will definitely come back to me."

Jin Enxi clenched her other hand into a tight fist. Her Daniel, still waiting for her to return. She must be lucky to have found such a man who loved her without regrets. But Daniel, would you still like the me of today?

Jin Enxi became somewhat disinterested, placed the ornament back, and looked out the window. Through the glass, she viewed Daniel’s reflection and suddenly spoke, "Aren’t you not living in Beijing? Why do you have this ornament in your car?"

"I brought it with me this time; I get very uneasy when I can’t see it while driving." This was their only photograph together; because of her previous profession, Jin Enxi disliked taking photos, and this one was secretly taken by him.

Once more, Jin Enxi’s heart ached; she almost blurted out but forcefully held it back. She remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Upon reaching the restaurant, Daniel handed the menu to Jin Enxi, "This is a famous restaurant in Beijing. The local dishes here are delicious; you should try them."

Jin Enxi did not take it, "I’m not familiar with this place; you order."

Without any hesitation, Daniel asked, "Does Miss Lola have any dietary restrictions?"

"None, I’m not picky."

Daniel decided to order several dishes, two of which were her favorites. Jin Enxi felt a complex emotion rising within her, increasingly unsure if she should reveal the truth to Daniel.

"The food here is indeed delicious, Mr. Daniel, I didn’t expect you to be such a foodie," said Jin Enxi with a smile.

"This is my girlfriend’s favorite dining spot; we used to come here often." Every time he mentioned Jin Enxi, Daniel’s eyes would become incredibly tender.

Hearing this, Jin Enxi trembled slightly holding her chopsticks, nearly dropping her food onto the table, "Being your girlfriend must be very fortunate."

Daniel simply smiled and looked at Jin Enxi. His gaze suddenly froze, and he couldn’t move his eyes away. Jin Enxi, feeling his stare, looked up, eyes meeting, "Mr. Daniel, what’s wrong?"

Daniel came back to his senses and shook his head, "It’s nothing, I just thought of my girlfriend for a moment. Miss Lola, if you like the food, eat more."

"Mm, you eat too. It was agreed you’d treat me to a meal, but it turns out I’m the only one eating."

Daniel moved his chopsticks, and halfway through the meal, he picked out a deboned piece of fish for Jin Enxi. She ate it naturally, without realizing anything amiss. Daniel’s eyes briefly sparkled.

"Miss Lola, sorry, I need to use the restroom," suddenly Daniel spoke.

"Go ahead."

Using the restroom as an excuse, Daniel found a quiet corner and called Shen Qinglan; she was also eating. Upon seeing it was Daniel’s call, she stood up from the dining table, "Daniel, is something wrong?"

"Qinglan." Daniel’s voice trembled slightly, "Has she come back?"

At these words, Shen Qinglan’s expression shifted, "Who told you about this?"

"Don’t worry about who told me, just tell me, has she come back?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t know how to speak to Daniel. She had promised Enxi not to tell Daniel, but Daniel was also her friend. She had seen what he had gone through these past two years, and it left her in a difficult position. Thus, Shen Qinglan kept silent.

On the other end, Daniel, who could not get a response from Shen Qinglan, sighed in disappointment, "Maybe I thought too much, Qinglan, it’s okay." After saying that, he hung up the phone. Shen Qinglan wanted to call Jin Enxi but worried that Jin Enxi might be with Daniel at that moment, and her call would prove that Lola was indeed Jin Enxi. Since she had already promised, she couldn’t let Daniel find out from her.

Shen Qinglan put her phone aside and went back to continue her meal.

After dinner, Shen Qinglan sat on the sofa, somewhat distracted. Fu Hengyi called her several times without receiving a response. He gently nudged her, and Shen Qinglan came back to her senses, looking at him quizzically, "What’s wrong?"

"You didn’t respond even though I called you several times. What were you thinking about?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "It’s nothing."

Fu Hengyi could tell something was up from her expression, "Are you worried about Jin Enxi?"

Seeing that Fu Hengyi had guessed, Shen Qinglan simply didn’t hide it from him anymore and briefly recounted the events, "Do you think it’s not very nice for me to keep this from Daniel?"

"This is Jin Enxi and Daniel’s own affair. The more you get involved, the more difficult it could become. Jin Enxi has her reasons for doing this, you shouldn’t overthink it."

Shen Qinglan thought about it and agreed. She glanced at the time, it was still early, "Today we have some free time, let’s take Anan to see a movie."

Fu Hengyi raised an eyebrow, "I thought you would say the two of us would go see a movie."

Shen Qinglan slapped him playfully. They had already left their son at home last night, and if they were to go out alone today, Anan would probably cry when they got back.

Excited at the prospect of going to the movies, Anan clapped his little hands and then hugged Er Pang’s neck, "Daddy, can I take Er Pang with me?"

"No, Er Pang can only stay at home," replied Fu Hengyi.

Anan didn’t understand, "Why not? Er Pang is my little buddy. Last time Mom took me out to play, I also brought Er Pang." Anan had a good relationship with the dog; the two were inseparable.

"If we were going on a picnic, we could take him, but there are many people in the cinema, and Er Pang might scare them. Then the police might come to take Er Pang away. Do you want to see Er Pang being taken away?" Fu Hengyi patiently explained.

Anan was still confused, "Why would the police want to take Er Pang? Er Pang is very well-behaved and doesn’t bite."

"We know he doesn’t bite because we are Er Pang’s family, but other people don’t know that. They see Er Pang’s size and get scared, especially little children."

Anan somewhat understood but also got the point that Er Pang couldn’t go to the movies. He looked up at his dad, "Daddy, aren’t you a soldier? Can you ask the police not to take Er Pang?"

Fu Hengyi crouched down to be eye-level with Anan, "Daddy is a soldier, but Daddy has to listen to the police too."

Seeing that he really couldn’t bring Er Pang, Anan gave up, "Okay then, can I take Er Pang with me next time we go out?"

"That depends on where we are going. If it’s a place with few people, you can bring Er Pang, but if it’s crowded, you can’t because it would scare other people, understand?" Fu Hengyi explained gently. Although Anan was still young, it was essential to instill such thoughts, to form behavioral habits. This had always been Fu Hengyi and Shen Qinglan’s educational philosophy for Anan.

"Daddy, I understand." Anan nodded his little head, then petted Er Pang’s head and said, "Er Pang, Er Pang, I can’t take you with me this time, but next time when I go out to play with Mommy and Daddy, I will definitely take you. When I get back, I’ll tell you about the movie I saw, okay?"

Er Pang barked several times in response to Anan’s words, making Anan burst into laughter. He hugged Er Pang’s neck tightly for a while before he took Hengyi’s hand and said, "Daddy, let’s go."

It just so happened that several animated films were being released, and Qinglan chose one that was suitable for Anan’s age group. The family of three entered the cinema.

Qinglan and Hengyi naturally felt indifferent about such animated films, but Anan watched with great interest. Upon leaving the cinema, he was still excitedly discussing the plot of the movie with Qinglan.

"Mommy, can we come and watch another movie next time? I really liked this one," Anan pleaded with Qinglan.

Qinglan nodded her head, "Okay, but on one condition—you have to be obedient."

Anan agreed readily, "Then Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Okay."

"No."

Qinglan and Hengyi spoke almost simultaneously.

Anan looked at Daddy, then at Mommy, and then at Daddy again before finally resting his gaze on Mommy, "Mommy, can I sleep with you?"

Qinglan naturally wouldn’t refuse her son’s request and readily agreed, "Okay."

Upon hearing his wife’s answer, Hengyi’s expression darkened.

Anan remained oblivious to Daddy’s scowl and kept chattering about the movie plot to Qinglan all the way home.

Even though Qinglan knew Hengyi was jealous, she didn’t bother addressing it, and instead discussed the movie with her son. Although her attention hadn’t been fully on the movie, she still knew enough of the plot to engage.

Hengyi, seeing this through the rearview mirror, felt even more upset. Indeed, he seemed to have the lowest status in the family; Qinglan seemed to have eyes only for their son now.

When they got home and Anan ran off to play with Er Pang, Qinglan turned around to find that Hengyi had disappeared. Going into the bedroom, she found him standing by the window, lost in thought.

She walked over and stood behind him, "Are you angry?"

Hengyi stayed silent, Qinglan tugged at his sleeve, "Are you really jealous of our son?" She was both amused and frustrated.

Hengyi looked at her solemnly, his eyes mournful, "You said this morning that I was more important than our son." He had realized it—that not only do men sometimes say one thing and mean another, women are the same, especially the one right in front of him.

"Wife, you can’t just use me and then throw me away."

Qinglan’s face first turned red then darkened, and she glared at Hengyi, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Hengyi smiled silently, his gaze meaningful as he looked at Qinglan’s... neck.

Qinglan huffed and turned to walk away. If this man started being a rogue, she couldn’t keep her composure.