Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Staring at her large baby bump, Ye Xiaotian said, “I think we’d better keep it. You’re already halfway into your pregnancy. It’s not like we can’t afford to raise another child anyway. We’ll just find a way to give birth to a son in the future. Besides, technology is so advanced nowadays. What’s there to be afraid of?”
Mo Li remained silent and placed her hand on her baby bump, overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.
—
It was already past nine o’clock in the evening, yet Ling Ciye had still not returned. Song Yan returned home to find that he was nowhere in sight.
She immediately tried to call him, only to realize that he had switched off his mobile phone.
She sat down and began boiling with rage. After waiting for him for a while, but to no avail, she had no choice but to go upstairs to get some rest by herself.
Ling Ciye was vexed and exhausted after a busy and hectic day.
It was already ten o’clock in the evening by the time he returned home.
He had drunk some liquor to ease his fatigue.
Thus, Song Yan could smell that he reeked of alcohol when he sat down by the bed.
“You didn’t answer all my calls. Where did you go drinking?”
“My phone was out of battery and I left my portable charger at home. I drank a few sips of liquor at the office. When do you think we should register our marriage?” Ling Ciye asked sluggishly.
“I’m rather busy lately. We’ll register it some time in the future,” Song Yan answered casually, thinking that he would give her a lengthy response. To her surprise, he merely expressed his assent.
Song Yan turned to her side and asked, “Would you like to register it earlier?”
“It depends on you. If you think you’re so busy that you don’t even have the time to make a trip down to the Civil Administration Office, what more can I say? It’s all up to you,” Ling Ciye answered while laying down in bed slowly after removing his clothes.
“You don’t care about me at all nowadays.”
“How else do you want me to care about you? You know that I don’t have much patience,” Ling Ciye retorted, his temples throbbing uncontrollably.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I was pregnant, would you be reluctant to even see me?” she asked, stating the obvious.
He did not answer, for silence meant consent.
“Ciye…”
“I’m tired. If there’s anything else you’d like to say, leave it for tomorrow.”
Song Yan gave him the side-eye, filled with frustration.
“Ciye, we were getting along well at the start. Why have we become like this now? Are you getting sick of me because we’ve been together for too long? You’re making me feel like I was wrong to initiate a makeup. Also, I’m starting to wonder if we shouldn’t have kept the child in the first place,” Song Yan groused.
Ling Ciye cocked his head towards the side and said, “Just what are you trying to say?”
“Do you still love me?”
“Don’t you know the answer?”
“I don’t. I don’t know at all right now,” Song Yan answered truthfully.
Unsure how he should explain, Ling Ciye held her gaze and said, “Song Yan, you have to think through every decision you make carefully. Don’t end up doing something that you’ll regret. If you want to marry me, then prepare yourself mentally. If you don’t think it’s worth giving up your career to marry me, then please weigh the consequences yourself. I really don’t need a career-minded woman. I need a family-oriented wife who’ll strive to take good care of her husband and child.”
“I’m asking you if you love me or not!”
Ling Ciye admitted, “I don’t know. So please make all your future decisions on your own. I’ll respect your choices.”
“Your uncertainty just goes to show that you no longer love me.” Song Yan took a deep breath before continuing to speak, “I think I’ve been forcing you into this all along.”
“Do you love me then? What’s the point of condemning me when you only love yourself, Song Yan?” Ling Ciye retorted.
Tears began to well up in her eyes. “But I want to be with you. Why can’t you just support my career? Can’t we just leave the child to the nanny?”
“That’s how you always are, making me feel physically and emotionally exhausted. The longer I’m with you, the more sick and tired I grow. I can never find a way to communicate with you calmly and happily,” Ling Ciye said while closing his eyes.
Tears streamed down from Song Yan’s face and she quickly wiped them away.
She laid down in bed quietly and turned to her side to face away from him.
A lot went through Song Yan’s mind that night.
She was still half-awake when he left in the morning of the next day.
Not long after she had just fallen asleep, her manager and assistant showed up at her house.
“Oh gosh, why are you still sleeping at this hour?” her manager, Huahua, exclaimed.
Song Yan opened her eyes and answered, “I didn’t sleep well last night. I’ve been constantly thinking about something.”
“What’s the matter?”
Song Yan sat up slowly and said, “I was thinking if I should really give up a large part of my career for the sake of my family and place my family as my top priority.”
Upon hearing her words, Huahua immediately berated, “Song Yan, are you out of your mind? You had a hard time getting to where you are today, are you really going to give it up so easily? A man will only look down on a woman if she doesn’t have her own career. I know you’re not cash-strapped, but a career gives a woman confidence. You obviously can’t give that up. If Ling Ciye can’t even be understanding towards you in this aspect, is he really fit to be your husband?”
“But, the wife he wants is not one who’s so busy and can only see him in the morning and at night.”
“By the time your baby bump gets even bigger in a few more months, you’ll be able to spend every day with him for a long while. What’s the hurry? Ever since you two made up this time, I think your relationship is not as strong as it used to be,” Huahua said, trying to persuade her.
Song Yan looked up and asked, “You can tell?”
“I’m not blind, of course I can. Those young girls out there are all very straightforward nowadays. They love making the first move on men. You have to keep a close eye on him, don’t let him be seduced by those girls.”
“He’s not that kind of man,” Song Yan refuted, knowing clearly that Ling Ciye was not a philanderer.
“Men are never loyal. Also, you may be busy with work but you have to put in more effort into spending time with him and keeping him tied to you.”
“I’m not in the mood for that now. Last night, he asked me when I wanted to get our marriage registered. I told him that I was busy lately and that we should wait a while more…” Song Yan said unhurriedly.
“Are you a fool? You should have agreed right away. It doesn’t take that long to make a trip down to the Civil Administration Office. I can’t believe you told him to wait… your brains must be fried…”
“I thought he would get eager, but who’d have thought, he wasn’t at all. I wouldn’t have said that had I known earlier,” Song Yan said, expressing her regrets.
Huahua was utterly shocked at how absurd Song Yan was. “If you’re not even eager, why would he be? Since you’re already pregnant now, why don’t you just give him a call and quickly get your marriage registered first?”
“I already told him to wait last night. Wouldn’t I be losing face by calling him now?” said Song Yan, who was stuck in a dilemma.
Huahua handed her the mobile phone and prompted, “Why do you need to care about your pride in front of your boyfriend? Call him quick and tell him that you want to register your marriage now.”
Finding that Huahua did make sense, Song Yan proceeded to give Ling Ciye a call.
He did not pick up. Thus, she called him again, but she still could not reach him.
“Call him later then.”
Song Yan threw a fit and said, “If he doesn’t call me back, I’m not going to call him again.”
“Filming for the variety program begins today. Fortunately, it’s in the afternoon. Hurry and get up for breakfast before putting on some makeup. It’ll be noontime by the time you finish packing your luggage. Our flight is scheduled in the afternoon.”
“Didn’t you say that we’ll be filming locally?”
“We’re filming the publicity videos here and the actual program in L City. We’ll be there for a week this time.”
