Chapter 2

“I'm not doing it.” Still groggy with sleep, Su Jingwan reached back and pushed him away. “Don't kiss me.” The man behind her froze. His voice was low and heavy. “Wanwan, tell me why?” “I'm sleepy. I'm not interested.” Huo Congli glanced at the time. It was ten o'clock at night. Su Jingwan usually stayed up until midnight before going to bed. Sometimes, she would even keep him occupied until dawn. Then he remembered what his assistant had told him earlier today—Su Jingwan had gone to see Ji Huaizhi. Huo Congli's breathing faltered, and his voice trembled uncontrollably. “…Tomorrow, I'll send Xiaoyu to my mother's place. You can do whatever you want with me. Is that okay?” What he feared most was losing to Ji Huaizhi. He was afraid Su Jingwan had developed a physical addiction to Ji Huaizhi. But Su Jingwan was genuinely exhausted and only wanted to get a good night's sleep. “We'll talk about it tomorrow.” Why was he so obsessed with that sort of thing in bed? He hadn't been like this before. Huo Congli's arm around her waist tightened slightly, a clear sign of how deeply insecure he felt. “Okay.” — The next morning, Su Jingwan woke up very early. She sat up in a panic, only to see Huo Congli tying his tie. He hadn't left yet. Looking at the scene before her, Su Jingwan finally became certain that she had truly been given another chance at life. Huo Congli asked softly, “Why are you awake so early?” She used to sleep until after ten every day. Even at breakfast, she would only eat a few bites if he personally brought the food to her and coaxed her into eating. The fact that she had never developed stomach problems after all these years was largely thanks to Huo Congli. Su Jingwan calmed herself down. “I went to bed early last night.” She threw back the covers and got out of bed to wash up. As she passed Huo Congli, she glanced at his tie and frowned. “Why are your ties always these same few colors? I've never seen you wear any other colors.” Huo Congli pursed his thin lips, looking somewhat troubled. “The ties you bought for me aren't suitable for wearing to the office.” Su Jingwan tried to remember what kind of ties she had bought him. They seemed to have all been for their intimate games—bright, flamboyant ties that indeed weren't appropriate for wearing to work. She looked at Huo Congli. He had a refined, strikingly cold appearance. A natural sense of distance lingered between his brows and eyes, while his tall, sharply defined nose gave his features an almost perfect elegance. He simply had to stand there to be breathtakingly handsome. The more composed and self-controlled Huo Congli was, the more Su Jingwan felt like teasing him. She wrapped her fingertips around his tie, her eyes glimmering with flirtation. “I think you look sexier in those ties than in these serious ones.” “I'll wear one for you tonight.” He took hold of her hand, his breathing tightening. “Are you… going out again today?” Every time she went out, she was bound to meet Ji Huaizhi. Huo Congli knew this better than anyone. Su Jingwan yawned repeatedly. “I'm not going out. The child is sick, so I'll stay home and keep him company.” A look of disbelief appeared in Huo Congli's eyes. When had Su Jingwan ever stayed home to spend time with their child? “You…” She lifted her eyes toward him. “What about me? Don't you trust me to take care of the child?” “When Xiaobao is sick, he'll be more clingy than usual. I'm afraid you won't know how to handle him.” That was why Huo Congli had planned to take Xiaoyu to the office with him and look after him there. Su Jingwan let go of his tie, her expression turning listless. “Fine, then. Just ask him who he wants to stay with.” The truth was, she had never taken care of a child before either. She was also afraid that Xiaoyu would start crying and insist on looking for Huo Congli. If that happened, she'd have no idea what to do. It was rare for the family of three to sit down and have breakfast together. The butler and servants in the house were all stunned. Even Xiaoyu hadn't expected that he would actually get to see Mommy at eight o'clock in the morning. Su Jingwan felt especially uncomfortable with so many people staring at her. She lowered her head and glanced at her clothes. They were just ordinary home clothes, and her long hair was casually tied into a low bun. Could there be some toothpaste left around her mouth? Or was it because she wasn't wearing any makeup? “Why are you all staring at me? Are you going to let me eat breakfast or not?” Her temper was notoriously bad. The servants immediately lowered their heads and dispersed, each returning to their own tasks. Huo Congli took the initiative to ask her, “Is the breakfast to your liking? Is there anything else you want? I'll have the chef make it for you.” The Huo family's breakfast included both Chinese and Western dishes. There was everything from toast and sweet spreads to morning tea and wontons. “This is enough. I'll just eat a little.” She normally didn't have much of an appetite in the morning. Besides, whenever she thought of Ji Huaizhi's face, her stomach churned. Xiaoyu was sitting right beside her, his eyes practically glued to her, unwilling to look away. He cautiously reached out and touched her sleeve, calling softly, “…Mommy.” That single “Mommy” overlapped with the “Mommy” he had called out in his previous life. Su Jingwan's hand stopped. “What is it? Do you want this steamed bun?” She placed the steamed bun she had picked up with her chopsticks into Xiaoyu's bowl. Huo Congli's eyes flickered. This was the first time Su Jingwan had ever put food into the child's bowl. What had happened to her? It was almost as if she had become a completely different person overnight. Xiaoyu almost couldn't hold back his tears. His eyes became watery as he looked at Su Jingwan. “Thank you, Mommy. I'll like anything Mommy gives me.” The child had inherited all the best features from both her and Huo Congli. He looked even more like a miniature version of Huo Congli. Seeing his expression as if he were about to cry, Su Jingwan stiffly patted his head twice to comfort him. Her movements resembled someone petting a fluffy little puppy. “You need to eat more when you're sick. That way, you'll get better faster.” “Xiaoyu will listen to Mommy.” Seeing how easygoing he was, Su Jingwan figured taking care of him probably wouldn't be too difficult. “Do you want to go to the company with Huo Congli today, or stay home with me?” She still wasn't used to calling herself Mommy. Huo Yujing didn't hesitate for even a moment. He immediately wrapped both arms around Su Jingwan's arm. “I want Mommy!” He turned toward Huo Congli and asked in his sweet, childish voice, “Daddy, Xiaoyu can stay home with Mommy today.” Huo Congli took a sip of his coffee. Strangely enough, the coffee didn't taste as bitter as it usually did today. “Sure. Xiaobao, make sure you listen to Mommy.” … After breakfast, Su Jingwan wanted to go upstairs and sleep a little longer. Xiaoyu stood alone at the doorway to see Huo Congli off to work. “Goodbye, Daddy.” Huo Congli picked up his son and kissed him. “Xiaobao, stay home with Mommy and wait for Daddy to come back. Be good.” He glanced toward the staircase. Su Jingwan had just stepped onto the stairs when, for some reason, she turned around. Their eyes met across the room. The sudden silence made the atmosphere awkward. Should she say something? “Be careful on your way,” Su Jingwan said stiffly. It was such a simple sentence, yet it was enough to make Huo Congli's heart race. She was worried about him. She cared about him. She loved him. “Okay. I picked out a set of jewelry for you during my last business trip. It'll be delivered to the house this afternoon. See if you like it.” Su Jingwan was already accustomed to him constantly giving her gifts, so she didn't react much. “Mm. Hurry and get to the company.” … Assistant Li had been waiting at the entrance for Huo Congli. When he saw him approaching, he gave a slight nod. “Good morning, President Huo.” Huo Congli was lowering his eyes as he adjusted his cuffs, covering the conspicuous marks underneath. His habit of wearing a wristwatch all year round was for the same reason. Su Jingwan could really get wild when she wanted to. He settled into the back seat and casually picked up his tablet to review the documents. When his brows drew together slightly, an air of calm control naturally settled over his features. After years of navigating the business world, Huo Congli had long since tempered himself into someone restrained and composed. His emotions rarely showed on his face. He was a natural-born man of authority. Outside the car window, the bustling traffic of the city rushed past. In the enormous city of Jing, most industries were closely connected to the Huo family. Through the rearview mirror, Assistant Li studied his expression. After hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke. “President Huo, there's something I don't know whether I should say…”