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Chapter 886: Chapter 885: Fortunate to Have, Fated to Lose
In the opulent, dimly lit VVVIP room of a luxury bar.
Pei Ziheng was twirling his brandy glass, his dark eyes playfully turning to Zhao Yun beside him, "No regrets?"
Zhao Yun swirled the alcohol in his glass, saying, "My brain isn’t as sharp as yours, but I have self-awareness. The Earth will keep spinning without me, and Director Zhao’s company will be just the same with or without me."
Pei Ziheng took a sip of his brandy, his fair Adam’s apple moving up and down with the swallowing motion, set against his handsome, sculpted face, both abstinent and alluring.
Zhao Yun found it somewhat difficult to look away.
He was sure he was straight, but he just couldn’t stand Pei Ziheng’s face.
Pei Ziheng, oblivious to his brother’s discomfort, said in a voice made hoarse by the alcohol, "Seniority is both your advantage and your disadvantage."
The Zhao Family had two sons, Zhao Yun and Zhao Cheng.
Today, Zhao Cheng was only three years old, and obviously posed no threat to the adult Zhao Yun, but twenty years later, Zhao Yun would be over fifty while Zhao Cheng would be in his prime.
"Ziheng, you know I don’t like competing for fame and fortune. I grew up motherless, and Director Zhao didn’t have the time to bother with me. I was raised on handouts. When I was a kid, I envied you the most, jealous that you had Auntie Mingzhu, such a good stepmother."
"Back then, I thought, when I have kids in the future, I definitely won’t let them walk the path I did. Compared to running a business, I’d rather be a good father and husband. You might think I’m ambitionless, but I’m just a person without much ambition. The greatest luck of my life was meeting you and becoming your brother."
Ding~
Pei Ziheng gently clinked his glass against Zhao Yun’s, a gesture of support and respect for his brother.
After chatting with Pei Ziheng, Zhao Yun went over to have a round with Xiahou Dun and the others before putting down his glass and excusing himself.
"Brother Yun, it’s still early, not even ten o’clock."
"Heading home early to be with the wife~"
"Brother Yun, how did you become so henpecked? That’s really weak, man."
Faced with Xiahou Dun and the others’ teasing, Zhao Yun was completely unfazed, "You bunch of single dogs don’t know shit. I love my wife, you wouldn’t understand, I’m off."
"Let’s go together."
Pei Ziheng put down his glass, intending to leave with Zhao Yun.
Xiahou Dun and the others didn’t understand, "It makes sense for Brother Yun to leave early to be with his wife, but you, Ziheng, you’re not married and don’t have a girlfriend, why leave so early?"
"To be with family."
"..."
"Play all you want tonight, put it on my tab."
Before he left, Pei Ziheng tossed out a line, and the previously subdued atmosphere in the room heated up again at the prospect of the funded revelries.
...
Zhao Yun, having arrived home, searched the house and eventually found Ren Jingshu in the dance studio on the third floor.
When they got married, Zhao Dafa bought another villa in Ruifeng Garden for the couple’s new home.
Zhao Yun pushed open the door of the dance studio, just as Ren Jingshu was practicing her splits jump, startling him so much his heart leapt to his throat, but he dared not make a sound, afraid to startle Ren Jingshu.
He waited until Ren Jingshu finished the entire set of moves before he dared to speak, "Wife, why are you dancing again? Didn’t I tell you not to dance? The doctor said you shouldn’t be doing strenuous activities right now; it can harm the baby."
Ren Jingshu braced herself on the barre, panting as she looked at him, "It’s been so long since I danced I can’t keep up my stamina, I’m tired out after just a few moves."
Zhao Yun comforted her, "Your body is heavy right now, it’ll get better after the baby is born."
Ren Jingshu looked down at her belly, "Such a little troublemaker."
Fearing she might become unhappy and talk about terminating the pregnancy again, Zhao Yun quickly changed the subject, "It’s late, go get some rest. Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy."
As husband and wife, Ren Jingshu could not fail to notice his anxiety.
She said, "Don’t worry, since I’ve decided to keep the baby, I won’t change my mind."
Zhao Yun stepped forward to embrace her, "I’m sorry, I know you don’t want a child right now, but I really can’t bear to let it go. It’s our child together, the continuation of our lives. It will grow little by little, into a cute and tender baby, from babbling to taking its first shaky steps, and then from an innocent child to a blossoming teenager."
"I understand, and I’m looking forward to its arrival too," Ren Jingshu replied emotionally, hugging him back.
For young women, giving birth is never an easy task.
From pregnancy to childbirth, to postpartum recovery, it will be an extremely arduous journey.
Moreover, compared to ordinary women, Ren Jingshu’s sacrifices were even greater, with changes to her body shape and bone structure after childbirth inevitably affecting her dancing career.
Therefore, she once considered giving up the child but ultimately compromised, choosing her lover and family.
She didn’t know whether she would regret today’s decision in the future, but another road without options might not be paved with flowers either.
At least, she felt very happy right now.
Doing the job she loved, having a lovely child, and a faithful lover.
In this life, how can everything always go perfectly?
...
Zhao Family.
Shen Hongmei found Zhao Dafa alone on the terrace, drinking under the moonlight, "It’s late, go to sleep. When I find the time, I’ll talk to Jingshu for you. Xiaoyun always listens to what Jingshu says."
"Is Ruirui asleep?"
"Hmm, asleep. Before going to bed, he still made a fuss about buying a toy car tomorrow."
"It’s normal for kids his age to be playful."
After sipping his wine, Dafa finally responded to what Hongmei had said earlier, "Forget it, if Xiaoyun is not interested in this, there’s no need to force him. Fortunately, I’m not too old yet. I should be able to keep working for another decade or two without a problem."
Hongmei smiled, "Of course, you are only forty-seven, living till eighty shouldn’t be an issue."
Dafa was amused by her words.
After the laughter, he held Hongmei’s hand, his gaze deep and distant toward the far-off lights, "Let’s raise Ruirui well. I’ll be counting on him in the future."
Zhao Dafa’s words were casual, even with a hint of jest, but they made Shen Hongmei’s heart race.
She wasn’t certain if this was a test; her instinct was to modestly refuse, but suddenly Shan Mingzhu’s face popped into her mind.
What would Shen Mingzhu do in this situation?
"Alright, I’ll do my best."
Shen Mingzhu would certainly accept it gracefully, wouldn’t she?
Shen Hongmei thought so while responding to Zhao Dafa.
Dafa looked at her with slight surprise, then smilingly drew her into his embrace, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll change my mind later?"
"Not afraid at all. I can’t control your thoughts, but I can decide my own life. If it’s mine, I’m fortunate; if not, it’s fate."
Time flies by in a flash.
Outside the delivery room, Zhao Yun was pacing like an ant on a hot pan, anxious and on edge. Accompanied by Zhao Dafa, Shen Hongmei, and Xiahou Dun, together with Zhao Dafa’s assistant, the nanny, and the Maternity Matron, a huge crowd packed the hallway, blocking it completely.
Just as Zhao Yun couldn’t sit still and was about to rush into the delivery room to see for himself what was happening, the door to the delivery room finally opened from the inside.
