Chapter 14.2

On the way out, Wen Yi’s turn for the manicure at the entrance had not come yet. She did not want to wait and gave up her spot.

This was a mall, with a large supermarket in the basement—perfect for stocking up on household items. Wen Yi followed behind him, asking the man focused on picking vegetables, “Aren’t you curious who that was just now?”

“You said he is a company leader.”

Wen Yi blinked slowly. “Maybe he has some other relationship with me?”

“What relationship?” Qin Nanshan answered casually, putting a bag of garlic into the cart and continuing forward.

Wen Yi suddenly lost the mood to continue. He did not care anyway. Voluntarily saying “so and so is my ex boyfriend” would make her seem so cheap. She could not say it.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Nanshan picked up two onions. Wen Yi frowned. “No onions. I do not like onions.”

Qin Nanshan turned back. “I thought you only disliked tomatoes and carrots?”

“Onions too. And bitter melon, celery…”

Qin Nanshan said nothing and put the onions back.

Wen Yi suddenly felt that being a picky eater as a grown adult was a bit embarrassing. She said weakly, “They taste so weird…”

“Mm, it’s fine. Mom only told me about tomatoes and carrots. I’ll pay attention next time.” Qin Nanshan walked a couple steps, then turned back and seriously instructed, “But in the future, the baby cannot pick up your picky habits. Do not tell him.”

He was thinking far ahead, but it made perfect sense. Tomatoes, carrots, onions—they were all good things. The baby had to eat them. Wen Yi grinned. “I won’t tell, I won’t tell. You can make baby meals for him separately later, and a separate portion for me—mommy meals.”

Qin Nanshan instantly felt a heavy pressure.

After buying vegetables, they reached the snack aisle. Wen Yi could not walk past it, but this time Qin Nanshan did not indulge her. “There are still a lot under the coffee table at home. Finish those first. Do not waste them.”

Wen Yi thought for a moment and found an excuse. “In a couple more days, the holidays end and work starts. Where will I find time to come out and buy then? My job is very stressful. I can only eat snacks to relieve the pressure.”

“And what if one night I suddenly crave something sour or sweet again and there’s nothing at home? Wouldn’t you have to go out and buy it anyway?”

Qin Nanshan sighed quietly in his heart and headed toward the snack aisle.

Wen Yi was delighted and once again filled the shopping cart to the brim.

After checking out, Qin Nanshan pushed the cart toward the parking garage. He walked a couple of steps, then stopped in front of a flower shop. It was Valentine’s Day, and the shop was busy. Only a few scattered roses remained in the buckets out front.

He turned back and asked softly, “Do you want flowers?”

Wen Yi shook her head.

She did not like flowers. She liked surprises.

……

Back home after showering, Qin Nanshan went into the secondary bedroom again. Summer stayed with her in the living room, eating snacks and watching TV.

Summer was truly well behaved. She had never seen such an obedient dog—no barking, no mischief, no destroying the house, and so sensible. Once, when she was too lazy to grab the remote and thought about asking the dog, he actually trotted over and brought it to her.

Wen Yi opened a pack of beef jerky and secretly gave him some. “Sorry for misunderstanding you before.”

Summer chomped away happily.

“What are you feeding him?”

A voice suddenly appeared behind them. The big one and the small one hurriedly disposed of the evidence. Wen Yi smiled. “I did not feed him anything.”

Qin Nanshan looked at the freshly opened pack of beef jerky on the table and Summer’s still open mouth. He instructed her, “Summer has a sensitive stomach. Beef is hard for him to digest. Do not give it to him next time.”

“Oh…”

Qin Nanshan beckoned to Summer, who immediately ran to his side. He scratched under the dog’s chin, and Summer wagged his tail wildly in delight.

Wen Yi suddenly had the illusion that Summer was the legitimate wife, properly married into the family, while she was the secret concubine. He had just scolded the concubine for the wife’s sake. Wen Yi rubbed her belly and pretended to sniffle. “Baby, your days will be tough.”

But he paid no attention, fetched the leash to put on Summer, prepared to go out, and only then asked her, “I’m taking him downstairs for a walk. Coming?”

Wen Yi rubbed her belly again, igniting her fighting spirit. No way—for the baby’s sake, she had to compete for favor too!

“Yes!”

After the Spring Festival, temperatures rose. The weather was nice today, and even at eight or nine in the evening, there was still some lingering daytime warmth. Wen Yi just threw on a thin down jacket, kept her warm pajama pants (the kind she could wear out), and was too lazy to change. Add her big home slippers—this was an image she had never shown before.

After walking fifty meters, Wen Yi realized a cruel truth: Summer was more popular than she was.

The elderly uncles and aunties would first greet Summer—”Oh, Summer has gotten fatter,” “Haven’t seen Summer in so long”—then talk to Qin Nanshan: “Professor Qin, when does school start?” “Professor Qin, my grandson scored six hundred on the mock exam—can he get into A University?” And so on.

Only as they were leaving did they notice the person behind him: “Who is this?”

Qin Nanshan introduced, “My wife.”

The uncles and aunties looked shocked. “Professor Qin, when did you get married?”

Wen Yi enthusiastically linked her arm with his, both claiming territory and sweetly chatting in the local dialect. “Not long ago. Thank you, uncles and aunties, for taking care of my husband before. When we have time, we’ll treat everyone to dinner.”

The uncles and aunties saw she was pretty, sweet tongued, and speaking in soft, local dialect—they immediately took a liking to her. “What do you do, young lady?”

“I work at a foreign company, collaborating with many hospitals. If uncles and aunties need anything, just find me.”

The uncles and aunties were even happier. “Sure, sure.”

Once they left, Wen Yi mercilessly let go of his arm. Qin Nanshan glanced sideways at her, a faint smile curving the corners of his eyes in the dim light.

Next came the children. The kids first politely greeted the serious man, then squatted down to play with Summer. Qin Nanshan loosened the leash, and the children led Summer running off, completely ignoring Summer’s other big friend in the family.

The woman who had suffered a social defeat was extremely envious. “Everyone really likes Summer.”

Qin Nanshan did not miss the little expression on her face and smiled gently. “Summer has lived here for years—older than these kids. Everyone is naturally familiar with him. If you live here a few more years, there will be no room for us.”

Wen Yi’s eyes lit up. “So when we move to the new house, Summer and I will both be new friends to the neighbors!”

Qin Nanshan did not quite follow her train of thought and asked directly, “Are you jealous of Summer?”

“How could I be?! What vinegar would I eat over a dog?”

This… at most it was competition, rivalry, vying for favor—definitely not jealousy! She did not even like him; it did not fit the definition of jealousy.

Joking aside, Wen Yi understood Summer’s significance to him. A dog who had been companion for ten years was already family.

Wen Yi walked ahead. This was her first time going downstairs for a stroll since moving here. It was an old neighborhood, so facilities naturally could not compare to new ones, but it was clean, with no uncivilized behavior.

Families out for walks kept passing by. Wen Yi suddenly wanted to call Wen Hongyu.

Though she had not gone home often before, after marriage, there seemed to be a subtle change—she missed her a bit.

Ms. Wen, as usual, was full of complaints. “What is it so late at night?”

“Just missing you. What are you doing?”

“Washing up and getting ready for bed.”

Wen Yi teased, “Oh, no date tonight?”

“Hang up if you have nothing to say.”

Wen Yi quickly stopped her. “Mom, do not forget your post New Year checkup. Still at the First Affiliated Hospital. I’ll pick up the results after.”

“I know, I know. Naggy. Anything else?”

“Nothing much. Walking the dog with your son in law.”

Ms. Wen’s tone changed in a second, becoming gentle. “Xiao Qin is there too.”

Qin Nanshan took the phone. “Mom, I’m here.”

Mother in law and son in law chatted more enthusiastically than with her daughter, but the topics were all about her—asking if Wen Yi’s belly was uncomfortable, reminding about prenatal checkup dates, instructing him to make sure Wen Yi ate on time. The call lasted twenty minutes between the two of them.

After the call ended, Wen Yi was already holding Summer’s leash.

This time, she was genuinely jealous of Wen Hongyu. Her tone turned sour. “You two can really chat. Summer and I were nearly freezing to death out here.”

Qin Nanshan pocketed the phone, took the leash from her hand, and smiled gently. “Let’s go. Home.”

At eleven o’clock, Qin Nanshan finished his work and entered the room. Wen Yi was not asleep; she lay with her eyes open, waiting for him. Reflecting on the day, she had a few questions that needed confirmation.

Once Qin Nanshan lifted the covers and settled in, Wen Yi spoke up. “Did you really delete your ex girlfriend?”

“I did.”

“Why? Someone you once liked—can you just delete them like that?”

But she did not expect Qin Nanshan’s logic to outmatch hers. He countered, “By that reasoning, since you did not delete your ex boyfriend, does that mean you still like him?”

Wen Yi choked. “Of course not.”

“So liking someone and deleting their contact have no necessary connection.”

Wen Yi felt she had been led into a trap and decided to drop the topic. Next one. “Suppose one day, me, the dog, and the baby all fell into the water—who would you save first?”

Qin Nanshan once again found her childish antics amusing. “There is no such suppose.”

“How is there no such? One day I’m pushing the stroller by the lake for a walk. Something startles the dog, it pulls the stroller into the lake. In my panic to save them—boom, all three of us are in the water.”

Qin Nanshan’s smile faded, his tone deepening slightly. “Wen Yi, do not make such assumptions.”

After saying it, Wen Yi also felt it was inappropriate. Was this not cursing their own family? She mentally spat to ward it off and said aloud, “Hey, it’s just a suppose.”

“There is no suppose. I would save all of you.”

He said it seriously and earnestly, his meticulous face showing no expression. Wen Yi suddenly believed him.

Qin Nanshan looked over, his gaze focused. “Summer can swim. He could save the child. I would save you.”

“Oh…”

Wen Yi burrowed into the covers, turning her back to him. Fine—her unreasonable fussing and tangling had still gotten an answer.

Who knew he would add solemnly, “Once the baby is born, you two sign up for swimming lessons together.”

“……”