Chapter 25

The first morning she got up, Wen Yi looked at the man’s back as he changed clothes and felt she was like an old lecher who could not get enough, insisting on forcing a decent family man into becoming a courtesan.

But after she went out to work she thought it through. She was pregnant now. Her physical condition had changed. Having sexual fantasies about the child’s father was very normal.

Recently there was even research saying pregnancy would reconstruct a woman’s brain. Whether it was verified or not, at this moment it could serve as evidence that she was infatuated with Qin Nanshan.

Wen Yi swore to herself. If she were not pregnant, she would absolutely never have taken a fancy to Qin Nanshan.

After finishing her self-soothing, Wen Yi suddenly realized her demands were too low. Just touching her belly and kissing her forehead. The fatherly duties Qin Nanshan ought to fulfill were still far from enough.

…

Wen Hongyu later called once. Xu Xinyi had gone out to play. This matter was temporarily set aside.

Wen Yi asked her what she planned. Mrs. Wen said, “It was not easy for Old Xu and me to walk together. This person of his I can still trust for now, and I am willing to fight a bit more for this relationship.”

She even comforted her in return. “Do not worry. If he truly lets me down I will not cling and refuse to let go. Mom has not relied on a partner to get through these many years.”

Wen Yi thought, sometimes her mother was so strong that she sighed she could not match her.

The house in the city center was almost ready. It happened that the two of them had time these few days and discussed moving over. Wen Yi had no longing to live in a big house. She rather liked this small two-bedroom place. Everywhere there were traces of life.

The cactus and aloe on the balcony, the TV cabinet in the living room filled with old things, and the photos of Qin Nanshan’s family of four from various years displayed on the cabinet. At the time she had felt something was missing and specially printed the wedding group photo and the simple wedding dress photos they had casually taken then and put them up. A family should be complete and neat.

There was also the cleanliness and order the man always kept, which made her quality of life rise in a straight line. She worried that after moving over the house would be too big and he would have no time to clean. Qin Nanshan said they could choose not to move. Wen Yi turned her head, saw the countless baby supplies piled beside the sofa, and no longer lingered.

The two of them packed on and off for three or four days. Of course, generally Qin Nanshan moved his hands and Wen Yi moved her mouth. They packed out many old things. Qin Nanshan’s books from elementary school to university were all there. Wen Yi flipped through his high school textbooks. The paper had yellowed and carried a Jiangnan damp smell. She closed them again, threw them into a storage box, and asked him, “Are you really selling them?”

“Mm. Keeping them is not useful.”

“How is it not useful? Is it not a stretch of beautiful memories?”

Qin Nanshan glanced at her and continued packing. Wen Yi sat cross-legged on the sofa watching him, smiling prettily. “You had me in high school. Was that not beautiful?”

He said, “We were not close then.”

Wen Yi asked as if casually, “If you had known I would be your wife in the future, would you have pursued me?”

Qin Nanshan laughed low. “I cannot know the future in advance. Besides, high school did not allow dating.”

“I said suppose. Do not take it so seriously.”

Qin Nanshan’s movement paused. He put a physics book into the box and then said, “I would not.”

The Wen Yi of high school was pretty and flamboyant. There was no boy who did not feel moved by her.

There were many boys who liked Wen Yi. He had even helped her pass on love letters. The love letters came in all kinds. The rougher ones were simply a piece of paper half-folded and given to him to pass on. He had inadvertently seen them. The boy’s stiff handwriting was filled with love talk copied from the internet.

He read the first few sentences, folded it again, and carefully slipped it into the textbook she would use in a moment.

So this question had already had an answer ten years ago.

“Why?! Did you not like me then?”

Qin Nanshan paused again. After a moment he said faintly, “My task at that time was to study.”

“Aiya, I already said suppose.”

“There are not that many supposes in this world.”

Wen Yi’s eyes drooped. Forget it. If he did not like her then forget it. Besides, whether he liked her before or not had little meaning.

Qin Nanshan looked over. The woman was stroking Xia Tian’s fur on and off. Her refined face was written full of unhappiness, neither making noise nor making a scene.

He put down the book, sat over, patted Xia Tian to make him leave, and called her. “Wen Yi.”

The woman’s tone was very sour. “What?”

He said seriously, “The me of high school was dull and uninteresting, with my whole heart only wanting to study. You would not have liked a me like that. I also never thought about dating. So even if we could foresee the future, we still cannot change the past, can we?”

“If the me of that time had pursued you, you would not have agreed.” He looked into her eyes, his expression as composed as usual. “Perhaps if we changed the process, we would not have the present result.”

Wen Yi was dazed, surprised that he would explain.

What he said was indeed not wrong. Even if high school allowed dating she would most likely not have agreed. She was not love-brained. She likewise wanted to get into a good school.

Even after going to university she had not considered it. Her life had more important things. She had to get scholarships, earn money, and keep climbing up, not waste time on love with no result.

“All right.” Wen Yi no longer clung to it and reminded him again. “At the gathering tonight do not let the story slip. Do you still remember our story? You secretly liked me for many years and after reuniting launched a fierce pursuit.”

It was their high school homeroom teacher’s sixtieth birthday, which happened to be the year of retirement. Someone in the class group proposed treating the homeroom teacher to a meal and gathering at the same time. Wen Yi was class monitor and naturally had to organize and plan. And he was now her husband. There was no reason not to attend.

The time was set for seven tonight. It was now three in the afternoon. There was still a while.

Qin Nanshan nodded. “I remember.”

Wen Yi got bored watching him pack and went back to the bedroom to sleep.

Lately her belly seemed to have sat on a rocket. It grew at flying speed. She felt she was already carrying a big watermelon. Even turning over and bathing had become problems. She had bought a pregnancy pillow to put in the middle, but she still felt uncomfortable. The quality of her sleep dropped in a straight line. She had no spirit even at work.

The weather was good now. She specially did not draw the curtains, let the sunlight shine in, put on an eye mask, and fell asleep.

Before sleeping she thought silently that she hoped the master bedroom of the new house could also get sunlight.

When her awareness grew fuzzy the place beside her sank slightly. The spring quilt on her body was pulled a little. The pleasant sandalwood scent on the man wrapped around her. Wen Yi fell completely asleep.

Qin Nanshan accompanied her in sleep for a little more than half an hour.

The afternoon sunlight was warm, spreading shallowly into the bedroom. The spring atmosphere in the air was heavy. The spring wind eased the willows.

A little past four Qin Nanshan woke her. “It is time to get up. If you sleep more you will not sleep at night.”

Wen Yi could not turn over. Sounds kept coming from her mouth. Morning grumpiness was probably brewing. Qin Nanshan waited patiently beside her, prepared to receive her morning grumpiness. Sure enough, she woke, glanced at him, and quickly pulled the quilt up to cover her head.

Her voice was muffled. “You get out!”

Qin Nanshan pressed his lips and smiled. “All right. Remember to get up.”

Only after the bedroom door closed did Wen Yi’s head poke out from under the quilt. She did not know whether it was stuffiness or something else. Her face was flushed.

Wen Yi took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering romantic dream in her mind. But things went contrary to her wish. The more she thought, the more real those scenes of Qin Nanshan kissing her became.

Her face was even hotter than when she had been asleep.

Wen Yi covered her face with both hands. She had gone mad. This was the first spring dream of her life!

…

At half past six the two of them arrived at the gathering place early. Against her usual habit, Wang Qiao En also arrived early.

Wen Yi looked at the expensive little dress on her and clicked her tongue twice. “Did you come for a blind date?”

“What do you understand. Old classmates are the best potential stocks.” Qiao En raised her brows at Qin Nanshan. “Right, Professor Qin.”

Qin Nanshan shook his head and smiled, then left to coordinate with the restaurant manager the surprise Wen Yi had arranged for the homeroom teacher.

With no one else around, Wen Yi then said, “Chen Jiarui is not coming. You do not need to dress up so splendidly.”

Emotion flashed through Qiao En’s eyes. Then she pressed her lips and smiled. “I am not doing it for him.” She scoffed again. “Coward. He does not even dare come to a classmate gathering.”

“Still cannot let go? Who was it back then who said break up and then broke up?”

The two of them had broken up last July. It was now almost a year. Wen Yi felt it was a pity. It was not that they had no feelings, but they could not cross this threshold of reality. Both were workaholics, together little and apart much. Both families also did not agree with each other. Each felt their own son or daughter could find someone better.

Quarrels grew more and more. During that period Wen Yi basically served as her “psychologist” once a week. But there was nothing she could do. She was only a bystander.

“I heard he has never found a girlfriend.”

Qiao En’s eyes instantly widened. “Why are you telling me this?! I do not want to hear it!”

Wen Yi shrugged. “Yes. I know you do not want to hear it. You forgot him. Otherwise how would you go on a blind date with Zhuang Yue.”

When she looked up again the woman opposite had even rounder eyes, and her gaze had gone past her.

Wen Yi turned her head and saw Chen Jiarui.

Chen Jiarui was different from Qin Nanshan. In middle school he had been that kind of sunny youth in hot-blooded anime, flamboyant and unrestrained. The shouts by the side of the sports field were all for him.

When Qiao En had just gotten together with him she had been so happy she could not sleep for several nights, dragging her every night to stay up late and listen to her shoot out infatuated bubbles.

Wen Yi was calmer than Qiao En and greeted him friendly. “Jiarui, long time no see. Did you not say you were not coming?”

Chen Jiarui withdrew his gaze from Qiao En, swept over Wen Yi’s protruding abdomen, and said calmly, “The originally scheduled meeting was canceled. I thought I had not seen everyone for a long time and should still come. I could not go to your wedding earlier. Congratulations.”

“You big busy people. I understand, I understand.” Wen Yi looked at the stunned woman and took the initiative to give them space. “I will go see Qin Nanshan. Why has he been gone so long and not come back.”

Qiao En heard this and grew anxious. “Wen Yi!”

Wen Yi paid no attention. Qiao En could only watch her back and stamp her foot.

After walking far Wen Yi looked back at the awkward two people and smiled in her heart. Some people cannot be separated.

Qin Nanshan happened to come over and also glanced that way. He was not very clear about Qiao En and the other person’s relationship and asked what was wrong.

Wen Yi said, “A broken mirror being made whole again.”

…

Classmates arrived one after another. Some who had added her on WeChat knew her relationship with Qin Nanshan but had not gone to the wedding. Now seeing the two of them standing at the door receiving people as if they were married, they all offered congratulations.

The study committee member sighed. “Who would have thought. Class monitor, you actually got together with our academic overachiever.”

A classmate beside said, “This is called not letting fertile water flow to outsiders’ fields. Produce and sell yourself.”

A female classmate who had already had a child asked, “How many weeks?”

Wen Yi answered, “Twenty-three weeks.”

“The belly is this big at twenty-three weeks? Twins?”

“No. Only one.”

“Aiyo. Then the baby is truly healthy.”

“Yes.”

Conversations of this kind kept coming. Last was the homeroom teacher, Old Wan. Old Wan was retiring this year and did not go online much in daily life. When he saw Wen Yi he was greatly startled. “When did you get married?”

Wen Yi smiled and answered, “The end of last year. The wedding was rushed. We did not have time to invite you. Today we husband and wife have come to ask for your pardon.”

Two class committee members were standing together with them. It happened that the tall PE committee member was also standing beside Wen Yi. Old Wan went straight and patted his shoulder. “Not bad, you brat. What was your name. I remember you had feelings for Wen Yi back then. Now you really caught up with her.”

Wen Yi was embarrassed. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the man beside her. His expression did not change.

The PE committee member held back a laugh. “Old Wan, you misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood? Oh. Not a boy from our class?”

“Yes.”

There were three boys present. Old Wan swept over Qin Nanshan and finally fixed on the remaining one, asking in surprise, “You? What, you also like Wen Yi?”

The two boys laughed so hard they could not stop and pointed at Qin Nanshan. “No. It is our top scholar.”

Old Wan was so shocked his expression almost went out of control.

Qin Nanshan also pressed out a faint smile and accepted it. “Teacher, it is me.”

“This…”

After the shock Old Wan called everyone into the private room, specially let Wen Yi sit beside him, and told her to properly tell him about it.

After the dishes were served and a round of toasts finished, Old Wan still remembered to ask, “Nanshan, you like Wen Yi? How come I did not see it at all?”

Nearly ten people present looked over in unison, all curious about this question, surprised how two people who seemed completely unrelated had come together.

Wen Yi put down her chopsticks, as if she were also an outsider, and looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

Qin Nanshan met her gaze. A faint, almost invisible smile hung at the corners of his eyes. Then he took her hand that was resting on the tabletop, faced everyone, and said in a clear, distinctive voice, “Yes. I secretly liked her for many years.”

Exclamations kept coming.

“Whoa. It really is.”

“Of the ten boys who came today, I estimate half have liked Wen Yi.”

“Who would have thought in the end she was caught by our big academic overachiever.”

Qiao En watched the excitement and did not mind making it bigger. “How did you like her? How come I never noticed before?”

Wen Yi directly gave her a knife-like look. Qiao En received it with a smile.

Although Old Wan was old, his gossip energy was no less than the young people’s. “Yes. How did you like her? Tell us.”

Qin Nanshan turned and looked at Wen Yi again. The hand-holding for outsiders to see on the table was withdrawn under the table and placed on his knee. After thinking for a few moments he said with clear words, “The summer after first year of high school ended. Friday afternoon. I looked up. Everyone had already left after school. Only at the seat by the window a figure was bent over.”

The wind then was very light. The old-fashioned fan overhead that creaked worked slowly. The girl’s figure appeared and disappeared among the lifted white gauze. She slept sweetly. He watched for a while and used the phone of that time with backward photo function to freeze that scene.

Qin Nanshan said, “Later someone came to call her. The moment she woke she was full of morning grumpiness and started quarreling with that person, quarreling until her own face was red, quarreling until the other person looked completely baffled.”

He forgot to do problems and stared blankly to the side watching, thinking in his heart, how could there be such a girl, the previous second still as a painting, the next second turning into a manic little cat.

“Even more miraculous, after she finished quarreling she still turned back and glared at me.”

After Wen Yi finished listening she fiercely pinched his palm. Her eyes could kill.

What did that mean? How could she casually quarrel with people? Was this scolding her or putting her down? In her memory there was no such scene. This person’s Chinese was truly poor. He could not even make up a story.

The few people present were likewise puzzled.

This was… liking?

Qin Nanshan was not clear on the definition of liking. A personality like hers was too fierce, far from his. But one point could be confirmed.

He said, “This girl was very special to me. In my more than ten years of life she was the only existence, so that when we reunited I recognized her at a glance.”

“Later I pursued her for half a year. After being together for half a year we decided to get married.”

A female classmate let out a “wow.” “The only existence in more than ten years. Professor Qin, do not love too much.”

The corners of Wen Yi’s mouth finally showed a smile. Not bad. This could still round it out for him. His logical ability was decent.

After listening, the teacher and classmates all gave their blessings and no longer made it hard for him, turning to talk about other things.

Wen Yi took the chance to lean close and said in a small voice, “This story of yours is not very good. Next time I will make up another one for you.”

Qin Nanshan lowered his head and glanced at the two hands still clasped. The tips of his brows lifted slightly.

“All right.”