For the sake of Zhuo Ran's physical health and safety, Zhu Zhongyan and others opposed holding a public wedding ceremony. They only registered their marriage and invited a few close friends for a meal.
Zhuo Ran's pregnancy was noticeable. Bored and restless at home, she would have continued to languish there if Zhu Zhongyan hadn't been asked by a moronic reporter why Zhuo Ran was so wealthy and he was still working. Was it because they had signed a prenuptial agreement and he wouldn't get Zhuo Ran's assets? This incident led Zhu Zhongyan to discover some lesser-known information, realizing that Zhuo Ran wasn't poor at all; in fact, she was quite wealthy and had no shortage of money for diapers and formula. If not for this, he would still be diligently working and filming.
When would he have time to come home and be with her?
Zhuo Ran found the memory utterly exasperating.
"How could you possibly think I didn't want children because I was poor?"
Zhu Zhongyan, with all his reasoning, analyzed: "At first, I thought you didn't like children, but then you wouldn't agree to an abortion, so I figured you liked children but were facing financial pressure. I thought if I earned more money, we wouldn't have to abandon the child later?"
Zhuo Ran: "..."
She felt even more like abandoning him.
This child hadn't even been born yet, and he was already making Zhu Zhongyan's nonsensical assumptions. It was simply infuriating.
"I don't want him, not because of any financial pressure."
"Then why did you say you'd have him and then abandon him?"
"Because I can't abandon him now," Zhuo Ran said, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Experiencing pregnancy for the first time in tens of thousands of years was proving to be quite an adjustment.
Especially since this body wasn't her original form, and her spiritual energy was insufficient. The little sprout needed spiritual energy to grow, forcing her to set up a spirit gathering array at home for him to absorb.
Zhu Zhongyan was perplexed: "What do you mean?"
Zhuo Ran found it difficult to explain clearly and didn't want him to overthink things, so she resorted to saying: "I can see how much you like children. If we have him, will you only have eyes for him from then on?"
Zhu Zhongyan immediately promised: "You are more important to me than anyone else, anyone!"
Zhuo Ran smiled in satisfaction: "That's more like it."
Zhu Zhongyan also smiled: "I didn't expect you to be jealous of a baby."
Zhuo Ran wouldn't exactly call it jealousy; she simply didn't want another person, even their child, to come between them.
She felt it was a problem with this body, that she shouldn't have gotten pregnant.
This little sprout was currently absorbing spiritual energy to grow, clearly not a normal human child. So, what was he?
A god? Or a human?
Or some other species?
The thought alone gave her a headache.
"You sit down. I'll go get you some soup."
"Okay."
A nourishing soup was simmering in the kitchen. Zhuo Ran felt perfectly fine, but Zhu Zhongyan remained worried, wanting to give her all the best food and care.
Sigh.
A sweet burden, indeed.
She thought so with a smile.
The phone on the coffee table rang. She picked it up; it was Sheng Jiangchen, who had called her most frequently in the past month.
"Hello, is something wrong?"
"The Qin guy wants to see you?"
"Who?"
Sheng Jiangchen was slightly exasperated: "Your former fiancé. The higher-ups have suspended a lot of foreign cooperation. His company is a Sino-foreign joint venture, and transportation is restricted now. He's most likely coming to you for help. What should we do?"
"Handle it as you see fit," Zhuo Ran replied. "If he's here to discuss cooperation, have the people below evaluate it properly and follow the usual procedures."
Silence on the other end for a moment, then Sheng Jiangchen said: "I understand."
Zhu Zhongyan placed the bowl of nourishing soup on the coffee table and quietly asked her: "Who is it?"
"Sheng Jiangchen," Zhuo Ran hadn't hung up yet. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Sheng Jiangchen changed his tone. "Boss, I'd like to request a wedding leave."
"When?" The company was very busy right now.
"Can it be by the end of the year? Momo will also have time then."
"Yes, you can," Zhuo Ran said. "These few months should be enough for you to train a deputy who can take over your position."
The implication was that if no one could manage, he wouldn't get his leave.
Sheng Jiangchen reluctantly agreed.
It made sense; by the end of the year, Zhuo Ran would likely be in confinement after giving birth and wouldn't be able to come to the company.
If they postponed it further, neither of them would have time. When would they ever get married? When could he finally give someone else a taste of their own medicine?
Thinking about it brought tears to his eyes.
He hung up the phone and had someone invite Qin Yuerong in.
They were once family friends. However, Qin Yuerong had left for a period, and Gu Ran had a closer relationship with Sheng Jiangchen, despite being his fiancée.
When the Gu family broke off the engagement, the Qin family initially considered causing trouble but, in their pride, waited for the Gu family to formally apologize.
Instead of an apology, they received news of the entire world falling into chaos due to alien monsters.
Gu Ran had also ascended to a position beyond his reach at a terrifying speed.
Later, his parents decided not to waste this opportunity. By not severing ties, they might still gain some benefits.
Now, with transportation restrictions, the Qin family's business was almost paralyzed. It was out of sheer desperation that he had to seek help.
"Jiangchen, long time no see."
Sheng Jiangchen was politely cordial: "Hope you've been well, Mr. Qin."
He invited Qin Yuerong to sit and had his secretary serve coffee.
They exchanged pleasantries.
Qin Yuerong surveyed the futuristic, sci-fi office with a hint of envy in his voice: "I didn't expect you to end up working for Ah Ran."
Sheng Jiangchen smiled: "Although you were once... that's in the past. Gu Ran's partner is quite possessive. If you call her that, and she hears it, she probably won't be too pleased."
Sheng Jiangchen had personally witnessed how much Zhuo Ran valued Zhu Zhongyan, abandoning a pile of company matters to stay by his side while pregnant.
Qin Yuerong gave a wry smile: "I thought, given our relationship, you would support me."
"I support Gu Ran's choices," he said solemnly. "Let's talk business. I'll treat you to a welcoming dinner later."
Qin Yuerong, understanding the hint, complied.
---
A void of nothingness.
Below was an abyss that stretched as far as the eye could see, and above was a dull, gray sky. In mid-air, a strangely shaped structure inexplicably floated. It resembled a three-dimensional puzzle, standing vertically, extending upwards, downwards, left, and right. Boxes of various sizes, seemingly without pattern, protruded from every direction.
From the largest "box" in the center, a golden doorknob suddenly turned, and the door opened. A woman in a long robe floated out.
Despite being suspended in mid-air, she walked as if on solid ground, stepping into the emptiness and walking towards the structure. She raised her eyes and looked around.
Her pupils were tinged with red, and her eyes seemed unfocused like a blind person's, yet they also appeared to see everything clearly.
There was nothing else around.
"Why did it get out?"
She asked, confused.
A strange voice echoed from the void: "Why did it get out?"
"Why did it get out?"
"..."
Different tones, different volumes, reverberated multiple times in the space where only she and the peculiar building were visible.
The woman stared into the distance, growing annoyed, her pupils turning red.
"You're asking for death!"
A red light shot from her hand, and a bizarre creature instantly appeared in the space. It was a monstrous pink leopard with a neck as long as a giraffe's, adorned with a dozen or so heads of varying sizes. These heads swiveled in different directions, spitting human words and creating a cacophony.
"Why did it get out?"
"You're asking for death."
"You're asking for death."
"Why did it get out?"
"You're asking for death."
"..."
A flicker of impatience crossed the woman's eyes. She attacked again, and the bizarre pink leopard dissolved into a pile of gray smoke under her hand, vanishing without a trace.
Her eyes gradually returned to normal. She glanced at the void again and turned back into the strange structure.