Xing Zheng’s words, while seemingly giving his aunt face, were actually a show of dominance. His aunt had come to mock Lin Mei and pick a fight. Unexpectedly, the child’s father had actually shown up, and he was someone who clearly wasn’t simple…
Lin Mei was actually so capable as to find such a man? His aunt felt even more unbalanced. Could it be that she was someone’s mistress?
Shouldn’t such a successful person find someone of equal standing? Even if Lin Mei herself was excellent, her background…
“That’s where you’re wrong,” his aunt feigned concern for Lin Mei. “A woman is most vulnerable when pregnant. Even if work is busy, her partner should be by her side. Since Hua Mei returned, she’s heard so much gossip. Some even say she became a mistress, lost her job, and was dumped. You have no idea how much gossip there is…”
“You seem to know quite a lot,” Xing Zheng said with a half-smile. “It appears you care about her a lot.”
Xing Zheng’s inscrutable expression sent a chill down his aunt’s spine. What she was about to say got stuck in her throat.
Xiao Yue had long found her unbearable. Xing Zheng had just stood up for Lin Mei, and she was very pleased. She chimed in with him, “She does care a lot, just afraid she isn’t unlucky enough.”
How could she stand by and watch her daughter be mocked? No matter how kind she usually was, she wouldn’t let others bully her.
As soon as she spoke, his aunt’s expression became awkward. She was displeased but dared not speak out. With someone as formidable as Xing Zheng present, who would dare offend him? Then, Lin Zhengde stepped forward. “It’s getting late. You should go. We have some matters to attend to.”
His aunt left reluctantly. Xiao Yue didn’t even bother with pleasantries, closing the door. She then complained to Lin Zhengde, “Your cousin is deliberately here to cause us trouble. Her daughter has always been inferior to Hua Mei. Now she’s kicking us when we’re down. If it weren’t for…”
Xiao Yue paused, looking at Xing Zheng. Though she didn’t finish, everyone understood. If it weren’t for Xing Zheng today, they would have lost all face.
After seeing off the “enemy,” it was time to “interrogate” Xing Zheng. Lin Zhengde asked him, “Who asked you to come?”
“I’m here to accompany her during her pregnancy.” The questioning was expected, and Xing Zheng’s tone was exceptionally calm. “These past few months, she’s heard gossip and endured grievances. It hasn’t just been like today, has it? Can you bear to see her suffer like this?”
Of course, they couldn’t. Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue doted on Lin Mei and cherished her. How could they bear to see her suffer any grievance? But…
Before Lin Zhengde could finish considering, Xiao Yue said, “He’s right. We should let them see clearly, otherwise, they’ll keep spreading rumors!” This meant she agreed to Xing Zheng staying to accompany Lin Mei during her pregnancy.
Xing Zheng nodded with a smile, his gaze falling on Lin Mei. Lin Mei was still in shock. She hadn’t expected Xiao Yue to agree so easily!
Lin Zhengde’s expression was very serious, not agreeing with Xing Zheng’s decision. “I will not agree to your matters. Don’t think that…”
“Now is not the time to discuss this!” Xiao Yue interrupted Lin Zhengde, signaling him to say less! “Hua Mei’s belly is so big. No matter how much you dislike him, he is the child’s father. Do you want others to continue to laugh at your daughter?”
Xiao Yue hadn’t recovered from her emotions. She didn’t want Lin Mei to suffer such grievances again!
“Teacher Xiao is very right,” Xing Zheng agreed. “I am the child’s father. Her pregnancy is difficult, and she has already borne so much. I cannot let her be slandered any further.”
Lin Zhengde eventually compromised. Although he harbored reservations about Xing Zheng, he couldn’t deny that he was the biological father of the child. Lin Mei had also suffered many grievances recently. His presence during the pregnancy would silence those people.
Lin Zhengde was pulled into the kitchen by Xiao Yue to cook. In the living room, only Lin Mei, Xing Zheng, and Jiaozi remained. Jiaozi lay on the floor, and Xing Zheng sat down beside Lin Mei.
With no one else around, he drew her into his embrace. The familiar scent of cypress trees wafted over, a long-lost aroma that made Lin Mei’s eyes well up. The next moment, she heard him apologize, “I’m sorry.”
Lin Mei remained silent. He continued, “I came late and let you suffer.”
Lin Mei’s tears fell. Recently, there had been too much gossip about her. She didn’t want to worry her parents, so she could only bear it alone. Finally, upon seeing him, she shed tears.
Xing Zheng leaned down to kiss her cheek, gently wiping her tears. After a long while, Lin Mei choked out, “Why did you still come?”
These past few months, he had only sent her WeChat messages asking about her prenatal check-ups, not a single extra word. She had once thought he had let go. But today, he had appeared so abruptly.
“To find you, to be with you,” he said. “I won’t let you go.”
“My parents won’t agree either,” Lin Mei reminded him heartlessly. “They only agreed to you staying for the pregnancy because of my aunt today…” Lin Mei stopped mid-sentence, as if she had remembered something. “Did you come specifically at this time?”
The calculating glint in his eyes couldn’t be faked. If he hadn’t chosen this precise moment, Xiao Yue and Lin Zhengde would never have agreed to let him stay, and he wouldn’t even have been given a chance to enter.
Xing Zheng smiled, not denying it. Lin Mei asked, “How did you know my aunt was coming?”
In front of him, she felt like a transparent person with no privacy. “Did you have someone monitoring me?”
This was indeed something he would do, and he had a history of it.
“Yes, I had Li Xun arrange for people,” he admitted readily. He pointed his long fingers at Jiaozi playing on the floor. “There’s a voice monitoring device in his scarf.”
Lin Mei suddenly understood. No wonder he had personally brought Jiaozi to her before she left, along with that box of items. Jiaozi’s scarf and clothes were all new. Since returning to Xiangxi, she hadn’t bought any new ones.
“Your parents are still upset and cannot accept me. You don’t want to be caught in the middle, so I can only wait for the right moment,” Xing Zheng told her. “I know about all the grievances you’ve suffered during this time. I’m sorry.”
If he had to win over Xiao Yue and Lin Zhengde, he would never have allowed her to be slandered for so long.
And Lin Mei knew very well that if she hadn’t suppressed her feelings for so long, even with Xiao Yue’s help today, Lin Zhengde would never have relented.
After sorting through these matters, Lin Mei felt less distressed. “You’re quite the schemer.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he admitted readily. “To get you, I’ll spare no expense. It’s not impossible to be a despicable person.”
“Are you so sure I’ll agree to you?” His tone suggested he was certain she would come back to him. “Besides, my parents only agreed to you staying for the pregnancy.”
“This is a good start,” he said. “I will make them agree.”