Ning Rui gave a self-deprecating laugh inwardly. Did her thoughts matter?
She certainly wanted to stay. Even knowing the strained relationship between them, she was unwilling to give up on this child. She had witnessed Lin Mei's regret and sorrow after losing her child and didn't want the same tragedy to befall her. Ning Ye was her only remaining close relative, and the budding embryo in her womb was an extension of her life. She couldn't bear to give it up; in fact, the identity of the child's father no longer seemed to matter.
Li Xun saw Ning Rui's hesitation and said to her, "If you don't want it, just get rid of it."
"I don't not want it!" Hearing him say "get rid of it," Ning Rui's emotions flared. "I want to keep this child."
Li Xun appeared slightly surprised. He looked at her calmly. As if afraid he hadn't heard her, she emphasized again, "I want to keep this child."
Li Xun responded with an "Mm." "Then you must also know that I will not let my child leave me." This implied he wouldn't allow her to leave him either.
Ning Rui knew how possessive Li Xun was, so she wasn't surprised by his demand. "Oh, I understand."
Her unusual compliance, like that of a lifeless puppet, prompted Li Xun to raise his hand and touch her face, a wry smile on his lips. "You're suddenly so obedient, I'm not used to it."
Although he was smiling, Ning Rui detected sarcasm in his words. Given what she had done, she didn't find his treatment of her surprising. She had already endured enough mockery during her family's decline and didn't dwell on it. She even remembered to negotiate with him.
"I won't run away again. You have the ledger, can you let Ning Ye go?" Unable to protect herself, she could only try her best to protect the person she cared about.
Upon hearing this, Li Xun chuckled again. "When will you ever be this good to me?"
Ning Rui wisely chose silence. Li Xun started the car and told her, "Ning Ye's visa will be processed this week."
"What visa?" Ning Rui didn't understand what he was doing. "I've applied for him to attend Imperial College. He will complete his studies abroad for the next few years."
Li Xun stated this with an air of finality. Ning Rui wanted to argue, but seeing his determined gaze, she lost her courage. This was already a lenient arrangement on his part; if he had stayed in the country, Ning Ye's life wouldn't have been easy.
Before sleeping, Lin Mei received a WeChat message from Ning Rui. Ning Rui told Lin Mei about Li Xun's arrangements, her words conveying a sense of resignation. Although Lin Mei was saddened, she couldn't help her much and could only offer some inconsequential words of comfort.
After Ning Rui and Li Xun's affairs concluded, the arguments between Lin Mei and Xing Zheng, stemming from their differing stances, also temporarily ceased.
In her late pregnancy, the scar on Lin Mei's face had faded considerably. She wasn't prone to scarring, and after a period of recovery, it was no longer as noticeable as before.
Lin Mei's due date was in late October. In September, it was Lin Mei's birthday. After starting university, she had few opportunities to celebrate birthdays with her parents. This year, being home for the occasion, Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue began preparations three to four days in advance.
Xing Zheng naturally remembered Lin Mei's birthday. However, with her pregnant belly, her mobility was limited, making it impossible to take her out for fun. Despite this, a gift was essential.
Xing Zheng now visited their home daily, and Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue had grown accustomed to his presence. Xiao Yue's attitude towards him was no different than before. Although Lin Zhengde remained unenthusiastic, his outright rejection was no longer as apparent. Xing Zheng knew it was only a matter of time before he relented.
One evening, during dinner, Lin Zhengde said to Lin Mei, "Your mother and I looked at a venue for your birthday celebration, the Purple Cloud Villa. What do you think?"
"Why are we celebrating outside?" Lin Mei was slightly surprised. Although they had been discussing birthday celebrations for the past few days, she hadn't expected it to be so grand. "Celebrating at home is fine."
"How can that be? Your father and I are finally celebrating your birthday with you, we can't be careless," Xiao Yue said. "Purple Cloud Villa is quite good, and it's close to home. With your pregnant belly, you won't have to exert yourself. We'll book a small courtyard, and you can invite Ning Rui too."
Lin Mei responded with an "Mm." Her parents' thoughtfulness moved her, and she couldn't possibly disappoint them. It had always been like this since she was young; Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue always put great effort into celebrating her birthdays. She was truly a child raised in the pampering of her parents.
Speaking of birthdays, Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue couldn't help but reminisce about many of Lin Mei's childhood memories. They recalled the past, and the atmosphere was harmonious and peaceful. Xing Zheng sat quietly to the side, unable to interject, his expression solemn and his silence palpable.
Lin Mei soon noticed something was amiss. During their usual meals, he would always participate in conversations on any topic. Today, however, he was so quiet he hadn't said a word. She looked at him and saw him fiddling with his chopsticks, his head bowed, his jaw tight, and his body stiff.
Lin Mei immediately understood. Lin Zhengde and Xiao Yue had already known about Xing Zheng's childhood experiences, and they quickly reacted. Xiao Yue invited Xing Zheng, "Xing Zheng, are you free that day? You should come too!"
"I'm free," Xing Zheng told them. "The owner of Purple Cloud Villa is my friend. Leave the venue arrangements to me."
"How can that be? We're celebrating our daughter's birthday, we can't bother outsiders!" Lin Zhengde still didn't want Xing Zheng to get involved.
"I am the father of her child, so I'm not an outsider," Xing Zheng had developed a thick skin, and no matter how much Lin Zhengde refused, he maintained his usual enthusiasm. "This is what I should do."
"Then we'll have to trouble you," Xiao Yue said quite frankly. "I heard that the small courtyards at Purple Cloud Villa are hard to book. If you have connections, it will definitely be faster than us."
Lin Zhengde looked at Xiao Yue and rubbed his forehead. His wife had clearly been swayed by Xing Zheng's "sugar-coated bullets."
After dinner, Xing Zheng was about to return to his hotel. Lin Mei went downstairs with him, which made Xing Zheng feel "overwhelmed with flattery." He had been in Xiangxi for several months, and this was the first time she had escorted him downstairs. He seemed at a loss. "Why are you suddenly seeing me off?"
"Just to get some fresh air. I haven't been out much today," Lin Mei told him. "Are you sure about the venue arrangements?"
"Purple Cloud Villa belongs to Li Xun too," Xing Zheng chuckled and touched her face. "If you want, booking the entire villa for your birthday celebration wouldn't be a problem."
Lin Mei responded with an "Oh," letting him touch her face. A moment later, she asked him again, "Have Aunt Xie and Uncle Xing contacted you?"
"Why ask them?" Xing Zheng's smile vanished, and his tone became somewhat impatient.
Lin Mei shook her head. "Just asking. If you don't want to say, then don't."
"Don't bother with them," Xing Zheng told her. "My affairs have nothing to do with them."
Lin Mei nodded. She didn't try to persuade Xing Zheng. Some people truly weren't worth forgiving.
The birthday venue and decorations were all arranged by Xing Zheng. On the day of the celebration, Li Xun also arrived with Ning Rui.
Lin Mei and Ning Rui hadn't seen each other for over a month. Ning Rui's pregnancy was not yet showing, and her complexion was worse than when she was in the village.