Pei Chen’s hand was like bait luring someone into a trap, sending tingling electric currents across her skin.
The air seemed to grow sweet and humid around them.
As the man whispered in her ear, the girl couldn’t help herself. A soft moan escaped her lips as she tried to pull away, but he held her firmly in place. Her face instantly flushed a deep red, her heart pounding wildly like a startled deer.
This man… how could he…
They were still on a video call, and yet he…
“What’s going on with those two? Did they suddenly disconnect?”
“Hey, do you think they’re up to something secretly? Haha!”
Hearing the confused voices from the tablet, the girl lay down on the desk, her almond-shaped eyes wet and red-rimmed from the tension of almost being discovered. Tears clung to her lashes, ready to fall, as she looked pleadingly at Pei Chen.
She looked so pitiful, like she had been terribly bullied.
The man couldn’t bear to see her like this. He kissed her trembling, tear-streaked lips and softly whispered, “Don’t make a sound.”
He then straightened up, picked up the tablet, and looked calmly into the camera. With an indifferent expression, he explained, “I accidentally knocked over a glass of water and was just cleaning it up.”
Pei Chen’s face remained composed, still carrying his usual cool and aloof demeanor.
Yet, no one knew what he was doing out of view of the camera.
He was truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
He continued his actions, and Liang Zhiyi, hearing his seemingly innocent words, felt her resolve crumble. Embarrassment overwhelmed her, her mind growing hot with shame.
Her face felt like it was about to be steamed.
Then Pei Chen said to the group, “You guys go ahead and chat. Zhiyi said she’s bored, so I’m going to keep her company.”
“…..”
He even had the nerve to blame her!
Xuan Xia and Fan Gao believed him and didn’t stop him, only laughing and joking, “It’s true, you always choose love over friendship…”
After he ended the call, Pei Chen placed the tablet aside. Finally able to speak, Liang Zhiyi puffed her cheeks and scolded him:
“Pei Chen, you’re such a bad guy…”
Pei Chen chuckled softly, bending down to gaze into the tearful eyes of the girl before him. “Who started this? Why are you scared now?”
“…”
The girl was now full of regret…
Her nose was red, and she couldn’t help but let out a sweet, soft whimper. Pei Chen’s lips traced the outline of her ear, gently biting her earlobe, his voice a low, seductive murmur:
“Does baby like playing like this with me, hmm?”
The girl’s long eyelashes trembled as she stubbornly murmured, “I don’t like it.”
“Alright, then we’ll stop here.”
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Liang Zhiyi quickly stopped him, unable to keep up the act any longer, and whimpered, “No… don’t…”
Seeing this, Pei Chen chuckled softly. “Zhizhi, you’re so contradictory, aren’t you?”
Her face flushed so red it looked like it might start bleeding. After all, it had been a month, and she was struggling just as much.
The man kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his gaze deep and affectionate as he coaxed her with a smile, “Don’t worry, my little pampered princess, I’ll give you everything.”
And so, the girl let him have his way.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, the neon lights and stars blended together. Although they were on the top floor, where no one could see them, the girl’s face burned as if it were on fire.
Pei Chen, mindful of her pregnancy and afraid of harming the baby, was caught between wanting to please her and struggling with his own rising desire.
After a while, her mind went blank, and she arched her pale neck, crying out uncontrollably, “Pei Chen…”
Seeing her like this, Pei Chen’s eyes reddened. He leaned down, his hand cradling the back of her head, and forcefully captured her breath, prying open her lips for a deep kiss.
Gradually, he became more gentle. When he finally stopped, he gazed at her as she slowly calmed down, a smile playing on his lips. “After all these years, Zhizhi, you still can’t handle it with just one hand?”
“……”
She was so embarrassed she wanted to bury herself.
Pei Chen asked if she was uncomfortable lying like that. She clung to him, saying she wanted to hold him, so Pei Chen sat on the chair by the desk and cradled her in his arms.
He grabbed some tissues to wipe the desk while the girl buried her head in the crook of his neck, listening to him laugh. “What’s there to be shy about? Didn’t you cause this?”
“Stop talking about it…”
Pei Chen held her close and kissed her again. The girl, sensing something, asked if he was uncomfortable. He gazed deeply at her. “What do you think?”
She pouted at him, “I just helped you this morning…”
“Zhizhi…”
His voice was very low.
In the end, she gave in to him, watching as he closed his eyes, his brow slightly furrowed. She curled her lips and whispered teasingly in his ear, “Now it’s my turn to play with you, brother.”
Hearing her words, Pei Chen’s breathing grew heavier, and the corners of his eyes reddened.
She was truly fortunate to be pregnant today.
After a moment, he picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom, laying her down on a softer surface.
The room was dimly lit, with only a soft yellow lamp casting a warm glow.
The amber light flowed over her fair skin like pearls.
…
A long while later, everything grew quiet. The girl was enveloped in his embrace, her hands clinging to his shoulders as she accepted his kisses.
When the kiss ended, she met his gaze and playfully asked, “How does it feel?”
He responded in a low voice, murmuring in her ear, “Still not as good as being with you.”
She let out a soft huff.
… What a rogue.
The man carried her to the bathroom for a quick shower. Once they were done, Pei Chen left the bedroom. Liang Zhiyi, holding her phone, lay back on the bed and saw a message from Ji Fei’er: “Don’t think I don’t know what you and Pei Chen were up to, you can’t hide it from me [smirk].”
Liang Zhiyi buried her flushed face in the pillow.
Oh no, she’d been found out after all.
What was it with Ji Fei’er and her seemingly endless experience in these matters???
Liang Zhiyi replied, “Shut up.”
Ji Fei’er teased back, “You two were still on the call, were you that eager? Weren’t you afraid of getting caught, playing with fire like that?”
Liang Zhiyi shot back, “Seems like you’ve got plenty of experience, huh?”
Ji Fei’er: “…”
Ji Fei’er glanced over at Liang Tongzhou, who was lounging on the bed leisurely playing on his phone. She blushed, recalling some of his mischievous antics in certain situations, and quickly changed the subject.
On the other end, Liang Zhiyi burst out laughing.
Nice try, but you can’t beat me.
A few minutes later, Pei Chen returned to the bedroom carrying a cup of warmed milk. Since she was pregnant, he was especially attentive to her diet.
“Zhizhi, come over and drink your milk.”
“Mm.”
She put down her phone and walked over.
The girl nestled in his arms, obediently drinking the milk as Pei Chen gently stroked her belly. In a soft voice, he asked, “Do you feel any discomfort?”
Even during their most intimate moments, he always prioritized her and the baby, being cautious about everything.
She smiled, “No, I feel fine.”
“There’s still no visible change,” he observed.
“It’s still early. You won’t really see anything until four months in,” she replied, her eyes lowering as she reflected. “Sometimes, I find it so amazing to think that a little one is slowly growing inside me.”
A smile appeared in the man’s eyes as he continued to caress her belly. “I hope the baby is well-behaved and doesn’t make things too hard for you.”
She leaned sweetly against his shoulder, “Yeah, I hope so too…”
—
Initially, the girl had hoped that her pregnancy wouldn’t be too difficult, but inevitably, things began to change. After some time, she started experiencing early pregnancy symptoms.
Her body had a unique constitution, so her early pregnancy reactions came a bit late. However, now she had to endure morning sickness every day, feeling nauseated at the smell of cooking oil and other strong odors.
Sigh, there really is no such thing as an easy pregnancy.
After another bout of vomiting in the bathroom one morning, she leaned against Pei Chen, whimpering:
“Ugh… ugh…”
Pei Chen gently patted her back. “Do you feel any better now?”
She pouted, “It’s okay, I think I can handle it…”
He felt awful that he couldn’t share her discomfort, and his heart ached for her. “Zhizhi, you’re going through so much.”
Seeing how he was more upset than she was, she took his hand to comfort him, “It’s alright, it’ll pass soon.”
She understood that this was just part of the pregnancy process, so she maintained a positive attitude. Besides, having Pei Chen by her side, so concerned about her, made her feel that despite the hardships, it was all worth it.
After the first trimester, her early pregnancy symptoms eased significantly. Her friends Zhong Xinrou and Gong Qinxin often visited her at home, bringing her delicious food. She was truly the cherished treasure of both families.
Moreover, since Liang Zhiyi became pregnant, Pei Chen, true to his scholarly nature, immersed himself in learning everything he could about pregnancy. His care for her was meticulous and thorough.
At the beginning of June, Pei Chen prepared a special Children’s Day gift for her and the little one growing inside her—
He equipped their home with a smart home robot, a new product from Chengzhi Tech. However, he had customized the programming, making it the only one of its kind in the world.
The robot was named Xiao C. In addition to performing the standard functions of a household robot, it was specially programmed to remind Liang Zhiyi of important pregnancy-related precautions and to monitor her health. It became her personal assistant, capable of chatting with her and acting as an electronic pet of sorts.
Pei Chen walked her through the process of recording her voice into the robot. “It will recognize your voice. Anytime you call it or press this button on your phone, it will automatically locate you and come to you immediately.”
Pei Chen wanted the robot to be able to accompany her whenever he couldn’t be by her side.
Liang Zhiyi was thrilled by the gift. No wonder she had noticed him tinkering with some electronic device recently—he had been designing this just for her. This truly was the kind of romance only an engineering guy could pull off.
With this smart home robot around, Liang Zhiyi found much more joy in her daily life at home.
One weekend, Pei Chen had to attend a meeting, leaving Liang Zhiyi alone at home. In the afternoon, she was lounging on the sofa, reading a book, and feeling a bit bored. She called out, “Xiao C, Xiao C.”
The robot quickly moved in front of her and, in a mechanical voice, asked, “Master, what can I do for you?”
She smiled playfully. “Xiao C, I’m so bored.”
“Master, here are some recently released TV shows and movies for your entertainment…” it said, listing various entertainment options for her.
Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at it and said, “Xiao C, I miss Pei Chen.”
The robot paused for a few seconds before replying, “Master Pei Chen says he misses you too, a little more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, surprised that Pei Chen had even programmed such an answer.
This man really knows how to get to her…
“So, who’s Pei Chen’s favorite person?” she asked.
The robot’s screen lit up, displaying two little hearts: “Liang Zhiyi.”
The girl was charmed by the cuteness and continued to ask with a smile, “And… if it’s between Liang Zhiyi and the little baby in my belly?”
“Liang Zhiyi.”
No matter how she phrased her question, the robot’s answer was always “Liang Zhiyi.”
She wondered if Pei Chen had simply not programmed any other options.
After chatting with Xiao C for a while, she returned to her book.
Two hours later, as evening approached, Pei Chen came home from work. He found Liang Zhiyi fast asleep on the sofa.
The golden light of the setting sun streamed in, casting a soft, radiant glow on her face. Her black hair partially covered her features, which looked peaceful and serene.
Pei Chen looked at her, a gentle warmth filling his eyes.
He walked over and gently took the book from her hands. Liang Zhiyi stirred, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him:
“Mm, Pei Chen, you’re back…”
The man sat down beside her and patted her head. “Did I wake you?”
“It’s okay. I had just finished reading, and I must have dozed off for a bit…”
She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pei Chen naturally pulled her into his embrace and teased, “You’re like a little lazy cat. If you nap this long during the day, will you be able to sleep at night?”
She giggled, “If I can’t sleep, we can always find something else to do.”
He gave her a meaningful look.
“Alright, remember what you just said.”
“But it’s already past the first trimester.”
“….”
She immediately backed down, “No, no, I was just joking.”
Pei Chen chuckled and leaned in to peck her lips, “Too late to take it back now.”
“Pei Chen, you’re such a rogue…”
Her face flushed red from his kisses, and she playfully touched her belly. “Baby, you see? Your dad is bullying me again. He’s so bad.”
He smirked, bringing his lips close to her ear. “If I didn’t bully you like this, how would we have our little one?”
Her cheeks turned even redder as she gave him a shy glare. “You’re quite proud of yourself, aren’t you?”
Pei Chen let out a low laugh. “Not at all.”
At that moment, Aunt Zhang, the housekeeper, walked out of the kitchen and smiled at them. “Sir, Ma’am, dinner is ready.”
“Alright.” Pei Chen pinched her cheek. “Shall we eat?”
“Mm, I’m really hungry…”
As he wrapped his arm around her and led her toward the dining room, she remembered her conversation with the smart robot earlier in the afternoon and teased him with a smile. “I didn’t expect someone to sneak so many sweet lines into the code. Didn’t you think it was cheesy?”
He paused for a moment, a slight flush creeping up his ears, but his eyes held a hint of amusement. “What did you and Xiao C talk about?”
She recounted her questions from earlier, her smile widening. “I asked Xiao C who you love the most, and it only answered me. But shouldn’t you love both me and the baby equally?”
He corrected her in a calm tone, “That’s not true.”
“Mm?”
The man interlocked his fingers with hers, gazing at her as his soft voice whispered in her ear:
“There is only one Liang Zhiyi in this world, so there is no other option for that question. Even with the baby, you are the one I love the most, without exception.”