The sister picked up from a trash heap???
Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen couldn’t help but laugh, realizing how fascinating the thought processes of these two little ones were…
Pei Chen hugged his sons, one on each side, and explained gently with a smile, “The sister wasn’t picked up from a trash heap.”
Little Doubao asked curiously, “Then where did she come from?”
“Remember we taught you before? How did Little Doubao and Little Niangao come into this world?”
Little Niangao thought for a moment, then turned to point at Liang Zhiyi’s belly. “We came from Mommy’s belly.”
“That’s right. So, a sister is also born from Mommy’s belly.”
“Then when will Sister come out of Mommy’s belly?”
Liang Zhiyi: ??
Why is there suddenly talk of a sister?
Liang Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh. “Why, do you two like the idea of having a sister so much?”
Little Niangao nodded, “Yes!”
Little Doubao clapped his hands and shook his head, “Sister is cute…”
Liang Zhiyi, feeling both helpless and blushing from these clever little ones, exchanged a glance with Pei Chen. The man’s eyes glimmered with a meaningful smile as he finally patted Pei Su and Pei Che’s heads. “Right now, there’s no sister in Mommy’s belly.”
“Then when will there be one?”
“That will have to wait until later. It’s very hard for Mommy to give birth to a sister. Little Doubao and Little Niangao need to grow up into little men first and protect Mommy, okay?”
“Okay…”
In the end, the two little ones went off to play again. Pei Chen took hold of Liang Zhiyi’s hand, looked at her, the corners of his eyes tinged with a smile, and teased her in a low voice:
“Zhizhi, did you catch the hint they were giving?”
Liang Zhiyi blushed and hummed softly, “I think some people are more devious, trying to use this as an excuse to do something…”
“How am I being devious?”
While the other relatives were chatting, Pei Chen leaned close to the girl’s ear, his warm lips whispering in a husky voice, “Who was it that clung to me a few days ago, saying it was safe and nothing would happen? After saying so much, could it be that there’s already a sister in your belly?”
Upon hearing this, the girl’s face turned as red as a tomato.
There were still relatives around, and he was being so shameless…
Dead tired.
She recalled a few days before the New Year when Pei Chen went on a business trip to another province. Liang Zhiyi wanted to surprise him, so she left the two little ones in the care of the family’s nanny and set off alone to find him.
That evening, Pei Chen was supposed to have tea with a few company executives, but when he saw her arrive, he immediately declined the meeting. They returned to the hotel, and the fire Pei Chen had been holding back for days flared up. The girl was unusually bold as well, and before they even made it to the bedroom, clothes were scattered everywhere, and they went straight to the point right at the entrance.
Looking up, the man’s refined face and the gentle way he gazed at her were as tender as water. But when you looked lower, it was a completely different story—a stormy and intense passion.
The girl couldn’t withstand the overwhelming surge of his masculine hormones. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her pure yet seductive appearance only fueled Pei Chen’s desire even more.
Even after all this time, every time still felt like the first.
Liang Zhiyi pulled herself out of her wandering thoughts and turned to glare at Pei Chen with embarrassment, unwilling to engage with him.
After a while, as it neared noon, the group headed to the hotel.
The Chongyan Hall on the third floor of the hotel was the venue for today’s wedding banquet. Liang Tianming and Zhong Xinrou had to meet with some relatives, so Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi took the two children in first. As they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, Little Niangao tugged on Pei Chen’s hand and said:
“Daddy, I need to pee.”
Pei Chen nodded and asked Pei Su, “Doubao, do you need to go?”
Little Doubao shook his head, “No.”
Liang Zhiyi asked Pei Chen to take Little Niangao to the restroom while she stayed behind with Doubao. So, Pei Chen picked up Pei Che and left.
After a while, Liang Zhiyi’s cousin came over to ask her to join them in giving the wedding gift money, so Liang Zhiyi said to Pei Su, “Doubao, stay right here and be good. Mommy will be back in just a moment after I give the money, okay? Don’t wander off.”
The little guy nodded obediently, “Okay.”
So, Liang Zhiyi and a few others walked a short distance away, about five meters, but Little Doubao was still within her line of sight.
After his mother left, Little Doubao stood quietly where he was, looking down and playing with the toy dinosaur in his hand.
A moment later, a voice suddenly sounded above him: “Hey, isn’t this someone’s kid?”
Little Doubao looked up and saw a few relatives standing in front of him, smiling as they looked him over.
“Hey, I remember this is Zhiyi’s kid, right?”
“Yeah, her twins are especially cute. Little guy, are you the older brother or the younger one?”
Little Doubao clutched his plush toy, a bit shy as he glanced at the unfamiliar uncles and aunts, his dark eyes bright. After a few seconds, he spoke softly in a childish voice:
“I’m the older brother.”
“You’re the older brother, huh? What’s your name?” one of the relatives asked.
The little guy looked up at them, his soft, sweet voice replying, “My name is Su Su, and my nickname is Doubao.”
Everyone smiled at that and patted his head. “Where are your parents? Why aren’t they with you?”
“Daddy took my brother to the restroom, and Mommy is over there…” Pei Su pointed to a spot in the distance.
One of the older women pointed to the display of flowers near the entrance of the banquet hall and said, “Look, isn’t that your dad over there, playing with your brother by the balloons?”
Doubao looked over and saw Pei Chen coming out of the restroom with Little Niangao. As they passed by the display, Little Niangao wanted to grab a balloon, so Pei Chen stayed with him.
The older woman teased him with a smile, “See? Your dad is playing with your brother and didn’t take you along. Does your dad love your brother more than you?”
Doubao stared blankly, then shook his head gently:
“No, Daddy loves Doubao too…”
“Then why didn’t he take you to play with the balloons and left you here all by yourself?” another relative joked.
Someone else chimed in, “Maybe you weren’t behaving as well as your brother.”
“No…”
Doubao lowered his head, his eyes turning red, and his voice trembled as he said, “Doubao is well-behaved too…”
At that moment, Liang Zhiyi returned, greeted a few relatives, and then noticed her son standing there with his head down, tears welling up in his eyes. Seeing the glistening teardrops fall from his eyes, looking so pitiful, she immediately frowned and crouched down to him. “Doubao, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Pei Chen, holding Little Niangao’s hand, also walked over just in time to see Doubao in tears. A relative nearby laughed and explained:
“We were just joking, saying that Daddy loves his brother more, but who knew the little guy would take it seriously and start crying?”
Hearing this, Pei Chen’s expression immediately darkened. He crouched down and extended his hand to Pei Su, speaking softly, “Come here, Doubao, let Daddy hold you.”
With tears brimming in his grape-like eyes, the little boy reached out his arms to his father, who promptly picked him up.
Pei Chen held him close, gently stroking his head, his heart aching. “Who said Daddy doesn’t love Doubao? Daddy loves Doubao very much.”
The older woman, realizing her joke had gone too far, chuckled awkwardly and tried to explain, “Oh, we were just joking. I didn’t think the little one would take it so seriously and start crying.”
Feeling guilty for not keeping her son close earlier, Liang Zhiyi suppressed her anger and retorted with a forced smile, “You really shouldn’t joke about things like that. How would a child understand?”
Some relatives like to tease children, thinking they’re just being playful, not realizing that some kids are very sensitive. A casual remark from an adult could unintentionally hurt a child’s feelings.
In their daily lives, Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen were always careful never to show favoritism, treating both brothers equally to ensure they grew up without a sense of competition, fostering a loving bond between them.
The older woman, realizing she was in the wrong, awkwardly laughed it off, made a few excuses, and quickly left the scene.
Pei Chen put Little Doubao down, wiped away his tears, kissed his cheek, and gently soothed him, “No more crying, okay? Daddy just went to get balloons with Niangao. Doubao has a balloon too. Who said Daddy didn’t play with you?”
He handed the balloon to Little Doubao, who stopped sniffling and slowly reached out to take it. When he saw the balloon, his eyes lit up again.
Liang Zhiyi watched Pei Chen’s gentle demeanor as a father, feeling a warm sense of contentment in her heart.
She patted Little Doubao’s head and smiled, “Don’t listen to what others say. Daddy and Mommy both love you and Niangao equally, okay?”
The little boy nodded.
Little Niangao stepped forward, reached up to touch Doubao’s face, and then handed him his own balloon, showing his thoughtful side, “Don’t cry, brother. I’ll give you my balloon.”
Doubao took the balloon, his eyes curving into a smile.
Liang Zhiyi smiled as she patted Little Niangao’s head and exchanged a warm glance with Pei Chen.
The family of four then walked into the banquet hall. After greeting some relatives and elders, they sat down at a round table.
A short while later, Liang Zhiyi noticed the Zhang family approaching. Leading the group were Mr. and Mrs. Zhang, with Zhang Xinxin beside them, holding a child’s hand.
Zhang Xinxin had married into her husband’s family through a strategic family alliance. The husband’s family was quite wealthy, which Mrs. Zhang particularly valued. She got married just a few months after Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen and had a son, who was about half a year younger than Pei Su and Pei Che.
Liang Zhiyi had heard that Zhang Xinxin’s relationship with her husband was just so-so, but for Mrs. Zhang, marrying into a wealthy family was the most important thing. As long as the relationship was passable, that was enough.
Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen politely greeted them, and the two little ones followed suit, greeting them obediently. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mrs. Zhang, eager to build a good relationship with Pei Chen, sat at the same table and engaged her husband and Pei Chen in a conversation about work.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xinxin sat across from them, quietly observing Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen. She noticed that, despite all the years that had passed, Liang Zhiyi was still so bright and beautiful, a clear sign of a happy life.
She also observed the way Pei Chen looked at Liang Zhiyi—with the same deep love and affection that had never wavered over the years. Their two children were just as adorable.
Zhang Xinxin lowered her eyes, reflecting on her own situation, as a wave of bitterness welled up from within.
She had once believed that marrying a wealthy man was the most important goal. While she did achieve the life of a rich wife, she now realized that it wasn’t as perfect as she had imagined. The world itself is far from perfect.
Since childhood, Zhang Xinxin had always competed with Liang Zhiyi, but now that she was older, she realized how pointless this rivalry was. Even if she won, what did it really matter?
After a while, Zhang Xinxin’s son pointed at the toy cars in Pei Su and Pei Che’s hands and said, “Mommy, I want to play with the cars.”
Zhang Xinxin looked up, a bit embarrassed, and quietly tried to restrain him, “Be a good boy and sit still. Mommy will buy you some later.”
“But I want to play now…” her son insisted.
As Zhang Xinxin’s son started to fuss, Pei Su and Pei Che noticed and walked over to him, saying, “You can play with us.”
The boy was delighted and started to follow Pei Su and Pei Che. The two little boys turned to Liang Zhiyi and politely asked, “Mommy, can we take our little brother to play with the cars for a bit?”
Liang Zhiyi nodded, smiling gently, “Sure, but don’t go too far.”
“Okay…”
As the children left, Zhang Xinxin looked at Liang Zhiyi, surprised that she hadn’t stopped her children from playing with her son despite their complicated relationship. She stood there, momentarily stunned, with a mix of emotions swelling in her heart.
Liang Zhiyi glanced up and met Zhang Xinxin’s gaze before calmly looking away.
Although Liang Zhiyi didn’t like Zhang Xinxin, she believed that children’s worlds should remain pure and joyful, free from the complexities of adult emotions. If she allowed her personal feelings to influence the children, how would she be any different from Zhang’s mother, whom she had once despised?
Watching the three children happily playing together in the distance, a smile slowly spread across Liang Zhiyi’s face.
—
After the wedding banquet, Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi took the two little ones to visit some relatives along with Liang’s parents.
While at the relatives’ house, someone jokingly asked them if they were planning to have another child: “You know, we should all follow the national policy now. You’re still young—why not have another one?”
“Xiao Pei, give it a little more effort. It would be great to have a little sister to keep Doubao and Niangao company!”
Everyone laughed, and the teasing made Liang Zhiyi blush.
That evening, after returning home, the nanny took the two little ones to their room to sleep. Liang Zhiyi finished her shower and went back to the bedroom.
She lay on the bed reviewing some company documents. A little while later, she heard the bathroom door close. When she looked up, she saw Pei Chen walking out, broad-shouldered and long-legged, with his bare chest revealing toned but not overly muscular abs. His neat black hair still dripped with water.
Hmph.
This man was always trying to catch her attention, knowing full well that she was a sucker for good looks.
She forced herself to look back down at her documents, but within seconds, she felt the bed dip slightly as the blanket was lifted. A chill crept in, making her shiver, but the next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace, enveloped by his fresh, masculine scent.
Her heartbeat quickened, and she heard Pei Chen’s low, amused voice in her ear, “Why are you deliberately avoiding looking at me?”
She gave a soft huff, “I’m focusing on my work. I don’t have time to look at you.”
As Liang Zhiyi continued reading, she felt his hand start to wander. She pretended not to notice, but her thoughts had already been distracted, and her cheeks flushed as her heartbeat quickened.
Half a minute later, she bit her lip lightly, pushed the documents aside, and turned to face him, scolding, “Pei Chen, can you not be so over the top…”
Before she could finish, he swiftly pulled her into his arms, propping himself up on one arm, his deep, dark eyes hovering above her, his voice low and enticing:
“Over the top?”
Her heart pounded like a drum, and the next moment, her lips were captured by his:
“Let me show you what ‘over the top’ really means.”
Pei Chen knew all too well that she was just being coy, playing hard to get. As expected, after a short while, she obediently wrapped her arms around his neck, her actions betraying her true feelings.
A long time later, he suddenly got up, a bit rushed, and went to open the drawer. Liang Zhiyi was momentarily puzzled, then reached out to stop him, softly murmuring, “Pei Chen…”
“Hmm?”
“About what our relatives said earlier… what did you think about it?”
Pei Chen didn’t immediately catch on. Liang Zhiyi mumbled quietly, “You don’t want to have another child, do you…”
Pei Chen instantly understood what she meant. In a hoarse voice, he explained, “Zhizhi, it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that pregnancy is so hard on you. I don’t want you to suffer like that again.”
How could he not want to have another baby with her? But the memory of how much she struggled during her pregnancy with the twins was still vivid in his mind. It broke his heart, and he didn’t want to put her through that again.
Hearing this, Liang Zhiyi’s eyes softened with emotion. “Honey, it’s hard, but I’d be happy to do it.”
Having both a son and a daughter had always been her wish, after all.
She looked at him, blinking shyly. “And didn’t you always want a little girl too? Doubao and Niangao also want a sister… Why don’t we give it a try?”
He smiled, “Alright, let’s try.”
Then she paused, a sudden thought crossing her mind, and tried to push him away. “But what if it’s another boy…”
Pei Chen chuckled, closed the drawer, and with a heated gaze, pulled her back into his arms. His voice, thick with desire, whispered against her lips as he kissed her:
“Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. We’ll figure it out after I get you pregnant first.”