TAMW CH40

Pink-and-white peonies.

The exact shade of Yuqing’s cheeks.

Yuqing lowered his head, his fingertips lightly trailing over the newly opened flower buds. Cradling his lower abdomen with one hand, he leaned back softly, resting against the man’s solid chest.

His long hair cascaded down, a few stray strands curling around the web between Zhou Xiao’s thumb and forefinger. Yuqing found himself quietly enjoying this sensation.

“Once, you told me that peaceful stability and dead silence are two entirely different things. Zezhi, I didn’t understand back then, but now I do.” He pressed his lips together, his soft hand resting over the man’s broad palm.

The hands of both men rested together over the pregnant swell, guarding the child that belonged to the two of them.

Zhou Xiao pressed the bridge of his nose against his neck. Hearing these words, an exquisite sweetness bloomed in his chest. “Right?”

Yuqing reached back, his fingers gently kneading Zhou Xiao’s hair.

“My days in the past… truly deserved to be called dead silence.”

Looking back now, those were days devoid of joy, anger, sorrow, or delight. He had been somewhat numb, no different from the ancient wooden pillars holding up the ancestral courtyard—propping up the Zhou estate, making sure his duties were fulfilled. Barely human, his emotions buried under endless household chores, with rules and ancestral property weighing down upon his very personhood.

Yuqing had once wondered: was that really the life he wanted?

He had never had an answer, because he had never known any other choice.

Now, he finally caught a glimmer of one.

In this world, besides jasmine, there were peonies…

And in the future, there would be other blossoms—just as Zhou Xiao had promised, until he found the flower he truly loved.

Yuqing turned around, draping both hands over Zhou Xiao’s shoulders, his gentle eyes curving into crescent moons. “Zezhi, safe travels.”

Zhou Xiao wrapped his arms around his waist, his eyes reflecting nothing but Yuqing’s tender features. “I will.”

Yuqing saw him off to the car, urging him to take care.

Zhou Xiao promised solemnly, “Once the railway is finished, I’ll return to keep you company day and night. We’ll never be apart again.”

With his hand held and squeezed, the tips of Yuqing’s ears warmed slightly. “Hurry along now.”

“What’s wrong?” Zhou Xiao scrutinized his face; he didn’t look like he truly wanted him to leave.

“A man out in the world must stand tall. Career comes first.”

Zhou Xiao disagreed: “By the time my career is thriving, the money is made, and everything is in place, Qingming will already be grown. If I disappear for that long, will there still be a place for me in your eyes?”

He had realized that whether Yuqing was pregnant or not didn’t matter—the moment he wasn’t by his side, Ruan Yuqing turned heads wherever he went. Yesterday, even that opera singer couldn’t hide the raw awe in his eyes when looking at Yuqing. If he stayed away to pursue some grand ambition, who knew if Qingming would have a new father by the time he returned? Would Yuqing even have a use for him then?

Zhou Xiao had never been a generous man, and he had always known exactly what he wanted.

Yuqing said, “You’re already the master of the house, yet you still speak with so little restraint. You and I are husband and wife…”

“I don’t want some false, hollow marriage.” Zhou Xiao poked his head out the car window, reaching out to press a kiss to the back of Yuqing’s hand. “We aren’t like that.”

Their gazes locked, and for a fleeting second, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

After Zhou Xiao left, a calling card was delivered that very afternoon.

The card had been sent to Qingming Bank.

The defamatory articles the Ruan family had wanted to print had all been suppressed by Zhou Xiao’s people, and the negatives of those scandalous photographs had been destroyed. Outside the inner circle, the public only knew Yuqing as the disowned son of the Ruan family; very few knew the details of his role in the Zhou household. Even if rumors circulated, who would believe that a man was carrying a child as another man’s legally wedded wife?

Ruan Yuqing’s outward reputation was formidable—a ruthless figure who would do anything for wealth.

“It’s a calling card from the new general.”

Yuqing took the card and examined it. The handwriting bore a faint resemblance to his late father’s—the brushstrokes were gentle, hardly what one would expect from a military commander. But on second thought, most officers who reached the rank of general in the Republican era were educated in military academies, so presentable penmanship was only natural.

“The day after tomorrow, at Xianxiang Restaurant…”

Xiao Yue stood nearby, waiting for his orders.

“Go make the preparations.”

Xiao Yue hesitated. “The same as last time? If he stands you up again, being toyed with like this… your condition really isn’t suited for traveling out so often…”

Yuqing waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. Go and arrange it.”

“No matter how he tests me, he simply wants to gauge my sincerity. The garrison left at the port is small and cannot stand against a fresh regiment. He wants me to bring the port and pledge allegiance.”

With the civil war raging between North and South, this newly arrived force was inevitably on the opposite side of Jiang Sui; otherwise, out of respect for Jiang Sui, they wouldn’t be making things difficult for him. The general had arrived prepared, deliberately toying with him to test the waters. If Yuqing stubbornly aligned himself with Jiang Sui, he would likely be eliminated.

At that thought, Yuqing suddenly remembered that he had asked Zhou Xiao to inquire about Jiang Sui’s whereabouts at the front lines. Zhou Xiao had avoided bringing it up several times, likely because there was still no news.

Xiao Yue didn’t dare say more and obediently took his orders.

That evening, having arrived in Shencheng, Zhou Xiao called first thing. He chattered endlessly about the scenery along the way—how the pines and cypresses stood green throughout the winter, and how thinking of his wife made the long journey fly by in the blink of an eye.

Amused by his sweet talk, Yuqing urged him to turn in early.

On the appointed day, Yuqing specifically had gifts prepared to take along.

By the afternoon, Xianxiang Restaurant was growing lively. On the central stage, clowns were tumbling through acrobatics, their warm-up acts drawing thunderous cheers from the floor. Peanut and melon seed shells littered the ground near the open tables. Cigarettes were lit, and plumes of smoke drifted through the rafters.

Boss Sun, the proprietor of Xianxiang Restaurant, was hosting a prominent guest today. Everyone in Baizhou knew the winds were shifting. While the port hadn’t seen major changes yet, the garrison stationed in the western suburbs had been completely swapped out. The commercial streets Jiang Sui had once protected had been purged over the past two days, their shops and owners replaced. Even Song Xiaochang, the Chamber of Commerce president overseeing the land escort routes, had granted special passage to haul several tanks into the city.

Even during General Jiang’s reign, no one had seen tanks rolling down the streets. Without firing a single shot, Baizhou had fallen under the control of a new master.

Yuqing had grown up in Baizhou. He had never considered himself an almighty ruler; he couldn’t control heaven and earth, but protecting what he held dear was within his grasp. The port was the economic lifeline for the common folk of Baizhou. If outsiders seized that artery, the entire city would plunge into misery.

Boss Sun carried a tray of pastries upstairs toward a private room.

“Sir, your refreshments have arrived.” Boss Sun wiped the sweat from his brow. The men standing guard outside wore plain black clothes, but rifles and sidearms were tucked into their waistbands. As he approached, their sharp gazes locked onto him, breaking him out in a cold sweat.

“Enter,” a voice sounded from within.

“These are local Baizhou pastries. If you grow weary watching the opera, I can have someone come up to massage your legs…” Boss Sun set the platter down, not daring to lift his eyes, turning to leave immediately.

Though he was the owner, Xianxiang Restaurant was merely an eatery after all. Whoever held the power called the shots, so he had naturally come up to show his face and curry favor.

Before he could take a step, the muzzle of a gun pressed against his lower back. “Our Commander Lin has a few questions for you. Sit.”

“Y-yes… right away…”

The man inside had a cigarette burning between his fingers. A graduate of a formal military academy carried an entirely different aura from an officer who had clawed his way up through the ranks—his posture was rigid and upright, his collar pressed without a wrinkle, his military boots landing on the floor with heavy, solid thuds.

“Ruan Yuqing. What is his relationship to the Zhou family?”

Boss Sun’s hand trembled. He hurriedly answered, “Sir, I’m just a simple businessman. I never pry into outside affairs, truly!”

“The young master of the Zhou family is never at home. Is that true?” he asked.

“Th-that seems to be true… I haven’t heard of the Zhou heir returning. He didn’t even attend Old Master Zhou’s funeral…”

These past days, the name Ruan Yuqing had become the favorite topic of idle gossip over tea and meals.

The bastard disowned by the Ruan family.

The ungrateful stray taken in by the Zhou family.

Since Old Master Zhou Yuzhang died, the Zhou estate had declined precipitously. In just over half a year, the Zhou family had practically vanished from public view, replaced entirely by Qingming Bank.

“So this Ruan Yuqing is no simple figure,” the man sneered. “Quite the operator.”

“Jiang Sui kept troops in Baizhou specifically to partner with him. I’d like to see what kind of creature he really is.”

Boss Sun’s heart sank. After being interrogated, he hurried downstairs, intending to tip off Boss Ruan. Yuqing had supported Xianxiang Restaurant generously in the past and managed the port with great care. It was clear this new military officer wasn’t planning on giving him an easy time!

Yuqing arrived at Xianxiang Restaurant promptly at seven, just as the main performance began.

Boss Sun offered a few words of caution at the door, but Yuqing proceeded inside anyway, preparing to head up to the private room.

Today, he had pinned half of his long hair behind his head with a jade hairpin, leaving the rest cascading over his shoulders. Supporting himself on the banister, he climbed the stairs unhurriedly, his gaze trailing the actor playing the Hegemon of Western Chu on the first-floor stage.

The private room was on the sixth floor, but his steps paused on the third.

The other man had made him wait last time, so today, he would put on airs as well.

Yuqing disliked being late, but he deliberately lingered on the third floor to watch the opera for a spell, draped in an ivory-white fox-fur cloak that made him look like a snow spirit. Resting his hands on the railing, he watched until his feet began to go numb, then turned to head upstairs.

There were indeed people waiting in the room above. Yuqing went up alone; Xiao Yue had been uneasy, but Yuqing had said, “If he truly wanted me dead, he wouldn’t choose a crowded place like this.”

Pushing open the door, he found a man surnamed Lin inside, dressed in a full general’s uniform. His expression was stern, looking to be in his late forties or early fifties, well past his youth. The adjutant standing beside him appeared to be in his early thirties.

General Lin cut straight to the chase: “Within three days, hand over the recent port profit ledgers. You may continue to manage the port, but you will surrender seventy percent of the profits. Otherwise, those remnants of Jiang Sui won’t be able to protect you.”

“Seventy percent…” Wrapped in his fur cloak, Yuqing smiled faintly. “It seems you want Yuqing to run the port for you without paying a single copper in wages?”

Surrendering seventy percent of the profits, after paying the dockworkers and maintaining the steamships, would leave Qingming Bank operating at a loss.

This General Lin appeared to have a fiery temper. The adjutant beside him barely managed to say, “General, the Commander’s orders were…” before General Lin delivered a sharp slap across his face. Without another word, General Lin turned and strode out, giving Yuqing three days to consider—if he refused, the entire port would be purged.

His adjutant tilted his head slightly, wiping the corner of his mouth. Looking up at Yuqing with faint embarrassment, he said nothing.

Yuqing drew a handkerchief from his sleeve. Beneath the clamor of the opera house outside, his voice sounded like a gentle, helpless sigh. Holding out the jasmine-scented cloth to the man, he asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

The adjutant was relatively young. Having just been cursed by the general as an ungrateful traitor, he likely wouldn’t even be allowed in the car ride back and had been left behind.

The adjutant shook his head.

Yuqing said, “A soldier’s life is grueling, and following orders from above is an impossible bind. Do not hold a grudge against General Lin. In these chaotic times, a slip of the tongue might bring harm upon yourself.”

The adjutant narrowed his eyes slightly. The man was tall and broad, and Yuqing found his brow and eyes strangely familiar.

Stunned, the adjutant took the handkerchief, instantly enveloped by the rich fragrance of jasmine—a scent so sweet it could make one dizzy.

“Is that all you have to say?”

Yuqing’s eyes curved gently. “What else should I say?”

“I thought that seeing me in such a pathetic state, you would ask what orders the Commander had actually given…”

Yuqing paused, then shook his head. “Those are your internal affairs. Since the General left me with a difficult problem, I will simply go solve it. Why pry into other matters? Asking you would only put you in an awkward position.”

Yuqing helped him up, his soft fingers resting lightly on his arm. The texture of his skin was impossibly smooth, completely unlike a man’s.

“General Lin carries the true presence of a commander,” Yuqing praised mildly.

“Him?” The adjutant scoffed. “Everyone says Boss Ruan is deep and calculating, but your eye for people is lacking. He’s nothing but a brute.”

Yuqing blinked. Sitting down, he rested his chin on his palm and tilted his head, watching him without a word.

The adjutant stared back.

Yuqing met his gaze openly. After a moment, Yuqing let out a soft laugh, speaking with gentle warmth, “I’ll pretend I never heard that. Don’t let others hear you say such things, or you’ll get another beating.”

With that, Yuqing tossed a peanut over.

The adjutant caught it cleanly.

Yuqing asked: “What is your name?”

The adjutant: “Yuan Cheng.”

“Oh—” Yuqing smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Go back and tell General Lin: in three days, I will give him a satisfactory answer.”

This Yuan Cheng appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six. General Lin, having fought on battlefields, had scars across his face, whereas this man’s face was clean and unmarred.

“Alright.”

Watching the man’s departing back, Yuqing slowly cracked open the peanut and unclasped his fur cloak. The room had grown warm, and shedding the outer layer brought a pleasant coolness.

Xiao Yue hurried upstairs, knocking on the door and letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing Yuqing unharmed.

Yuqing asked him, “Did you see them leave just now?”

“The general who walked out? I saw him! Walking so high and mighty, looking down his nose at everyone.”

Yuqing shook his head, toying with the peanut shells in his hand. “The adjutant who left.”

Xiao Yue said he had been waiting on the first floor the entire time and hadn’t seen any adjutant come down.

Yuqing thought to himself that his guess was likely correct.

That General Lin had seemed crude and unrefined, hardly the mastermind behind this deployment, while the adjutant had deliberately interjected. That little performance earlier had likely been staged by the two of them. The adjutant was the true general, while that General Lin was merely an actor pulled in to play the part.

All to stage a scene where the adjutant was mistreated, testing whether Yuqing would seize the opening to sow discord and plot behind the scenes.

Yuqing had seen this trick of swapping the prince for a leopard cat since childhood. In business, one negotiated only profit; he hadn’t played such convoluted games in years.

Still, what was this Adjutant ‘Yuan Cheng’ trying to probe him for?

He couldn’t be sure. For the time being, his contacts in the military hadn’t turned up any intelligence on this man, which gave him quite a headache.

The following morning.

Zhou Xiao called early. The servants reported that the Madam was still asleep, having turned in late the night before.

Zhou Xiao demanded, “Why did he sleep late?”

The servants stammered, reluctant to speak. Every one of them was loyal to Yuqing; without his explicit approval, they wouldn’t breathe a word of his affairs to Zhou Xiao.

Zhou Xiao snapped, “Go fetch Doctor Liu.”

Doctor Liu was the only person in the household who didn’t strictly obey Yuqing.

Doctor Liu hurried over to take the call, explaining that he hadn’t yet taken the Madam’s morning pulse. He had examined him after he returned yesterday; the Madam was merely a bit anxious, but there were no other issues.

Zhou Xiao asked, “He returned? Where did he go?”

Doctor Liu: “Master, you… aren’t you making things difficult for me?”

“Tsk.” Zhou Xiao clicked his tongue in displeasure. “Listen here—in my eyes, you are the great hero responsible for the child between the Madam and myself. If you want to come and go freely in the Zhou family in the future, how can you do so without staying on good terms with the servants?”

Doctor Liu was momentarily at a loss. “Then… I’ll go make some inquiries for you…”

“Doctor Liu, I have great appreciation for men who know how to adapt.” Zhou Xiao was thoroughly pleased. “Go now. I’ll wait.”

Doctor Liu: “…?”

“Vice President, someone is here to see you,” his assistant knocked on the office door.

“Oh? Who?” Zhou Xiao asked.

“Someone in a military uniform.”

Zhou Xiao spoke into the receiver: “I’ll call back in half an hour. Go find out immediately who the Madam dined with, what he did, and what was said. If all else fails, ask Zhao Fu. Tell him… tell him that if the Madam goes around meeting strangers, the Master will be displeased and will make things difficult for him upon his return. Have him go investigate!”

Doctor Liu: “This…”

Doctor Liu thought of how he had once been beaten by the Master and subsequently confined by the butler. Now that the Master relied on him, a strange feeling of being a favored servant began to sprout in his chest…

“Doctor Liu, my poor attitude toward you in the past was my fault. Go ask Zhao Fu at once. Why would the Madam have trouble sleeping and wake up late after meeting someone new? You wouldn’t want anything to happen to the Madam’s pregnancy, would you?” he threatened in a low voice. “Hurry!”

“Yes, right away!”

Doctor Liu hastily hung up the phone and hurried out to investigate.

Zhou Xiao felt deeply unsettled. How could Yuqing step out the moment he left?

With whom?

Why hadn’t he told him?

Irritated to no end, he ran a hand through his hair. When the assistant knocked again, Deng Yongquan happened to arrive to deliver the engineering schematics. Blasting and track-laying were underway in Liu County; these days, they only needed to inspect the terrain during the day to ensure no landslides occurred.

“Right, who came to see me? Send him in.”

By the time the assistant closed the door, Zhou Xiao had already retrieved a date pit from his drawer to suck on, draping Yuqing’s handkerchief over his face, pressing his lips against the fabric, pretending to taste him.

Fortunately, he had kept three of Yuqing’s date pits. He sucked on one each day, washed it clean, and swapped it for another the next day. The sharp tips at both ends had long been worn smooth and round, stripped of all edges.

Just like Yuqing…

Just like Yuqing~

Still, which wretched scoundrel had gone to dine with Yuqing? Why hadn’t Yuqing mentioned it?

Zhou Xiao rubbed his temples, inhaling deeply through his nose to steady his temper.

Click.

The office door pushed open. Zhou Xiao twirled his fountain pen, looking up with an unfamiliar gaze to inspect the man walking in.

The visitor wore a military uniform, a dark cloak draped over his shoulders reaching down to his knees, bearing the rank of a general. He had the face of a man in his mid-thirties, with deep-set eyes that bore a striking resemblance to Zhou Xiao’s own. Beside him, an adjutant sported several frightening scars across his face. The visitor log had listed the adjutant as Lin Chengwen, while the general beside him…

Zhou Xiao slowly set down his pen and stood up. Seeing the man’s face, his expression shifted from wariness to genuine surprise.

“Ah-Xiao,” the man said with a smile.

“Third Uncle?!” Zhou Xiao hurried around the desk. “When did you return?!”

The third son of the Zhou family: Zhou Yuyang, courtesy name Yuan Cheng.

He was the youngest, born of a concubine. Before he turned twenty, he had left for the north to join the military. Over the years, he had maintained little contact with home, sending only the occasional letter. Zhou Yuzhang and Zhou Yulin had been born of the same mother and were closer; after joining the ranks, Zhou Yuyang had grown distant from both elder brothers.

Precisely because he had few entanglements with the family estate, Zhou Xiao held a favorable impression of him.

“Please, have a seat.” Zhou Xiao was genuinely pleased; this was a relative he hadn’t seen in years. When he was small, his Third Uncle had given him sweets and held him in his arms.

“You’ve grown so tall! Taller than me.” Zhou Yuyang laughed, striding forward. “I only learned of Second Brother’s passing from the newspapers a while ago. Military duties kept me from rushing back.”

“Yes, I didn’t get to see Second Uncle one last time either. A pity…” He shook his head with feigned helplessness.

“The Zhou family has truly turned upside down; it has fallen into decline,” Zhou Yuyang remarked.

Looking at his uniform and recalling Jiang Sui’s defeat, Zhou Xiao thought to himself: Could my Third Uncle be the one taking over Baizhou?

“Yes, the Zhou family has a new master now,” Zhou Xiao smiled faintly.

He poured a cup of coffee. “I only have coffee here; I wonder if Third Uncle is accustomed to it.”

“So, is it true that that man surnamed Ruan forced you out here?” Zhou Yuyang asked.

Zhou Xiao’s hand froze. “That man… surnamed Ruan?”

Yuqing?

The warm familial affection he had felt toward his Third Uncle instantly chilled at that address.

A coarse soldier after all—uncultured and devoid of manners. Couldn’t he at least say ‘Mr. Ruan’? If this man weren’t his Third Uncle, he really ought to slap him across the face to teach him proper etiquette.

“Yuqing was left to me by Father to manage the estate and run the household. We share a very close bond; Third Uncle needn’t be so guarded. Are you stationed in Baizhou now?”

Zhou Yuyang scoffed, “He sent calling cards day after day, appearing obedient enough. Working in Baizhou means dealing with him eventually. Hearing that the Shencheng railway was under construction, I came by to inspect it, and to check on you.”

Zhou Xiao: “Oh, so that’s it. You met him?”

“He had close ties with Jiang Sui in the past—clearly a flighty, social butterfly. I care little for the Zhou family assets; what Eldest Brother left to you belongs to you. Your Third Uncle only fears you’re young and being taken advantage of. Yesterday, I demanded seventy percent of the port profits from him. I reckon he’ll bargain down to forty percent. When the time comes, all those profits will be channeled into supporting your railway project.”

“Third Uncle…” Zhou Xiao looked deeply moved. “You…”

Aren’t you here for the railway as well?

Waiting for the railway to finish so you can transport weapons for yourself?

Seizing the port, importing weapons from France and Germany, and shipping them across the country via rail—how much would that boost their operational efficiency in the northern-southern war?

He had thought his uncle had come out of familial love.

In the end, no one crossed the threshold without an ulterior motive.

“It’s understandable if you can’t handle that Ruan Yuqing at your young age.” Holding the coffee cup, some hot liquid spilled onto his hand.

Zhou Yuyang naturally reached into his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his fingers.

Zhou Xiao narrowed his eyes, watching expressionlessly as he wiped his hand.

“Outsiders claim Ruan Yuqing’s control of the estate left you with nowhere to turn. Once the railway is built, your Third Uncle will back you up—there’s nothing to fear. A mere adopted son… Eldest Brother was truly something, raising a tiger to cause trouble, making you suffer.”

With that, Zhou Yuyang tossed the handkerchief onto the desk.

Zhou Xiao smiled. “When Third Uncle met that man surnamed Ruan yesterday, did you see his true colors?”

“Mm,” Zhou Yuyang nodded. “Not quite like the rumors. He certainly has the looks to be Eldest Brother’s concubine—serving people with his appearance. Not good. Yesterday, I disguised myself as an adjutant to probe his intentions, and he…”

“What did he do?”

“I pretended to take a beating, thinking he would use the chance to win me over. Instead, he merely handed me a handkerchief and told me to tread carefully in the future.”

Zhou Xiao: “Did he toss the handkerchief into your hand, or wipe you with it?”

Zhou Yuyang frowned slightly, not understanding why he asked. “What?”

“This person can be used, but he cannot run the estate. The port cannot remain in his hands. I came, first, to see you, and second, to plan for your future.”

“Tsk.” Zhou Xiao couldn’t help but scowl.

Why did every single one of them recite the exact same script?

He didn’t give a damn about any of that!

He only wanted to know whether Zhou Yuyang had made things difficult for Yuqing, and even more, whether this man had witnessed Yuqing’s gentleness.

“Hardly looks like a man—frail and sickly,” Zhou Yuyang said, having spent too long in the barracks, speaking with careless vulgarity. “Wouldn’t last two days in a southern brothel.”

Zhou Xiao’s expression darkened completely.

He thought to himself: no wonder Deng Yongquan had wept when he strangled Zhou Yulin last time.

When he was small, his Third Uncle had held him, too!

When he died, he could cry a round for him as well.

Meeting Yuqing was fine—Yuqing possessed countless charms, and Zhou Xiao felt it was entirely natural for anyone who met him to be captivated. Men like Zhao Fu and Jiang Sui—admiring him yet unable to have him—though despicable rivals, could still be counted as half-gentlemen.

However, scoundrels like Section Chief Wang, Section Chief Jiang, and that strangled Second Uncle—men who slandered Yuqing out of pure jealousy and hatred because he refused to be used by them—truly did not deserve to draw breath.

A perfectly good Third Uncle, who had held him when he was small…

How had he suddenly turned into such a petty villain?

Zhou Yuyang had arrived in such a hurry, likely because he was genuinely pressed for time. Having just been transferred to Baizhou, which held the province’s primary port, Zhou Xiao guessed his orders from above were to use the port to ship munitions to the front lines. That was why he had sought him out so urgently.

Yet another person belittling his wife for the sake of wealth and power.

Zhou Yuyang wanted to accompany him to Liu County tomorrow.

Smiling broadly, Zhou Xiao had his assistant guide him to check into the largest hotel in town.

Once alone, he dialed the telephone back. This time, Yuqing answered; he was already awake.

“Zezhi?” A gentle voice came through the receiver.

Zhou Xiao’s mind instantly summoned images of Yuqing’s frail frame, enduring the hardships of pregnancy while holding him in his arms. His wife had it so difficult carrying their child; how could he have ever doubted him?

“What is the matter?” Yuqing seemed to catch muffled sniffing over the line. “Did someone bully Vice President Zhou? Hmm?”

Yuqing teased from the other end.

Zhou Xiao sniffled. “No…”

“Then what is wrong?” Yuqing sounded helpless. Having just woken up, Master Zhou’s call had arrived even before the morning sickness.

Zhou Xiao sniffled again: “Yesterday, you…”

“Yesterday, I went out and spoke with the new general. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry. It was nothing serious. Are you going to weep over this as well? Zezhi, are you a little child?”