Ji Zhi Xiu had no particular desire for children. With Heng Bao, he was already completely content.
However, he knew Jiang Mian had always wanted a daughter.
Mother Ji's stance was: as long as the couple wished for it, she could lend a hand no matter how many they had.
Jiang Mian had pestered Ji Zhi Xiu several times, but he had refused.
The reason was simple: he didn't want Jiang Mian to suffer the ordeal of ten months of pregnancy again.
Jiang Mian then let go of the idea.
It wasn't until Heng Bao gradually grew older that Jiang Mian's heart began to flutter again.
That night, in bed, she nuzzled against the man, humming and expressing her thoughts.
Ji Zhi Xiu grunted, sweat dripping from his forehead. He continued what he was doing, completely unconcerned.
Jiang Mian saw through his perfunctory response and gave his arm a hard pinch. "I want...!"
A daughter!
Ji Zhi Xiu lowered his head and kissed her lips, cutting off her unfinished words: "If you want one, your husband will satisfy you."
The next morning, Jiang Mian was extremely annoyed. This was clearly a case of losing the wife and the soldiers.
She had been tossed around endlessly, and the man hadn't yielded an inch.
Ji Zhi Xiu also didn't go to the company that day.
After sending Heng Bao to school, Ji Zhi Xiu took a tray upstairs.
He found Jiang Mian sitting on the bed with her knees bent, her lips pursed in a manner identical to Heng Bao's.
Ji Zhi Xiu pretended not to notice and calmly called out to her, "I brought you breakfast."
Jiang Mian felt she couldn't hold back any longer. She turned to Ji Zhi Xiu and spoke directly, "I want a daughter."
"Heng Bao agrees too," Jiang Mian added.
She had fully considered everyone's opinion in the family; only Ji Zhi Xiu remained stubbornly against it.
The man's brows were wide, and he nodded upon hearing her words, "I know."
"Then we won't take any precautions starting today," Jiang Mian said, tilting her head up.
Ji Zhi Xiu pinched his brow, feeling it was indeed necessary to have a serious talk with Jiang Mian.
He placed the breakfast tray on the bedside table, then recounted their past. "When you were pregnant with Heng Bao, you got stretch marks and cried behind my back."
"During prenatal check-ups, because the various tests were too painful, you cried while holding my hand."
"When you had to take medication to control high hormone levels during pregnancy, you also cried, finding it too bitter."
"In the later stages of pregnancy, your feet swelled so much you couldn't wear shoes. You stared at a closet full of high heels and still cried."
"Only the delivery itself went relatively smoothly; Heng Bao didn't torment you."
"Jiang Mian, I don't want to see you cry. It hurts me."
Ji Zhi Xiu spoke each word deliberately, recalling her pregnancy experiences. His voice was slightly hoarse.
What he wanted most was for Jiang Mian to be well.
So, he remembered everything. From the moment he started speaking, Jiang Mian knew this conversation couldn't continue.
She felt her eyes sting and quickly lowered her head.
But she had stretch marks, and this man applied expensive essential oils to her belly every day.
During prenatal check-ups, he always canceled all his appointments to accompany her.
When she had to take medication, he would try every possible way to coax her into being happy.
When she couldn't wear shoes, he had another cabinet custom-made for her, filled with comfortable and cute slippers.
This was why she wanted to have a child for him.
She just wanted one more person to love him together.
She hadn't had a complete family, and she wanted to give Ji Zhi Xiu and their child a complete and warm home.
This was the meaning of her striving to learn to be a mother.
"Besides, having another one doesn't guarantee it'll be a daughter," Ji Zhi Xiu added after a pause, reminding her.
After a while, "Then we won't have one," she said, her voice very low.
Ji Zhi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.
Half a month later.
Fan Cheng drove Ji Zhi Xiu back, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I apologize, Madam. Today, Mr. Ji had to entertain a long-term business partner, and I accidentally drank too much."
The other party kept forcing drinks on them, so he couldn't do anything. If Mr. Ji was drunk, he couldn't be.
After managing to hold out until the end of the event, he immediately brought Mr. Ji back.
Jiang Mian could see that Fan Cheng was also quite drunk. She took Ji Zhi Xiu from Fan Cheng's arms. "It's alright. I've asked Aunt Song to prepare some hangover soup in the kitchen. You should have a bowl too before you go."
Fan Cheng nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I'll have it and then I'll leave."
Jiang Mian finally managed to get Ji Zhi Xiu back to the room.
The man was hazy with drunkenness, reeking of alcohol. Jiang Mian helped him out of his clothes and tucked him into bed.
Just as she was about to get up and wash her hands, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Jiang Mian was forced to lean against the man's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.
A husky voice came from above her on the bed, stirring ripples in her heart: "Wife..."
Jiang Mian's lips curved. "Are you drunk or not?"
Ji Zhi Xiu held her tightly. "Not drunk."
Jiang Mian forcefully moved his large hand away. Their eyes met.
Ji Zhi Xiu looked at her, squinted, and then said with absolute certainty, "You are my wife."
Jiang Mian was about to say, "If you're not drunk, then get up and take a shower yourself."
Then she heard the man say, "Let's get married... okay..."
Jiang Mian: ...
The man clung to her, making it impossible to move. With a flip, he pinned her beneath him, his eyes burning. "Jiang Mian, I want to marry you."
Pinned down and unable to move, Jiang Mian was both annoyed and amused. "We're already married!"
"Then let me kiss you..." As he spoke, Ji Zhi Xiu's kiss landed.
The next morning, Jiang Mian saw a look of regret on Ji Zhi Xiu's face, which was unusual.
Before she could speak, he said, "We didn't take any precautions last night."
Jiang Mian found it quite amusing. Did this man have an inexplicable confidence in himself?
"Do you think you're a missile, hitting the bullseye every time?"
Ji Zhi Xiu: ...
Jiang Mian didn't take it to heart.
Ji Zhi Xiu seemed to have made up his mind and said with a serious expression, "Don't take any medicine, it's bad for your health. If we get pregnant, we'll keep it."
Jiang Mian casually agreed.
A month later, her period didn't arrive as scheduled.
Jiang Mian wasn't worried at all. Her period sometimes got delayed by a few days.
Two months later, her period still hadn't arrived.
Jiang Mian was a little stunned. Could it be this accurate...?
This matter preoccupied her, making it difficult to work. After getting off work, Jiang Mian secretly went to the hospital.
In the evening, when Ji Zhi Xiu went to the old house to pick up their son, he saw Jiang Mian already waiting at the dining table.
Under the light, the woman's eyes sparkled. She wore a French vintage oil painting-style dress that reached her ankles.
Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, her features were exquisite, and a small beauty mark by her eye added a touch of allure.
She propped her chin with one hand, her gaze shifting to them. "You're back?"
Father and son responded in unison.
Jiang Mian smiled. "I have some good news to tell you."
Heng Bao: "Mommy won another award?"
Ji Zhi Xiu, more perceptive than his son, was the first to notice the examination report on the table.
Their eyes met. Years of unspoken understanding allowed Ji Zhi Xiu to realize in an instant that their family was about to welcome a new member.
That evening, Ji Zhi Xiu held Jiang Mian in his arms.
His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was deep in thought.
Jiang Mian was scrolling through Weibo on her phone. After not getting a response for a long time, she looked up in annoyance. "Ji Zhi Xiu! I'm talking to you!"
Ji Zhi Xiu slowly said, "After thinking about it, I still feel like I was drunk that night, but I still subconsciously opened the drawer..."
He had always taken precautions; some things had become instinct.
Jiang Mian's fingers paused. She blinked, refusing to admit it. "Did I? You were drunk, you must be mistaken."
Ji Zhi Xiu looked at her with a half-smile, gazing into her eyes. "I was drunk, not forgetful."
Jiang Mian decided to lay her cards on the table and stop pretending.
She turned and blew into his ear, her expression extremely seductive, with a hint of triumph. "Yes, I did it on purpose. I pulled you back."
...
Jiang Mian soon realized she had made a mistake. This provocation was practically courting disaster.
In the latter half of the night, she rubbed her sore wrists and sobbed quietly.
Ji Zhi Xiu patiently kissed away the tears on her face, his voice soft and tender. "Shhh, don't cry, I was wrong..."