Chen Yi’s business suddenly expanded, the opportunity arising from a honeymooning couple he had once hosted. At that time, he had invited them to play at a countryside farm and thus formed a connection. The couple’s family owned a factory that primarily produced small household appliances for European and American markets but hadn’t yet developed the Colombian market. Chen Yi snatched a major client from a Korean businessman and became Colombia’s exclusive distributor using his resources.

Though he had never studied or encountered such things in his first twenty-plus years, with practically zero theoretical knowledge, he easily picked it up through sheer intelligence. When Miao Jing asked where his confidence and judgment came from in distinguishing the authenticity of people he dealt with, Chen Yi shrugged, pretending to casually take a drag on a nonexistent cigarette, slowly blowing out smoke rings, saying lazily that during his years at the nightclub, he’d seen all sorts of characters – all roads led to Rome, and there were always ways to get things done.

Miao Jing couldn’t help but smile, lowering her head to stroke her swollen belly, routinely telling the baby not to be corrupted by such an unreliable father.

Whether due to a turn of good fortune or not, after Miao Jing’s pregnancy, Chen Yi’s career skyrocketed. Even the homeowner he had known when working as a security guard in the wealthy district became a business ally, patting Chen Yi’s shoulder saying he felt very reassured. Of course, Chinese people were mysterious creatures – someone who could handle a gun and hit targets precisely should probably not be too bad at business either.

When he occasionally had to travel for work, Chen Yi would leave Miao Jing at home with Mejis staying overnight to keep her company. Before bed, Miao Jing would video call him, and for the first time, she captured movement in her belly – certain areas being kicked several times.

Chen Yi was chatting with clients at a bar when he took out his phone, his words suddenly stopping as a big smile spread from his lips to the corners of his eyes. When the client asked what made him so happy, he said it was his wife, also from China, his childhood sweetheart with whom he shared deep feelings, who could never be apart from him and was urging him to come home early.

There were supposed to be more entertainment activities afterward, but after concluding the main business, Chen Yi bid farewell to the clients and returned directly to Bogotá. He only landed at the airport late at night, taking a taxi home dusty and tired, standing below looking up at their window, the dark curtains hanging low. He let out a breath, knowing she and the child were sleeping behind that window.

The three locks on the downstairs door were particularly intimidating. Chen Yi realized he hadn’t brought his key, took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and climbed up to the third floor using the window ledges and drainpipe. Landing with a jump and exhaling, grateful he was still agile as a tiger, he took out a Swiss Army knife and successfully picked the lock, sneaking back into the house.

Mejis, sleeping in the living room, thought a thief had broken in and almost screamed, but Chen Yi quickly hushed her. Recognizing him, she tremblingly made the sign of the cross, patting her chest saying she had nearly been frightened to death.

Miao Jing was sleeping peacefully in the bedroom. He quietly pushed open the door, seeing her curled up on her side, barely making out her gentle figure and long hair spread across the pillow. Only when he approached the bed could he see her swollen belly. Chen Yi gently stroked her stomach and kissed her hair.

Being alone at home and worried, she wasn’t sleeping deeply. When Chen Yi’s large hand touched her belly, she hazily became conscious, opening her eyes dreamily to see his face before her, her voice murmuring softly and adorably: “Why did you suddenly come back? Weren’t you supposed to be gone two more days?”

“The main business was done, the rest can be discussed by phone. Saw your video and came back to check on you both.”

His long hands slipped under her nightgown, caressing her smooth, warm pregnant belly as he nestled beside her: “Has the little one been good today? Missing daddy?”

The child wasn’t even born yet, and he already had a fatherly air about him.

“Maybe missed you, maybe not,” Miao Jing yawned drowsily, hugging his arm. “You know, it doesn’t respond to you, seems not to like you much.”

“Hmph, I’ll have my time to deal with it.” Chen Yi ground his back teeth. “Then does mommy miss daddy?”

“What do you think?” Miao Jing nuzzled against him, her face buried in his neck, cheek against his Adam’s apple, taking a deep breath. “You’ve been gone for two days.”

“But I’m back now, aren’t I?”

He lowered his head to kiss her, tender and lingering, finding her warm tongue tip, sucking and savoring it like drawing nectar from flowers.

The nightgown was thin as gauze, her exposed shoulders and neck white as cream. Miao Jing had gained some weight during pregnancy, feeling more rounded, but was still slim. Chen Yi was fascinated by the feel of her body, cherishing every bit of her.

Like rain after a long drought, they opened like new tender leaves and flower buds, transforming into bone-deep tenderness. With Mejis sleeping outside the door, they had to suppress some sounds. Chen Yi covered Miao Jing’s lips with his palm, watching her eyes grow misty with passion as he teased: “Why do you bite everything you touch? What do you think Mejis will say if she sees tomorrow?”

What could be done? Her body was particularly sensitive during pregnancy, truly unable to bear this soft but prolonged sensation.

In the end, Miao Jing had melted like a marshmallow, sweetly limp in Chen Yi’s arms, feeling the controlled power in his chest’s rise and fall.

“Need help?” she looked up and asked in a tiny voice.

Chen Yi kissed her slightly sweaty forehead, stirring with desire: “If you still have the strength, save me?”

Miao Jing selflessly offered her fingers.

The next day, Chen Yi accompanied Miao Jing to prenatal classes, and they also looked at houses. They needed a bigger home, preferably their own house, with a spacious kitchen and elegant bedroom, rooms for children and the nanny, in a community suitable for children to grow up in.

They found a suitable house in the wealthy district up in the mountains, with bright sunshine and open views, a terrace over 100 square meters perfect for running wild, directly opposite Bogotá’s best international school. Miao Jing frowned at the price – it was very expensive, but Chen Yi simply signed, spreading his hands generously: “Your man’s got money.”

What should be there would come, and what he should give her was finally being realized bit by bit.

Chen Yi’s income had far surpassed hers, truly showing some signs of success. Those colleagues and friends who had privately discussed them around Miao Jing were all belatedly surprised, truly not expecting that someone so casual and lackadaisical could make something of himself, unsure whether it was good luck or just dumb luck.

They moved into the new home a month before the due date. At that time, Miao Jing was still working, having handed over some of her work to colleagues while keeping the core parts herself. Cen Ye had recently inquired about her situation, and Chen Yi happened to be there, immediately scowling and hanging up the phone in Miao Jing’s hand.

Everyone came to help with the move and even threw a welcome party. Miao Jing, with her big belly, served as general commander. Perhaps due to pregnancy, her face no longer held that cold aloofness, her voice had become soft and gentle, her brow and eyes carrying a tender, graceful air, like a gentle breeze through branches, with subtle radiance and light fragrance, showing a mild and gentle temperament.

The baby supplies at home were ready. They hadn’t let the doctor reveal the gender, choosing everything according to Miao Jing’s preferences, with both pink and blue. However, Bogotá didn’t have institutions like postpartum care centers, so they needed a reliable babysitter.

Si Nan helped Miao Jing organize clothes in the bedroom, her tone envious: “You two are really happy.”

Truly happy indeed – among so many people in the world, so many useless or ended relationships, how could they meet someone who fits so perfectly?

Miao Jing smiled slightly.

The due date arrived as expected. In the evening after Miao Jing came out of the bathroom, she felt something unusual in her body.

The couple drove to the hospital, having previously arranged a private room and delivery doctor, but the scene was still quite chaotic. During contractions, Miao Jing’s face turned pale with pain as she bit Chen Yi’s wrist in anger.

She lay on the delivery bed covered in cold sweat, Chen Yi holding her hand, such a tall man at a loss, his eyes red as he held back tears.

Who knows how he had attended those prenatal classes – when it came down to it, he was so panicked he forgot everything.

Fortunately, the little angel was cooperative and didn’t torment Mommy too much, arriving with a cry in the early hours.

It was a wrinkly little girl. They say daughters look like their fathers at birth and grow to look more like their mothers – indeed true, as those tiny features looked as if carved from the same mold as Chen Yi’s.

The small baby was placed beside Miao Jing’s pillow. She turned her head to gaze at the child, her eyes filled with soft light. Chen Yi embraced mother and daughter, his face against Miao Jing’s cheek. She could feel his hot, wet tears sticking to her cheek, along with his breath, hot and heavy.

“It’s alright,” she weakly comforted him, her fingers stroking his fluffy head. “There, there.”

His fingers touched her neck, very solemnly wiping her cheek, like a serious caress and confession.

They chose their daughter’s name together, without using much brainpower – two simple characters: Ling Cheng.

Chen Yi didn’t want the child to take his surname, Chen, seeing nothing worth inheriting in this surname that came from Chen Libin. Miao Jing didn’t think the Miao surname was worth commemorating either, coming from a father who had never fulfilled his parental duties. Of course, taking Wei Mingzhen’s surname also felt somewhat awkward. In the end, they took Chen Yi’s mother’s surname – his mother’s surname was Ling.

Little Cheng.

Also a metaphor for “love.”

Miao Jing stayed in the hospital for several days to recover. Chen Yi seriously attended several hospital training sessions on childcare. A week later, they carefully brought the child home.

The house was full and lively. Chen Yi found a nanny called Pereira to take care of the child, Mejis handled household chores, and they were fortunate to find a Guangdong auntie who had come to Bogotá to visit relatives. Chen Yi had heard Cantonese soups were particularly nourishing and hired the auntie to cook Chinese food for Miao Jing for two months.

During the postpartum period, Miao Jing’s eyes were the busiest, watching the three aunties gather to care for the child, taking Little Cheng to the terrace for sunshine, and taking turns changing her diapers. Only during feeding time would Little Cheng be brought to her arms.

The daily Cantonese menu was substantial, along with various sweet soups, plus Colombian customs also had their so-called postpartum nourishing dishes. Not only did Miao Jing not lose weight, but she also gained a bit. By the time she suddenly realized this, Chen Yi’s hands had already pinched her body countless times.

Many of those soups and broths she couldn’t finish ended up in Chen Yi’s stomach. Miao Jing pinched his rock-hard abs in disbelief: “Why isn’t your belly soft and squishy?”

Chen Yi sneered with a curl of his lips.

He had been living like a monk these past few months, getting up at six every morning to run and exercise, just waiting to make her dizzy with desire, hopelessly addicted to him, returning to the peak of their lovey-dovey period.

Unfortunately, Miao Jing’s heart was completely focused on Little Cheng, her eyes darting over at any movement, basically ignoring the grown man beside her.

All charm lost.

Facts proved that Little Cheng was not an angel baby, not that well-behaved.

She looked like Chen Yi, except for her eyes which were like Miao Jing’s, with a somewhat innocent yet arrogant air. When she cried, it was earth-shattering; when not crying, she would whimper and grunt. She didn’t like to sleep much, preferring to keep her bright eyes open and moving.

During the day, Miao Jing had scheduled breastfeeding times and could hold and comfort her. Little Cheng was relatively well-behaved lying in her arms. At night, Chen Yi wouldn’t let Miao Jing stay up late, sending Little Cheng to Pereira’s room. Miao Jing would sometimes have insomnia, unable to resist wanting to check on the child, worried she might cry in the middle of the night.

“Do you not like Little Cheng?”

“Why would you say I don’t like her?”

“You rarely hold her, just look at her briefly when you come home then walk away.” Miao Jing felt somewhat melancholy. “You also won’t let her sleep with us.”

“She’s so small, what if I hurt her or drop her? There are so many people in the house, all of you revolving around her. You’ve been tired throughout the pregnancy, you should rest well at night. Besides, there’s Pereira – she’s more professional than you and has the experience, she knows how to take care of children.”

With his arm behind his head as a pillow, he thought for a moment before speaking slowly: “I took all the money I had… bought a casino, as a birth gift for Little Cheng…”

Miao Jing choked on nothing, suddenly sitting up in bed, dumbfounded: “What?!”

“The waters in Bogotá run deep. To make money here without arousing envy and covetousness, to expand while staying safe, you need powerful backing. Recently, a Chinese merchant was shot dead – it was done by Chinese rivals fighting over business. A casino can make money and maintain connections… gangs, mercenaries. I don’t show my face, found someone to manage it for me, but if anyone thinks about bullying us, they’ll know we’re not to be trifled with.”

Miao Jing was speechless for a while before saying: “You should know… you have a family.”

“So what’s your next plan?”

“Open a pool hall? Buy a farm? Invest in a company?” He raised his eyebrows. “Going from zero to a hundred is hard, but going from a hundred to a thousand or ten thousand is far easier than getting started.”

“The casino will be called Angel. In the future, all the casino’s money will be Little Cheng’s money, for her education, for her to play with, and for her dowry. Now do you think I like her?”