Chen Die deeply experienced what it meant to lift a stone only to drop it on her foot. She and Wen Liang had always taken precautions, but that one sentence of hers, when placed in Wen Liang’s eyes, was like a small flame that immediately spread like wildfire, burning him completely.

After they finished, the two embraced.

Chen Die disliked the sweat on his body since he hadn’t showered yet. She pushed him away, like a cold-hearted woman who leaves the bed without any attachment, and said coldly, “Don’t stay so close to me.”

But Wen Liang was unusually clingy at this moment. His fingers twirled her hair tips playfully, while his other hand gently rubbed her stomach. Who knew what he was thinking as he repeated this motion continuously?

His palm was warm, and the rubbing felt quite comfortable. Chen Die closed her eyes and enjoyed it for a while, but after some time, she finally couldn’t bear it anymore and blocked his hand. Her voice was a bit hoarse from their previous activity: “Stop rubbing. You won’t make me pregnant that quickly no matter how much you rub.”

Wen Liang laughed softly.

Chen Die finally opened her eyes slightly.

The dim bedside lamp in the room cast light on Wen Liang’s face, his facial contours appearing warm and gentle against the light and the sunken pale pillow.

Chen Die looked at him for a moment and smiled: “What are you doing?”

“Wondering whether it will be a boy or a girl,” Wen Liang said.

If this had been a few years earlier, hearing such words from Wen Liang’s mouth would have been terrifying. This man, no matter how you looked at him, didn’t seem like someone who could be associated with the word “family.”

Chen Die smiled: “So do you prefer a boy or a girl?”

“A boy, I suppose.” He didn’t hesitate.

“Why?”

“Girls are a bit noisy.”

“…”

Could you be any more honest?

Chen Die rolled her eyes: “Boys are noisy too. If you can’t manage them well, they’ll walk all over you.”

Wen Liang snorted lightly, with contempt: “Would I be unable to manage them?”

“…”

That was true.

Chen Die closed her eyes briefly. Wen Liang moved closer to kiss her and finally got up to take a shower.

The water in the bathroom ran for barely a moment before stopping. He walked out while wiping the water off his body, casually tossed the towel aside, and climbed back into bed, not even fully dry.

Who knows what he was rushing for?

Chen Die kicked him: “Don’t get in bed unless you’re dry.”

Wen Liang smirked, dried himself thoroughly, put on his pajamas, and got into bed, pulling her into his arms.

The heating in the northern hotel was very strong. Chen Die, half-asleep, started feeling hot and pushed Wen Liang, but he still held her waist without letting go.

They stayed embraced all night, and when they woke up in the morning, both were covered in sweat.

They stayed in the north for a few days, and because they were both busy with work, they didn’t go to other places to travel, instead returning directly to Yan City.

Wen Liang immersed himself back into the company, while Chen Die also had a new job. Earlier, through Huang Sheng’s introduction, she had met a senior member of the Yan City drama troupe.

The senior member wanted to invite Chen Die to try stage acting. Chen Die had joined the drama club in her freshman year and had also encountered it in her courses. She was inherently interested in theater and agreed without hesitation. So recently, she had been frequenting the theater troupe.

Fortunately, the troupe was in Yan City, so she only needed to go at fixed times and could still return to the villa in the western suburbs at night.

Since that night when Chen Die mentioned wanting a child, she and Wen Liang had stopped taking precautions, which made it convenient for Wen Liang to behave recklessly.

At first, Chen Die had been quite mindful of this matter. Even when traveling, she was very careful, afraid that if it happened to be the first week, a pregnancy test wouldn’t detect it. But after a few weeks, she realized she still hadn’t conceived and returned to her normal state, no longer dwelling on it.

After all, having a child was a matter of fate.

Chen Die continued preparing for the stage performance. This play was a brand-new script with high expectations. Her senior also had ideas to build this play into a brand, making it a title for future national theater tours.

After two months of rehearsals, they finally welcomed the first performance.

Chen Die invited Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing as well.

By now, Ye Chuqing was almost six months pregnant, her belly had grown quite a bit, but her limbs were still thin, making her look particularly tired when standing.

As soon as Chen Die saw her come backstage, she pulled her to sit down.

Many people backstage knew Ye Chuqing and greeted her one after another.

“Your belly has suddenly gotten so big,” Chen Die couldn’t help but crouch down to touch her belly.

“Don’t mention it, it’s just happened in the last few weeks. Now when I weigh myself, Chen Shao has to help me see the numbers, you know?” Ye Chuqing waved her hand, “This is considered good now. When the vomiting was at its worst, which was when you and Wen Liang went on your honeymoon, I threw up everything I ate. At that time, I even wanted to divorce Chen Shao.”

Chen Die: “…”

Chen Shao, standing nearby, seemed to be used to her saying such things. He snorted disdainfully without much reaction.

“Let’s not talk about this troublemaker, tormenting me all day. Except for my belly, everywhere else has gotten thinner,” Ye Chuqing changed the subject, “So how are things with you and Wen Liang? Any news?”

“Not yet. I’m continuing with the play rehearsals, so I haven’t had time to pay attention to these things lately. I’ve been cooped up in the theater every day.”

Ye Chuqing: “But I don’t think you and Wen Liang need to rush, right? Although you still have a movie that hasn’t been released yet, and you’re preparing for the theater work, you’re still so young. Look at the entertainment industry—which female celebrity prepares to get pregnant before 25?”

After a pause, Ye Chuqing added: “Oh, forget it. No one in the entertainment industry gets married just a year after graduation. Your romance-obsessed brain is beyond saving.”

Chen Die: “…”

Chen Shao casually walked around backstage, poured two cups of water, came over, handed one to Ye Chuqing, and nonchalantly teased: “She’s young, but how old is Wen Liang?”

Ye Chuqing glanced at him sideways, reminding him: “Big bro, you do realize you’re the same age as him, right?”

Chen Shao snorted coldly, raising his arm around her shoulder: “I may be the same age as him, but haven’t I already got you pregnant? Look at them.”

Ye Chuqing practically wanted to splash the water in his face: “Did you ask if I wanted to get pregnant at that time?”

“You were the one who initiated it,” Chen Shao said.

Chen Die: “…”

Conversations with married and pregnant people were indeed different.

She hadn’t expected that these two, with personalities that were once so incompatible, would get along so harmoniously after marriage.

Soon, it was time for the play to begin. Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing planned to return to their seats. Chen Die checked the time; Wen Liang should be arriving soon.

She pulled Chen Shao aside and warned: “Don’t say any of this nonsense to Wen Liang, okay?”

Chen Shao raised an eyebrow meaningfully: “At his age, can he still not accept the truth?”

“…” Chen Die was now very familiar with this inexpensive brother of hers. Without a second thought, she slapped him on the back, “Just that kind of talk, if you dare say it, I’ll kill you.”

Ye Chuqing, standing next to Chen Shao, couldn’t stop laughing, taking Chen Shao’s side to tease Chen Die: “Sister, what’s going on with you? You need to protect his self-esteem?”

“Bah!” Chen Die immediately retaliated, pushing the two out of the backstage room, “You two are of the same kind, go, go!”

After Ye Chuqing and Chen Shao left, Chen Die touched up her makeup, checked her costume and microphone, and just before going on stage, she received a text from Wen Liang saying he had arrived.

This time, the theater had advertised in advance that Chen Die would be performing, so the theater, which usually had empty seats, was fully occupied with a high attendance rate.

Chen Die had three internal tickets. Now Wen Liang, Chen Shao, and Ye Chuqing were sitting side by side in the front row, with Chen Shao in the middle and Wen Liang on his left.

“…”

As soon as Chen Die took the stage, she glimpsed them and began praying that the two men wouldn’t have any communication at this time.

After the play ended, everyone held hands and bowed in thanks. The applause was thunderous, and fans came on stage to present flowers.

Chen Die returned backstage with the flowers, changed back into her clothes, removed her makeup briefly, said goodbye to everyone, and was finally allowed to leave after a few jokes from the senior members.

Everyone else in the theater had already left, only those three were still waiting.

Chen Shao and Ye Chuqing were chatting animatedly, looking as if they were about to start a fight, while Wen Liang stood aside, an unlit cigarette between his lips, leaning lazily against the wall.

Chen Die suddenly thought of what Chen Shao had told her before, that Wen Liang had disliked socializing with people during his school days.

Looking at him now, he did look a bit like a reclusive child.

This child that’s going to be born, the personality can’t be like the father’s…

Chen Die walked down the steps, her high heels clicking on the wooden boards. Wen Liang looked over at the sound, finally standing straight and walking towards her, raising his hand to touch her face.

Chen Die dodged slightly: “What?”

Wen Liang opened his palm to show her a small piece of paper: “Something stuck to you.”

“Oh, it must have gotten stuck when I was removing my makeup earlier.” Chen Die linked her arm with his and asked softly, “How did you get along with Chen Shao?”

He raised an eyebrow: “What do you mean, get along?”

It seemed Chen Shao hadn’t said anything to provoke Wen Liang.

Chen Die wasn’t worried about the so-called male pride. With Wen Liang’s temperament, his pride wouldn’t be affected by a stupid comment from Chen Shao.

It was entirely because if Chen Shao made a verbal provocation here, she would be the one suffering when they got home.

Chen Die was purely thinking of herself.

Wen Liang hooked his arm around her shoulder, turning his wrist to pinch her face: “Lingling.”

“Huh?”

“What nonsense have you been saying about me behind my back?”

“…”

Chen Die had a bad feeling. “What did he say?”

Wen Liang said flatly: “He touched his wife’s belly, looked at me, sighed, and said—”

He paused, looking down at Chen Die.

Chen Die met his gaze, and swallowed emptily, her black eyelashes fluttering quickly a couple of times: “Hmm?”

Wen Liang laughed coldly: “He said to reassure me, not to rush, he wouldn’t say more specifically, since you were concerned it would affect my self-esteem, so you told him to shut up.”

“…”

“He also said, if I wanted to know, he could impart some secret techniques to me.”

Chen Die: “…”

She looked at Chen Shao, who was talking to Ye Chuqing not far away. Just hearing Wen Liang’s narrative made her blood boil.

She had told that person to shut up, and he truly shut up in the most provocative way possible.

“I’m going to beat him up right now.” Chen Die immediately pledged her loyalty.

She had just taken an angry step forward when Wen Liang grabbed her waist and pulled her back: “Where are you running to?”

“I’m not running. I didn’t say it, he’s framing me.”

Wen Liang narrowed his eyes: “You didn’t tell him to shut up either?”

“…” Chen Die straightened her neck and shook her head, “No.”

Wen Liang laughed, clearly not believing her.

Fortunately, Ye Chuqing called out to them from across: “Hurry up, you two! Have you had enough of being lovey-dovey? I’m now eating for two, and if my stomach gets hungry, who’s going to take responsibility for the one inside?”

“Coming, coming!” Chen Die quickly responded.

She dragged Wen Liang over rapidly, finally escaping the predicament.

In the private dining room of the restaurant.

The four of them rarely ate together, because of Wen Liang and Chen Shao, these two 30-year-olds who still competed like elementary school kids. Usually, only Chen Die would occasionally meet Ye Chuqing for meals.

Naturally, the pregnant woman was in charge of ordering.

Ye Chuqing had severe early pregnancy symptoms, and even now, many foods made her vomit just from the smell, making her life quite difficult.

Shortly, the food was served.

The waiter recognized the four people before him and couldn’t help but glance at Chen Die’s face: “Miss Chen, what would you like to drink?”

Chen Die looked at the menu, not interested in fruit juices or similar drinks today: “Just rice porridge.”

“Alright, please wait a moment.”

The waiter soon brought in a cup, and Chen Die thanked him.

Ye Chuqing herself was in a film-related major and also knew theater, so at the dinner table, she was still discussing the play they had just watched with Chen Die.

Naturally, Wen Liang and Chen Shao couldn’t join in the conversation.

“Yes, need to see the response. If it’s good, there might be a national tour.”

Ye Chuqing: “I know the playwright of your play. He’s one of the top playwrights in the industry. I remember a previous touring play was also written by him. There definitely won’t be any problems, and besides, your fan base is not to be underestimated.”

Chen Die nodded and picked up her cup.

But after just one sip, a feeling of nausea suddenly surged from her stomach. She quickly covered her mouth with a napkin and retched slightly, though the nausea soon passed.

Wen Liang frowned: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just don’t like drinking this.” Chen Die pointed to the rice porridge beside her.

“Then let me ask them to change it to plain water for you?”

Chen Die nodded.

Just as Wen Liang was about to call the waiter in, Ye Chuqing stopped him. She looked quite excited and asked Chen Die: “How do you feel right now?”

“Just felt nauseous for a moment, I’m fine now.”

“Do you know why I went to buy a pregnancy test at that time?”

“…”

Chen Die froze, suddenly realizing something, and asked softly: “Why?”

Ye Chuqing announced: “I threw up.”