But he didn’t dwell on it.
Rong Shu continued, “Tomorrow’s Monday. Are you free in the afternoon? We could go to the Civil Affairs Bureau early and get it done. I don’t suppose filing two months ahead of time will be a problem.”
After signing the papers, they would still have to wait through a one-month cooling-off period, and she was already close to giving birth.
Sheng Tingchen looked at her. She seemed so calm and forthright that a hint of scrutiny entered his eyes. He looked away and said, “Whenever I say.”
Rong Shu lowered her gaze and said nothing more.
The car arrived at the Sheng Family Residence.
Old Madam Sheng had indeed called them back because of the child Rong Shu was carrying.
The Sheng family had far more men than women.
Old Madam Sheng had two sons: the elder, Sheng Zhengchang, and the younger, Sheng Hanzhang.
Sheng Zhengchang had two sons. His elder son, Sheng Tingyu, had married several years ago and had twin boys, now five years old. His younger son, Sheng Tingze, was twenty-four and unmarried.
Sheng Hanzhang had only one son, Sheng Tingchen.
So Old Madam Sheng and Old Master Sheng were both delighted that Rong Shu was carrying a girl.
“Sure enough, this is a happy occasion. With this little darling on the way, even the old man’s illness has improved.”
Seeing how much her mother-in-law cherished the child Rong Shu was carrying, Shen Yurong chimed in and said a few kind words to Rong Shu as well.
Rong Shu sat quietly beside them, answering politely.
Looking at her fat, meek, downcast appearance, Shen Yurong found her displeasing in every way. But out of consideration for Old Madam Sheng, she didn’t let it show.
In a good mood, Old Madam Sheng gave Rong Shu an expensive jade bangle.
Rong Shu was overwhelmed and tried to refuse it.
“Grandma is giving it to you, so just take it,” Shen Yurong said.
That small-time, provincial air of hers really was hopelessly common.
Rong Shu relented and accepted the bangle. “Thank you, Grandma.”
“Take good care of yourself and have a healthy, chubby baby.”
Rong Shu smiled and nodded. She knew Old Madam Sheng’s kindness wasn’t because of who she was.
Originally, she and Sheng Tingchen were going to stay at the old residence for dinner.
Then Sheng Tingchen got a phone call.
There was a smile in his eyes, and his voice was doting and tender.
It seemed they had a pet.
Sheng Tingchen called the pet by its name, Tianbao, in a gentle voice.
If he married the woman he loved, he would probably make a good father.
“Mm. I’ll be right over.”
He hung up.
When Sheng Tingchen turned and stepped out onto the balcony, he saw Rong Shu standing there. She jumped, caught off guard; when she looked up at him, she saw his face had gone cold.
Her heart tightened. She hurriedly said, “Grandma wants you in the study.”
Sheng Tingchen said nothing and walked away.
Rong Shu stood where she was, her heart aching uncontrollably.
It took her a long while to recover.
Sheng Tingchen went to the study.
Old Madam Sheng and Old Master Sheng were both there.
“Tingchen, Grandma knows you don’t like Rong Shu. But the baby is almost due, and Rong Shu is a good woman in her own right—a top student from a prestigious university, and gentle-tempered. You need stability in a marriage. She’s the perfect choice to look after the home and raise children.”
Sheng Tingchen said nothing.
But his tightly furrowed brows made his displeasure clear.
How could Old Madam Sheng fail to see it? Rong Shu was admittedly rather plain, and she didn’t match her grandson at all.
Old Master Sheng spoke up. “Your marriage shouldn’t be changed right now. If you really don’t like her, as long as she doesn’t do anything too outrageous, keep her around for a year or two for now.”
“Exactly,” Old Madam Sheng added. “So many people are watching you, waiting to use anything they can against you. Let her have the baby and recover first. You can divorce after that.”
“…”
Sheng Tingchen fell silent for a moment. His handsome, somber face gave no clue what he was thinking. “Grandpa, Grandma, I understand.”
When Rong Shu saw Old Madam Sheng again, the older woman said, “Something urgent came up at Tingchen’s company, so he’s gone. I’ll have the driver take you home later.”
Rong Shu nodded. “All right.”
Before she left that day, Old Madam Sheng reminded her, “Even though you’re pregnant, you should still exercise more and take care of yourself. When your mother-in-law and the others were pregnant, they not only accompanied their husbands to events, but also managed the household. Some things may be easy to get, but holding on to them is much harder.”
Rong Shu immediately understood what the old woman meant.
Being a daughter-in-law of the Sheng family wasn’t easy. If she wanted to secure her place, she would have to change the way she was now.
As she was, she would only bring shame on Sheng Tingchen.
She had once tried to get better—to exercise and do yoga, to lose weight—but she lacked the will to keep it up. Worn down in body and mind, she had only grown heavier.
Still, Old Madam Sheng wasn’t wrong: she couldn’t go on sinking into despondency. But it wasn’t to secure her place. It was for her own future.
“Grandma, I understand.”
That night.
To Rong Shu’s surprise, the man who had brought up divorce that morning came home.
“You—”
“Make me a bowl of hangover soup and bring it to the study.”
With that, Sheng Tingchen went upstairs to the study.
Rong Shu came back to herself, went to the kitchen, made him a bowl of hangover soup, and took it to the study.
The man was looking through the documents in his hands, his features stern, an aloof, unapproachable chill radiating from him.
She didn’t disturb him and turned to leave the study.
Even when he came home, they still slept in separate rooms.
He slept in the master bedroom on the second floor.
She slept in the guest room on the first floor.
The next day.
Since Sheng Tingchen was home, the housekeeper prepared a lavish breakfast.
He sat at the head of the table, but Rong Shu was nowhere to be seen.
When he was home, Rong Shu would not only iron and lay out the clothes he would wear the next day, but also prepare his breakfast herself. She had indeed been a dutiful, conscientious wife.
But this morning, there were no ironed clothes, and the housekeeper had made breakfast.
“Where is she?” Sheng Tingchen asked impatiently.
Liu Lihua immediately launched into a complaint. “I went to wake her first thing this morning, but she just stayed in bed. Every day we have to bring her meals to her room. She barely gives us the time of day, and when we ask what she wants to eat, she won’t answer. We’re not mind readers. She’s only pregnant, after all. When Madam was pregnant with your elder brother, she took such good care of your father. But your wife just takes it as an opportunity to enjoy herself.”
Sheng Tingchen frowned. “Go wake her.”
“Yes.”
Rong Shu had been up for a while. She was only waiting for Sheng Tingchen to leave.
Just then, Liu Lihua pushed straight into the room. Seeing Rong Shu sitting on the sofa, she said with distaste, “So you really are the First Young Madam—waiting for someone to come and ask you to get up?”
Rong Shu lifted her eyes and said coldly, “If I’m not, then are you?”
For the past few months, Rong Shu had kept her head down and stayed silent.
Liu Lihua had never expected her to snap back.
“If you keep forgetting your place with me, don’t blame me for telling Old Madam exactly what you’ve been doing all this time.”
She was getting divorced anyway. There was nothing left to worry about. Why should she put up with this for the next two months?
Liu Lihua’s eyes widened. “You…”
The day before, Shen Yurong had called and told them to take good care of Rong Shu. She was carrying a girl, and though it was only a daughter, she was the only girl in three generations of the Sheng family. Rong Shu was lucky to be carrying a girl who could earn her such attention from Old Madam.
Liu Lihua could only swallow her anger. “The First Young Master is waiting for you in the dining room.”
Rong Shu was surprised.
She went to the dining room.
Sheng Tingchen was eating. He glanced up at Rong Shu. She was wearing a white knitted tunic, its fabric stretched out of shape over her bulky body. Her steps were unsteady and halting, and her broad belly looked as if she were carrying several babies.
Rong Shu noticed his gaze and sat as far away from him as she could. Then she heard him say in a cool, indifferent voice, “Auntie Liu and the others are longtime staff from the old residence. You can’t expect them to cater to your every whim. You’re only pregnant; it’s not as if you can’t move around.”
Only pregnant?
That was right.
To him, this child, conceived by accident, might mean very little.
His inexplicable scolding had to be because Liu Lihua had been badmouthing her to him.
This wasn’t the first time.
“If they resent having to cater to me, why not send them back to the old residence? I can take care of myself.”
Rong Shu stirred the porridge in her bowl, her voice perfectly calm.
After all, she cooked her own meals, washed her own clothes, and cleaned her own room. The women only pretended to do those things when Sheng Tingchen was around.
Sheng Tingchen frowned.
Rong Shu knew that meant he was displeased.
Whether at work or in life, Sheng Tingchen was domineering and couldn’t stand being contradicted.
“I’m reminding you, not asking for your suggestions.”
Rong Shu lowered her head and said nothing more.
Sheng Tingchen watched her lifeless expression, his face growing darker.
Then he told Liu Lihua and the others that from now on, Rong Shu could take care of her own affairs; they didn’t need to serve her.
Rong Shu’s fingers tightened around her chopsticks.
After breakfast,
Sheng Tingchen left.
Rong Shu went to A University.
She arrived at Jiang Huaixu’s office.
The young man seated behind the desk wore a suit and frameless glasses perched on his high nose. He had a mature, steady air.
Jiang Huaixu was only twenty-seven, the youngest full professor in the finance department at Jing University, and a renowned genius in the financial world.
She raised her hand and knocked on the door.