In the blink of an eye, it had been nearly half a year since arriving in Paris. During this past half-year, Bai Jinge had spent her time quite leisurely, staying at home every day to nurture her pregnancy without needing to work.
As her belly grew larger day by day, movement began to become inconvenient. The number of times she had to get up at night increased steadily, and she also began suffering from late-pregnancy insomnia. Bai Jinge deeply understood the hardships of motherhood, and from time to time, she would think of her deceased mother.
Mother Bai was a very gentle woman, whose every gesture and movement always exuded an air of elegance and intellect. She also particularly loved children; if her health had permitted, she would have wanted to have another child. Similarly, Mother Bai was a traditional woman, and her biggest regret before passing away was not getting to see her daughter get married and have children, nor being able to witness the birth of her grandchild with her own eyes.
The due date was May eleventh, and with it fast approaching, there was less than a week left.
Occasionally, Bai Jinge would experience moments where her abdomen felt hard. The first time this happened, it gave her a fright, as she thought she was about to go into labor.
The doctor told Bai Jinge that hardening of the abdomen during late pregnancy happened from time to time, which was a normal contraction phenomenon and didn’t require excessive tension. She just needed to watch out for water breaking and bloody show, as those were the signals of impending childbirth.
On the day before her due date, while getting up at night to use the restroom, Bai Jinge suddenly experienced a bloody show. After enduring more than ten hours of labor pain, she finally gave birth naturally the next morning at ten o’clock to a beautiful baby girl, standing 51 centimeters tall and weighing 3,100 grams.
Because Bai Jinge’s entire pregnancy could only be sustained through pacifiers, aside from that temporary marking in the car, she was somewhat more frail than the average pregnant woman. Furthermore, having gone through a labor process lasting over ten hours, right after delivering the baby, Bai Jinge drifted off to sleep in a daze.
Throughout the entire delivery process, Zhu Linshuang guarded the outside of the delivery room. Occasionally hearing Bai Jinge’s painful moans echoing from within, she was so panicked and nervous that she paced back and forth in the hallway, unable to stay still for even a moment.
The moment the baby’s cry sounded in the delivery room, Zhu Linshuang burst into tears of excitement, her face completely streaming with tears.
A female nurse walked out of the delivery room, holding the adorable baby girl wrapped in a swaddling blanket in her arms, and approached Zhu Linshuang: Congratulations! Mother and daughter are both safe and well!
Zhu Linshuang was too emotional to speak for a long time, looking tearfully at the baby girl in the swaddling blanket, instantly captivated by the baby’s eyes from the very first glance, unable to look away.
The tiny, soft baby girl in the swaddling blanket was all powdery and pink. Her eyes were slender, her pupils a rich amber color, and her eyelashes were as long, dense, and thick as two tiny brushes, sitting beneath a small, high-bridged nose and a pair of pink, pouty lips.
After Bai Jinge explained everything clearly to her, Zhu Linshuang knew everything, which naturally meant she knew that the child in Bai Jinge’s belly belonged to Ye Yunwan.
Coming to France could be considered an all-or-nothing gamble for Zhu Linshuang, as all her capital had been poured into the project at hand. At first, things went relatively smoothly, but just as Zhu Linshuang was making her second round of investments, trouble arose with their business partner. Zhu Linshuang was implicated right along with them, to the point where all the funds in her hands were frozen by the court, and her registered properties were about to be put up for execution auction.
Zhu Linshuang had constantly kept this hidden from Bai Jinge, but in the end, the court summons was delivered to their home, and Bai Jinge was the one who signed for it.
With a bitter smile, Zhu Linshuang looked at Bai Jinge and said guiltily: I’m sorry, Jinge, I’ve dragged you down to being homeless again.
Bai Jinge sat on the sofa, holding the soft, cute baby who was blinking her bright, sparkling eyes. Lowering her gaze, she silently put away the envelope and placed it back onto the coffee table.
Frowning slightly, Bai Jinge asked: Why did you keep hiding this from me?
Zhu Linshuang: I thought I could make a comeback! It’s all my fault… Blame me for being too eager for quick success, for not keeping my feet on the ground and taking it step by step.
The main reason Zhu Linshuang couldn’t keep her composure and was so eager for quick success was that she wanted too badly to provide Bai Jinge with good material conditions. Watching Bai Jinge spend her whole day alone at home taking care of the baby, revolving around the child day and night, several times when Zhu Linshuang came home in the middle of the night, she saw Bai Jinge asleep directly slumped over the crib. The laundry hadn’t been hung up yet, and the takeout on the table hadn’t been cleared away either.
After completing her postpartum confinement period, Bai Jinge was left all alone at home to raise the baby.
The little baby loved to cry immensely and often refused to sleep in the middle of the night. Over the past half year, Bai Jinge had hardly slept a single full night, and she looked visibly exhausted. Seeing this, Zhu Linshuang’s heart ached terribly, and she had previously suggested hiring a nanny or a maternity matron, only to be firmly rejected by Bai Jinge. Because Bai Jinge knew that Zhu Linshuang was currently in the entrepreneurial stage, and the disposable cash in her hands was truly minimal, yet she still had to bear the living expenses for both her and the baby. The monthly formula and diapers for the child were already no small expense, how could she possibly have the face to make Zhu Linshuang spend more money hiring a nanny?
Bai Jinge: It’s fine. A single failure doesn’t represent anything. Even if the house is gone, we can always earn it back.
Zhu Linshuang: But… what are you and Nuonuo going to do? Right now, we don’t even have a place to live.
As she said this, Zhu Linshuang glanced at the baby in Bai Jinge’s arms. Coincidentally, the little baby was staring at Zhu Linshuang with wide eyes, stretching out her chubby, white, tender little arms toward Zhu Linshuang asking for a hug.
Zhu Linshuang hurriedly reached out, took the baby from Bai Jinge’s arms, and affectionately held her close. Her eye rims were flushed red, and she stubbornly held back from letting her emotions completely collapse.
After a moment of thought, Bai Jinge looked at Zhu Linshuang with a solemn expression and said: Linshuang, I want to tell you something.
Zhu Linshuang: What is it?
Bai Jinge: Actually, as early as two months ago, Secretary Zhao came to find me.
Zhu Linshuang: Secretary Zhao? Which Secretary Zhao? Could it be
Bai Jinge: Yes, it’s Ye Yunwan’s secretary.
The moment Zhu Linshuang heard the two words Ye Yunwan, she instantly grew anxious, her eyes wide with anger: What did she come to find you for? Could it be… does she know about the child? Is she coming to fight you for custody?
Bai Jinge: She didn’t discuss the child with me; instead, she wanted to sign me under the Yehua umbrella.
Zhu Linshuang looked surprised: Yehua Entertainment? Are they planning to launch and promote you?
Bai Jinge nodded: That’s what they mean.
Zhu Linshuang deeply frowned and remained silent.
Bai Jinge: I thought about it carefully later. Actually, signing with Yehua Entertainment isn’t a bad thing. Yehua Entertainment’s business capability is clear for everyone to see; countless people are squeezing their heads trying to sign with Yehua.
Zhu Linshuang retorted: Aren’t you afraid this is a trap set by Ye Yunwan, a scheme to find a way to take the child away from you?
Bai Jinge frowned: I had that concern from the very beginning, which is why I refused. However, if I am afraid of this and that, how am I supposed to provide Nuonuo with good material conditions? Right now, we only have this one path left to take.
Zhu Linshuang:
Bai Jinge: Besides, I read the contract carefully. It’s just a regular artist management contract with no hidden clauses.
She probably doesn’t want to see the child suffer alongside me, and after all, this is her child too. That’s why she wants to sign me under her company. If I am able to earn money, the child’s life will also be better following me.
With red-rimmed eyes, Zhu Linshuang looked like she had more to say: Jinge, I just want you not to push yourself too hard.
Bai Jinge confessed frankly: There’s nothing particularly forced about it. Work is just work.
In her arms, the little baby suddenly lifted her little head, looked innocently at Zhu Linshuang, and then turned to look at Bai Jinge, putting her chubby little hand in her mouth and making a slurp-slurp sound.