Chapter 255: Wanting to Live a Little Longer
Pei Yan carried Ling into the consulting room. The little one struggled toward Mei Wanying, wanting to see where her mama was hurting.
"Don’t bump into your mama," Pei Yan said, holding his daughter as he sat down beside Mei Wanying. "Mama has a little baby in her tummy. Pregnant women are very delicate. How about Lingling and Papa protect Mama together, okay?"
Ling was baffled.
She looked at Mei Wanying’s belly but couldn’t see the little baby her papa had mentioned. "Where’s the baby?"
Pei Yan replied, "It’s in her tummy. You’ll only get to see it after it’s born."
Ling was even more baffled. "How did the baby get in there?"
She eyed Mei Wanying’s mouth suspiciously. "Did it get in through her mouth?"
Mei Wanying was torn between laughter and tears. Unsure how to explain it to her daughter, she could only say, "The little baby is still just a seed."
She wanted to say that Papa and Mama had planted it together, but Mei Wanying was too bashful to get the words out. She could only give Ling a vague response.
She shot Pei Yan a discreet glare, signaling with her eyes: ’If our daughter asks any more questions, you can be the one to answer them!’
Pei Yan was too embarrassed to explain either, so he just played dumb. "Your mama’s right. It’s still a seed. It hasn’t grown arms or legs yet, and it can’t crawl."
The little one grew even more curious. "Mama, a seed can grow into a baby?"
"That’s right."
Ling gave Mei Wanying a look. "Mama, you’re lying. Seeds only grow into little trees, little flowers, and little grass..."
’She’d never seen a seed that could grow into a baby.’
’Mama was trying to trick a kid!’
Ling hmphed. "I’m not falling for it."
Mei Wanying gently pinched her daughter’s nose. "My little girl is all grown up. You’re not so easy to fool anymore."
Ling looked smug.
’She really had grown up!’
She asked with concern, "Mama, are you still feeling sick?"
Mei Wanying shook her head. "I’m not sick anymore. Did I scare you?"
Ling nodded emphatically. She had never seen her mama sick before, and a moment ago, she had been truly frightened.
Then she asked, "Is there really a baby?"
Her big eyes were brimming with curiosity.
Mei Wanying pulled her daughter into her arms. "There really is a baby. You’re going to be a big sister."
Ling seemed to only half-understand.
All she knew was that a new baby meant she would have someone to play with.
’Just like Little Mei Hua!’
Ling was delighted. She wanted to touch Mei Wanying’s belly and tell the baby to hurry up and come out, but she was afraid to.
She tugged on Pei Yan’s hand. "Papa, you make the baby come out quickly."
Pei Yan didn’t dare touch Mei Wanying’s belly either, so he pulled Ling back onto his lap.
He patiently explained to her, "It takes ten months for a baby to be born. We still have to wait another seven or eight months."
When Wanying was pregnant with Ling, he hadn’t been by Ah Yin’s side. He had only visited Jiangnan once midway through the pregnancy, and had even frightened Ah Yin to tears.
Now that Ah Yin was pregnant again, he wanted to stay by her side until the child was born.
Pei Yan asked uncertainly, "Could you stay in the Capital City?"
According to their original plan, once she had settled the accounts and confirmed that the businesses in the Capital City were running smoothly, Mei Wanying was supposed to return to Jiangnan.
They would have to live in separate places again.
Pei Yan didn’t want to be apart from Mei Wanying, but he couldn’t go back on his word.
Ah Yin trusted him and was willing to give him another chance. He couldn’t afford to cause trouble now.
’Otherwise, it would be too late for regrets.’
If Mei Wanying insisted on returning to Jiangnan, Pei Yan would let her leave the Capital City, no matter how reluctant he felt.
As the man stared at her with his deep eyes, Mei Wanying stroked his head. "Why are you just like Ling, always staring at people with those big, hopeful eyes?"
Pei Yan nuzzled the palm of her hand. "I can’t bear to be apart from you."
Even if she weren’t pregnant, he couldn’t bear to be away from Ah Yin.
Now, on top of his reluctance to part, he was also intensely worried.
’The road back to Jiangnan was so long. If they ran into trouble on the way, the chance of a pregnant Ah Yin getting hurt would be much higher.’
’Pei Yan wanted her to stay in the Capital City.’
’After their second child was born, if Ah Yin still wanted to go back to Jiangnan, he wouldn’t stop her.’
’He had said he would respect Ah Yin’s decisions.’
’He couldn’t let Ah Yin think he was a liar again!’
’The consequences of broken trust were severe. No matter how much of a rogue he acted like on a daily basis, he couldn’t lie to Ah Yin about the important things.’
’He had to keep the promises he’d made her.’
On this trip to the Capital City, they had seen each other every day and spent a great deal of time together.
Mei Wanying also felt reluctant to leave.
But she hadn’t changed her mind and still planned to return to Jiangnan. She just hadn’t expected their second child to arrive at such a critical moment.
Mei Wanying clicked her tongue. "It’s a good thing the General Mansion is still here. Otherwise, we’d have to buy a residence for a long-term stay."
This meant she intended to stay in the Capital City.
’At least until the child was born, they wouldn’t have to live apart.’
Pei Yan was overjoyed.
He leaned over and planted a kiss on Mei Wanying’s forehead. The gesture said it all.
Ling didn’t want to be away from her papa, but upon hearing they would stay in the Capital City, she grew worried about her grandmother back home.
Twiddling her fingers, she asked anxiously, "What if Grandmother misses us?"
Pei Yan had thought of this problem as well.
’Ah Yin would surely be worried about leaving her mother behind all alone.’
’Giving birth was a major event, and having her mother nearby would put Ah Yin more at ease.’
"Should I send someone to Jiangnan to bring your mother here?" he asked, seeking Mei Wanying’s opinion.
Mei Wanying pondered for a moment. "I’ll write to my mother first and see what she thinks."
’She also wanted to be with her mother, to take her along wherever she went.’
’But she understood that older people sometimes don’t like to be uprooted.’
’After the baby was born, she would still return to Jiangnan; she wouldn’t abandon her mother.’
’So, whatever her mother decided, she would respect it.’
Pei Yan said, "I’ll have someone deliver the letter to Jiangnan by express post."
Mei Wanying murmured in agreement, her gaze falling to her stomach.
After getting back together with Pei Yan, she had stopped drinking the abortion soup, so pregnancy was a matter of course.
But it still felt surreal to her. "How did I get pregnant just like that?"
Pei Yan cleared his throat and whispered, "If you hadn’t gotten pregnant after all this time, people would have started to suspect there was something wrong with me."
’She’d gotten pregnant with Lingling on the first try, but conceiving their second child had taken a long time.’
’If she couldn’t conceive, Pei Yan would have started to suspect there was something wrong with his own body.’
’After all, he had old, hidden injuries and had even been poisoned before. His constitution was nothing like it had been in his youth.’
’Before, Pei Yan had never thought much of these injuries, but now that he had a wife and child, he was starting to feel afraid.’
’He was afraid of dying young, leaving behind a widow and children to be bullied by others.’
’The Mei family’s fortune alone was enough to make people green with envy. Add the imperial throne to the equation, and if Ah Yin and the children couldn’t stand on their own, they would be torn to shreds in the vortex of power.’
’The mere thought of it made it hard for Pei Yan to breathe.’
’He had to live longer.’
’That was the only way he could protect Ah Yin and give their children time to grow up.’
Pei Yan leaned close to Mei Wanying’s ear and whispered, "I have to live a long life. I’ll strive to die in the same year, the same month, and on the same day as you."
’He was older than Ah Yin and had so many old injuries; it was entirely possible he would die before her.’
’The thought filled Pei Yan with anxiety.’
’He would do his best to protect Ah Yin for his entire life. As for the children... well, they would have their own fortunes to make.’
Mei Wanying, who had been basking in happiness, was caught completely off guard by his words.
’On such a happy day, why was he talking about death? Wasn’t he worried about jinxing it?!’
She shot Pei Yan a look. "Ling’s diagnosis was right. There really is something wrong with your head!"