When the manager arrived to handle the situation, the little girl was already in tears, clearly frightened. Regarding compensation, Miss Han simply waved her hand, “It’s alright, just be more careful next time.” The manager and the girl repeatedly bowed and thanked her, showering her with kind words before they left.
Although the handbag had been wiped down with tissues and a damp cloth, it was clearly unusable. Han Yanyan called Uncle Chen, asking him to bring her another bag. After hanging up, she raised her eyes and found Qiao Chengyu looking at her, his eyes filled with gentle smiles.
“What’s wrong?” Han Yanyan asked.
With a smile, Qiao Chengyu replied, “I suddenly want those who speak ill of Miss Han behind her back to see just how approachable our Miss Han can be.”
Han Yanyan shot him an annoyed look.
Ever since he had successfully proposed, the barrier between them had melted. Whenever he was in front of her, he no longer wore that stern expression. Of course, when he was outside, he was still the aloof elite of the Qiao family, the highly sought-after heir.
Han Yanyan liked this change. The gentle smile he reserved only for her, and the wildness that she alone understood.
She particularly loved it when he was sweaty and lost in the moment with her.
Uncle Chen soon brought a new handbag, an identical style but in a different color. He took the dirty one away for cleaning.
As the two got into the car, Qiao Chengyu glanced at the handbag resting on her lap and casually remarked, “Why do all women love this brand?”
Han Yanyan’s fingers traced the metal clasp on the bag. “Because it’s classic.”
They brushed over that topic, but at a traffic light, Qiao Chengyu caught a glimpse of Han Yanyan, her eyelashes lowered, her finger unconsciously outlining the shape of the metal clasp, lost in thought.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Why are you suddenly dazed?”
Han Yanyan snapped back to reality. “Oh,” she replied, pausing for a moment before asking, “Do you know the history of these brands?”
Following her gaze, Qiao Chengyu looked out. The street was bustling, with high-end boutiques on both sides, their large brand logos lit up, dazzling the eyes. “I’ve never paid attention to them.”
“Each one has a long history; every brand has a story behind it,” Han Yanyan murmured softly. “I know them all.”
As an heiress, these brands were just everyday items for her, while for ordinary women, they were expensive luxuries. That sentiment seemed oddly out of place, leaving Qiao Chengyu puzzled.
At the next red light, he turned to her again, noticing that her hand was still gently caressing the metal clasp, which shaped the brand's logo.
Qiao Chengyu's gaze moved to Han Yanyan's face. In the dim car, her eyes seemed unfocused, her lips lacked a smile. She gazed at the massive logos of the boutiques with an inexplicable detachment and indifference.
Somehow, Qiao Chengyu suddenly found Han Yanyan in that moment to be utterly unfamiliar, as if she was not the Miss Han he knew and loved, but a completely different woman.
It must be an illusion, he thought.
Bai Yue was pregnant.
This matter was actually instigated by Han Yanyan. Bai Yue and Qiao Wenxing hadn't even married yet, let alone thought about having children. What mattered most to Qiao Wenxing now was establishing his own achievements to prove himself to Qiao’s parents.
Han Yanyan had introduced Bai Yue to her younger brother, who frequented internet cafés, thus they became buddies who played games together. Then she casually pointed at an entertainment news site and said to him, “Man, living like this means you truly lived!”
That page was about Han Yanyan and Qiao Chengyu’s engagement. Bai Yue was just enjoying the sights of a rich heiress, but as he scrolled up, he was shocked to see his “brother-in-law's” face. Qiao Wenxing's background was revealed to Bai Yue's family, leading Bai's father and mother to immediately call Bai Yue for confirmation.
“He had a fallout with his parents over me, so he can’t go home now,” Bai Yue said sadly.
Bai's parents suddenly shifted their attitude. They’d previously only mentioned marriage as a way of prodding Bai Yue without pressure. They believed Qiao Wenxing was still in the startup phase and wanted him to earn more assets before agreeing to marry their daughter.
Now that they realized he was indeed a wealthy heir, they wanted Bai Yue to marry Qiao Wenxing at once. After all, he was just a child rebelling against his parents, and sooner or later, he’d have to return home. Once he did, who would still look at a small struggling company? Bai Yue's parents and brother had seen online that Qiao Corporation was a large enterprise with wealth that could last a lifetime!
Bai's mother kept muttering in Bai Yue's ear about it.
“Over time, if there’s no freshness, he might not want to marry.”
“Who cares about the wedding? Just get the marriage certificate first.”
“He doesn’t want to? That won't do! Here’s the plan: you get pregnant first! Even if you don’t marry, they’ve got to provide for the grandson, right? They’re so rich!”
After Bai Yue had previously “sacrificed herself,” causing Qiao Wenxing to lash out and lose a big client, he had grown distant from her. For the past half month, Bai Yue had been on edge, feeling small. She was never someone with strong opinions, and coupled with the confusion and fear about her future with Qiao Wenxing, Bai’s mother’s incessant “persuasion” had finally brainwashed her.
“Well... I’ll try,” she said.
Two months later, Bai Yue used a pregnancy test and two red lines appeared.
While Qiao Wenxing worked hard every day, Bai Yue suddenly found herself pregnant. For Qiao Wenxing, this was not good news. He couldn’t understand how she could get pregnant when they had always used precautions. Although condoms have a 3% failure rate, no man ever thinks he would belong to that unlucky 3%.
He certainly couldn’t imagine Bai Yue could poke holes in condoms. In any case, Bai Yue was pregnant, which left Qiao Wenxing feeling frustrated and caught off guard.
However, after Bai Yue repeatedly insisted that she didn’t care about wedding ceremonies or formalities, he reluctantly got the marriage certificate with her, becoming husband and wife quietly. Compared to the grand engagement ceremony of Han Yanyan and Qiao Chengyu, Bai Yue felt like swallowing a bitter fruit. Yet this was fruit she had sown, and she could only quietly endure it.
Han Yanyan received a report call, and her red lips curled into a smirk. “That’s still not enough; we need to up the drama a bit.” After hanging up, she teased her painted red toenails against Qiao Chengyu’s solid chest.
Qiao Chengyu shook his head with a smile, gripping her slender ankle and pulling her close.
“When will you become the heir?” Han Yanyan asked, her voice a soft murmur.
“Soon,” Qiao Chengyu promised, his strong hands gripping her waist, their breaths mingling in the air.
“It’ll be soon,” Qiao Wenxing told Bai Yue, “If I secure this deal, I’ll free up some funds to buy you an apartment.”
The earlier incident with Bai Yue being pregnant had drifted into the past. Bai Yue married him without a wedding or banquet, and there had been no meet with the in-laws. Only her family came over for a simple meal together, so humble that it brought tears to the eyes.
Qiao Wenxing was originally a gentle and easy-going person, but now he felt pity for Bai Yue and wanted to compensate her somehow.
Bai Yue, having listened to her mother, worked hard to get pregnant, reclaiming Qiao Wenxing's heart and successfully marrying him. The guilt she felt deep inside was smothered by sweet joy. But Qiao Wenxing’s big deal still hadn’t been closed, and Bai Yue's parents came to visit.
“I’ve been throwing up a lot and can’t cook, so my parents came to take care of me,” Bai Yue nervously explained.
Qiao Wenxing didn’t like Bai Yue’s parents, but Bai Yue’s words softened him, and he nodded in agreement for her parents to stay and care for her. Little did he know that this was Han Yanyan persuading Bai’s brother, buddies, to approach their relatives and push for Bai Yue’s pregnancy and to have her parents come over.
This time, Bai’s parents were even warmer towards him than before, carefully mixing hope and flattery in their attitude. Qiao Wenxing, who had grown up seeing such behavior, felt his apartment becoming increasingly crowded and unpleasant. Yet since Bai Yue was pregnant, he still made an effort to return home on time to keep her company.
Bai's parents initially were cautious, but they slowly relaxed and began talking more, subtly urging Qiao Wenxing to visit home.
“There’s no overnight grudge between father and son; just go back and apologize to your dad. Wouldn’t it be nice to be a harmonious family?”
“This marriage is done, yet you’ve never seen your in-laws—this is really not right. Why not let Bai Yue accompany you back? Maybe your parents will see you two in love and agree.”
“After all, there’s already a child, and the marriage is finished. What can they do? They must accept it, right?”
Bai's parents thought it very simple and beautifully. Yet since these were his in-laws, Qiao Wenxing could tolerate their words once or twice. But as time passed, his tolerance wore thin.
He squeezed his chopsticks and lost his appetite. Bai’s mother, oblivious to his discomfort, continued her endless chatter. Bai Yue tugged at his sleeve several times, but her mother got irritable and shook off Bai Yue’s hand, slapping her wrist lightly.
Qiao Wenxing slammed his chopsticks down with a “bang.” Bai’s mother jumped, her babble coming to an abrupt stop.
“If I go back now, my parents will not only force Bai Yue to have an abortion but will also demand a divorce. After that, you’ll probably never see me again,” he said coldly.
Bai’s mother couldn’t believe it, “Surely not! She’s your wife, the mother of your child!”
Qiao Wenxing looked at her sharply, “My half-brother was sent to a boarding school in elementary school, then overseas for middle school. He hasn’t seen his mother since.”
Bai’s mother was dumbfounded and didn’t dare to speak again.
Qiao Wenxing’s desire to go home dwindled even more. A few times when he returned late, he noticed tears around Bai Yue’s eyes. When he pressed her about it, she wouldn’t say a word. He knew it had to do with her parents. Bai Yue was determined to protect her family, and despite asking her several times, he gave up.
Recently, Qiao Wenxing’s business hadn’t been going well. Several clients were lost, and the deal he had high hopes for hadn’t been finalized either. With the New Year approaching, he had hoped to close this deal in time, but now things seemed bleak. The company’s operating funds became tight, and his promise to buy Bai Yue a house crumbled. Yet looking into Bai Yue's expectant eyes, how could he bring himself to say it?
An even heavier blow came when news from friends in City D spread—Chairman Qiao announced he would no longer serve concurrently, and Qiao Chengyu would take over as the president of the group.
Qiao Wenxing’s face turned pale, unable to believe it. This meant that Qiao’s father had chosen Qiao Chengyu over him. A dizzying realization hit him, and it took several minutes for him to recover enough to call his mother. But it was his father who answered.
“Your mother fainted from high blood pressure and is now in the hospital. If you’re still my son, come back now, or never come back,” his father said before hanging up.
Qiao Wenxing returned to the apartment in despair, and as he stood outside the door, he could hear an argument inside. Suddenly, he understood why Bai Yue often had red eyes—her parents were pressuring her to ask him for money and a house.
They had taught her to be independent and self-reliant, afraid that she would grow up to ask her family for money. They never expected her to do better than they thought and snare a wealthy heir.
They had dreamed of her becoming a rich lady, but now they found it challenging. They wanted to quickly cash in on Bai Yue's value. After all, compared to the vague dream of being a wealthy lady, money and a house were tangible, solid possessions that gave them security. Their perspectives were rather narrow.
As Qiao Wenxing listened to his in-laws’ greedy and shameless words, and to Bai Yue’s powerless sobs and feeble protests, he felt no urge to go in and save her. Because the salvation Bai Yue hungered for wasn’t him rushing in to shield her from her parents; it was for Qiao Wenxing... to provide what her parents wanted.
Qiao Wenxing understood the situation clearly.
He turned and left.