POTINS 36

On the way there, Wen Zhongyi was visibly uneasy. He couldn’t help but ask, “Should we buy something first? Is it rude to show up empty-handed?”

“No need,” Meng Chuan waved a hand casually. “They don’t lack anything—except a daughter-in-law and a grandchild.”

Wen Zhongyi opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but then caught sight of the scratch on Meng Chuan’s ear. “What happened to your ear?”

He had been so preoccupied with the nerves of meeting his in-laws that he hadn’t noticed Meng Chuan’s appearance. Now he realized his ears and neck were red, and even his hair was no longer styled like it had been that morning.

Wen Zhongyi’s pupils trembled slightly. “Did your parents do all this to you?”

“Wrong,” Meng Chuan said calmly, gripping the steering wheel. “First of all, they’re not my parents—they’re our parents. Second, these are loving caresses. Don’t be afraid.”

“…”

Soon, the car entered the villa community. Wen Zhongyi got out and followed Meng Chuan toward the front door.

He had rarely felt this nervous in his life. Even on the battlefield, facing the most dangerous enemies, Wen Zhongyi hadn’t blinked. But now, he hesitated at the threshold.

His strength, however, lay in his ability to control his emotions no matter how turbulent he felt inside.

He followed Meng Chuan into the living room and met Zhou Lu and Meng Jun’s eyes. With a composed smile, he greeted them neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Hello, Uncle, Auntie.”

“Xiao Wen, we meet again,” Zhou Lu said warmly.

She had already rehearsed what to say and how to act before they arrived. Now she smiled kindly and waved him over. “Come sit. Don’t be nervous.”

Wen Zhongyi sat beside Meng Chuan on the sofa opposite them. There were several cups of hot water on the coffee table.

Meng Chuan looked puzzled. “Are we out of tea?”

Zhou Lu shot him a look. “Tea contains stimulants. Not good for pregnant people. Could you do a little homework?”

Meng Chuan rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Oh.”

Zhou Lu was annoyed just looking at him, but her gaze softened again when it landed on Wen Zhongyi. She said gently, “You should avoid tea and sugary drinks. I’ll have the chef make you some fresh juice later.”

Sitting upright with perfect posture, Wen Zhongyi nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Auntie.”

“We’re family, no need to say thank you.”

As she spoke, Zhou Lu scooted over and patted the empty seat beside her, motioning for Wen Zhongyi to sit next to her as if preparing to have a heart-to-heart.

Wen Zhongyi had never been in a situation like this and wasn’t sure what to do. He hesitated and looked at Meng Chuan, who tilted his chin and said, “It’s okay, go ahead.”

Wen Zhongyi stood and moved to sit beside Zhou Lu, stiff and uncertain, like a schoolboy called on in class.

Meng Chuan found the sight unexpectedly funny and let out a small laugh.

Wen Zhongyi shot him a glare.

Zhou Lu peeled a mandarin and placed it in Wen Zhongyi’s palm. Smiling, she said, “Here, have some. It’s sweet, not sour at all.”

Wen Zhongyi was about to say thank you but, meeting Zhou Lu’s kind gaze, swallowed the words and silently put a segment in his mouth.

“How old are you, Xiao Wen?” Zhou Lu asked softly.

“I’m twenty-seven,” he replied after swallowing.

“You’re two years younger than Meng Chuan,” she noted.

Wen Zhongyi didn’t know what to say, so he gave a quiet “Mm” and lowered his head to focus on eating the mandarin.

Zhou Lu gazed at him with increasing fondness. The more she looked, the more she liked him. Such a well-mannered, handsome, gentle child—clearly raised with great care. She couldn’t help wondering what kind of parents had brought him up.

Meng Chuan had told her that Wen Zhongyi had no family in this world and asked her not to mention his parents.

Not that she would’ve, anyway.

Her eyes drifted down to his belly. Wen Zhongyi was very slim and wore a loose sweater, making it impossible to tell he was pregnant.

For some reason, Zhou Lu’s nose suddenly stung.

She didn’t know how Wen Zhongyi felt when he first discovered he was pregnant. With something so unbelievable happening to him—was he frightened? Overwhelmed? Did he have anyone to talk to? Was he completely alone in facing it?

Zhou Lu remembered her own pregnancy. The whole family had revolved around her. But this child, he had no one.

And Meng Chuan was clueless. Could he take care of him?

Would Wen Zhongyi feel ashamed? Question himself? Would he get strange looks at the hospital?

He must really love Meng Chuan to choose to keep this child.

He was someone else’s precious child, yet now had to bear all this. If his parents knew, they’d be heartbroken.

Unaware of what Zhou Lu was thinking, Wen Zhongyi finished eating and wiped his fingers with a tissue. After a moment of thought, he peeled another mandarin and offered it to her.

“Auntie, here, you have some too,” he said carefully, respectfully handing it over.

Zhou Lu met his eyes—and immediately felt like she was going to lose it. Her eyes went red in an instant.

“…Auntie, are you okay?” Wen Zhongyi asked, confused.

Zhou Lu turned away quickly and blinked rapidly. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just something in my eye. I’ll go wash my face.”

She got up and went to the bathroom, and Meng Jun followed after her.

Left alone, Wen Zhongyi sat uncertainly in place and whispered to Meng Chuan, “Did I do something wrong just now?”

“No. Don’t overthink it.” Meng Chuan sat down beside him and pulled him close. “I can tell my parents really like you. My mom’s never peeled an orange for me.”

“Oh…” Wen Zhongyi murmured, a little more at ease.

When Zhou Lu returned from the bathroom, she went into the kitchen and came back out with a small plate of desserts—freshly made by the chef, including Wen Zhongyi’s favorite chestnut puffs.

“You have to watch your sugar intake during pregnancy, but it’s okay to have some occasionally,” Zhou Lu said with a slight smile.

Her eyes were still a little red. Wen Zhongyi didn’t understand why she’d been crying, but he nodded obediently.

Zhou Lu stroked his hair and began telling him all sorts of things to watch out for during pregnancy.

During lunch, Wen Zhongyi’s plate was never empty. Zhou Lu kept piling food onto it. When she saw he liked shrimp, she simply moved the whole dish to his side.

Meng Chuan was exasperated. “Mom, he can’t eat that much. His stomach’s sensitive, he’ll feel sick if he overeats.”

Zhou Lu quickly reassured Wen Zhongyi, “You don’t have to finish everything. It’s okay to leave some.”

Surrounded by so much maternal affection, Wen Zhongyi finally relaxed. He smiled. “Okay.”

After the meal, Wen Zhongyi tried to help clean up, but Zhou Lu stopped him sternly. “You’re not allowed to do any chores. We have help here. At home too—this kind of work should be Meng Chuan’s.”

She gave Meng Chuan a sharp look that said, If I ever catch you making my daughter-in-law do housework, I’ll skin you alive.

“I already do the dishes at home!” Meng Chuan protested. “I wouldn’t dare make him lift a finger!”

Zhou Lu snorted. “That’s more like it.”

Wen Zhongyi was indeed a little overfull. He sat on the sofa gently rubbing his stomach.

Zhou Lu glanced at his belly several times. Eventually, she couldn’t resist. With Wen Zhongyi’s permission, she reached out and gently touched it through his sweater.

Afraid of embarrassing him, she didn’t linger, just gave it a couple of light rubs before pulling back.

“You’re almost four months along now, right?” she said. “By the fifth month, you’ll start feeling the baby move. You’ll really be able to feel them there with you.”

“Really?” Wen Zhongyi looked a little expectant.

“Really.”

Zhou Lu thought his smile was so lovely that she couldn’t help reaching out to gently touch his cheek. “Xiao Wen, would you be willing to let me come over and take care of you? There are so many things to watch out for during pregnancy, and neither you nor Meng Chuan have much experience—it’s inevitable there’ll be oversights. Would it be alright if I stayed with you?”

Wen Zhongyi froze. He wanted to decline, but didn’t know how.

He knew Zhou Lu meant well, but truthfully, Wen Zhongyi wasn’t used to being taken care of by anyone other than Meng Chuan.

He hesitated, lips pressed together, and Zhou Lu could immediately sense his unease. She changed her tone with practiced ease, saying lightly, “It’s fine, then I won’t come over. How about I just drop by from time to time? Bring you some good food.”

Her words were a relief. Wen Zhongyi gave a grateful smile and said, “That’s fine, Auntie.”

Zhou Lu held his hand and chattered on, still slightly worried. She lowered her voice and whispered in his ear, “If Meng Chuan ever treats you badly, you come tell me. I’ll teach him a proper lesson. Don’t let yourself suffer, alright?”

Wen Zhongyi nodded quickly.

But in truth, aside from certain bedroom situations where Meng Chuan deliberately teased him, it was mostly Wen Zhongyi bullying Meng Chuan.

After chatting for a while, Wen Zhongyi started to feel sleepy, and Zhou Lu asked Meng Chuan to take him upstairs to rest.

“Perfect chance to show you my childhood bedroom.” Meng Chuan took Wen Zhongyi’s hand and led him toward the stairs.

Wen Zhongyi could feel Zhou Lu’s gaze still on him. Feeling shy about holding hands in front of the elders, he tried to pull away, but Meng Chuan gripped his hand tighter.

“What are you doing?” Wen Zhongyi muttered.

“If they see us letting go, they’ll think we’re fighting. Be good and don’t move,” Meng Chuan whispered.

“…”

Downstairs, Zhou Lu looked at them with satisfaction and raised her voice. “The bedroom’s a bit warm. If you get hot, open the window for some air—but don’t catch a cold!”

“I know!” Meng Chuan called back without turning his head.

His room was spotless and neatly arranged. Even though he hadn’t stayed there in a while, someone had clearly kept it clean.

Wen Zhongyi looked around and spotted something on the second shelf of the bookcase. “What’s this?” he asked curiously.

Following his gaze, Meng Chuan said proudly, “That’s GG Bond!”

Wen Zhongyi replied with sincere honesty, “It’s so ugly.”

Meng Chuan jumped. “He’s my childhood idol! You’re not allowed to insult him!”

Wen Zhongyi burst into laughter.

Meng Chuan scowled. “Stop laughing!”

The more he said that, the harder Wen Zhongyi laughed. Meng Chuan feigned anger and reached to grab him, and Wen Zhongyi dodged away playfully.

They wrestled around the room until Meng Chuan caught Wen Zhongyi and cornered him against the wall, wrapping an arm around his waist. The space was narrow, and Wen Zhongyi had nowhere to escape.

The strong Alpha pheromones made Wen Zhongyi’s legs go soft. He leaned his head back, still smiling as he pleaded, “Okay, okay, I give up—let me go.”

Meng Chuan gave a deep grunt. “Now you beg? Too late!”

With that, he tilted Wen Zhongyi’s chin and kissed him hard.

“Mmph.” Wen Zhongyi tried to push him away but couldn’t budge him. He turned his head in protest and hissed, “Your parents are still downstairs…”

“So what?” Meng Chuan pinned his chin to stop him from dodging.

Wen Zhongyi’s dark brows and lashes contrasted starkly against the white wall as his head pressed back. Just as things were escalating—

Knock knock.

The bedroom door was gently tapped, and Zhou Lu’s voice came softly from outside. “Are you asleep?”

Both froze.

Wen Zhongyi quickly slipped out of Meng Chuan’s arms and used the reflection from the glass cabinet to check his appearance—completely disheveled. Not fit to be seen.

He dove onto the bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and pretended to be asleep.

Meng Chuan: “…”

He opened the door a crack and whispered, “He’s asleep.”

Zhou Lu peeked in and saw Wen Zhongyi lying motionless under the blanket. Her heart softened. “That blanket’s too thick—it’ll get hot. Use this one instead.”

She handed over a lighter blanket.

Meng Chuan thought to himself, Why did I never get this treatment when I lived here?

Zhou Lu whispered, “Be gentle, don’t wake him.”

“Got it.” Meng Chuan nodded, took the blanket, and closed the door.

Wen Zhongyi had been eavesdropping the whole time. Once Zhou Lu’s footsteps faded, he peeked out from under the blanket, hair a mess. He looked at Meng Chuan and said sincerely, “Your mom is really nice.”

“She’s only nice to you,” Meng Chuan replied, unfolding the blanket and tossing it over Wen Zhongyi’s head.

Everything went dark as the blanket covered him. He flailed, pulling it off—only to be met by Meng Chuan’s grinning face.

“Still not done kissing you,” Meng Chuan said shamelessly. “One more.”

Wen Zhongyi smacked the blanket onto Meng Chuan’s face. “Kiss your damn self. I’ll call your mom to come smack you!”

Meng Chuan’s muffled voice came from under the blanket: “Oh no, now you’re learning to bully me with backup.”

After a bit more roughhousing, they cuddled and took a nap.

That evening, they stayed for dinner at the villa. Despite Zhou Lu’s repeated efforts to get them to stay longer, they drove home afterward.

Wen Zhongyi watched TV while Meng Chuan warmed up milk for him, just like every night.

Everything felt peaceful and steady, like they could spend a lifetime this way.

Ding. The microwave chimed.

Meng Chuan snapped out of his thoughts and took out the milk.

He felt something rare, nervousness, for what he was about to do.

Wen Zhongyi was watching the weather forecast. Meng Chuan handed him the milk, and their fingers brushed.

It was such a familiar gesture that Wen Zhongyi didn’t even glance up. He sipped the milk slowly, cupping the glass in his hands.

He had a habit—after drinking, he would lick the corner of his lips like a cat. Meng Chuan loved watching that.

Originally, he had planned to wait until the milk was finished—but now he couldn’t.

Wen Zhongyi noticed his gaze and chuckled. “What are you looking at?”

Meng Chuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He reached into his pocket and called softly, “Wen Zhongyi.”

Wen Zhongyi thought his tone was a little odd. He smiled. “Just say it.”

Meng Chuan looked at him for a long moment. Then, as if summoning courage, he pulled something from his pocket, and with Wen Zhongyi stunned, slowly got down on one knee.

It was a platinum diamond ring.

Nearly identical to the one Wen Zhongyi had kept in his drawer.

“You…”

“This is the gift I came back to give you,” Meng Chuan said, holding up the ring with a faintly nervous smile. “It was wrong of me to lose the old one. I didn’t understand what it meant back then. So I had two new ones made. Will you accept it?”

Will you accept who I am now? Will you start over with me?

Meng Chuan looked up at him, gaze burning.

Wen Zhongyi’s eyes trembled slightly. He stared at the ring in silence, seemingly torn—between accepting this version of Meng Chuan, or continuing to wait for the one who had walked through life and death with him, whose return was uncertain.

It felt like an eternity before Wen Zhongyi sighed softly.

The air around them froze with tension.

And then, though reluctant, Wen Zhongyi opened his mouth.

“I can’t accept it—at least not yet, Meng Chuan.” His voice was as gentle as he could make it, but the words still struck like a blade. “Wait until you’ve recovered your memory. Then give me the ring. Is that okay?”

After saying that, he didn’t meet Meng Chuan’s eyes. Instead, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”