Section 4

Continue to persuade: "Such a lovely baby, even I, someone who plans to be child-free for life, suddenly have the thought of getting married and having children upon seeing her. Tell me, how can you bear to be so heartless?"

The baby in the crib seemed to protest against the mother's decision, crying out. Manjun quickly picked up the baby, holding him tightly in her arms. The small infant soon felt a sense of security in his mother's embrace, peacefully falling asleep, his rosy cheeks and features identical to those of his father. In his dreams, Lisheng smiled with his lips pursed, that sweet smile capable of melting the coldest ice.

Why bother thinking about him again

She is a daughter. She smiled and lowered her head to pick vegetables. However, she is not in the mood to buy groceries; Tong Zhuoyao, look at you, you are everywhere in my life. Wherever I go, everyone knows we are husband and wife, and they all inquire about our life. Is it destined that we must escape to a place where we are strangers to each other in order to sever this bond?

She hurried back to the community, suddenly realizing that she had escaped to this place, which was still his territory, the Green Times Garden, a property under his group, where his shadow was everywhere, and his voice lingered in the air. Before the outcome of the lawsuit was determined, she was determined to win it and provide justice for the deceased's family. Now that the lawsuit has concluded and she has won, she has lost her goal, like an inflated plastic superhero suddenly having the air let out, becoming just a skin, struggling even to stand.

She fell silent, her expression as cold as ice.

She turned around and, pointing at herself in surprise, asked: "Are you calling me?"

"I haven't changed—" she said stubbornly, yet her heart was devoid of confidence

Is this not yet weighed

Man Jun closed the computer and said, "Forget it, I will go cook to shut your mouth. We have guests coming over in the afternoon"

Upon returning home, she changed Li Sheng's diaper and fed her. She thought to herself that Li Sheng had been born for several days now, and Tong Zhuoyao probably still did not know. The thought that her daughter had yet to meet her father made it difficult for her to suppress her guilt. She stroked her daughter's small hand, her throat tightening.

"Hello, Mrs. Tong... Mrs. Tong, please wait..." Just as she was about to press the elevator button, she was stopped by the continuous calls from behind.

She was reflecting on the phrase, "Who says money can't buy respect?" Perhaps in the hearts of Tong Zhuoyao and Lin Luyun, money can buy life and dignity

This little girl, who smiles from the day she was born, will surely have good fortune in the future. However, if she is so fortunate, how is it that she must part from her mother at such a young age

Indeed, Mrs. Tong, who else could be the Mrs. Tong here? The situation is as follows: the elevator has encountered a minor malfunction, and we will repair it immediately. Please rest assured, Mrs. Tong, the well-being and happiness of the residents in the community is the top priority for all of our property management staff. We will do our utmost to ensure that the homeowners can travel happily and return home safely... This property manager spoke at length, wishing that Manjun could relay these words verbatim to his boss, Tong Zhuoyao. The situation is as follows: the elevator has encountered a minor malfunction, and we will repair it immediately. Please rest assured, Mrs. Tong, the well-being and happiness of the residents in the community is the top priority for all of our property management staff. We will do our utmost to ensure that the homeowners can travel happily and return home safely... This property manager spoke at length, wishing that Manjun could relay these words verbatim to his boss, Tong Zhuoyao.

The next day at noon, Duoduo finally woke up, rubbing her sore and tired eyes. She walked into the living room and saw Manjun holding Lisheng in one arm while typing something on her laptop with the other.

As Manjun busily wrote the application, she said: "When did you become so fussy? You are nothing like the Li Duoduo of the past. I remember the first time I met you in Shanghai, you were wearing a mink coat, and underneath, weren't you wearing a high-quality floral qipao with a standing collar? Over the years, I have forgotten many images, but I cannot forget that glance at you. Do you know? You looked just like a certain gentleman's concubine.

"Hello, daughter, do you look like your father?" Auntie smiled broadly.

Duoduo poked Manjun's head with a finger and said: "Of course she won't go; just as you leave, she will stay by Tong Shao's side, waiting for the right moment to act"

He said firmly: "Of course I will, do you think I can't carry you? Unless you gain another one hundred or eighty pounds."

Twenty years? You truly are a troublemaker!

She stood there awkwardly, feeling a desire to escape, afraid that people would know she was the "culprit" who had pushed him into this predicament. She shook her head and said, "I don't know, please don't ask me anymore." Her voice carried a cold and icy rejection

"Haven't you seen the news? I am in the process of getting a divorce with him, and soon I will no longer be Mrs. Tong," she said before going upstairs, leaving the property manager at a loss.

Mr. Tong, ten years from now, twenty years from now, will you still carry me up the stairs like you do today

In the past, the elevator was functioning normally, and he enjoyed carrying her up the stairs. She fondly remembers lying on his warm back, her arms wrapped around his neck, as if she had entrusted her entire life to this man. He walked steadily, step by step, with her on his back, treated with utmost care and tenderness, the most precious person.

Duoduo had no idea that Manjun had made a trip to the vegetable market and had habitually bought all the vegetables that Tong Zhuoyao loved to eat.

You are serious, haha, I hope your application does not get approved

At the market, I bought fresh vegetables, and before I knew it, my basket was filled with all the dishes he loves. So, do I still want to cook for him? I should not continue to linger. The time we once spent together in love is now all used up thinking about him and hating him, hating his initial insistence, hating how close he is with Jiang Zhaoyuan. He knows very well that she is both petty and jealous when it comes to him.

I did not abandon her; I am allowing her to return to her father, temporarily leaving for six months. Even without me, she will be well taken care of. Manjun said, tightening her embrace around Lisheng, as if fearing that someone might take her away.

What you are saying is nonsense. Both you and I lost our mothers at a young age, so we should understand what it means for a child to grow up without a mother. Aren't you worried that Tong Zhuoyao might find a stepmother for the two children? Dodo's words are sharp and incisive

"Whatever, a lover who can be taken away is not truly a lover." She became calm, even though there were hidden feelings. Hidden feelings are secret emotions

I do not love him; I am merely deeply moved by him, and that is all. If, twenty years from now, he is still unmarried and waiting for me, then I will marry him

Duoduo stepped forward and hugged Li Sheng, saying: "Can't you take a break? You must not have slept, right? Your eyes will get damaged like this, and you haven't eaten anything, have you? I'll go get some bread for you. Look at you, I can't even walk properly. How can I feel at ease with you like this? I might as well be your personal maid. You know, that A-Chun is really something; after marrying Ji Dong, she got pregnant so quickly. Otherwise, she could take care of you. All my good dating time is wasted because of this. I must clarify, I'm not taking care of you; I'm taking care of my goddaughter. Right, Li Sheng, grow up quickly and call me godmother. Godmother will buy you a floral dress—"

I am in a hurry, no need to weigh it, this will do, I am leaving now" she said, leaving as if in a rush

Manjun smiled: "Why are you still harboring such deep grievances? Haven't you moved on? Besides, haven't you lost contact with your devoted prince? He has loved you for so many years"

A senior colleague from our firm came over to collect my application report for further studies in the United Kingdom, as it is inconvenient for me to go out with the children

She carried a basket of vegetables and went downstairs to buy groceries. She encountered a neighbor whom she had not seen for a long time. Upon noticing that her belly was no longer large, the neighbor congratulated her on having a baby and inquired how she had moved back here. She smiled faintly and simply said she was staying here for a few days. After polite exchanges of greetings, when asked about Mr. Tong, whom they had not seen for a long time, the neighbor mentioned having seen him on television and asked if he had encountered some troubles, and whether his situation had improved now

The property manager was speaking something into the intercom downstairs in the building, but she did not hear a single word.

Duo Duo squatted in the kitchen, preparing vegetables. "Are you sure your esteemed senior will have lunch here? Buying so many vegetables means we will have to eat for many days," she said, holding Li Sheng as she stood at the kitchen door. "They should come, right? If we can't finish, we can put it in the fridge."

Isn't that so? At that time, I was indeed Yuan Zhengming's concubine. Haha, his wife gave birth, right? She was quite fortunate, giving him a son. When I was with him, he said he didn't want me to have children, that pregnancy and childbirth were too painful for women, and he didn't want to ruin my good figure; he would feel heartbroken. But how could he have a child with his own wife?

The aunt behind her said to the girl who was helping to sell vegetables: "When you grow up, you should become a capable and outstanding woman like Lawyer Ruan, and then marry a good man. Unlike those who come to buy vegetables, who haggle over every penny with me. Having money is good; who says money can't buy respect"

"What kind of person? A man or a woman?" Duoduo gossiped.

The reserved position. In our law firm, in terms of qualifications, apart from myself, there is only Jiang Zhaoyuan, but she will definitely not be going

Tong Zhuoyao, I should conceal all my hidden feelings for you

"Mrs. Tong, buying groceries? Such matters can be handled by the housekeeper at home. Why do you have to come yourself? By the way, did you have a son or a daughter?" Auntie asked enthusiastically.

"You yourself are not any different. Having someone as good as Tong Shao is indeed a blessing for you, yet you do not cherish it." Duoduo lowered her head and kissed Li Sheng's forehead, saying, "Li Sheng, my little treasure, your mother will surely regret it in the future, because your father is truly a good man. When you grow up, will you find it hard to appreciate ordinary men in the world because you have such a perfect father? However, your grandmother is indeed a century-old enchantress and a thousand-year-old oddity."

In this way of thinking, the one who has changed is him

This scene is as clear as if it were right before my eyes

Man Jun nodded, casually placed some dishes into the basket, took out one hundred yuan from her wallet, and said: "No need for change, we will settle it together next time"

She walked step by step on the stairs, with various voices calling her "Mrs. Tong" constantly ringing in her ears. Fool, what are you still attached to? "Mrs. Tong" is just a title. In the future, Tong Zhuoyao will marry someone else, and there will still be someone to take on the title of "Mrs. Tong".

She had never felt that this staircase was so long