Chapter 20

Bai Ziling had never been so tired, nor so excited; she, Xia Zhen, and Sima Xingchen stayed with Chang Weiwei through labor, cheering her on and telling jokes to distract her, afraid she might strangle Han Ze—Chang Weiwei had cursed so many times, using phrases even refined ladies would never utter.

After the four of them endured more than ten hours together, the little princess was finally born—a beautiful baby weighing three thousand five hundred grams. Not only Han Ze and Chang Weiwei wept with joy, but Bai Zhen, Xia Zhen, and Sima Xingchen cried too.

But now, as Bai Ziling watched Jiang Jie pick up the phone to dial, her heart sank—he hadn’t slept?! The murderous fury on his face terrified her.

Should she have called home?

But thinking of it now—seemed too late.

Jiang Jie put down the phone and walked toward her step by step, slow and heavy, as if weighing how to dispose of her.

“Jiang Jie, I—”

“It’s morning.” A suffocatingly cold voice rang out.

“I’m at the hospital!” she said at once, unwilling to die without knowing why—Jiang Jie looked like he wanted to kill her.

“Hospital?!” He scrutinized her, head to toe, top to bottom.

“Weiwei gave birth!”

“It wasn’t you.”

“I was at the hospital with her through labor!” Bai Ziling dared not argue; she feared he might tear her apart. Best to speak quickly now. “First births take longer—I was there with Sima Xingchen and Xia Zhen. We saw the baby with our own eyes—”

“Bai Ziling, tell me…” Jiang Jie spoke as if granting her a final mercy. “Did Xia Zhen call home to let someone know?”

“Yes.”

“What about Sima Xingchen?”

“She did too—her husband came to pick her up. I rode with them…” Bai Ziling tried to explain clearly.

“Did you call?” Jiang Jie asked coldly.

“I—”

“Did you ever think I might worry?” He finally exploded at her. “So many things could’ve happened—you could’ve been kidnapped, murdered, in a car accident, seriously injured, or lying somewhere unconscious waiting for rescue!”

“I thought you didn’t care.” She whispered.

“You—” He froze.

“I thought you wouldn’t even notice I was gone.”

“I—” He still glared at her.

“If I’d known you’d worry, I would’ve called.” Bai Ziling spoke like a meek daughter-in-law; she dared not defy him now.

“I’m your husband—I have a duty—”

“It’s all fake.” She said lightly.

Jiang Jie, who had intended to beat her senseless, now seemed to lose both pretext and right—she was helping her best friend give birth; she thought he didn’t care, so she didn’t force herself to call. Could he blame her? Did he have the right to scold her?

“I’m exhausted. Can I go wash and sleep?” Bai Ziling asked, looking pitiful. “Sorry for making you worry.”

“Five hundred million… I’ve received it.” Jiang Jie said suddenly.

“Then…” Her heart jolted. “Are we ending our marriage early? I don’t care—if you don’t want to pay the final one million five hundred thousand, I’m fine with that.”

“I’ll pay.” He said coldly.

“Then give me fifty million instead.”

“Bai Ziling, I have no intention of ending our marriage early.” Jiang Jie snapped. “Three months is three months—I don’t want my uncle to suspect anything!”

“Three months… marriage, pregnancy, miscarriage, divorce.” Bai Ziling was exhausted, but her mind was sharp. “Jiang Jie, anyone with normal intelligence will suspect this. Don’t treat everyone like Bai Chi. You’re not the only smart one.”

Jiang Jie said nothing.

“My mother’s health is poor. I want to go home to be with her. So if you’ve already gotten your money—”

“You may visit your mother. But our agreement stands.” Jiang Jie remained stubborn.

“Is this really necessary?” She doubted.

“I feel like it.” He said coldly.

“Making your happiness rest on someone else’s pain…” Bai Ziling smiled faintly. “Will you really be happy?”

Carrying a fine bottle of wine, Jiang Jie appeared unannounced at Di Zhiwei’s door. He shook the bottle at his cousin who opened it, his expression slightly apologetic.

“Any beauties inside? Didn’t I interrupt anything?” Jiang Jie stood at the threshold.

“Only a lonely man inside.” Di Zhiwei joked. “Right here in front of you.”

“Lonely? You?” Jiang Jie sneered.

“Cousin, everyone feels lonely sometimes.”

“But you’re no ordinary man—you’re a playboy, a life enthusiast.” Jiang Jie stepped inside, his mood poor.

Di Zhiwei could tell—his cousin had lost his usual composure. Jiang Jie was now agitated, disoriented, and prone to unprovoked rage.

“Zhiwei, drink with me!” Jiang Jie commanded.

“Drinking harms the liver.”

“Not drinking harms the heart.”

“Cousin, do you even feel heartbroken right now?”

Jiang Jie would not admit it. He walked to Di Zhiwei’s glass cabinet, took two glasses, placed the bottle on the table, uncorked it, poured each glass nine-tenths full, handed one to his cousin, kept the other for himself.

“Bottoms up!” Jiang Jie declared, then drained his glass in one go, with the spirit of one who refuses to hold back.

Di Zhiwei did not. He set his glass down—he never drank “miserable wine,” and he had no intention to start now.

“Zhiwei, if you don’t drink, you’re a dog.” Jiang Jie goaded him.

“Cousin, is it really that bad?” Di Zhiwei smiled smugly. “Am I really such a threat to you?”

“Di Zhiwei, I’m not worried about you.” Jiang Jie suddenly smiled.

“Then—”

“I’m worried about myself!”

“Yourself?!”

“I’ve received the five hundred million from my uncle.” Jiang Jie considered this the key point. Logically, he could now be rid of Bai Ziling—even before three months. He had what he wanted; keeping her meant nothing. But… he couldn’t decide.

“So Bai Ziling is free now?” Di Zhiwei smiled too.

“Zhiwei, are you serious—or just teasing me?” Jiang Jie was furious. “Do you really want Bai Ziling? I admit she’s beautiful and spirited, but—”

“Not just beautiful and spirited.” Di Zhiwei grinned.

“How great do you think your chances are?” Jiang Jie poured himself another glass, didn’t drink it yet. He paced the living room, restless. “Zhiwei, Bai Ziling isn’t easy to win over.”

“Cousin, is that ‘experience talking’?” Di Zhiwei mocked.

“She’s still my wife!” Jiang Jie emphasized.

“Not for long—you don’t need her anymore, do you?” Di Zhiwei sat back comfortably, feet propped on a chair. “Cousin, when it’s time to let her go, let her go.”

Jiang Jie downed another glass in one gulp, then glared at him. “What if I refuse to let her go?”

“You made a pact with her—”

“Pacts can change. As long as I don’t sign the divorce papers, she’s still my wife.” Jiang Jie spoke stubbornly.

“Cousin… have you fallen for Bai Ziling?” Di Zhiwei probed.

“I don’t believe in love.” Jiang Jie snorted.

“Then what is this?!”

“I enjoy it.”

“You’re not a god, not the Almighty, cousin. You have to consider others’ feelings.” Di Zhiwei’s gaze grew colder. “If you don’t love her, set her free. Let someone who wants to love her do so—after all, she owes you nothing.”