Five years without pregnancy means you're too weak; I remarried a powerful man and had triplets

That evening, after washing up, Shen Zhiyi changed into soft silk pajamas and lay in the bed that still smelled faintly of lavender, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table, the screen's cold light suddenly illuminating her slightly flushed cheeks in the darkness.

She opened WeChat and hovered her finger over Lu Zichuan's profile picture. It was a deep blue night scene photo, with no one around, as clean and unpredictable as he was.

She clicked in, then exited, then clicked in again, repeating this several times.

He has no posts on his WeChat Moments.

Not a single one.

She sighed, somewhat disappointed.

If he posts anything, even just a picture of roadside flowers or a cup of coffee, she'll probably read it over and over again, trying to figure out his mood from the caption and where he went from the location.

But there was nothing there, as clean as a blank sheet of paper, which dashed her secret expectations.

Even so, she vaguely but very clearly realized that the atmosphere between the two of them had indeed changed.

That subtle, ambiguous feeling, like the scent of mint floating in the air, wasn't her imagination.

She remembered that day in the haunted house, in the darkness she gripped his hand so tightly out of fear that her fingertips almost dug into his palm.

He didn't push her away, nor did he laugh at her for being timid. Instead, he tightened his grip and held her protectively in his arms.

The darkness acted like a soft filter, amplifying all her senses: the warmth of his palm, the faint scent of fir on his shirt, the steady, powerful heartbeat in her chest… and later, the moment her lips brushed against his chin in her panic, the cool touch like a brand, seared deep into her memory.

Her heart started pounding uncontrollably again. Shen Zhiyi threw her phone onto the bed, covered her burning face with her hands, and rolled around on the bed without any regard for her image.

The silk quilt rubbed against her hair, making a soft rustling sound, just like her chaotic thoughts at that moment.

She knew she wasn't good enough for him.

Her family background, her life experiences, and even her recently ended failed marriage—any one of these factors would be enough to make her feel inferior.

Strangely enough, ever since she confirmed that he and Pei Jin were completely innocent, the defenses she had built up in her heart seemed to have quietly weakened.

She no longer resisted getting close to him, and even craved the feeling of being protected by him, like finding a lighthouse in a storm. She knew she shouldn't get too close, but she couldn't help but want to walk into that light.

It seems not so bad to just stay in this ambiguous state.

She didn't know where this relationship was headed, and she didn't dare to think about it.

But one thing is certain: she doesn't want it to end.

Just as she buried her face in the pillow and was lost in thought, her phone screen suddenly lit up, accompanied by a crisp notification sound.

Shen Zhiyi suddenly reached out, as if afraid of missing something, and grabbed the phone.

The screen displays a WeChat message from Lu Zichuan.

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

A simple sentence made her heart almost jump out of her throat.

She bit her lower lip and quickly typed a single word on the screen: "Okay."

send.

Then she held her phone to her chest, stared at the ceiling, and couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

Because he often worked overtime, Lu's family was worried about him, so they worked with the real estate company to buy this apartment in the community so that he could stay there directly after getting off work late at night, saving him the trouble of traveling back and forth.

His apartment was the most luxurious in the complex, almost twice the size of Shen Zhiyi's. He lived there before she filed for divorce, but their relationship became strained, and he began spending more time elsewhere.

At this moment, he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, his gaze passing over the night and landing precisely on the building across the street.

Starting from the first floor, count upwards floor by floor until you reach her floor and stop.

A faint, warm light shone through the window; it wasn't bright, so a floor lamp must have been on.

After he sent that message, the light went out.

He had never seen her sleep, but at this moment, he could clearly imagine her curled up in the blankets, her hair spread out on the pillow, her eyelashes trembling gently, slowly drifting into sleep.

It must be very cute.

The thought popped into his head without warning, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

However, the next second, his brows suddenly furrowed.

He looked away, took his phone out of his pocket, and dialed a number.

The call connected after three beeps.

"It's me." His voice was deep, devoid of any previous softness, replaced by his usual coldness. "Keep a close eye on Xu Zhesheng's movements these next few days. Report to me immediately if you spot him near Jiangxing Group or the neighborhood."

He paused, then added, "Don't alert them."

After hanging up the phone, he looked back at the building across the street.

That window was completely dark.

He put down his phone, tapped the edge of the screen twice with his fingertips, and turned to walk towards the bedroom.

The next morning, Shen Zhiyi woke up exceptionally early.

Before the alarm clock rang, she opened her eyes, and the first thought that popped into her mind was: eight o'clock, downstairs, Lu Zichuan.

She rolled out of bed and tiptoed into the kitchen.

There weren't many ingredients in the refrigerator, so she rummaged through them and made do by frying eggs and ham, slicing some lettuce and tomatoes, and then using the remaining egg liquid to fry the toast until both sides were golden brown and slightly crispy. She made two sandwiches for herself, wrapped them in baking paper, and put them in paper bags.

She tidied her hair in front of the mirror in the entryway. She hadn't dressed up for work today, just wearing a light apricot-colored thin knit sweater with dark blue straight-leg pants. Her hair was loosely tied into a low ponytail, with a few strands falling naturally beside her ears.

Simple, clean, just like how the morning should be.

But as she went downstairs, her pace quickened unconsciously.

7:50.

She pushed open the unit door, and a morning breeze blew in, carrying the cool dampness of early autumn.

Then she saw Lu Zichuan.

He leaned against the car, wearing a long dark gray trench coat over a black shirt, and looked tall and slender.

Hearing footsteps, he turned his head and his gaze fell on her.

"Mr. Lu." She walked up quickly, somewhat surprised, "Why are you here so early? I even came down ten minutes early."

Lu Zichuan's gaze slowly slid over her face. She wasn't wearing makeup, her skin had a faint pinkish hue, and her low ponytail was loose, with a few strands of hair sticking to her face in the morning breeze.

Her simple attire was so captivating that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

A faint tenderness flickered in his eyes, and he said in a low voice, "I just arrived."

"Really?" Shen Zhiyi nodded, not exposing him. The car hood was still cold. Who was he trying to fool?

She handed over one of the two paper bags she was carrying. The bag had a strawberry pattern she had drawn herself printed on it. "Haven't had breakfast yet? Here, I made a sandwich myself. Try it and see if it's good."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation, yet also with a hint of barely perceptible unease.

Xu Zhesheng used to really like the sandwiches she made, but Lu Zichuan was different. He had a privately hired five-star chef at home and was used to eating delicacies at various occasions. He wondered if her simple home-style cooking would be palatable to him.

Lu Zichuan looked down at the paper bag, his fingertip pausing at the opening: "Did you make this?"