39
"So, you even booked a... standard room?"
At the door of the hotel room, the tall, handsome man stood in silence. His dark eyes swept over the two separate beds in the room, and his jawline slowly tightened.
"Yeah."
Seeing Bian Xun arrive, Ning Ye, who was sitting on one of the beds, quickly stood up and took a few steps to the door to welcome him.
Her voice was soft and brisk, pleased with her decision, and she patiently explained it to the child's father.
"Because I read guides online, one bed is for sleeping, and the other bed is for... that."
"Commonly known as separating the wet and dry zones."
Ning Ye's cheeks were slightly red, but she still earnestly shared her knowledge with him.
She had carefully considered choosing this place. The two beds in this hotel's standard room were very large, big enough for two people to lie down. Plus, the wall padding was soft, suitable for trying out various wide-ranging positions.
And she felt the place she picked wasn't bad at all.
It wasn't quite Christmas yet, so the hotel hadn't marked up their prices. She found a place a bit further from the city center; to the naked eye, the environment was clean and quiet, and there weren't many guests.
She hadn't ruled out doing it at home, but if they were at Bian Xun's place, she didn't know if his level of cleanliness could handle it. And if they made a special trip to his house just to do this... it felt a bit awkward.
But if they did it at her house, the child would be sleeping in the next room, so they wouldn't dare be too loud when discussing positions, which wasn't conducive to the whole grand process of making a baby.
Staying in a hotel was very convenient. No need to clean, wet and dry zones separated, and a high margin for error.
After listening to Ning Ye's series of thoughtful considerations, Bian Xun closed his eyes and sighed.
The man took a step forward and closed the hotel door behind him, isolating the space inside from the outside.
Only the sound of their breathing filled the room, and the soft, smooth side of her neck couldn't help but tense up for a moment out of shyness.
Bian Xun lowered his eyes and leaned in, helplessly speaking first, "You couldn't call me to book the hotel?"
Anywhere in the world—shallow water villas, forest starry sky tents, or the most luxurious scenic hotels.
Ning Ye hadn't thought that far ahead. She looked up at Bian Xun, "It doesn't matter. We're both the child's parents, so booking a hotel isn't strictly a man's or woman's job."
If it were a boy and a girl dating, they might care about such things.
But when it came to matters concerning the child, the mother had the most agency.
She had swiped her black card for the room fee and planned to transfer the remaining balance to his card so they could split it evenly.
The future album hadn't given any clear information yet, so she booked three nights, allowing Bian Xun to come over and familiarize himself with the environment to avoid awkwardness when they eventually faced each other naked.
She was dressed similarly to her usual style today, wearing a light-colored knit sweater that softly hugged her body's curves, looking warm and comfortable.
It seemed that wherever she was, the atmosphere became comfortable.
It made people want to bump into her.
Quietly looking into her clear almond eyes, he wanted to see a hint of a smile, yet also wanted to see hot tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.
Bian Xun's mood improved a bit, and the resentment over the 12 million dissipated.
It was all just moving money from the left hand to the right; he could earn it back anyway.
"Booked three nights, three days and three nights?" He leaned closer, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness, "You want to fight a war of attrition with me."
Ning Ye looked apologetic and nodded, a hint of blush spreading across her porcelain-white earlobes, also feeling her request was a bit excessive, "If we don't have an exact time, we might have to keep trying through trial and error. Are you... up for it?"
Bian Xun's dark eyes deepened, heh.
She was already bluntly inquiring about his sexual stamina.
The corners of his lips quirked up, "What do you think?"
He had, after all, waited six years.
Ning Ye was a grown woman with normal physiological knowledge. She certainly knew that doing it for three days and three nights would exhaust a person, and in severe cases, completely drain their body.
So she looked down at her phone anxiously, then suddenly looked up with joy, "We don't need three days and three nights anymore!"
Bian Xun raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly crossed his arms, and sat next to her to look together.
Ning Ye stared nervously at the screen. A new photo had refreshed in the album. Ever since she found out the child needed to be made right now, Ning Ye had wanted to know how to get an exact time.
Now she discovered that all it took was a chat screenshot?
In the original timeline, she had sent a message to Bian Xun today: [Come to my house tomorrow night?]
And 5 minutes later, Bian Xun replied: [Okay]
Two simple sentences, an unspoken adult hint.
Ning Ye blinked.
The album couldn't show the full context of the events, but at this specific point in time, counting the child's birth date, it was almost certain that it would be tomorrow night.
Beside her, Bian Xun subtly hooked the corners of his lips. They hadn't even done it yet, but the back of his neck was already tingling.
"You're... this proactive?"
The man's low, crisp voice rang in her ear. After a slight pause, Ning Ye earnestly smiled and nodded.
Yes.
That confirmed one thing: Taotao was a baby she actively wanted to welcome, a choice she made after weighing her financial and physical situation, rather than some unexpected responsibility.
She felt a soft sense of approval toward this matter in her heart.
At that time, she must have genuinely wanted a child because of something. And Bian Xun was the most suitable, high-quality choice.
Ning Ye felt an extra layer of gratitude toward Bian Xun in her heart.
Ever since having the child, she felt increasingly fortunate that he was a good father and was very grateful for his cooperation.
The softness in her almond eyes became clearer, like an easily wrinkled wool towel, making one want to... exert a little more effort.
"Got it, tomorrow night," Bian Xun forcibly suppressed the upward curve of his lips, resting one hand on the hotel mattress and elegantly taking her hand with the other, "I've received your request."
This hotel definitely needed to be changed.
But he would, absolutely, hit the mark 100%.
With the time set, Ning Ye's heart settled too.
She looked closely at the photo again and let out a soft sound of confusion.
Bian Xun currently had no resistance to any soft sounds she made. He squeezed her palm a bit harder, "Hmm?"
Ning Ye asked, "But why is this chat record screenshotted from your side?"
Bian Xun: "?"
Ning Ye pointed to the avatar on the right side of the screenshot. The "I" perspective had Bian Xun's black avatar, and the opposite side was her WeChat.
So this was Bian Xun's own chat window.
The man fell silent for a moment, looked sideways, and said in a steady tone, "Probably just took a screenshot casually."
It couldn't possibly be because he was so excited to see this invitation that he wanted to save it.
The CEO maintained his composure.
Ning Ye nodded, looked down at her phone calendar, wanting to mark it for tomorrow, but suddenly let out a cry, "Ah!"
The short syllable from her tender throat sounded very soft and delicate to a certain someone's ears. The man's spine suddenly straightened, and he turned his head, drawing a breath, "What's wrong now?"
Ning Ye slowly looked at him, pointing out, "But you have to participate in the sports meet tomorrow during the day?"
The calendar marked tomorrow as the day of Xia Lu's kindergarten sports meet.
Bian Xun raised an eyebrow, "So what?"
Ning Ye's almond eyes filled with watery worry, but out of her high emotional intelligence and kind nature, she didn't voice her hidden concerns.
This sports meet was mainly for the fathers, featuring not only a cross-country race carrying their children with weights, but also a competition of boxing strength!
Furthermore, since this was the male lead and supporting male character's macho competition segment in the original plot, even though it was a kindergarten-level event, there was absolutely no holding back.
Then... with him expending so much physical energy during the day.
Would he still be able to perform at night?
Ning Ye tightly pinched her fingertips, suddenly feeling anxious, and decided to resolutely protect the stamina of her child's father.
Tomorrow, the birth of their child was the most important thing!
Bian Xun held her hand, subtly puffing out his perfectly toned chest.
Whether being a father or a husband.
He would make her satisfied.
...
Waking up the next day, from the moment she opened her eyes, Ning Ye felt a sense of destiny calling.
When she picked up her toothbrush, her heart skipped a beat.
Looking down as she changed out of her pajamas, she faintly felt a slight swelling in her chest and abdomen.
Obviously, there was no prominent hormonal change, but she inexplicably had a mysterious premonition.
Only then did she realize that as a mother, even if she had not opened that photo album, when this day truly arrived, she would still have some sort of destined hint.
As if she was about to welcome something—
Ning Zhitao was also extremely excited today.
A kindergarten sports meet was like going on an autumn outing, the day the children anticipated the most!
Dropping the child off at the kindergarten gate, Ning Zhitao happily hugged her mother. Her chubby cheeks pressed against Ning Ye's flat lower abdomen, her round eyes sparkling.
Mom, I don't know why, but I'm so happy today?
Ning Ye looked down, smiled, and rubbed the child's little head. The feeling in that instant was truly wonderful. I'm very happy too.
Today's schedule was for the children to have classes first, and the parents would enter the kindergarten in the afternoon.
Ning Ye returned to the company. Although the time for tonight was basically confirmed, she habitually refreshed the future photo album again.
As the date updated to today, a new photo appeared. It was a mirror selfie that didn't capture any people, but blurrily photographed the end of the bed, with two pairs of slippers placed on the floor.
Those were the slippers Ning Ye promised to buy for Bian Xun. The ones on the outer left and right were his, and the two on the inside were hers. A warm yet highly suggestive feeling washed over her. It further confirmed for her that it would definitely be tonight.
Ning Ye even recognized at a glance that this was her initial small rental apartment.
If Ning Zhitao hadn't appeared, she would probably still be living in that place, commuting two hours back and forth every day. The child's appearance had triggered a long-term butterfly effect, causing the details of her current life to change.
But what remained unchanged was that Mom and Dad would definitely succeed today!
Although Bian Xun strongly demanded she cancel the hotel, and even if she only got half back for canceling within 48 hours, Bian Xun still insisted she refund the room fee and booked a hotel himself.
But no matter where the location was, it didn't matter. What mattered was that today was the day a little grape would be planted.
In the CEO's office.
Bian Xun lowered his eyes, looking at the three bills that had just been returned.
The XX Comfort Hotel refunded 70% of the room fee, recovering 8.4 million out of 12 million, evaporating 3.6 million.
After negotiations between Xu Lanyi's studio and the legal department, it was determined they would compensate the company 7 million. Although it didn't reach the original endorsement fee cost, factoring in the overall promotional benefits, it wasn't a loss overall.
The 820 yuan compensation from the bear parent through employee insurance was refunded to the card tied to Ning Ye, inflating into 8.2 million. Because it wasn't a private transfer, she had actually successfully begged from the heavens.
The three sums of money, added and subtracted, actually resulted in a small profit.
The CEO put down his phone with slight satisfaction. The path to wealth was right before his eyes, but for some reason, he felt his bank account looked strange.
Recently, his wealth didn't seem to have accumulated and increased.
But that wasn't the focal point right now.
Assistant Zhang knocked on the door and walked in. President Bian, we can head out now.
Bian Xun looked up unhurriedly, and Assistant Zhang then realized that the boss's outfit today was even more outstanding.
The man's black hair was slicked back, revealing a cool, pale forehead. His entire brow bone and eye sockets were clearly displayed, and in the shadows of the varying heights, his dark eyes were eager to try, intimidatingly handsome.
He was obviously going to a kindergarten to participate in a sports meet, but this man looked as if he could shoot a movie poster at any moment. The dark gray denim jacket had a cool, retro style. It was rare for him to dress in a casual, sporty style, yet the collar of the black shirt underneath was studded with a diamond button, reflecting the cold, pale lines of his side neck, like a shining star on the wilderness.
Assistant Zhang was shocked, thinking, does the boss really want to win that badly?
As both a work and life assistant, he also knew the CEO had gone swimming in a private pool the night before—to have a better muscle form.
Looking at him today, the figure outlined by the suit exuded a vigorous sense, carrying some sort of irrepressible ambition.
Let's go.
Bian Xun took off his watch and slowly stood up.
...
Entering the Xialu Kindergarten, sure enough, he first dazzled a group of children with his handsomeness.
Wow, that's Ning Zhitao's dad!
Ning Zhitao's dad looks like a prince!
What prince, that's a Papa-lord!
Papa-lord seems to have abdicated to someone better, now there's another Papa-lord.
What does abdicated mean?
Bian Xun walked straight through the chattering children without looking sideways. In the distance, Ning Zhitao excitedly waved among a group of little ones: Dad, over here!
Ning Ye was already sitting on the small folding stool next to the child. The gaze she raised to look at him was focused and concerned, seemingly full of tender affection, possessing an indescribable hazy elegance.
The CEO curled his lips and walked over, starting to stretch his limbs.
Preparing to show off.
Ning Ye had also made preparations, sitting earnestly on the small folding stool.
She absolutely could not let him waste his stamina today.
Even if the plot made him compete with the supporting male character, it was a no-go!!
Soon, the parents of the children participating in the sports meet were basically all in place in the kindergarten, and the small playground was crowded with a dense sea of heads.
And Gu Feng arrived late at this moment.
As soon as he appeared, several shutter sounds immediately rang out outside the kindergarten. Obviously, the media had followed him, and the attention sharply increased.
As the male lead in a certain movie queen's recent news, appearing at a children's kindergarten at this moment seemed to further confirm those rumors—was he really the biological father of Movie Queen Xu's illegitimate child?!
Gu Feng's attitude was naturally tacit consent, but Xu Lanyi's side was probably going to have a breakdown.
But no matter what gossip surrounded Gu Feng's identity, the kindergarten's attitude remained as usual. After all, Gu Feng was the second financial backer who had donated eight million, standing as an equal to President Bian.
This is Gu Zixun's dad! That's him!
The battle for Papa-lord was on the verge of breaking out.
Two lines of sight intersected in the air for a moment.
Gu Feng narrowed his eyes and smiled. He had been provoked into a rebellious mindset by the public. The whole internet said he wasn't a good match for Xu Lanyi, inferior to the CEO of Wujiang Group from the previous rumors, so he insisted on suppressing Bian Xun.
The business world is a battlefield, and a small kindergarten is also a battlefield.
Gu Feng brought Gu Zixun and sat down around them.
Bian Xun glanced at him and smiled indifferently.
No one could affect his display today.
The first competition was initially for the children. The kids on the scene paired up in twos to play Gomoku, and all the children who won would receive a certificate.
Ning Zhitao had already played it many times at home because the gift Uncle Doctor Jiang gave to her mother was an electronic chessboard. She even knew how to play several types of chess.
Just as she was thinking about it, Ning Zhitao spotted him and happily waved her hand towards the distance.
Bian Xun followed the sound and saw Jiang Xinghe driving the emergency ambulance of the Three Drops of Water Children's Hospital into the park. He gently returned Ning Zhitao's greeting, and then smiled at Ning Ye from afar.
? There were quite a lot of irrelevant people.
Ning Ye also returned a grateful smile. As a connection in the children's field, Teacher Jiang had prepared the children well in advance. Ning Zhitao herself was also very interested, so she quickly won the Gomoku competition.
"Yay!"
Ning Zhitao did not choose her good bestie Zhang Sijie, but accepted Gu Zixun's challenge.
But Gu Zixun lost and angrily threw the chess pieces in his hand.
"Unfair!" Gu Zixun cried out, his eyes red.
This chess game is unfair! Everything is unfair!
Ning Zhitao blinked, scratched her head, "Then let's play again."
"I'm not playing!"
At this time, outside the kindergarten fence, an old-fashioned luxury car was parked there.
Old Master Bian and a group of old men and women gathered around, looking inside at his great-granddaughter. Seeing Ning Zhitao easily win the chess game, he immediately stomped his cane and kept saying to the old butler, "Look, look! This child is just smart!"
The butler thought, are you showing off now?? Little Grape hasn't even called you great-grandfather yet.
However, Old Master Bian selectively forgot about it. He held onto the railing and watched for a long time, then his gaze turned to the little boy opposite Ning Zhitao, "Is this the great-grandson of the Xu family?"
"Yes, Master."
Old Master Bian narrowed his eyes and curled his lips. He was really too far behind his great-granddaughter!
At this age, the most important thing for a child is not intelligence, but character and disposition, which are innate things.
Playing chess can best show a person's character, even this kind of Gomoku played by children.
He didn't know how Ning Zhitao was educated, but she was well-behaved and clever, didn't throw tantrums, and was kind and smart. And she had only been with her mother since she was a child, yet she was taught so well.
Old Master Bian's gaze couldn't help but fall on Ning Ye, and he had to admit this girl's excellence once again in his heart.
Inside the venue, Gu Feng hugged Gu Zixun, "It's okay, watch me later."
After the children's puzzle game competition ended, it was the main event for the parents.
The first item was for the fathers to carry their children for a weighted cross-country run.
The kindergarten playground was small, and the setting was to run ten laps. If they didn't have to carry the children, it would actually be very easy for the parents.
However, a father in the crowd wailed, "Son, you're going to kill me—"
Everyone looked over and burst into laughter.
His family had a little boy whose width and thickness almost caught up with his father's. The child's mother was hitting her husband's shoulder beside them.
Having no choice, the boy's father still managed to carry the child up with difficulty, wearing a mask of pain.
—"Fathers, whether you carry them on your back or in your arms, as long as you can carry the child, any way is fine!" Teacher Youzi livened up the atmosphere.
Assistant Zhang put Zhang Sijie on his back, and the old father earnestly taught her, "Daughter, don't kick me later, okay?"
We don't ask for first place, just don't be at the bottom.
Assistant Zhang looked to the side with a solemn face.
After all, today the boss seemed to be showing off like a peacock spreading its tail. As a father, he really couldn't outrun him.
Amidst the noise, Bian Xun smiled faintly and stood up. His neat and tall figure immediately stood out among the fathers.
He handed his hand to the child.
Ning Zhitao skillfully climbed up the pole, hugged her father's neck, and lay on his shoulder like a little soft cake, "Daddy, what place can we get?"
The top 10 would all get prizes, and the first place could get a trophy.
Since the child had spoken, how could it be anything but first?
Bian Xun easily held the cub, just about to show off, but Ning Ye stood up and grabbed his hand, "Just finishing the race is fine, walking is also okay."
"Friendship first, competition second." Ning Ye earnestly winked at him.
Stamina is important, child's father!!
Hearing this, Gu Feng next to them chuckled, "It seems Miss Ning doesn't have confidence in President Bian's stamina. President Bian, can you do it?"
Bian Xun: "?"
Bian Xun sneered.
In the following competition, he vividly illustrated what it means that "the word 'cannot' does not exist in the CEO's dictionary of life".
With a whistle at the starting line, Assistant Zhang was carrying Zhang Sijie on his back and was about to ask the boss to carry him, but in the blink of an eye, he only saw Taotao's face smiling like a crescent moon on the boss's back.
"???"
The man was already the tallest, and his long legs taking one step equaled others' two steps.
Moreover, Ning Zhitao cooperated well with him, obediently lying on his shoulder without moving around, just giggling in the wind.
After the first lap, the two of them had already widened the gap with the others.
Gu Feng was also fast. He was the youngest male in the whole venue, and his explosive power was also very strong, but as soon as he ran out holding Gu Zixun, the child started struggling on his body.
They changed three postures in the first three laps, and by the time the two finally worked well together.
Bian Xun had already surpassed him and lapped him.
Gu Feng: "!"
Various cheers and screams rang out at the scene, and the children engaged in a fierce competition for who was the Papa-lord.
Ning Ye was very helpless: You don't have to run so fast!!
The media outside the fence peeked through the cracks to take photos, "Holy crap, isn't that the CEO of Wujiang?"
"Such a man is actually a stay-at-home dad."
"He is really handsome, holy crap."
Only Ning Ye was worried, her eyes following the father and daughter.
In the end, without any suspense, Bian Xun won first place with the cub.
Old Master Bian: "Good!"
His face was glowing with health: "Good! Good!"
Ning Ye met the man's sharp black eyes and hurriedly handed over a water cup, "Are you tired? You must be tired. Quickly put the child down."
Bian Xun held the child with one hand. After running ten laps, his hair wasn't even messed up, and his cold white forehead only showed slight sweat.
No matter what, the child was now a heavy object of thirty or forty catties, which would have a threshold for bench pressing. Holding her and running for a long time also consumed a lot of stamina.
Ning Ye was anxious in her heart. Stamina couldn't be wasted at such a time.
Gu Feng brought Gu Zixun back, put the child down, and gritted his teeth, "Just now was actually a parent-child cooperation competition. The next one won't be."
Bian Xun drank the water Ning Ye gave him and casually glanced at him.
It was halftime rest now, and the kindergarten was preparing the props for the next competition. The fathers' individual battle was a boxing dynamometer. The participating fathers would take turns to punch the sandbag in front to measure the weight of the punch.
But the problem was, this competition was a wheel battle. Whoever hit the highest peak value on the field would have to defend the arena.
As long as someone surpassed it, they would have to continue punching until they maintained the highest score on the field to be the ultimate winner.
It consumed too much stamina!
At this time, there was no lack of tough contestants with muscles among the fathers, rubbing their fists and wiping their palms.
Assistant Zhang, who had the demeanor of a scholar, showed a weak expression and very self-knowingly said: I withdraw.
Everyone worked in the office, and he didn't have a professional team to exercise like the boss!
And actually, fathers, there's no point in continuing this competition, because President Bian, in the United States, he—
Gu Feng smiled slowly, cracking his knuckles. After all, this machine wasn't professional equipment, but more like an arcade game. He had played it countless times growing up. Not only was he naturally strong, but he had also mastered numerous point-scoring techniques, such as where to hit the punching bag for the highest score, and at which exact second to punch for the optimal range.
Seeing the confident smile on his face, Ning Ye immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
Ning Ye remembered that although the original novel didn't describe it in detail, it used time to highlight the intense male competition between the male lead and the supporting male character.
What if they really dragged this out for an hour and Bian Xun's arms lost all their strength tonight?
Without strength, how could they perform those highly difficult baby-making positions?
So, just as Gu Feng walked over to provoke him again, Ning Ye stepped right in front of Bian Xun. Her slender and graceful figure couldn't actually block Bian Xun at all; the difference in their sizes was far too vast.
But Gu Feng raised an eyebrow at her, feeling inexplicably bitter in his heart.
Why? What right did someone like Bian Xun have?
Ning Ye shielded Bian Xun, turning back to whisper to him, "Winning the running race just now is already enough. Let's just forfeit the boxing match, okay?"
Bian Xun: "?"
Ning Ye leaned in closer, her speaking pace quickening as she gave him a subtle hint, "You need to take care of your body!"
Tonight. Tonight.
Gu Feng's bitterness dissipated at this moment. He mocked with a faint smile, "CEO Bian, it seems your body isn't quite up to it? Why don't you stop pushing yourself and listen to Miss Ning."
Bian Xun let out a cold scoff, just about to speak.
Jiang Xinghe happened to walk over at that exact moment and caught the tail end of the conversation.
So, he very gently picked up the first-aid kit and asked Bian Xun, "Where are you feeling unwell? Is it because you ran too fast just now and can't handle it? Do you need any emergency medication?"
Bian Xun: "..."
Bian Xun: "Heh, all of you, get lost."
The CEO remained expressionless. Looking at Ning Ye's affectionate yet deeply worried eyes, he lowered his gaze and asked, "Why forfeit?"
Seeing that the people around them had scattered, Ning Ye finally steeled her heart and leaned close to his ear.
Bian Xun's heart skipped a beat, and he cooperatively bent down to listen to her.
A soft, captivating voice sounded by his ear:
"I'm afraid you won't be able to perform tonight!"
Bian Xun: "?"
Bian Xun lowered his dark eyes, staring at her deeply.
Ten minutes later, the dads' boxing match began. Bian Xun slowly and methodically put on his gloves while turning to walk toward the force-measuring machine.
Before him, a dad who looked like a fitness coach threw a punch of 250 pounds, instantly obliterating the scores of the two dads before him and becoming the champion.
However, when it was Gu Feng's turn, this number was directly refreshed to 300 pounds. He let out a breath, stepped back, and looked provocatively at Bian Xun.
Bian Xun stood in front of the force-measuring machine, expressionless, and blasted the punching bag with a single strike.
I'll let you.
See if.
I can perform.
...
A punch that broke the scale, a weight of 400 pounds.
The competitive spirit of all the dads at the scene was instantly ignited, especially Gu Feng, who gritted his teeth and immediately began to challenge the champion.
Only Assistant Zhang remained as calm as a chrysanthemum, content to stay behind. After throwing a weak, boneless punch, he took his wife and child to wait on the sidelines, detached from worldly affairs, howling in his heart.
What are they competing for?
—The boss! Back in America!
—Practiced boxing!
What is there to compete against? What is the point of comparing?!
In the end, just as Assistant Zhang had predicted, the dads' boxing match concluded after forty minutes of attacking and defending the title.
By this time, the cheers of the children had become a torrential storm.
All eyes converged on Bian Xun.
Last time, that man used money to crown himself king!
This time, that man used sheer ability to consolidate his throne!
"Papa-lord! Papa-lord! Papa-lord!"
The childish cheers surged like a tide.
"?" Bian Xun's expression remained indifferent. After sweeping two awards, he handed the trophies and gifts to Ning Zhitao.
Ning Ye hugged the little girl, feeling dead inside, thinking: Baby, on the day of your conception, your dad furiously threw dozens of punches and ran ten laps with weights. His genes don't seem quite normal.
Ning Zhitao remained completely oblivious to the major life event concerning her today.
But her happiness and pride were very real. Ning Zhitao was so thrilled she practically jumped up, squealing as she spun in circles on the spot.
"Dad, you are so amazing!"
"Mom, Mom, did you see?"
Ning Ye patted the child's head, carrying a secret bitterness known to no one else. "I saw it."
Bian Xun took off his gloves, tossed them aside, and then finally looked at Ning Ye.
At this moment, the predatory aggressiveness in his dark eyes was fully exposed, like a predator in the law of the jungle who had just proven his male instincts.
The physical exertion made his blood boil; he had gotten a more than adequate warm-up.
Could he perform or not.
Within the remaining 7 hours of today.
She would find out very soon :)
...
However, the CEO never expected—
Because his performance today was far too superior, dominating the entire venue, it brought a profound spiritual shock to little Taotao.
So much so that after eating dinner, going home, listening to stories, and already washing up to lie in bed, Taotao still couldn't sleep at all!
At nine-thirty in the evening, the little one still had her black-grape-like eyes wide open, her two chubby little hands resting outside the blanket.
Blink, blink.
She spoke excitedly to her mother, who was telling stories by the bed, "When Dad threw his eighth punch, I actually saw the other dads' faces turn yellow."
Ning Ye nodded and carefully asked the child, "Taotao, aren't you sleepy today?"
Taotao let out a yawn. "I'm sleepy, Mom."
Usually, she would be asleep by eight-thirty.
Ning Ye softened her tone, gently guiding her. "Then is it time for you to go to sleep now?"
Taotao patted her mouth, making an 'oh-oh' sound. "But as soon as I close my eyes, I think of the image of Dad hitting the punching bag! It's just like a cartoon!"
Ning Ye almost slipped right off her stool.
My child, my sweet child, if you don't sleep now, someone is going to die!
You are playing with fire, baby!
She had calculated everything, but never imagined that on the actual night of making the baby, they would stumble at this step.
If she didn't coax Taotao to sleep, the little girl would lie there for a bit and then come out to find her parents, highly likely interrupting them midway.
What if they missed the conception window for tonight.
Ning Ye couldn't bear to imagine the consequences, mentally cursing Bian Xun.
She was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead. The hair at the nape of her neck grew damp, fine strands clinging to the side of her neck.
This was a matter of life and death!
Ning Ye was so nervous her hands and feet turned ice-cold. She could only lower her voice, making it softer and slower, reading Taotao the story with the highest success rate of putting her to sleep.
Perhaps the mother's hypnotic effect finally kicked in. As Ning Ye slowed her speaking pace bit by bit, she saw the little girl's thin eyelids slowly droop, her eyelashes fluttering, fluttering.
...until her eyes finally closed.
Ning Ye didn't dare to move. She leaned against the bed, waited for a full minute, and then asked in a breathy whisper, "Taotao?"
The breathy sound swept past; the little girl's breathing remained long and steady.
Zzz.
She was asleep!
Ning Ye sprang up abruptly, tucked the picture book under her arm, and tiptoed back to the door as fast as she could.
Looking at the clock on the wall, it was already past ten o'clock.
If the adults left the house now to rush to a hotel, it would waste even more time—
Ning Ye pushed the door open, and Bian Xun was standing right there at the doorway.
Lifting his deep, dark eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Bian Xun reached out with a taut arm to grip the side of her neck. Ning Ye grabbed his collar, and in the next second, she climbed onto him as lightly as a feather, her legs wrapping securely around the man's narrow, firm waist.
They slipped into the master bedroom across the hall and shut the door tight.
All in one seamless motion.
Before they knew it, their breaths had tangled together.
As they pressed and moved against each other, the deep, unspoken chemistry between their bodies felt as if it had never left.
It seemed the lubricant they had bought earlier wouldn't be needed after all.
Clinging tightly to his shoulders, Ning Ye was carried steadily by his strong arms to the edge of the bed.
Amidst their heavy breathing, Bian Xun forced himself to pull back just a fraction. Finding her eyes shimmering like rippling water in the dim light, he spoke in a hoarse voice, So right now...
You and I are—
Casting everything aside, Ning Ye raised her slightly cool fingertips and covered his eyes.
—are the Creators.
Then, with a slight tremble, she sank right down onto him.
My dear readers, I am late posting this because I went through and polished the chapter.
Also, hehehe, just thinking about what happens to CEO Bian next makes me want to laugh.
