Chapter 032: One of them is his little wife.

Memories from the past surged forth, and Shi Runrun suddenly recalled the moment when she first heard that name. It was also a night like this; he had fallen asleep on a long bench, and in his dreams, he called out the name Zaizao... Moreover, that night, Shi Runrun noticed that when he spoke those words, there were traces of tears hidden in his eyes...

She could not understand what kind of woman could leave such a deep and unforgettable mark in his heart, to the point that he cried out her name in his sleep. Shi Runrun envied the woman called Zaizao, and at the same time, felt immense heartache.

The happiness she had finally found today was so fleeting, while reality remained cruel, yanking her brutally from her newly arrived dream. She feared that ultimately, even if she gave birth to the child, she would not be able to stay in the Xiao family, nor remain by his side...

...

The next morning, Shi Runrun woke in a daze. Her first reaction was to reach out to the bed beside her—empty, cold, and without warmth. This meant that after he made the phone call on the balcony last night, he had not returned to bed. Her heart involuntarily clenched, a sudden pain striking her. Shi Runrun sat up in bed, lowered her head, and her eyes grew moist.

The very first night, he had not held her as they fell asleep together...

Yet, no matter how low her spirits, she still had to attend her classes today. If she was absent and the teacher called roll, her participation grade would be deducted, affecting her final score.

Shi Runrun spent a long time upstairs tidying herself up, carefully icing her swollen eyes. Even so, when she went downstairs, the lingering redness around her eyes was spotted by her sharp-eyed grandmother.

At the dining table, Grandma Xiao reached out and took her hand, rubbing it gently as she asked, "Runrun, what's wrong? Your eyes are red—have you been crying?"

Shi Runrun didn’t want the elderly woman to worry about matters between herself and him, so she instinctively told a small lie: "No, Grandma, I just didn’t sleep well last night. I woke up this morning with tears for no reason."

Grandma Xiao replied with a skeptical "Oh," giving her a sidelong glance and showing concern, "If you’re ever bullied, remember to tell us, your grandfather and I will stand up for you!"

Though she didn’t mention his name, it was clear whom she meant.

Shi Runrun smiled and shook her head, cupping the seafood porridge that Mrs. Lin had specially prepared for her and bringing it to her lips. Perhaps because her mood was so low, no matter how delicious the breakfast, she had no appetite.

As she ate, Shi Runrun asked absentmindedly, "Grandma, where has Xiao Xuezheng gone?"

Grandma answered, "Xuezheng went to the neighboring city at five this morning. I heard there’s a project to discuss over there."

---

"Five o’clock? Didn’t he leave for the airport before dawn?" Grandma Xiao nodded, and only then did Shi Runrun realize that this must be the reason he hadn’t returned to bed last night. Had she wronged him?

But last night, she had clearly heard him say Zaizao...

For a moment, Shi Runrun wanted to ask her grandparents if they knew who Zaizao was. Yet, as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them back. She was now certain that Zaizao must be a woman of great importance to Xiao Xuezheng. Perhaps her grandparents knew, but if she pressed for answers, would it create embarrassment for both him and herself?

With these hesitant thoughts, Shi Runrun continued her breakfast, only to hear Grandma say, "Originally, Xuezheng was supposed to discuss that project yesterday afternoon, but your grandfather said he wanted to host your wedding. So Xuezheng decided to accompany you to pick out your wedding dress first, postponing the meeting to today. When he left this morning, he didn’t seem well."

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Shi Runrun felt uneasy, but in the end, she was worried about his health.

With Xiao Xuezheng away, after breakfast, she took the family car to school. When she was about a hundred meters from Beijing University, Shi Runrun asked the driver to stop. She feared that the luxury car at the school gate would attract undue attention and stir up her classmates.

But the driver insisted on dropping her at the gate, saying that the young master had specifically ordered him to see her into campus and take a photo to report back.

Hearing this, Shi Runrun felt a sudden warmth surge through her heart. He had previously insisted on picking her up every day, and even though he was on a business trip now, he had arranged for her school commute and told the driver to keep an eye on her.

Did this mean he cared for her, even if just a little...?

Could it be, not entirely because she was carrying his child...?

When this thought surfaced, Shi Runrun herself was taken aback. For a long while, a single question hovered in her mind.

When did she quietly, silently, begin to like Xiao Xuezheng?

During her first class, she received a message from him.

“Have you arrived safely at school? Focus on your studies, eat well at lunch, and come home as soon as class is over.”

Like a parental admonition, every word struck right into Shi Runrun’s heart.

She curled her lips into a smile and replied, “Got it. You didn’t rest last night—are you tired now?”

---

After sending that message, she started drafting another: “Xiao Xuezheng, can you tell me who Zaizao is?”

But before she hit send, she pursed her lips and deleted it, tossing it into the trash. After all this, she put her phone away, her mood neither beautiful nor bleak, and focused on her lessons.

...

Cen Huan returned to school after being discharged from the hospital today. Because she had been hospitalized, the teacher gave her an extra day for the assignments.

Naturally, someone like Cen Huan—just as academically challenged as Shi Runrun—would never complete those advanced math problems on her own. Shi Runrun lent her answer sheet to copy.

As Cen Huan wrote, she teased with a laugh, “Runrun, be honest—did you suddenly learn how to solve these problems by seducing your husband into tutoring you?!”

Shi Runrun blushed at her words and shyly patted her shoulder.

At noon, Mrs. Lin, as usual, brought the lunch prepared by Grandma herself—a nutritious meal for expectant mothers. Shi Runrun carried it, and together with Cen Huan, went to the cafeteria, finishing every bite.

Grandma’s chicken soup was as fragrant as ever, and Shi Runrun thought that if she kept being spoiled like this, she would surely gain a lot of weight!

There were only two classes in the afternoon, and after finishing, the family driver had not yet arrived to pick her up. Shi Runrun and Cen Huan strolled hand in hand to the accessory shop near campus.

Girls always love pretty little things. Shi Runrun browsed through the trinkets, spotting a hair clip she liked. She pinned it in her hair and admired herself in the mirror.

Across the street from the campus gate, a white Cayenne was parked. The window was lowered, and the afternoon sunlight spilled over the man in the driver’s seat, lending him an air of refined elegance.

He sat in the car without getting out, his dark eyes focused on the two girls in the accessory shop not far away.

One of them was his little wife.