Ex-Wife, Please Respect Yourself! - Chapter 1

Ding-dong.

A unique notification sound chimed from the phone.

A slender, fair hand picked up the device from the desk and swiped to unlock the screen.

[Your contact “Ex-Wife” has sent you a message]

A finger, adorned with pale pink nail polish, lightly tapped the screen.

Ex-Wife: Nono misses you. Do you want to come back and see her?

Cheng Luo gripped the phone tighter and turned to look at her assistant, who was busy packing luggage nearby. “Do I have any gaps in my schedule recently?”

“Sister, you are very busy lately. We have a magazine shoot this afternoon, an interview tomorrow, and the day after that, we fly to B City to start filming.” The assistant had already confirmed these tasks with her; they certainly could not be canceled at the last minute.

The woman thought for a moment. “After the magazine shoot today, you do not need to pick me up. I will go back to see Nono myself. I have not seen her in several months.”

Knowing she visited periodically, the assistant reminded her, “Sister, do not forget to bring the gift you bought abroad last time. Nono will definitely be very happy.”

Thinking of that innocent little face, the woman’s heart filled with happiness, and a tender smile unconsciously graced her lips.

Usually, a shoot would finish in an afternoon at most. However, one of the models struggled to get into character, causing the shoot to drag on repeatedly. It was not until nightfall that they finally finished.

Without even removing her makeup, Cheng Luo drove a low-profile black sedan, speeding all the way home to make it before her daughter went to bed.

The security guards in the neighborhood recognized her car and greeted her. “Mrs. Zhai, we have not seen you in a while.”

Hearing that title made Cheng Luo’s entire body stiffen. She gave a hurried nod and sped away. She skillfully drove into the garage, only to notice another car, a silver-grey one, standing quietly in the shadows beside her.

“Madam, you are finally back! The young lady has been fussing and refusing to sleep because she wanted to see you.” Nanny Liu looked at Cheng Luo as if she were a savior.

“Nanny Liu, just call me by my name,” Cheng Luo said while changing her shoes at the entrance.

“Would you like some supper? I will go make some now; you have not been here in so long.”

“No thanks, Nanny Liu, I am on a diet. I am going up to see Nono.” With that, she walked briskly toward the second floor.

Nanny Liu looked at Cheng Luo’s thin back with eyes full of heartache. She did not need a diet; she looked almost unhealthy.

Cheng Luo stopped in front of the door, hearing familiar voices from inside.

“Nono, just one more story and then we go to sleep, okay?”

“No, no! Mommy said she would come back today!”

“Mommy is busy. She will be back by the time you fall asleep.”

“You are lying!”

With a click, the door opened. Cheng Luo looked at the two figures on the bed, one large and one small, with matching features. For a moment, she was dazed; this was the scene she had dreamed of long ago. But now that it was a reality, things were already different.

“Mommy!” The little girl threw herself into Cheng Luo’s arms. After weeks of only seeing her through a screen, Nono gripped her tightly, afraid that if she let go, her mother would disappear.

Cheng Luo kissed her chubby cheeks repeatedly. “Nono seems to have grown a bit more.”

“I eat all my meals properly every day!” The little one proudly patted her stomach.

“So good!” Cheng Luo adored her so much she did not want to let go.

The person who had been silent in the background suddenly reached out. “Nono, come here. Let Mommy go take a shower.”

Nono blinked her large, round eyes, looking back and forth between the two adults. Finally, she reluctantly left her mother’s embrace. “Hurry up, Mommy!”

Cheng Luo went straight to the bathroom. The warm water poured over her, washing away the exhaustion of a day’s work and bringing a wave of sleepiness.

After washing, she realized she had forgotten to bring her pajamas. She listened closely; there was no more talking outside. Feeling safe, she called out, “Nono, help Mommy grab my pajamas, I forgot them.”

She heard the sound of a closet door opening. Thinking it was her daughter, she was about to offer praise when a clear, transparent female voice asked, “Is the white set okay?”

Cheng Luo choked for a moment. “Fine.”

Through the frosted glass door, she saw a shadow stop in front of her. Cheng Luo quickly grabbed a towel to cover herself. She opened the door just a crack, barely enough for a hand, snatched the clothes, and slammed it shut.

Honestly, we already have a child together, what is there to be embarrassed about?

Cheng Luo patted her face, unsure if the redness was from the steam or something else. Only after her temperature dropped did she dare open the door.

That person was gone. Only Nono was left lying on the bed. Cheng Luo felt a sense of relief, but also a faint, imperceptible pang in her heart.

She climbed into bed gently and pulled her daughter close. “Sleep now. Mommy is staying with you.”

At five in the morning, before the sun had even risen, the bedroom was dim. A slight movement stirred under the covers.

As soon as Cheng Luo moved, Nono began to fuss, wanting to wake up too. But it was far too early. Cheng Luo could only coax her. “Sleep a little longer, baby. Mommy has to go to work. I will come back tonight.”

Nono had not slept enough and could not even open her eyes, but she felt her usual anxiety at the departure. “Really?”

“Really, I promise. Go back to sleep.” Cheng Luo comforted her softly for a while longer until the child drifted off.

Wearing her fluffy rabbit slippers, she headed downstairs, her footsteps making no sound on the thick carpet. The nanny was not up yet; the villa was silent. She quietly headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.

She jumped in surprise when she entered. A woman wearing a white shirt and black lounge pants, with shoulder-length hair, stood with her back turned.

Cheng Luo gasped. Hearing the sound, the woman turned around. Her face held its perennial expression of calm. She said faintly, “Up so early.”

Cheng Luo exhaled secretly. Thank goodness it is my ex-wife, not a ghost.

Cheng Luo nodded, searching for small talk. “Ha, you are up early too.”

“I came for water.”

Cheng Luo figured as much. This person was like a robot: waking up at 7:00 AM every day without fail, jogging for forty minutes, then spending twenty minutes on breakfast, a sandwich and a glass of milk, before leaving for work at exactly 8:00 AM.

The daily margin of error was less than five minutes. Back then, Cheng Luo would act spoiled, wrapping her arms around the woman’s neck to keep her from leaving. But the woman would only firmly pry her arms away, either handing the daughter to her or telling her to find something to do rather than being clingy all day.

At the time, Cheng Luo did not hear the indifference in her tone. Instead, she happily assumed she was just bad at expressing love. It was only later, upon waking up from the dream, that she realized it was all one-sided wishful thinking.

Cheng Luo was lost in her memories until a warm sensation on her hand brought her back. A glass was being handed to her.

“Here. It is warm water.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Cheng Luo took it blankly. She did not expect the other woman to remember her habit of drinking warm water in the morning. Or maybe it is just a coincidence, she made an excuse for her.

But a second later, that excuse fell apart.

“There is cake in the fridge that Nono bought for you yesterday. It is from your favorite shop. Eat it for breakfast.”

“By the way, it is low-calorie. You can eat it.”

“…”

See? Some people clearly remember every one of your habits, yet they always pretend not to when you are together, or perhaps they simply do not care.

Cheng Luo finished the cake quickly, put on yesterday’s clothes, and left in a whirlwind.

At 8:00 AM, before leaving for work, Zhai Qing woke her daughter from her slumber. The soft little person leaned against her ear and asked sleepily, “Is Mommy coming back?”

Zhai Qing looked at the pajamas Cheng Luo had worn last night, now scattered on the bed. She kissed her daughter’s face and promised, “She definitely will.”

“As everyone knows, our Cheng Luo shot to fame two years ago playing the lead’s sister in In the Clouds and Rain, earning the title of National Little Sister. Tell us, Teacher Cheng, as a newcomer back then, how did you deliver such a great performance?”

Cheng Luo wore a white dress, her hair neatly tied back to reveal her slender, white swan-like neck. She looked pure and elegant. Hearing the host’s words, she lowered her head with an embarrassed smile.

“Perhaps it was because a newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger. Also, thanks to Director Liu Jin and my fellow actors for their guidance, we were able to present a good result.”

“So modest!” the host teased. “I heard you will be starring in Director Liu Jin’s new work, In the Wind and Forest. Will you be playing the lead this time?”

“Yes, this is a new story told from the sister’s perspective. I hope everyone can support it.”

The conversation continued through several pre-planned questions. Just as Cheng Luo thought it was over, the host asked one more.

“Can we ask about your relationship status? What is your ideal type, and do you have any plans to start a romance recently? Please answer truthfully!” The host could not help but smile; after all, everyone loves gossip.

Cheng Luo did not panic; it was not the first time she had been asked.

“I am currently single. My ideal type, someone gentle, I suppose. Someone who is considerate and can take care of people. I do not have plans for a relationship recently; since I am about to start filming, my focus is on my career.”

“Wow, a flawless answer! Well, you know our show has a tradition, randomly selecting a listener’s question for you to answer.”

Cheng Luo nodded. The question was completely random; she had no idea what would be asked.

Beep, beep.

The phone rang a few times before being picked up. An excited female voice came through.

“Wow! Goddess, I am your fan! I am so excited!”

The host intervened timely. “Okay, let us have this fan calm down. Have you thought of a question for Cheng Luo?”

“I have!” The female voice on the other end took a few deep breaths and then asked, “Goddess, do you like the recent tech star, Zhai Qing, the CEO of Qingfeng Technology?”

The smile on Cheng Luo’s face froze instantly.

The voice on the phone kept prattling on. “You are both my idols! I really wish you knew each other! One gentle, one cold. Goddess, have you not answered my question?”

After being called twice by the host, Cheng Luo finally snapped back to reality, remembering this was a live broadcast. She forced a smile and said, “Ha, I do not really know her. I cannot say whether I like her or not.”

21st Floor, Qingfeng Technology, CEO’s Office.

“Boss, I have sent someone to ask.” The assistant saw that her boss’s computer screen was still stuck on the interface showing the Boss’s Wife. She felt a second of pity for her boss.

Zhai Qing waved her hand, signaling her to leave.

“Mama, Mommy said she does not know you and cannot say whether she likes you or not.” Nono sat in her special small seat, looking at her expressionless mother. “Can you really chase Mommy back?”

Zhai Qing looked down to see her daughter’s face full of distrust. She took the tablet and used cartoons to block the girl’s view, falling into her own thoughts.

Can I still win her back?