Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 46

The three of them returned home early. When they stepped out of the car, the sky was still bright. In the early days of spring, the daylight hours were quietly reclaiming territory from the night; the horizon was painted with streaks of vivid rosy clouds against an endless tapestry of blue and white.

“You’re back so early,” the nanny noted. “Dinner isn’t ready yet.”

“Then we’ll play outside for a while,” Jian Chun said, holding Niannian’s small hand. She led the skipping child into the house, tossing their bags onto the sofa. “Niannian, how about Mama takes you for a bike ride?”

Niannian’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement.

Jian Chun turned to look at Yu Siyi, but the other woman said nothing. She had already removed her hat, allowing her long, soft hair to spill out. She picked up their bags and headed upstairs, leaving Jian Chun with only the view of her receding back.

Jian Chun pursed her lips and took Niannian to the storage room to “hunt for treasure.” They pushed out a dusty pink bicycle. Jian Chun fetched a bucket of water and a towel, scrubbing the frame until the layer of grime vanished and the bike looked brand new again.

After washing the bike and pumping the tires, Jian Chun waited for the seat to dry before testing it out herself. Being far too tall for the little bike, she had to scrunch her body into a ball to peddle. As she coasted along, she heard Niannian clapping and cheering behind her.

As she made a turn, Jian Chun called out, “Niannian, stand to the side!”

Niannian obeyed. Jian Chun hit the brakes and looked back, only to see Yu Siyi standing on the steps of the main entrance. Flanked by white carved stone pillars, Yu Siyi stood in the center, her long hair draped softly over her front. Her features, a blend of classical beauty and cold elegance, seemed to melt into the retro European aesthetics of the estate.

Jian Chun rode back and circled around her. “Want to try?”

“No,” Yu Siyi said, a slight curve at the corners of her mouth. It was a habit of her profession—polite yet cool, elegant yet distant.

Jian Chun acted as if she didn’t care and signaled to Niannian. “Niannian, come here.”

“You hold the bike steady, I’ll lift her on,” Jian Chun instructed Yu Siyi, not looking at her.

Yu Siyi followed the command perfectly. As Jian Chun leaned over, she stole a glance. Yu Siyi’s expression was relaxed; her fair, slender hands held the handlebars and the seat firmly. She’s actually being this obedient? Jian Chun wondered.

A Quiet Evening

They played in the yard for a long time. Jian Chun was exhausted—the bike was too low, and she couldn’t adjust the seat—but Niannian was having the time of her life, clutching Jian Chun’s clothes and giggling as the wind brushed past.

As night fell, the nanny called them for dinner.

The meal was sumptuous. Niannian was learning to use chopsticks; though she wasn’t very good at it yet and food often slipped away, she persisted. Whenever an adult helped her reach a dish, she would politely say, “Thank you.”

Jian Chun noticed that Yu Siyi seemed to prefer sweet flavors tonight, reaching several times for the sweet and sour pork ribs. The atmosphere was lukewarm. Usually, Yu Siyi would serve food onto Jian Chun’s plate, but tonight, she didn’t.

After dinner, Jian Chun headed to her desk. Despite skipping her proctoring duties, she couldn’t slack off. She had new lesson plans to prepare and Yu Siyi’s notes to review. She spent several hours breaking down complex middle school concepts into simple, digestible points.

Stretching her back, Jian Chun saw Yu Siyi emerge from the bathroom in a bathrobe, her fair, straight calves and snow-white ankles peeking out. Yu Siyi began packing her clothes in the walk-in closet.

“Where are you going?” Jian Chun asked, straightening up.

Yu Siyi turned and blinked. “I’m going to sleep in the guest room.”

Jian Chun hesitated. The bed was massive, and the spring nights could still be chilly. “Uh… why don’t we sleep together?”

It was a peace offering, a way to make up for the tension.

Yu Siyi smiled. “Don’t force yourself.”

“I’m not. It’s just sleeping…” Jian Chun waved it off, though she did feel a slight bit of unease sharing a bed with a woman whose intentions she couldn’t read. Yet, that unease was balanced by a strange sense of security. The house was too big, and Jian Chun, like Niannian, was secretly afraid of the dark.

“Alright then,” Yu Siyi said, putting her clothes back.

The Hidden Currents

They lay in the large bed, separated by an invisible boundary.

“It’s late. Are you still working?” Jian Chun asked, seeing Yu Siyi on her phone.

“Yes, I just received an interesting script,” Yu Siyi replied.

“Oh. Then… get some rest?”

“You go to sleep first,” Yu Siyi said, her voice soothing. “I won’t cross the line. You can sleep peacefully.”

Jian Chun drifted off quickly, her mind full of biology points and resolutions to be a better mother.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the garden the next day, Yu Siyi took a private phone call.

“How is the situation with Feng Xue?” Yu Siyi asked coldly.

“Boss… it’s strange,” the man on the other end reported. “The people we sent keep failing. They say that when they get close to Feng Xue, they suddenly feel like they like her too much to do anything against her.”

Yu Siyi clicked her tongue in annoyance. “Who are her prominent admirers?”

“Many… a mafia heir and his brother from abroad are fighting over her. A business tycoon is divorcing his wife for her. And… Ling Zheng, the eldest daughter of the Ling Corporation.”

“I see,” Yu Siyi said before hanging up.

The Departure

Monday morning arrived. Yu Siyi had an early flight to the film set.

Jian Chun woke up to the sound of water in the bathroom. When Yu Siyi emerged, her makeup was already light and exquisite, looking like a goddess stepping out of the shadows.

“Can’t sleep? Are you unhappy?” Yu Siyi sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes filled with a shallow smile.

“You’re leaving today,” Jian Chun said, rubbing her eyes. “I can’t take you to the airport, but I can at least say goodbye.”

Yu Siyi leaned down and gave Jian Chun a warm, soft embrace—one devoid of lust, yet deeply intimate.

“I won’t lie to you,” Yu Siyi whispered into her ear, her voice a spellbinding murmur. “Everything will happen just as you wish. Go back to sleep.