How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 44

In the days that followed, the Cheng family called Bai Juntang more than a dozen times, trying to invite her to dinner to apologize. Every conversation was filled with attempts to curry favor, and they often brought up Cheng Wan and the baby in her belly. Yet, they hadn’t even called Cheng Wan more than once or twice.

Eventually, Bai Juntang got tired of dealing with the couple and simply blocked their numbers. Left with no other option, they started bothering Li Chen instead.

Li Chen, being the sharp and slippery person he was, had no trouble brushing them off. Bai Juntang had seen him more than once standing around with his phone, saying things like, “President Cheng, what are you saying? Ah, I’m on the construction site right now, the signal’s bad… hello? Hello?” Then he’d hang up.

For that, Bai Juntang added five thousand yuan to his quarterly bonus.

“Regarding last quarter’s sales report, sixty percent of our departments and branches hit their targets. The rest are catching up,” Li Chen reported as he stood by her desk. “Sales for our new summer product line have met expectations. There’s a business seminar tomorrow morning—you’ll need to prepare a short opening speech.”

Bai Juntang rested her head in her hand, struggling to stay awake. The 26-degree air conditioning made her feel sluggish, and she said flatly, “What business seminar? Why haven’t I heard about this before?”

“It was added yesterday afternoon. I spoke with you about it at the time,” Li Chen said. “The speech is already written. All you have to do is read it on stage. It’s mostly for appearances. You won’t actually need to do anything else.”

“That’s not going to work,” Bai Juntang said as she flipped through the calendar on her desk. Her schedule for the next few days was packed. “I already have plans for tomorrow morning. Can we push the meeting back or have someone else do it?”

Li Chen blinked. “What’s happening tomorrow, President Bai?”

Bai Juntang glanced at him and said, “Prenatal checkup.”

Li Chen: “…”

Very wisely, he put his tablet away and replied, “Then I’ll clear your schedule for tomorrow. Do you need a car arranged separately?”

“No need. It’s the weekend. You should rest,” Bai Juntang said with a rare smile. “I’ll go to the hospital with Cheng Wan.”

Li Chen looked at her glowing face and thought it was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

This was not the same Bai Juntang he used to know—the one who practically lived at the office. Now she was skipping work for a prenatal checkup?

Love really could change a person.

And when you added in a little bun that hadn’t even been born yet, the change was even bigger.

“Got it,” Li Chen said as he closed his tablet. “By the way, we have that business trip next week. Have you told Miss Cheng yet?”

Bai Juntang paused for a moment, then said, “I’ll talk to her about it later.”

That evening, after work, Bai Juntang sat in the car and called Cheng Wan to ask if she was done for the day.

At the time, Cheng Wan was sitting at a street food shop with Chang Le, chewing on spicy duck necks. She had just finished when she saw Bai Juntang’s call.

Chang Le was struggling with the spice, sticking out her tongue and gulping down iced cola, even letting out a burp.

“Mm-hmm, wait for me near the office entrance,” Cheng Wan said as she took off her gloves and held the phone to her ear. “Okay, I’ll head out now.”

After hanging up, Chang Le was still sniffling from the heat and asked curiously, “You’re not feeling the spice at all?”

“It’s spicy,” Cheng Wan smiled, “but I’ve always been good with spice. Lately I feel like I can handle even more.”

That was true. She used to be fine with medium spice, but now only extra spicy satisfied her.

Chang Le gave her a worried look and glanced at her belly. “I know pregnant women can eat what they’re craving as long as it’s safe, but you really shouldn’t go overboard. If you keep dragging me out for snacks like this, I’ll have to keep an eye on you.”

Cheng Wan didn’t argue. The two of them walked out of the shop.

After parting ways, Cheng Wan spotted Bai Juntang’s car parked by the curb and jogged over.

Through the rearview mirror, Bai Juntang saw Cheng Wan running toward her with a small bag in hand. Her brows furrowed, and she got out of the car just as Cheng Wan reached her.

“How many times have I told you not to run?” Bai Juntang said as she moved quickly to steady her. “What if you fall?”

Cheng Wan’s face was a little flushed from the running, and her lips were red. She smiled and said, “I wore sneakers today, and it was just a light jog. I’m fine.”

“You still shouldn’t run,” Bai Juntang said as she took her hand, repeating gently, “You’re five months in now. You might feel fine today, but later, even walking will get difficult.”

Feeling her hand being held, Cheng Wan’s heart sped up.

She knew she shouldn’t run, but when she saw Bai Juntang’s car, she just wanted to reach her as fast as possible. Her legs moved on their own.

She realized she was starting to rely more and more on Bai Juntang. Seeing her made her feel safe, like nothing in the world needed her attention anymore.

But deep down, Cheng Wan knew she couldn’t let herself feel this way. Their relationship had been clearly defined from the start.

Maybe Bai Juntang was just treating her kindly now, and it was making her lose sight of things. After all, Bai Juntang had always looked down on her.

In the car, Cheng Wan lowered her head to adjust the seatbelt. With her round belly, it looked like she had a watermelon stuffed under her shirt.

Bai Juntang reached over to help her adjust it and looked at her belly with concern. “Does it feel too tight?”

Cheng Wan shook her head and placed her hand gently on her belly. “No.”

Right after she said it, her entire body tensed.

Bai Juntang immediately noticed her expression and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”

Cheng Wan’s eyes widened. She stared down at her belly for a long time, then whispered, “It… it just kicked me.”

Bai Juntang: “???!”

It wasn’t just Bai Juntang who was startled—Cheng Wan was just as shocked. The little one in her belly had always been so quiet. Even when there was movement, it felt more like a goldfish blowing bubbles—soft and gentle. This was the first time it had kicked her so clearly and suddenly.

She reached out and placed her hand on the spot where the baby had just kicked—just near the side of her waist.

As soon as her hand touched that area, the baby seemed to respond. Cheng Wan felt a small, gentle bump against her palm through her belly.

It was such a magical feeling, and it was her first time experiencing it. She looked up at Bai Juntang, her eyes sparkling. “Do you want to feel it?”

Bai Juntang was a little nervous—more nervous than she had been in years. Her palms were starting to sweat, and her voice was low and serious. “Can I?”

“Of course,” Cheng Wan said, gently grabbing her wrist and guiding her hand to the same spot. “My coworkers have touched it before. They said as long as you don’t press or rub in circles, it’s fine.”

As soon as Bai Juntang’s hand touched the soft curve of Cheng Wan’s belly, she held her breath.

At five months, her belly felt soft and warm. Bai Juntang could even make out some faint shape beneath the skin. But after waiting for more than a minute, the little one inside stayed completely still.

Cheng Wan looked surprised. She blinked and said, “Maybe it’s resting. Next time it moves, I’ll let you feel it again?”

Bai Juntang, a little disappointed, pulled her hand back and sighed. “Alright, we’ll wait until next time.”

Just as she said that, Cheng Wan suddenly tensed again. She quickly grabbed Bai Juntang’s hand and placed it back on her belly, her voice excited. “It moved again!”

Bai Juntang immediately reached out again, but this time, no matter how long they waited, there was no movement.

Cheng Wan looked helpless and a little embarrassed. “It really did move just now.”

Bai Juntang withdrew her hand, staring at Cheng Wan’s belly thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s a bloodline thing. It stops moving whenever I touch it.”

Cheng Wan opened her mouth to say something, then froze again. This time, she didn’t even try to let Bai Juntang touch. She just hugged her belly gently and sat back down, mumbling, “Maybe… maybe it’s afraid of you…”

Right when Bai Juntang had been touching her belly, the baby went completely still. Now that she was driving, it was suddenly bouncing around like it was playing. One moment kicking, the next nudging.

Although Bai Juntang really wanted to feel the baby again, she didn’t push. There would be plenty of chances once it grew bigger.

The baby was active the whole ride home. Cheng Wan kept staring at her belly, and it wasn’t until Bai Juntang reminded her that she finally unbuckled and got out of the car.

Once they were back home, Cheng Wan excitedly told Aunt Pei about the experience—though she left out the “bloodline suppression” part. Aunt Pei was thrilled and immediately wanted to feel it too.

Gua Zi, their cat, kept trying to squeeze into the space between them, stretching up toward Cheng Wan’s belly, until Bai Juntang finally scooped it up and distracted it with freeze-dried treats.

That evening, Aunt Pei cooked all of Cheng Wan’s favorite dishes and even added a few extra chili peppers for flavor.

“Tomorrow’s prenatal checkup is already booked. It’s still with Dr. Huang,” Bai Juntang said as she sat beside Cheng Wan, who had her hair tied up in a bun. Her eyes couldn’t help but linger on Cheng Wan’s slender neck. Ever since Cheng Wan stopped wearing scent blockers, Bai Juntang found herself wanting to be closer to her all the time.

She didn’t know if it was just the pheromones or something deeper.

Cheng Wan, unaware of the gaze, took a bite of fish and nodded. “Okay. What time are we going?”

“Whenever you wake up,” Bai Juntang replied casually. “It’s the weekend. No need to rush.”

Cheng Wan picked up another piece of fish, this time dipping it into the bright red chili oil. She even ate half a bowl more rice than usual.

The next morning, Cheng Wan didn’t sleep in. She was up by a little after seven. Wanting to get it over with early, she figured that by the time they finished around noon, they’d have the rest of the day free.

Bai Juntang carried the small folder with Cheng Wan’s medical records and told Aunt Pei they’d eat lunch out. Then she led Cheng Wan down to the garage.

They spent the entire morning at the hospital. The checkup involved multiple tests and definitely wasn’t easy. Dr. Huang, as usual, was considerate and even stayed in the exam room during the ultrasound.

“Looking good. The mother’s in great shape,” Dr. Huang said with a smile as she looked at Cheng Wan lying on the bed. “We’ll weigh you next. I’m guessing you’ve gained at least ten pounds.”

Cheng Wan nodded. She knew she’d put on weight, though she hadn’t kept track of exactly how much.

The technician moved the probe slowly across her belly and commented, “The baby looks great too. Look at that little face—so cute already.”

Dr. Huang leaned in to take a closer look. Her eyes curved with a smile, but after a few seconds, she let out a thoughtful sound and turned to Bai Juntang, who was sitting nearby.

“Would you like to know the baby’s gender?”

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