To Marry My Little Chestnut - Chapter 11

Yu Yan’s mind was in a complete daze. When the shop owner served the grilled crème brûlée, she even specifically added two freshly made strawberry tanghulu skewers.

Previously, Yu Yan had always thought this shop was incredibly cheap; every time he ate his fill, the bill never exceeded fifty yuan!

He and Zheng Tingyang had not merged their finances after marriage. The flower shop paid him 3,500 yuan a month. Since he no longer needed to worry about daily expenses or rent, his personal savings had quickly climbed into the five-figure range. Because of this, he had grandly declared to Xiang Qian today that he should eat as much as he wanted as it was his treat.

“That Rolls-Royce has been parked across the street for a long time. It has been there since you walked in,” Xiang Qian remarked. He loved cars and liked to pay attention to them.

Yu Yan bit into a strawberry skewer and listened to the shop owner. “Oh? He really did not tell you? Xiao Zheng deposited money here a long time ago. He said your ingredients must be fresh and clean. He mentioned he cannot eat spicy food himself, so he waits for you across the street every time. Did you not know?”

Yu Yan thought to himself, “I really did not know!”

He had thought he was hiding it so well, eating until his little belly was nearly bursting every time before calling it quits. It turned out the man had discovered it long ago and had been waiting across the street for him to finish.

Yu Yan recalled that every time he had a prenatal check-up, Zheng Tingyang would take the day off to have meetings at home, only to show up at the hospital in the afternoon to pick him up. Was he actually following behind him the whole time, not wanting to disturb his private world?

If it had not been for the heavy snow today, he would still have failed to notice the figure following him. He had been like a little mouse stealing oil, forgetting to even wipe his mouth.

Xiang Qian was speechless. In Xiang Qian’s descriptions, Zheng Tingyang was a meticulous boss in a suit, a serious man who frequented work settings and treated subordinates sternly. The man’s eyes were like blades that could steal the air from a room; they were full of pressure, with not a trace of tenderness.

Yu Yan did not believe it. In his eyes, Zheng Tingyang was gentle, kind, a responsible father, and a good husband willing to provide for a destitute wife. He was certainly not the Rakshasa or King of Hell Xiang Qian described.

Knowing someone was waiting outside, Yu Yan did not chat much longer with Xiang Qian. He sent a message saying he was finished, put on his down jacket, and held a skewer of sugar-coated strawberries to bring out for Tingyang.

This down jacket was a size larger than what he usually wore. A perfectly fitted jacket would pinch his belly when he sat down. While a larger one did not pinch, the sleeves were too long. His frame was small, and he ended up buried in the oversized garment. Sitting in the shop, he looked like a child waiting for a parent to pick him up.

The parent soon got out of the car to fetch him. Even though the walk to the car took less than a minute, Zheng Tingyang still wrapped the scarf tightly around him.

“Do you want milk tea? Brown sugar boba?”

Yu Yan handed him the tanghulu, struggling to stretch his neck out from the high collar. “I do.”

Zheng Tingyang chuckled softly, took the strawberries, and held the milk tea for him to drink. “The results from the check-up should be out. After we check, we will go to the supermarket to help you digest.”

“Okay!” Yu Yan had originally felt quite awkward, calculating how to explain his secret eating, but now that he had been given an out, he wanted nothing more than to roll straight into Zheng Tingyang’s arms. “The strawberries are for you. They are delicious.”

Zheng Tingyang naturally lowered his head to take a bite, rubbed Yu Yan’s face, and readjusted his hat. Everything was done with fluid grace. He even knelt down to wipe a bit of slush off Yu Yan’s small cotton boots.

Xiang Qian was shocked. One had to understand that the Zheng Tingyang he saw at the banquet last week was surrounded by crowds. He was someone whom countless people rushed to toast, yet he would not deign to spare them a single glance. For a moment, Xiang Qian pinched his own thigh to make sure he was not seeing things.

Zheng Tingyang, while organizing Yu Yan’s prenatal documents into a folder, said, “Is Director Xiang doing foreign trade lately?”

The Xiang family was originally a small company in Haicheng, selling local seafood domestically. With the domestic market saturated and the rise of shopping applications, physical businesses had taken a hit, and many companies were looking into exports. To export, one needed the port. In Haicheng, Zheng Tingyang had the final say on the port.

Xiang Qian stammered, “Yes. My dad does not have much experience; he is still learning.”

“Xiao Yu does not have many friends. I am very grateful that you can accompany him to chat and relax,” Zheng Tingyang said. “If Director Xiang is free next Wednesday, I will visit your company to discuss cooperation.”

Xiang Qian took several seconds to react. “What?”

The number of bosses in Haicheng who wanted to invite Zheng Tingyang to dinner could probably form several platoons along the coast.

“Go pay the bill,” Zheng Tingyang whispered, pinching Yu Yan’s face.

Yu Yan took out his wallet, deciding to pack another crème brûlée for Zheng Tingyang; he knew his husband liked sweets. Zheng Tingyang said a warm thank you, his eyes smiling as he watched the little fluffy penguin waddle toward the checkout counter to proudly buy another bowl with his own money.

“He is far along in his pregnancy, and it is lonely to eat alone. Accompany him more in the future. I hope Young Master Xiang can put in a few good words for me and not throw cold water on him. Happy cooperating?”

Xiang Qian felt a cold sweat. Zheng Tingyang’s smile from his superior height deepened. His eyes were like an unfathomable abyss; they were smiling yet cold. Xiang Qian felt guilty; after all, he really had been badmouthing the man at the table just now! Did this guy have a listening device planted?

Xiang Qian swallowed hard. He knew clearly that the happy cooperation did not just mean eating with Yu Yan. Only by promising to say good things could the Xiang family cooperate with him. This was a blatant threat! How could he possibly refuse? He reached out his hand. “Happy cooperating.”

“I am actually a pretty good person, right?” Zheng Tingyang curled his lips, looking toward Yu Yan with the smugness of a victor.

Xiang Qian realized the question was directed at him and said sheepishly, “Yes, quite good.”

“That is good then.”

“Tingyang, this is for you. I think the owner’s skill has improved. I will make it for you when we get home,” Yu Yan said, walking back from the counter.

Zheng Tingyang took the small bag and naturally held his hand. “Alright, I will help you. Xiang Qian just said that since I do not have time to accompany you to check-ups, I am an unqualified husband, so he will have to accompany you more. I am too busy, I am sorry.”

Xiang Qian was confused.

Yu Yan said, “See, I told you he was great! Xiao Qian, we are leaving now! Goodbye!”

Small hand in large hand, the shop’s wind chimes rang as they left. Xiang Qian stood dazed for several seconds before realizing what had happened. However, he had truly experienced what it felt like for one man to find the way and his whole family to ascend. He had not expected the business deal his father had been worrying over for weeks to be solved so easily. This Zheng Tingyang was clearly an old fox with a thousand years of cultivation. How could his Little Fish ever hold his own against a guy like this? He felt quite troubled.

At the hospital, Yu Yan sat on a chair and took two sips of his milk tea. When the nurse delivered the results, the attending physician adjusted his glasses and looked at them for a few seconds.

“After the pregnancy-induced heat, the reproductive chamber has not been opened? Did your partner not help you?” the doctor asked. “The pheromone levels are too high. Even if the father is a Beta, auxiliary measures are needed during pregnancy. A male Omega’s reproductive chamber is relatively small; it is best to open it and do some exercise during pregnancy to help with development and expansion. Is your partner incompetent? I see here that you have tried to open it yourself? The outer edge is a bit swollen. If you do not know how to do it, I do not recommend it. Without experience, both the angle and the effect will not be very good. If you need to alleviate pregnancy discomfort, the hospital has Alpha volunteers. If you need…”

“No, no, no! That will not be necessary!” Yu Yan’s face turned bright red from his collarbone to his ears. “We… we…”

“He is quite afraid of pain.” Zheng Tingyang’s brow furrowed slightly, regretting that he had not covered Yu Yan’s ears earlier. “Xiao Yu, wait for me outside.”

Turning back to the doctor, he said, “Call your hospital director over.”

Support To Marry My Little Chestnut