* * *
‘The Co-habitation Era’ is a reality show that Zhang Ciqiu had been planning for over six months. From the game content to the apartment location, he made sure everything was perfect.
The preparations were already more than thorough, and now, with four sets of guests he was satisfied with, Zhang Ciqiu couldn’t wait to see his project come to life.
The schedules for the other three guest sets had already been confirmed.
As for Zhong Ce and Cheng Susu, there shouldn’t be any major issues either.
The only thing left to do before filming started was to take promotional photos.
These photos would be used on the official Weibo account to attract fans’ attention.
However, Zhang Ciqiu had only notified the other three sets of guests. He had accidentally forgotten about informing his boss and the boss’s wife during the initial negotiations.
It wasn’t until now that he suddenly remembered. Frustrated, Zhang Ciqiu slapped his thigh and rushed to the top floor of the building. “Quick, quick, I need to find the boss!”
Actually, there was no need to hurry.
He could have just waited for the notice about when to take the photos.
But since it was his direct superior, it seemed more sincere if he went in person.
Gao Peng, from the secretarial office, wore a cold expression and was indifferent to his urging.
“Come on, hurry up,” Zhang Ciqiu said more urgently.
He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “With Gao Peng’s efficiency, how did he get promoted?”
Gao Peng, of course, had no idea what Zhang Ciqiu was thinking. He raised his leg, lifted his chin, and looked at the person across from him with sincere eyes. After a moment, he shrugged helplessly. “Sorry, but Mr. Zhong isn’t here.”
“…”
Zhang Ciqiu paused for two seconds, then quickly asked, “When do you think the boss will be back?”
“Probably not anytime soon.”
Gao Peng’s eyes glimmered with a smile. He was thinking of going back to his hometown to catch a hen, but this time, he definitely couldn’t let the hen get in front of the boss’s wife. “Director Zhang, if you have something to say, you can tell me. When Mr. Zhong returns, I’ll pass it on.”
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you.”
Zhang Ciqiu relayed the message to Gao Peng, asking him to make sure to pass it along.
Gao Peng knew Zhong Ce’s schedule very well, including the fact that Zhong Ce was going to participate in a variety show next month. After hearing Zhang Ciqiu’s words, he instinctively pursed his lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn’t resist leaning in to softly remind him, “You’d better be good to the boss’s wife on the show.”
“Don’t let her do any dangerous or stimulating games.”
Gao Peng wasn’t in a position to say this directly. As a secretary, the most important thing was to keep quiet about the boss’s affairs.
So, he gave Zhang Ciqiu’s shoulder a few hearty pats, raising his eyebrows and giving him a subtle hint.
That morning, Gao Peng had gone to the villa to pick up Zhong Ce and Cheng Susu.
He had woken up early and arrived much earlier than usual.
He had parked the car right outside the door when he suddenly received a call from the boss, telling him not to come that day because they needed to go to the hospital.
He had, of course, followed the instructions, but just as he was about to reverse the car, he saw the boss and his wife coming out of the villa. The boss had a serious expression, furrowing his brow with concern, while the boss’s wife looked delicate and graceful, occasionally glancing down at her flat stomach.
The car window wasn’t fully rolled up, leaving a small gap.
For some reason, Gao Peng’s hearing was unusually sharp at that moment.
He clearly heard the boss’s wife, in a shy voice, saying, “I want a daughter.”
There was no mistaking it.
It was good news!
But, if it was really as he suspected, would the boss and his wife still participate in Zhang Ciqiu’s show?
At this thought, Gao Peng couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Zhang Ciqiu.
He felt that Zhang Ciqiu might be facing the situation where the “cooked duck flew away.”
Such a shame, a real shame. It was pitiful.
Gao Peng shook his head in regret. “Sigh.”
After a pause, he returned to the matter at hand with a sense of responsibility. “You want to take the promotional photos, right? Don’t worry, I’ll tell Mr. Zhong.”
Zhong Ce’s mood was complicated and delicate.
Sitting on a bench in the hospital corridor, holding the test results, he could still hear the doctor’s words echoing in his ears.
“Congratulations to both of you.”
“Be extra careful in the early stages of pregnancy.”
“The expectant mother’s health is excellent, and there’s no need for you to worry too much.”
In short, he was really… pregnant.
Zhong Ce felt as though his soul had completely left his body. He was dazed, his face and eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.
Just this morning, he had thought it was unlikely. He even joked with Cheng Susu, but now the truth was right in front of him, and it was too real. He couldn’t even speak.
He touched his belly, feeling the small life inside.
It took a while for him to come back to his senses.
He was going to be a father.
For the first time, a father.
And also, for the first time, a mother.
Zhong Ce: “…”
After leaving the hospital, Zhong Ce drove home.
“What should we do now?” Cheng Susu asked from the passenger seat, glancing at him.
They were both stunned by the reality of the situation. Their brains had frozen, and it wasn’t until now that they had been rebooted.
She had only casually mentioned it before, just suggesting a possibility.
Who would have thought it would become a reality?
Cheng Susu felt a mix of emotions in her heart—full of bitterness, sweetness, and a bit of everything.
It was her body, the one carrying the baby that was connected to her by blood, small as a fist, maybe just a tiny sprout.
It was all so magical. Even though she couldn’t physically feel the little sprout in her belly yet, she couldn’t help but tear up. And then, a part of her heart collapsed, soft and messy.
A woman’s soul made her sentimental, but maybe because she had the body of a man, the man’s body urged her to cling to rationality despite the sentimentality.
It probably had something to do with her parents, Cheng’s father and mother.
This bond, which should be the closest between parents and children, made her subconsciously feel the desire to resist and distance herself when her mind cleared up.
Like a spark, once it was lit, it was enough to set everything on fire.
Her marriage with Zhong Ce had no emotional foundation.
And the uncertainty of the future made her feel uneasy.
Furthermore, the thought of divorce, born out of her anxiety, hadn’t disappeared. Though she hesitated when hearing the pregnancy news, her rational side had now returned, and the conflicting feelings came rushing back.
If they divorced for some reason, what would happen to the child?
“What should we do?”
Zhong Ce’s ability to bounce back was truly remarkable.
* * *
