"Brother Li, do you dislike Sister Xu?"
"It’s not that I dislike her, but being with her doesn’t give me the same feeling as being with you, so right now, I’m really troubled."
Su Yiyi didn’t need to hear anything more. With a sweet smile, she said, "Brother Li, no matter what you do, I’ll support you." Then she nestled her face into Li Yifei’s chest, her heart filled with nothing but sweetness.
The next morning, Li Yifei dropped off the clingy Su Yiyi back at her school. On the way, he received a call from Xu Yingying asking him to pick her up and take her to the company.
Li Yifei had no choice but to drive to Xu Yingying’s apartment complex. She was waiting for him at the gate, got into the car as soon as he pulled up.
This time, Xu Yingying was once again the image of efficiency and sharpness, her hair was done up into a bun and she was in a professional suit. She seemed to betray no signs of the exhaustion and helplessness of the last two days, but Li Yifei could still see a hint of anxiety in her eyes.
"Why did you leave yesterday?" Xu Yingying asked as soon as she got into the car, turning to look at Li Yifei.
Li Yifei felt a bit unsteady under Xu Yingying’s gaze and said, "I saw you were sleeping deeply yesterday, so I went home."
With an indisputable tone, Xu Yingying said, "You’re my husband now, how can you not be living with me? Today you’re going to cancel the lease on that room and move in with me."
Li Yifei’s mouth twitched and he said, "There’s no need for that, I like my place, and I’m used to living there."
"Fine, if you won’t move in with me, I’ll move in with you. Although your place is smaller, as long as there’s a bedroom, it’s enough."
Li Yifei smiled bitterly and said, "Yingying, can you give me some time to adjust? Right now, I really don’t feel like I’m married."
"No, you’ve already promised my mother to have a child. If we’re not living together, how am I supposed to get pregnant?"
Li Yifei took a deep breath, met Xu Yingying’s gaze, and said slowly, "Yingying, I hope you won’t pressure me. Having a child is a big deal—it’s a life, not a tool. We can understand mother’s wish, but we must also be responsible for our future child. Think about it, if you were born because of some purpose and were not genuinely wanted by your parents, how would you feel? Moreover, what if we’re not ready and have a child with health issues? Wouldn’t we feel guilty towards that child for the rest of our lives?"
Xu Yingying looked into Li Yifei’s eyes and saw an unwavering determination that she had never seen before. He had always been easy-going, but on this matter, she felt an unyielding resolve from him.
"What about my mother, though? What if she gets upset about me not getting pregnant and her condition worsens?"
"I’ll talk to her about this, I promise to keep her from getting upset or worried. What do you say?"
"Really? Can you manage that?"
"Trust me, there’s nothing I, Li Yifei, promise that I can’t do."
Xu Yingying looked him in the eye once more, and finally, she nodded, saying, "Alright, if you can’t do it, then you have to get me pregnant."
"No problem," Li Yifei agreed readily and started the car.
They arrived at the company parking garage, where Li Yifei turned off the engine, but Xu Yingying didn’t get out immediately. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, "Yifei, I’m sorry, there’s something else I need to discuss with you."
"It’s , I don’t want people in the company to know we’re married. If everyone knows about our relationship, it will affect their perception of you and also affect some work efficiency and attitudes. I don’t want them to say that the company is our husband-and-wife’s shop."
Li Yifei readily replied, "No problem, as long as you don’t say anything, I won’t either."
Xu Yingying sighed with relief and said, "Alright, let’s go."
As they entered the company, the employees greeted them, but there was still a hint of something strange in their gazes. Xu Yingying’s hasty departure the other day and her tears had already sparked much gossip.
However, Xu Yingying and Li Yifei were as yet unaware of this.
After reaching the office, Xu Yingying immediately discussed company matters with He Fangqing. Once they had finished with the business, He Fangqing asked with concern, "How is your aunt’s illness?"
Xu Yingying sighed and said, "Not good, I’m afraid she doesn’t have many days left."
He Fangqing offered a few words of comfort, but in these matters, truly there was nothing that could be done.
"Sister Fangqing, Yifei and I have already registered our marriage," Xu Yingying suddenly brought up the subject.
"Registered? What kind of registration?" He Fangqing didn’t think of marriage at first.
Li Yifei spoke with some bitterness, "I’m saying we’ve already gotten... our marriage license, it’s real this time."
"What?" He Fangqing exclaimed in surprise, her expression suddenly becoming a bit unnatural. Although she had always maintained that her relationship with Li Yifei was just so and had harbored little expectation, the news of Xu Yingying suddenly marrying Li Yifei deeply shocked her.