After Song Wei returned to the room, he mentioned that his mother had agreed for his young wife to accompany him to Beijing.
When Wen Wan heard that he had used the child as a bargaining chip, her face grew terribly hot, soon turning completely red. She lowered her head, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.
The stepmother didn’t know why she and Song Wei had no children. She assumed Wen Wan was unable to bear children and feared that she would be rejected by the Song family, cutting off contributions to the Wen Family. Every time she visited, she’d be extremely anxious, pulling Wen Wan aside several times in private. She suggested that Wen Wan find an excuse to return to her parents’ home for a while, to have an experienced matron take a look, find some remedy, and with proper care, she would surely conceive soon.
The stepmother also told her that if a woman married into her husband’s family without a son by her side, she would never be able to stand tall in life and would be subject to bullying.
Among the three brothers in the Song family, the eldest son was no longer around, the second son had no son, and the Third Son hadn’t decided yet.
The parents-in-law were both over fifty years old and had only Yuanbao as a grandson. Wen Wan knew how much her mother-in-law hoped the third branch of the family could have more children.
However, such matters ultimately depended on fate.
Thinking of this, Wen Wan looked at Song Wei with worry.
Song Wei understood the meaning in her eyes, and with a comforting smile on his lips, he said, "We’ll have many, and surely one will be a son."
The initially serious topic was turned into a jest by his comment, making Wen Wan laugh despite herself.
Seeing her finally relax her brows, Song Wei then adopted a more serious demeanor. His voice was steady as ever, offering a warm sense of assurance, "Even if it’s a daughter, it doesn’t matter; we still have Yuanbao."
Wen Wan didn’t respond to him.
In her heart, she certainly wished for a son of her own, firstly to fulfill the expectation of her mother-in-law to continue the Song family bloodline.
Secondly, because a child would be her and her husband’s own flesh and blood, holding a different meaning for her.
Although Yuanbao was close to her, she was ultimately just a stepmother in name, and no amount of closeness could compare to her own flesh and blood.
That night, Wen Wan couldn’t sleep, lying awake with her eyes open.
Even though they had just begun trying for a child, she felt as if a small life was already growing within her.
Though everything was still just in her imagination, the readiness to become a mother was subtle and profound.
Overnight, it seemed as though she transitioned from a child needing parental supervision to a soon-to-be mother bearing all responsibilities for her child.
Wen Wan thought far ahead, considering things like baby names, clothes, and food, all of which she mulled over in her mind, until she couldn’t tell if she was losing sleep from excitement or anxiety.
Staring at the top of the bed canopy, she blinked, and then turned her head aside.
Song Wei was already asleep, his arm as usual serving as a pillow under her head.
Wen Wan gently moved closer to him, peering at his peaceful features illuminated by the moonlight seeping through the window, as elegant and handsome as a painting.
Nearing thirty, he had completely shed the youthful impulsiveness and dashing spirit. The years had distilled his extraordinary past, endowing him not with aged looks, but with a steadiness and restraint as solid as Mount Tai.
Wen Wan suddenly felt that her child having such a father would be a great blessing, just as she felt she had struck fortune by marrying Song Wei through a happy accident.
Perhaps she had moved too close, and her breath brushed against his chin, waking him.
"Still awake at this hour, is something on your mind?"
Wen Wan was too embarrassed to admit that she was both excited for the baby’s arrival and anxious about her ability to care for a child. Caught in the act, she was quite flustered and didn’t dare answer him, instead closing her eyes and burrowing under the covers.