Chapter 64:

Looking at the messages in the group chat, Xie Qichen’s smile froze, and he fell into silence.

…No way, when exactly did these people get married?

Damn it, their first child hasn’t even been born yet, while others are already having their third?

Soon, Xun Huo jumped out in the group, sending a long string of “hahahah,” mercilessly mocking Xie Qichen:

[“This guy was just showing off in front of me about becoming a father, and now he’s immediately slapped in the face by all of you. Well done, hahahah.”]

The other guys in the group also laughed at Xie Qichen:

[“Ah Chen thought he had reached the finish line, but he’s actually still at the starting line, hahahah.”]

[“Xie Qichen, this is what you get for not snatching Tan Mo earlier. While you were avoiding women, we had already brought our wives home.”]

[“Hahahah, we should have just let him show off a bit longer. It’s no fun hitting him so quickly.”]

[“Hey, can’t you guys be a bit less harsh? Can’t you have some sympathy for our Ah Chen? He was single for thirty years before finally marrying his wife! Don’t you know how hard it was for him?”]

“…”

Xie Qichen tapped his phone screen and blocked all his teasing friends.

Beside him, Tan Mo, who had been organizing hospital-related paperwork for a while, noticed the unusual silence and turned around to see the man beside her with a gloomy expression. She asked in confusion: “What’s wrong with you?”

The man stared straight ahead. After a few seconds, his thin lips parted slightly:

“I was mocked.”

Tan Mo: ?

A minute later, after Tan Mo finished reading the chat records on Xie Qichen’s phone—

“Hahahahah…”

Tan Mo giggled nonstop. Seeing her reaction, Xie Qichen reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her into his arms, feeling both annoyed and frustrated: “You’re laughing too?”

“No, I just think what they said makes a lot of sense, hahahaha.”

Leaning against him, Tan Mo looked up at him with a smile in her almond eyes, brighter than the sunlight: “Xie Qichen, you’re so happy about the baby. Why don’t you go show off in front of them?”

The man grumbled: “They used to show off their affection in the group more than anyone else. Now that it’s finally my turn, can’t I show off a little?”

Tan Mo laughed, “It’s not easy, so you definitely should show off properly.”

Xie Qichen looked down at her, his fingers gently caressing her soft cheeks, annoyed yet smiling: “It’s just that I ended up with a wife who hadn’t even graduated college. How could I have moved faster?”

“Well, who told you not to confess to me earlier,” Tan Mo smiled and retorted, “If you had confessed earlier, maybe you could have fed others some sweet couple goals sooner.”

“Yeah, right. If I had confessed before you graduated high school, your uncle would have beaten me up.”

Tan Mo laughed, “That wouldn’t happen. I’d protect you.”

Xie Qichen smiled, patting the girl’s head: “Forget the rest for now. Let me focus on protecting you and the little one inside you first.”

He became a bit more serious: “By the way, do you want to reduce the frequency of making videos for a while and rest more? The doctor said your constitution isn’t strong, so you need to nourish yourself properly.”

He didn’t oppose her continuing to work, just didn’t want her to get too tired.

Tan Mo nodded: “I’ll think about how to let my followers know. Mainly, I can’t stand the smell of cooking oil now, so maybe I can only make desserts.”

“Alright, I’ll also reduce my social engagements and spend more time at home with you.”

“It’s okay,” Tan Mo held his hand, “Don’t let me interfere with your work progress.”

“No problem, I’ll balance everything well.”

The man kissed her gently and looked into her eyes: “Every stage after marriage is important. I want to be there with you every step of the way, so there won’t be any regrets, right?”

Having a baby isn’t just the woman’s responsibility; men must also take on their share of the duty.

Tan Mo met his gaze, her heart fluttering: “Okay, then we’ll grow together with this little one.”

As long as Xie Qichen was by her side, she felt especially safe.

Twenty minutes later, the Rolls-Royce pulled back into Jiayu Tiancheng and stopped in front of the villa. Tan Mo was led out of the car by Xie Qichen.

Back home, Tan Mo first thought of her promise to Ji Shu yesterday about going to Paris together, so she called the other party first. Upon hearing the news, the person on the other end was so excited they nearly jumped three feet high:

“Does this mean I can be a godmother next year?! Ahhhhh I’m so excited!”

Tan Mo laughed, “Look at you, are you even more excited than me?”

“Well, of course! I don’t have to go through the trouble of giving birth myself, but I still get to hold such a cute little human. But didn’t you say you’d wait a while before having a baby?” Ji Shu teased, “So, did your old man finally get impatient?”

Tan Mo glanced at Xie Qichen, who was in the kitchen instructing the chef on dietary precautions, and smiled, sweet yet slightly troubled: “No… it was unexpected. But he really wants this child, so it’s actually pretty good.”

“Having kids early means less generational gap,” Ji Shu mumbled with a smile, “Though I’m a bit sad you can’t travel with me, your health is the most important now. Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of chances to play later.”

Tan Mo smiled: “Okay, I’ll remember that. I’ll make it up to you.”

Ji Shu told her to rest well for now and said she’d come to visit in a few days. Tan Mo agreed and hung up the phone. Then Xie Qichen came over and took her upstairs to rest.

At lunchtime, the food at home was clearly more abundant. All of Tan Mo’s favorite dishes were there. Because the doctor had said she needed proper nourishment, there was even a nourishing herbal soup added to the table. During lunch, Tan Mo, who rarely had an appetite, finished all the food piled up like a small mountain on her plate, looking very satisfied.

After digestion, Xie Qichen accompanied the girl for a nap. In the afternoon, Tan Mo’s parents came to the villa to visit her. Upon learning that Xie Qichen had been taking meticulous care of Tan Mo in every aspect, the two were reassured.

After dinner, Tan Mo’s parents left. Xie Qichen and Tan Mo first went out for a walk. When they returned, Tan Mo, feeling bored, wanted to watch a movie, while Xie Qichen, who still had work to finish, went to the study first.

Tan Mo stayed in the home theater, but every so often, the man would come over to check on her, gently touching her belly as if greeting the little one inside.

Tan Mo was amused by his overly attentive behavior: “Xie Qichen, do you have to be so dramatic, coming over every now and then? Don’t you want to get any work done?”

“I just want to see if you need anything.”

Tan Mo laughed, “But you don’t have to come every ten minutes. Even the security guards don’t patrol that frequently.”

The man chuckled softly, pulling her into his arms, their foreheads touching as he gazed into her eyes, his voice low:

“It’s just that while I was working earlier, I kept thinking about the fact that you’re pregnant, and I got so happy that I couldn’t help but come over to see you.”

Hearing this, Tan Mo felt a sweet warmth in her heart and teased with a coy smile: “What should I do if someone seems to love me even more now?”

Xie Qichen smiled, pinching her chin and then pressing his lips to hers:

“Then just enjoy it.”

The man held her in the dimly lit room away from the glowing movie screen. Tan Mo let out a soft, playful hum during the kiss, and only when she was almost out of breath did he release her, then returned to work.

Eventually, after finishing the movie, Tan Mo walked out of the home theater and passed by the study to tell him she was going to take a shower first.

Not long after, the busy man also entered the bathroom bare-chested.

They cuddled affectionately for a while. Later, after finishing their bath, Xie Qichen dressed her carefully and carried her back to bed.

Tan Mo playfully said she wanted to help him dry his hair, then straddled his lap, drying his hair while kissing him teasingly.

The sweet scent of the girl filled his senses, and Xie Qichen could hardly bear it. His eyes darkened, his emotions instantly stirred. He placed his palm on her lower back and kissed her deeply.

After a while, Tan Mo felt his kisses growing heavier. She gently pushed against his chest, escaping his passionate assault, her eyes curving into a smile:

“Xie Qichen, don’t you remember? You can’t get handsy during the first three months of pregnancy. What if you hurt the baby?”

Xie Qichen’s gaze deepened, “Then why did you tease me just now?”

Tan Mo laughed, “I was just fishing for enforcement.”

“Alright, fishing for enforcement,” Xie Qichen chuckled, biting her earlobe lightly, “I’ll keep track of this and come collect later.”

Tan Mo wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling and blinking her almond eyes:

“So you’ll just have to be patient for a little while longer.”

Xie Qichen knew she was being mischievous. He kissed her a bit more, easing his immediate desire, but he also understood the precautions for the first trimester. There was no way he would actually try to do anything with her.

Finally, he held her as they lay down, covering her with a light air-conditioned blanket: “Sleep now.”

Tan Mo blinked at him: “Okay, good night, husband…”

Xie Qichen was amused by her cuteness and patted her head, “Good night.”

–

In early September, after medical checkups, Tan Mo officially began to take good care of her health.

She first posted a short video to explain the situation, letting her followers know that updates would be slower for a while. Upon learning that Tan Mo and the big shot had finally conceived their beloved child, everyone happily sent their blessings, telling her to rest well.

Then Xie Qichen also logged into his account and left a comment under the video, “I’ll take good care of her.” Everyone expressed that they were overwhelmed by the sweetness.

Throughout September, the chef at home prepared nutritious and delicious meals for her every day. The housekeepers also attentively looked after her. Following Xie Qichen’s instructions, they added safety measures in some parts of the house to prevent Tan Mo from bumping into things or slipping. Tan Mo felt like she had truly turned into a fragile porcelain doll, being treated with utmost delicacy.

At the same time, Xie Qichen started reading various parenting books in advance, leveraging his scholar skills, and began arranging for the villa’s nursery to be renovated and decorated.

Tan Mo couldn’t help but be surprised: “Isn’t this a bit too early?”

The man replied calmly: “Not at all. After the renovation, it still needs to be aired out. By the time the baby is born, it will be just right to move in.”

Every step was tightly controlled.

Tan Mo was deeply impressed. This expectant father was truly unmatched.

Indeed, Xie Qichen was very attentive—not only toward the baby but even more so toward Tan Mo.

After Tan Mo got pregnant, Xie Qichen reduced his social engagements and meetings, spending more time accompanying her. Originally, Tan Mo had felt quite unprepared for the sudden arrival of the little one. However, with his love and companionship, she felt her pressure wasn’t as overwhelming as she had imagined. Every day she spent now was very happy, and her health had improved significantly.

September passed, the heat of early autumn faded, and October arrived, bringing a cooler breeze to Licheng.

After the National Day holiday, one day Tan Mo received a call from the official D-station, inviting her to participate in the filming of a special video celebrating the station’s anniversary.

The officials knew Tan Mo was pregnant. They assured her that this job wouldn’t be tiring—just filming in a studio, and it would take about two days to finish.

The filming location was in Xicheng, a neighboring city of Licheng, only a little over an hour’s drive away, very convenient.

After learning this, Tan Mo told Xie Qichen. The man wanted to accompany her as much as possible but couldn’t go with her due to work commitments.

Tan Mo comforted him: “It’s okay, it’s just a small filming event. I’ll be back in two days. I’ll be careful on the way and make sure to take good care of myself.”

Xie Qichen knew that although she was pregnant, it wouldn’t be reasonable to lock her at home and prevent her from going out. She should also maintain her own social circle.

Knowing she would get bored staying at home, he wanted her to go out and have fun, “How about I assign a female assistant to go with you? That way, someone can take care of you on the way, and you won’t get too tired.”

After all, she was in a special period and needed to be careful.

Tan Mo thought about it. If someone was with her, she would feel more at ease, “Okay, then you can make the arrangements.”

The next morning, Tan Mo packed her luggage, and the family driver drove them directly to the destination.

Before leaving, Xie Qichen gently reminded her: “Be careful on the road. Let me know when you arrive. If you feel unwell during these two days, let me know. I’ll pick you up after I finish work the day after tomorrow, okay?”

Tan Mo smiled and nodded, “Okay, Mr. Xie. I promise I’ll take good care of myself and the little one.”

After a sweet and warm moment, Xie Qichen saw her off at the villa’s entrance, where the assigned female assistant had already arrived.

Her name was Gao Shi, an employee from the president’s office. Seeing Tan Mo, she greeted her warmly and respectfully, assuring Mr. Xie that she would properly accompany the president’s wife.

Tan Mo said goodbye to Xie Qichen and got into the car. The car started smoothly.

Looking out the car window, the man finally disappeared from view, and Tan Mo reluctantly turned her eyes away, already feeling how attached she had become to him. Even a short separation felt unfamiliar.

But the good news was that she would be back tomorrow night, so the separation wouldn’t last long.

On the way, Tan Mo chatted casually with Gao Shi and then took a nap.

The driver drove the Bentley very steadily. An hour and a half later, they arrived at D Station’s headquarters building in Xicheng. After getting out of the car, staff members who had been notified came to greet her:

“Hello, Teacher Mo Li—”

Tan Mo smiled and greeted her, “Hello.”

Tan Mo was wearing a navy-blue academic-style long dress today, her hair tied into a high ponytail, her face bright and radiant. Seeing her appearance, the female staff member couldn’t help but express surprise: “We heard that Teacher Mo Li is pregnant, but looking at you, you don’t seem married at all. You still look like a student, so young.”

Tan Mo’s face naturally looked youthful. Because of the nourishing diet she had maintained since becoming pregnant last month, her face had gained a bit of baby fat, making her appear even cuter.

After a brief chat, the staff member smiled at her and said: “Teacher Mo Li, let’s go upstairs. The filming will start soon.”

“Okay.”

The two went upstairs, with Gao Shi following closely by Tan Mo’s side. There were several other bloggers who had also come for the anniversary video shoot. After greeting each other, Tan Mo was first taken aside to prepare for the filming.

Since Tan Mo was pregnant, she couldn’t wear makeup. Fortunately, her skin and features were naturally excellent, so she looked camera-ready even without makeup.

The staff had informed her in advance about the filming content, and then asked her to wait a moment. While Tan Mo was resting, she suddenly heard a female voice calling her from behind:

“Xiaomoli—”

Tan Mo turned around and saw MIMI walking toward her in a charming red dress, joyfully stretching out her hands: “Give me a hug, give me a hug!”

Back when they filmed a variety show together at Anhui Mountain, the two had become especially close. However, since they lived in different cities, they rarely got to meet in person. This time, MIMI had also been invited to participate in the filming. When she saw Tan Mo walk in earlier, she had wanted to rush over and greet her immediately, but she restrained herself until the staff finished speaking with Tan Mo and left.

Tan Mo happily hugged her: “Sister MIMI, long time no see—”

“Yes, it’s been way too long. You’re still so beautiful,” MIMI thought for a moment, then smiled and quickly let go, “No, no, I can’t hug you too tightly, what if I hurt the little baby in your belly?”

MIMI had seen Tan Mo’s video on the D-site and privately sent her good wishes: “How have you been lately? Do you feel unwell?”

“I’m okay, I feel pretty good.”

“That’s good. When I was pregnant with my daughter, those few months were terrible. I’ve decided I definitely don’t want a second child.”

The two chatted and laughed. After a while, another blogger approached. Her name was Shu Xi, a top beauty blogger.

Over the past two years, Tan Mo’s popularity had risen significantly. With her pleasant personality and sweet looks, she had made many connections. Shu Xi and Tan Mo had met a few times by chance before and had become friends. MIMI also knew Shu Xi—many top bloggers were part of the same circle.

Shu Xi smiled and grabbed Tan Mo’s hand: “Xiaomoli, since you’re pregnant now, I originally wanted to do your makeup because I thought a certain makeup look would suit you perfectly.”

Tan Mo smiled: “I was actually planning to ask you to teach me some makeup techniques.”

“No worries, I’ll come to Licheng next year and teach you, hahaha.”

“How have you been lately—”

The three chatted, and after a while, it was time for filming to resume, so they paused their conversation and went their separate ways to shoot.

Today’s filming started with individual segments, which weren’t too tiring.

For Tan Mo’s part, the photographer was considerate and let her rest from time to time. However, Tan Mo didn’t want to delay the schedule and tried to work efficiently.

By the end of the day, Tan Mo successfully completed her tasks.

After the filming ended, Shu Xi invited Tan Mo and MIMI to attend a gathering that evening.

With her wide network, including friends in the entertainment industry, Shu Xi explained that an actor had recently returned from Xicheng and was hosting a gathering, inviting them. It would be a formal event.

With good connections, there wasn’t much of a barrier between celebrities and bloggers. Tan Mo had met this actor before at the D-site’s annual gala. There were also several top bloggers with millions of followers in Xicheng who were mutual acquaintances. Since they were all friends, it made sense to gather.

Shu Xi said to Tan Mo: “We’ll just go to eat and chat. Several people know you’re in Xicheng now and asked me to invite you. If you feel tired later, you can leave early. It’s just like meeting old friends.”

If it had been with strangers, Tan Mo indeed wouldn’t have enjoyed such a social event. However, many of the people there were friends, and since she rarely visited Xicheng, she was quite eager to meet them. After some hesitation, she agreed:

“Okay, I’ll go and sit for a while.”

“Then let’s go—”

That evening, after leaving the D-site building, night had already fallen.

On the way, Tan Mo rode in her own private car. As usual, she called Xie Qichen, and the man gently asked about her day.

As they talked, Tan Mo mentioned the gathering, explaining carefully to avoid his concern, softly murmuring: “Don’t worry. I won’t drink. I’ll just meet some friends. If I get tired later, I’ll leave early.”

“Okay. Remember to wear a coat. It gets cold at night. Don’t catch a chill. Also, be careful with what you eat.”

Xie Qichen gently reminded her.

Tan Mo smiled: “I know. Then we can video call after I get back to the hotel. You should also remember to have dinner.”

“Okay.”

They hung up. Half an hour later, the car arrived at the celebrity’s mansion.

Getting out of the car, Tan Mo, along with Shu Xi and MIMI, entered a villa. The interior was spacious and lavishly decorated. People were chatting and drinking, and many had already arrived, including several celebrities and bloggers.

Everyone greeted each other. Among them, Tan Mo was relatively young and was treated like a younger sister. Many also knew that Xie Qichen was her husband, whose influence was not to be underestimated.

Some approached to network, while Tan Mo was simply there to sit and relax. Some even wanted to get to know her.

While eating and chatting, people who didn’t know each other gradually became familiar through mutual friends.

After a while, the villa door opened again, and a young man wearing a baseball cap and a black shirt walked in. Tan Mo was chatting with someone when MIMI suddenly patted her hand in shock: “Wow, Xiaomoli, look who’s here?”

Tan Mo turned in confusion and saw the young man’s face—Yu Qiran.

He was the male celebrity who had filmed the variety show with them back at Anhui Mountain.

Tan Mo had a particularly deep impression of him. Back then, he and his agent thought she had feelings for him and wanted to use him for fame. Yu Qiran even tried to use the rumors about their relationship to boost his own popularity, which had upset Tan Mo greatly. Fortunately, Xie Qichen helped her deal with the situation and even took revenge.

Since Yu Qiran hadn’t had many opportunities to appear on screen last year, his popularity had dropped significantly. His resources had become worse, and he wasn’t doing very well these days, though he was still considered a celebrity.

After returning from Anhui Mountain, Tan Mo had no further contact with him. She never expected to meet him again over a year later tonight.

It made sense, though. Yu Qiran was from Xicheng and was apparently friends with the host of tonight’s gathering. It was understandable that he was invited.

As Yu Qiran walked in, many bloggers didn’t know his background. Seeing such a handsome man, they warmly greeted him. MIMI, who had later learned about Tan Mo’s history with him, muttered in annoyance to Tan Mo: “I should have known better than to come tonight. This is so uncomfortable.”

Hearing this, Tan Mo smiled helplessly: “It’s okay. Just ignore him.”

The host introduced Yu Qiran to everyone present. When they reached Tan Mo, Yu Qiran’s gaze fell on her. He seemed surprised to see her here, and a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. As the host was about to introduce them, Yu Qiran waved his hand and gave a meaningful smile:

“No need for introductions. We’ve worked together on a show before. We know each other well—and I have a very memorable impression.”

“Oh, how coincidental…”

Hearing this, Tan Mo lifted her gaze to meet Yu Qiran’s deep, unblinking stare.

She remained calm and unflinching, politely offering a slight smile in response.

Then Yu Qiran followed his friends to chat elsewhere. Tan Mo didn’t pay him any more attention and continued talking with the people around her.

After chatting for another half hour, Tan Mo checked the time. It was nearing 9 PM, and she thought it was about time to leave.

She stood up and went to the restroom first. Gao Shi had been sitting on a wicker chair in the backyard of the villa mainly to be available if Tan Mo needed anything. Seeing Tan Mo come out, she stood up.

Tan Mo said to her: “Sorry to make you wait here all night.”

Gao Shi smiled: “It’s nothing, Madam. I don’t have anything else to do anyway.”

“I’m going to the restroom, and then we’ll leave. Wait here for me.”

“Sure, no problem.”

The villa was huge. Tan Mo walked along the outdoor floor-to-ceiling windows toward the restroom.

Finding the restroom, she entered. It was spacious and had separate sections for men and women.

Tan Mo walked in and took out her phone. A few minutes ago, Xie Qichen had sent a voice message. She opened it and heard the man’s deep, affectionate voice: “Has the evening gathering ended, Xiaomoli? When are you coming back to the hotel?”

Only in front of her would Xie Qichen show his affectionate, clingy side. Hearing his voice, Tan Mo’s heart was filled with love. She replied to him:

“Almost done. I’m about to leave now. I’ll video call you as soon as I get back to the hotel.”

A moment later, Tan Mo came out of the restroom.

She walked to the sink to wash her hands, then turned and reached the doorway when she saw a figure standing alone there. She was startled—

It was Yu Qiran.

He had a cigarette in his mouth, one hand in his pocket, leaning against the wall, his long lashes half-closed as he fixed his gaze on Tan Mo, clearly waiting for her.

The area was quiet and empty, and the air felt strangely still.

Yu Qiran looked at her. After a few seconds, he curled his lips slightly and spoke in a low voice:

“Teacher Xiaomoli, long time no see.”

Tan Mo, in her pregnancy, had an extremely sensitive sense of smell. The pungent smoke immediately made her feel nauseous. She turned her gaze away from his, politely and distantly responding, “Hello.”

Then she said: “Excuse me, I have something to do. I’ll take my leave first.”

Tan Mo took a step forward, but suddenly Yu Qiran straightened up, directly blocking her path and trying to grab her arm.

Tan Mo was startled, quickly stepping back, instinctively protecting her belly.

“What are you doing?”

“How come, Teacher Xiaomoli? Did you think you could treat me like that before and now run away out of guilt?”

Tan Mo looked up and saw Yu Qiran staring at her, his smile turning cold and sinister.

He sneered like a ghost, stepping closer to her and staring straight into her eyes:

“Isn’t your husband quite capable?”