If You Could Hear My Heart

“Because I lose my appetite when I see you,” Xu Chaomu said, without lifting her eyelids, hugging a pillow lazily.

Ever since she got pregnant, she had become very lazy, sometimes not even wanting to talk.

But Shen Chi was so annoying, disturbing her peace.

“Don’t be wilful, come here. Even if you don’t want to eat, you have to think about the child in your belly! I’m telling you, if the child is malnourished, it could be born prematurely, or even worse, miscarried, even…”

“Damn Shen Chi, you’re cursing my child!” Xu Chaomu threw the pillow away and stood up abruptly.

“I also wish for your child to be born safe and healthy,” Shen Chi said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Really? Is that what you really think? Why do I find it so hard to believe?” Xu Chaomu huffed.

That day in the hospital, he was desperate to terminate her pregnancy.

If he hadn’t had a change of heart that day, her child would be gone now.

“As long as you’re fine, I don’t care whose child it is, I will treat it as my own.”

There was no expression on Shen Chi’s face, but his eyes were sincere.

Xu Chaomu was moved to say something, yet she remained silent.

“Come have some porridge, I’ll feed you, it’ll be cold soon.”

Shen Chi walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Pulling out the chair at the dining table, he sat down beside her.

Shen Chi picked up the bowl of porridge and lightly stirred it with a spoon.

The steam rose along with the aroma, a whole bowl of millet porridge looked sweet and tempting.

Xu Chaomu touched her stomach, she was actually a bit hungry.

“I’ll do it myself,” she said, reaching for the bowl.

“Don’t move, I’ll feed you.”

Shen Chi didn’t give her the chance to do it herself, scooping up a little bit of porridge, blowing on it to cool it down, and brought it to her lips.

“Be good, eat it.”

“I don’t want you to feed me, I can do it myself…” Xu Chaomu was awkward.

This man had changed completely after not seeing him for five years.

In the past, even if she was sick and begged him to feed her, he would never agree.

“Just give me one chance. It’s been five years, I would rather feed you like this every day than have you leave again.”

Xu Chaomu truly found it rare to hear such cheesy words from this man, and her heart felt strangely stirred.

“Open your mouth, okay?”

Shen Chi brought the spoon to her lips, and only then did Xu Chaomu open her mouth, looking up at him.

He fed her a spoonful of porridge, and only after she swallowed it did he curve his lips contentedly.

“How’s your husband’s cooking?”

“Not great,” Xu Chaomu said disdainfully.

Although, she had to admit to herself, it was quite delicious.

“You’re just stubborn,” he said.

Shen Chi quickly scooped another spoonful of millet porridge for her. She ate slowly, so he waited patiently.

“Chaomu, can you come back to the Shen Family?”

“No.”

“What about the Waterside Pavilion? Let’s go back to Waterside Pavilion together, nobody will disturb us.”

“I stopped liking you a long time ago.”

“But I like you,” Shen Chi sighed.

Xu Chaomu looked up, a memory surfacing of five years ago, amidst the gunfire and bullets, when he said, “Chaomu, I love you.”

She never believed that he could fall in love with her.

How could he possibly love her? He was just unable to distinguish what was love and what was atonement.

All he felt for her was guilt.

“Shen Chi, let’s discuss something,” she said.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Find time for us to get a divorce. I’m marrying Chenglang, and we can’t do it without a marriage certificate; otherwise, what about my child’s future?”

The warmth in Shen Chi’s eyes instantly cooled: “That’s impossible. If you stay by my side, I will treat this child as my own.”

“I never knew that President Shen is so noble and great, raising someone else’s child.”

“Your child is my child.”

“But he will call you ‘Uncle Four’ in the future.”

“Are you insisting on tormenting me?” Shen Chi’s eyes grew darker and darker.

“I’m not tormenting you, it’s you who’s tormenting me. Why won’t you let me go? I can live the life I want,” Xu Chaomu’s voice lowered.

“Enough,” Shen Chi’s face darkened early on.

Each time, they couldn’t talk without arguing.

He had a temper too, but he could only indulge her.

Xu Chaomu kept silent. When Shen Chi brought the spoon to her again, she turned her head away, refusing to eat.

“Eat a little more, otherwise, your child will suffer,” he urged.

“I don’t want any more. Feed whoever you want,” she retorted, standing up and pushing back her chair.

Perhaps the movement was too sudden—the chair didn’t stay upright and with a “thud,” it fell to the floor, making a loud noise!

“Forget it!” Shen Chi’s patience wore thin.

Xu Chaomu turned and walked out of the living room. Shen Chi called out coldly, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to ask the butler for the guest room key to stay one night, okay?” she replied.

“Your room is still kept for you.”

Upon saying that, Shen Chi took out a key and slapped it on the table—it was the key to Xu Chaomu’s room.

Xu Chaomu walked over, picked up the key, and said indifferently, “Thank you.”

After that, she took the key and walked upstairs.

Shen Chi grew particularly irritable. After watching Xu Chaomu go upstairs, he lit a cigarette.

After five years of not seeing her, she treated him like a complete stranger.

Eight years of being together every day and night—even if there was no love, there were still feelings.

He took a drag from his cigarette, frowning deeply.

At that moment, his phone rang.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“President Shen, please come to the First Hospital. It’s urgent,” Xiao Mo said.

“First Hospital? What urgent matter? Tell me first.”

“Jian Sisi is pregnant.”

“Terminate it!”

“Are you sure? It’s… your child,” Xiao Mo hesitated.

“Do I need to say it again?”

“Alright, I’ll arrange it right away. Aren’t you coming over, President Shen?”

“Can’t you handle this kind of thing?”

“Okay, you’re busy.”

After hanging up the phone, Shen Chi felt even more agitated. He took off his tie and threw it aside, then he casually unbuttoned a few from his collar.

This summer was particularly irksome.

Jian Sisi…

She was his biggest mistake.

If it hadn’t been for that spring in Paris when he was plied with too much alcohol, he would never have slept with his secretary.

He had always been a man of self-discipline, except… that time.

Even if there were regret pills, it was no use now, he could only manage the aftereffects.

He stepped out onto the porch, staring at the stars while smoking.

Before he could finish his cigarette, Xiao Mo’s call came in again.

“President Shen, Jian Sisi refuses to abort the baby. She says if we dare to touch her child, she will call the media and expose everything,” Xiao Mo reported.

“She must have eaten the guts of a leopard,” Shen Chi remarked.

“President Shen, we’re at a standstill right now, waiting for your decision,” Xiao Mo said.

“I’ll come over,” he decided.

“Okay.”

Shen Chi discarded the cigarette butt and headed towards the garage.