Chapter 417: Chapter 417: 417: Heartbeat

Xu Chaomu held her breath, waiting for him to continue.

Shen Chi looked at her, his voice low and hoarse, “Since that’s the case, I absolutely can’t divorce you. A woman might not be convinced by words, but she can definitely be conquered in bed. So, don’t even think about it.”

After speaking, Shen Chi pinched her cheek.

“…”

Xu Chaomu had thought he was going to say something profound given his somber look, but to her dismay, it was the same old vulgarity.

“Shen Chi, you have no shame!”

“I admit it.”

“Shen Chi, you toy with emotions!”

“I don’t admit that. My intentions towards you are serious.”

Xu Chaomu felt a surge of frustration in her stomach but she was at a loss for how to deal with someone like Shen Chi, unable to either cry or laugh.

“First eat your breakfast,” Shen Chi said as he brought the breakfast on the table in front of her.

Xu Chaomu stopped talking, sat down at the dining table, bowed her head, and quietly ate her breakfast.

Throughout the process, Shen Chi sat by her side. He passed her napkins, peeled eggs for her, very patient.

“Eat slowly, no one is fighting you for it.”

Shen Chi occasionally wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. From the way she was eating, it was clear she was very angry.

Shen Chi thought that as a man, sometimes you have to be shameless. If he had really argued with her this morning, refusing to give in, they would both end up hurt.

While Xu Chaomu ate breakfast, Shen Chi had the butler Ling come in to clean up the floor and even took the opportunity to have Xu Chaomu’s suitcase taken back.

The butler Ling gave Shen Chi a look, convinced there was nothing Shen Chi couldn’t handle.

After the butler Ling did all this, she consciously retreated, closing the door behind them.

“Shen Chi, a lot of things are missing from my suitcase,” said Xu Chaomu, still fuming.

“Is that so? Maybe they were lost during check-in.”

“Lost? Only small gifts and my beautiful dresses? Shen Chi, do you really think I’m that naive?”

“Your intelligence, with it or without it, doesn’t make much difference. Sweetheart, if anything’s missing, your husband will go shopping with you.”

“…”

The breakfast passed reasonably harmoniously.

Seeing Xu Chaomu’s mood stabilize, Shen Chi planned to go back to his bedroom to sleep.

Just as he was about to head upstairs, Xu Chaomu stopped him, “Shen Chi, give me back my phone.”

“The phone is in the third drawer of the piano room, go get it yourself,” Shen Chi paused, not wanting to trouble her anymore and just walked upstairs.

Xu Chaomu was surprised he was so agreeable this time. Watching him ascend the stairs, she suddenly dashed off.

Running all the way to the piano room, she feared her friends must have been very worried after so many days of her phone being off.

As expected, as soon as she retrieved her phone and plugged it in, the screen lit up with numerous notifications.

Missed calls, text messages, various messages…

From the day she returned to the country, they flooded in, and among them, Nie Chenglang’s calls took up the majority.

Standing in the piano room, she read each message one by one, and among them, she was even notified that her design had won an award.

Shen Chi was really holding her back, Xu Chaomu thought indignantly.

But getting angry with him wasn’t entirely ineffective—for example, now she had her phone back.

She first called Nie Chenglang, having left the Nie Family without saying goodbye last time, she wondered how the situation had unfolded since then.

“Chaomu?” Nie Chenglang was surprised to receive the call. He didn’t speak recklessly, fearing it might be Shen Chi again.

“Chenglang, it’s Chaomu.”

“Chaomu, are you still at the Shen Family’s place?”

“Yes, I apologize for running off that day.”

“It’s not your fault, my mother was too aggressive. It’s all settled now. Should I come get you?”

“No need, no need. I just found my phone and wanted to let you know.”

“I see…” Nie Chenglang sounded somewhat disappointed, “Is it because of my mother that you’re disappointed?”

“No, your mother was also looking out for you. After all, I did register for marriage with Shen Chi.”

“I lied to you. I always told you my mother was easygoing.”

“That’s not a lie.” Xu Chaomu laughed, “Which mother isn’t easygoing and kind in the eyes of her own son? It’s just that we view things from different perspectives.”

“Would you still be willing to marry me?” Nie Chenglang asked quietly.

“I’m sorry, but Shen Chi refuses to divorce me. And your mother, she certainly wouldn’t want you to marry a woman who’s been married before.”

“But the child in your womb is mine, and as for my mother, I can convince her.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Chaomu fell silent.

The sunlight streamed in from the spacious French windows, and Xu Chaomu paced to the windows, reaching out to catch the sunlight.

Threads of golden light fell upon her hand, refracting a spectrum of colors through the glass.

She squinted slightly, the sun proving too bright to gaze upon.

“Chenglang, tell me the truth—is this child really yours?”

This was the second time Xu Chaomu had asked Nie Chenglang this question. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but there were too many uncertainties…

And her intuition was getting stronger.

“It’s mine. If you don’t believe me, I can take you for a paternity test.”

Xu Chaomu still didn’t believe it since paternity test results could be tampered with at will.

She wanted to secretly find the hotel’s video from that night; only that could serve as evidence.

“Chaomu, I love you.”

On the other end of the phone, Nie Chenglang’s voice was deep, yet assertive.

Although Xu Chaomu’s child wasn’t his, as long as she was happy and free from mental burdens, that was all that mattered to him.

During their time in Paris, he didn’t know when he had started to fall for her. This feeling grew deeper and deeper until he couldn’t extract himself. Even now, knowing the child wasn’t his, he didn’t want to let go.

“Chenglang, I’m sorry,” Xu Chaomu lowered her eyelashes.

In those five years in Paris, he had looked after her like an older brother.

From their initial meeting in the orphanage to the accidental encounter on the streets later, there was always a strange fate between them.

She relied on him, but as Shen Chi had said, while warmth could bring spring, it didn’t necessarily turn into love.

She didn’t feel her heart flutter with his every smile and frown—that was probably what love was.

Initially, she had accepted Nie Chenglang’s proposal because she had assumed the child in her womb was his from that night.

“Do you… still have feelings for Shen Chi?” Nie Chenglang asked faintly.

“He and I are not suited for each other,” Xu Chaomu looked down.

“So you plan to never marry?”

“Chenglang, let’s not talk about this. You focus on your work and get promoted soon.”

“Maybe, I shouldn’t have let you come back to the country.” Nie Chenglang sighed softly on the phone, his voice light.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But Xu Chaomu still heard it. If she hadn’t returned from Paris days before, perhaps her life with Nie Chenglang would have followed a completely different trajectory?

Nie Chenglang and Shen Chi were entirely different in character; it was unclear who was the better match.