Xie Qin Jia's words did not surprise Xing Zheng. Her intentions had long been clear. What moved him was Lin Mei's lengthy questioning. She had always known her boundaries. Even after they were legally married, she had never asked him any related questions, nor had she ever mentioned his illness. She knew it was his sore spot, something he didn't want touched.
After Lin Mei sent her long message, Xie Qin Jia replied after a long pause. She said, "You're right. I never thought about it. I'm not a qualified mother. How do you think I should interact with him?"
Xie Qin Jia seemed to be genuinely seeking Lin Mei's opinion. She did not deny her mistakes, and her tone sounded very sincere. She was such a proud and stubborn person; it was already difficult for her to admit these things.
Xing Zheng did not reply. He put his phone aside, lay down with Lin Mei, held her, and closed his eyes.
At night, Jing Chu woke up. Lin Mei took him out of the crib to feed him. Xing Zheng went to pour her a glass of water and brought it over, feeding it to her. Though they didn't speak, their actions were filled with unspoken understanding.
After Jing Chu finished his milk, he fell asleep again.
Xing Zheng held Lin Mei. She was so tired she yawned, tears welling up.
"From now on, let's give him formula at night. I'll do it, and you get some good sleep." She had been working too hard lately. "Starting tomorrow night."
Lin Mei murmured, "Mm." She wasn't so pretentious as to refuse. She had originally planned to give him formula at night, but the baby was too young then, and she had plenty of milk, so she chose to breastfeed. Now that he was almost a hundred days old, it was time to gradually adapt to formula. The bond between father and son should also be cultivated properly at this time.
Xing Zheng's dedication to Jing Chu far exceeded Lin Mei's expectations. Although she had anticipated that after his own childhood experiences, he would be completely devoted to his child, she hadn't expected him to be so meticulous. He even did things like trimming the baby's nails himself. After feeding, he would burp him. As soon as Jing Chu woke up, he would stay by his side, playing with him, holding him, letting him get familiar with his scent. These were all methods in infant education to establish a connection between child and parents, and his efforts had yielded significant results. Jing Chu liked him very much and would smile when he saw him.
Around three months, Jing Chu needed to learn to lift his head and roll over, and someone needed to help him, teaching him how to do it. This task primarily fell to Xing Zheng. Without anyone reminding him, he would bring the child to the living room for "training" every day. His dedication was so great that even Lin Zheng De, who rarely praised him, couldn't help but commend him, "You are very dedicated to the child. Keep it up."
"I will." Although he was praised, Xing Zheng did not become complacent, which made Lin Zheng De even more satisfied.
Jing Chu's hundred-day banquet happened to fall during the Spring Festival. Lin Mei decided to have a simple celebration at home and invited Li Xun and Ning Rui.
By now, Ning Rui was more than five months pregnant. Her belly was gradually becoming noticeable, and she was wearing looser clothes than before. Li Xun usually didn't let Ning Rui go out, and Lin Mei had been busy with the baby for the past few months. They hadn't seen each other since the full moon banquet.
Compared to last time, Ning Rui's complexion had improved significantly. She followed Lin Mei into the bedroom to play with the baby. Li Xun couldn't follow, which gave the two women some private time to chat.
Lin Mei's primary concern was Ning Rui's mood. "How have you been lately?"
Ning Rui replied with a soft "Mm." She didn't say much, but Lin Mei detected a hint of helplessness and resignation in her voice. "Does Li Xun still not let you go out?"
"Not really," Ning Rui said with a wry smile. "Even when I go out, he has people following me. It's not much fun."
"You're pregnant now; he might be afraid of accidents," Lin Mei asked. "Have you stopped arguing?"
Ning Rui shook her head. How could she dare to argue with him anymore? Her fate, and Ning Ye's fate, were in Li Xun's hands. She was under his soft confinement day and night, and the thought of revenge had long since been worn away.
Lin Mei saw her dejection and said, "Let's have the baby first. We can discuss other things later."
"Rui Rui, do you still want to leave him?" Lin Mei asked.
Ning Rui remained silent, not replying. Lin Mei saw complex emotions in her eyes, so she changed her question. "Rui Rui, do you love Li Xun?"
Ning Rui covered her eyes. Lin Mei saw her shoulders trembling, and the answer was already in her heart.
Ning Rui loved Li Xun, undoubtedly. It was precisely because of this that she was so tormented, torn between hatred and love, wavering, and self-condemning.
"I don't think I'm worthy of being their daughter," Ning Rui said. "He destroyed my family, yet I fell for him and am now carrying his child."
Ning Rui was in low spirits, so Lin Mei stayed with her and chatted for a long time until dinnertime. Only then did they both emerge from the bedroom. As soon as they came out, Ning Rui was embraced by Li Xun. Xiao Yue, unaware of their past grievances, smiled and said, "You two lovebirds have such great affection!"
Xing Zheng spent the Spring Festival with Lin Mei in Xiangxi. This was likely the liveliest Spring Festival he had experienced since childhood, and his state of mind was completely different from before.
The Lin family's holiday celebration was filled with festive atmosphere. The house was decorated with small ornaments, warm and lively, a treatment he had never enjoyed before. With his wife and child by his side, he felt a sense of stability for the first time, no longer a wandering soul suspended in mid-air.
After the festival, Lin Mei and Xing Zheng were to take the baby back to Nanjiang City. Although Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue were reluctant to see their child leave, they couldn't object. Ultimately, it was most suitable for a child to be with their parents.
Lin Mei mailed her belongings back in advance. Her carry-on suitcase was filled with everything Jing Chu needed. Lin Zheng De and Xiao Yue saw their family of three off at the airport. Along the way, Xiao Yue kept reminding them how to take care of the baby, and Lin Mei and Xing Zheng listened attentively.
While waiting in the VIP lounge, they unexpectedly encountered Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia. The two of them walked over and looked at Jing Chu in the stroller, their eyes filled with undisguised excitement.
"Are you heading back to Nanjiang?" Xing Sha asked.
Lin Mei replied, "Yes." "Are you on the same flight?"
"The eleven o'clock flight?" Xing Sha smiled. "What a coincidence."
This was pure coincidence; he hadn't checked their itinerary beforehand.
After chatting with Lin Mei for a few sentences, Xing Sha looked at Jing Chu again. Then he looked at Xie Qin Jia, whose gaze had never left Jing Chu.
"May we see the baby?" Xing Sha asked very cautiously, looking at Xing Zheng.
Xing Zheng was playing with Jing Chu at the moment. He looked up and saw Xing Sha's expectant face. Without a word, Lin Mei stepped forward and said, "You can push the stroller and play with him. He doesn't recognize people much yet."
Xing Sha and Xie Qin Jia walked over together. Xie Qin Jia crouched in front of the stroller and touched Jing Chu's face. "Little darling, you're so cute."
Xing Zheng's expression stiffened. He told Lin Mei, "I'm going to the restroom," and left.