After ending the video call with Gong Ye, Gong Zhijing handed the child over to the nanny.
She had been busy with her novel writing lately, and it was finally showing some progress. Although she only earned a few yuan a day, she believed it would get better and better.
As soon as she opened her laptop, her phone alarm rang.
She had set it to remind her to pump breast milk every three hours after feeding the baby, otherwise, she would develop mastitis.
Not only did she set alarms during the day, but also at night, waking up every three hours.
As Ling Leyou grew, she only needed two night feeds, so Gong Zhijing had to wake up regularly to prevent engorgement.
She often struggled to keep her eyes open due to sleep deprivation. Fortunately, Ling Yuchen was always there to take care of her.
Raising a child was indeed difficult and exhausting, but seeing her child's bright smile made her feel that it was all worth it.
Come to think of it, she hadn't had a full night's sleep in almost a year since she became pregnant.
During pregnancy, she often had to get up to use the restroom at night, disturbing her sleep. Once woken by the urge to urinate, she found it hard to fall back asleep.
After giving birth, with breastfeeding and pumping, she had to wake up five or six times a night.
And this was with the help of a nanny; without her, it would have been even more challenging.
As soon as she started using the breast pump, her phone rang. Seeing it was Wen Xuanyuan, she felt a slight reluctance to answer.
During this time, she had seen the most beautiful scenery in various countries without leaving her home.
She felt both envious and jealous, but her child tethered her, preventing her from going anywhere.
Sometimes she even wondered if she could return to school with peace of mind when the semester started.
But looking at her smiling baby, she felt that her graduation certificate was no longer important.
Lost in thought, she answered Wen Xuanyuan's video call.
The first thing she saw was a dazzling tower, and the panoramic view resembled a bridge.
There was an eight-hour time difference between Country Y and their country. It was a little past noon here, which meant it was early morning there.
It seemed Wen Xuanyuan hadn't adjusted to the time difference yet.
"Zhijing, isn't it beautiful? Tower Bridge, a famous landmark in Country Y."
"It's beautiful."
Gong Zhijing gazed at the screen, her tone devoid of much emotion. Perhaps what she saw on the phone wasn't as awe-inspiring as seeing it in person.
Wen Xuanyuan chattered on, "It's a shame you couldn't come. We must go together someday..."
In her mundane and ordinary life, Wen Xuanyuan was her spice.
Taking care of a baby was often chaotic and frustrating, and writing was monotonous.
At this moment, the phone camera panned to reveal Qiao Xinyue leaning against Wen Yan, looking like a sweet young couple.
Wen Xuanyuan couldn't help but tease, "Look at these two, always inseparable..."
Qiao Xinyue turned and waved at them.
"Zhijing, I brought you a gift."
"Great, thank you."
Gong Zhijing smiled, but her thoughts drifted.
She had only gone out twice with Ling Yuchen: once to Ling Lu Mountain and once to an amusement park.
At other times, he was always busy with the affairs of the group. With such a large company, he never had enough time.
During her pregnancy, he had accompanied her for a long time, but they had mostly stayed at home and didn't dare to go out.
"What are you spacing out for?"
Wen Xuanyuan called her name several times without a response, so she raised her voice.
Gong Zhijing snapped back to attention and smiled, "Nothing, I was just lost in thought. You have fun, and don't worry about me."
"Oh, I just thought you must be bored at home taking care of the baby, so I wanted to share the most beautiful scenery with you."
Gong Zhijing smiled warmly, her heart filled with emotion. "Silly girl, we'll definitely have a chance to travel together in the future!"
"I know. I'll hang up now. You should eat. I'm hungry too. I can't get used to the food here; it's not as good as our own hot soup and noodles... Okay, bye-bye."
After the video call ended, the living room fell silent again, feeling somewhat desolate.
Oma, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen. "Madam, dinner is ready."
Gong Zhijing nodded. As she stood up, she recalled how Wen Xuanyuan always proactively shared beautiful scenery with her.
Since Ling Yuchen was so busy, perhaps she could go accompany him!
She could bring the baby along.
She looked up at Oma and said, "Oma, please pack the food in a thermal container. I want to take Leyou to the group to bring lunch to Yuchen."
Although Oma didn't quite understand and thought it was an unnecessary fuss, she followed her instructions.
Since returning to Ling Lu Mountain, Ling Yuchen had been going out early and returning late, and at night, he still helped her and took care of her.
Every time she woke up, he would wake up too. He must also be working very hard, and not sleeping well at night.
Lost in thought, Oma had already packed the food, and the nanny had also finished packing the baby's things.
It was just diapers and a couple of changes of clothes, packed simply to avoid getting clothes dirty.
They had a car and a driver at home, so they could leave immediately.
Babies tend to sleep in the car. Gong Zhijing looked out the window, feeling bored and somewhat restless.
She had been quite tired lately.
She stayed at home every day, taking care of the baby, typing, taking care of the baby, typing. She had nothing else to do.
Her communication with Ling Yuchen had also decreased. By the time he returned, she was usually asleep.
When he left in the morning, she was still asleep. What little conversation could they have at night?
Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he wanted to be intimate with her, but she felt tired, sleepy, and irritable, and usually resisted.
She didn't know what was wrong with her; she couldn't control her emotions.
Sometimes, when she was annoyed, she would even yell at him.
But clearly, he was so good to her!
Lost in thought, they arrived at the foot of the Teng Kong Group building.
Gong Zhijing took a deep breath, cleared her mind of distractions, and put on a smile before getting out of the car.
The nanny followed her, holding the baby.
By now, most employees of Teng Kong Group recognized her.
As soon as she entered, the receptionist spotted her and immediately stepped forward respectfully. "Greetings, Madam President."
Gong Zhijing didn't want to cause a scene. She raised her hand to signal for quiet and said, "I'm going upstairs. Don't mind me."
The receptionist immediately stopped in her tracks.
Gong Zhijing, familiar with the way, took the elevator directly to the top-floor president's office.
The top floor was as spacious as ever.
As the elevator doors opened, the staff at the secretarial pool all looked over.
Seeing it was Gong Zhijing, they immediately stood up to greet her, but she had subtly signaled them not to.
As she neared the president's office, Gong Zhijing's mood brightened considerably.
Carrying the food container, her steps became lighter.
She paused at the door, knocked, and then heard a faint response from within.
"Come in."
Gong Zhijing curved her lips, gently pressed the doorknob, and walked in.
Ling Yuchen stared at the document in his hand with an extremely serious and cold expression.
A white shirt paired with a black tie, his sharp and well-defined features, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
He exuded an aura that warned others to stay away.