Chapter 25: A Heart Bespoken

Whose name had Ye Changzheng just murmured?

Although it was only a very faint whisper, Xie Jinyu was certain that the name Ye Changzheng called out was not her own.

Linglong—who is she? Could she be Ye Changzheng's former fiancée?

The passionate fire in Xie Jinyu’s heart felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over it, extinguishing it instantly. She stared quietly at the curtains fluttering in the breeze, earnestly examining her current situation.

When she was at Yuejin Village and wanted to marry Ye Changzheng, she had been seeking a path completely different from her previous life. Like a drowning person, she had treated Ye Changzheng as a straw to grasp in order to escape the fate of her past. But now, as she calmed her heart and thought it over carefully, she realized she had been too naive.

She had seen so many unreliable men; why should she entrust her entire life to one? In her past life, she had managed perfectly well even in an isolated and helpless situation. In this life, she didn't have to pin everything on Ye Changzheng either.

It could not be denied that Ye Changzheng was a decent man. He was not chauvinistic, nor would he shirk his responsibilities just because he was a man. He took the initiative to do housework and was considerate of her fatigue upon learning she was pregnant. Xie Jinyu could mentally list many of Ye Changzheng's virtues.

However, if there was another woman in his heart, Xie Jinyu would have to readjust her mindset. She would need to treat Ye Changzheng as a business partner in marriage. From now on, Ye Changzheng would merely be the father of her child; she would not invest too much emotion in him. Women were emotional creatures, and she did not want her feelings to one day become a dagger piercing her own heart.

Xie Jinyu placed her hand gently on her lower abdomen. She thought to herself, *Take it easy; just consider this as finding a donor in Ye Changzheng.*

Xie Jinyu managed to convince herself before long.

***

When she woke up, Ye Changzheng was already awake. He glanced at Xie Jinyu’s serene sleeping face and couldn't help but kiss her cheek. He got up, took off his soiled trousers from the night before, and threw them into a basin. He put on a fresh pair, then went into the bathroom to take a cold shower.

Xie Jinyu had cleaned everything inside and outside the house the night before. Ye Changzheng was boiling red bean porridge in an iron pot. While the porridge cooked, he filled the water vat and watered the vegetable garden. By the time he finished, the porridge was ready, but Xie Jinyu had not yet woken up.

Thinking about how he had passed out drunk the night before while Xie Jinyu had cleaned up so many pots and pans, he felt deeply guilty. He ladled a bowl of porridge for her, kept it warm by the stove, and steamed an egg custard for her as well. After tidying up the kitchen and ensuring her breakfast was kept warm, he left for work.

After waking up, Xie Jinyu saw the note Ye Changzheng had left under her water glass and got up slowly to wash. As she washed, she thought: Ye Changzheng is fine as a marriage partner, but not as a lover. Xie Jinyu had never been in love, but she still yearned for the kind of romance found in novels and films.

Even though Xie Jinyu did not have a job on the island, she still set a schedule for herself. Every morning was for studying medicine, the afternoon was for learning cultural subjects via radio—like English and French—and the evening was for writing. She could not leave the burden of supporting the family entirely to Ye Changzheng; she needed to contribute to this small household as well.

For lunch, she used the leftover chicken soup from the night before to boil two bowls of noodles. Seeing that Xie Jinyu was different from usual, Ye Changzheng assumed it was because he had left her to clean up the mess after getting drunk.

"Xiaoyu, I'm sorry. I was drunk last night and left you to do so much work."

Ye Changzheng’s explanation was unexpected.

"Auntie Wei came to help me last night," Xie Jinyu said, then added, "Auntie Wei also apologized to me."

Ye Changzheng asked in confusion, "Apologized?"

"Auntie Wei said she originally wanted to set you and Shuang'er up..."

Ye Changzheng looked at Xie Jinyu in shock. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"You really didn't know?" Xie Jinyu had thought he was intentionally hiding it from her. "Uncle Wei never told you?"

"No."

Xie Jinyu wondered if perhaps the Wei family had just brought it up and Wei Aoshuang had been unwilling, which was why the couple hadn't mentioned it to Ye Changzheng.

"Since they never told you, just pretend you don't know."

Ye Changzheng asked again, "Xiaoyu, you seem to be in a bad mood today. Is it because of this?"

"No, what makes you think I'm in a bad mood? Don't talk nonsense!"

Xie Jinyu would never tell Ye Changzheng that she was unwilling to engage with him because she had heard him murmur a woman’s name in his sleep. It was precisely because of that name that she had re-evaluated their marriage.

"Is it severe morning sickness?" Ye Changzheng suggested. "How about I take you to see Director Qiao?"

"I'm fine," Xie Jinyu said, then asked, "Ye Changzheng, what was your former fiancée’s name?"

A chill instantly ran down Ye Changzheng’s spine. *Had he called out his former fiancée’s name while drunk last night?*

"Ruan Baitao."

Xie Jinyu thought *'Huh'* to herself. *It wasn't Linglong? Who is this 'Linglong' girl to Ye Changzheng?* However, the name Ruan Baitao sounded quite well-suited to her own former fiancé, Han Mochi.

Ye Changzheng asked tentatively, "Xiaoyu, why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just curious." After finishing her noodles, Xie Jinyu got up to put the bowl on the stove, and Ye Changzheng moved to clear the dishes. "Xiaoyu, if you're curious about my past with Ruan Baitao, I will tell you."

Even though Xie Jinyu was incredibly curious, she had no desire to admit it. She simply said, "I'm not the least bit curious about your past. By the way, the porridge tasted a bit bland this morning. Shall we check if the store has any pickling jars? Can we buy one?"

"Alright."

After washing the dishes, Ye Changzheng accompanied Xie Jinyu to the store. The store didn't have the pickling jar Xie Jinyu wanted. Unable to bear seeing her disappointed, Ye Changzheng said warmly, "Xiaoyu, tell me what a pickling jar looks like. I'll ask them to order one for us when they restock next time."

"Right, why didn't I think of that?"

Xie Jinyu immediately borrowed paper and a pen from the store and drew a pickling jar for Ye Changzheng on the spot. Ye Changzheng handed the sketch to the shop assistant and asked, "When you restock next, could you order a jar like this for us?"

"Sure."

After settling things with the store, Ye Changzheng walked back to their small courtyard with Xie Jinyu.

"Xiaoyu." Ye Changzheng could clearly feel that Xie Jinyu was much more distant with him today compared to usual.

"What is it?"

Ye Changzheng reached out and hugged Xie Jinyu tightly. "Xiaoyu, from the moment I decided to marry you, I determined that you are my wife, the woman I want to spend my whole life with. This is my first marriage, and I don't really know how to be a qualified husband. If there is anything I'm doing wrong, please don't keep it inside. Tell me, so that I can correct my mistakes."