Chapter 120: Meeting the Senior Again

Zhou Lichuan was deeply grateful and thanked Dr. Meng for her generosity, accepting the bag.

"What did you think I was going to say?"

Faced with Jiang Zao’s sudden question, Zhou Lichuan’s muscles tensed up once again.

"Nothing... If you don't like it, I won't buy it next time. I’ll pick out some classic styles for you instead, the kind you can just grab and go for formal occasions. Apart from luxury brands you don’t recognize, is there anything else you dislike?"

Watching his nervous expression, Jiang Zao found it slightly amusing. "Isn't it a bit late to start trying to understand my preferences now?"

Zhou Lichuan’s eyes dimmed, and a sense of sorrow gradually surfaced. Jiang Zao’s urge to tease him was suddenly disrupted by that overflowing melancholy.

"Alright, I didn't say you were doing badly. I’m going to apply some oil; do you want to help?"

Zhou Lichuan immediately tucked his emotions away and nodded frantically.

If there was any detail about pregnancy that bothered Jiang Zao, it was postpartum pelvic floor weakness and stretch marks. Therefore, she had started applying oil daily quite early on, doing her best to ward them off.

Leaning against the headboard, Jiang Zao looked down at Zhou Lichuan as he earnestly rubbed the olive oil into her skin, her heart softening. Suddenly, the fetus in her womb seemed to sense the father's touch, giving a gentle kick against Zhou Lichuan’s hand through the thin layer of skin.

"!!! It really moved!"

Jiang Zao nudged him with her foot. "Of course it moves. If it didn't, we’d be in trouble."

Zhou Lichuan reached out again, gently savoring the sensation against his palm. "In here... is my child... this is wonderful."

Without waiting for the oil to be absorbed, he leaned down and kissed her belly directly. A rare warmth washed over Jiang Zao, and by the dim light of the bedside lamp, she asked the question she had been keeping to herself.

"Zhou Lichuan, do you want a boy or a girl?"

Zhou Lichuan stared intently at her stomach for a while before saying, "A girl, I think. They say girls are the most attuned to a mother's hardships, while sons can be heartless. If we have a girl, she’ll grow up knowing how hard her mother worked and become a sweet, thoughtful little companion for you."

Jiang Zao touched her abdomen, her expression slightly indifferent. "I actually hope it’s a boy, so he won't have to experience so many of those hardships."

"You have been through so much, Zaozao. Pregnancy is hard, and giving birth is hard too. So please, act spoiled with me. Don't carry the burden alone when you’re feeling uncomfortable, okay?"

Jiang Zao took the opportunity to lean into his care, starting a long, drawn-out session of fussing.

"Zhou Lichuan, my back hurts..."

As her soft, sweet voice drifted through the air, Zhou Lichuan felt all the blood in his body rush to a very inconvenient place. Jiang Zao caught the sudden change in his posture immediately, snorted coldly, and turned to lie on her side.

"Get my phone. I haven't finished today’s game yet."

Jiang Zao’s art commission had been delivered successfully, and the client had accepted it without many revisions. Both parties had happily signed several agreements for future collaboration. Jiang Zao, using the game resources provided by the client, was busy dominating in the game world.

"Do you like playing this game that much, Zaozao?"

Zhou Lichuan lay beside her, whispering into her ear. The hot breath from his mouth and nose tickled her neck.

Jiang Zao glanced back at him, annoyed. "My back hurts. Rub it for me."

Zhou Lichuan quickly sat up, placing his large hands on the small of her back to press gently. "I asked the pregnant employees at my company, and they all use special pillows to support their bodies while sleeping; it relieves a lot of the pressure."

Jiang Zao, eyes fixed on the game, gave a vague, non-committal hum.

"I’ve bought you the same kind of pillow. It will be delivered tomorrow; you should try lying on it."

Jiang Zao replied, "Sister Hui already made me one herself."

Zhou Lichuan continued to massage her with gentle, steady pressure. "Then we'll alternate between the two. Your comfort is what matters most."

"Mm, okay."

Before sleep, Zhou Lichuan spent his time arranging work on his phone. Having finished her game, Jiang Zao grew drowsy, her eyelids becoming heavy.

Zhou Lichuan leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her shoulder. "I’ve acquired the company that made the game you’re playing. From now on, you’re the boss of the company. How does that sound?"

Jiang Zao was instantly wide awake, turning to look at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

Zhou Lichuan laughed. "It’s just a small gaming company. After their work saw some success, they had been looking for investors. I saw that their post-launch revenue was decent, so I bought it for you to play around with. It can even earn you a little pocket money on the side."

Jiang Zao was speechless. "You don't need to find ways to buy me gifts. I didn't stay here because I was after these things."

"I know." Zhou Lichuan held her tightly from behind, his long arms wrapping around her, holding the most precious treasure of his life. "You can't paint right now, Zaozao, so I just wanted to find some trivial matters to help you pass the time. You don't even have to manage the company; just let it sit there and make money. Du Bin will bring the contract tomorrow; you just need to sign your name."

Jiang Zao didn't refuse. The massage on her back felt incredibly comfortable, and she closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

...

Tan Wenyi was meticulous and hands-on when it came to her work. She came to the villa every day to personally supervise the progress of the construction. Jiang Zao often sat quietly at the table area nearby with her tablet, watching her busy figure.

After finishing her site coordination, Tan Wenyi walked over and sat in the chair next to Jiang Zao, sipping the flower tea Jiang Zao had poured for her. "I had no idea you and Meng Qiaoyuan were close friends."

Jiang Zao set down her tablet and smiled. "Have you met the Meng family already?"

Tan Wenyi nodded, her expression unreadable. "Meng Qiaochong kept urging me to meet them, so I went."

Jiang Zao recalled the sight of Meng Qiaochong in his sharp black suit, unable to reconcile that image with the "loyal puppy" second brother that Meng Qiaoyuan described.

"Mr. Meng is a man of integrity and is very devoted to his relationships. What are you worried about, Senior?"

Tan Wenyi’s gaze fell on Jiang Zao’s abdomen. She cleared her throat. "I hope you don't think I'm overstepping, but Jiang Zao, I don't want to end up like you. I don't mean to offend you, I just truly feel that the life you have now isn't the one I want for myself."

Jiang Zao didn't mind the offense in her words at all. "We are different, and we won't be the same in the future. If there is something you want, Senior, you should strive for it yourself. Escapism is useless."

Tan Wenyi looked a bit embarrassed. "I don't want to get married; things are fine just the way they are. But some accidents happened a while ago, and I almost thought that I, too..."

Her eyes lingered on Jiang Zao’s protruding belly, and Jiang Zao realized in an instant why Meng Qiaochong had been looking for her so desperately during the Lunar New Year.