Chapter 4: Should We Have a Child? (4)

She remembered him saying that even when showing off, she should show that she was his wife, Leng Mohan. So, even though she was capable of supporting herself, she was still willing to occasionally accept his money.

Pushing aside her chaotic thoughts, she returned her focus to the article on her computer, revising and editing repeatedly. This time, she was writing about the "seven-year itch," telling the story of a woman whose husband cheated after seven years of marriage, leaving her to raise their child alone in hardship.

The child...

Lost in thought, she suddenly recalled something her mother-in-law mentioned that afternoon and hastily shut the laptop.

Stepping out of the study, she saw that Leng Mohan was already asleep. Only a wall lamp was on, casting a dim, warm light that gently enveloped his side-lying figure. The room was utterly silent except for his soft breathing.

Holding her breath, Lin Yan took a step closer, then another. Suddenly, her foot caught on something. She bent down and picked it up—a dark red pair of underwear embroidered with golden dragons entwined in a wild, primal dance.

Lin Yan’s mind flashed to Ziyan, the sophisticated beauty frequently featured on television lately. In the two years since their marriage, Leng Mohan had never been rumored with any woman, but this time, he seemed unusually close to Ziyan.

Perhaps these underwear reflected the taste of that beautiful woman.

Frowning, she quickly tossed the underwear into the laundry room downstairs. When she returned to the bedroom, Leng Mohan was still asleep, his posture unchanged, as if carved from stone.

Hadn’t he always been restless, tossing and turning at night? Could it be that his habits had changed over the past two years of marriage?

Let it change then. No matter what, it didn't alter the fact that he was her husband. Lin Yan smiled with a hint of helplessness. Her sister, Lin Shan, had been with Leng Mohan for such a long time, and she had thought their love would last forever. But after all that happened, it was she who ended up marrying Leng Mohan.

Their bed was arranged differently from others’. One side faced a large floor-to-ceiling window, while the other was against an intricately carved partition. Within its irregular grid were nine crystal bottles, each a different color and scent, all intended to soothe the mind and calm the spirit.

She recalled that when they first married, the partition wasn’t there. Perhaps it was because they had just moved, or because she wasn’t used to such a large bed, or maybe because her sister’s incident had unsettled her. Whatever the reason, she had never slept soundly, plagued by nightmares night after night. So he had someone build this partition to hold those nine crystal bottles specifically.

Through the carved openings, one could vaguely see the various potted plants arranged in the bedroom and the monochrome television wall.

Though the gray sofa was also soft, it always felt cold and hard. Lin Yan stood there for a long time before finally choosing to climb onto the large bed before her.

After all, the bed was so big that even if two people slept across it, there would still be room. Her mother would probably leave tomorrow, so enduring one night wasn’t a problem.

She neatly placed her slippers on the floor at the foot of the bed and stood barefoot on the wooden floor. Though wood, the chill of deep night dampness still made her shiver.

Because of the partition on that side, she could only get into bed from the window side each time.

However, this time Leng Mohan was sleeping on the window side. To get in, she had to climb over his body, which made her hesitate. She stood frozen by the bed for a long time until the soles of her feet went numb, then carefully and quietly climbed up.