Black-Bellied Dad
Chapter 5 : Black-Bellied Dad Chapter 4 Late night, three mother storks fly into the Stork Chat Room

Black-Bellied Dad Chapter 4

Late night, three mother storks fly into the Stork Chat Rooms.

“Sisters, you’ve done well!” Red Stork kicks off the squawking.

“Like this, can it be considered well?” Little Blue Bird asks, filled with concern.

“Of course! Since ancient times, it’s always been mothers bearing the hards.h.i.+ps of raising a child! Both sides equally indulge for a night, yet the pain of bearing a child… you could die! Haven’t you also experienced it? Successfully give birth and it’s the sweetest thing in life, but if you fail, you’ll end up 6 feet under[1]. Right now, we’re only teaching those men a lesson, so that in the future, they’ll properly reign in their ‘little brothers’!

“… this proverb, where did you hear it from?” It even rhymes! Large Brown Bird takes the opportunity to jot down some notes.

“My mother told me!”

“So… so old fas.h.i.+oned!”

“Wouldn’t have thought a sophisticated, modern woman would know such a folksy proverb.”

Red Stork feels the enthusiasm rising within her, quickly steering them back to the topic, “Truly! We need to teach those men a lesson so they’ll know we women shouldn’t be trifled with!”

Right right! They can clearly see Red Stork’s point! Even female compatriots fighting in the same trenches as her can feel her strength and aggression, not to mention those men she points at and scorns.

“If you’re so indignant, why did you give birth at the time?”

“I… I’m scared of ghosts!”

“Scared of ghosts?”

“Right! I just don’t want to be woken up every morning by ‘it’, so I resolved myself to give birth!”

Think about it, if you had clairvoyant eyes, when you open your eyes every morning, the first thing you’ll see is that child you refused to birth to, with no arms or legs lying next to you. It’s strange if you aren’t scared!”

“You have clairvoyant eyes?”

“It’s only scary when you do! The most exaggerated I’ve seen was a man who attracted eight in one breath!

Eight! Just looking at him walking around our building floor, my whole body starts to feel uncomfortable! From start to end, I’ve never shown him a pleasant expression.”

Is she for real? But normally she isn’t a nonsensical type of person…

“That… why would they stick to a man?” The pitiful ones are usually the birth mothers.

“It’s not definite! Fate determines who they follow.”

“But… eight! That man’s girlfriend must be really pitiful!”

“… I never said the birth mothers for those eight were the same!”

Now they’re turning into a gossip magazine? How bizarre!

“How would you even know this sort of thing?”

“They told me!”

“They?”

“… those eight infants.”

Alright! Developing a sense of dread, they decided to believe her.

“You guys don’t know! Everyday I’m tormented by them, until I can’t eat or sleep well. They’re always buzzing around by my ears. Once they come close, my head starts ringing. Normally it’s alright, but if I encounter one with a malicious heart, ah, then that’s truly torturous! On a hot July day, they often wake me in the middle of the night, or I’m often followed by ghosts. Tell me, like this, how can I still remain pleasant?”

Eh, sounds miserable when she puts it like that.

“Is there any way for you to improve your circ.u.mstances?” Little Blue Bird anxiously enquires. “For example, seeking an exorcism? At least it’ll ease your headaches!”

“Exorcism?” Red Stork suddenly bursts into laughter. “Ah, you guys wouldn’t know, but there’s an a.s.sistant near me who’s overflowing with Yang[2] energy. As long as he’s in the office, within 3 seconds, all those ‘good brothers’ will all disappear!”

“Wah, that fierce?”

“Right, if I b.u.mp into him during the day, even if it’s only a finger, I can guarantee you I’ll sleep soundly until daybreak.”

“Do you spend each day trying to ‘b.u.mp’ into him then?” Little Blue Bird coyly asks.

“Of course not!” Red Stork immediately rebukes. “I’m not a female lecher, if I really keep trying to b.u.mp into him, he’d definitely report me for hara.s.sment.”

“Then what will you do?”

“He’s my a.s.sistant, and needs to make coffee for me. As he brews, his energy is infused in it. While he definitely hasn’t realized, I’ll know the second I’ve drank it. Although the effects aren’t as good as touching him, it’s still better than nothing!”

Lin Jing and Kang Hua Xuan stare blankly. They’ve never encountered this sort of thing, but they can’t help but think her life must be somewhat wretched.

Working in her day job already contains a lot of pressure, yet 3-5 times ‘good brothers’ will barge in. Actually, she doesn’t want to see the small infants attached to her colleagues’ shoulders, since it’s a personal matter for them, but if she always sees that armless, legless and headless appearance… it’s really hard to overlook!

“Then … it couldn’t be that you were also like this that night… so you climbed into that a.s.sistant’s bed?”

Lin Jing’s sharp instincts as a screenwriter picks up strong vibes, sensing something strange.

“Eh, there was no other way. At the time I hadn’t slept well for over 2 months, and it was the first time I’d seen that sort of const.i.tution. I, I hadn’t known it’d be so comfortable!” Not to mention her headaches, after being touched by him once, all the cold energy in her body had been burnt away. This is what it’s like for her whole body to be at ease! So, of course she had to ‘b.u.mp’ him a few more times … but like this, they ended up b.u.mping until dawn….

Whole body at ease? It couldn’t have been that comfortable!

“So, you kept on ‘b.u.mping’ until a little baby came out?”

“You don’t need to put it so bluntly!” *Blush*

“If your a.s.sistant knew the child was conceived like this, he’d probably faint.”

“I also want to pa.s.s out, okay…” Red Stork looks at her watch, exclaiming “It’s almost 12. So late, you guys should head to bed early!”

“No need, I’m used to sleeping late.” As a screenwriter, Lin Jing was accustomed to this schedule.

“It’s still better to sleep earlier! You know, you really should adjust your sleeping pattern. Activities during the day belong to humans, but I can’t say the same for night. Don’t you think sometimes, when you look in the mirror at night…”

“Alright, stop talking.” Terror suddenly spreads through Lin Jing, “Not listening to your fear mongering, I’m heading offline.”

The screen flashes. Left with only her and Red Stork, Kang Hua Xuan senses an uneasy development, so she quickly states “En, you’re right, I’ll also going off to sleep, good night.”

Everyone’s offline? Good, she’s also going to bed then.

Today she should be able to sleep peacefully! Mn, needless to say, it’s because she’s ‘b.u.mped’ into him several times!

Launching the pilot for the branch’s infant room, the heavy responsibility actually lands on Xu He Jun’s shoulders. Huang Shang Rong will occasionally come to help, to see what he needs, and to allocate resources to him. The two of them often work overtime together. If it rains when they finish work, she feels obligated to tell him to leave his motor cycle at the office, since she can take him to pick up his son and to work the following morning. It’s convenient since it’s along the way, and she can easily pick him up from his place.

Not to mention, when the female demoness, no, when Huang Shang Rong has major conferences or important questions, she’ll definitely find Xu He Jun to accompany her. He isn’t her only a.s.sistant. She also has more senior, and even a female a.s.sistant beside her, but she still mostly looks for him, using the excuse that his preparations are the most comprehensive. As long as she starts something, he’ll always know what she intends to do. Consequently, from the most basic a.s.sistant, he’s suddenly promoted to the general manager’s a.s.sistant. His salary also rises 3 ranks, the highest of all the a.s.sistants.

The two leave and arrive together for a period. Everyone knows Xu He Jun’s circ.u.mstances recently became complicated, so it’s only expected he’d receive special consideration. But the other party is the female demoness! An unmarried man (even though he already has a child), and an unmarried woman (even though it’s improbable she’ll even be married off in the future), could sparks possibly develop between them? Not to mention, everyone is shocked to discover that if Xu He Jun takes a day off, that day, Huang Shang Rong’s temper become very irritable. If even the tiniest thing goes wrong, she’ll storm around looking to gut someone.

If anyone said there was nothing between them, even if you broke their legs, they wouldn’t believe it.

“He Jun,” at lunch time, Su Xia Dai deliberately moves her food tray beside him, “hey, have you been well recently?”

“I’m alright,” raising his head, he smiles at her, “thanks for your concern.”

Thinking he’s still raging over the fact that she left him, she leans towards him. “He Jun, if you need any help, you can always ask me.”

Xu He Jun isn’t dumb. He’s vaguely aware of her intentions when she approached him today. Lightly smiling, “Thank you, but I’m fine right now.”

Su Xiao Dai believes his cool att.i.tude is because he blames her for not standing by him when he needed her the most.

“He Jun, you, do you blame me?”

“Blame you? How can I?”

“Because I walked away during your most difficult period and didn’t stay by your side.”

“How could I?” He smiles indifferently, “this sort of situation shouldn’t be forced onto someone. Everyone’s an adult, I understand. Not to mention, we hadn’t dated for long yet I presented you with such a conundrum. It’s normal that you’d retreat. This was originally my problem, I never planned to drag you down with me.”

His tone is calm and natural, without a trace of yearning, making Su Xiao Dai even more perplexed.

“You, how could you let go so quickly?”

“Then what? Should I spend each day brooding, spend the entire day wondering why you left me, unable to do anything properly?” Xu He Jun sighs, “Xiao Dai, like I said, we hadn’t dated for long, while our feelings hadn’t become too deep. That day you could easily walk away, and so could I, it wasn’t like anyone was fully devoted. Our affections weren’t that intricate, maybe we just weren’t fated! Thanks for your concern, but I’m doing great.”

He knows she’s currently going through a rough patch with Weng Yu Jie. He doesn’t know the exact details, nor does he care. To him, it’s all in the past. He has his own things to deal with, he wouldn’t waste his time on matters unrelated to him.

Su Xiao Dai doesn’t speak. Had she read him wrong? To think Xu He Jun was the type that could let go so easily.

That time, she really thought he wasn’t bad and had only given up because of the child. Now, looking at him and the child walking towards the right path, and living well. Soon the pilot for the infant program will begin, and recently the female Emperor helped increase his salary. His reach is gradually expanding… if it’s like this, if she turned back for him, can she still make it in time?

“Are you dating anyone right now?”

His heart already has an answer but he doesn’t want to reveal too much to an unrelated person. “You know I’m raising a motherless child, it’s not easy to talk about. Normal people would run as far as possible!”

And he said he didn’t blame her! She knows leaving him at such a crucial moment wasn’t kind, but she didn’t want to get involved with that sort of mess!

A sudden *zzrt* sound, Xu He Jun hastily tidies his meal tray, preparing to climb back up the stairs to the office, “Oh, I need to take a message, I’ll leave first.” He immediately turns and leaves, without waiting for Su Xiao Dai’s response.

Afternoon, just as Xu He Jun is about to take a doc.u.ment to Huang Shang Rong to sign, she takes a single glance before pus.h.i.+ng it away—

“You don’t need to work overtime today, you can go home first.”

“How come?” Isn’t it really busy today? There’s still a pile of doc.u.ments in front of her waiting to be signed. Not to mention the day care room will soon be launched and there’s still some details they need to discuss. Why is she hurrying him back now?

“Don’t you have a date? It’s not good to let a girl wait too long, hurry up and go!” Huang Shang Rong acts with familiarity.

“Who has a date?”

“You!”

“With who?”

Huang Shang Rong blanks for a second. With who? Doesn’t he know? This afternoon, she clearly saw him talking intimately with Su Xia Dai at the cafeteria. Su Xiao Dai had also looked so pitiful, tugging on the corner of his jacket, even she couldn’t bear to watch! She should be trying to reconcile! Normal men wouldn’t be able to refuse, not to mention his life has currently returned to normal, but he doesn’t have a girlfriend by his side.

Seeing her remain silent, Xu He Jun knows roughly what she’s thinking.

He immediately clarifies, “Su Xiao Dai and I have already broken up. A good horse doesn’t return to its old pastures[3], she and I won’t have any other relations.”

“How could you move on so quickly?”

Xu He Jun laughs out loud. Why do women all say this!

“I originally thought she was a good match,” he then adds, “but we weren’t meant to be.”

Over the past few years, having climbed up from the bottom, he’s already reached marriageable age. He also knows such a milestone in his life shouldn’t be carelessly delayed. If he hasn’t married in his 30s or 40s, his mother will definitely try to push some wealthy heiress that will further the family business towards him. If it’s like that, he may as well choose someone he likes, who’s easy to talk to, and a woman who can a.s.sist him in the future.

Su Xiao Dai was a really good match, someone who can easily adapt to any situation without offending others. She really knows how to use her charm to her own benefit, while her smooth social skills would also be considerably useful, similar to him. So at the start he had already noticed her, while she also appeared interested in him. So like that, it didn’t matter if they were well suited, it was still worth a try. But who would have thought, after dating a little more than 3 months, the little guy would report in. Not to mention the easily adaptable Su Xiao Dai would run off so quickly. To say they weren’t fated – they truly weren’t meant to be.

“If it weren’t for Hao Hao, you and Xiao Dai would still be together, right?”

“Probably, but who knows?” It appears he has no interest in discussing this topic. Pulling a chair beside her desk, he helps her organize the stack of doc.u.ments.

Disregarding his preference, she continues to enquire. “Have you ever blamed Hao Hao’s birth mother? She disrupted your lifestyle, and even ruined your life.”

“To say she ruined my life… I think, the other side doesn’t have it easy either! A single woman with a swollen stomach, unable to find me to take responsibility… I don’t know what excuse she has. But, I think there’s something that makes it hard for her to confront me.” He raises his eyebrows, asking her, “What do you think?”

She gulps, “Then … have you ever wondered who Hao Hao’s mother is?”

“It doesn’t matter who she is, or what her background is. As long as the case is solved, I’ll take her home to marry.”

“Take her home to marry?” Huang Shang Rong gasps when she hears this. She hadn’t thought the young man in front of her would talk so big. Wanting to take her *cough cough* wanting to take Hao Hao’s mother home to marry.

“Right!” Xu He Jun’s eyes start s.h.i.+ning, “Despite how I look, my soul is very traditional!

Look, the other party already gave birth to my child. If I can’t show my sincerity and take her as my wife, how can I be considered a man?”

The more she listens, the worse her face becomes. “But if…. I’m saying if, you can’t get along? Let’s say lifestyle and customs, age, values, personalities, and such…”

“How can I know without trying?” Placing his both hands on the desk, he stares straight at her, eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with light, while his smiling expression is filled with expectation.

Feeling guilty, looking at him flas.h.i.+ng such a confident smile, Huang Shang Rong gulps, “Good, then take your time to find her.”

“Then what if I say I’ve already found her?”

“You found her?” She cries aloud, “Liar!”

“That’s why I said ‘if’” He chuckles.

“Oh, if…” So it’s only hypothetical. Almost scared her to death.

“If I find her, are you willing to help me?”

“Help you with what?”

“Help me make Hao Hao’s mother my wife.”

“Er, this… you need to consider whether the other party is willing!”

“You aren’t willing?” He asks, digging her into a ditch.

“I… As if I’d want to be your wife!”

Xu He Jun purses his lips, showing a sly smile, extremely patient as he explains, “I’m asking, would you be willing to help me pursue Hao Hao’s mother — if I’m able to find her that is.”

Huang Shang Rong takes a deep breath. Was she almost tricked again? Breath, good, don’t be afraid, calm yourself down. This brat couldn’t have realized.

“We’ll talk about it after you find her!”

Disregarding the cold water she just poured, Xu He Jun widely grins, “Right! We’ll talk again after I find her!”

Nice evade! Ah, how strange, she always feels as though she can’t get her head around something, and always being led around by this brat?

He… doesn’t appear to be how he seems, even though he looks so… sincere?

She purses her lips. “Since there isn’t a date, then you may as well stay. This afternoon I bought a cute pair of tiger print boots for my G.o.d son to wear. After work, we’ll pick him up together.”

Frowning, Xu He Jun reminds her, “General Manager, Hao Hao almost has 10 pairs of shoes.” What would a child do with so many pairs of shoes? Anyway, soon they won’t even be able to wear it.

Cheerfully reprimanding him, “Nonsense, it’s not like I bought it for you.”

“You’re so good at looking after others, will there be a time when you’ll let someone look after you?”

Huang Shang Rong hadn’t expected him to say something like that. Her heart stills and her brow wrinkles, did she look after other people? Of course not! She’s the female demoness! Everyone’s scared to death of her, the further they are from her the better. How can she be a good person?

“It’s alright, I’ve never thought I’ve treated others particularly well.”

“Want me to count them for you?” Xu He Jun’s lips curl, going through all her acts one by one. “During the busy periods where everyone has overtime, you’d give extra work to unmarried male workers, of course they’re appropriately reimbursed. Towards those with marriages, you’ll reduce it proportionally. During colleague dinners, you definitely wouldn’t touch a drop of alcohol, since after everyone’s gotten drunk, you’ll be able to take each of them to their respective homes.”

“The matter of the day care room, I don’t even need to mention. This idea wasn’t just for my sake, but also for the female staff. You rarely notice the changes you make, nor do you care what others think. Maybe in front of most people you seem to be an ill-tempered female demoness, and your tone might not be great, but after becoming familiar with you, they’ll realize you consider the bigger picture. This is why some people are willing to work themselves to death for you…. Also if you didn’t compare, you wouldn’t know but the percentage of disasters Jing Xiang[4] experiences is the entire company’s…”

“Alright, stop talking!” As his praises were becoming more embellished, Huang Shang Rong couldn’t resist interrupting. “If you continue speaking, I’ll demote you to a jester and you can spend all day singing praises for me to hear.”

“These aren’t flattery, this is the truth.” His voice suddenly turns low, “Would you believe it if I said my sweet talking is in another league?”

What is he trying to do? Seduce her? She refuses to blush, using her bewitching eyes to stare at him.

Suddenly, Xu He Jun reveals a beaming expression, really such a rogue.

“My birthday is this weekend. My family only consists of my son and I. Yesterday I already discussed it with him. Hao Hao said we can ask his G.o.dmother to attend. Is Hao Hao’s G.o.dmother willing to honour us with your presence?

Huang Shang Rong fixes her gaze on him, a smile appearing on the edge of her lips, “You should hope Hao Hao can talk!”

“He can’t talk, but I can understand his intentions.”

“Oh?” This time she’s intrigued. “Then try and guess what I’m thinking.”

He reaches both hands out towards the sun, wrinkling his brow and feigning an earnest expression. “My skills aren’t enough. I can’t read your intentions, but, I know the secret hidden in your heart.”

“Say it for us to hear.” The corner of her lips curl into a smile, still not believing a word.

Xu He Jun shakes his finger. “No, I can’t say it since you’re hiding this secret from me.”

“What do you mean?” So can he or can’t he? She’s confused.

He spreads his hands, “This is your secret, you should know better than me.”

Huang Shang Rong’s brow rises. She has several secrets, and within them, there truly is one she’s hiding from him. But, this type of mind reading is too broad, drawing her own conclusions would mean falling into his trap.

“Bulls.h.i.+t!” She pulls a face at him. “I completely don’t believe you.”

“You better believe me!” He blows her an extreme flashy kiss, taking back the signed doc.u.ments, and leaves the office.

This brat, really isn’t as easy to deal with as he seems! She darkly muses.

Body is so cold, Head hurts so much!

Huang Shang Rong opens her eyes, finding herself in the bathroom, half her body almost entering the half-filled bathtub, soaked to her lower abdomen. She curses, “This is definitely their doing!”

Climbing out of the bathtub, she grabs a towel to dry her hair. Luckily it’s still summer right now. If they had tried to play this type of trick in winter, she’d definitely have a shaman exorcise them completely — of course it comes at a price. She’ll lose her voice and be unable to speak for 3 days.

Ah, at a time like this, it’d be great if Xu He Jun were here.

That brat is clearly an ordinary person, so why does his physique seem to be blessed by the Buddha himself? As long as he’s around, all her irritating maladies all seem to disappear without any provocation. So, it definitely isn’t her fault that when the company was allocating a.s.sistants, of the 18 a.s.sistants, she immediately chose him.

Even she hadn’t realized at the start, and just thought he made really good coffee. Drinking even a small cup, her whole body sighs in relief, and her mind is refreshed, with the entire day’s concerns washed away. Even the impression and voices of irritating people seem to ease, letting her experience the indolent lifestyle of the average person.

She had noticed two infants following Su Xiao Dai’s shoulders, yet every time Xu He Jun approaches, they disappeared without a trace. Could it be Su Xiao Dai was only attracted to him for this? She can understand that desolate feeling after they had broken up. But Su Xiao Dai couldn’t see it, otherwise she wouldn’t have broken up with Xu He Jun so easily.

With such a strong talisman beside her, it’s really more effective than anything!

Only, Xu He Jun’s divine protection is really too addictive! Not the mention the addiction only grows stronger. Only through enjoying his coffee, and occasionally ‘b.u.mping’ into him, pulling him, and leaning against his shoulders, will her mood beome great for the day. While it’s not to the point of incessantly smiling, the number of times her temperature flares lessens. Since Xu He Jun’s power doesn’t diminish, she only needs to drink a cup of coffee in the morning, another cup in the afternoon and her head won’t scream in pain. But the problem is, what about at night?

The weekends? Holidays?

At night she can have him stay back for overtime; weekends, she can use buying things for his son as an excuse; holidays… she can only grit her teeth and endure!

Sticking close to Xu He Jun, she realizes her own temper isn’t very good. Not to mention her patience isn’t near enough. Compared to her, he’s clearly a gentleman! Given a choice, she also doesn’t want to throw tantrums, but at least raging is the fastest way to get results. As long as everyone follows her directions, they’ll definitely be able to achieve twice the results with half the effort.

She was anxious as a child, always wanting to raise productivity to the highest. Anyone who couldn’t keep up would end up suffering. While there’ll obviously be objections, Xu He Jun uses comprehensive methods to subdue her. They’re clearly raising the same issue, but if someone else told her she was too impatient, she’ll end up blowing up, unable to hear another word. Once it changes to Xu He Jun, she’ll nod her head, softening up to tolerate it…. Is it that it’s a different approach, or a different person?

This situation feels somewhat tragic, could it be she can’t without Xu He Jun? In terms of superior and subordinate relations, it’s more than a little troublesome. But as a normal relations.h.i.+p, being like this is not so bad…

No, she’s not the type to mix work and personal affairs!

Vexed, Huang Shang Rong removes her soaked pyjamas, changing into a clean set of clothes. Three days off in a row, and yesterday was only the first day without seeing Xu He Jun. Not drinking the coffee he brewed, not only does her head hurt, her whole body feels unsettled. Her temper is also bad, no, it’s already reached boiling point.

It’s said that a.s.sistants dispatched to the branch offices rarely stay over a year. Last time Xu He Jun deliberately chose to remain. This time she must find a way to keep him in the office (to brew coffee) no matter what…..

What method can she use?

Her phone beeps twice. Taking a glance, she realizes the work calendar clearly indicates that it’s Xu He Jun’s birthday. Blanking, she recalls he had mentioned that in the afternoon he’d be at home preparing food to celebrate, and had asked her to attend —- good, very good. He actually hadn’t forgotten to find her. Then she’ll head to his place in a moment and definitely drink the coffee he brews.

But for his birthday, what should she give him? What she owes people, she’ll repay. She definitely won’t skimp on the present he’s ent.i.tled to — a normal man’s birthday, giving him a watch or one of the 3C[5]s should be enough! Ties and s.h.i.+rts are too ambiguous, so she doesn’t dare to gift them.

He’s currently a father and needs to raise a child. She’s been to his place and everything there’s either second hand or someone else’s unwanted items. Old and dirty, sometimes she can’t bear to watch, there are some things you need to buy for yourself! Yet he doesn’t – how can he save in such a way? Apparently he can’t even sleep well since his mattress was given to him by a friend—-well of course! How could a mattress that was being thrown out be comfortable?

If Buddha really cared for him, he would’ve been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. How can he let him live like this?

Shaking her head as she sighs, Huang Shang Rong recalls how the department store at DM[6] had a sale on mattresses yesterday. Mulling, she suddenly think of a gift for him.

That guy is normally busy being a good father and a good employee. Working so hard, he really needs to take better care of himself when he sleeps.

10 in the morning, Huang Shang Rong charges towards the 7th floor the moment the department store opens. Picking out a few soothing mattresses and pillows, the sales clerk kindly approaches to offer her a.s.sistance.

“Miss, are you interested in this set? It’s currently on sale!”

“I know.” Deciding between a Double spring mattress and a Single bamboo mattress, “I’m wavering….”

The spring mattress is so comfortable to lie on that she almost fell asleep! But sending Xu He Jun a double is too ambiguous. The bamboo mattress isn’t bad either and is more suitable if you’re single. However his bed is a double and it’d look weird with a single sized mattress. Not to mention it’s not as comfortable as the double…

“Miss, is it for one person to sleep on?”

“No, no, it’s not for me, it’s for a friend…”

Picking out mattresses, it’s usually married couples, or boyfriends and girlfriends, where it’s normal with their level of intimacy. If it’s a single person, it’s usually for their personal use. If it’s to give to someone —-

“Boyfriend?”

“No!” Huang Shang Rong’s face instantly pales, immediately denying it as her voice jumps 8 octaves.

“Eh, then —- the recipient is…..”

“A man, unmarried.” Once she says it, she groans. How can she blame the sales a.s.sistant for misunderstanding, a person picking out a mattress under these circ.u.mstances, it’s really… ah!

“Then… the single bamboo mattress really suits him! It moderates the temperature in winter and summer, making it really pleasant.”

“No, it isn’t as comfortable as the double.”

“Then…. Do you want to buy the double?

“Ah, but he’s single!”

The sales clerk patiently explains, “Single people can also sleep on double beds! Some people enjoy rolling back and forth, also you can’t guarantee they’ll never find someone.”

“Mnn, that makes sense.” Huang Shang Rong has the double mattress taken to the counter, conveniently asking if they also provide delivery.

“Miss, do you want to look at our bed sheets as well? For customers buying a mattress, the second set of bedsheets is half price!”

Half price? Her woman’s impulse to shop rises. She’s fond of the prints she sees, but once she recalls she’s buying it for Xu He Jun, she starts to hesitate.

A mattress is still tolerable, given his poverty stricken appearance. Buying this kind of top grade mattress he’ll be hiding his delight, unable to tell good quality from bad! But bedsheets are different. While it’s only a thin and flimsy thing, it has the potential to be explosive! What if he doesn’t like what she chooses?

“It’s a gift, it’s the thought that counts. If you’re not sure what the other person will like, just decide based on your own intentions!” Reading her thoughts, the female clerk offers her advice.

Huang Shang Rong thinks, that’s true, this is something she chose, so Xu He Jun wouldn’t be able to do much regardless. He even uses his mother’s cotton sheets as bed sheets. This type of quality and material, even if he doesn’t like it, it’s not like he has a choice.

So be it!

She chooses a set of navy blue bedsheets, as well as a maroon set. Since navy blue is conservative, he should be able to tolerate it. While maroon is something she likes. It looks better the more she sees it, and it even has cherry blossom prints, making her like it even more….Nnn if he doesn’t like it, maybe she can take it home and use it herself….

Of course if he decides to use it, it’s even better.

At noon, almost approaching 12pm, she accompanies the delivery men to the Xu residence. At the start, the workers were a little stunned that the owner of such a reputable mattress would live in such an old and decrepit apartment complex. But since the customer is king, they remain silent.

“This, this is…” Xu He Jun watches a group of people carry a huge object into his home, swaying as they enter. Wide eyed, he asks Huang Shang Rong at the head of the group.

“Your birthday present. Happy birthday, He Jun.”

Only after watching the last of the men carry the mattress into his room, does he lower his voice to ask “You’re giving me a mattress?”

“Yes, didn’t you say you hardly ever sleep well?” She pats his shoulder —- Ah, finally got to touch him.

“Not only are you a single father, you also need to work overtime to make money. You need to treat yourself better you know.”

Xu He Jun isn’t an idiot, and he knows that Huang Shang Rong isn’t some unaware little girl. What’s her motive in giving him something even more ambiguous than a tie or a s.h.i.+rt? It’s not like he doesn’t know, but he doesn’t want to burst her bubble. Not to mention, based on her character, even if he does, she wouldn’t admit to it.

“Excuse me, do you want us to recycle the old mattress? We can help you dispose of it.” A worker asks.

“Thanks, I’ll leave it to you.” That mattress was bought by an old flame, but with Huang Shang Rong’s mattress taking a lead role, that mattress should be sent as far away as possible.

As the workers lift the mattress, leaning it against its side, Huang Shang Rong curiously tilts her head, eyeing the bronzed letters on the mattress “Bell” ….eh? Where had she seen it before?

Ah! Wasn’t it right next to the store where she bought the Simmons[7]? Bell doesn’t lose to Simmons when it comes to prestige, not to mention the price will be up to $3-40,000 higher. It’s used in the bedrooms of European royalty, while only the presidential suites for 6 star hotels would use this grade of mattress. The price tag is something even she can’t afford. She had only wanted to see, since Xu He Jun mentioned he couldn’t feel the quality.

“This, isn’t this the king of mattresses….” She pulls at him, wanting to ask in more detail, only to be interrupted.

“Wah, you even helped me buy new bedsheets!” Xu He Jun subtly s.h.i.+fts her focus, taking the two sets of bedsheets on the floor, staring with intensity, “You’re really too soft-hearted.”

“Uh, it’s really nothing…”

“An entire set of Simmons! I’ve never used such a high cla.s.s item in my life!” He happily hugs her. “Thank you.”

“He’s never used? Then what about that Bell set? Or could it be his life has been so miserable he can’t even adjust to sleeping on a luxurious mattress?

“Ah! What a pitiful child!”

“Navy blue and maroon, which one do you prefer?” She asks. “We can lay out either of them.”

“Which one do you like?”

“Me?” Why’s he asking her? “This is your bed, what’s the point of asking me?”

“We’ll use the one you prefer.” He sends her a faint smile, glee creeping through the corners of his lips. “It’s better for you to decide in these types of situations.”

What type of smile is this? Really makes people want to hit him!

Predictably, she ends up punching him.

Eventually — “Maroon coloured.” She reveals.