Chapter 323: Her masked concern
Jianyu smiled when he saw Nana as he entered in the Liang villa.
“Jianyu!” Nana’s face brightened.
They hugged while Jianyu officially introduced himself to the Liang family. He didn’t get that chance in the Liang banquet.
Liang Xiao Dan smiled. “Its good to meet you.”
He bowed. “The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Liang.”
“Ah, just call me, Aunt. Mrs. Liang sounds too formal.”
“Alright.”
“Shin, Zou. Let’s go. They must have a lot to talk about.”
Liang Zou and Shin narrowed his eyes at him. Now that they knew that Jianyu had also hurt Nana at one point in time, they were still wary of him. Liang Xiao Dan forced them, and they grudgingly left.
Jianyu awkwardly said, “I can sense their hostility.”
Nana sighed. “Forget it. Just give them a while. They will surely let it go.”
Jianyu sat beside her.
“I…came to know about you and bro.”
Nana was quiet for a moment. “It was bound to happen.”
Jianyu stared at her. “You still love him, right?”
“Yes. I love him. But that doesn’t mean that I can forgive him.”
“Bro is standing outside like a crazy man.”
“Let him do whatever he wants.”
He sighed. He saw her baby bump and smiled. “Can I?”
Nana nodded.
Jianyu kept his hand on her tummy, and he felt the baby kick. He held a complicated gaze. He had never felt his baby’s kick because he never wanted to touch Serena. He never felt that joy. He imagined what it would be like to feel that soft sensation.
“He or she is so intelligent. It instantly understands that somebody is waiting for it to kick,” he chuckled.
Nana saw the pain and longing in his gaze. “How is she?”
Jianyu was quiet for a beat. “She is just fine. Well, she should be since she is carrying my child. Actually…”
“Hm?”
Jianyu wondered if he should tell her about Serena’s resolve to get them back.
Forget it. She is already dealing with such a mess.
He thought Serena might be too excited, so she said something like that. She wouldn’t really do anything.
Jianyu shook his head. “Nothing.”
But what Serena said at the apartment made him restless.
“Nana…if bro works hard to change, if he wants to repent then would you give him a chance?”
Nana pursed her lips. She really had no answer for this.
“I don’t know, Jianyu. Some mistakes are tough to forgive. Whatever will happen in the future, I have left that on time. Right now, I don’t have any answer.”
Jianyu smiled. “It’s alright. But bro is really stubborn. He will not stop bugging you even if he has to do it for the rest of his life.”
“This time, I am equally stubborn.”
He sighed.
“How is Uncle and Aunt Chen?”
“Well, if you mean by what happened, then yes, they are hurt too. She loves bro as much as me. But she is missing you too much. She might give you a surprise visit here sometime soon.”
Nana faintly chuckled. “And you spoiled her surprise?”
Jianyu scratched his head. “Ah, don’t tell her, okay? Act surprised when she visits you. She is really scary when she is angry.”
“I will think about it.”
He pouted. “How could you, Nana? Aren’t we so good friends? You won’t rat me out, right?”
“Fine. Fine. Oh yes, I am joining Natsukashi from tomorrow.”
Jianyu was surprised. She was going to be on leave until her delivery. But he slowly understood the reason behind her decision.
Jianyu grinned and clapped his hands once in approval. “That’s great. Well, if the chef is back, then I might trouble you for my lunch. I will be the most dedicated customer in Natsukashi.”
Nana chuckled. “Sure. You can come anytime.”
—
Another whole day passed by but Jinhai refused to leave.
It was the third night by now.
Before going to sleep, Nana opened the curtain just a little and saw that Jinhai was still standing.
Nana gritted her teeth.
What the hell is wrong with him!? Why can’t he just go back?
Nana refused to admit that seeing him sleepless, hungry, and thirsty like that, with his legs that must be definitely aching all over, was affecting her just a little bit.
He was like that for almost three days. She clutched the curtain in between her fingers.
Nana was his wife, but first and foremost, she was a chef. It was her innate nature not to be able to see anybody hungry.
Nana paced a bit back and forth in her room. She held her tummy and asked, “Why can your Papa not understand? Why is he behaving like that? Standing here hungry like that will just ruin his health. He should leave from here, right?”
For the first time, the baby didn’t kick. Usually, it always did whenever she would ask a question or talked to him.
Nana found it odd.
“You must be sleeping, huh?”
Then she paused for a moment. She slowly asked, “He should leave from here, right?”
No kick. No answer.
“Or should he stay here?”
This time the baby kicked. And then again.
“…”
She couldn’t believe it.
“How could you be on his side! Your Mama has been wronged and hurt!”
The baby didn’t respond again. As if it already finished giving its opinion, it didn’t kick back.
“Say something!”
No answer.
She clenched her jaw, frustrated.
“Do-Don’t forget that I am carrying you inside me!”
Nothing.
Damn it!
Nana went outside, and she saw a maid in the kitchen.
The maid was shocked. “Young mistress! You should have called me! Why did you come all the way here?”
“It’s alright. I just wanted to ask if there is dinner left of today?”
She nodded. “Yes, young mistress. Should I warm it up if you are hungry?”
“N-no. I don’t want it.”
Silence.
The maid asked, “Do you need me to do something?”
Nana hesitated. “N-no….I mean, yes.”
—
It was almost eleven-thirty in the night, and Jinhai was leaning on his car as usual. He was starving and he especially felt to eat Nana’s cooked food.
Suddenly, he heard someone coming towards him.
“Nana!”
He expectantly looked at the incoming figure, but his gaze turned dark when he saw that it was just a maid.
The maid was carrying a tray with a plate covered with another. There was a small bottle on the side. She gulped when she saw his cold gaze. She really wanted to run away at that instant.
This man is too terrifying!
“What?”
His voice could rival even the coldness of the Arctic, but he narrowed his gaze when he saw the tray in her hand.
The maid stuttered. “S-sir, I have brought dinner for you.”
“Who told you? Didn’t your master order that nobody will give me any food or water?”
The maid lowered her gaze. “Madam Liang told me to give this to you secretly.”
“Ho…”
From the corner, Nana was listening to their conversation.
Sorry, Mom…I had to lie with your name. But only then would it have felt believable to him.
Jinhai stared hard at the maid. She was internally sweating like crazy.
Young mistress. Why did you send me here!? This man is so scary! She sobbed. I want to stay alive!
“Take it back.”
“Huh?”
Nana stiffened.
“Didn’t you hear me? Take it back. I appreciate ‘mother-in-law’s’ concern, but tell her I won’t eat it…”
Nana felt a little odd the way he emphasized the word, mother-in-law.
“…Unless my wife, who is hiding behind the tree, comes here herself and tells me to eat it.”
Nana froze.
The maid also jolted aback.
“S-sir what you might be saying? There is only me.”
Jinhai said, “Take it back.”
Nana pursed her lips.
The maid didn’t know what to do. “Sir-“
He glared at her. “Are you going or should I-“
“Wait.”
Nana slowly stepped out from the shadows.
Jinhai smiled. Nana took the tray from the maid and said, “Leave.”
The maid bowed and quickly scurried away.
“Nana…You still care about me.”
Nana indifferently said, “I just don’t want any accident to happen in my home. If you faint or anything, then mom and dad might get implicated unnecessarily. That’s why it is best for you to leave. Please don’t cause any trouble.”
Nana put the tray on the car roof and said, “Eat or stay hungry, your choice.”
“Nana I…”
Jinhai tried to step closer to her, but she raised her hand. “Don’t! Don’t come any close to me.”
Nana turned to leave, but her foot stumbled, and she tripped backward. She gasped, horrified, but in a flash, Jinhai already caught her in his arms. He held her waist with his left arm while he grabbed her hand with his right.
Nana automatically wrapped her hands around his neck and tightly shut her eyes. Her lips were trembling a little.
Jinhai’s heart melted when he saw her scared. He softly said, “Nana. Open your eyes. You are fine.”