"Oh!" Liu Longwei exclaimed. "That means you are not pregnant," He continued.

"No, am not," Chen Lihua admitted.

​​

"That's fine," Liu Longwei replied as he kissed her hair and hugged her to sleep.

The next morning, Madam Liu phoned Chen Lihua before she left for the hospital.

The daughter-in-law and mother-in-law spoke for a while. Then Chen Lihua promised to visit the weekend after her scheduled surgery after madam Liu relayed the old lady's message to her.

After speaking with her mother-in-law, Chen Lihua told Liu Longwei about the call. The latter said he would go with her, but Chen Lihua refused, saying it was a ladies thing. So Liu Longwei could only agree with her.

This same morning, Aunt Lin's ex came over to see her. He was looking a lot better than the last few days. He seemed to have overcome all his troubles and embraced joy and peace.

Today, he came to settle some old matters with Aunt Lin. Some matters were left unsettled between them, that he needed to bring to a conclusion.

He needed to make things official, so he could have the exclusive right to take care of both mother and daughter. But if he doesn't succeed, he would see himself as a failure and live the rest of his life regretting.

So he has been in Aunt Lin's house since early this morning to talk about the important issues thinking that it would be an easy matter, but he was surprised that Aunt Chen Lin refused everything he said.

"Lin, I don't understand what you are trying to do. I have divorced that woman already, so why don't you want to get together with me officially? There is no other woman in my life. As it stands now, nobody can control me or tell me what to say about our relationship apart from you, so tell me, why do you saying 'no'?" the man asked in a frown.

"I am not scared of anything or anybody. You can still take care of your daughter without us getting married. I don't even see the need in us getting married," Aunt Lin said as a matter of fact.

"Lin, what are you saying? I don't just want our daughter; I want you in the picture as well. I want us to become one happy family. I want the three of us to be together forever. This is what I have failed to do for so many years, and I want to set things right now, so why do you still refuse?" the man asked bitterly.

Aunt Lin sighed before saying to him with determination in her voice.

"Don't waste your time pleading with me. I have made up my mind already. I won't stop you from coming here. You can come and see our daughter and me any time you want, and besides, the doors of this house are open to you."

The man glanced at Aunt Lin with a somber look. The determination he saw in her eyes was strong, which got him a little scared.

"Lin, I know that I have wronged you. I abandoned you when you needed me the most, and for that reason, I am very sorry. You, giving me the chance to get close to our daughter is already fine with me, but it's not enough. I need you in my life. I have lost so much all these years, emotionally, physically, psychologically, and even financially. You have no idea how awful lot I've lost. You are the only one that can make me whole even though I have lost almost everything. I am not coming for your money and the connections you have. I am here because I need you in my life. I need you as my life partner," the man voiced as he felt his heart hurt.

"Stop pleading with me. I have made up my mind already," Aunt Lin insisted on not getting together with him.

The man took a glimpse at Chen Lin with a devastating look.

"Stop looking at me like that," Aunt Lin said with furrowed brows, but the man didn't reply to her; instead, he continued staring at her.

"Where are you staying?" Aunt Lin asked.

"I've been at a hotel," the man replied finally.

"You can move in today if you like," Aunt Lin said but then frowned as she held her abdomen when she felt a sharp, searing pain there.

Noticing that she had stopped speaking and looked like she was in pain, the man rushed towards her and asked worriedly while holding her arms.

"Lin! Are you okay? What happened?" he asked frantically.

Aunt Lin breathed heavily, and she looked like she was still in a lot of pain, so she didn't answer his question while still clutching her abdomen.

"Does your stomach hurt? Let's go to the hospital now," the man said in a flurry while helping her to her feet.

"Am fine," Aunt Lin said in a mellow tone.

"Mum! Mum! What happened to you?" Aunt Lin's daughter asked as she came running down the stairs worriedly.

"Nothing am fine. Just felt a pain in my stomach earlier, but I am fine now," Aunt Lin replied to her daughter, but this time in a clearer voice.

"Mum, you need to stop with this diet you are doing and eat normal food," her daughter said in an annoying voice.

"That's not the problem. Eating healthy, it's not bad," Aunt Lin said while staring at her daughter.

The man who had been watching the mother and daughter argue finally spoke up.

"Lin, what kind of diet are you undergoing that had forced you to look this way?"

"Enough on my diet already. I am only eating more veggies these days, and nothing more," Aunt Lin said in an annoyed tone as she got up and left the sitting room.

The father and daughter watched as her back finally disappeared before they glanced at each other and sighed tiredly.

"How long has your mother been on that diet?" the man asked.

"It's over a year now, and it's working for her," his daughter replied.

The man sighed before asking again, "Are you off to work?"

"Yeah," she replied, not knowing where exactly to put her face. She was not used to having a conversation with her father.

"Please look after your mum and ensure that she has her breakfast this morning," the man said.

"She doesn't eat normal food these days, so she won't touch it," she replied.

The man sighed tiredly as he said.

"Okay, just check up on her to be sure she is fine before she leaves for work. Your mother looked angry just now, and I am sure she wouldn't want to see me for now.