Fu Lian only verbally agreed to let Wen Baozhu cook by herself. On the way back, he vetoed it again.
The reason was simple. She was pregnant and it wasn't suitable for her to be exposed to cooking fumes.
Wen Baozhu insisted, "The fresh - air system in the villa is excellent, and the range hood is powerful enough. It's okay."
Fu Lian gave her a sidelong glance. "If you insist on doing it, I'll eat out today."
Hearing his uncompromising attitude, Wen Baozhu had no choice but to give up resentfully.
Seeing her mood quickly turn low, Fu Lian changed his tone and attitude, saying that they could talk about it after she gave birth to the baby safely.
"There will be opportunities in the future," he said.
Wen Baozhu lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment.
By the time she gave birth to the baby, she might even have to go back to Fucheng to recuperate during the postpartum period. Where would there be a chance for her to cook a meal for Mr. Fu?
She turned to look out of the car window, her mind blank for a moment.
The word "future" was too vague, and for her and Fu Lian, it was too illusory.
The two of them would not have a future.
---
When they got back to the villa, the chef was already busy in the kitchen. It wasn't long before the dishes were served on the dining table.
During the meal, Wen Baozhu remained glum all the time.
Fu Lian's expression tightened, showing a slight displeasure. "Baozhu, don't always look so gloomy."
Wen Baozhu replied, "Okay."
Fu Lian said, "Smile for me."
Wen Baozhu pursed her lips and showed an unnatural smile. It was forced and she seemed to have something on her mind.
"Not letting you cook is for your own good. Why don't you appreciate it?" Fu Lian said expressionlessly. "Baozhu, you're being disobedient."
Wen Baozhu shook her head. "It's not because of this."
On the way back today, she saw that the streets and alleys of Hong Kong had already become bustling, with colorful ribbons and red banners decorating the New - Year atmosphere.
It was the first time for her to celebrate the New Year in a foreign place. The sense of strangeness and loneliness far outweighed the sense of novelty.
During the Spring Festival, the longing for home in the hearts of Chinese people became particularly strong.
Because this was the most important festival of the year.
Wen Baozhu always used to knead dough and make flower cakes with her grandmother to happily welcome the new year.
But things were different now. She was already married and was the daughter - in - law of the Fu family, a woman of the Fu family.
She had to celebrate this New Year in Hong Kong.
She didn't have the courage to ask Fu Lian if she could go back to Fucheng to celebrate the New Year.
As a compromise, she made another request. "I want to call my mom and grandma to wish them a happy New Year in advance."
Fu Lian nodded slightly. He had been quite patient and tolerant of her recently and was willing to indulge such a small request. "Okay."
"… Can I call a bit later?" she asked further.
She didn't want to call her relatives under Fu Lian's nose. For example, last time, she had felt quite uneasy.
"As you like."
Fu Lian saw what she was thinking. He got up from his chair and loosened his tie. "I'm not going out this afternoon. I'll take a shower."
Finally, he left her some alone time.
All calls in Hong Kong were not affected, but any call records from overseas would be noticed immediately.
Only with Fu Lian's permission could she call her family.
Wen Baozhu held the phone and dialed. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she listened to the "beeps" on the phone.
Zhang Sumei answered. "Who is it?"
Wen Baozhu swallowed hard. "Mom, it's me."
Zhang Sumei said, "Baozhu? Why are you calling home again?"
It was an accusing tone right from the start. Wen Baozhu bit her lip and quickly defended herself. "Mr. Fu allowed it. He felt sorry for me and told me to call home to report my safety."
"Wow, Mr. Fu is really considerate."
Hearing Fu Lian's name, Zhang Sumei immediately beamed. "A busy person like him still has time to take care of us. It's really a great honor."
"Mr. Fu is really a good person," Wen Baozhu paused. "Mom, I didn't get to talk to grandma last time. This time…"
"Baozhu, how are you doing in Hong Kong?"
Before Wen Baozhu could finish her sentence, Zhang Sumei interrupted her directly. "Don't always ask how we're doing. You should also tell us about your situation so that we can rest assured."
Wen Baozhu was a good girl who always reported good news but not bad ones. So she had to say, "The Fu family treats me very well. The life here is also very comfortable. I… I'm very happy every day."
"That's good, that's good!" Zhang Sumei was grinning from ear to ear. "They all said that you went to enjoy a good life when you got together with Mr. Fu. Mom has never been wrong in her judgment!"
Listening to her mother's joy, Wen Baozhu felt empty - hearted for a moment.
She wanted to say, "Actually, I'm not very happy, Mom."
But if I said it, would you feel sorry for me?
Since she already knew the answer, she wouldn't say it.
"Mom, I want to talk to grandma."
Wen Baozhu's voice was very low. "I haven't talked to grandma for a long time. I want to tell her Happy New Year…"
"Oh, why are you such a stubborn child? Your grandma is taken care of by me. What do you have to worry about?"
Wen Baozhu was anxious. "I just want to hear her voice. I haven't…"
"You should live a good life in Hong Kong and give the Fu family a child as soon as possible. That's more important than anything else. Do you understand?" Zhang Sumei started to lecture. "A woman can only stabilize her position after having a child. Your grandma must be very happy to know that you're a rich lady in Hong Kong. You don't need to worry about her."
"Grandma… is happy for me?" Wen Baozhu was a bit dazed.
The last time she saw her grandma was when she left Fucheng.
But at that time, Wen Baozhu didn't tell the truth. She only said that she was going to Hong Kong to work and earn money and told her to take care of herself.
At that time, grandma was already lying in bed, but she still tremblingly held her hand tightly, looking kind - faced.
"Baozhu, when you're away from home, you must pay attention to your safety. Also, don't be tempted by interests. You should stay true to yourself and don't be like your mom."
Wen Baozhu held the phone and was in a daze for a moment.
Would grandma really be happy because she had become a rich lady in Hong Kong?
"Okay, you don't need to call home all the time and cause trouble for Mr. Fu." Zhang Sumei was impatient. "You should work harder and give the Fu family a baby while you're still young. That's your top priority right now."
"Mom, I'm already pregnant," Wen Baozhu confessed to her.
"Already pregnant?" Zhang Sumei was overjoyed. "How many months along? Is it a boy or a girl?"
"… It's not even three months yet. It's too early to tell."
Zhang Sumei was so happy that she paced around the living room at home. "Great, this is really good news! With a baby, no matter if it's a boy or a girl, the Fu family will surely give you some respect in the future."
Speaking of this, she suddenly lowered her voice. "Now that you're pregnant, has the old lady of the Fu family given you any money?"
"Mom!" Wen Baozhu couldn't stand it anymore. "Didn't Mr. Fu give you ten million when he left? You said you wouldn't be able to spend it all in your lifetime!"
"Hehe, but you can never have too much money."
Zhang Sumei gave an embarrassed smile but still persisted. "You don't need to spend money in Hong Kong as everything is taken care of for you. Why don't you transfer all the money to mom…"
Before she could finish speaking, Wen Baozhu's phone was snatched away.
The man had finished showering at some point and had been standing behind her for quite a while.
When Wen Baozhu saw Fu Lian pick up the phone, she felt a bit flustered.
Fu Lian glanced at her face. Holding the phone with his slender fingers, he said casually, "If you want any money, talk to my assistant."