The New Year holiday was over.
It had only been less than two weeks, but it felt like a century had passed.
When they returned to Hong Kong, Zoey Zhou somehow got wind of their arrival and waited at the villa gate.
As soon as Wen Baozhu came back, Zoey rushed up and hugged her, crying into her arms.
At first, they thought she had been wronged, but it turned out Zoey was feeling sad for her.
"Baby... is it really gone?"
She spoke without thinking, hitting right at the sore spot. Fu Lian's face darkened, and he snapped, "Zoey."
Zoey shrank her neck, her eyes timid.
Wen Baozhu shook her head, indicating it was okay. "It was just a small accident."
Zoey hung her head in shame. "It's all my fault... I made the decision on my own and got you to leave Hong Kong."
"If I had asked Uncle Fu first, maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way."
Wen Baozhu was taken aback and looked up at Fu Lian.
She never expected such a big blame to fall on a child like Zoey.
"No, it's my fault for not taking good care of the baby. It has nothing to do with you."
Zoey was crying so hard that it was obvious she felt really guilty. "I thought I was helping a friend. I was just too naive."
Wen Baozhu had to hold Zoey and comfort her again and again, repeatedly emphasizing that it wasn't her fault, before she finally stopped crying.
After Zoey left, Wen Baozhu calmly said to Fu Lian, "Zoey is still a child. She shouldn't have such a heavy psychological burden."
There was no accusation or blame, just a calm statement.
Fu Lian glanced at Wen Baozhu. There was not much emotion in his eyes, just the usual calmness.
He said, "Zoey will be ten years old after the New Year. She needs to learn to take responsibility."
If Zoey hadn't been so smart for her age, stealing documents for Wen Baozhu and covering for her escape, things might not have developed to this point.
Years of experience as a person in power had made Fu Lian never show private favoritism, but he was also overly stubborn.
Whether it was to correct him or to clarify for her late child, Wen Baozhu emphasized again, "The responsibility for losing this child lies solely with me. It has nothing to do with anyone else."
Fu Lian's gaze was very calm. "Is the child only yours?"
Wen Baozhu's heart skipped a beat.
After a long while, she softly said, "Isn't it a good thing for Mr. Fu that the child is gone?"
These words were like a small stone gently dropped into the water, but surprisingly, they caused huge splashes.
"Wen Baozhu, do you think you're very smart?" Fu Lian sneered, his eyes full of mockery. "I've said before that those who are mine should listen to me, not be self - righteous."
"My only requirement for you is to be obedient. I never said I didn't want the child. How could you think I'd be happy about your miscarriage?"
"Afraid that the child would compete with me for the right of inheritance? You can't seriously think that a child who would still need my protection to survive in the cradle could pose a threat to me, right?"
Wen Baozhu looked up, and the surprise on her face couldn't be hidden.
Fu Lian stared at her. "Do you really think I don't know what Li Wenshu would say to you?"
There was nothing that could be hidden from him. Wen Baozhu had known this for a long time.
She was just too naive, thinking that a powerful man like Fu Lian could make mistakes.
But the truth proved that there really were people who could be perfect.
So from the very beginning, he knew everything.
But he said nothing, just watched her struggle in the mire, self - examine, and torture herself.
In this sad farce, he had always been an observer.
Even the fact that Li Wenshu had hinted to her that he didn't want the child was within his prediction.
She was the pawn charging into battle for him, while he was the player overlooking the whole chess game.
Wen Baozhu let out a soft laugh. It was hard to tell if it was for her own stupidity or for her unborn child. "At least Mr. Fu has one less potential threat in the future. Isn't that so?"
Fu Lian finally lost his calm. His voice was cold. "Do you want to count the loss of the child as a blessing to ease your psychological burden?"
"You guessed right. I really didn't want this child, but it doesn't mean the child has no other uses."
He walked up to her. His tall figure enveloped her. He reached out and pinched her chin.
Fu Lian's eyes were cold, with the usual superiority and indifference. "I don't care about this child, but it doesn't mean Li Wenshu doesn't care, or that the other elders of the Fu family don't care. Once this child was born, it could have shielded me from a lot of trouble."
Wen Baozhu looked at him blankly.
After a long time, she said, "So, this unborn child was also part of your plan."
"What do you think? Do you really think I'd care about a child born to a pawn?"
There was contempt in his eyes. "If it weren't valuable, I wouldn't even have allowed you to get pregnant."
"Li Wenshu must have told you that the traditional Chinese medicine you drank before was not for protecting the fetus but for contraception. What were you still expecting?"
After the man finished speaking, he coldly let go of her.
As if in disgust, he wiped his fingers with a handkerchief before putting his hands back into his pockets.
Wen Baozhu swayed. Even though she was sitting, she seemed on the verge of falling and couldn't maintain her posture.
Since the loss of the child, their communication had seemed like it was covered in a thin mist, always not real.
From the moment she got pregnant to now when the child was gone, Wen Baozhu still didn't know what Fu Lian really thought about her pregnancy.
She still remembered what Li Wenshu had said on Victoria Peak.
For Fu Lian, this child was indeed a trouble.
She and he were neither husband and wife, nor lovers. If they had to be related in terms of feelings, she could only be considered half a mistress.
Now that the child was gone, he should be glad.
But from Fu Lian's company and attempts to make up for her during this period, it didn't seem to be entirely the case.
He also seemed sad and pained about the child's departure. Even when she mentioned wanting to bring the child back to Hong Kong for burial, he had shown a moment of emotion.
She couldn't understand him.
In the end, she could only comfort herself that maybe this was the so - called "blood is thicker than water".
Even if he didn't expect this child, it was still his flesh and blood, and there was an invisible bond between them.
But today she learned that the truth was uglier than her self - comfort.
The concern and care he had shown before were just the regret of losing a pawn and a brief attempt to make up for her and indulge her.
She had been causing trouble for too long, and he had lost all his patience.
A pawn should have the awareness of a pawn.
The man's expression was cold and solemn. "Wake up. It's never been a game between you and me."
She closed her eyes, tightly pursed her lips, and after a long while, she nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Fu, for telling me this."