Jin Liwei watched as his baby girl gave him a final evil eye before dropping back on the bed like a heavy sack of potatoes and then pulling the duvet over her entire body up to her head until she was only a cute little lump under the covers. He was about to touch her—a subconscious move to appease her like always—but caught himself in time when his hand was only a couple of inches away from her covered body.
His temper that he was doing his best to restrain at the moment protested against his usual tendency to be the first one to give in to her whenever they argued. Being yelled at and kicked out of his bedroom tonight had provoked him. If she was any other person and not the woman he loved the most in the entire world, he would have already snapped at her and showed her that Jin Liwei wasn't someone to be trifled with just like that.
Although he knew that it was his fault for triggering her in the first place due to his suspicion, it didn't sit well with him that she didn't even give him a chance to apologize before roaring at him like a threatened tigress. Perhaps the accumulated exhaustion from his busy work schedule was beginning to affect him. He didn't feel like putting up with her extreme mood swings for the rest of the night.
'I'll make up with Xiulan tomorrow. Tonight, I need to rest first,' he decided.
With a frustrated sigh, he climbed off the bed and donned his satin sleeping robe over his nude body. He kept his eyes away from his baby girl under the sheets to prevent himself from softening and returning to lie beside her despite being pushed away. Then he grabbed his phone and headed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
He stayed in their suite's living room instead of going to the cats' room like what she told him to. The lights were dim and the atmosphere was cozy. However, he felt cold and empty because he was used to sleeping with his beloved woman wrapped in his arms every night.
Propping a couple of throw pillows under his head, he lay on the couch and shifted his body in a restless manner, trying to find a comfortable position but to no avail. How could he feel comfortable when his baby girl was only a door away and all he wanted was to lie beside her and hug her warm body to sleep?
He groaned and cursed their blasted fight but then remembered something. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
"Ketchup," he called, making sure his voice was quiet to prevent his baby girl from hearing him on the off chance that she was still awake. The woman had the most insane hearing ability he had ever encountered in his entire life.
"Meow? What's up, Daddy? Ketchup is in the house~" A white virtual cat appeared on his smartphone's screen shaking her fluffy butt in excitement at being summoned. Fortunately, Ketchup matched his quiet voice, albeit hers was more energetic.
"I need you to—"
"It's so late already. Why isn't Daddy sleeping yet? Meow~"
"Ketchup, let me finish—"
"Eh? Why isn't Daddy sleeping in the bedroom with Mommy? Oh no! Did Daddy and Mommy fight?! Please don't fight! Meeeeooow!!!"
"Ketchup!" Jin Liwei threw a stern glare at the over-dramatic cat. If his baby girl didn't tell him that Ketchup was theirs, then he probably would've assumed that the cat AI was Dominic's sole child instead.
"Sorry, Daddy. Meow…"
He sighed and started massaging his forehead after seeing the virtual white cat's pitiful expression. Her cute head was lowered in a wounded manner while her eyes glistened with tears. When Jin Liwei spoke again, his tone couldn't help but become gentle. What could he do? He already claimed the naughty chatterbox cat AI as his child. He couldn't just treat Ketchup as someone insignificant.
"Call the butler," he instructed. "Make it quiet. Don't wake your mom. Oh, and don't tell your mom about anything you'll hear from this conversation. Understood?"
"Oh oh oh! A secret! Meow! Okie dokie, Daddy! The cute and mighty Ketchup won't tell Mommy. Promise! Ketchup will now call Uncle Butler in 3…2…1!"
The butler's polite, slightly cold tone answered after only two rings. He sounded like he always did, no signs of sleep in his voice, even though it was already so late in the night. "Hello, Young Miss Ketchup. How may I help you?"
"It's me," Jin Liwei said.
The butler didn't miss a beat and smoothly greeted Jin Liwei. "Master."
"Buy some home pregnancy test kits. Hand them to me when I return home from work tomorrow evening. Don't let your mistress know."
"Understood, Master. Consider it done."
"Good."
After the call, Jin Liwei also bid good night to Ketchup who sounded disappointed. The talkative cat AI looked like she still wanted to chat with him. Too bad that he was in no mood tonight to deal with her gossiping mouth that she inherited from Dominic Chua.
With a last look at the bedroom door, he closed his eyes. It was difficult to sleep at first despite feeling exhausted because he was already missing his baby girl so badly and yearning for the feel of her in his arms. There were several times he almost stood up to return to the bedroom but stopped himself. He still felt a little pissed off at her for roaring at him without giving him a chance to talk before kicking him out.
'Just you wait, woman. Don't think you can get away for yelling at me and kicking me out without paying the consequences.'
He smirked at the thought of what he was going to do to her the next time they had an alone time together. Tomorrow, maybe. But his smirk disappeared and his eyes darkened instead when he realized that a bulge was starting to grow and stiffen underneath his satin robe.