129 No Two Marriages are the Same

Aoi Xiu back then was discharged from the hospital after remaining stable for two days, meaning, she did not go into preterm labor.

Her parents revealed her hospital room to her husband after he had adequately explained the situation with Ming Xiaoyu. This was only hours before they finished processing her discharge papers.

"Sweetheart!" Xiu Jin was panting as he ran towards her room.

He found his wife in casual clothes, ready to go.

Aoi glanced at him before lifting her bag from the bed without saying anything.

"Let me carry that for you!" Xiu Jin hurriedly took the bag from her hand, then carried the baby supplies bag she had brought just in case her labor progressed.

Aoi kept silent as she stared at him with a condescending look.

She knew that her parents would not reveal her whereabouts to him if he could not prove his innocence. They would just chop him up instead.

As her thoughts were flooded, she didn't notice that they reached the hospital lobby. Her identifier band was cut by the personnel and was granted gate pass.

Her driver had arrived with the car, taking the bags from her husband.

His hand being free, Xiu Jin opened the door for her.

They rode back to the Igarashi estate with deadly silence.

"Aoi!" Kaori Igarashi embraced her daughter. Then she acknowledged her son-in-law. "Jin."

Aoi's brothers eyed Xiu Jin mischievously at the dinner table. Indeed, he was forgiven by their father, but they still could not wait for permission to beat him into a pulp.

"Souichiro, Kotarou, stop messing around." Lady Kaori commanded them in their tongue.

Xiu Jin ate silently, and excused himself when he was done.

Aoi's left brow twitched. So after begging for forgiveness and explaining tremendously, he regained his pride to walk out from her?!

Xiu Jin leaned on the wooden railing of the connecting passageway from the dojo to the main house. He took out a stick of expensive cigarettes from his pocket and lit it up.

He was about to puff out some smoke when he heard his father-in-law's voice.

"Y'know...that's not good for the baby." Igarashi-san declared.

Xiu Jin choked in the smoke he was about to blow out and coughed violently.

With pursed lips and lazy eyes, Igarashi-san poured out his tea to the ground while still looking at his son-in-law.

Xiu Jin found the action peculiar so his eyes traced the flowing tea. He saw that it extinguished the cigarette he unconsciously dropped on the grass.

When he regained the ability to speak after his violent coughing, he first said, "Sorry."

"Hmmn." Igarashi-san nodded. "Y'know, every marriage is not easy, in its own way. You might think that your conflict is greater than that of others, but in reality, they are not comparable since no two marriages are the same."

Xiu Jin gave him his full attention.

"My wife was the emperor's only daughter. Though she won't succeed the throne, they were still adamant in making her marry someone from the royal family." He paused. "Marrying me was the first time she disobeyed her elders. It cost her her title and her family." He chuckled. "They especially disliked the idea that I am the head of a clan." The old man had a gentle smile.

He continued. "From then on, I promised myself that I will never give her a reason to regret her decision. I strived to provide for her, a life that may not be not as luxurious as how she was raised, but enough so she need not work for money."

He laughed, recalling their younger years. "It was the story of the class president and delinquent." He chuckled. "She was so strict, always scolding me for wearing dirty and untidy uniform and having ear piercing. I knew I would take over the clan so I didn't go to college. She studied visual arts. It must be fate that my parttime job was located across the university she was attending. And of course, the rest is history."

"You must have been a real catch back then, Otousan." Xiu Jin tried to compliment him.

"So I only look like an old man now?!"

Xiu Jin was taken aback but laughed with the contagious laughter of the old man.

"Aoi might've been raised in a clan, but she is still a woman. As a man, you should always dote on your wife. Every father expects that in his son-in-law." He tapped Xiu Jin on the shoulder.

"I will, Otousan." Xiu Jin gave him a sincere smile.