CH 108

Perhaps because Shan Yue didn’t fulfill her responsibilities well during Tian Jing’s first pregnancy, she went all out to pamper her upon learning about the second one. By the time Tian Jing was seven months pregnant, her figure had changed significantly, and she had to hold her belly to walk properly.

“Xiao Jing, get up and drink this ginseng soup,” Shan Yue, wearing a floral apron, brought in a steaming bowl of soup, blowing on it as she spoke, “It’s good for your complexion and health.” 

Tian Jing, just off the scale, wore a dark expression. Her complexion was indeed much better than when she first got pregnant, but her oval face had rounded out, giving her a double chin. She wore a loose white maternity dress, and her once slender 1.7-meter frame now looked quite plump, with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Tian Jing had great skin. After giving birth to Tiantian, she didn’t develop any dark spots, and the stretch marks on her belly were barely visible, with her skin still firm. During her second pregnancy, with Shan Yue’s meticulous care, including nightly applications of creams, her stretch marks remained minimal.

Tian Jing put her book aside and, expressionless, refused, “I don’t want to drink it.”

It was always ginseng soup, black chicken soup, or fish soup every day. She was getting so tired of it that she was almost afraid of water. Yet, Shan Yue was tireless in her efforts.

Shan Yue, looking worried, sat on the edge of the bed and touched Tian Jing’s face, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Tian Jing shook her head, “Stop making so much soup.”

“You don’t like it?”

“I’m tired of it.”

“…Okay.” Shan Yue, who had never served anyone before, had been taking meticulous care of Tian Jing for the past few months. Soup was her specialty and it was nutritious, but she was hurt by Tian Jing’s rejection.

Tian Jing lightly bit her lip, a soft look flashing in her eyes, “Tomorrow is the weekend. Let’s take Tiantian out to play.”

Shan Yue thought for a moment and agreed.

Tian Jing hadn’t yet told Tiantian the truth. The little one still didn’t know that Shan Yue was her other mother and continued to call her “Auntie.” Sometimes, it was a bit heartbreaking.

Tian Jing had hinted at it, but Tian Jing always avoided the topic. Despite agreeing to give her another chance, thinking about it made Shan Yue lower her eyes to hide her disappointment. 

“Tiantian always wanted to go to the amusement park…” 

Shan Yue paused, glancing at Tian Jing’s belly, and then softly said, “Never mind, let’s go to the aquarium. I think she would like it.”

Tian Jing rubbed her belly, chuckling, “Sure, you can make the arrangements.”

Shan Yue was entranced by her sweet smile. It had been so long since they had been intimate, and the one time they were, it resulted in a pregnancy, leaving her yearning for more. She fell silent for a moment, feeling a bit troubled.

Tian Jing giggled softly and suddenly called her name.

“Hmm?”

Shan Yue looked up, just in time to meet Tian Jing’s descending kiss.

She widened her eyes in surprise, but before she could savor it, the warm lips were gone.

“After we come back tomorrow, I have something important to tell you,” Tian Jing said.

Shan Yue raised her eyebrows, “What’s the important thing?”

Tian Jing smiled mysteriously at her, “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

It wasn’t her daughter’s or her wife’s birthday, nor was it an anniversary of their first meeting. What could it be? Shan Yue couldn’t figure it out, feeling tickled by curiosity. She pouted and acted coyly, “You’ve piqued my interest. What if I want to hear it now?”

Tian Jing looked at her for a moment, then smiled sweetly, “If you want to hear it, you’ll just have to wait.”

“…” Shan Yue looked pitiful.

Tian Jing smiled and gently stroked her face, pushing her away, “No acting cute.”

Shan Yue sulked, “Oh.”

“Good girl.”

“Alright.” Shan Yue sighed, “Then drink the soup.”

Tian Jing gave her a playful glare and pouted, “Don’t cook tomorrow. We’ll eat out as a family.”

Shan Yue was about to nod, but then she processed Tian Jing’s words and slowly grinned, “A family?!”

Tian Jing raised an eyebrow, “Why, don’t you want to be a family with us?”

Her answer was a hot, wet kiss. Her face was gently cupped, and Shan Yue kissed her tenderly and reverently.

After a long moment, Shan Yue released her, whispering, “What do you think?”

Tian Jing met her intense gaze with a sweet smile.

“Drink the soup, I’ll feed you.”

During this period, Shan Yue had often fed her, but usually, Tian Jing would scold her first before opening her mouth. This time, however, the atmosphere was just right, and Shan Yue was as happy as a child, so Tian Jing couldn’t bring herself to refuse and slowly opened her mouth.

Not long after finishing the soup, Tian Jing fell asleep again, reminding Shan Yue to pick up their daughter from kindergarten before dozing off.

The next morning, Tiantian was overjoyed to learn that they were going to the aquarium with Mommy. She kept asking for confirmation over and over.

In her memory, Mommy was always very busy, often unable to pick her up from kindergarten on time. Tiantian knew Mommy worked hard, so she was always very well-behaved. Rarely did she get to go out with her mother, and even on weekends, she could only play for half a day because Mommy had work in the evenings…

Tian Jing felt a pang of sadness watching her, wanting to hug her tightly, but her belly was so big that even squatting down was difficult.

After breakfast, they got in the car, and Tiantian asked again.

Shan Yue laughed, “Of course, it’s true. Look, Auntie is driving us there.”

Tiantian exclaimed, “Great!”

Shan Yue said, “If Tiantian likes it, Auntie and Mommy will take you out more often.”

“Really?” Tiantian asked with wide eyes, “What about Godmother? I want to go with Godmother too.”

At the mention of He Xuanwei, Shan Yue’s expression stiffened, and she subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror. Tian Jing was also looking at her, her face unreadable.

Shan Yue sighed. 

Her daughter calling someone else Godmother while she was just “Auntie” always made her feel uneasy. She was waiting for Tian Jing to tell their daughter the truth, that she was her other mother. She didn’t know how long she’d have to wait, but she remembered Tian Jing saying they were a family.

Her wife was already struggling with pregnancy, and she didn’t want to push her too hard.

The little girl looked up at Tian Jing, seemingly waiting for her answer, showing a stubbornness that was much like Tian Jing’s. Unable to bear it, Tian Jing said, “Godmother is busy. We’ll go out together when she has time.”

Tiantian responded with a disappointed “Oh.”

Shan Yue said, “We owe her a lot for her help over the years. Let’s find time to have a meal and properly thank her.” Although she was a rival, Shan Yue had the grace to acknowledge her help.

Tian Jing was momentarily stunned, then smiled and nodded.

After a half-hour drive, the family arrived at the A City Aquarium. Tiantian, being carried by Shan Yue, struggled to get down.

Today, Tian Jing had styled her hair into two braided pigtails that bounced with every step, radiating cuteness.

Once out of the underground parking lot, they were surrounded by more people, so Shan Yue picked her up again, “Come, let Auntie carry you.”

Having lived with Shan Yue for a long time, Tiantian had become accustomed to relying on her, naturally wrapping her arms around her neck and making a charging motion, “I want to see the dolphins~”

Shan Yue responded, “Let’s go see them.”

Tiantian cheered, “Charge~”

“Charge~” Shan Yue echoed.

Tian Jing watched the backs of the mother and daughter, a slight smile appearing on her face. “Slow down, you two.”

Carrying her daughter with one arm was a bit strenuous, so Shan Yue insisted on holding Tian Jing’s hand. “There are lots of people; hold onto me.”

Tian Jing laughed softly. “Okay.”

The aquarium was designed with transparent tunnels, allowing a full view of the fish swimming around. Underfoot were lively corals, making it feel like they were truly underwater. At first, Tiantian was too scared to walk, but seeing other children pressing against the glass and whispering, she hesitated before finally joining them.

After walking through several hundred meters of tunnels, they arrived at a large plaza with a fountain. A stone dolphin held a ball in its mouth, looking very playful. After passing the statue, they entered the dolphin exhibit, which was more popular than other marine animals.

A beluga whale swam leisurely past them, and Tiantian jumped up excitedly, pointing and shouting, “Mommy, look, look…”

Tian Jing echoed her excitement, “Yes, Mommy sees it.”

“It’s so big~”

Tiantian pressed against the glass, her small mouth slightly open. The beluga, having just swum past, turned around and seemed to glance at the children, as if greeting them. Tiantian was overjoyed.

They spent the entire morning at the aquarium, only leaving when Tiantian got hungry. Shan Yue asked her what she wanted to eat, and the little girl thoughtfully tilted her head.

After a moment, she said in her sweet voice, “I want a hamburger and fries…”

“Okay, let’s go get some fries.”

Tian Jing was about to say something, but seeing how happy they were, she couldn’t bear to interrupt and silently agreed.

There was a McDonald’s nearby, about a ten-minute walk away. With each mother holding one of Tiantian’s hands, the little girl hopped along joyfully, occasionally being lifted off the ground by both women, having a great time.

At the bustling McDonald’s, Shan Yue found a seat for Tian Jing and then went to place their order.

She handed the menu to Tiantian, who pointed to a hamburger and said to the cashier in her sweet voice, “Big sister, I want this~”

The cashier’s heart melted at being called “big sister,” and she smiled warmly, wanting to pinch Tiantian’s chubby cheeks. She looked at the girl’s mother and was struck by how the girl had inherited her mother’s best features. Even at a young age, her future beauty was evident.

Shan Yue nodded politely. “Could I ask if you have any hot porridge or meal options suitable for a pregnant woman?”

“We do. We have a new black rice porridge that’s available at lunchtime.”

“We’ll take one,” Shan Yue said. “And also the hamburger my daughter wanted, plus fries and grilled chicken wings.”

“Alright.”

After paying, the two waited for their food. The little girl’s big round eyes darted eagerly from the cashier to the service counter, anticipating their order.

Ten minutes later, they returned to Tian Jing with the hot black rice porridge. “Try this,” Shan Yue said.

“Thank you.”

“Mommy~” Tiantian offered Tian Jing a fry dipped in ketchup, her eyes sparkling.

Tian Jing took a bite and smiled. “Tiantian, you eat too.”

Shan Yue watched them, feeling a wave of contentment. 

This was wonderful. Although Tian Jing hadn’t told their daughter about her other mother’s identity, being together every day with both her daughter and wife was more than enough.

Tian Jing sneaked a glance at Shan Yue, feeling both anxious and hopeful. She wondered if their daughter could accept the truth.

While both were lost in thought, a familiar voice startled them.

“Senior?”

Shan Yue frowned slightly. “Wen Xue?! What are you doing here?”