CH 57

Charm.

On the plane, Zhen Zhen hoped to hear good news from Helen and William soon.

‘Miss Zhen Zhen, are you thinking about finding out if you and boss are having a boy or a girl?’ Cheng Yi asked.

‘Miss Zhen Zhen isn’t even three months pregnant yet,’ Bai Yu Tian said. ‘Besides, hers and boss’ baby is healthy. It doesn’t matter if their baby is a boy or a girl.’

‘I don’t need to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Gu Zai and my second child is a boy.’

Yue Gu Zai stared at the newspaper in his hands. He knew it was pointless voicing his opinion that there was a fifty percent chance his and Zhen Zhen’s second child was a girl.

‘Miss Zhen Zhen, there is a chance it’s a baby girl,’ Cheng Yi said.

‘No chance,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘It’s a boy. I’ve thought of a name for him already. His name is Ni.’

Yue Gu Zai helplessly put the newspaper away.

‘Yue Ni sounds like a good name,’ Cheng Yi said.

‘Who wants to name the baby after a triad boss?’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘The baby’s name is Reynold Ni.’

Yue Gu Zai had agreed Zhen Zhen could name their second child in memory of Reynold for saving her life.

Cheng Yi closed his mouth. He couldn’t reason with a pregnant woman.

Zhen Wu ran to the door when he heard Zhen Zhen’s footsteps.

‘Mum, I missed you,’ Zhen Wu said and hugged Zhen Zhen.

Zhen Zhen kissed Zhen Wu’s face.

‘Mummy missed you too,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Mum, your stomach is rounder,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘What have you been eating?’

‘Zhen Wu, I’m giving you a little brother,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Really?’ Zhen Wu asked.

‘Yes,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Um, it has to be a little brother,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘I don’t want a little sister.’

Zhen Zhen held Zhen Wu’s hand and they walked into the living room.

‘Teacher,’ Zhen Zhen greeted.

‘I’m happy I’ll have another Zhen Wu to spoil,’ teacher said.

Yue Gu Zai took Zhen Wu to the study room to speak privately to Zhen Wu.

‘Son, having a little sister is good too,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Dad, having a little sister is bad,’ Zhen Wu said. ‘Girls are weaker and loveable. I’ll always have to give way to a little sister. Having a little brother is good. I can bully him if he misbehaves, and he’ll always have to listen to his big brother.’

Two months later, Zhen Zhen was five months pregnant. Her mood swings drove Yue Gu Zai crazy. She would cry one moment and laugh the next moment.

‘Zhen Zhen, do you want to go on the sea trip with your colleagues?’ Yue Gu Zai asked. ‘It’s a chance for us to spend alone time together before the baby is born.’

‘Baby, baby, baby,’ Zhen Zhen said and cried.

‘We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘You don’t want to go on a trip with me?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘Of course I want to go on a trip with you,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Good,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘I’ll go pack.’

Early in the morning, Yue Gu Zai and Zhen Zhen were driven to her workplace where a coach was waiting for them.

‘Supervisor Jiang,’ Zhen Zhen greeted.

‘Zhen Zhen, you’re pregnant,’ Mr Jiang said.

Mr Jiang heard the sad news about Reynold. He hoped Reynold’s death wouldn’t affect Zhen Zhen.

‘Yes,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Supervisor Jiang, this is my husband Yue Gu Zai.’

‘Your husband is a handsome man,’ Mr Jiang said.

Yue Gu Zai nodded his head instead of shaking Mr Jiang’s offered hand.

Zhen Zhen’s male colleagues were sad to hear Zhen Zhen was married. They thought they had a chance to pursue after she came back from England.

Zhen Zhen’s female colleagues were jealous Zhen Zhen married a rich and handsome man.

‘Why does that bitch have all the luck?’ the first woman asked.

‘Who knows,’ the second woman said. ‘She could have hired a fake husband.’

‘Who are you two talking about?’ Tan Xu Er asked.

‘Big sister Tan, who else but the genius?’ the first woman said. ‘She’s good at luring men with her fake innocence.’

‘True,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘Why would such a good man marry a woman who has a son with another man?’

After everyone arrived and boarded the coach, the driver drove them to the country town by the sea.

Later that day at the hotel, Zhen Zhen was waiting outside the coach, and inhaling fresh sea air while Yue Gu Zai went to get the key to their hotel room.

Tan Xu Er used the opportunity Zhen Zhen was alone to get Zhen Zhen to spill the beans.

‘Big sister Zhen, we graduated from the same college,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘I heard about your award winning scientific research after you graduated.’

‘Who are you?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘I was your replacement while you were on sick leave…’ Tan Xu Er said.

‘Zhen Zhen, we’re in room 1009,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Are you big sister Zhen’s husband?’ Tan Xu Er asked. She offered her hand to Yue Gu Zai and smiled. ‘I’m Tan Xu Er, it’s a pleasure to meet you.’

Yue Gu Zai ignored Tan Xu Er. He wrapped an arm around Zhen Zhen’s waist.

‘Zhen Zhen, let’s go,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Zhen Zhen smiled apologetically to Tan Xu Er, and she followed Yue Gu Zai to their room.

‘1005, 1007, 1009,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Gu Zai, I remembered I walked into your room that night by mistake,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Wrong room?’ Yue Gu Zai asked.

‘Mmm… I meant it was dark that night… I didn’t see clearly,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Go shower and sleep,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘Tomorrow we’ll go sightseeing.’

Zhen Zhen ran to the bathroom. She was grateful Yue Gu Zai didn’t ask more questions about the night they conceived Zhen Wu.

The next morning, Yue Gu Zai helped Zhen Zhen dressed and he poured a glass of milk for her.

Someone knocked on the door, and Yue Gu Zai stood to walk to the door.

‘Zhen Zhen, drink the milk,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Yue Gu Zai opened the door and closed it after he saw Tan Xu Er’s face.

‘Gu Zai, who was it?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘Nobody,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Yue Gu Zai ignored the door knock, and he helped Zhen Zhen put on shoes.

‘Big sister Zhen,’ Tan Xu Er called from outside the door.

‘Gu Zai, did you leave someone standing outside?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Yue Gu Zai opened the door and let Tan Xu Er inside because he didn’t want to upset Zhen Zhen.

‘Big sister Zhen, let’s go to the market and temple together,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘If someone goes to the temple to pray, I heard it’ll come true.’

Zhen Zhen and Yue Gu Zai followed Tan Xu Er to the market and temple. Zhen Zhen felt Tan Xu Er’s friendliness was fake compared to Helen’s sincere friendliness.

At the market at the foot of a hill, Tan Xu Er picked up a plush tiger.

‘What a cute tiger,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘How much is it?’

‘Fifty yuan,’ the stall owner said.

‘I’m sorry,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘I forgot to bring my purse.’

Yue Gu Zai saw Zhen Zhen looked sad because Tan Xu Er couldn’t buy the tiger so he paid the stall owner.

‘Thank you for buying the tiger for me,’ Tan Xu Er said.

Yue Gu Zai ignored Tan Xu Er. He held Zhen Zhen’s hand and they walked to the restaurant to eat and rest, because he didn’t want Zhen Zhen’s feet to hurt.

‘Gu Zai, the temple is on top of the hill,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘I’ll wait for you here while you get a charm for our baby.’

‘Zhen Zhen, our baby is healthy even without a charm,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘You’re a scientist. Why are superstitious?’

‘What would a triad boss know?’ Zhen Zhen said.

Yue Gu Zai sighed.

‘Alright,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘I’ll go get a charm for our baby.’

Tan Xu Er used the excuse of getting a charm for her family to follow Yue Gu Zai to the temple.

‘Big brother Yue, how did you meet big sister Zhen?’ Tan Xu Er asked.

Yue Gu Zai ignored Tan Xu Er. He only wanted to quickly get the charm so he could go back to Zhen Zhen.

‘I heard big sister Zhen’s former lover is an irresponsible man,’ Tan Xu Er said. ‘What sort of a man abandons a gentle woman like big sister Zhen and her son? In college I heard a lot of men admired big sister Zhen and wanted to pursue her like big brother San Mac. Do you think San Mac is her son’s father?’

Yue Gu Zai wouldn’t have bothered to talk to Tan Xu Er if he didn’t know how to ask for a charm.

‘How do you ask for a charm?’ Yue Gu Zai asked.

‘Buy incense sticks and a monk will give you a charm,’ Tan Xu Er said and smiled.

Yue Gu Zai walked to a monk and he asked to buy incense sticks.

‘If you want to write your name on a charm to hang in the temple, it’s twenty yuan,’ the monk said.

‘How much will it cost for me to write the names of my family members on all the charms in the temple?’ Yue Gu Zai asked.

‘I…’ the monk said.

‘One hundred thousand or two hundred thousand yuan?’ Yue Gu Zai asked.

The monk was speechless.

‘Not enough?’ Yue Gu Zai asked. ‘Then do you accept cheques?’

‘I’m sorry,’ the monk said. ‘The temple only accepts cash.’

Yue Gu Zai frowned, and he gave the monk one hundred yuan to write Zhen Zhen, Zhen Wu, teacher, Mr and Mrs Zhen’s names on the charms.

Yue Gu Zai was unhappy on the way downhill.

‘Big brother Yue, do you want to buy the temple?’ Tan Yu Er asked.

Yue Gu Zai ignored Tan Yu Er, and he quickly walked back to the restaurant.

‘Gu Zai, what’s wrong?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘I want to demolish the temple,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Tan Xu Er explained to Zhen Zhen what happened at the temple, and Zhen Zhen was surprised Yue Gu Zai could be childish too.

Yue Gu Zai took Zhen Zhen back to their hotel room to eat dinner. Then he took Zhen Zhen for a stroll along the beach.

Tan Xu Er stood on the balcony of the hotel room 1007. She was displeased to see how attentive Yue Gu Zai was toward Zhen Zhen.

***

End of Chapter Fifty-Seven