Xia Jing was truly over the moon. After reaching an agreent with Zhang Zhentian, he stopped going to the study to read and instead embraced Xia Jing as they both fell asleep.
That night, Xia Jing slept extrely comfortably. She kept saying, "I can finally go out, I can finally go out". Zhang Zhentian was at a loss, as he fully understood the state of mind Xia Jing was in. He knew how unbearable it was for soone who once lived freely outside to be suddenly confined to their ho day after day, not allowed to leave. It was like a bird that used to soar freely in the sky, but was then captured and caged. The feeling was one of deep despair.
Zhang Zhentian was aware how desperate such a feeling must be for soone who had always yearned for freedom, yet Xia Jing had endured it for his sake...
Soon, Xia Jing’s breathing beca even, signaling that she had fallen asleep. Zhang Zhentian sighed, playing with Xia Jing’s hair while whispering into her ear, "Xia Jing, these past two months have been tough for you. I’ve seen everything you’ve done for . Maybe you think Zhang Zhentian is a complete bastard. You’ve done so much for , and yet I’ve been indifferent. But do you know, dear, that I see everything you do for , and often I’m not unaware of what you’re thinking? It’s just that even if I know, I can’t say it. My dear, you could have lived as freely as a bird in the vast world outside, but you gave up that freedom because of . I’m aware of this. I, Zhang Zhentian, am not a heartless man. My heart beats because of you. You don’t know how many tis your capriciousness puts in a difficult position... I know many things I’ve done have hurt you. But rest assured, as long as our child is born safely, we can run away to a distant place, where the skies are high and the emperor far away. No one will be able to find us. I hope you can wait just a few more months, just a few months..."
Half asleep, Xia Jing heard soone talking by her ear and woke up. But she didn’t open her eyes, instead, she quietly listened to Zhang Zhentian’s words.
She hadn’t expected that everything she had wanted and thought was known by Zhang Zhentian; he had simply not said anything. Xia Jing was deeply moved at that mont, feeling that all her sacrifices for Zhang Zhentian were not in vain. She wanted to tell Zhang Zhentian loudly: A woman doesn’t need a man to be very rich, affluent, or handso. As long as the man only has her in his heart, that’s enough for her, even if he only has a ragged thatched cottage. But if he loves her, then she will feel happy.
Xia Jing shifted, and thinking he had disturbed her, Zhang Zhentian released her hair and carefully turned off the light, then cuddled Xia Jing until dawn.
Zhang Zhentian fell asleep within minutes of holding Xia Jing, who opened her eyes in the darkness. She turned towards Zhang Zhentian, caressed his forehead, and tears began to flow unwittingly. Perhaps it was because she loved too deeply and couldn’t bear to see him suffer the slightest hardship.
Xia Jing cried for a while before falling asleep. She slept in Zhang Zhentian’s arms, exceptionally secure until the sunrise the next day.
She slept so comfortably...
"Wow, it was such a stable sleep. If only I could sleep this comfortably every day!" When Xia Jing woke up, Zhang Zhentian was still asleep. She looked at Zhang Zhentian, who was still sleeping beside her, and felt that he must have been really exhausted to be sleeping so soundly.
Xia Jing felt she couldn’t let Zhang Zhentian and Aunt Xu take care of her every day. She should do sothing for these people who were so good to her, so she decided to get up and make breakfast for everyone!
An hour later, Xia Jing had already finished making breakfast. The delicious sll of the food she had cooked wafted through the air, and the wind blowing in from outside carried it to the rooms of Zhang Zhentian, Old Master Zhang, and Aunt Xu, rousing them from their dreams.
They were all curious who had cooked the food and why it slled so inviting.
Waking up and seeing Xia Jing was not by his side, Zhang Zhentian thought she had already gone downstairs to wait for breakfast.
They each speculated about who had gotten up to cook, but none of them considered that Xia Jing might have been the one to do it.
After getting dressed, they ca to the living room. Old Master Zhang was dumbfounded upon seeing Xia Jing wearing an apron, as were Zhang Zhentian and Aunt Xu. They all had the sa question: What’s going on here?
Old Master Zhang was the first to speak, "Xia Jing, did you make all this?"
"Yes, Dad, co and try it, see if it’s good," Xia Jing said with a smile to Old Master Zhang.
Aunt Xu felt a bit embarrassed. She was employed to work here; it wasn’t right for the lady of the house to get up and cook herself. She quickly said to Xia Jing, "Xia Jing, you’re pregnant now. You shouldn’t be doing these things in the future, and there’s as well!"
"Aunt Xu, don’t say that. I regard you as my own aunt. You’ve looked after for so long; why can’t I make a al for you?"
"Honey, you must be exhausted!"
Zhang Zhentian was not at all shy—anything Xia Jing made, he loved to eat. He had long wanted Xia Jing to cook a al for him, but he never had the courage to ask. Now that Xia Jing had taken the initiative to cook, he wasn’t going to let an opportunity to eat for free pass by!
"Xia Jing, you shouldn’t do these things in the future; your health is the most important. You should rest well now," Old Master Zhang once again spoke up to Xia Jing.
Xia Jing understood what Old Master Zhang ant; she knew Old Master Zhang and Aunt Xu were all looking out for her best interest. She felt very moved and addressed Old Master Zhang and the others, "Dad, Aunt Xu, Zhentian, you all don’t need to worry about . I’m in good health, and the baby is healthy too. I just feel sowhat uncomfortable to have you all tending to every day, waiting on hand and foot. I feel a bit guilty for it. You’ve all been so tired taking care of during this ti, so you all deserve so good rest. Now let take care of you..."
"Xia Jing, it’s enough that you have this intention. Dad is fine, you can’t overexert yourself. Do you understand? In a few days, go out and buy more things for yourself; don’t be stingy with money!" Old Master Zhang told Xia Jing.
Xia Jing didn’t care about clothes or things; what she cared about was whether she could go out openly and with dignity. Hearing Old Master Zhang say this, she held back her excitent and replied to Old Master Zhang, "I understand, Dad, thank you. Everyone, co and eat, see how it tastes."
Zhang Zhentian watched Xia Jing trying to suppress her excitent and didn’t know how to describe her.
As the family sat down together, each of them tried the food Xia Jing had made and found it a bit unbelievable.
"How is it?" Xia Jing asked.
"Xia Jing, the food you’ve made is so much tastier than what Zhentian made. When I think of the first al Zhentian cooked for , I just want to vomit..."
"Xia Jing, your cooking is really delicious. Can you teach how?" Aunt Xu also spoke up in praise of the food Xia Jing made.
Hearing his own father’s words to Xia Jing, Zhang Zhentian really wanted to ask: Is my cooking really that bad?
Xia Jing looked at Zhentian, who hadn’t expressed any opinion, and understood that the words Old Master Zhang had just said had hurt him.
"The food Zhentian makes is not bad at all; I think it’s very delicious. Dad, even if Zhentian didn’t know how to cook before, as long as he knows now, isn’t that enough? Why keep bringing up the past? We should look forward, not dwell in past events. Don’t you think I’m right?" Xia Jing didn’t want Old Master Zhang to always be bringing up Zhentian’s past cooking experiences; after all, Zhentian was her husband, and she would always protect him.
Old Master Zhang was very clear in his heart that constantly talking about the food Zhentian cooked and how it was, indeed, did hurt feelings. He knew Xia Jing was protecting Zhentian’s dignity, and he didn’t intend to keep using Zhentian’s past against him.
"You’re right, let the past be the past!" Old Master Zhang still thought what Xia Jing said was quite reasonable.
"Thank you, Dad!"
The family sat together, enjoying the breakfast of love Xia Jing had made. They all unanimously thought that Xia Jing’s cooking was truly delicious—the more they ate, the more they wanted to eat.
Old Master Zhang, looking at this warm scene, lanted that Zhentian’s mother was no longer with them. If she were, could they enjoy such warmth and satisfaction every day like today?
Xia Jing observed this affectionate scene and felt this was the kind of family she wanted. She believed a ho should be filled with laughter, where people could chat with each other, and not be focused solely on work every day.
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