Chapter 337: Chapter 337 - 337 Taking Precautionary Measures

“Butler Ling, I’m sorry.” Xu Chaomu took her hand, “I’ve missed you too, it’s my fault for not coming back to see you.”

“Miss, what are you apologizing for? It’s good that you can come back, it’s good that you can.” Butler Ling’s tears streamed down his face, “You don’t know, after you disappeared for five years, without any news, both I and the Fourth Young Master thought you…”

Butler Ling didn’t finish, everyone knew what was left unsaid.

“Butler Ling, here I am back, right? Don’t cry, I’ve been doing well.”

Xu Chaomu pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears.

“Miss, have you really been doing well these five years? How have you been getting by?”

“Quite well, really. I’ll tell you all about it when I have the time!”

“Don’t lie to me, I’ve lived long enough not to be easily fooled. Just look at yourself, how did you get so thin?”

Butler Ling took her hand, looking it over from left to right, eyes filled with concern.

“No, I’ve been losing weight!” Xu Chaomu smiled.

“Losing weight while pregnant? Are you trying to say I have no common sense?”

Xu Chaomu found herself speechless.

“How many months is it?”

“Two months.”

“Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“Not yet, I don’t mind either, I like both.”

“Sigh, five years not seen, and you, Miss, are pregnant. Time flies so fast; I still remember your days in the Shen Family, back then, you were a mischievous little scamp. It’s unbelievable… how fast time flies, really fast.”

“Butler Ling, I’ve been doing well. By the way, I’m about to get engaged, you must come.”

Butler Ling went silent, casting a sidelong glance at Shen Chi.

Sure enough, Shen Chi’s face was ashen, looking very unpleasant.

“Getting married? What does your boyfriend do?” Butler Ling asked faintly.

“Yes, we will start planning the wedding after the engagement. My boyfriend is just an ordinary office worker, a manager in a marketing department of a company. Mainly, we just get along well, and he often takes me out traveling, he’s really good to me.”

“You… have you really decided to get married?”

Butler Ling glanced again at Shen Chi; only she and Old Cheng knew how Shen Chi had fared over these five years.

Now, it had been a tough search to find Xu Chaomu, only for her to say that she was going to get married.

“There’s a child, of course, I have to get married,” Xu Chaomu said with a smile.

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but touch her belly.

“You… have you really considered this seriously?”

“Yes, I’ve known him for five years, and we’ve been good together.”

“So, will you be staying at the Shen house this time? I still have a lot to tell you.”

“We’ll see, if there’s time, I’ll stay and chat more.”

“Miss, do you know? After you left, Dabai didn’t eat or drink for three whole days. That creature, so very human-like.”

“Really?” There was a tinge of melancholy in Xu Chaomu’s voice. Dabai hadn’t eaten anything for three days and nights after she left?

Thinking of that mischievous dog, Xu Chaomu felt a twinge of sorrow in her heart.

“Yes, it’s still listless. When you have time, go and see it, take it for a walk.”

“Okay.”

Butler Ling kept talking to Xu Chaomu for a while, but no matter what was said, it all avoided Shen Chi.

For instance, she wouldn’t bring up the child in Xu Chaomu’s belly.

At first, Shen Chi listened to their conversation, but soon he grew impatient, especially when Xu Chaomu mentioned her fiance in that supremely gentle tone.

In Shen Chi’s eyes, Xu Chaomu and the word “gentle” were miles apart!

Perhaps, she wasn’t ungentle, it’s just that all her tenderness was bestowed upon someone else.

“Butler Ling, go and make dinner,” Shen Chi interrupted with a frown.

Butler Ling changed the subject, nodding, “Alright, Fourth Young Master, I’ll get on it right away.”

“Okay.”

Butler Ling left for the kitchen to prepare dinner.

In the vast living room, only Xu Chaomu and Shen Chi remained.

With no one to talk to, Xu Chaomu turned on the TV to watch some programs, while Shen Chi opened his laptop and sat on the sofa to check the stock market.

Neither spoke a word; Xu Chaomu switched channels out of boredom. Shen Chi rested the laptop on his legs, his fingers constantly tapping on the keyboard.

For a time, only two sounds filled the living room: the noise from the TV programs and the tapping of the keyboard.

Xu Chaomu clicked through one channel after another, finding nothing she liked.

With no other choice, she switched off the TV with a ‘click’ and prepared to head upstairs to sleep.

She felt that being around Shen Chi was talkless and even boring.

Even if they occasionally struck up a conversation, it wouldn’t be long before they started arguing.

As she began ascending the spiral staircase to go up, Shen Chi lifted his eyelids and called out to her, “Where are you going?”

“I don’t feel well; I’m going upstairs to sleep.”

“We’re about to have dinner soon, eat first then sleep.”

“I’m not hungry, I won’t eat,” Xu Chaomu said obstinately, continuing her way upstairs.

“Butler Ling is specially making dinner for you, and you’d let her good intentions go to waste?”

“I can still eat after I’ve slept,” Xu Chaomu retorted.

Whenever he couldn’t win an argument with her, he’d bring up Butler Ling to pressure her.

Xu Chaomu walked up the stairs to her room, instinctively stopping at her door.

That’s when she realized, she no longer had the key.

In that moment, she neither knew whether to stand or sit, to go downstairs or stay put.

She awkwardly stood at the door, somewhat at a loss.

“My room’s door is open; if you want to sleep, go there,” Shen Chi said without looking up, typing away at his keyboard.

Xu Chaomu looked up, and indeed, his room was unlocked.

Five years ago, she’d have been tossed out if she even thought about entering his room. Now, he was willing to let her sleep there.

But what did it mean for her to sleep in his room?

She walked to the head of the stairs and said, “Mr. Shen, doesn’t your house have many guest rooms? Just give me one.”

“Only my room is available. If you want to sleep, sleep; if not, come down!” Shen Chi’s tone brooked no argument.

“What an attitude,” Xu Chaomu muttered, “With your room, and your bed, who knows how many women have slept there, I find it disgusting.”

Only then did Shen Chi stop typing, placing his laptop aside, standing up, and lifting his gaze to Xu Chaomu upstairs.

His eyes were sharp, emitting a chilling light.

Xu Chaomu, startled, quickly covered her belly and stepped back a few paces.

“Xu Chaomu, your talent for talking nonsense sure has grown,” he said.

“I’m speaking the truth,” Xu Chaomu responded, “Oh, by the way, Mr. Shen, your Miss Jian Sisi fainted and was hospitalized, aren’t you going to see her? Oh, and Miss Bai, how come I didn’t see her?”

“Jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous? I’m just reminding Mr. Shen, with too many women, you’d better take precautions. Otherwise, in twenty years, a bunch of illegitimate children might appear to claim your inheritance.”

“You come down here, and I promise I won’t kill you,” Shen Chi said as he rolled up his sleeves, pushing his shirt up to his elbows.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om