Pfft.

How long has Frederick Fairfax been hung up about this?

Men really do have an intense sense of competition about certain things.

"Okay, maybe I was a bit lacking—not ideal, I admit. But that’s not why I kept it from you. I'm not that childish," Yuxi Yue said, gently mussing his hair and coaxing him, "Your hardware is pretty good—technique can be practiced, you know~"

Frederick Fairfax became even more aggrieved. "But honey, I haven’t even had the chance to practice…"

At first, he hadn’t known Yuxi Yue was carrying his child. And even after he found out, Lily was already pregnant—he couldn't possibly do that kind of thing then.

"Just wait a little longer."

"Honey..."

"Lily~"

"Every time I think about how long you kept this from me, I just..."

Yuxi Yue nudged his head away, craning her neck playfully with a sparkling smile: "What? Are you thinking of strangling me?"

No way. If he strangled Lily, where would he find another wife? He had no desire to become a widower.

"I just hate myself for not recognizing you at first glance." Frederick Fairfax peppered kisses across her face. "It’s my fault—all my fault!"

Kissing her seemed to cheer him up for the moment. Excited, he snatched up his phone. "This is great! I have to share the good news with Grandfather!"

Yuxi Yue instantly felt guilty.

Uh-oh... Grandfather’s known for ages. You're really late to the party.

Trying to slip away, Yuxi Yue twisted her waist. "You go ahead and tell them. I’ll go check on the baby. Quentin Young was crying so hard just now—I’m worried he won’t be in the mood to care for the baby."

Legs, don’t fail me now!

"No, you’re not going anywhere!"

Frederick Fairfax wrapped an arm firmly around her waist. "And while we’re at it, I’ll tell them we’ve made up, and we’re staying here until you finish your postpartum month, then we’ll go home."

Yuxi Yue was on the verge of tears. "Please, just let me go..."

"Nope!"

Yuxi Yue lost all hope. She was doomed—she would soon have to hear Frederick Fairfax’s endless chorus of "Honey, honey!" again.

Once the call connected, Grandfather’s voice came through: "So, have you coaxed my granddaughter-in-law yet?"

"I have. Lily wants to stay here for a while, so I’ll keep her company."

"Good, good! As long as you’ve coaxed her, that’s what matters. Wait, are you tricking me? Put Lily on the phone."

Grandfather knew Frederick Fairfax all too well.

"Grandfather, it’s true—we’ve made up. Just a misunderstanding." Yuxi Yue greeted him softly.

Grandfather said, "I’ll only believe it if you tell me yourself."

"Grandfather, there’s something else I need to tell you. Brace yourself—it’s good news."

Yuxi Yue covered her face in embarrassment.

Frederick Fairfax sounded absolutely thrilled, almost giddy. The more excited he got, the more Yuxi Yue wanted to run.

"Go ahead."

"Actually, Yana is my biological daughter!!" Frederick Fairfax’s eyes sparkled as he fixed his gaze on Yuxi Yue.

Why was she hiding her face? Was she shy?

"Lily finally told you?"

Frederick Fairfax was stunned.

What did that mean? Why was Grandfather so calm? And what did he mean by that?

"Grandfather, I mean Yuyan Zhi is my biological daughter. The person I ran into overseas was Lily—my wife!"

"Ah, I know! Lily told me ages ago. You two are really fated. Just you—so dumb! Imagine not recognizing someone you’ve even shared a bed with! Good thing I was around, and that fortune-teller—his prediction was spot on. Otherwise, your wife and child would’ve ended up belonging to someone else!

"Alright, I’m hanging up. As long as you two have made up, that's all I care about. Treat my granddaughter-in-law well, or else!"

The call ended.

Yuxi Yue felt like her own heart might give out, too. She didn’t dare meet Frederick Fairfax’s eyes, but she could already imagine just how furious he must be right now—the man who had been begging for her forgiveness moments earlier, now standing on the moral high ground.

Frederick Fairfax’s breaths came hard and fast. His eyes burned, anger flooding from his chest to his head. "Yuxi Yue! You’re really something—you really are. Grandfather knew, your parents knew, everyone knew except me! You just kept it from me!"

"Um…" Yuxi Yue peeked through her fingers, revealing her lovely, clear eyes. "Your parents know, too. Grandfather told them."

"They all knew!!!!"

Frederick Fairfax had thought he was clever—he even secretly got a paternity test and was proud of his plan. He wanted to give everyone a huge surprise. But it turned out he was the only one in the dark!

The only consolation was that Quentin Young found out last of all.

"Yuxi Yue, Yuxi Yue... Yuxi Yue! You...! Ah! When did you even tell Grandfather? Are you two the real family? How could you all keep this secret from me? How am I supposed to live like this..."

Frederick Fairfax was so exasperated his head hurt.

He wanted to do something, but Yuxi Yue simply fixed him with her limpid, innocent gaze. Her face was pale and pretty and utterly blameless.

As if she were really innocent!

"Kiss me."

"Huh?" Yuxi Yue blinked. "Didn’t you just say you couldn't go on like this, yet now you want a kiss?"

"Kiss me! Kiss me!"

Frederick Fairfax whined, "I’ve got a knot in my chest, it's suffocating and frustrating. My heart’s in a mess. Cheer me up—kiss me, hold me, make me feel better, please…"

"Honey... Come on, I’m dying here... I’m going to die of heartbreak."

"Honey... Honey~"

Well, if he was so easy to comfort, what harm was there in giving him a kiss?

Yuxi Yue’s rosy lips landed on his cheek. "Happy now?"

"Still upset."

"You told Grandfather but didn’t tell me..."

Yuxi Yue followed the curve of his cheek down to his lips, placing a few gentle, tender kisses.

"And now?"

"I was kept in the dark for half a year…"

Heavens! Was he getting addicted to this? At this moment, in his mind, the greater grievance was his own.

Yuxi Yue’s eyes shimmered with spring warmth. Her full, dewy lips pressed against his, caressing and lingering, the tip of her tongue slipping in. Soft moans spilled from between her lips—gentle, tender, leaving Frederick Fairfax dazed, desire burning through him.

The kiss dragged on, stop-and-start, for over ten minutes. Only then did Frederick Fairfax finally calm down, though a new, more urgent longing flickered in his eyes.

But he couldn’t—his wife was still in her confinement month.

He wrapped his arms tighter around Yuxi Yue, burying his face in her neck, panting. "You’re not allowed to do this again!"

"Do what?"

"Everyone else knew except me. Don’t you feel guilty?"

"Not really. It was your fault you didn’t recognize me that night. And who told you to insist on keeping the lights off? And besides, you woke up later than me that morning…" Yuxi Yue idly touched her lips. Every time he kissed her, her mouth went numb.

He couldn’t even master kissing—how was he supposed to get better at anything else? Technique for that is even harder! She suddenly felt worried for her own romantic happiness in the years to come.

Frederick Fairfax was struck speechless. In the end, it was all his fault. He never should have insisted on keeping the lights off that night; he should have just taken off her mask and memorized her face forever.

Yuxi Yue’s right hand lingered on his cheek. "Frederick Fairfax, you’ve been pining for that night’s mystery woman all this time. So, tell me: do you actually like me, or was it just that one-night stand you really wanted?"