Charles Chase burst out laughing, unable to hide the joy on his face.
He bent down and scooped up his girl, spinning her around steadily. Mia Moore clung nervously around his neck.
"Charles Chase, hey—be careful! Put me down!"
"Nope, I don't want to let you go, not even for a step. Honey, are your legs tired? Thirsty? Want something to eat?"
Mia Moore couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. Charles Chase was so silly—the calm, mature, and gentlemanly act he put on was just that, an act. He was really no different from Er Dou, a big, goofy husky at heart.
"Charles Chase, you’re just like... Er Dou! Haha!"
Charles Chase pretended to gnash his teeth. "Sure, sure, since I can’t do anything about it right now, call me Er Dou all you want. Right now, you get to decide."
"Then I want bubble tea."
"Nope, you can’t have bubble tea."
"!! I want ice cream, then!"
"...Honey, pick something else."
"..."
"Didn’t you say I get to decide?!"
"Forget it. I guess you *don't* get to decide—I’ll ask the doctor. What the doctor says goes!"
Cradling her possessively, Charles Chase didn’t return to the studio. Instead, he headed straight to the car and drove her home.
—
The two had patched things up, the proposal was done, and Mia Moore left all the major wedding arrangements to Charles Chase. She spent her days with Chi Chi at the studio, getting ready for the grand opening.
So, every day outside the studio, the sight was the same: two limited-edition luxury cars arriving one after the other, and then two handsome men reluctantly saying goodbye to their beloved wives at the entrance.
The first wife was the gentle one; sometimes she even carried their baby, blushed, gave her husband a kiss, and waved him off.
The second wife, on the other hand, was more domineering. When she got impatient, she playfully pinched her husband’s cheeks and shooed him away.
The long bench in front of the studio by East Lake was practically monopolized every morning by old ladies practicing tai chi, craning their necks to watch the young couples’ sweet displays.
—
Time flew by, and with only three days left until the opening on the 25th, excitement ran high.
Xavier Foster had called in the top talents from Fu Group's PR and photography departments to prepare for the big day—photoshoots, media, and all the trappings of a proper launch.
Thinking back to the little Clearwater Bay studio’s opening last year, Chi Chi had simply unlocked the door, hung up a small sign, and called it done. This time, everything was so much easier.
Not long after arriving at the studio, Chi Chi’s brother dropped Mia Moore off. Apparently, she and Charles Chase had returned to the family home last night to break the wedding news to Auntie Chen.
Their sweet, drawn-out parting at the entrance was pure entertainment for Chi Chi.
When they finally finished, Charles Chase came in to greet Chi Chi and check in on Little Rice Cake before leaving.
As soon as he left, Mia Moore whipped off the scarf around her neck and collapsed onto the sofa, her pretty face mottled with indignation. She gritted her teeth, "That’s enough, I’m saved! It’s 18 degrees today and he made me wear a scarf—it’s so hot!"
Little Rice Cake was napping on the side, while Chi Chi sorted paintbrushes into their holders by size and type. She couldn’t help but laugh at Mia Moore.
"Look at you. You don’t care about your own wedding, just running over here every day."
"And with my little nephew in tow, you’ve got to take care of yourself. My brother really does dote on people!"
Mia Moore looked helpless as she flopped beside Chi Chi, hugging her tightly. "Wah, Chi Chi, don’t you love me anymore?"
"Wah, you all only love my baby, not me! I’m so hot."
Chi Chi pinched her cheek. "Alright, alright, wear your scarf when you go out."
"Oh, by the way, does Julian Jarvis know? You guys..."
"He’s coming back the day after tomorrow. He even said he’d swing by for our opening ceremony. We’ll talk then. He knows I’m seeing someone, but not how far things have gone."
Mia Moore fiddled with her belly, a look of worry on her face.
"I called him a couple of days ago," Chi Chi explained, "asked him to bring over any art materials left at Clearwater Bay, and checked in about life in Y Country. He sounded like he was having a great time."
"Also, I’m taking Little Rice Cake to Dr. Song for a check-up tomorrow. Want to come? Dr. Song is really diligent and gentle."
Chi Chi had always trusted Dr. Song. After giving birth, she’d even had afternoon tea with her from time to time, and all of Little Rice Cake’s checkups were done by her.
Mia Moore leaned closer. "Chi Chi, I, uh, kind of have something I never told you."
"Hm?" Chi Chi looked up from the final brush.
"I know Song Ying, actually."
"…Huh? How do you know her?"
"She used to be classmates with my brother. Sometimes she’d come over. But after he went abroad, she stopped visiting."
Mia Moore rested her chin on her hands, adding, "I always felt like something happened between them. Maybe they fell out? Otherwise, why would they lose touch so suddenly?"
"I see..." Chi Chi was surprised, marveling at how small the world truly was. It was like finding out her long-lost brother had actually run into Mia Moore abroad.
"Feels like we’ve come full circle—everyone knows everyone. But hey, you knowing Dr. Song is all the better!"
"Cough, cough—she used to supervise my homework whenever she came over. I was scared of her..."
"Ha! That’s perfect. Now you’ll actually listen to whatever she says!"
—
With nothing pressing to do, the two chatted in the studio, admired the plants, and looked over the paintings. Everything felt absolutely perfect.
By the end of the workday, Charles Chase arrived first, followed by Xavier Foster, and the four of them went out for dinner nearby.
The two men chatted about work, while Chi Chi gave Mia Moore little pregnancy lessons—it was lively but not tiresome at all.
After dinner, the two couples claimed their wives and drove home.
—
Little Rice Cake wasn’t the least bit sleepy. After they got out of the car, Xavier Foster carried his son in one arm and held his wife’s hand as they went upstairs.
"Oh right, Zhiye, did you know Mia Moore and Julian Jarvis actually know Dr. Song?"
Hearing the name Julian Jarvis after so long, Xavier Foster paused. "Mm, what a coincidence."
"Yeah, but Mia Moore says Julian Jarvis and Dr. Song might’ve had a falling out. They’ll both be at our opening... I hope things aren’t awkward."
Xavier Foster ruffled her hair. "Don’t worry. They’re both adults. Maybe this is a good chance to clear the air."
"Hmm..."
He had a point. The two of them headed upstairs—Little Rice Cake was wide awake, but Chi Chi was dead tired. After Zhiye kept her up last night, she was determined not to let him have his way tonight.
Chi Chi left Xavier Foster to play with Little Rice Cake while she went to shower. Afterward, she dove into bed and snugged herself under the covers.
Xavier Foster chuckled at her quick escape. As if he’d bully her every single day. Sure, he wanted to, but he could never bear to actually tire his precious wife out.
Once Little Rice Cake finally drifted off, Xavier Foster took a shower himself, crawled into bed, and pulled his drowsy wife into his arms.
She tried to push his chest away, mumbling, "No, not tonight."
Xavier Foster lowered his head, kissing her lips. "Shh. I just want to sleep holding you."