Chapter 72: Has the Child Been Lost?

Shi Runrun lowered her head and said softly, “Good that you know. You have no idea how difficult it is to help you bathe! Your entire body is stiff as a board, and you even force me to give you a massage!”

Hearing this, the man couldn’t help but curl his lips and tease her, “So you really did massage me, didn’t you? Shi Runrun, you took advantage of me!”

Miss Shi was lost for words.

Her cheeks flushed instantly. She hurriedly shook off his hand and stammered, “What do you mean, take advantage of you? You were the one who forced me to massage you! And how can I massage you without touching you? Clearly, you—”

Before she could finish, Xiao Xuezheng interrupted with a smile. “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Since you took care of me last night, why don’t you continue this morning and help me get dressed?”

“You’re really pushing your luck!”

Though she protested, Shi Runrun obediently trotted over to his dressing room, opened the door, and began picking out his clothes for the day.

His dressing room was enormous, with rows upon rows of neatly arranged shirts, suits, trousers, watches, and countless pairs of leather shoes.

From the very first day she married into the Xiao family, Shi Runrun had been stunned by this sight. She had even complained before, wondering why a man—especially a businessman who spent every day in suits—would need so many outfits.

Wasn’t he always in black suits and trousers? It seemed like such a waste.

What’s more, Shi Runrun knew that each of his suits was worth more than she could earn in a lifetime.

But now, she had grown accustomed to it. He and she belonged to different worlds, and all she could do was adapt.

“It’s a bit warm today. Don’t wear a suit—just this fitted white shirt, alright?” she suggested.

Xiao Xuezheng smiled, his gaze deep and gentle. “I’ll do as my wife says.”

Shi Runrun’s lips curled with a smile as well. She enjoyed this feeling of arranging his daily life, almost as if she truly belonged in the role of Mrs. Xiao.

She chose a white fitted shirt, matched it with a blue tie, and picked out a pair of lightweight trousers for him. As for his watch, she didn’t really understand them, so she simply chose the one that looked nicest to her.

Taking the ensemble from her, Xiao Xuezheng dressed himself, then stepped off the bed, bent his head, and motioned for her to help him with his tie.

He was very tall; even with him bending down, Shi Runrun had to stand on tiptoe to reach his neck.

Her skills with tying a tie were clumsy at best. She struggled and managed to produce a rather messy knot.

The man glanced at the tie hanging around his neck in the mirror, frowned, and shook his head helplessly before adjusting it himself.

How did he end up marrying such a silly little thing?

After washing up, the two went downstairs for breakfast.

At this hour, his younger sister Xiao Rourou was still asleep. The large dining table seated only the two of them.

Unaware of the truth, Housekeeper Li kept preparing special nutritious meals for her as if she were pregnant.

Shi Runrun felt uneasy, as if keeping up this deception was a constant reproach to her conscience.

When Housekeeper Li left, Shi Runrun put down her spoon and quietly asked the man beside her, “Xiao Xuezheng, have you checked with Grandpa? About the baby—are we really going to keep hiding it from Grandpa and Grandma?”

At her words, Xiao Xuezheng paused, chopsticks in hand. He glanced at her, set his utensils down, and answered gently, “Grandfather’s heart has been giving him trouble—it’s not too serious, but not minor either. The doctors have said he mustn’t be agitated and should be kept in good spirits. Let’s not tell them about the baby for now.”

Shi Runrun’s face tightened with worry. She instinctively placed a hand on her abdomen, beneath her clothes, where three layers of cloth were wrapped around her waist.

All this was just to make her stomach appear like that of a woman three or almost four months pregnant.

The next second, the man’s large hand ruffled her hair. He reassured her in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry, my dear. Sooner or later, we’ll have a child. As long as we try, we’ll conceive again, and then we’ll be able to give Grandpa and Grandma an answer.”

It was Sunday, but Xiao Xuezheng had an emergency meeting at his company, so he had to work overtime.

After breakfast, Shi Runrun saw him out.

She watched as the black Bentley drove away from the villa, her expression dimming as she returned inside alone.

With nothing to do that morning, she called her schoolteacher.

Once she confirmed her student records had been successfully transferred, Shi Runrun began to pack her textbooks and schoolbag. Tomorrow was Monday—she would be returning to classes.

But what she never expected was that, just before noon, Xiao Shujing arrived!

She still remembered vividly how, at their first meeting, this aunt’s indifference and cold reaction had left a deep impression.

So now, meeting her again, Shi Runrun didn’t dare be careless. She addressed her politely, calling her “Aunt” at every turn, and warmly invited her to stay for lunch.

And so, it was she, her sister-in-law Xiao Rourou, and Aunt Xiao Shujing, sharing a meal together at the Xiao family villa.

During the meal, however, Shi Runrun kept feeling the deep, searching gaze of Xiao Shujing fixed on her belly.

She couldn’t understand why her aunt kept looking at her so strangely, until after lunch, when she sent Xiao Rourou out on an errand to fetch something from the city and called her back. Only then did Shi Runrun realize the reason for her odd behavior.

Downstairs in the living room, with the housekeeper gone, only she and Aunt Xiao Shujing remained.

Xiao Shujing stared at her intently without a word.

Shi Runrun felt a chill under that gaze and couldn’t help but call out quietly, “Aunt, is there something you want to say to me?”

The next moment, Xiao Shujing walked over, her eyes darkening as she spoke sternly, “Do you know why I sent Rourou away?”

A wave of dread flooded Shi Runrun’s heart. The next second, Xiao Shujing’s gaze dropped to her abdomen, and she frowned deeply. “Look at your stomach.”

Shi Runrun looked down—and saw, to her shock, that a length of the cloth she had wrapped around her waist to fake a pregnancy had somehow come loose and was sticking out from beneath her dress!

Panic seized her. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

“Aunt…” Her voice trembled. For a moment, she had no idea how to face Xiao Shujing.

Xiao Shujing looked at her and sighed heavily before asking, “Runrun, tell me honestly—did you lose the baby?”