Chapter 49: Lowering Her Head

Cheng Zhanya and Lin Hanbing had a fight.

They parted on bad terms without eating a bite and headed straight home.

Once Lin Hanbing had calmed down, she reflected on her loss of control that day and immediately frowned.

Worried that Cheng Zhanya might go hungry, she quietly headed to the kitchen to prepare some food.

Cheng Zhanya was still fuming and wouldn’t listen to a word anyone said, so Lin Hanbing wisely gave her some space to cool off.

After dinner, she would sit down and talk things through properly with Cheng Zhanya.

Back at home, Cheng Zhanya had gone straight to her room and hadn’t emerged since. There wasn’t a sound from behind the tightly shut door.

Considering that Cheng Zhanya was pregnant and already emotional, Lin Hanbing knocked on the door during a break from stir-frying the vegetables.

“Yaya, come out for dinner,” she said.

She waited quietly for Cheng Zhanya’s response.

After a moment of silence, Lin Hanbing faintly heard some rustling sounds from inside.

They were very faint.

Just the noise of someone turning over in bed.

Cheng Zhanya ignored her, probably still angry.

Their relationship had just started to improve, and she never imagined it would shatter again over an art exhibition.

This particular exhibition was hosted by the Hua Family. Second Miss Hua had a keen interest in fine art. A few years earlier, after getting married, she had left the family business behind and thrown herself into the art world.

Hua En was a pianist with some popularity back home.

Unexpectedly, she had chosen an art exhibition that seemed unrelated to her field, and her partner, Liang Wenxuan, had been by her side, bustling about in support. These days, Liang had achieved considerable success herself.

When Liang Wenxuan heard that Lin Hanbing had invested in a studio and learned that Cheng Zhanya was passionate about comics and had become a renowned artist, she sent an invitation without hesitation.

They happened to be nearby that day, and since it had been so long since they’d seen each other, she decided to drop by.

Lin Hanbing wasn’t well-versed in art. She had politely accepted the ticket and noticed that Cheng Jiguang was listed as a guest.

The name sounded familiar.

She thought for a moment and remembered Cheng Zhanya mentioning that her favorite painter was Cheng Jiguang. An idea had sparked in her mind right then.

She had only wanted to please her wife…

But it had backfired spectacularly.

She had met Chen Man three or four years ago at a business event in Yue City, where Chen Man’s studio had signed a contract for one of her properties.

Chen Man’s first solo exhibition had been a resounding success, and the studio had thrown a celebratory banquet.

Lin Hanbing had been in Yue City at the time and received an invitation, so she went just to make an appearance.

She wasn’t interested in Chen Man and left shortly after the banquet began.

It had been a brief encounter, and Lin Hanbing hadn’t given it another thought.

To her, anything outside of work wasn’t worth her time.

Later, she had overheard Cheng Zhanya mumbling at length about one of Chen Man’s works. When she approached, her wife launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

That was when she learned how much Cheng Zhanya admired the artist.

During a rare moment of leisure, she had looked up Cheng Jiguang’s background, curious about what kind of person her wife held in such high regard.

Aside from the fame of her works, Chen Man’s personal story was impressive—she had real talent to back it up.

But her relationships were a mess.

She had six ex-girlfriends.

There had even been a scandal involving the seduction of a minor.

Lin Hanbing had frowned as she read, then set it aside to head into a meeting. The matter was quickly forgotten.

Cheng Zhanya was probably aware of all this too.

Lin Hanbing believed that a person’s private life had nothing to do with their art, so she respected her wife’s tastes.

At the exhibition, though, seeing Cheng Zhanya chatting so closely with Chen Man—like old friends catching up—had stirred some jealousy. But she was a rational person.

It was only when she saw the admiring look in Cheng Zhanya’s eyes as she gazed at Chen Man, combined with Chen Man’s overly eager enthusiasm, that Lin Hanbing felt a sudden sense of crisis.

Screw rationality.

In that moment, her blood had boiled, and she had lost control.

Now that she had calmed down, she felt some regret.

Cheng Zhanya was pregnant, her emotions already unstable, and Lin Hanbing shouldn’t have argued with her.

The soup in the ceramic pot bubbled away.

Its aroma filled the air, permeating the entire house.

Cheng Zhanya had locked herself in her room out of spite, replaying the root of their argument in her mind.

After the fight, she was definitely hungry.

Her stomach growled loudly, leaving her flustered.

For some reason, arguing with Lin Hanbing had actually lifted her spirits.

It was as if she had vented all the pent-up resentment from these past years.

But hearing Lin Hanbing’s voice made her recall her own hysterical outburst just now.

Her face heated with annoyance.

She must have looked awful like that.

As she calmly reviewed Lin Hanbing’s expression from the argument, she realized she couldn’t quite remember it.

The knocking came again, and Cheng Zhanya’s heart skipped a beat.

She wondered if she should go out.

To face Lin Hanbing head-on.

Suddenly, her belly was kicked from within.

It seemed the little one was hungry and complaining.

Cheng Zhanya touched her stomach and muttered softly as she got out of bed, “It’s you who wants to eat, not me, okay?”

Fan Jiujiu lay quietly on the pillow beside her. As she rose, it blinked its eyes, meowed once, then jumped down and circled to her feet. It looked up, its eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, appearing utterly pitiful.

“You’re hungry too, huh?” Cheng Zhanya chuckled. She straightened her clothes and slowly opened the door.

The smell of food made her stomach growl again. Luckily, Lin Hanbing was far enough away not to hear, or she would have wanted to crawl into a hole.

Lin Hanbing was still busy. Her tall, slender back remained elegant even with the brightly colored apron.

Cheng Zhanya forced herself to look away. She walked to the dining table and pulled out a chair.

The chair legs scraped lightly against the floor.

The person in the kitchen seemed to hear it and turned to look. The expression on her face was completely different from when they had returned home.

It was soft, serene.

Nothing like the fury from their argument.

Cheng Zhanya couldn’t help recalling that expressionless Lin Hanbing, and her breath hitched for a moment.

Lin Hanbing had been angry.

She knew it.

Over all these years, it was the first time she had seen Lin Hanbing that furious.

It had scared her a little.

Cheng Zhanya mentally reviewed the sequence of Lin Hanbing’s anger.

It seemed to start after she had come out of Chen Man’s dressing room.

And then in the car, tying into the things they had argued about.

She frowned, as if some pieces were falling into place.

Was Lin Hanbing… jealous?

The thought brought a satisfying explanation to the outburst. Cheng Zhanya couldn’t deny that it pleased her in that instant.

So Lin Hanbing could get jealous too.

Cheng Zhanya stole a smile and glanced at the busy figure in the kitchen.

Lin Hanbing had clearly misunderstood.

She only cared about the artwork; Chen Man’s personal history meant nothing to her.

But soon, the image of Lin Hanbing chatting animatedly with Liang Wenxuan resurfaced, replacing her pleasure with irritation.

Lin Hanbing brought out the soup and looked toward Cheng Zhanya.

As if the argument had never happened, she said gently, “Have some soup first. Be careful, it’s hot.”

Cheng Zhanya mumbled an “oh” and kept her eyes down, avoiding her gaze.

Lin Hanbing turned back to the kitchen and soon carried out the rest of the dishes.

She sat across from her and ate in silence.

The two faced each other without a word. The spacious living room echoed only with the clink of chopsticks against plates.

“Meow~”

The ignored Fan Jiujiu let out a disgruntled cry.

Cheng Zhanya paused, but Lin Hanbing was already on her feet. She placed cat food in Fan Jiujiu’s bowl, squirted a cat treat on top, and finished with a smooth pat on its back using her slender white hand.

Lin Hanbing was a neat freak; she washed her hands afterward before sitting back down and serving Cheng Zhanya some vegetables.

Cheng Zhanya had already finished her soup.

Perhaps from hunger, she found today’s soup especially delicious.

“After the soup, have some rice?” Lin Hanbing asked her.

Cheng Zhanya nodded. “Mm.”

Lin Hanbing took her bowl, and when she returned it, it was heaped with fluffy white rice.

“Eat more. Beef is nutritious,” Lin Hanbing said simply and calmly, explaining the health benefits.

“Mm.”

They spoke like sulking children, exchanging brief words in a cool, detached manner that made the house feel even emptier.

After the meal, Lin Hanbing cleared the table and went to wash the dishes.

Cheng Zhanya wasn’t idle either. She turned on the TV and curled up on the sofa with the cat in her arms.

When Lin Hanbing returned, she asked, “No afternoon nap?”

Cheng Zhanya ignored her.

Her eyes didn’t even leave the screen.

She hadn’t shaken off the awkward atmosphere yet. She still minded that image of Lin Hanbing chatting so happily with Liang Wenxuan.

Lin Hanbing stood there, feeling a bit helpless.

She sighed, let her sleeves down, and walked toward the sofa unhurriedly.

Her house slippers made almost no sound.

She sat in the spot next to Cheng Zhanya, very close—their knees nearly touching.

Cheng Zhanya frowned and glanced at their proximity.

But she didn’t move away. Instead, she turned her attention back to the variety show on TV as if unconcerned.

“Yaya.”

She called out.

Cheng Zhanya kept watching the TV, but her heart skipped a beat.

“Don’t be mad anymore. I apologize for losing control earlier.”

“I should have talked it through with you properly.”

The sudden apology stunned Cheng Zhanya. She finally spared her a glance.

Her mood swung like a rollercoaster, easing in an instant.

She pressed her lips together. She had been at fault too, and with Lin Hanbing taking the initiative to apologize so sincerely, Cheng Zhanya didn’t want to seem petty by continuing to sulk.

“I don’t care about Chen Man’s personal relationships. I only care about Cheng Jiguang’s work.”

“No matter how much of a player Chen Man is outside, it has nothing to do with me.”

Cheng Zhanya stated her position and continued, “I just think her insights on the paintings align with mine. She probably feels the same, so…”

So what?

Lin Hanbing watched her.

So Chen Man’s invitation to Cheng Zhanya had clearly been ill-intentioned.

Lin Hanbing kept her expression neutral, but inwardly she scoffed at Chen Man’s little schemes.

Cheng Zhanya now realized she had been too hasty in accepting Chen Man’s invitation.

She admired the work, but it was their first meeting.

She should have thought twice about an invite from someone she barely knew, no matter how well they had gotten along.

But since she had agreed, she would have to go.

“What time is it set for tonight?” Lin Hanbing asked.

“No set time yet.”

Cheng Zhanya checked her phone. It was past two in the afternoon. Chen Man had accepted her social media request but hadn’t messaged.

She probably needed rest, with another event that afternoon.

“Mm. I’ll drive you.”

Cheng Zhanya was surprised. Didn’t Lin Hanbing dislike Chen Man? Or was she worried about her?

She turned her face away, but her lips curved upward.

“You’re pregnant, so no alcohol, nothing cold,” Lin Hanbing reminded her.

“I know my limits.”

“…”

Lin Hanbing fell silent for a moment. “Feeling sleepy? Want to take a nap?”

“I don’t want to sleep.”

Since getting pregnant, Cheng Zhanya had been unusually prone to drowsiness, especially in the afternoons—and all the more so during this autumn season. Yet today, for some inexplicable reason, she felt not the slightest trace of sleepiness.

Was it the excitement of meeting her favorite artist?

Or perhaps more than that, it was seeing Lin Hanbing seething with jealousy.