Chapter 467: The Fragile Peace
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Xia Ling was so terrified that she did not dare to rebut him anymore.
She stopped waking up in the night to care for the child. However, in the middle of the night, she would still wake suddenly in fright, before tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep.
Pei Ziheng would wake up from her restlessness and ask, “What’s up again?”
She would say softly. “I think I heard the child crying.”
Pei Ziheng gave an irritated “Hmph.”
Hence, Xia Ling did not dare move around anymore, forcing herself to try to sleep. Often, she would lie awake with her eyes open till morning, and she started to look even frailer than before.
Pei Ziheng had no choice but to allow her to wake in the middle of the night to care for the child.
After all, he wanted her to be well and to take care of her health. The doctor said that if she wasn’t healthy, there was a chance that she would never get pregnant again. Pei Ziheng could not allow that to happen.
Now, Xia Ling stayed at home 24/7 to take care of her child. When the baby smiled, she would smile as well, and when the child cried, she would feel anxious. The nanny said that it was unusual that a wealthy madam like her would be so involved with her child and not delegate any tasks that she could complete herself. This child was blessed.
Only Xia Ling was aware that this was not a blessing.
The new nannies did not know the child’s identity, and hence, were misinformed about her motivations.
Every time she heard the nannies remark that they were such a loving couple and the child adorable, her expression would be mildly bitter.
Several of the nannies misunderstood her expression. “Madam, don’t blame Mister. Mister is really busy, it’s understandable that he doesn’t have the time to spend with the Young Master. When the Young Master grows a little older and isn’t quite so noisy, able to call him daddy and to play with him, perhaps Mister will become closer to him.”
Other than Nanny Zhou, all the other servants would call the baby “Young Master.”
They could tell that Pei Ziheng was cold to the child, but they thought that this was because he did not care for small things like taking care of a child. Xia Ling was unable to confide her difficulty to anyone and merely thanked them for their consolations.
She was in turmoil these days.
The baby was difficult — he had a weak disposition and would cry easily. He would feel uncomfortable if things were too cold, or too hot, or he ate too much, or too little…
This day, Nanny Zhou shook her head and lamented. Why was this child so difficult to care for?
Xia Ling overheard her comment and shot her an icy glare.
Nanny Zhou hurriedly shut her mouth.
Now, her relationship with madam was on tenterhooks. Madam did not trust her and refused to allow her to touch anything that the child was going to eat or use. Nanny Zhou felt wronged, and also felt concerned for Madam. She was so young and had no experience at all in terms of childcare. She was struggling to care for the child, trying her best to learn everything herself.
And she also had to watch out for Mister’s emotions.
Ever since they had the child, Pei Ziheng’s mood has been bad. He instructed Nanny Zhou to never let the child appear in front of him and had not glanced at the child even once since they came back.
Nanny Zhou understood how he felt and, thus, pretended that she did not see all these happening.
However, this took a toll on Xia Ling. She needed to balance their feelings, and caring more for one would mean neglecting the other.
One day, Xia Ling was accompanying Pei Ziheng at the dinner table again.
The child started to cry in the nursery for some reason. He cried with all his might and did not stop despite everyone’s efforts.
The nanny taking care of the child was extremely anxious. She hurried downstairs to the dining hall and said, “Madam, it’s not good. The Young Master is crying so hard he’s almost hoarse.”
The lighting was dimmed in the dining room.
Pei Ziheng and Xia Ling were sitting across each other, about to partake in a western candlelight dinner.
In fact, Xia Ling had already heard the cries of the child, but she did not dare show her anxiety in front of Pei Ziheng. After hearing the nanny’s words, she instinctively wanted to stand up. However, she had barely moved when she heard Pei Ziheng slam his chopsticks down hard onto the table.
Xia Ling did not dare to move. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.
How could they just let the child keep crying like that? What if he hurt his vocal cords?
Nanny Zhou, who was attending to the both of them for the meal, understood the situation. She cared very much for the child, and her heart clenched as well. She carefully said, “Mister, Madam, shall I go have a look?”
Xia Ling glanced over at Pei Ziheng’s expression and knew that he was extremely upset.
Even though she did not trust Nanny Zhou, Xia Ling was aware that before she finished her meal with Pei Ziheng, there was no way that she could leave the table. As such, she turned to Nanny Zhou and said, “Please go have a look.”
She was rarely this courteous to Nanny Zhou.
Nanny Zhou was taken aback, and she resolved in her heart to do a good job as she hurried to the nursery.
The baby was still crying, and he was heaving with every cry, his face completely red. Nanny Zhou hurriedly carried the child in her arms. As she tried to appease the child, she asked the nanny standing to the side, “Have you fed him yet?”
The nanny said, “I’ve fed him already… I don’t think he’s hungry.”
Nanny Zhou felt the bedspread of the cot. It was dry. The problem was not the pampers being wet.
She paced the room with the baby in her arms, cooing to him. While his cries became quieter at first, he suddenly started to cry loudly again.
The nanny commented, “From the looks of it, I think the Young Master just wants his mummy.”
Nanny Zhou worriedly said, “Madam is eating with Mister right now. She has to finish the meal before she can come up to see the Young Master.”
“So what do we do?” The nanny was in a panic.
She was new and did not dare to disturb Pei Ziheng. As such, she looked to Nanny Zhou. “Please think of an idea.”
Nanny Zhou looked down at the crying baby and gritted her teeth in determination. She went back to the dining room and respectfully spoke to Pei Ziheng and Xia Ling. “The baby’s crying can’t be stopped. We’ve used all the ideas that we can think of. I think the baby merely wants his mummy. Once his mum carries him, I believe he will stop crying.”
Xia Ling could hardly sit still, and she looked pleadingly at Pei Ziheng again. “Can I… can I go to him?”
She had sped through her meal since she was preoccupied and had long finished. However, she did not dare to leave the table as Pei Ziheng was still taking his time.
Pei Ziheng looked at her pitiful expression and was suddenly jealous of the baby. Xiao Ling was so concerned about him. If only she would spare a small part of that concern for him…
The cries in the nursery could be heard in the dining hall loud and clear.
Pei Ziheng became irritated again but did not want to allow Xia Ling to leave. He frowned and came to a compromise. “Carry the baby over here for Madam.”
Shocked registered on Nanny Zhou’s face. “Mister?”
Didn’t Pei Ziheng hate the child? Why was he asking her to bring the child over?
Even Xia Ling was looking at Pei Ziheng in shock.
Pei Ziheng bristled irritably. “Just do as I say.”
Nanny Zhou snapped back to her senses and hurriedly carried the child over to Xia Ling.
The baby was still crying when Xia Ling reached over carefully to carry him in her arms.
Amazingly, the baby started to quieten down immediately after he felt his mother’s presence. He lay blissfully in her arms and fell asleep.
A gentle smile spread across Xia Ling’s face. This was a smile that Pei Ziheng had never seen before.