The lady stepped out of the fitting room after she got dressed. That was when the two of them realized just how in shape the woman was. That, plus her angelic features, definitely made her one hell of a beautiful woman. Zhang Mi gave the purse back to the lady and nodded at her appreciatively. "You look nice in this outfit!"
"Thank you both so much!" the lady said, ruffling through her purse for some money. "I've seen the price tag. Here, let me pay you back!"
Zhang Mi accepted the money without demur and smiled at the woman. This was a happenstance after all. "Be careful next time, then."
"Yeah!" Xin Qing nodded as well. "You won't run into helpful people every time, you know. Well, since you're good now, we should be taking our leave, then!"
After a brief moment of hesitation, the woman reached out her hand to stop them from leaving. Then, she took out her card. "You really should allow me to repay your kindness, or at least give me a chance to express my gratitude. It's too late tonight, but do drop my club some time, okay? My treat!"
"Meng Tian Gym Club? Xu Li?" Zhang Mi read the card's content out loud.
"Mmhm. I own the club. You're welcome to use the gym facilities there!" Xu Li said with a grin.
Zhang Mi and Xin Qing each took a copy of Xu Li's card before leaving. On the way back, Zhang Mi kept telling Xin Qing about the gym club.
"I heard the personal trainers there really know what they're doing. A lot of celebrities go to that gym," Zhang Mi said excitedly as she drove. "Let's go check it out and sign up for an aerobics class or something." Zhang Mi paused and gave Xin Qing a sidelong glance. "Especially you, my friend. You've got to tone up your muscles, you know. Otherwise, Ying Qingcang would find your body less pleasurable to touch."
Xin Qing glared at Zhang Mi in annoyance. "Oh, yeah? How come you're not worried about how your body will feel like to Young Master Shen's hands? I'll have you know that my body is in good shape!"
Zhang Mi studied Xin Qing for a moment. "Do you have a V-line?" Zhang Mi asked.
"What... What's that?" Xin Qing had never even heard of it.
"They're the lines that define your lower abs. When seen as a whole, they look just like a mermaid's tail. It's the modern standard of a good figure!" Zhang Mi said, stroking her own tummy. "Let's go to the gym tomorrow!"
That was how Xin Qing ended up getting dragged to the gym club by Zhang Mi the following day. Xu Li was exhilarated when she saw them. She even offered to personally show them around the place. At the end of the tour, Xu Li asked the professional staff to measure each of their body fat levels and sign them up for their classes. After that, she invited them for coffee at the coffee shop downstairs.
"You both are already in good shape, so you'll only need to come here twice a week. That way, you can tone up your muscles. You'll look even better in tight-fitting clothes!" Xu Li said, flaunting her own chest. "Check out the style of this dress that I'm wearing. You can go braless and make it look even better!"
Zhang Mi nodded enthusiastically. Xin Qing nodded along as well. She had already been dragged here, and plus, it was not like she had anything better to do anyway. She would just come and try to have a good workout. When they got home that night, Xin Qing showed her gym membership card to Ying Qingcang. Ying Qingcang and Young Master Shen's first reaction was to do a background check on Xu Li.
"Are you both suffering from some kind of delusional disorder? Like some sort of paranoia?" Zhang Mi said in contempt. "It's like you think anyone who approaches us must have some kind of hidden agenda."
Ying Qingcang ignored Zhang Mi's remark. He held Xin Qing hand and said, "Listen to us. Go only after we've done a background check!"
Xin Qing was fine with it. Besides, she was only there to keep Zhang Mi company in the first place. Zhang Mi, on the other hand, seemed to have her panties in a twist. Seeing her behavior, Young Master Shen immediately attempted to placate her. "It won't take long. Three days, at most."
In the end, the background check was settled in two days. It turned out that Xu Li had a simple background. She graduated from a local university and became a personal trainer at a gym club. Because of her physical beauty and her sociability, a lot of wealthy people had hired her as their private trainer. Needless to say, she had acquired a considerable wealth for herself. After that, she started her own gym club. Apparently, she once had a boyfriend, but for some unknown reason, they had broken up. She had stayed single ever since. If Xu Li had any close relationships with other men, the background check did not indicate it.
Zhang Mi returned to her job at Si Nan's company. Once she learned about the results of the background check, she decided to attend the aerobics class at the gym club with Xin Qing during the upcoming weekend. Young Master Shen thus found himself revisiting the days when he acted as their driver and chaperone. It seemed like he and Zhang Mi had reached a sort of understanding between them; neither of them mentioned anything about feelings or about the relationship between them. They would both leave and come home every day like old friends. The weekend arrived, and since Ying Qingcang had an emergency meeting, Young Master Shen personally dropped off Xin Qing and Zhang Mi at the entrance of the gym.
"We feel like having hotpot later. Remember to book us a table!" Zhang Mi ordered casually. Grinning widely, Young Master Shen agreed and was secretly pleased. Now that she had slowly gotten used to his presence, Zhang Mi would not be able to leave him...
Zhang Mi and Xin Qing had been working out at the gym twice per week throughout the month. Eventually, Ying Qingcang began to notice something strange about Xin Qing.
Today, he finally caved and brought up the subject over a meal. "Do you feel any discomfort recently?" he asked.
Xin Qing was munching on a corn cob when she heard his question. She shook her head. "Not at all!"
Ying Qingcang lowered his head and went deep in thought. Zhang Mi piped up from beside them, "I bet you've noticed that your woman has been eating a lot these days!"
"Really?" Xin Qing had not noticed at all.
"It's true that you've been eating more than usual," Ying Qingcang said, starting to feel a bit worried. "Why don't we visit the hospital and have the doctors perform a checkup on you?"
Zhang Mi snorted. "Oh, what do you know? This is one of the benefits of working out!" Zhang Mi nudged Xin Qing. "Didn't the trainer mention this before? It's totally normal to start eating more than usual due to increasing physical activity!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Xin Qing nodded at Ying Qingcang. "I feel good! Totally fine!"
Young Master Shen appraised Xin Qing for a long moment. "I, too, find Xiao Qingqing looking much healthier these days," he remarked. "I guess exercise really is the key to health, huh!"
If Shi Qianqian or Xin Yudie were here right now, they would have undoubtedly regarded the few of them as idiots. How could they not realize what was going on when the signs were already so obvious...
One afternoon half a month later, Ying Qingcang received a sudden phone call when he was in the middle of a meeting. He only heard two lines on the phone before he bolted out the door of the conference room. Ah Nan hurried after him.
"To the hospital," Ying Qingcang told Ah Nan.
It was Ah Che who had called just now. It turned out that Ah Che had arrived at the gym to pick up Xin Qing just in time to see her falling off a treadmill. Xin Qing had passed out right then and there. Ying Qingcang's heart sank when he arrived at the hospital and saw Xin Qing lying on the hospital bed, staring off into space.
"Ah Qing! Are you okay?"
Xin Qing stretched out her arms towards him the moment she saw him arrive. Ying Qingcang stepped forward and enveloped her in a bear hug. Then, he saw Ah Che standing there with obvious delight written on his face. Ying Qingcang frowned and barked out a single word, "Talk."
Ah Che grinned from ear to ear. "Young master," he said, "the young miss is pregnant!"
Shock coursed through Ying Qingcang at what he had heard. Then, he turned to Xin Qing with a look of pleased surprise. "What did the doctor say? For how long?"
"The doctor said everything's normal, and it hasn't been two months yet," Xin Qing said, snuggling herself closer against Ying Qingcang's chest. Then, she stared up at him with a piteous look on her face. "No wonder I've been eating more than usual lately. Turns out that it's because of my pregnancy. Ah Cang... Do you think I'll become fat and chubby?"
"Whatever you turn into, you'll still be my wife!" Ying Qingcang lowered his head and kissed her. "Don't think too much about it, okay? I'll go see the doctor!"
Pouting, Xin Qing shot an annoyed look at Ying Qingcang's leaving form. "Men are so clueless when it comes to a woman's heart!"
By the time Ying Qingcang returned from his meeting with the doctor, there was a stiff look on his face. The first thing he did when he re-entered the hospital room was giving Ah Nan an order: "Go back to Young Master Shen's place and pack our things. Take our stuff back to Ying's residence, and bring Uncle Fu and Aunt Tian with you."
"We're moving back?" Xin Qing asked him.
"The doctors told me that your body is too weak," Ying Qingcang said as he helped her down the bed. "The first three months are crucial to stabilize the foetus. We need to be extra careful!" Then, he placed a hand on the small of Xin Qing's back and guided her out of the room. "Zhang Mi has a penchant for causing trouble," Ying Qingcang said with a frown. "Besides, it's still rather inconvenient to stay at their place. The renovations back at our place had been finished last week. My mind will be more at ease if we move back."
On the way back, they took a detour to the shopping mall. The doctor had given him a tip: "Let the pregnant woman eat whatever she wants right now, because she won't be able to stomach anything once the morning sickness hits." Other than food, Xin Qing bought a couple of books as well. Otherwise, she would die of boredom at home.
The house retained the same style as before, only the wallpapers and furniture were replaced. Xin Qing was surprised when she entered the bedroom. "How come this room hasn't been renovated?" she asked.
"Of course it hasn't. Tang Shuang never stayed in this room," Ying Qingcang said. Then, he led her to the room at the end of the hallway and opened the door. "Before this, she was sleeping in this room," he said. "Right now, it's a storage room."
That knowledge greatly relieved Xin Qing. She yawned. "I'm so tired," she said. "I feel like taking a nap!"
"I'll join you!" Ying Qingcang picked her up from the floor. Xin Qing eyed him suspiciously. "I'm pregnant..." she said.
Ying Qingcang placed her down on the bed and helped her change into her pyjamas. Then, he bit down playfully on the tip of her nose. "What were you thinking? Sex is off the table for the first four months. That's what the doctor told me."
"And we can have sex again after four months?" Xin Qing did not believe him. She thought Ying Qingcang was totally pulling her leg.
"What kind of look is that? What, you think I'd lie to you about something like this?" Ying Qingcang pulled her down onto the bed. "Go to sleep!"
"It's exactly because it involves this kind of thing that you're more likely to lie to me!" Xin Qing thought as she closed her eyes.
Since a certain somebody had gotten herself pregnant, Zhang Mi had no choice but to get workout alone at the gym. Everytime she was there, Xu Li would be there to chat with her. Soon, the two of them became good friends. Today, when Young Master Shen came to the gym to fetch Zhang Mi, she decided to introduce them to each other.
"My God! You're already married at such a young age?" Xu Li said in surprise. Then, she smiled and teased Zhang Mi. "Your husband is very handsome!"
As Zhang Mi watched Young Master Shen getting out of his car, she gave a rare nod of agreement. For the first time in her life, Zhang Mi acknowledged how handsome he was.
"This is Xu Li," Zhang Mi said, pointing a finger at Xu Li when Young Master Shen got closer.
Xu Li nodded at Young Master Shen cordially. "Hi, Mr. Shen!"
"Nice to meet you," Young Master Shen said, giving Xu Li a glance. Then, his eyes slid back to Zhang Mi. "Let's go. You said you wanted to visit Xiao Qingqing!"
Zhang Mi waved at Xu Li. After getting on the car, Zhang Mi saw Xu Li standing there on the same spot for a long time. Then she recalled her past conversations with Xu Li and thought that Xu Li seemed rather lonely. "Are there any of your henchmen looking to get married and settle down?" she asked Young Master Shen.
Young Master Shen shot a glance at her. "Why? Interested in procuring? Want to become a pimp now?"
"Ugh!" Zhang Mi shot him a glare. "Why does everything sound so disgusting whenever they leave your mouth? I just thought that Xu Li is so young and beautiful. What a waste for her to still be single."
"How did you know she's single?" Young Master Shen asked her back. That one glance from Young Master Shen just now had sufficed for him to conclude that Xu Li was not a simple woman. At least when it comes to men, Zhang Mi was just a child before her.
"She's the one who told me!" Zhang Mi thought for a moment, and then she shook her head endlessly. "Nah, forget it. None of your henchmen are reliable anyways. If it's about fooling around with women, they might do. But they're hopeless when it comes to serious relationships, each and every one of them!"
Young Master Shen took the opportunity to pinch her cheek. "I know, right! None of them are as good as me, staying married and living an honest life with you!"
Zhang Mi did not even bother to come up with a rebuttal this time. She rolled her eyes and ignored him.
Young Master Shen's intuition about women had always been accurate. Indeed, not a few days later, he recognized Xu Li in his territory. Well, more accurately speaking, it was Xu Li herself who had drawn his attention.