Chapter 5 Who is he?

He Cong's mother emerged from nowhere and just in time to deliver a slap across my face.

She was at least a head shorter than me, but whenever she slapped me, it was always with unerring accuracy.

"You shameless vixen, you've cuckolded my son and now you have the nerve to be so fierce!" she snarled, gripping He Cong's wrist and heading towards the door: "Let's go, don't waste words with this shameless woman!"

I didn't have time to cover my face, which was probably already swelling.

Yesterday she hit my left cheek, today the right; now they nicely matched.

I followed them, just in time to block the door they were about to close.

Looking at He Cong's mother's chubby face, I tried my best to suppress my temper.

Because she was an elder, I had over and over again yielded to her.

"Listen to what your son says about how the child in my belly came to be!" I leaned against the door, trembling with anger.

"You've cuckolded my son and still have the face to stand here!" she said with disgust, trying to push me away.

"Auntie," I changed my address: "You ask He Cong, ask him what he did after dinner that night? He Cong, He Cong speak up!"

He hung his head and hid behind his mother: "Xiao Zhi, you better leave now, you're not in good condition right now, and my mother's health is also not good; I would be distressed if either of you got hurt."

My heart hurt at that moment; how had I not seen sooner that He Cong was such a mama's boy and a coward?

"Xia Zhi, since you've come, then it's good timing, quickly divorce my son. Our He family doesn't need a daughter-in-law like you!" He Cong's mother went back inside to look for household registration and such; He Cong and I stood there, facing each other in awkward silence.

So angry that I didn't even know what to say anymore.

"Who was that man?" I calmed down and asked evenly.

"Xiao Zhi, please go!" He Cong pushed me out of the door: "My mom is furious right now, what if she really forces us to divorce, what then?"

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything; I will try to persuade my mom. Once she calms down, I'll bring you back."

"Do you think I can just come back as if nothing has happened, now carrying someone else's child?"

"Xiao Zhi, then what exactly do you want me to do? Even though you have someone else's child, I can't bear to scold you." He looked at me with a pitiful gaze: "At least you have to let me come to terms with this, right?"

When it all came down to it, it seemed like I was being unreasonable.

I stood dazed for a moment, then he pushed me out the door and closed it.

"Xiao Zhi, you better go, I'll come find you in a few days." He Cong's voice came through the thick door, sounding so unreal.

He Cong was especially adept at evading issues; every heavy punch I threw seemed to hit a cotton bag, with no response whatsoever.

For now, I couldn't get anything out of him.

I returned to the villa feeling listless.

I slept from evening straight through to the next afternoon, waking with a heavy head. Anyway, I had no job and plenty of time to sleep.

After getting up at midday and finishing lunch, I called Secretary Dong in the afternoon to remind him not to forget our appointment. If I didn't see anyone by seven o'clock that evening, I was definitely going to terminate the pregnancy.

Secretary Dong was very easy-going and responded leisurely: "Those who should come will come."

After dinner, I sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for that person to arrive.

Time ticked away second by second, any sound making me jump up from the sofa.

However, after seven o'clock, that person still had not arrived.

I was about to lose all patience and was about to call Secretary Dong, when suddenly I heard the doorbell ring.

Little Jin immediately went to open the door, and someone walked in.

I sat up straight and craned my neck towards the doorway.

That person walked in step by step and finally stood before me.

I looked up at him and muttered, "Why is it you?"

"Xiao Zhi," he squatted down in front of me, grasping my hand.

The man squatting in front of me was He Cong. Under the illumination of the villa's crystal chandelier, the lenses of his glasses reflected a blinding light, dazzling me.

I looked at him, "Don't tell me you're the one who got me pregnant."

He hemmed and hawed, his eyes flickering.

So without him speaking, I knew everything he said would be a lie.

Even a fool could figure it out by now.

I told Secretary Dong I wanted to see the child's father, and then He Cong appeared.

This indicated that He Cong was in cahoots with them.

I really wanted to know how much I was worth, to make a man sell out his own wife.

Anger made my heart thump wildly, and I had to take deep breaths to keep from succumbing to palpitations.

I felt a bit like I was having a heart attack, my veins nearly clogged.

"I'll ask you one more time, is the child in my belly yours?"

He hung his head, not daring to look at me, and eventually let out a muffled grunt, "Mhm."

I lifted his head, "You're admitting it? The child is yours?"

"Ah." He grunted.

"Good." I stood up from the sofa, pulling his wrist, "Since you admit the child is yours, let's go back and tell your mother that she slapped me for nothing, and I want her to apologize to me."

Before I could take a step, He Cong pulled me back, his expression hesitant, "Xiao Zhi, don't, please don't make a scene."

"Are we legally married?" I asked him.

He nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

"Since we are legally married, and now legally have our own child, there's no reason for me to stay at someone else's place." I pointed upstairs, "Help me bring down my luggage, I want to go home."

He stood still, rooted to the spot, "Xiao Zhi, don't be so capricious, you're pregnant now, and it's still early in the pregnancy, don't create a fuss and harm the baby."

I looked at him, catching my breath, if it weren't for my heart beating so fiercely, I'd have been tempted to round my arm and give him a big slap.

"Tell me, who sent you here?"

"Xiao Zhi." He hemmed and hawed, stammered and stuttered.

I realized then that I would never get the answers I wanted from his lips.

I sat on the sofa, hugging my knees, "Get out!"

"Xiao Zhi." He stood in front of me, "Please don't be like this."

"Out." I didn't want to speak another word to him.

He stood beside me for a while, then left.

After he left, I noticed Little Jin holding a tray, on which was tea presumably poured for He Cong. Probably because she saw us arguing, she didn't dare to bring it over.

I waved her over, and she approached.

I picked up the tea from the tray and drained it in one gulp.

He wouldn't tell me, and neither would Secretary Dong.

Fine, I could find out for myself.

After all, I had plenty of time.

Back in the room, I locked the door from inside.

I distrusted them, just in case the owner of the room suddenly came back at night to take liberties with me, I could sleep easy with the door locked.