Chapter 39: She Will Leave When the Time Comes

With his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, Kong Chengyu stood tall and straight, his hawk-like gaze fixed on Hua Lianxi's stunned face, completely ignoring Ding Jia's request.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Ding Jia took a noticeable step back, as if guilty, clearly distancing herself from Kong Chengyu, appearing shy.

Noticing Hua Lianxi staring blankly ahead, Cheng Shaobai turned his head in confusion, looking at Kong Chengyu approaching, his eyes falling on the woman behind him, his brow furrowing slightly.

Her heart felt as if it was being strangled, her abdomen tightening. Hua Lianxi elegantly forced a sweet smile and slowly stood up, "Are you here to dine?"

Cheng Shaobai also stood up abruptly, turning to face the icy Kong Chengyu, even straightening his posture slightly, his body shielding Hua Lianxi.

With a mocking smile, Kong Chengyu deliberately paused, glancing down at their table, and said sarcastically, "Mr. Cheng really knows my wife's taste!"

Clearly, on Hua Lianxi's placemat were a pudding and an exquisite tiramisu, and on her plate was a half-eaten cheesecake, which Kong Chengyu could tell at a glance was carefully chosen by Cheng Shaobai for her.

Ding Jia, who had been looking down, unexpectedly bumped into Kong Chengyu's broad back, letting out a low gasp, one hand holding her forehead, the other naturally grabbing his waist.

"Old friends for many years, of course, we know each other's tastes!" As if not understanding Kong Chengyu's implication, Cheng Shaobai smiled gently, without any hint of lewdness or concealment, as if it were a matter of course.

Still wearing a bright smile, Hua Lianxi stared directly at Kong Chengyu as he reached out to hold the hand that was clutching his waist, even giving it a slight squeeze, pulling her forward to protect her in front of his chest, looking down at her forehead with endless tenderness and affection.

Gently encircled, Ding Jia smiled shyly, snuggling even more intimately into his warm chest, her phoenix eyes sparkling as she gazed at Kong Chengyu, her eyes seemingly oblivious to anyone else.

Her lips stiff, Hua Lianxi forced her eyes wide open, terrified that the next blink would bring forth the mist in her eyes.

"My wife has my black diamond card, let her settle the bill later, consider it my treat!" Without another glance at the still-standing Hua Lianxi, Kong Chengyu walked past the two, heading towards the private room he had booked earlier.

"Then I'll settle the bill for you and this lady as well!" Hua Lianxi turned and called out to the retreating figure.

Watching the embracing couple enter the private room and disappear down the corridor, Cheng Shaobai gently placed a hand on Hua Lianxi's waist, softly reminding her, "Don't look, they've gone into the private room."

Retracting her stiff smile, Hua Lianxi sat down woodenly, looking down at the exquisite desserts, suddenly losing her appetite for the delicacies before her, "Shall we change to another restaurant?"

Hearing this, Cheng Shaobai's warm hand gently covered hers, "Xixi, don't force yourself, how about terminating the contract?"

Raising her eyes again, Hua Lianxi's beautiful phoenix eyes were filled with glistening tears, as if with the next blink, the large teardrops would fall.

"Yes, the contract will expire soon, and then he and I will be complete strangers."

The heartache of watching them kiss from across the street was nothing compared to the intimate sight of him tenderly embracing another woman and walking away.

Squeezing her hand tightly, trying to control his rising anger, Cheng Shaobai suddenly pulled her up, "Let's go, let's visit your mom!"

As soon as the private room door closed, Kong Chengyu withdrew his arm from around Ding Jia and sat down directly.

The warm chest she had been leaning against suddenly disappeared, Ding Jia's shy expression hadn't even faded yet, she looked at Kong Chengyu, now as cold as a stranger, in shock.

"Yi..." Ding Jia called out softly, leaning in to wrap her arms around his.

"Hmm, what would you like to eat?" Taking out a lighter, Kong Chengyu lit a cigarette with a "click," casually asking Ding Jia.

Holding her breath slightly, Ding Jia frowned at the cigarette in his hand, releasing his arm, her fair hand covering her nose, "You know my taste, it hasn't changed all these years!"

Squinting as he took a drag, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, Kong Chengyu looked down at her covering her nose, gave a low "hmm," and after a pause, pressed the cigarette into the ashtray with his long, bony fingers.

"Yi, quit smoking, okay? My body has just recovered, and you keep smoking, I can't inhale secondhand smoke, and if we're planning to have a child now, you'd have to quit smoking too, right?" Leaning close to Kong Chengyu's ear, Ding Jia whispered shyly, her breath warm against his ear, her body twisting to press against his chest, her ample bosom brushing against his arm, seductively adding, "Our child will surely be chubby and fair!"

Her soft, fragrant body pressed against him, looking at her blushing face, Kong Chengyu's fingers slowly caressed her neck, his voice low, simply saying, "Hmm."

Enjoying the caress of his fingers, Ding Jia pouted and planted a kiss on his cheek as a reward for his thoughtfulness, her arms wrapping around his waist, pressing herself even closer to him.

"But, I, I don't want to be the other woman, our child would be illegitimate, forever scorned by others..." Whispering tearfully, Ding Jia suddenly buried her face in Kong Chengyu's neck, "Yi, people will say I'm the mistress, that I broke you two apart... sob, I'm scared..."

The person in his arms suddenly trembled with sobs, Kong Chengyu's originally indifferent features gradually softened, his palm cupping her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away her glistening tears, "No one will call you the other woman, you're not the other woman, our child won't be illegitimate."

Looking at the pitiful Ding Jia, his mind flashed to Hua Lianxi's radiant smile, Kong Chengyu's deep eyes momentarily filled with a hint of ferocity, revealing a fierce light, hating her nonchalance.

Quickly grabbing his hand that was wiping her tears, Ding Jia looked up at him expectantly, "Really? Our child won't be illegitimate?"

"Hmm."

Receiving a firm affirmation again, Ding Jia licked her lips hesitantly, "You will divorce her, won't you?"

Trying to hide her inner joy, Ding Jia hoped for Kong Chengyu's final promise, a promise to leave that woman, to make her his wife, the position of wife that should have been hers all along.

The word "divorce" suddenly coming from Ding Jia's mouth, Kong Chengyu's forehead vein twitched, a hint of displeasure rising in his heart, he withdrew his hand, turned his head slightly, his dark eyes fixed on the wall not far away.

Her wish unfulfilled, Ding Jia looked at him in shock as he suddenly pulled away, slowly straightening up, her fingers intertwined over her abdomen, softly saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to divorce, it's my fault, I'm the other woman, I should leave, I'll resign from the company tomorrow, and never appear by your side again!"

"No need, in a few months my contract with her will expire, and she will leave on her own then!" Retracting his indifferent gaze, Kong Chengyu looked directly at her tear-streaked face, a hint of impatience gradually appearing in his eyes at her flood of tears, his voice tight.

"What? What contract?" Ding Jia looked up in shock at Kong Chengyu, a huge joy rising in her heart, keenly sensing something unusual, but stuttering as if timidly, she continued to ask, "Yi, you and her? A contract?"

Clearly a married couple, clearly in love, but a contract? Willing to leave on her own?

Taking a sip of his now cold and bitter coffee, Kong Chengyu frowned, not fond of the taste, and set the cup back down.

"Hmm, I needed a wife, and she could play the role, it was a mutual benefit, you don't need to worry, her presence or absence has nothing to do with you."

Originally needing Hua Lianxi was just to satisfy Fang Xiufang's pressure to marry, and now, rekindling the old flame with Ding Jia, shouldn't she just exit his life?

"Play the role?" Forgetting her tears, Ding Jia suspiciously repeated his words, her shocked heart gradually guessing the nature of their relationship, "Then, your affection for her was all fake? You didn't have a relationship with her, did you? You still love me the most, right?"

The sudden immense joy made Ding Jia so excited she threw herself into Kong Chengyu's arms, "Yi... I knew you couldn't forget me, your heart has always only had me, you only love me!"

Pursing his lips without responding to her questions, Kong Chengyu naturally placed his hands on her shoulders, letting her excitedly babble on about her love and longing for him, finally accusing him of his coldness.

"Sob... you clearly still love me, but at the dinner you watched me like a fool drinking, and kept rejecting me, I even lost face coming to your company to find you, and you still put on airs ignoring me, and put on a show of affection with that woman, Kong Chengyu, you're just a bad guy, so bad!" Thinking of the grievances she had suffered in front of him since her return, Ding Jia couldn't help but scold him, angrily pounding his chest.

Letting out a low grunt, Kong Chengyu quickly grabbed her hands, "Hmm, don't be angry, don't be angry, be careful of your heart!"

The endless settling of scores was soothed, Ding Jia stared at him with her phoenix eyes, his handsome profile with closed eyes, her eyes suddenly bright, filled with uncontrollable joy.

His hand resting on her slender waist, Kong Chengyu kept his eyes closed, his nose filled with a strange, strong perfume, contrary to the fresh scent in his mind, the strength of his embrace involuntarily increased, as if trying to forcefully dispel the lingering fragrance in his mind.