Chapter 576: Chapter 322: The First Meeting of the Five Daughters_2
"Visitor’s call."
The four of them directed their gazes toward the small screen, Su Liya puzzledly asked, "Who’s here?"
Chen Cheng stood up and walked over, the screen now displaying Xia Yubing and Tong Jialu.
"Hello?"
"Brother Cheng?"
"Husband!"
The three people in the room immediately crowded around, many called him Brother Cheng, but the one who called him husband—whether it was Meng Wanning, Mei Xiang, or Su Liya—all subconsciously thought of only Xiao Meier.
Chen Cheng suddenly felt as if three pairs of dagger-like gazes were staring at him.
He didn’t turn around. "I’ll open the door for you two."
"Yes!"
After ending the call at the entrance, the basement door of the courtyard also opened, and Chen Cheng turned around.
"Who are they?" Su Liya was the first to speak.
Having met Xia Yubing and Tong Jialu at Wanbao Hall, Meng Wanning knew, "They are Director Xia and Manager Tong from the Capital Publishing."
Mei Xiang was even more familiar with the two, "They are also Brother Cheng’s secretary and assistant."
Directors and managers, secretaries and assistants, along with the roles of Brother Cheng and Husband, all these identities combined in two people nearly crashed Su Liya’s brain.
"Wan Wan, Mei Xiang, please take care of it." Chen Cheng opened the door, "I’ll go and greet them."
After saying this, Chen Cheng walked out of the west wing room.
It wasn’t Xia Yubing and Tong Jialu’s first visit, Tong Jialu even had come an extra time, so they quickly entered the garden from the basement.
Passing through the hanging flower gate, Xia Yubing immediately saw Chen Cheng standing in the courtyard waiting.
He was wearing homewear, tall and straight despite his arm being wrapped in bandages, but he seemed to be in good spirits.
In an instant, Xia Yubing’s suspended heart finally settled.
She quickly walked to Chen Cheng, her eyes turned red immediately, her voice carried a sobbing tone and blame, "You scared me to death! How could you be so careless..."
Before Chen Cheng could speak, tears burst from Xia Yubing’s eyes, she sobbed, "So many people said you were seriously hurt, I... I was almost worried to death..."
Chen Cheng gently pulled Xia Yubing into his arms, softly comforting her, "I’m fine, really, it’s just a superficial injury, don’t worry, don’t cry..."
He felt Xia Yubing’s warmth, smelling the familiar scent on her, feeling full of guilt and self-blame.
He shouldn’t have let Xia Yubing worry about him, especially during her pregnancy.
Tong Jialu, standing by, saw Chen Cheng was alright, also relieved, "Brother Cheng, Sister was really worried about you. We just saw the news in the group this morning, Sister couldn’t sit still."
She also took out her phone, coming next to Chen Cheng, "Look, these messages are so frightening!"
Chen Cheng looked down at Tong Jialu’s phone screen, various versions of "Chen Cheng assaulted" incidents were wildly spreading in various WeChat groups.
Some said his injuries were severe, life hanging by a thread;
Some said he was rushed to ICU, under emergency care;
Others said he offended some big shot, and the days ahead wouldn’t be easy...
These messages, both true and exaggerated, made Chen Cheng both laugh and cry.
"These people really are..." Chen Cheng helplessly shook his head, "Here I am, all fine, right?"
Xia Yubing raised her head from Chen Cheng’s embrace, her eyes tearful as she choked out, "But... but you really got hurt... what if... what if..."
She dared not continue, fearing those bad premonitions might become reality.
"Alright, alright, stop crying,"
Chen Cheng wiped the tears from Xia Yubing’s face, "Look, I’m fine right now, right?"
He deliberately moved his injured arm, smiling, "It’s just a bit inconvenient, need someone to feed me, even need help going to the bathroom..."
Hearing Chen Cheng say this, Xia Yubing laughed through her tears, hitting his chest lightly, "You just know how to scare me!"
Chen Cheng held Xia Yubing, "Alright, didn’t mean to make you worry. Are you relieved now?"
Xia Yubing nodded slightly, "Seeing you still so eloquent, I am relieved."
Tong Jialu squeezed forward, "Brother Cheng, don’t worry. Sister and I will take care of you."
"Before Sister Xiao Er comes back," she added, "Whether it’s eating or going to the bathroom, just call us."
Chen Cheng smiled, "Alright, then I’ll take you up on that offer."
He took Xia Yubing’s hand, "Let’s go, Xiao Lu. It’s almost noon, we should have hotpot, let’s go order some dishes."
Manager Tong excitedly held onto Chen Cheng’s other arm, "Sounds great~! But... just the three of us, can we really order much?"
"Three?"
Chen Cheng slowed his pace, "In the west wing, there are three more."
"Ah?"
"What?"
With confusion, the Xia sisters followed Chen Cheng’s steps to the west wing.
Just as they pushed open the door, the two sisters saw the three people inside.
Apart from Su Liya, who was somewhat unfamiliar, Meng Wanning and Mei Xiang were relatively familiar.
"Miss Meng, Miss Mei Xiang... you...," Manager Tong didn’t know what to say, "are also here?"
After Meng Wanning and Mei Xiang explained Chen Cheng’s relationship with the Xia Family to Su Liya, Su Liya seemed to connect them to the people she had met at Wanbao Hall when she saw them in person.
However, today they weren’t wearing uniforms. Their beige and gray coats, however, highlighted the mature charm of the two women even more.
Meng Wanning spoke first: "Yes, I heard Brother Cheng was hurt, so I came over to look after him."
Mei Xiang also pulled Su Liya forward, "So did Li Ya and I."
Xia Yubing was quite impressed with this blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl; she remembered Li Ya is a distant relative of Wen Shulin.
Though she and Manager Tong were a few years older than the three women, Xia Yubing still politely greeted them: "Miss Meng, Miss Mei Xiang, Miss Li Ya."
Su Liya stepped forward and scrutinized Xia Yubing carefully. After a moment, she asked, "Why do you call that uncle ’husband’?"
Xia Yubing was also baffled, not knowing how to respond to this question immediately.
She instinctively looked at Chen Cheng, who calmly replied, "Because she is my woman."
"I don’t understand, isn’t that title Sister Xiao Er’s?" Su Liya pressed on.
Mei Xiang quickly interjected, "I’ve called him that too..."
"Ah?"
"It was in Japanese," Mei Xiang explained.
Meng Wanning, in fact, had never used that title before and felt a bit sour inside.
Still, she tugged at Su Liya’s sleeve, "Li Ya, don’t be like that."
Chen Cheng sensed the subtleties in the atmosphere and knew he had to explain.
He revamped the story of buying a car that day, explaining the origin of Mrs. Chen. Xia Yubing listened as Chen Cheng acknowledged her in front of everyone else, and she felt even more touched.
Su Liya pouted, "Then... then... I also..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Chen Cheng changed the subject, "Let’s order first. It will take time for delivery to arrive."
Saying this, he took out his phone, opening the Haidilao page, "Choose whatever you like."
Meng Wanning was very supportive. Her feelings for Chen Cheng were different, "I’ll have tripe and tofu skin."
Mei Xiang, who had already known about the existence of the Xia sisters, was less reactive, "Then I’ll have beef rolls, shrimp pastes, and a vegetable platter."
Su Liya huffed, "I want a lot of spicy food, spicy enough to kill."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wanning chimed in first, "Then I’ll start with a tomato base; I can’t eat anything spicy."
Manager Tong nodded, "Right, my sister can’t eat spicy nowadays either. Miss Meng, let’s get the larger tomato pot."
Meng Wanning paused her ordering, sensing something was off, "I remember you guys really liked spicy food back at Wanbao Hall?"
"My sister is pregnant." Manager Tong supported Xia Yubing, "She recently changed her tastes and likes sour food now."
"ま〜!"
"What?!"
"What?!"
The three younger women’s gazes simultaneously fell on Xia Yubing’s belly, unsurprisingly, all with shocked expressions.
Su Liya’s eyes widened, her mouth forming an ’O’, and it took her a long time to react, "Pregnant... pregnant?!"
Meng Wanning was also stunned; although she knew about Chen Cheng and Xia Yubing’s relationship, the news of the pregnancy was too sudden for her.
Mei Xiang’s face fell, she had said she wanted to have Chen Cheng’s children, yet Xia Yubing was already pregnant, "I..."
Chen Cheng took a deep breath, observing everyone’s different reactions, and couldn’t help but think to himself: "Today, the west wing is getting livelier."