Using Marriage as Bait : Extra 2
Extra 2
Heaven knows he hadn’t thought of having a second child; he just found her gentle demeanor so beautiful that he wanted to look at her a little longer.
But…
“You’re bringing up a second child right off the bat. Do you really want another one?”
Blushing with embarrassment, Lin Xiyu replied, “When did I say that?”
Looking like a little pufferfish with her cheeks puffed up, Lu Junting stretched out his arm and pinched her cheek, which was soft and bouncy, almost like actually squeezing a pufferfish.
“If you want one, just say the word, and I’ll make it happen,” he said.
Lin Xiyu slapped his hand away. “No.”
But that night, lying next to Lu Junting, Lin Xiyu had a change of heart. After both of them had just finished their nightly routine and climbed into bed, Lu Junting naturally tucked her in.
For some reason, this simple action sparked a sudden thought in Lin Xiyu.
She shared her thoughts with Lu Junting.
“Junting, how about I give you a daughter?”
“Didn’t you just say you didn’t want a second child?”
“I just suddenly thought that it would be nice to give you a daughter too, someone else to love you.”
“There’s no need. Having Chengmao is enough. Besides…” He recalled the nerve-wracking time waiting outside the delivery room for Chengmao and said, “Having a baby is tough.”
“I’m not afraid of the hardship; I want to give you a daughter.”
“.....”
In truth, Lu Junting hadn’t really considered having another child. With Chengmao, he felt their little family of three was happy and complete. He wasn’t greedy in that regard. But with her suddenly bringing up having a daughter, he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have one.
And as he imagined, he thought back to her childhood. It would be quite nice to have a little girl just like she was back then.
So, Lu Junting nodded. “Alright.”
Over the weekend, Lin Xiyu made strawberry and apple pies, which were her little darling’s favorites. After they finished eating, she held him on her lap in the backyard gazebo to trim his nails.
The little guy sat obediently in his mother’s arms without moving, his curious big eyes watching as she carefully trimmed his nails, looking adorably chubby.
Lin Xiyu asked him softly, “Sweetheart, would you like a little brother or sister?”
With his long, thick lashes fluttering slightly, the little guy thought for a moment, then nodded and said, “I want a sister.”
“Huh?” Lin Xiyu was surprised. She had assumed a two-year-old wouldn’t understand what having a sibling meant, but he already had his own preference.
It seemed that all three of them were in agreement—they all wanted a younger sister.
Amused by her little one, Lin Xiyu asked, “Why do you want a sister?”
“Because sisters are cute.”
“What if it’s a little brother instead?”
The little guy furrowed his small brows, thought seriously, and then said, “A brother would be okay too, I guess.”
His reluctantly mature tone made Lin Xiyu laugh out loud. Just then, Lu Junting finished his emails and came out to find the mother and son chatting and laughing in the backyard.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just asking Little Baby if he’d like a little brother or sister, and he said he wants a sister. I asked him what if it’s a brother, and he very reluctantly said, ‘A brother would be okay too,’” Lin Xiyu couldn’t help but shower her little one with kisses on his chubby cheeks, finding him more adorable the more she thought about it.
Lu Junting sat down on a nearby chair, pinching his son’s soft cheeks. “If you want a brother or sister, aren’t you worried they’ll fight you for your toys?”
The little guy confidently replied, “We can just buy another one.”
“But what if they only want to play with your toys?” Lu Junting teased further.
The little one tilted his head and thought about it, and then replied, “Then I’ll let them play first. I can play with it after.”
“Wow,” Lin Xiyu exclaimed, poking his chubby cheek. His words really moved her. “Is my Little Baby really this thoughtful? Letting your brother play first?”
Pleased with the praise, the little guy giggled. Watching his son laugh so happily, Lu Junting also felt an inexplicable sense of contentment. Unable to resist, he pinched his son’s plump cheeks and said, “Since you’re so well-behaved, it wouldn’t be fair not to give you a little sister.”
Lin Xiyu teased, “Don’t sound so sure. If it’s not a sister, Little Baby might blame you. Don’t forget, you’re the one who determines the gender.”
Her little one didn’t fully understand his mother’s words, but he did catch on that his father could make a sister happen if he wanted.
So, the little guy grabbed his father’s hand and, with a serious look, said, “Daddy, I want a sister. Can you give me a sister, please?”
Lu Junting: “......”
What kind of situation was this? Mr. Lu had only intended to tease his son a bit, but now he’d managed to pile pressure on himself instead.
Seeing his father quiet for a while, the little guy frowned, and in an earnest voice added, “Daddy, please give me a sister. If you don’t, I’ll cry.”
Then he put on a pitiful crying face for added effect.
Mr. Lu thought to himself, even though a father’s genes determine the baby’s gender, probability is hardly something anyone can control. But seeing his son’s hopeful eyes, Mr. Lu didn’t want to disappoint him. Feeling the mounting pressure, he gently patted his son’s head and said, “Daddy will do his best.”
Watching her husband struggle under the weight of this self-imposed responsibility, Lin Xiyu couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Seeing Mr. Lu’s frustration was just too amusing.
Looking at her laughing so heartily, Mr. Lu was at a loss. Oh, she dug this pit for him on purpose, didn’t she? She even had the nerve to laugh. Just wait and see how he’d get back at her later.
Today was a beautiful day, with bright sunshine, billowing white clouds, and clear blue skies. Flowers bloomed across the garden, and the vegetables in the patch shimmered with a dewy glow under the sun. Amid birdsong and the family’s laughter, the wind carried the sounds away.
With such wonderful weather and such joyful spirits, they found themselves looking forward to the arrival of a new, yet unknown little life.
But the journey to having a second child wasn’t so smooth for Lin Xiyu and Lu Junting. After they decided to try for another child, they began actively preparing. Yet, after several months of effort, there was still no news, leaving Lin Xiyu anxious enough to pull Lu Junting along to the hospital. The results came back fine; it just wasn’t the right time.
Initially, Lu Junting hadn’t been too concerned. While he thought having a daughter would be nice, he was content with whatever came. But as time went on, and there was still no sign of a second child, his confidence started to waver. They’d conceived Chengmao right away, so the couple assumed that having another child would be easy. Little did they know that the second child would be such a challenge. Each time he saw his wife’s disappointed expression after a negative test, it made the usually proud Lu Junting feel quite defeated.
She wanted a child, yet he couldn’t provide one. At first, he had wanted to let things take their natural course, but now he couldn’t stay calm. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, he’d give it his all, reasoning that even with low odds, the more attempts they made, the better the chances.
Yes, that was Mr. Lu’s plan.
Ever since Lin Xiyu started collaborating with Changheng on billboard ads, Lu Junting found every excuse to involve her, always giving her special access.
And so, with frequent collaboration, Lin Xiyu often found herself at Changheng, which naturally benefited the shameless Mr. Lu.
Changheng was recently working with a real estate developer who wanted to incorporate traditional Chinese elements into the building materials. Lu Junting suggested adding some calligraphy, which the developer agreed to, so Lu Junting naturally assigned the calligraphy work to his wife.
Today, Lin Xiyu was at Changheng just to submit her proposal. She had promised Little Baby she would be home early to do a parent-child craft project with him, and she had already informed the club. But after she handed in the proposal, Lu Junting wouldn’t let her leave.
“Anything else, Mr. Lu?” she asked.
With a sudden tug on her wrist, Lin Xiyu found herself pulled onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, his lips close to her ear, whispering, “What did you just call me? Say it again.”
His tone was casual, as if they were making small talk. But Lin Xiyu knew him all too well. His faint smile was a clear sign—he didn’t like it when she called him that.
She pushed him away. “Alright, stop fooling around. I need to get home to do crafts with Little Baby.”
“Oh, so you remember to spend time with your son, but what about me?”
“......”
Lin Xiyu looked at him in disbelief. From his tone, he almost sounded jealous of his son?
“Are you okay, Lu Junting?”
Lu Junting’s expression darkened a bit. “No, there’s a problem.”
Lin Xiyu: “???”
Lu Junting replied, “Just now, you called me ‘Mr. Lu’ and now it’s ‘Lu Junting’? Weren’t you calling me ‘Junting, Junting’ just before?”
Lin Xiyu had always thought her husband was a calm and composed person with a generous spirit. But sometimes, he’d show a surprisingly petty side, especially over the oddest things. Like now.
Not wanting to waste more time, Lin Xiyu softened her tone, coaxing, “Alright, Junting, stop making a fuss. I promised to go back early to be with Little Baby.”
At first, Lu Junting only intended to hold her for a bit, but now he didn’t feel like letting her go. He admitted he had a particular sense of possessiveness about certain things.
For instance, when she didn’t call him “Junting” today, it unsettled him.
However, a man with his depth wouldn’t just come out and say he didn’t want her to leave, avoiding seeming unreasonable.
So, he suddenly said, “Didn’t you have a bump on your back last night? Let me check if it’s gone.”
Why was he suddenly bringing up the bump on her back? Lin Xiyu replied, “We can check when we get home.”
“I’m free now, so let me take a look.”
Lu Junting lifted her shirt before she could stop him.
“Why do you need to check now? It’s not a big deal…”
Since resisting was futile, Lin Xiyu let him examine her back. After a while, she asked, “Well, is it gone?”
“The strap’s in the way.”
Then he gently moved her strap down as well…
He didn’t say anything for a while, so Lin Xiyu asked again, “So, how is it? If you’re done, I really need to go.”
Just as she finished speaking, she felt him kiss the back of her neck, a long, lingering kiss.
Lin Xiyu: “…”
And then she felt his breath against her back grow noticeably hotter.
By now, Lin Xiyu realized his intentions were never about checking the bump!
This rascal… he was utterly shameless!
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