RMM -Chapter 253 Xi Yuechen’s Worries

But what Xi Yuechen hadn’t expected was that the text message incident wasn’t over yet.

He had just finished showering and was about to head to the study when he heard his phone ring.

Thinking it was Su Ruo, the hard lines of Xi Yuechen’s lips instantly softened, and a hint of a smile even flashed through his eyes.

Every night, Su Ruo would call him.

So Xi Yuechen sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out, grabbed his phone, and answered the call without even looking.

“Hello.”

Because he thought it was Su Ruo, that “hello” was spoken in an unusually low, gentle tone. The smile in his voice was so obvious that anyone could hear it.

However, the person on the other end of the line was not the Su Ruo he had been thinking of.

One could easily imagine how shocked Zhou Yunzhen was when she heard Xi Yuechen speak in that voice. She was practically stunned, like a wooden chicken frozen in place.

In the quiet air, the only sound was the pounding of Zhou Yunzhen’s heartbeat. In the next second, a blazing delight burst forth in her previously calm eyes. The dazzling sparkle in them was impossible to hide, even in the darkness.

Without a doubt, this was the most passionate and genuine smile Zhou Yunzhen had shown in a long time—she even felt a sense of happiness.

Xi Yuechen… was so gentle.

The Xi Yuechen Zhou Yunzhen had always known was expressionless and aloof. There had only ever been one exception—at Xi Zi’s full-month banquet, when Xi Yuechen had been holding the baby. He had been gentle, warm, and extremely careful. That version of him had been far too radiant, almost painful to look at, and it was a scene she never wanted to remember.

That kind of tender care hadn’t been for her. It had been for his son—and his son had been born to him by Su Ruo.

Su Ruo… The more time passed, the more clearly Zhou Yunzhen could see how differently Xi Yuechen treated her, and the more tormented Zhou Yunzhen became.

What if one day Xi Yuechen were to show her that side of himself—the gentle, meticulous, protective side? How happy would she be then?

Yet that scene had arrived without warning. The impact was so overwhelming that Zhou Yunzhen was completely caught off guard.

Though it was just a brief “hello,” how could Zhou Yunzhen possibly miss the countless emotions contained within it?

Her face flushed red without any warning, the look of a shy young girl. Her heart was so excited it felt as though it might tremble apart.

Did he remember her? Had he seen her text message earlier? He must have seen it—he just didn’t have time to reply. Otherwise, why would he sound so gentle now?

Drowned in immense joy, Zhou Yunzhen didn’t know what to say. She stayed silent, moved and touched. She had thought all along that she had been acting in a one-woman play, that all her efforts had gone unseen, and she had been so miserable just moments ago. But it turned out her feelings hadn’t sunk without a trace—Xi Yuechen did have some feelings for her. It had to be so. Her efforts hadn’t been in vain; he knew.

At last, hope had arrived.

Zhou Yunzhen was busy being moved and delighted, but Xi Yuechen had no intention of accommodating her. Hearing no sound from the receiver for a long while, he frowned in confusion.

“Ruo Ruo?”

……

Zhou Yunzhen’s eyes widened abruptly, and all her joy was instantly extinguished. Her lips moved, but she didn’t know whether she should cry or laugh. This bucket of cold water came even more suddenly than the earlier joy, drenching her from head to toe. A bone-chilling cold froze her heart in an instant, leaving her whole body shivering.

“I… I’m not Su Ruo.”

Only Zhou Yunzhen herself knew how difficult it was for her to say those words. It felt as if her body had been hollowed out in an instant, leaving behind nothing but boundless emptiness and exhaustion. Yet the hand holding the phone clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, the phone trembling slightly.

Su Ruo… Su Ruo… always Su Ruo…

She wasn’t Su Ruo! She was Zhou Yunzhen. How could he mistake her for Su Ruo? She wasn’t—clearly she wasn’t! Why did he have to toy with her like this?

Xi Yuechen was momentarily stunned as well. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, yet he couldn’t recall who it belonged to. So he glanced at the caller ID.

His gaze darkened, and a trace of annoyance flashed through his eyes. This kind of mistake was really too low-level… Still, Xi Yuechen didn’t feel embarrassed. His expression quickly returned to normal, and the tenderness on his face vanished completely.

At that moment, Xi Yuechen also realized who was calling. Not only was he naturally sensitive to numbers, with an almost photographic memory, he also had some impression of the number that had just sent him a message. And he had heard Zhou Yunzhen’s voice before—how could he not recognize it?

Why was she calling him?

Xi Yuechen felt a momentary impatience, but he didn’t want to get entangled with this woman over the issue. He chose the quickest and cleanest solution.

“Sorry for disturbing you.”

As soon as the words fell, he hung up without hesitation.

Zhou Yunzhen remained frozen, just as she had been, unable to speak. She didn’t know how much time passed before she stiffly lowered the phone.

Sorry for disturbing you…

How ridiculous. What exactly had she disturbed? Shouldn’t she be the one apologizing? Had she disturbed his tender moment with Su Ruo?

And how could he be so cold and heartless? How much had she done for him? How could he hang up so decisively?

Why wouldn’t he even give her a lie? Even if he had deceived her, just put on an act, she wouldn’t feel this utterly desperate…

This was going too far. Su Ruo, Xi Yuechen—you’ve both gone too far. Why do you get to bully me like this?

The faint light from outside the window softly fell on Zhou Yunzhen’s numb face. Suddenly, a crystalline tear slowly slid down from the corner of her eye, leaving behind a cold trace on her cheek.

Letting that tear slide down into her collar, Zhou Yunzhen sat motionless. Though her eyes were staring straight ahead, their vacant look showed that she wasn’t seeing anything at all.

What did they take her, Zhou Yunzhen, for? Someone they could treat however they liked? Don’t think you’re the only ones standing high above others. Fine—since you’re so heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Su Ruo, one day, I will definitely replace you. I will stand openly and proudly by Xi Yuechen’s side. And then, Xi Yuechen, you won’t dare look down on me ever again!

That night, Zhou Yunzhen stayed at the hospital until very late before leaving. When she returned home, Zhou Tingzhang was already asleep. He had long since grown used to his daughter leaving early and coming home late, and didn’t interfere much—work required it, after all, and it was always good to work harder while young.

That night, Zhou Yunzhen stared at the pitch-black night sky, eyes wide open until dawn.

As for Xi Yuechen, after hanging up on Zhou Yunzhen, he proactively called Su Ruo.

When Su Ruo answered, she deliberately glanced at the time. As soon as she picked up, she teased him with a grin, “Commander, did you miss me? Calling me this early—nice performance, keep it up.”

These past few days, Su Ruo had become more and more experienced at taking care of Xi Zi, gaining plenty of insight along the way, so her overall mood was quite good.

Now, coupled with Xi Yuechen’s rare display of such initiative, her good mood was only enhanced.

Listening to Su Ruo’s nearly soaring voice, the gentle warmth on Xi Yuechen’s face instantly returned.

He responded with a smiling hum and then fell silent, because he knew that even if he stopped talking, Su Ruo would never fall quiet. She always had so much to say to him, and in almost every call, Su Ruo did the talking while Xi Yuechen listened quietly—a perfect tacit understanding.

Xi Yuechen didn’t mention Zhou Yunzhen to Su Ruo. First, there was no need; second, he didn’t even think it worth his attention—why bring it up to Su Ruo?

“Commander, you saw the photos of Xi Zi, right? Cute, isn’t he? Mom said he smiles just like me. You have no idea how long his eyelashes are—so thick! They’re not that long yet, but he’s still so little. They’ll definitely grow more later. He’s going to be a real heart-stealing little handsome guy, haha.”

As soon as Su Ruo started talking, it was all about Xi Zi. As she spoke, she looked at him lying on the bed. He had already woken up, his big watery eyes wide open as he looked around. His little hands were covered with mittens to keep him from scratching his own face. Xi Zi’s fingers were long and slender, and even his nails were thin and sharp—so sharp they could easily break that delicate, tender little face with the slightest touch.

That was why he had been put into mittens early on. Right now, he was waving his little arms, the mittens swaying back and forth, his small mouth occasionally letting out soft babbling sounds. He was unbelievably adorable, making Su Ruo’s eyes curve into crescents, her smile stretching almost to her ears.

“Commander, your son’s awake—he’s flailing his arms around,” Su Ruo said to Xi Yuechen while looking at Xi Zi. No matter how one looked at it, her attention was entirely on the baby, not on Xi Yuechen at all.

“Is he noisy?” Xi Yuechen closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his son might look like waving his arms about. But unfortunately, he had never seen it, so no matter how he imagined it, it didn’t feel vivid enough.

Before he left, Xi Zi had still been in that sleep-all-day state. There had been no chance for the old man to see his son so lively.

Unable to picture it clearly, Xi Yuechen could only ask—was he being noisy at this time?

“Not noisy. I actually wish he were noisier. Too bad—he’s completely inherited your quiet, tight-lipped nature. He barely makes a sound. It’s only now that he’s babbling a bit.”

Su Ruo had no reservations at all in front of Xi Yuechen now. She had reached the point of speaking without restraint, saying whatever came to mind, without worrying whether Xi Yuechen would be upset.

But Xi Yuechen really wasn’t upset at all. Hearing that the child wasn’t noisy, he actually thought to himself—it’s good that he’s not noisy. Not noisy means he’s not tiring.

So… was this iron-blooded, cold-hearted Colonel Xi actually being considerate?

Su Ruo had no idea what was going on in Xi Yuechen’s mind. Her eyes were fixed on her son as she continued, “Commander, you probably don’t know this, but these past few days Xi Zi has been sleeping beside me at night.”

As soon as Xi Yuechen heard that, his expression changed—both surprised and worried.

“Why didn’t you let him sleep in his own room? That’s too dangerous.”

Xi Yuechen couldn’t help but be startled. In his mind, Su Ruo herself was still a child. She was fine taking care of the baby during the day, but could she manage at night? What if the baby cried? Even if he didn’t cry, she would still have to get up to change diapers and feed him. Could she handle all that? Wouldn’t she exhaust herself?

And besides, he remembered very clearly that Su Ruo’s sleeping posture wasn’t exactly well-behaved. When he was around, she loved to burrow into his arms, sometimes even nudging him like a little animal. With the way she slept, how could she possibly share a bed with the baby at night?

What if she rolled over in her sleep and pressed on the baby?

At this moment, Xi Yuechen was both husband and doting dad, worrying about one thing after another. His mind was filled with concern, firmly convinced that Su Ruo’s decision was far too impulsive. He couldn’t understand how the family had even agreed to it.

…Su Ruo’s face darkened instantly, her pretty features falling. He was rejecting her so quickly—did that mean he didn’t trust her at all?

“How could that be? I’m Xi Zi’s mom—how could he possibly be in danger sleeping beside me? Commander, don’t underestimate me, okay? I’m telling you, Xi Zi has been sleeping next to me for several days now. Not only has he faced zero danger, he’s actually gotten even chubbier. What do you even know?”

The thought that she seemed so unreliable in Xi Yuechen’s eyes—so unreliable she couldn’t even take care of her own son—made Su Ruo feel utterly depressed. This was outright contempt!

How could Xi Yuechen be reassured by just a few words from Su Ruo? He still wanted her to sleep separately from Xi Zi. But how could Su Ruo possibly listen?

Not to mention that this was preparation for their future life following the army, just Xi Yuechen’s utterly distrustful attitude alone was enough to provoke her rebellious streak.

No matter what you say, I’m sleeping with Xi Zi—and don’t waste your breath.

Su Ruo’s impervious attitude left Xi Yuechen helpless. If she really dug her heels in, he was far away and had absolutely no way to do anything about it.

So once again, Colonel Xi compromised and gave in to Su Ruo.

Still, he reminded her very seriously of many things, for fear that anything might happen to the two of them. Su Ruo grew a bit impatient listening to it all.

Usually so taciturn—how could he go on and on like this now? Was there really a need to remind her so much? She was the child’s mother—how could she possibly be careless with him?

When sleeping at night, she consciously kept a full meter away from Xi Zi, okay? She maintained the same position all night without even turning over.