Volume One, Chapter 32: The Prenuptial Agreement—The Child Will Not Belong to Her

Qiao Silin turned his head, swept a faint glance at her, and without a word, opened his laptop to focus on the lecture.

"Could you forward me a copy of the notes you've taken so far?"

During a brief interval while the speakers were being swapped on stage, Qiao Silin suddenly leaned in toward Cheng Qian and asked in a low voice.

Cheng Qian replied indifferently, "I don't have your contact information."

Qiao Silin was taken aback. "You blocked me?"

Cheng Qian nodded. "Those with different paths cannot make plans together."

"Just because I pointed out the flaws in your research?" Qiao Silin arched his prominent, handsome brows.

"My research is flawless; you were just looking for trouble," Cheng Qian said coldly.

Qiao Silin suddenly straightened his expression and held out his hand to her. "Ms. Cheng, I formally apologize to you. It was my fault last time. Your report was very professional; it was my lack of knowledge..."

Cheng Qian paused, looking at him with newfound respect. "You verified it?"

Qiao Silin nodded. "Yes. In our line of work, some things truly require getting to the bottom of them."

Cheng Qian had not expected that someone who had argued with her until his face turned red would be so humble and apologetic. She reached out and gave his large hand a light shake. "There is no end to learning; let us work hard together."

In the moment Cheng Qian and Qiao Silin shook hands to reconcile, Cheng Yan silently recorded the scene with her phone. The next second, she bit her lip. Qiao Silin had refused to join her laboratory, yet he was shaking hands with Cheng Qian—would he join the Seed Laboratory instead? Thinking of this, Cheng Yan grew anxious, and even more, jealous.

Cheng Qian added Qiao Silin on their messaging app and sent him the notes.

At twelve noon, the conference concluded, and the group of scholars was invited to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. Cheng Qian declined to go with Ji Nan because she had plans to treat her aunt to lunch.

In the hallway, Qiao Silin called out to her. "Ms. Cheng, I apologize again for my offense last time. Are you free at noon?" Qiao Silin asked with genuine sincerity.

Cheng Qian hesitated and shook her head. "I have plans for lunch."

"Then what about this evening?" Qiao Silin asked again.

Cheng Qian smiled. "I think I should be free this evening."

"Then I shall ask you out for tonight," Qiao Silin said earnestly.

Cheng Qian knew that Qiao Silin had deep expertise in physical medicine; hearing his insights would surely be helpful to her. "Alright, see you tonight!" she agreed.

A smile appeared on Qiao Silin’s handsome face. He took two steps back, waved at Cheng Qian, and turned to leave. Cheng Qian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to walk toward the parking lot.

She did not know that a tall figure had just emerged from a side hallway. Li Zhinan was holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Zhinan..." Cheng Yan also had no desire to eat at the cafeteria; she had been looking for an excuse to find Qiao Silin. She hadn't expected that as soon as she rounded the corner, she would see Li Zhinan standing in the hallway with the flowers.

"Are these flowers for me?" Cheng Yan approached with a smile, a flicker of joy in her eyes.

Li Zhinan stared coldly in the direction where Cheng Qian had disappeared. He handed the flowers to Cheng Yan almost instinctively. "Did you see Dr. Qiao? What did he say?"

Cheng Yan cradled the bouquet and leaned down to smell it. "It smells lovely. These are my favorite pink roses. Thank you, Zhinan."

Li Zhinan looked indifferent. "Have you eaten?"

Cheng Yan shook her head. "No, I was supposed to go to the hospital cafeteria, but I have work to attend to in my lab."

Li Zhinan nodded. "Let’s go eat near your company."

Cheng Yan sat in the passenger seat of Li Zhinan’s car, clutching the flowers. She lowered her gaze gently, staring at the vibrant blooms, feeling quite pleased.

Cheng Qian’s car was still in the parking lot, and she was on the phone with her aunt. While speaking, she suddenly saw a silver Bentley drive past. Through the lowered window, she saw Cheng Yan holding a bouquet of flowers, with Li Zhinan in the driver’s seat.

Cheng Qian froze, momentarily forgetting what she was saying.

"Xiao Qian, don't worry about picking us up; just go straight to the restaurant. We have a driver at home taking us," Ye Zhu said on the other end.

Cheng Qian’s mood plummeted to freezing point. She whispered, "Alright, Aunt, I'll wait for you at the restaurant."

After hanging up, Cheng Qian felt utterly exhausted. She slumped over the steering wheel, her eyes stinging. She wasn't jealous of Cheng Yan; she simply felt sorry for herself. She had known he didn't love her, yet she had persisted for four years. During these four years, she had tried to please him and had harbored unrealistic dreams. Even though she strove to become excellent and hoped to earn his respect through her career, things had turned out the opposite of her wishes. Everything she did only moved herself. Perhaps it was time to bring up a divorce. Regardless of the outcome, she needed to bring this relationship to an end.

The Bentley drove through the traffic. Cheng Yan looked at the man in the driver's seat with affection. Driving with one hand, he exuded a sense of composure, his sharp profile full of masculine charm.

"Zhinan, you were asking about Dr. Qiao just now, weren't you?" Cheng Yan initiated the topic.

"Yes, have you had a chance to speak with him?" Li Zhinan asked.

A look of helpless regret crossed Cheng Yan’s beautiful face. "I didn't even have a chance to talk to him. I had followed him earlier hoping to find an opportunity."

The man’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He was certain he hadn't misheard; Qiao Silin had asked Cheng Qian to dinner that evening, and she had agreed.

"Zhinan, I don't think we have a chance anymore," Cheng Yan said with a dejected expression.

Li Zhinan glanced at her.

Cheng Yan looked back at him, her voice gentle. "My information was wrong, I’m sorry. I always thought Dr. Qiao and my cousin were rivals, that they had academic disputes. But what I saw with my own eyes today really shocked me."

Li Zhinan’s jaw tightened, his voice cold. "What happened?"

Cheng Yan clutched the bouquet, her voice soft. "Dr. Qiao was late. As soon as he entered, he walked straight to the seat next to my cousin. During the breaks, he kept leaning down to talk to her, like old friends. Oh, and they shook hands. I took a photo, but I didn't dare show you... I was afraid it would upset you."

Li Zhinan’s expression could no longer be described as merely ugly. His thin lips were pressed into a line as the image from the hallway flashed through his mind. Wasn't Qiao Silin supposed to be cold and aloof? Yet, the way he had rushed over to ask Cheng Qian to dinner was like a boy experiencing his first crush. Li Zhinan hadn't missed the fact that Qiao Silin’s earlobes had turned red when he heard Cheng Qian accept the invitation.

Cheng Qian was quite skilled, capable of charming a man without even trying.

"I see," Li Zhinan said coldly.

Cheng Yan stopped there, not pushing the topic further, and shifted the conversation back to work. But she knew clearly that the seed of suspicion had been sown. As long as Cheng Qian met with Qiao Silin in private, she would never be able to clear her name.

At the restaurant, Cheng Qian arrived first and sat quietly at a window seat. Beside her, a couple was chatting in low voices; the girl leaned against the man’s arm from time to time. The man reached out to hold her, whispering a reminder not to drink anything cold while she was on her period. The girl’s happy, coquettish tone and the man’s attentive care looked exactly like what love should be.

What, after all, is happiness? What kind of relationship constitutes the ultimate form of love? Cheng Qian was lost in confusion.

Li Zhinan had once suspected that she had broken into his room and used her body as a gift in order to secure funding for her laboratory. Every time she denied it, he refused to believe her. During the calmer periods of their relationship, Li Zhinan stopped mentioning it, but in reality, that thorn had remained buried deep in his heart, never removed.

Cheng Qian pulled out her phone and found the prenuptial agreement, reading it over several times. If she were the one to propose the divorce, she would only receive eight million in alimony and would have to voluntarily waive custody of the child.