Chapter 26: I’m Satisfied

Chapter 26: Contentment

Hearing her soft murmur, Liang Zeqian knew she was about to wake. He immediately rose and called for room service.

This time, the meal was simple, devoid of the usual random snacks she loved—just a portion of steamed dumplings and two bowls of soup: five-flower herbal tea and chicken feet and fish maw soup.

Shen Nanxi always took her time getting up. Without even opening her eyes, she wandered into the bathroom to shower.

Well after the sound of the shower stopped, she finally emerged wrapped in a towel, leisurely combed her hair, brushed her teeth, and before she knew it, forty minutes had passed.

When she walked out of the room, she glanced at the time—it was already half past midnight.

Liang Zeqian deliberately feigned unawareness of her waking while in the study. Only when he heard her footsteps did he put down his book and walk out, asking, though he already knew the answer, "Awake?"

Pouting, she said pitifully, "I'm hungry."

With an "I knew it" expression, he opened the food container and pushed it toward her. "Eat quickly."

Shen Nanxi was pleasantly surprised. Excitedly, she opened it, picked up a steamed dumpling, and popped it into her mouth. It was still warm. She politely asked, "Did I eat your portion? Don’t worry, I’ll pay you back someday."

"No," Liang Zeqian said, sitting beside her and watching her eat. "We’re going back home tomorrow."

"Ah?" Shen Nanxi was reluctant. "Why? Isn’t Dad better now?"

"Your eldest brother's wife is pregnant."

Shen Nanxi was baffled.

Zhou Qingru was two years younger than Liang Zeting, 36 years old, with a son who was eight and a daughter over five. Everyone thought they wouldn’t have more children.

But eldest brother and sister-in-law had always had a very strong relationship. Over the years, eldest brother was hardly involved in any scandals. Even before Shen Nanxi transmigrated into the book, the original villainess had set her sights on Liang Zefeng instead of trying to seduce eldest brother.

It spoke volumes about their unshakable bond.

The wealthy had access to excellent medical care. If needed, they could always go abroad for childbirth—cost was no object, so there was nothing to worry about.

Liang Zeqian continued, "She’s past the three-month danger period now. I’ve prepared a gift; you can give it to her tomorrow."

Shen Nanxi nodded.

Truthfully, she didn’t have much of an impression of Liang Zeting. She remembered in the original book, he willingly became Liang Zefeng’s "right-hand man."

In reality, after transmigrating, she saw that eldest brother was capable. Many matters over the years had been handled by him, employees trusted him deeply, and Liang Furong rarely found fault with him.

He had a dignified appearance, handled things steadily, and the only "reckless" thing he’d done was marrying his wife against all odds in his youth. He was also the first among the siblings to marry and have children—it seemed he had no flaws.

Logically, such a well-positioned heir shouldn’t have relinquished control of the company. How the male lead in the original novel managed to make him willingly submit to Liang Zefeng was truly baffling.

"Among the next generation of your family, your eldest brother is the one who contributes the most."

Liang Zeqian: "No rush."

Shen Nanxi: "What are you in no rush for?"

"Not in a rush to have children."

"......" Shen Nanxi widened her eyes at him. "Who—who asked you about that?"

Liang Zeqian: "I was just stating an objective fact."

Shen Nanxi pouted and said, "With sister-in-law pregnant, the most anxious should be Third Wife."

She had always focused her efforts on Liang Zeyou. Originally, Youzai was the youngest in the family and had been doted on for years.

There had been concerns that once Liang Furong’s grandson was born, Liang Zeyou would fall out of favor. Unexpectedly, eldest brother’s son had been uncommunicative and withdrawn since childhood—a kind of silence different from Liang Zeqian’s, more akin to autism.

They sought treatment abroad multiple times, and though he improved, Liang Furong never particularly liked him.

Over the years, Third Wife had held her head high, very confident in her son. No one expected eldest brother’s family to have another child.

The Liang family lacked neither gold nor jewelry. Though Third Wife didn’t particularly like Zhou Qingru, she still gifted a pair of silver lock pendants, repeatedly saying, "Eldest daughter-in-law is truly remarkable!"

The next day happened to be Friday. Liang Zeqian had already given the gift to Uncle Chen, who placed it in the back seat of the car.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Shen Nanxi opened it—it was a diamond-encrusted tree of life, absolutely gorgeous.

She had never seen anything so exquisite in her life.

The branches were made of metal, the tree’s heart was a dark green gemstone, and tiny diamonds were embedded among the twigs, with several leaves adorned with rubies.

Simple yet exquisite.

Though not as valuable as gold or silver, it was stunningly beautiful.

Shen Nanxi liked it so much she wanted to claim it for herself.

It had to be said—though Liang Zeqian usually acted distant toward everyone, he still favored his own mother's children. He genuinely cared for eldest brother and sister-in-law, even more than he did for her. She had never received such a beautiful and carefully prepared gift from him.

Liang Furong was very happy. In his sixties, with six children, only eldest brother had married and given him two grandchildren. The other children’s love lives seemed unsettled.

When Third Son agreed to remarry Shen Nanxi, no one knew how much persuasion it had taken. As for how their marriage was faring now, outsiders couldn’t tell.

Thus, everyone in the family was especially accommodating toward Zhou Qingru’s pregnancy. Liang Furong especially reminded Third Wife and Liang Zixian to ensure she could rest peacefully and must not disturb or trouble her.

The villa was spacious—not as many rooms as in British dramas, but still plenty. Eldest brother’s home was on the second floor, in several rooms with the best sunlight. So the prime location was here.

Walking in for the first time, Shen Nanxi was stunned. In comparison, Liang Zeqian’s marital home was nothing, like a straw hut.

Inside was a very large living room, entirely decorated in British style—solemn and elegant.

The hall featured a crystal chandelier, family portraits in gilded frames adorned the walls, and the living room was furnished with imported European-style sofas of top quality.

There was an enormous floor-to-ceiling window, beside which stood a piano, likely for the children to play.

The study was filled with leather-bound classics, exuding the refinement and heritage of old aristocracy.

Shen Nanxi had never seen such luxurious decor—it felt like something out of Mr. Darcy’s home in the movies.

Zhou Qingru was dressed casually, wrapped in a shawl. She asked Shen Nanxi, who looked like a "country bumpkin," "What would you like to drink?"

Shen Nanxi quickly averted her gaze and said with a smile, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but I don’t want anything."

She handed her the gift. "Liang Zeqian prepared it."

Zhou Qingru opened it and revealed an expression of genuine delight.

She had such an elegant aura—fair-skinned, simple yet refined. Even after bearing two children, her figure remained graceful, and her demeanor was that of a well-bred lady. Compared to her, Shen Nanxi couldn’t help but feel inferior.

"Thank you, I love it. You’re very thoughtful." Zhou Qingru looked up at Shen Nanxi with a gentle smile. "Would you like to see Shiyao and Jiatong’s art studio?"

Zhou Qingru noticed the change in Shen Nanxi's expression upon entering—liking, shock, and curiosity—and naturally invited her for a tour.

Shen Nanxi nodded and followed her down the long corridor. The studio was filled with the children’s colorful drawings.

Zhou Qingru picked up one of the drawings and said with a smile, "This was done by Jiatong."

Jiatong was her daughter, Liang Zeqian's niece, only five years old but already drawing quite well.

Shen Nanxi smiled and said, "You're so lucky, sister-in-law. Jiatong and Shiyao are both so sensible, you have a loving husband, no financial worries, and the freedom to do what you want. This must be what true happiness feels like."

Zhou Qingru just smiled but didn’t respond. She was reserved by nature and not one to speak openly about love or affection.

Hearing the sound of children playing downstairs, Shen Nanxi went to the window and looked down.

Zhou Qingru asked, "Is your Big Brother back?"

"Yes, sister-in-law. Big Brother is playing with Jiatong and Shiyao."

Indeed, no matter how busy Liang Zeting usually was, he always made time to play with his children. The two kids hid behind him, giggling, as the sun shone on them, making the scene so warm you couldn’t look away. He truly seemed like a perfect family man.

Without thinking, Shen Nanxi murmured, "So enviable."

It wasn’t having such a husband that she envied, but rather the loving environment the children enjoyed with their parents—something she had never experienced herself.

Zhou Qingru seemed to guess her thoughts. "There’s no need to envy others. Everyone has their own path. Third Brother isn’t a cold person. If you get along well, many issues can be resolved."

"Cold? Yeah, right—more like burning up inside."

But Shen Nanxi sweetly smiled in response, "Mm, thank you, sister-in-law."

Perhaps because Zhou Qingru and Liang Zeqian got along well and maintained good boundaries, she added, "You should try to understand Third Brother. After all, your past actions were pretty shocking."

Shen Nanxi, aware she was referring to her previous reckless behavior, asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, was he very angry when I broke off the engagement back then?"

Zhou Qingru seemed unsure how to answer and simply said, "Anyone would be angry. But if you’re willing to compromise now, you can still have a good life. Besides, what Third Brother disliked back then wasn’t actually your breaking off the engagement."

"Then what was it?"

Zhou Qingru didn’t answer.

But Shen Nanxi wasn’t that curious. If she didn’t want to say, so be it. Her husband had always kept to himself—they'd done all sorts of things together, yet she had never heard him share any deep feelings or secrets.

Then again, wasn’t she the same? Guarding her biggest secret. Since that was the case, perhaps it was best not to bring up the past.

After sitting for a while, Shen Nanxi went upstairs to return home. In the hallway, she ran into Jiatong, Shiyao, and Big Brother. After greeting Liang Zeting, she bent down and gently touched her little niece’s chubby cheek—it was super cute.

Jiatong said, "Auntie."

Shen Nanxi’s eyes smiled as she said to Liang Zeting, "Big Brother, Jiatong is really too cute."

Liang Zeting picked up his daughter, kissed her cheek, and said with a laugh, "Say goodbye to Auntie."

Jiatong, clever as ever, made a fist and recited cheerfully, "Wishing Uncle and Auntie a harmonious union, lasting love, growing old together, and sharing life’s journey through all seasons."

These were the words she had prepared as a flower girl at their wedding, and she still remembered them.

Shen Nanxi took out a bill. "A little reward for being so sweet."

She glanced down at Liang Shiyao, who was clearly quieter and less talkative than his sister. His eyes met hers briefly before he lowered his head.

She took out another bill and gently patted her nephew’s head. "Shiyao, you’re a sweetie too—super smart and good-looking."

Liang Shiyao took the money and whispered, "Thank you, Auntie."

As Shen Nanxi started upstairs, she overheard Jiatong’s little voice behind her: "Daddy, why did Auntie give us money?"

Liang Zeting replied warmly, "Because your blessings were so sweet, Auntie couldn’t help but reward you."

Back on the fourth floor, Shen Nanxi sighed. Being born well was a real talent—these two siblings would live a life free from want and full of experience, envied by many. Yet, she also felt sorry for Shiyao.

Liang Furong had initially doted on his grandson but gradually grew distant due to Shiyao’s not being talkative and keeping to himself, preferring his younger son instead.

From what she had just observed, it seemed Liang Zeting also favored his daughter more.

She shouldn’t sympathize with the wealthy—no matter what, Shiyao would live a better life than she ever had. As a boy, he would never be mistreated by his family.

He would never lack money for medical care, would have access to the best treatments, regular check-ups, and could attend the world’s top universities without having to study day and night.

People were simply different.

Just like Liang Zeqian—even if he was ignored at home, he could still get the finest things in the world without any effort.

Lying on the bed, lost in thought, Shen Nanxi recalled her childhood.

Memories before six were hazy—a seaside town, a fairly comfortable family life, daily meals of seafood, and she had been even more outgoing and cheerful than Jiatong. All her family was still alive, and everyone loved her.

Everything changed after her mother’s illness and death. She became silent and withdrawn, didn’t know how to express sadness as a child—crying when sad, then retreating into silence, uninterested in anything.

After her father remarried and abandoned her, she grew even more solitary for a time.

Later, she and her grandmother relied on each other. Her grandmother was exceptionally kind to her, and those childhood years restored her sunshine and cheerfulness.

At least until she was thirteen, her childhood memories were filled with sunlight, beaches, sand, fish, shrimp, and indescribable joy and freedom.

After her grandmother passed away, she had already grown up—mature, with her own ideas and sense of right and wrong.

Her six years of middle school went smoothly thanks to scholarships.

Her college entrance exam results exceeded expectations, and she made it to a big city.

Later, she received donations, was featured in reports, underwent treatment, and was comforted by kind strangers—everyone said she’d live a long time, and she once believed it too.

But her body’s abnormalities told her otherwise. It took years for her to truly come to terms with "death."

She loved life so much, wanted to live well, experience the world’s diversity, and experience different kinds of lives. If it had to end, so be it—she hoped to gradually accept it calmly.

Waiting for death was a strange feeling.

Not pain, not tears, but a flatness that left no room for thoughts of the next life—only hair loss, needles, and a deep weariness she was powerless to fix.

This life had actually been quite good, and she felt content. Yet she couldn’t help feeling regretful and sad—there were so many things she wanted but never achieved.

She’d never imagined she’d wind up here.

Shen Nanxi sighed, feeling uncomfortable on the sofa, and moved to the bed.

Moonlight streamed through the sheer curtains, casting speckled light on the floor—a scene so vivid it almost made her cry.

She turned over, burying her face in the soft pillow.

I don't know how long it had been when the door was gently pushed open.

Liang Zeqian walked in and hesitated at the sight of her curled-up figure. "Still awake?"

She murmured an "Mm" without looking up.

He sat down by the bed, his fingertips brushing through her stray hairs as if touching a fragile feather. "What's wrong?"

He could always tell when something was bothering her.

Shen Nanxi looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Thinking of you. I miss you like crazy after just a minute."

Liang Zeqian let out a low laugh.

After a brief silence, he suddenly reached out and pulled her to her feet. "Come with me."

Shen Nanxi hopped out of bed, asking, "Where are we going?"

"Taking you to see something."

"See what? Is it something naughty?"