Become a mother in a night

Chapter 36

When Alex Ye caught sight of Michelle Xia and Brandon Su, he experienced a fleeting moment of uncertainty.
Although he knew they were discussing the "Star Path" project, he couldn't help but cast a probing glance their way. Especially towards Brandon, who he knew had intentions of pursuing his new colleague. To Alex, it looked like Brandon was standing a bit too close to Michelle, which irked him.
He didn't want Michelle to recognize him as the decision-maker behind NexRealm Studios, so he quickly averted his gaze.
With a neutral tone, Alex asked, "Do you two know each other?"
It seemed like he was directing the question at both Michelle and Brandon.
Brandon, lost in his thoughts, hadn't even considered the possibility that Michelle might be unaware that Alex Ye was the major shareholder of NexRealm Studios. All he could think was, "Damn, the woman I'm interested in is actually my cousin-in-law," and "Should I really pursue someone already connected to my family?"
Hearing Alex's query brought Brandon back to reality. Trying to maintain a composed facade, he replied, "Yes, we're colleagues. We were discussing the plot for 'Star Path'."
Alex merely nodded in response, not delving further into their work discussions. He took a seat opposite them with Sophie Ye by his side.
Meanwhile, Lizzy Xia had already clambered onto Michelle's lap, playfully seeking affection.
Michelle was momentarily speechless.
She felt a bit overwhelmed by this sudden appearance of a little attention-seeker.
However, this attention-seeker was soft, sweet, and loved to be coddled. Left with little choice, Michelle embraced Lizzy, allowing her to sit next to her.
She turned to Brandon and apologized again, "I'm sorry, Mr. Su."
Brandon glanced at the child, who was a spitting image of Michelle, and then over at Alex Ye.
His emotions in turmoil, Brandon simply replied, "It's alright."
Following his personal mantra of "saying less avoids mistakes", Alex Ye chose not to engage in further conversation with the duo. Instead, he called a waiter over and ordered cakes for the two youngsters.
Michelle had, of course, overheard Brandon addressing Alex as "cousin". Considering that Eleanor's surname was Su before marriage, she surmised that Brandon was related to Eleanor's side of the family.
She chuckled lightly, commenting, "I didn't realize you two were cousins. What a coincidence."
On the surface, Alex appeared as unruffled as ever, no different from his usual demeanor.
He paused for a moment before simply acknowledging with a non-committal "Mm", avoiding any further explanation.
Seeing that Alex didn't wish to elaborate, Michelle wisely refrained from pressing the matter.
Listening to the conversation between Alex and Michelle, Brandon felt something was amiss. However, still somewhat flustered, he couldn't immediately pinpoint what felt off.
Because of the unexpected presence of Alex and the two kids, Michelle and Brandon had to conclude their discussion. While Michelle was concerned about the progress of her work, Brandon felt a sense of melancholy over a budding romance that seemed to be ending before it even began. Their expressions were starkly different.
Yet, to Alex's observant eyes, the two appeared like a young couple disrupted during a date.
He observed every nuance of their demeanor, his face still reflecting the same unflappable calm.
Alex internally groaned.
Calm? Unperturbed? Hardly.
With a poker face, he ordered an Americano, hoping the coffee would help settle his nerves and suppress the whirlwind of uneasy thoughts.
He felt naive and overly trusting.
When Eleanor mentioned wanting cake, he had genuinely believed her and had come here to buy it for her. And when Brandon had expressed an interest in pursuing a new colleague, why hadn't he inquired further to dissuade him?
By the time his coffee arrived, Alex drank nearly half of it in one go. The bitter liquid invigorated his senses, grounding him to the present reality.
Brandon Su, he'd remember.
And Eleanor Ye, he'd remember her too.
He was determined to have a good, long talk with them when he returned.
Alex Ye ordered the same newly introduced chocolate cake for both children. Identical in every way.
Because the cakes were identical, the children couldn't share with one another, leading to a touch of disappointment.
Lizzy Xia, always keeping her mother in her heart, took a bite and immediately found the cake delicious. Without hesitation, she scooped out a large chunk, wanting her mother, Michelle Xia, to taste it.
Seeing this, Sophie Ye did the same, offering a chunk of her cake to Michelle as well.
Michelle, who had just eaten a slice of cake and sipped on some milk tea, responded, "Thank you, Lizzy. Thank you, Sophie."
Witnessing a woman feigning joy despite evident reluctance, Alex couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Michelle shot him a cold glance. He quickly stifled his laughter, taking a sip from his coffee.
Brandon Su, observing this family of three plus Sophie, suddenly felt like the odd one out.
Brandon thought, "Their happiness doesn't resonate with my sadness. While I'm nursing a broken heart, they're showcasing their affection right next to me."
Once the children finished their cakes, Alex prepared to take them home. On his way out, he casually asked Michelle, "Want to come with us?"
Michelle, always seeking efficiency and detesting dilly-dallying, wished to continue discussing the storyline details with Brandon. However, with the clingy Lizzy around, if she decided to stay, Lizzy would undoubtedly stay as well.
And if Lizzy stayed, Sophie, predictably, would remain too.
And if both Lizzy and Sophie stayed, would Alex, responsible for looking after the kids, be far behind?
Left with no real choice, Michelle smiled and told Alex, "Sure, let's go home together."
After saying this, she turned to Brandon and asked, "Mr. Su, are you available tomorrow?"
Brandon was taken aback.
Alex just silently sipped his coffee.
He looked up at Brandon, his gaze calm and devoid of any hint of intimidation or oppression.
All he seemed to convey was a simple message: "It's up to you."
Brandon caught his gaze and fell silent.
Michelle Xia was so engrossed in thoughts about the details they hadn't had the chance to discuss earlier that day that she barely noticed Alex Ye. Assuming Brandon had other commitments the following day, she suggested, "I'm available both in the morning and afternoon tomorrow. If you're busy during the day, evening works too."
Brandon was taken aback. Listening to those beautiful words, had he not known Michelle was his cousin's wife, and had his cousin not been present, he would have immediately agreed. "Available in the evening if busy during the day"—would he really hesitate? Would he even be a man if he did?
However, knowing that Michelle was his cousin's wife and that said cousin was right there, Brandon's enthusiasm had no place to shine. He glanced at Alex, whose face still held that serene look. But beneath that calm, Brandon was certain Alex was figuring out how to rip him apart.
Brandon mustered his sunniest smile, and apologetically told Michelle, "I'm sorry, Ms. Xia, I have plans tomorrow."
Brandon added, "How about we resume our discussions at NexRealm Studios next week?"
Alex nodded in agreement, thinking that work should be confined to working hours and days off were meant for family time.
Brandon continued, "We could discuss it with Leonard Chen next week."
Again, Alex agreed, "It's better to discuss with the project team. If it's just the two of us and we both head in the wrong direction, then what?"
Michelle contemplated the situation. If there wasn't any time to discuss things tomorrow, she would have to visit NexRealm Studios the following week. Even if she wasn't thrilled about it, she had to agree, "Alright, we'll continue our discussion next week."
Despite Alex's intense, almost deadly gaze, Brandon responded with a bright and hearty laugh, "Great, see you next week then."
Michelle replied, "Yes, see you next week."
The clever Lizzy Xia, sensing it was time to head home, politely bid Brandon farewell, "Goodbye, big brother!"
Sophie Ye, just as sharp, followed Lizzy's lead and said her goodbye to Brandon as well, "Goodbye, big brother!"
Brandon's cheerful, sunny expression suddenly froze.
He realized that while Alex and he were of the same generation, the children seemingly made him sound younger, effectively increasing the age gap between him, Alex, and Michelle.
He promptly and seriously corrected the two kids, "It's 'Uncle', not 'Big Brother'."
Lizzy Xia looked at Brandon, then glanced at Michelle and Alex. Not hearing any objections, she corrected herself. With a sweet, childish voice, she giggled, "Goodbye, Uncle!"
Sophie Ye echoed in a similar soft tone, "Goodbye, Uncle!"
Seeing the adorably tender smiles on the kids' faces, Brandon hesitated for a moment, then smiled back, saying, "Goodbye, little ones. Next time, Uncle will treat you to something delicious."
The children's eyes lit up at the mention of treats. They looked excited and looked forward to their next meeting with Brandon.
...
When Alex heard Lizzy and Sophie call Brandon 'Big Brother', he involuntarily frowned. Given that the children addressed Michelle as 'Big Sister', the titles 'Big Brother' and 'Big Sister' sounded too fitting together.
He was about to correct the children's address for Brandon, but Brandon beat him to it. With a stern face, he told the kids, "It's 'Uncle', not 'Big Brother'," which was quite in line with what Alex was thinking.
After the polite children bid Brandon farewell, Alex got ready to take them home.
Michelle quickly packed up her laptop, ensuring she hadn't forgotten anything before joining them to leave.
The children naturally took their places in the back seat of the car. Michelle hesitated for a moment between the front passenger seat and the back. In the end, she decided to join the kids in the back.
With a silent acknowledgment, Alex gently closed the passenger side door, circled to the other side, and settled into the driver's seat.
He pondered whether or not to proactively inform her about his relationship with Brandon Su, his ties to NexRealm Studios, and today's events.
Although he viewed these matters as trivial, there's a difference between him telling Michelle and Michelle asking him directly. The latter scenario might result in Michelle getting upset.
With this in mind, Alex tentatively asked her, "Michelle, what do you think of Brandon?"
Michelle, preoccupied with her thoughts about today's discussions and playing with the two kids, glanced up upon hearing his question. She looked into the rearview mirror, meeting Alex's gaze.
She chuckled and said, "Reputation speaks for itself. I heard that the original 'Star Path' has been on hiatus for two years, and the derived game project has also been paused for nearly as long."
Alex: "..."
Michelle added, "So, Mr. Ye, what's your take on this?"
Mr. Ye didn't want to comment.
Although Mr. Ye believed that his cousin wouldn't be a threat anytime soon, he felt a certain unease, as if Michelle was hinting that he and his cousin were of the same ilk.
After all, Brandon's discontinuation of his project was eerily similar to Mr. Ye's previous actions of "starting something passionately only to abandon it later".
The only distinction was that Brandon made a conscious choice, whereas Alex was blissfully unaware when he made his decision.