Become a mother in a night

Chapter 38

Unaware, Derek Lin let out a sigh identical to Leonard Chen's. "This is the first time I've heard of someone refusing because the price was too high."
Alex Ye thought to himself: *It seems like my employees might not be the sharpest tools in the shed.*
Could anyone truly believe Michelle Xia's clearly disinterested excuse?
Alex glanced at Derek, commenting, "Well, it's a first for me too."
Derek let out a sigh, seeming to hold back words. He worried for the future of NexRealm Studios and for Leonard Chen's thinning hair.
Noticing Derek hadn't left by the end of the workday, Alex inquired, "Derek, are you looking to work overtime voluntarily?"
Derek promptly made his exit.
Alex had somewhat guessed Michelle's intention. She might feel it was his way of "compensating" her, and she wasn't keen on accepting it.
Indeed, he did want to "compensate" her, trying to funnel money her way. Yet, she didn't fancy his financial offer.
Considering that Michelle had negotiated with Leonard personally, they had essentially collaborated with NexRealm Studios for two months now. For her to suddenly express concerns about being swindled by NexRealm Studios at this point – who would believe such a flimsy excuse?
Moreover, the main storyline of "Star Path" was almost set in stone. Future tasks related to the storyline and copywriting would be lighter; any rational person would choose to stay.
Only someone irrational would tackle the most challenging parts first and then decide to leave for fear of being duped.
Checking the time, Alex figured that Michelle would have picked up her kid by now and they might be preparing for dinner.
He texted Michelle, "Anything you and Lizzy fancy for dinner? I can bring it over later."
Seeing the message, Michelle slowly sent back three question marks.
Michelle Xia: ???
Alex Ye: ?
Michelle Xia: ...
Michelle Xia: Well, get some yogurt then. Lizzy isn't too fond of plain milk lately.
Alex Ye: Alright, got it.
By the time Alex returned, it was already 8:30 pm. Lizzy was watching a cartoon, planning to sleep after the episode.
He handed Michelle two bottles of strawberry yogurt, then asked, "Why didn't you renew the contract?"
As Michelle took the yogurt bottles, about to express her gratitude, she was taken aback by his question and playfully retorted, "Starting right with the assumption that I'm in the loop, huh? Classic you."
She looked up at Alex Ye, added a "Thank you," and after inserting the straw into the yogurt bottle, handed it to the child beside her, engrossed in the cartoon.
Alex watched this, quietly inserting the straw into the other yogurt bottle before handing it to Michelle.
Michelle Xia: "...Thank you."
She took the yogurt with mixed feelings, as she really didn't like drinking this.
Alex responded with a soft "Mm-hmm," his tone rising slightly at the end, suggestive of a question. His deep black eyes fixed on her, waiting for her to answer his earlier query.
Michelle took a sip of the yogurt, finding its sour-sweet taste not as enjoyable as milk tea. She shifted a bit, making space for Alex to sit down.
The family of three, a rare sight, now sat together... watching the cartoon.
Michelle pondered a bit and said, "Had this price been offered a month ago, I'd have been delighted."
The workload and its challenges over the past month felt like a loss for someone as diligent and efficiency-driven as her. It was definitely a gain for NexRealm Studios. Yet, these were matters of mutual consent, and she didn't need their compensation in this manner now.
Alex responded with another soft "Mm-hmm" and explained, "I only found out later that the new planner at NexRealm Studios was you."
Michelle grasped his meaning - otherwise, her price wouldn't have been driven so low.
She took another sip of the yogurt, still disliking its sour-sweet flavor, and passed the remainder to Lizzy.
Turning her gaze to Alex, she said earnestly, "It's okay. I only found out later that you're the boss of NexRealm Studios. Otherwise, my price wouldn't have been this low."
Alex Ye: "..."
Such an honest person.
After a brief pause, Alex asked, "So, why don't you want to stay now?"
Michelle, ever candid, replied, "I don't want to clean up messes for you."
She felt much of what she had done was essentially cleaning up other people's messes. Taking over "Michelle Xia's" life was cleaning up someone else's mess. Being approached by Leonard Chen to rewrite game narratives was, again, cleaning up a mess.
Michelle was an individual who acted on her whims. If she didn't want to do something, she simply wouldn't. There was no need for lengthy explanations.
Alex seemed a bit taken aback, not expecting such a straightforward reason.
After a moment's pause, Alex looked up at her and asked, "So, what do you want to do?"
Michelle Xia: "I certainly don't want to work for you."
Alex Ye: "...That's not what I meant."
He knew Michelle Xia was hesitant to get closer to him, even with the connection they shared through little Lizzy. She always kept her distance.
Soon, the clock's hands pointed to nine - time for a child to sleep. Michelle prepared to put Lizzy to bed, and he knew it was his cue to leave.
Before departing, Alex said to Michelle, "I understand that you're someone with strong opinions and ideas. But there are certain things that can be challenging for you to achieve on your own."
He added, "Michelle, you don't have to be so guarded with everyone."
He continued, "You could try to trust me. As of now, I'm someone you can rely upon in this world."
Michelle was no fool. Anyone could see that Alex had feelings for her — maybe not deep, profound feelings, but he certainly cared for her. Yet she never allowed herself to trust or believe in his affections. She was skeptical of any affection built on obligation and appearance, believing that it would fade away eventually.
Michelle was not emotionally detached; if anything, she lacked a sense of security and had difficulty trusting people. Every kind gesture or action made her doubt its longevity and her own worthiness. She feared the transient nature of affections, and so she chose not to believe in them.
The only genuine affection she felt was Lizzy's unconditional love and dependence. Yet, this inherent bond of a child to her mother felt stolen, as Michelle's own innate love and trust towards her mother had eroded with time. She feared that Lizzy's dependence and love might fade too.
That night, Michelle didn't sleep well, plagued by unsettling dreams.
The next morning, she appeared listless. After waking early and finding no solace in slumber, she decided to join Lizzy for breakfast.
Lizzy, sensitive by nature, sensed Michelle's restless night and mood. She carefully stole glances at Michelle, eating her breakfast slowly and quietly, wondering if perhaps she had kicked off the blankets during the night and made her mommy upset.
When Alex arrived and noticed Michelle's drained expression and Lizzy's worried little face, it was hard for anyone not to think that Lizzy might have done something to upset her mother. At least, that's what both he and Nora assumed.
Sitting at the dining table, Alex greeted them warmly.
Upon seeing Alex, Lizzy put on her brightest smile, "Good morning, Daddy!"
Alex reached out to ruffle her hair, smiling in response. He thought, "How could someone as adorable and well-behaved as Lizzy upset Michelle?"
Spotting Alex coming over for breakfast, Michelle greeted, "Good morning, Mr. Ye."
Meeting her gaze, Alex asked with evident concern, "Didn't sleep well last night?"
Michelle simply replied, "Mmm."
She then added, a rare explanation to Alex, "Had some nightmares."
Lizzy Xia let out a sigh of relief upon realizing that her mom wasn't upset with her. Suddenly, her breakfast tasted even more delicious.
Seeing that Michelle had already risen, Alex Ye thought they both had some free time in the morning. He asked, "Would you like to join me in dropping Lizzy off later?"
The child's eyes lit up at the prospect. Yet, she quickly remembered how Michelle had a troubled night because of the nightmares. Speaking up before Michelle could reply, she said, "Mommy didn't sleep well last night. She needs to rest."
Alex glanced at Lizzy, then back to Michelle, saying, "Lizzy is truly considerate."
Being complimented so early in the morning made Lizzy blush with modesty. She lowered her gaze back to her breakfast, feeling that it tasted even better. Michelle, too, was taken aback by Lizzy's comment about "needing to rest." She thought, "Are kids these days always this thoughtful?"
Michelle reached out to stroke Lizzy's soft hair and asked with a smile, "Lizzy, don't you want your sister to drop you off at kindergarten?"
Lizzy, ever the honest child, nodded vigorously. Her round eyes looked up at Michelle, but she remained silent. She thought that maybe Michelle wasn't feeling well and should rest. However, the idea of both Michelle and Alex taking her to kindergarten was too delightful to pass up. Perhaps Michelle could rest after dropping her off.
In the end, both Michelle and Alex accompanied Lizzy to kindergarten. It had been a long time since they had dropped her off together. Lizzy was overjoyed during the entire trip, and once they reached the kindergarten, she boasted to her little friends about her special escorts.
Once Lizzy was safely inside the kindergarten, Michelle and Alex were about to depart. They rarely had moments alone, and Alex didn't want to waste this precious time in silence.
Casting a sideways glance at Michelle, he said, "There's been some pressure from my family. Some matters have deadlines. I can help you now, but I might not be able to in the future." No one can guarantee anything indefinitely. He had hinted at this last night when he said "at least for now."
He didn't deny pressuring Michelle to make a quicker decision. She could either choose to trust him or not. At this point, Alex cared less about whether Michelle had feelings for him and more about whether she was willing to trust him.
For Michelle, learning to believe in someone's affection and relying on those who cared about her was far more essential than learning to love someone. If she continued to distrust others, then Alex might have to settle for a marriage of convenience.
The two of them walked silently.
Only when Alex had escorted her to the entrance of her villa in Zone C and was about to return to his office, did Michelle gather the courage to speak. Looking straight at him, she said, "I'm thinking of going back to school—to switch from studying Literature to Film and Theatre Studies."