Become a mother in a night

Chapter 46

Alex Ye gazed calmly at Michelle Xia. In just three seconds, a whirlwind of emotions surged through him - from astonishment to confusion, and finally, disbelief. He was certain that Eleanor Ye had gossiped with Michelle Xia the previous night.
Although he understood that Eleanor had only the best intentions, he wasn't fond of her approach and felt somewhat irritated.
"Did my mom tell you last night?" he inquired.
Michelle studied Alex's unchanging expression, unsure of how to gauge his emotions. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded, "Yes, she did."
Alex paused for a moment before sharing, "Marriage is inevitable for me, but it's not happening just yet."
As long as he remained single, there was always a chance that the Ye family would arrange a union with another heiress. It was inescapable. Of course, such arrangements can be broken, much like how Nathan Ye had been in a hurry to marry Aria Cheng.
For now, the Ye family wouldn't be hasty in forcing a union on him, firstly due to considerations about Lizzy, and secondly because his engagement with Isabella Zhao had ended recently. The failed engagement was entirely the fault of the Ye family. Pushing for another union too soon would be a clear snub to the Zhao family.
Although certain matters were unavoidable, Alex's personal wishes were crucial. He would eventually marry, but he had the right to delay it. After the failed union with Isabella, he had clearly explained to his father and grandfather that he might marry Michelle. Even if he didn't, he wanted to wait until their child grew up a bit more before considering marriage.
Thanks to the family's sound upbringing, his father and grandfather understood Alex's sentiments. Still, that understanding didn't prevent them from pressuring him in other areas.
Both Alex and Eleanor were aware of certain issues, but while Alex believed he could withstand the pressure, Eleanor seemed keen on resolving things quickly. Wasn't Nathan's situation easily settled by marrying Aria Cheng? Why did everything have to be so complicated?
Recalling Eleanor's impulsive nature that he had heard about, Alex couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes he wondered whether Eleanor was truly impulsive or just loved to stir the pot.
Continuing his explanation to Michelle, he reassured, "The Ye family won't arrange any marriage for me in the near future. You don't need to worry about Lizzy."
Michelle, still feeling slightly feverish, slowly realized she might have been played by Eleanor. Feeling somewhat embarrassed about her earlier inquiries, she delicately commented, "Mrs. Ye is truly amusing."
Alex chuckled in response, "Yes, you shouldn't take her words to heart. She's... well..." He paused, searching for the right words to describe his own mother. Finally, he said, "She just has a bit too much free time."
After a brief conversation, Alex prepared to return to work. "You should rest," he told Michelle. "I'll pick up Lizzy this afternoon."
Realizing that her most pressing concerns were momentarily at bay, Michelle felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, her smile becoming even more radiant. Gratefully, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Ye."
With a faint nod and a last lingering glance, Alex stepped out.
Alex Ye was unusually late to the office today, prompting a brief yet fervent discussion among the staff in their anonymous chat group.
"Can you believe it? Workaholic Mr. Ye is late? An entire hour and eight minutes late!"
"I'm so tempted to ask Alex if there's anything more interesting than work. What on earth could've delayed him?"
"I've got a daring guess!"
"And here's mine: Could it be that the Ye Corporation is on the verge of bankruptcy?"
"Whoever said that is either clueless or new here. Didn't you see how Alex turned things around when NexaMedia was nearly bankrupt? As long as Alex is here, there's no way the Ye Corporation will fail."
"Let's ignore the crazy fan above. Why don't we focus on why he was late?"
"I sit right next to Alex's office. Just a casual observation, but there have been times when he left early."
Given that those offices next to Alex's are for senior management, the staff went silent upon noticing an executive among them. The brief fiery discussion ended. Derek quietly closed the chat window. Recalling Alex's good mood when he returned and the roses Derek had delivered for him, a weight settled in his heart.
Derek thought to himself, "I've discovered a monumental secret, but I can't tell a soul."
He couldn't even share it with his close friend, Leonard. It was agonizing.
Derek, caught up in his inner turmoil, gathered the documents for Alex's review and brought them in. Alex was in conversation with Eleanor Ye, who was justifying her discussion with Michelle Xia the previous night under the pretense of "looking out for him". She accused him of neglecting his mom. Alex thought to himself that he wasn't even sure if getting married would make him forget his mom, but if Eleanor continued like this, finding a wife would indeed be challenging.
Alex didn't want to interact much with Eleanor during work hours. Seeing Derek enter, he quickly wrapped up the conversation. Derek felt he had walked in at the wrong moment, but since the door was already open, it'd be awkward to just shut it and leave. He entered, holding the files.
Pretending he hadn't heard Alex's argument with Eleanor, Derek succinctly said, "Mr. Ye, these are recent contracts and documents from NexaMedia, ScribeSphere, NexRealm Studios, and a few other companies. They mainly pertain to new projects and recruitments."
Alex acknowledged with a nod. Some of these contracts weren't pressing, and if his subordinates had already reviewed them without any issues, they were generally fine. However, these entertainment companies often collaborated, and some projects were profitable while others weren't. Whether to handle them internally or outsource would likely be Alex's decision.
Alex instructed Derek to set the files aside for later review and dismissed him. Yet, just under a minute after Derek left, Alex called him back. Derek, fearing he might've made a mistake, nervously re-entered the office. But all Alex said was, "If the HR department distributes snacks or candies today, make sure they give me some too."
Derek Lin: ...
Derek Lin: ????
Alex Ye looked up at him and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Derek dared not even question, let alone have an issue.
Immediately he acquiesced, thinking to himself that the HR department really should prepare their afternoon tea treats today, given the obvious hint from Mr. Ye.
After leaving Alex Ye's office, Derek Lin audaciously made a prediction in the employee's casual (anonymous) chat group.
— Blind guess: Mr. Ye will not only be late today but will leave early.
— Seriously? I don't believe it.
— Damn, things are going downhill? Is the Ye corporation about to go bankrupt?
This prediction once again spurred a brief yet heated discussion among Ye corporation employees. Most, trusting Alex Ye, didn't believe this so-called prediction. Then,
At 3:30 pm, for the first time, Alex Ye received snacks and candies from the HR department, which he put into the large pockets of his coat, and calmly and confidently left the company early.
Oh, Alex only remembered when he was downstairs that he hadn't asked HR for the link to the candies.
He had noticed before that Lizzy seemed to really like these candies and thought of bringing her some when he picked her up from school.
After some thought, he decided to leave it be and ask Derek Lin to get the link from HR tomorrow.
In fact, Alex Ye's mood was excellent today. Even though he had a disagreement with Eleanor Ye earlier, it didn't dampen his spirits much.
He had told Michelle Xia before that she could try to trust him, and he knew that Michelle had taken his words to heart.
Soon, Alex Ye arrived at the kindergarten. He saw Nathan Ye approaching him with a look of surprise. Just as Nathan was about to call him "brother," Alex interrupted him.
Alex Ye: "Michelle is ill. Let's wait for her to recover, and then Sophie can come over to play at our place."
Nathan Ye swallowed the words he had intended to say, shared some polite wishes for Michelle's speedy recovery, and then left with his daughter, who looked reluctant to leave Lizzy Xia behind.
Alex took out the candies from his pocket and handed them to Lizzy Xia.
Lizzy's eyes lit up, and she sweetly said, "Thank you, daddy." Her voice was so sweet and soft, sounding incredibly innocent, making one feel as though enveloped in softness, much like a lovely, endearing marshmallow.
Alex Ye gently tousled the child's hair, thinking of Michelle Xia not feeling well today, he told her, "Mommy isn't feeling well today, so Lizzy shouldn't be too clingy."
Lizzy hesitated, then retorted softly, "But if Lizzy gives her a kiss, mommy will feel better."
Hearing her innocent words, Alex Ye couldn't help but smile.
He replied, "Well, Lizzy can't keep kissing her, or it might disturb mommy's rest."
Lizzy felt that her father made a lot of sense, so she agreed.
Lizzy: "Then Lizzy will give just one kiss... no! Lizzy wants to give two kisses!"
Alex Ye chuckled again, "Alright, sounds good."
Saying this, he reached out his hand for the little girl to hold, and together, they walked home.
Alex Ye and Lizzy Xia returned home, only to find Michelle Xia still engrossed in her video game.
Having taken a fever reducer in the morning, she had gone back to sleep and had been resting for most of the day. It was Nora Su who, after her classes, had woken Michelle up, urging her to eat. After taking medication twice and, undoubtedly due to her strong constitution, Michelle was now considerably more spirited. She no longer displayed the lethargic and listless demeanor she had in the morning, and was even engrossed in gaming.
Lizzy, upon seeing her, playfully sought attention as usual. While busy gaming, Michelle responded distractedly, "Mhm, Lizzy is such a good girl."
The obedient child sat next to Michelle and took a candy from her tiny pocket. She unwrapped it and handed it to Michelle, urging, "Have some candy, Sissy."
Watching this heartwarming mother-daughter exchange, Alex couldn't help but marvel at how cleverly Lizzy could win someone over.
The next day, Michelle was fever-free, Alex was no longer running late, and the anonymous chat group for Ye Corp employees was momentarily devoid of hot topics for discussion.
Upon returning to his office, Alex realized he still hadn't finished going through the contracts and documents Derek had given him the day before. He intended to review the essential parts that day.
Half an hour later, he paused, staring at a signature that read "Michelle Xia." He was examining a contract for an author signed with ScribeSphere, and the name and ID on it seemed all too familiar. Normally, such contracts wouldn't land on his desk since he didn't typically review every single one. The presence of this particular contract surely meant someone had intended for him to see it.
Alex had initially hoped to cause a little stir on the ScribeSphere side, to give Eleanor Ye some discomfort. Yet, it seemed Eleanor was steps ahead, surprising him instead.
Alex mused, "A surprise, but not a pleasant one."
He pondered over how exactly Michelle fit into all of this. Was she inevitably destined to work for him? His feelings were a mix of emotions, suspecting Michelle might be unaware that he also owned ScribeSphere.