Chapter 10

The dining room at home.

Under the warm orange light, several dishes were steaming gently.

Especially the plate of braised pork ribs, glistening and enticing.

It was Chen Chengjun’s favorite.

I sat quietly at the table, watching the clock on the wall.

Tick… tock…

Seven o’clock sharp.

The sound of a key turning in the lock.

I adjusted my posture but kept my head buried in my phone screen.

Completely absorbed.

Pretending not to have heard Chen Chengjun come home.

“Honey? Honey…”

Chen Chengjun’s voice came from the doorway, tinged with a hint of uncertainty.

I pretended not to hear and continued to stare at my phone.

I even let out a small chuckle, as if amused by some interesting piece of news.

His footsteps grew closer.

“What are you looking at so intently?” he asked, craning his neck to see my phone.

I acted as if his voice had startled me, looking up with a dazed expression.

“Hmm? You’re back?”

I had a trace of just-snapped-out-of-it confusion, as if I had only just noticed him.

I even managed a welcoming smile.

“Just reading some news.”

“What news has you so engrossed?”

He took off his coat, his eyes sweeping over the full table of food.

His expression clearly faltered for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected me to put in so much effort.

One hand had already reached for a bowl, ready to ladle some soup.

“It’s just a recent hot topic. Haven’t you seen it?”

I moved closer to him.

“Look.”

I handed him the phone.

A news headline.

“Man Abandons Wife for Mistress, Only for Her to Give Birth to a Mixed-Race African Baby!”

His bowl paused in mid-air.

“A man had an affair, and his mistress got pregnant very quickly.”

“The man was overjoyed, quickly kicked out his wife, and married the pregnant mistress, waiting to become a father.”

My tone carried a barely perceptible hint of mockery.

“After ten months of pregnancy, the day of delivery finally arrived. Guess what happened when the baby was born?”

I spoke with the excitement of someone sharing a bizarre story.

I didn’t wait for his answer, nor did I need one.

“The mistress gave birth to-an African baby!”

“Dark skin, curly hair, features that had absolutely nothing to do with the man!”

I looked at the shocked expression on Chen Chengjun’s face.

I continued recounting the strange tale I had found on my phone.

“And the mistress was still trying to argue! Holding the baby and claiming it was a genetic mutation! Hahaha…”

“A genetic mutation… that turned him into an African? Don’t you think… that’s hilarious? Isn’t it ridiculous?”

The moment the words fell.

Chen Chengjun was like a statue, suddenly frozen solid.

He sat rigidly in his chair, not moving a muscle.

Suddenly.

Clatter.

His bowl dropped onto the table.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence.

“Honey, what’s wrong? You look so pale.”

He snapped back to reality, forcing a dry laugh. “N-nothing, I just think… that news is too absurd.”

“Yes, absurd,” I nodded lightly, my smile deepening.

“But it’s also quite fair, isn’t it? Karma.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. His eyes darted around, not daring to meet mine.

I picked up my glass of red wine and took an elegant sip.

He was afraid.

He was afraid he was going to be a cuckold.

After all, every time he and my good friend Mei Qing “rolled in the sheets,” he had been careful to wear a condom.

If he wore a condom, how could she get pregnant?

Unless…

Unless the child wasn’t his at all.

I slowly and deliberately picked up a piece of pork rib and placed it in his bowl.

“Honey, why aren’t you eating? It won’t be as good when it’s cold.”

“Oh, right, I saw Mei Qing today. She said she’s pregnant. She’s a single woman, how did she get pregnant? But then again, it’s normal. The number of men she’s had around her over the years is…”

I said it casually.

I saw Chen Chengjun’s face drain of all color.

“I… I suddenly remembered I have a video conference at the office,” he said frantically.

“Now?” I feigned surprise, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Yes!”

The next second, he practically leaped up and bolted for the door, forgetting even his coat.

The door slammed shut with a thunderous bang.

A cold smile touched my lips.

Now, this was going to be a good show.