Revenge on the Ruthless CEO

“Luya, are you really going to leave me? You’re so heartless. If you don’t wake up soon, I’ll forget you completely and find plenty of other women, believe it or not!”

“Are you abandoning our baby too? You don’t eat, are you trying to starve him?”

“Luya, our baby is really hungry. Please wake up! Wake up and feed him.” Murong Qingming spoke to Luya tirelessly, trying both kindness and threats.

Luya was having a beautiful dream: a vast forest with fresh and pleasant air, enveloped in enchanting mist. She walked through the forest, humming happily to herself. Soon, she heard the bubbling of a stream, mingling with birdsong and the scent of flowers. Her heart was filled with excitement and anticipation as she quickly made her way to the stream.

A shallow stream cut through the forest, its waters joyfully rushing downstream. Fish swam playfully, while a few animals paused to drink on the banks. Suddenly, a boy of about two ran towards the stream, coming dangerously close.

“Be careful, little one, don’t fall in,” Luya called out worriedly.

“Mommy! You’re here. Look, I caught a fish. Shall we eat it together?” The boy raised a fish in his hand, smiling brightly.

“Mommy? Are you calling me?” Luya asked, pointing to her own nose.

“Yes, Mommy, I’m your baby from your belly! I’m doing well here. If you don’t want to eat fish, go back and don’t let Daddy worry about you.” The boy waved at Luya and ran off with the fish.

“Baby! Baby! Don’t run away! Won’t you stay with us? Where are you going?” An Luya waded across the stream to catch up with her baby, hugged him tightly as the fish in his hand writhed on the grass. She couldn’t lose her baby.

“Baby, Mommy will go eat the fish with you.” An Luya happily teased her baby, carrying him deeper into the forest.

“Luya… Luya…” A familiar call made Luya stop. Who was calling her with such a gentle voice? Her baby was sleeping peacefully in her arms.

Holding her baby, Luya turned towards the voice, getting closer, and clearer…

Murong Qingming sat by the bedside, repeatedly calling out to Luya, tears already soaking his cheeks. As he watched Luya closely, he didn’t notice her fingers subtly twitch…

A year later, in a villa garden, an eleven-month-old boy struggled to walk on the grass, wobbling before finally tumbling down. Unwilling to stand, he crawled on all fours, his tiny bottom wiggling as he moved. Nearby, on the grass, sat two girls and a boy, only a few months old, drooling as they chewed on something.

“Murong Yang! How many times have I told you, when you fall, you have to get back up where you fell. And yet, here you are crawling; look at yourself!” An Luya scolded, hands on her hips, glaring at her son who was crawling around like a little bug on the grass.

“Murong Yang, you-!” Before she could finish, she felt an arm wrap around her waist, and turned to see Murong Qingming’s handsome face.

“Alright, Luya, don’t be mad, take care of yourself. He’s so young; it’s normal for him not to walk yet.” Murong Qingming said with concern, lifting Luya and carrying her towards the garden gazebo. Inside the gazebo, Ziqing, Lyu Siqi, Ming, Miao’er, Wang Wu, and Lingqing were seated around a small table, sipping tea and enjoying snacks.

“Look at him, what does he resemble!? It’s all because you spoil him, it infuriates me!” An Luya was still upset, giving Murong Qingming a sharp look. Murong Yang was different from other children since birth – he didn’t cry, didn’t fuss, he was as stoic as his father. What’s the point of being that cool? But around five months old, he changed, especially fond of being around girls. He adored playing with Yang Yiyun, from his cousin’s family, and Wang Xinxin from Wang Wu’s family, drooling as he approached to play. Yet he ignored Jing Moqi, the son of Ming and Miao’er, always acting aloof.

This little boy was truly a headache. What strange things were running through his little head? From an outsider’s point of view, one might think he belonged to Jing Ziming, just as flirtatious and woman-loving. If this boy wasn’t properly disciplined, what would the future hold? His father always indulged him, stepping in to smooth over whenever she scolded the boy. An Luya was convinced that if she didn’t resolve to discipline him, he’d grow up to be a mischief-maker, breaking many a girl’s heart. An image of a group of women surrounding her son, calling him “darling,” flashed through her mind.

“No way! Starting tomorrow, I’ll take Murong Yang back to Shanghai for a while. I need to personally guide him. It’s such a trouble to have a child like this.” An Luya immediately jumped off Murong Qingming’s lap, almost losing her balance and falling.

“Luya!” Everyone in the gazebo stood up immediately, surrounding An Luya. “Are you okay?” “Did you hurt yourself?” “Do you need to go to the hospital?” “What’s the ambulance number?” Their chatter was incessant, making Luya’s head spin. Luya had always been in poor health, frequently catching colds or falling ill. After giving birth, her condition worsened. Qi Yang had mentioned that Luya’s past severe fevers hadn’t been properly treated, leaving significant after-effects. The excessive blood loss during childbirth further weakened her, making future pregnancies unlikely.

This situation saddened Luya deeply; she had longed for a daughter to braid her hair, dress her in lovely princess dresses and cute boots. But being unable to conceive again shattered her dream of having a daughter.

Murong Qingming was not particularly concerned but seeing Luya unhappy every day pained him. Hence, Qi Yang became the tragic figure, as Murong Qingming insisted that unless Qi Yang cured Luya, he need not face him. Qi Yang, looking miserable, remained by Luya’s side, taking her pulse every three days and conducting a check-up every ten days. He prepared medicinal meals to help Luya recover. Gradually, Luya’s health improved; her complexion became rosy, her lips red and teeth bright, and she gained ten jin¹. At this point, Luya was displeased, worried about a thick waistline.

Murong Qingming, however, was delighted, always encouraging her, “Gaining weight is good! It adds appeal and helps with conception. Don’t you want a daughter?” That left Luya speechless. True, for the sake of a daughter, gaining weight seemed a small price to pay. So, when Murong Yang was ten months old, Luya became pregnant again, reportedly with twins. Luya prayed fervently for a girl.

Although Luya was now in robust health, a fall could endanger her pregnancy. Everyone cherished these hard-won children. In her temper, Luya often forgot about the two lives she was carrying.

“Alright! I’m fine! I just jumped a little, I’m not that frail, okay?” An Luya wanted to roll her eyes. Was all this fuss necessary?

“Luya, please don’t scare me! Losing the twins is one thing, but if anything happens to you, what would I do?” Murong Qingming said, immediately hugging An Luya. He decided he needed to watch over her more closely-her jump nearly made him have a heart attack. Everyone behind them echoed similar sentiments as Murong Qingming’s.

“Oh, I didn’t do it on purpose. I was just too upset! I’ll be careful from now on, okay?” An Luya admitted her mistake. Seeing that she was alright, everyone just gave a few more reminders before going back to watch their own children.

“We can’t take any chances! Call Qi Yang to come check up on you. I won’t feel at ease until I know for sure that you’re okay.” Murong Qingming glanced toward a shadowy corner nearby, a gleam flashing in his eyes. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Is that really necessary? I just took a little jump; I’m not that fragile,” An Luya protested. Murong Qingming looked at her expressionlessly, but his eyes held an unmistakable intensity. An Luya dreaded that look-it made her shiver just from a single glance. In the past, whenever he gave her that look, it meant he was in the mood, and she knew she’d be thoroughly exhausted afterward. But now that she was pregnant and so delicate, even Murong Qingming wouldn’t act recklessly despite any desire. So why was she still so instinctively scared? It was only afterward that she would realize how unnecessary that fear was.

“Qi Yang will be here soon. Let me take you inside to rest. You guys watch Yangyang.” The last part was directed at the adults on the grass.

“Got it!” Someone responded, though it was unclear who. Either way, no one would dare neglect his child.

“Murong Qingming, there’s no need for all this. Let’s just keep an eye on the children!” An Luya said softly, wrapping her arms around Murong Qingming’s neck. She felt uneasy about Murong Qingming spending too much time with Jing Ziming, fearing it might influence him to become a flirty pup.

“Quiet! Just get some proper rest.” An Luya pouted, thinking to herself that he didn’t have to be so stern about it. Murong Qingming saw her pout and couldn’t help but smile; his darling was truly adorable. Before leaving, he cast another sharp glance toward the corner, exuding a menacing aura. Whoever thought they could challenge him was still too green.

An hour later, Qi Yang rushed to the villa. His boss had urgently called him, demanding he return from Europe within an hour to check on An Luya. Qi Yang had been worried that something serious had happened, so he arrived drenched in sweat. To his surprise, he found Ming and the others playing happily with the kids, realizing that the boss had exaggerated once again. Ironically, he had been in the middle of a major arms deal in Europe, and the boss’s call had cost him millions. But orders from the boss could not be ignored.

Qi Yang walked into the villa with his head hung low and made his way to Murong Qingming and An Luya’s room.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in!” Murong Qingming called. Qi Yang opened the door and stepped inside.

“Boss, what’s going on?”

“Come over and check Luya’s pulse. She almost took a fall earlier; see if everything’s alright,” Murong Qingming said, pulling Qi Yang over to An Luya’s bedside. An Luya was sleeping soundly. During her pregnancy with Murong Yang, so much had happened that she hadn’t noticed much. But this time, she was unusually sleepy and progressively more irritable by the day.

“Alright, let me take a look.” Qi Yang placed three fingers on her wrist, feeling her pulse for a while…

“She’s fine, Boss. Everything’s perfectly alright.” Qi Yang stood up, keeping his head down, harboring a bit of resentment toward his boss. He couldn’t help but feel heartache for the millions lost.

“What’s up with you?” Murong Qingming asked softly, with a calm demeanor.

“Nothing at all!” Qi Yang continued to keep his head down, though after a long pause, he began to feel uneasy-something felt off. Raising his head, he saw Murong Qingming’s murderous glare. Startled, Qi Yang took a step back, visibly trembling.

“B-Boss…” Could you not look at me like that? It’s terrifying! Yet he knew better than to voice this thought; he wouldn’t dare risk that.

“If you’ve got something to say, then say it. Stop dithering. If not, get out of my sight.” Murong Qingming’s words were calm, yet they carried an undeniable authority. This was the power of presence without the need for anger.

“No, Boss, really, I’m fine! Absolutely fine!” Qi Yang could not dare to disclose what was truly on his mind.

“In time, you’ll realize I’m doing all of this for your own good.”

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