Your wife wants a divorce! Your wife is going to leave you!

"Divorce?"

After threats and persuasion, he had finally heard the answer he wanted.

Then Tang Beichen froze.

"Have you got something wrong?"

It took him a long while to find his voice. "Xia Jing and I just had a baby. How could we possibly be getting divorced?"

"Believe it or don't."

Zhang Zhang hung up on him.

After Su Xiajing retired from acting, she had taken on a new client. The newcomer was starting from scratch in every respect and needed her attention at every turn, yet now she was being dragged into this couple's marital troubles, too.

Tang Beichen could question her when he didn't believe her, but who could she turn to for justice?

Still, if Su Xiajing wanted to make a comeback, she would wholeheartedly support her.

She was a born actress who deserved to shine in the entertainment industry. Her family was holding her back far too much.

Tang Beichen was dumbstruck, inside and out. Every cell in his body seemed to be screaming at him:

"Your wife wants a divorce!"

"Your wife is going to leave you!"

How had it come to this?

Oh. Actually, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

After what had happened, Xia Jing no longer trusted the Tang Family at all.

It was only natural that she wanted to stay away from the Tang Family to protect her daughter.

But he was Tang Tang's father, too. He wanted the best for their child just as much as she did, and he would give everything to protect their daughter.

Why didn't she trust even him anymore?

Tang Beichen found it unreasonable. He tried to convince himself to understand, yet he felt terribly wronged.

Everything had been fine until yesterday. He had come home from a business trip only to have his daughter despise him as a scumbag and his wife leave him.

Who was going to understand him?

Could Xia Jing have misunderstood him...?

Influenced by Tang Tang's inner thoughts, Tang Beichen couldn't help considering that possibility, but he quickly dismissed it.

That was impossible.

No one else could hear Tang Tang's thoughts, so naturally they couldn't know. Besides, those things had happened in her previous life...

The next morning.

Tang Beichen got up at daybreak and joined Sister Wang in the kitchen to prepare meals for Su Xiajing's postpartum recovery.

Su Xiajing had little appetite after giving birth, so her meals mainly consisted of soups and congee, which took a long time to prepare.

Sister Wang went to help Su Xiajing wash up first.

Tang Beichen wanted to help, but Su Xiajing mercilessly refused him.

While Su Xiajing was eating breakfast, Tang Tang woke up.

Sister Wang went to prepare some formula and feed her.

Tang Beichen followed her. "Let me."

Hearing the familiar voice in the room, Tang Tang first felt for the little pouch around her neck.

Oh, I still haven't been abandoned today.

Good thing my gold and money are still here, too.

Su Xiajing: "..."

Another day of gold and money being more important than me.

Tang Beichen: "..."

I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm the reason you're living in fear.

With Sister Wang's help, Tang Beichen prepared the formula, checked its temperature, and came over to feed her.

Looking at the tiny Tang Tang, who was clutching her little pouch with both hands, Tang Beichen fell silent for a moment before turning to Sister Wang. "Should I hold her while I feed her?"

"Yes, hold her. It'll help you bond with your daughter."

Tang Tang quietly watched him, her feelings hard to put into words.

Uh, actually, we don't have to bond.

This scumbag dad of mine could betray Mom just like that, even after all those years together. What chance do I have?

For both our sakes, just put me back in the crib.

If you really want to do something, I don't mind letting you hold my bottle.

Tang Beichen: "..."

My own daughter keeps calling me a scumbag dad, and now she wants to make me her bottle holder?

Faced with his daughter's disdainful gaze, Tang Beichen became even more reluctant to reach for her.

"New dads are always like this."

Sister Wang assumed he was afraid to touch the baby because he might hurt her, so she picked Tang Tang up and carefully placed her in his arms.

"Relax. You can move your arms a little and rock her. That'll make the baby more comfortable, too."

Tang Beichen: "..."

I don't dare move. I really don't dare move.

Tang Tang: "..."

This isn't even as comfortable as the crib.

Su Xiajing gave Tang Beichen a cool look. "If you can't manage, let Sister Wang do it."

Tang Beichen gritted his teeth. "I can!"

Question anything about him, but never tell him he couldn't do it!

After struggling through the feeding, he put Tang Tang back in the crib.

Next, Sister Wang changed Tang Tang's diaper while giving the new parents a hands-on lesson.

As a fully grown adult who had lived ten lifetimes, Tang Tang felt embarrassed for a few seconds about having so many people watch her diaper being changed. Then she quickly came to terms with it, hugged her pouch tight, and lay back to let them do as they pleased.

The doctor came that morning to give mother and daughter a brief checkup.

By the time she woke from another nap and the whole family gave her a bath, Tang Tang had gotten used to being cared for and soaked comfortably in the water.

She was a little baby now, anyway. Whoever else might feel embarrassed, it certainly wouldn't be the baby.

Having recovered a little, Su Xiajing wanted a bath, too. Tang Beichen eagerly raised his hand to volunteer his help, only to be shut out by Su Xiajing again.

"Then... then I'll wait outside. Call me if you need anything."

Tang Beichen hung his head and stood dejectedly by the door.

Tang Tang hugged her little pouch and enjoyed the show.

Pretty Mommy is so scary when she's angry, but she's so pretty, too!

I love watching a scumbag get dumped. Give me more!

Tang Beichen: "..."

Sweetheart, Daddy doesn't blame you for not knowing the truth.

But could you please stop calling Daddy a scumbag?

If you keep this up, our family is going to fall apart!

"Tang Tang."

Tang Beichen crouched meekly in front of the crib. "Let Daddy tell you about his relationship with Mommy."

"Actually, I fell for your mommy before we were formally introduced."

"There was a performance at my old high school. A friend dragged me along to watch his little sister perform, and your mommy happened to be one of the performers. The first time I saw her, I fell in love at first sight."

"But before we had a chance to meet, your mommy debuted as an actress. It wasn't until a few years later that our paths officially crossed through work."

"You have no idea how happy I was then, but I didn't want to scare your mommy, so I was always careful to keep my distance..."

Tang Beichen told Tang Tang every detail, from his first proper meeting with Su Xiajing to getting acquainted, growing close, and falling in love, then the old man's opposition to their relationship, and finally their marriage and the birth of their child.

After discovering his ability to read minds and hearing his daughter correctly predict the old man's actions, he was now absolutely terrified of what might come out of Tang Tang's mouth.

He loved his wife and daughter.

His wife and child could only ever be Su Xiajing and Tang Tang.

That was why he would never cheat, either.

He hoped his nearly ten years of secret love would move his daughter enough to make her stop tossing out wild predictions.

After Tang Tang had been brought back to the Tang Family, no one had ever told her about her parents. Hearing the story did stir something in her, but not much.

Oh, so that's how you two fell in love.

Tang Beichen was moved. His daughter finally understood what he was saying.

Sweetheart, your mommy is the only woman I've loved all these years!

So stop randomly deciding I've "cheated."

Tang Tang remained cold. Then why did you hurt my pretty mommy?

You loved her so deeply, for so many years. Why did you betray her when she was struggling the most and needed you most?

For my pretty mommy, who was already depressed after losing her daughter, you and your company were her only emotional support. Yet you pushed her away with your own hands when she was suffering the most.

Do you know how I felt every time I saw Mommy's gravestone?

...Forget it, forget it. There I go worrying about things I can't control again.

Anyway, I'm still just a little baby who can't do anything. You can't hear a word of all this, and I can't force you to change your ways and apologize.

I'm sorry, Pretty Mommy. I shouldn't have lost my head and let that scumbag dad's words fool me. I'll reflect on it.

"..."

Tang Beichen felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss.

Had he really betrayed Xia Jing when she was suffering the most, and caused her death with his own hands?

Was this really something I had done?