The house wasn't large, but it was neatly arranged—warm and cozy. A faint milky fragrance lingered in the air.
Standing in front of the sofa, Li Yue couldn't take her eyes off the baby cradled in Zhang Yichen's arms.
"Xixi…" Li Lanxin's voice trembled, her throat tightening as if something blocked it. "This child… is yours?"
Chen Xiaoxi lowered her head, gazing at the baby. A faint smile curved her lips—gentle, yet tinged with both bitterness and relief. "Yes. She's my child."
"You…" Li Yue's eyes instantly reddened. Tears welled up, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. "Why didn't you tell me? Do you even think of me as your sister? Do you know how long I've been searching for you?"
Her voice grew softer until it was almost a whisper—half accusation, half helpless confession. More than anger, it carried grievance: grievance for herself, but also for Chen Xiaoxi.
Chen Xiaoxi sighed softly and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her. "Yue… I wanted to keep this child."
They were as close as real sisters. Just those words were enough for Li Yue to understand everything without further explanation.
It wasn't that Chen Xiaoxi didn't want to seek her help—it was that even if she had, it would've been useless, and far too dangerous.
A year ago, the Chen family had arranged a marriage alliance for her. At that time, Li Yue had just gone abroad. She couldn't have helped, even if she wanted to.
In powerful families, alliances weren't something anyone dared interfere with. To stand in the way was to make enemies of both families. If she had been involved, it would have been Li Yue who was cast out.
As for breaking a contract? In Li Yue's eyes, that was nothing serious.
But the truth was simple: Chen Xiaoxi had broken her contract for the sake of this child. She disappeared for the sake of this child.
Li Yue knew herself well. If she had known her best friend was pregnant out of wedlock, she definitely would've tried everything to stop her.
And with her family's influence, every move she made after returning home was watched closely. If they had discovered Chen Xiaoxi was pregnant, the news would have spread like wildfire.
In business, there are no eternal friends. The Li family and the Chen family were proof of that.
Though they sometimes cooperated, they were far more often fierce competitors.
Chen Xiaoxi's pregnancy would've been the perfect scandal to crush the Chen family's stock prices. And the Yi family, who also wanted to marry into the Chen family, would have been caught in the crossfire as well.
If the Li family succeeded, one family would dominate the entire Shanghai circle.
That was why the Chen and Yi families would never have allowed Chen Xiaoxi to give birth.
That was why she hadn't dared seek Li Yue's help.
"You silly girl…" Understanding everything now, Li Yue hugged her tighter.
"Xixi, you—" The moment her arms closed around her, she froze. Beneath the loose clothing, her friend's body was shockingly frail, nothing but skin and bones.
"I'm fine," Chen Xiaoxi said softly, gently pushing her away. She forced a smile. "It's all in the past."
Li Yue's brows knitted together. Her fingers instinctively tightened around her wrist. "This? You call this fine? Look at yourself—what have you become?"
Her voice trembled with anger, her eyes blazing. "Who's the bastard that did this? I'll make him pay!"
"Cough… cough…"
The so-called "bastard," sitting awkwardly on the sofa, cleared his throat but didn't dare speak.
"The child…" Chen Xiaoxi glanced guiltily at Zhang Yichen but said no more.
But how could Li Yue not know?
One look at the baby's little face was enough—it was practically a miniature version of Zhang Yichen.
The father's identity couldn't have been clearer.
"It's you?!" Li Yue's voice ground out between clenched teeth. For a moment, she completely forgot about the shares she hadn't yet secured.
"I'll beat you to death, you bastard!" She charged forward, fist raised.
"Waaa…"
But before her punch could land, the baby in Zhang Yichen's arms stirred and began to cry.
"Ah!" Li Yue instantly froze, snatching back her fist. Her expression shifted in an instant. "Baby's awake? Come to Auntie! Mommy will hold you!"
She reached out with trembling hands, eager to try.
"Mommy? Don't mislead my daughter," Zhang Yichen said, twisting his body to dodge her arms.
"What? Isn't a godmother still a mother? Hand her over!" Li Yue looked perfectly justified, like she was the real parent.
If anyone didn't know better, they might have believed it too.
"You? Hold her? Can you even manage that?" Zhang Yichen gave her a sideways glance, full of disdain.
"Who are you looking down on?" Li Yue huffed and pouted, then turned to complain like a child. "Xixi, look at him!"
"You two…" Chen Xiaoxi shook her head with a smile and turned to Zhang Yichen. "Let her hold her. We agreed—whoever has a child first, the other becomes the godmother."
"…Fine."
After a long hesitation, Zhang Yichen reluctantly handed the baby over. "Careful. Don't drop her."
"Ha, come on. Yue's not a child." Watching his anxious face, Chen Xiaoxi couldn't help but laugh.
She hadn't known how long he'd held the baby after feeding her the night before, but since morning, he'd barely let go once. Sometimes, she even felt redundant.
"She's still tiny. If you hold her wrong, you might hurt her." Zhang Yichen still wasn't reassured.
"Here—watch. Rest her head on your shoulder. Support her neck and head with this arm. Use the other hand to hold her bottom."
He demonstrated patiently, over and over, until finally satisfied.
"Yes, like that. Good job."
Meanwhile, Li Yue was sweating nervously from head to toe.
"Wait—why are you trembling?" Zhang Yichen frowned. "You'll make my daughter uncomfortable like that." He reached out, ready to take the baby back.
Total daughter-con.
"Stay right there! I won't shake anymore!" Li Yue quickly sat down on the sofa, steadying herself until she calmed.
Chen Xiaoxi said nothing, simply watching the two of them silently.
She'd thought the baby might cry when held by someone new, but instead, the child smiled happily in Li Yue's arms.
Perhaps with both parents present, she felt safe. Or maybe she sensed her godmother's genuine affection.
"Ahh, she's so cute! Mommy loves you so much! Come home with me, okay?"
Li Yue was completely smitten, even daring to dream of stealing the baby away.
Of course, would Zhang Yichen ever allow that?
Not a chance. His daughter was his alone—no one else could take her.
"Her home is right here. Where exactly are you taking her?" he said, reaching out to reclaim her.
"Stay back! Don't move!" Li Yue shifted her body protectively.
Snatch his daughter? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
She hadn't had nearly enough time to dote on her yet.