When Mai Ding got home, the sound of piano music drifted out from inside. Without even taking off his shoes, he walked into the hallway and watched An Zi Yan’s profile as he played. He still remembered the way An Zi Yan had held Wang Xi Yuan, and suddenly Mai Ding desperately wanted to ask him: Do you like children? How would An Zi Yan answer? Would he tell the truth or lie? And how was Mai Ding supposed to tell the difference?
It’s only a child. I won’t lose you.
On one side there was piano music and on the other a ringing phone as Wu Xin answered the call.
“Hello.”
“It’s me.”
“So it’s you. Since you’re calling me, does that mean you’ve thought it through?”
“No matter how you put it, the girl is the one who loses out in something like this. I have conditions.”
“Listen to yourself. What era are we living in now? As long as Xiao Si agrees willingly, how can you call it losing out? We’ll take good care of her, just like a daughter-in-law.”
“Don’t just say nice things. You should know very well that this isn’t the same as abroad. In this country, artificial insemination requires a legally married couple, doesn’t it? I assume you already know how you’re going to arrange that. After all, you said Zi Yan is married, but that marriage certificate of his is basically meaningless here.”
“Since you understand everything already, what else do you want?”
“While Xiao Si is pregnant, Zi Yan has to stay by her side. But that man can’t be there. I don’t want the baby’s prenatal environment affected by something like that. My request isn’t unreasonable, is it?”
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t waste your effort. If I could change Zi Yan’s choice, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“So are you agreeing or refusing?” Wu Xin was silent for a moment before answering, “Fine. But after the child is born, you’re not allowed to interfere anymore with who Zi Yan wants to be with.”
“If you keep your word, naturally I will too.” Bai Xiong hung up.
An Zi Yan’s fingers stopped. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m listening to you play.” Mai Ding walked over and sat beside him, then placed both hands on the piano. “I’ve listened to you play for so long that I actually learned one song. Want to hear it?” An Zi Yan said nothing, so Mai Ding began to play. It was the simplest children’s song imaginable, and even then he hit several wrong notes. When he finished, pride covered his face. “Well?”
“Are you sure you really want my opinion?”
“For a beginner, that was already pretty good!” Mai Ding put on an annoyed expression and looked at An Zi Yan. He felt he could barely hold the expression together. Suddenly, he wrapped both arms around An Zi Yan’s neck and rested his face on his shoulder.
“Hey.” An Zi Yan was about to push him away, but Mai Ding held on more tightly. “Let me hug you for a while. Don’t push me away.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing. I’m overthinking again.” Mai Ding closed his eyes and pressed the tip of his nose against An Zi Yan’s skin. The hand An Zi Yan had placed at Mai Ding’s waist to push him away moved instead to his back, pulling Mai Ding tightly into his arms.
To parents, the most important thing in the world was their child. If An Zi Yan became a father, then his child would become the most important thing to him too, wouldn’t it? Yet that incredibly important life was something Mai Ding could never give him. Only someone else could. Only a woman could. Gender was the most unusual part of their love.
Several peaceful days passed, giving Mai Ding room to think. He did not believe the choice he was making now was noble or kind. He had not given An Zi Yan up and never would. It was simply that a person could not live only for himself. If their parents had lived only for themselves, maybe they would never have accepted Mai Ding and An Zi Yan’s relationship at all.
Bai Xiao Si was summoned to the office again with reluctance written all over her face. Bai Xiong stood with his back to her, smoking. He only wanted to try. He did not actually think he could persuade her, and if she refused, Bai Xiong would not force her.
“Dad, you didn’t call me here to talk about marriage and children again, did you? How many times have I already told you?”
“What if I asked you to marry Zi Yan and have his child?”
Bai Xiao Si thought what Bai Xiong had said was utterly absurd, but he would not make that kind of joke for no reason. Her expression grew serious. “What do you mean? I told you, my ex… Yan already has someone he loves, and he’s married too. Stop saying weird things!”
“I know. And I also know what kind of person his partner is.” Bai Xiong’s words carried a deeper meaning. Bai Xiao Si frowned. “How would you know that?”
“Your Auntie Wu Xin told me.”
“Auntie must be planning something again. Can you adults stop worrying yourselves sick over everything?”
“Watch how you speak.”
“No. I need to warn Yan and Mai Mai.”
“They already know.”
“They know?”
“Haven’t they told you yet? That’s not surprising. They want to ask you for a favor, but it’s not the kind of favor just anyone would agree to.” Bai Xiong deliberately kept delaying the explanation, making Bai Xiao Si guess over and over. She wondered if her father was lying. If Mai Ding needed her help, he would definitely call her himself. There was no reason Bai Xiong should be the one telling her.
“Whether you agree or not is your own decision. I won’t interfere.”
“What exactly is it?”
“They want a child.”
“So they want to put Yan’s sperm inside me? Even if they wanted my help, why would you be the one telling me? I said I don’t want children, so now you’re using this?” Bai Xiao Si spoke without any restraint despite being a young woman, and Bai Xiong glared at her. “If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. I admit I want a grandchild too, but something like this obviously can’t happen just because I want it. If An Zi Yan’s side didn’t agree, it would be impossible. Besides, if you could just be like an ordinary girl and get married and have children normally, do you think I’d ever agree to something like this?!”
“This doesn’t sound like you, Dad. You have some other plan, don’t you?” Bai Xiao Si questioned him. Bai Xiong did indeed have another plan. A child could become a bond between two people.
“What other plan could I possibly have? You’ve driven me to the point where this is the only option left. Do you think I still have the energy to scheme about anything else? I told you, if you don’t agree, I won’t force you.” Bai Xiao Si had studied abroad, so she was not as shocked by the idea as Mai Ding had been. Some of her friends overseas had used surrogacy before. She only found the situation strange because she had never once heard those two say they wanted a child. She suspected her father was testing her.
“Whether I agree or not, shouldn’t the people involved ask me themselves? If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” Bai Xiao Si looked carefully at Bai Xiong one more time, then pulled open the door.