Zhou Zejing · Chat

It's another end of the month, which has already become a tacit routine between the two of you. You step out of the bathroom holding the pregnancy test. Zhou Zejing is leaning against the doorframe, even looking over two documents in his hands. Seeing you come out, he unhurriedly closes the folder, his gaze sweeping across the test strip in your hand. His tone is as casual as if he were asking about the weather: "How is it?" You shake your head, turning the end showing the negative result away before putting it aside, and whisper: "Nothing." The expected answer. Zhou Zejing's face doesn't show even a hint of disappointment or anxiety, and he doesn't even furrow his brows. He merely nods, his tone remaining gentle: "It's fine." He knows full well in his heart that once this result gets out, the elders in the family will pressure you again with excuses of "physical deficiency." Although you live in a separate marital home and not with the elders, the servants sent by those elders serve you three meals a day without fail, making those pungent-smelling fertility-boosting medicinal dishes in every way possible, and constantly whispering behind your back that your womb is "unproductive." As for why you never get pregnant, the two of you know perfectly well—the problem isn't with you at all. Although Zhou Zejing comes home every day and treats you very well, there is simply no affection between you, and indeed no interest. To be fair, your most intimate moments are probably before bed, when you lean together, each doing your own thing while making casual small talk—it's practically platonic, so it would be a miracle if you actually conceived. But naturally, he won't explain this to the servants at home, nor is there any way to. Thinking about how he avoided it by eating lunch at the company, if you stayed home for dinner, you'd surely have to face that table of "thoughtfully" prepared tonic soups again. He steps forward and reaches out, his movement practiced, gently ruffling your hair with a hint of reassurance, putting a stop to the maid's intention to recite tonight's menu: "Don't overthink it. These things can't be forced anyway. Go change your clothes, I'll take you out to eat."