The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 729 - 728: Cold War

Chapter 729: Chapter 728: Cold War

"You can only hurt the people who truly care about you."

Shen Mingzhu felt this sentence was very fitting for the current situation between her and Pei Yang.

In fact, her mood had already calmed down considerably after meeting with Dai Mingfang in the morning.

Asking Cui Lianying to buy groceries and leaving work early to cook dinner were all gestures intended to make amends with her husband and offer both of them a way out.

She felt torn.

Deep down she wanted to make up, but her words came out like a double-edged sword, wounding her husband and herself at the same time.

The years of smooth sailing had made her overly confident.

So much so that when the slightest imperfection or problem appeared in her marriage, she couldn’t control her defenses from crumbling.

Even though she tried to play it cool, the sight of Dai Mingfang’s young and beautiful face, as fresh as a flower, filled her with dread.

She could easily fend off Dai Mingfang now, but what about in ten years?

She would age day by day, her beauty fading, but there would always be twenty-year-olds as fresh as the spring blossoms, sprouting up constantly.

Just the thought of possibly struggling in her marriage and family life in the future, competing jealously against women popping up out of nowhere and using every trick to beat her rivals, made her feel disheartened.

Yet a voice inside her told her not to waste her energy on inner conflicts.

"Let’s both cool down a bit."

Pei Yang grabbed her hand as she was untying her apron, "I’m calm right now, let’s clear everything up today."

Shen Mingzhu looked at him, "But I’m not calm, I can’t have a peaceful conversation with you."

"Okay, how long do you need to cool down?"

"I don’t know, you can handle dinner, I’m not in the mood."

Pei Yang let go of her, "Go rest in your room, I’ll call you when dinner is ready."

"No need, I’m going out to eat."

When he heard her words, Pei Yang quickly grabbed her again, "Where are you going?"

Shen Mingzhu was a mess and replied offhand, "Wherever I end up, it’s none of your business."

How could I possibly not care about you.

Pei Yang managed to hold back from shouting at her, even though he was nearly enraged by her words.

"If you don’t want to see me, I’ll leave. You stay here at home."

Shen Mingzhu remained silent.

Taking her silence as consent, Pei Yang angrily removed his apron and threw it onto the rack before storming out.

His strides were large and fast, the breeze from his departure causing Shen Mingzhu’s hair to flutter.

Soon after, he heard the heavy sound of the door closing in the living room.

Looking at the fresh ingredients all over the kitchen counter, Shen Mingzhu also lost the desire to cook and turned to call Cui Lianying in the living room.

But as she turned, she saw the siblings standing outside the kitchen door, silent and tense.

Cui Lianying stood behind the children, her face etched with worry.

"Mommy."

Pei Tang wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her belly, pleading uneasily, "Mommy, please don’t fight with Daddy, okay? If Daddy makes you angry, my brother and I can scold him together."

Shen Mingzhu felt as if her heart was being tightly clenched, struggling to breathe.

Through her daughter, she seemed to relive her own childhood.

The endless quarrels between her parents, the family falling apart, herself helplessly crying underneath the covers.

She knew all too well how torturous and painful those days were, and she didn’t want her daughter to experience even a bit of it, even if it meant swallowing a thousand needles.

"Okay, Mommy promises you, I will never fight with Daddy again."

Pei Tang looked up at her with his reddened little nose, his teary eyes more clear and pure than any gemstone,

"Then, will you divorce Daddy? Fan Fangfang’s parents got divorced, and her dad found her a stepmom, but her stepmom is not nice to her at all. She always scolds her and makes her do lots of chores."

Shen Mingzhu felt a sting in her heart from the unease in her daughter’s eyes and quickly soothed her with a gentle voice, "No, Daddy and I won’t get a divorce. We’re just having a little tiff, like when you have a falling out with your playmates. We’ll make up in a couple of days."

Pei Tang held out her pinky finger, "Pinky promise, if you lie to me you’re a puppy."

"Hmm."

Shen Mingzhu extended her pinkie and hooked it tightly with her daughter’s. "If Mommy lies to you, she’ll become a little dog, and stay by your side for a lifetime, helping you guard the house."

Pei Tang burst into laughter through her tears.

Pei Ziheng beside her breathed a sigh of relief as well.

Although he usually found Pei Yang annoying, he didn’t want to exchange him for a different stepfather.

...

In the dimly lit bar, Pei Yang and Chen Yi sat in an inconspicuous corner of the counter.

"She actually doesn’t believe me. Am I that kind of person? She even said I deliberately kept Xiao Dai in the company when she had agreed to it before. Why does she slander me like this? If there’s truly a fault, she can’t escape the blame!"

After complaining for a long while, Chen Yi only smiled and sipped his drink, causing Pei Yang to lose his temper.

"What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?"

Chen Yi put down his glass and said, "Sitting here, we’re like a poor man listening to a rich man’s money troubles."

Pei Yang stared at him.

Chen Yi swirled his drink, reflecting, "You won’t understand how much I envy you. Her quarreling and making a fuss with you proves that she cares about you. If she didn’t care, would she mind how many women are around you?"

"Then she could just talk to me properly. Can throwing a temper solve the problem?"

"If she could remain calm and composed about such matters, that’s when you should start to worry."

Pei Yang’s lips curled in a smile that not even an AK could suppress.

Chen Yi raised his glass for a toast, "Finish your drink and go home early."

Pei Yang picked up his glass but didn’t drink, instead pouring it all into the ashtray.

"Drinking causes problems. I won’t drink anymore."

After emptying his glass, Pei Yang said to Chen Yi, "To thank you for your advice tonight, I’ll give you two pieces of free news."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow.

"My sister doesn’t seem to have forgiven you yet, but she’s also not planning to look for another man."

...

Pei Yang returned home close to midnight.

In fact, he had left the bar at ten, but fearing bringing the smell of smoke and alcohol home to anger Shen Mingzhu, he followed Chen Yi back to his apartment complex first, took a shower, had a late-night snack, then returned.

Upon entering the bedroom, he didn’t dare turn on the light, fumbling his way in the dark to the bedside and quietly laid down.

Shen Mingzhu hadn’t fallen asleep; she could clearly hear every move the man made, including his breathing.

Silence spread infinitely in the darkness.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound came from beside her.

On the soft springs of the mattress, Pei Yang got up from bed.

Click.

As the bedroom door opened and closed, silence once again engulfed the room.

Hearing the noises from the guest room next door, Shen Mingzhu slowly turned over.

The next day, Shen Mingzhu got up a bit late.

By the time she dressed and stepped out of the bedroom, hot steamy breakfast was already laid out on the dining table—just the aroma alone told her it was wontons.

The siblings sat at their respective seats, waiting for Pei Yang to serve them.

"Mommy, good morning."

"Morning."

Shen Mingzhu exchanged greetings with the siblings.

"Wife, wash up and have wontons, they’re filled with shepherd’s purse."

In the cold winter season, most fields are covered with snow, and it’s not easy to get fresh shepherd’s purse.

Shen Mingzhu loved wontons, especially with shepherd’s purse filling. Pei Yang getting up early to make this was obviously an attempt to make amends and please her.

"I’ve made plans, going out for morning tea."

Having said that, Shen Mingzhu picked up her bag and left the house.

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