Become a mother in a night

Chapter 41

When Alex Ye heard that Michelle was heading to the gym, he initially thought he had misheard.
He asked, "Where did she go?"
Nora replied, "The gym."
Alex was at a loss for words.
Why on earth would Michelle go to the gym? Was she going with Brandon?
Of course, he wouldn't pose these questions to Nora, and certainly not to Michelle. He could only keep his thoughts to himself.
Since Michelle was planning to hit the gym, she'd left a message for Alex to come home early.
Michelle texted: "Mr. Ye, come home early to spend time with Lizzy."
Alex was already aware of Michelle's new fitness regimen since Nora had informed him the previous night. But he decided to feign ignorance.
Alex replied: "Are you not going to be home?"
Michelle: "Yes, starting today, I'll be at the gym every night at 8."
Alex: "?"
Michelle: "So, I'd appreciate if Mr. Ye could spend the evening with Lizzy. Just watch some cartoons with her."
Clearly, Alex's question mark was asking why she was heading to the gym. But Michelle chose to bypass the inquiry, with no intention of explaining.
Alex: "..."
He got the message. His role had shifted from merely being the designated driver for school drop-offs and pick-ups to now also being the companion for cartoon-watching.
He didn't dare decline Michelle's request and simply responded with a stoic "Alright."
Thus began his days filled with work and nights of child-care.
After several days of juggling office tasks during the day and parenting duties at night, Alex acknowledged the joy of spending time with such a delightful child. But the mounting paperwork on his desk couldn't be ignored. He seriously considered setting up a work desk beside the living room couch.
In the past few days, with Michelle at the gym and not joining Lizzy for cartoons, the little girl felt a tinge of sadness. However, the silver lining was her dad's newfound availability.
Sitting obediently on the couch, Lizzy blinked her big round eyes, waiting for Alex to join her for the cartoon session.
Seeing his daughter's endearing behavior momentarily stunned Alex. As realization dawned, a smile subtly crept up his face.
Well, no matter how busy work gets, spending time with one's child is crucial.
Alex Ye walked over, sitting down next to the young girl to watch the cartoon together. However, Lizzy kept blinking up at him, puzzled.
Alex Ye: "?"
He was a bit perplexed.
In a soft voice, Lizzy said, "Daddy, I want to eat cherries and drink yogurt."
In the past, when Michelle accompanied her during cartoon time, she'd always prepare cherries or other fruits for Lizzy, making it a habit for the young girl. With Michelle absent these past days, Nora had taken up that role. But today, Nora had an evening class, which meant this honorable task naturally fell to Alex.
Alex, who had never actually washed fruits himself, looked at her, lost for words: "..."
Seeing her adorable round face, he couldn't help but smile, "Alright, daddy will get the cherries and yogurt for you."
At this, the child beamed, her face lighting up with a sweet smile.
She cheerfully said to Alex, "Thank you, daddy~"
Seeing her smiling face, Alex's heart softened.
Indeed, no matter how busy, spending time with one's child is a must.
Besides, he thought, the child he shared with Michelle was just too adorable.
After working out at the gym for some time, Michelle Xia truly felt exhausted, but she also felt more confident than ever. This newfound confidence manifested itself when she felt the faint outline of abs forming on her waist, making her wonder if her waistline might just be slimmer than Aria Cheng's.
These days she hadn't been around much for Lizzy. Recalling the previous night, as she was getting ready to head to the gym, the look of slight reproach in Lizzy's eyes, combined with her pitiful expression, made Michelle both amused and guilty.
After some contemplation, she informed her gym trainer that she wouldn't be attending that evening.
When the trainer inquired about the reason, Michelle had to think on her feet.
Michelle: "Something personal came up, it's urgent."
The trainer replied with a simple "OK" but reminded her to come on time the next evening.
After bidding the trainer goodbye, Michelle booted up a game she hadn't played in a while.
As she played, her thoughts wandered to how she might make it up to her ever-so-adorable daughter.
The child had become so attached and dependent on her that Michelle felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving Lizzy with Alex Ye these past few days.
Moreover, she had troubled that workaholic Mr. Ye quite a bit, making him lose so much of his work time...
Previously, Michelle had wanted to express her gratitude to Alex for helping her with her academic records, but she had never taken any action. Now thinking about it, she felt overwhelmed by the many debts she owed: to Alex, to Lizzy, to herself, and to...
Michelle: "..."
Michelle: "Forget it, I can't keep count."
Sighing, she logged off after a couple of games and opened her banking app to check her balance. She decided to buy Lizzy a little gift as a reward for sleeping alone at night.
As for Alex...
Michelle was stumped. What could she possibly gift a powerful tycoon who had everything? This was the very reason she hadn't thanked him earlier. Not because she didn't want to, but she genuinely had no idea how to. It's not like she could offer herself, right?
With such thoughts, Michelle felt deeply troubled.
She wished she could just outright ask Alex what gift he'd like.
That afternoon, Michelle went shopping and bought snacks for Lizzy, an adorable cat-eared hat, and various cute stickers.
When Lizzy came home and saw all the lovely rewards her mother had given her, she was over the moon, instantly forgetting the fear and sadness she felt from the past nights.
"I'm the bravest! I'm the best!" she thought. She even felt she could sleep alone every night from now on!
Unable to contain herself, Lizzy wanted to give her mommy a kiss.
Seeing this, Michelle laughed, thinking of how much of a little coquette her daughter was.
Bending over, Michelle allowed Lizzy to give her a couple of smooches on the cheek.
Feeling satisfied after giving her mom a kiss, Lizzy then ran into the kitchen to show off her new hat to Nora.
Lizzy: "Look at my new hat, Nora! Mommy gave it to me as a reward!"
Her cute face seemed to scream, "Praise me!"
Nora, who was preparing dinner, handed the freshly washed plate of fruit to Lizzy. Touching the cat ears on the hat, she smiled and said, "Wow, Lizzy, you look so cute, and the hat is adorable!"
Hearing Nora's approval and praise, Lizzy became bashful and shyly left the kitchen.
Watching the little figure retreat, Nora couldn't help but think: Ah, Mr. Ye and Miss Xia's child is just too adorable!
That evening, as was his routine, Alex Ye returned to spend time with Lizzy Xia. As he pushed the door open, a little girl wearing a cat-eared hat was standing at the entrance waiting for him.
Her eyes sparkled, and she tilted her head upwards, sweetly calling out, "Daddy."
Alex paused for a moment, inexplicably reminded of videos he'd seen where pets patiently awaited their owner's return at the doorstep.
Glancing again at her cat-eared hat, he couldn't help but see the resemblance.
He smiled, placing his hand on top of the hat and giving it a gentle rub. He found himself thinking how much softer and more comforting it was to ruffle Lizzy's actual hair beneath.
Noticing the joy on the child's face and the hat she wore, it wasn't hard for him to guess that it was a gift from Michelle.
Having learned how to interact with the little one, Alex complimented, "Lizzy, your hat looks wonderful."
Hearing this, Lizzy nodded vigorously and emphasized, "Mommy rewarded me with this hat!"
Alex replied, "Yes, the hat is really cute, and so are you, Lizzy."
Flattered by the praise, a content and slightly blushing Lizzy scampered off to join Michelle in watching some cartoons.
Watching her retreat, a warm smile crept onto Alex's face.
After dinner, Michelle settled down, as usual, to watch cartoons with Lizzy.
Alex noticed that his usual spot on the couch was now occupied by Michelle and asked, "Not hitting the gym tonight?"
He glanced at the space next to Michelle, then at the space beside Lizzy, finally choosing to sit next to Michelle.
Instinctively, Michelle shifted slightly, offering him more room.
Lifting her head to meet his gaze, she gave him a courteous smile, "Mmm, I thought I'd spend the evening with Lizzy."
She then added apologetically, "Sorry, I should've mentioned it earlier."
Alex Ye responded, "It's alright."
Though the little girl was nestled in Michelle's embrace, her attention was entirely captivated by the cartoon. She was vaguely aware of the conversation between the two adults beside her, but their words were just a murmur to her.
She looked up at Michelle and then at Alex, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment, a hundred times more profound than when her father had complimented her earlier. The fact that both her parents were there, watching the cartoon with her, was what mattered the most.
She remembered the times when Michelle had told her that "Daddy doesn't like Mommy, and Mommy doesn't like Daddy." Such words had saddened her deeply.
Lizzy was a greedy little child in her wishes. She hoped for moments like this, where both her parents were by her side. And, in her most ambitious dreams, she wished they would also give her a younger sibling, just like Aria Cheng's parents did for her.
Lost in these thoughts, Lizzy soon became engrossed in the cartoon. Before she realized it, it was already 9 PM, bedtime. The rare moment of watching the cartoon with both her parents had slipped away.
Lizzy mumbled, a hint of protest in her tone. She lifted her head, her big eyes pleading, "Can Daddy and Mommy watch cartoons with Lizzy again tomorrow?"
Michelle, having been reminded by her gym instructor to attend a session the next evening, was about to decline. But before she could speak, Alex readily agreed.
Without hesitation, and with a hint of amusement, Alex said, "Sure, we'll continue our cartoon marathon with Lizzy tomorrow night."
Michelle, slightly taken aback, began, "I..."
Lizzy interrupted joyfully, "Yay! Tomorrow Daddy and Mommy will watch cartoons with Lizzy!"
Michelle was silent, thinking to herself, *The father-daughter duo truly shares an uncanny understanding.*
She made up her mind then and there. The bedtime story she had planned as a compensation would have to be scrapped. The brave little girl would have to sleep on her own tonight. But, being the courageous child she was, Lizzy seemed ready. After hearing the promise of another family movie night and finishing her milk, she contentedly headed to her room.
As Alex was about to head to his neighboring home to catch up on some work, Michelle stopped him.
With a gentle smile, slightly embarrassed and nervous, she handed him a thank-you gift she had prepared.
Doing her best to appear relaxed, she softly said, "Thank you, Mr. Ye, for helping me with the school registration issue."