Chapter 24: You Smell Like Another Woman

"Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Would you like me to call a doctor for you?"

Chen Siyuan sat by the bedside, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Jennifer did not answer his question. Instead, she struggled to sit up and threw herself into Chen Siyuan’s arms.

"I knew you would come to save me! I knew it!"

Jennifer burst into uncontrollable tears. The encounter at the bar just now had terrified her. In truth, had Chen Siyuan not arrived in time, her fate would have been truly horrific.

"It’s alright now. I promise you, that bastard will rot in prison," Chen Siyuan said, gently patting her back.

"Jack, do you know why I went there?" Jennifer looked up at him, her eyes clouded with tears.

Chen Siyuan patted her gently, remaining silent.

"I had hoped that you were still the Jack from back then; if so, I thought I might still have a chance. But all I received was the news that your wife was pregnant. That was when I realized you were no longer the man you once were—the prodigal son had actually returned home." Jennifer’s face was etched with bitterness. "I went to Creek Bar today to say a final goodbye in the place where we first met. I never expected to be set up; by the time I realized it, it was already too late. Fortunately, I had set you as my emergency contact..."

Jennifer hugged him tightly once more, shivering with lingering fear.

Chen Siyuan remained silent. So, this was still his fault. Under normal circumstances, Jennifer would certainly have brought assistants and bodyguards with her.

"Jennifer..."

Before Chen Siyuan could finish his sentence, Jennifer pulled him down.

"Jack, please give me one perfect farewell!"

Chen Siyuan lowered the hands he had intended to use to push her away. He decided to treat this as one last moment of impulse. Jennifer needed to release and vent her emotions to forget what had happened today. Faced with her initiative, Chen Siyuan’s body reacted with honest instinct. Jennifer smiled alluringly, and then began to frantically tear at his clothes...

...

Jennifer circled Chen Siyuan, wearing a satisfied smile. "This outfit suits you well! When did you buy it?"

Chen Siyuan looked into her eyes. Jennifer’s gaze flickered and dodged.

"Alright, I should head back now." Chen Siyuan glanced outside; the sky had already darkened.

Jennifer nodded, hugging him and resting her head against his chest. "Thank you for giving me a perfect farewell!"

Chen Siyuan found it hard to describe his current state of mind. Had this been just after he arrived in this world, he would not have felt any burden. But now, he actually felt a sense of guilt toward Jennifer.

"Go back quickly; a pregnant woman’s emotions can be volatile," Jennifer said, giving him a gentle push.

Chen Siyuan nodded and turned to leave her home. As he turned, Jennifer’s tears fell uncontrollably. Chen Siyuan did not look back. He was afraid he might change his mind.

He climbed into his car. "What is the situation with that bastard now?" he asked coldly.

"Boss, he has been detained. The police have initiated legal proceedings, and Raphael is following up," the bodyguard in the driver’s seat immediately replied.

Chen Siyuan glanced out the window. Jennifer was standing in the doorway, her face covered in tears.

"Take me home," Chen Siyuan said expressionlessly.

What Jennifer wanted, he could not provide. Therefore, he would not give her false hope. He had to make a clean break.

When Chen Siyuan returned home, he did not see Liu Xiaoli. He went to the practice room and found Nicole Kidman helping Liu Yifei with her performance exercises. Because of the incident with Jennifer, he had asked Nicole to pick up Yifei.

"Daddy, you're back? Mommy is sleeping upstairs," Yifei said, spotting him immediately.

"Alright, keep going. I’ll go check on your mother."

Chen Siyuan went upstairs. Liu Xiaoli was lying quietly on the bed, a faint smile on her face. He gently pressed his ear against her belly. By coincidence, the little one inside delivered a swift kick.

"Oh!" Chen Siyuan’s face lit up with surprise. The kick had also awakened Liu Xiaoli.

"Siyuan, when did you get back?"

Seeing him with his ear against her stomach, she reached out and stroked his hair.

"Xiaoli, the little one just kicked you!" Chen Siyuan said excitedly.

"Yes, it even woke me up. Quite a strong kick, too!" The corners of Liu Xiaoli’s mouth curled up slightly.

"Let me listen again!"

Chen Siyuan pressed his ear to her belly once more. Although he couldn't hear the heartbeat of the little one inside, he felt a resonance of bloodline. Watching his smile and feeling the movements of the baby, Liu Xiaoli felt an inexplicable sense of peace. When she had brought Yifei all the way to New York, she never could have imagined this turn of events. Fate, indeed, was a mysterious thing.

"Haha, kicked again! Kicked again! This kid is definitely going to be a troublemaker!" Chen Siyuan exclaimed, his eyes bright.

Liu Xiaoli pouted, "You’re happy, but I’m the one suffering. I feel like my stomach is about to be kicked through by this little guy."

"My apologies, my wife!" Chen Siyuan stood up, hugged her, and kissed her gently.

"Alright, go downstairs. I’ll take a nap. Call me when you’ve finished cooking." Liu Xiaoli, feeling drowsy, closed her eyes as she spoke. Before long, she was breathing softly in sleep.

Chen Siyuan tucked her in before heading downstairs to cook. *It looks like I still need to find a reliable cook in Chinatown,* he thought to himself.

In the kitchen, all the ingredients were selected with a pregnant woman’s needs in mind. Chen Siyuan had become increasingly skilled at preparing prenatal meals. Compared to the care he put into her food, the meals for the three of them were far more perfunctory. Fortunately, Yifei was always supportive, and for Nicole Kidman, even the most ordinary Chinese food was a rare delicacy.

As Chen Siyuan was cooking, Nicole Kidman suddenly entered the kitchen alone.

"Jack, you weren't wearing that outfit when you left today," she said, leaning against the doorframe and watching him.

"Oh, I had some errands to run, got it dirty, so I changed," he said without looking up.

Nicole walked over to him and suddenly sniffed, much like a puppy. Chen Siyuan frowned.

"You smell like another woman," Nicole said, her eyes glinting with an inscrutable light.