Chapter 465: The Negotiation

Pei Ziheng looked at the ugly little one in her arms and coldly said, "Missing Mom? He'll be without a mom soon enough."

He remembered how she said "thank you" when she gave her that slap on the face. Oh, how his Xiao Ling was a person with such pride. Back in her previous life when she had been kept in his captivity, she had cried, scolded and even begged him, but never had she thanked him for hitting her.

He knew why she did it.

She was grateful that he did not hurt the child, that he inflicted it all on her instead. Now he knew how willing she was to bear with all the pain if that meant that the little creature would be spared any danger.

For his sake, she would rather be subservient towards Pei Ziheng.

Pei Ziheng felt a prick in his heart.

"Get the chauffeur here and send this bastard away." Pei Ziheng said.

Nanny Zhou got a shock., "Send him away right now? Shouldn't we... let Madam know?"

Pei Ziheng shot her a cold, ruthless glare. Nanny Zhou clammed up upon seeing that look and held the baby even tighter as he cried incessantly.

Pei Ziheng called for the chauffeur.

"What are you doing?!" Xia Ling arrived before the chauffeur did.

She had been resting in bed upstairs but had a nagging feeling about the baby when she thought about how dangerous a situation he was in. She decided to come down to take a look and ended up overhearing the conversation between Pei Ziheng and Nanny Zhou.

She hurriedly went to Nanny Zhou and carried the baby in her own two arms as she coaxed him quietly. The baby was familiar with his mother's heartbeat and regular breathing and calmed down quickly in her warm embrace.

The baby revealed a beautiful smile, but all Xia Ling felt was heartache.

She looked up at Pei Ziheng. "Don't send the child away."

Pei Ziheng said, "You promised me."

She did promise him that she would send the baby away once he was born. But now that the time had come, she could not bear to do it. She forced herself to calm down and remembered the idea Feng Kun had given her before.

She looked at Pei Ziheng and asked, "Where are you sending him to?"

Pei Ziheng did not hide the truth. "The orphanage."

"I don't want my child to end up in an orphanage." She took a few steps back with the baby in her arms.

As she guessed, Pei Ziheng did not arrange for anything good for the child. Xia Ling had grown up in an orphanage herself and knew exactly how pitiful the orphans' plights were. Back then, her sister Xia Yu had almost lost her life to illness because they were too poor to afford treatment. Now, this baby here had such a rare blood type, if he were to run into any trouble at the orphanage, what were the chances that he could be treated in time?

The lives of the children in the orphanage weren't deeply valued.

The Head of the orphanage and the other teachers would just discuss for a while, and then it would blow over.

How could they possibly put in as much effort in saving the child as a biological parent would?

She cautiously asked, "Can you... not send him to an orphanage? I grew up in one, please don't let my child go through that as well." She hardly begged him in such a pitiful manner, and her words reminded him of the past when he first met her at the orphanage. Even when she was injured on the foot from stepping on a nail, even when she was in so much pain, she had no choice but to go about her life dancing for the people there.

His expression softened a little. "Where do you want to send him to?"

Xia Ling was even more cautious with her upcoming question. "Shall we... send him to Li Lei's?"

His expression turned cold and ruthless again. "Where's the chauffeur? Get him here now." He instructed Nanny Zhou.

Nanny Zhou hurriedly went.

Xia Ling was flustered. "Pei Ziheng! Dot be like this! This child has a rare blood type, just like Li Lei! If you don't send him to his biological father, he'll be at risk!"

"So what?" Pei Ziheng said softly.

She was stunned for a moment. Right, so what? Why did it concern him?

Her hands and feet turned cold as she feared for the child.

Pei Ziheng said, "Xia Ling, just give up. You want Li Lei to know that you've borne him a son? Fat hope."

Xia Ling shielded the child she was carrying. "Then let me raise him! His blood type puts him in such danger, what if something happens when he's on his own?"

Pei Ziheng was unmoved. "It may be difficult, but other children can survive it, so I don't see why he can't. Xia Ling, stop finding excuses."

Xia Ling looked at him pleadingly. "Pei Ziheng, I don't want my child to leave his parents. I'm an orphan myself, do you want my son to become an orphan too?"

Pei Ziheng felt a pinch in his heart.

He recalled the time he adopted Xiao Ling many years back and how frightened she had been. He often woke up in the middle of the night to find her awake and curled up on the foot of his bed. In the dim light, she would be watching him sleep quietly.

"Why don't you return to your own bedroom?" Pei Ziheng often sat up and asked her gently.

Xiao Ling would say, "Being adopted by you feels like a dream. I'm afraid that once I close my eyes and open them again, I'd be back to reality. So I dare not close my eyes, I dare not let you leave my sight."

"Silly girl." Pei Ziheng would kiss her forehead. A while later, he had arranged for a little bed to be placed in his bedroom, beside his own, so that she could sleep close to him.

He remembered how she would lie on her bed and keep her eyes on the ceiling as she mumbled, seemingly to herself, but loud enough for him to make out the words, "Brother Pei, you have to be well and fine. I don't want to become an orphan again."

Pei Ziheng's heart hurt even more.

He had taken a long time to get her out of her fears and trauma.

Now, Xia Ling was begging him over and over. "Please don't let my child become an orphan."

"Xia Ling, don't push it." Even so, Pei Ziheng hardened his heart. This child was a separate matter altogether—she was the one at fault this time and deserved to be punished. "I only promised you not to force an abortion on you. So you have to keep your promise and let me send him away. Where he goes to is none of your business."

He could not let Li Lei know that he was the victor.

Once the identity of the child was exposed, Li Lei would discover who the complete failure was in this battle of love.

"Mister, the chauffeur is here." Nanny Zhou returned with the chauffeur.

"Take the child away from Madam." Pei Ziheng instructed.

"Don't you dare!" Xia Ling's voice was shrill from panic. "Don't you dare touch me!" She shielded the child and appeared to be scrutinizing everyone around. Finally, her eyes landed on Pei Ziheng. "Pei Ziheng, if you dare send this child elsewhere, I'll be sure to tell Li Lei the truth! Even if I don't have the means to protect him in this lifetime, Li Lei does! Li Lei will find him and raise him!"