Intrigued, Li Mu looked at Mrs. Hong. He wanted to hear what she had to say.

Mrs. Hong said lightly, “I have always believed that my family's arrangement was correct. Everything I have is given by my family, including my life, my glory, my power, and my status. I am willing to make sacrifices for the sake of my family's prosperity.”

“Miss Hong, don't you think it's too heavy a price to pay?”

“Li Mu, you’ll never know what it feels like. It’s the feeling of being connected to my family and my destiny is tied up with theirs. You can’t just take but not give! You’ll have to repay your deeds. Someone needs to sacrifice for the sake of the family. And this responsibility could necessarily be anyone’s. If everyone only thinks about themselves, the consequences are pretty obvious even if I don’t mention it!”

“But the sacrifice was too great!”

Mrs. Hong lifted her glass of wine once again and gently took a sip. She said gently, “There is no other way. Nobody wants that. But I must stand up bravely when the time comes. This is my responsibility and my obligation! Hence, I hope you’ll hang on. Sometimes, hardship is also considered a chance for you to refine yourself through these challenges!”

Li Mu took a sip of wine and stared at the red wine in his glass for a long time without speaking.

Not wanting to say anything else either, Mrs. Hong shifted her gaze and looked out of the window. The two of them sat in silence, each drowned in their own thoughts.

Lin Wan returned home late to find Li Mu waiting for her in the living room. Mrs. Hong knew that the couple would have something to talk about hence she deliberately gave them some privacy by going back to her room early.

After changing her clothes, Lin Wan smiled and asked, “Why are you still awake at this hour? Are you waiting for me on purpose?”

“Yeah. Come and sit down for a while!” Li Mu said while pointing to the sofa.

Lin Wan walked over and sat down while putting her feet on the coffee table. She wasn’t sure whether it was a psychological or physiological effect. But ever since she knew that she was pregnant, she always felt a sensation of her stomach dropping. She also constantly felt the need to raise her feet up and step on something, as if this would have made her feel more at ease.

“You're pregnant. You should rest more. It's not good for your health to come back so late. I don't think you need to work so hard. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“Don’t worry. It's not like it happens all the time. The leaders from the subordinate organization are paying a visit today and it wouldn’t be right if I don’t show myself. Things like this happen once in a blue moon and aren’t common at all. No big deal.”

“If you’re going to come home late in the future, you can call me in advance. I'll pick you up. The baby is weighing you down and it's not very convenient for you to drive at night. I can be your driver!”

“It’s fine. It’s not to that extent yet. I won't be stubborn with my own body. If I feel uncomfortable to the point where I find it hard to work someday, I will stay home immediately to nurse my baby in peace. I’ll never let my little one suffer, not even one bit!”

Speaking of this, Lin Wan gently stroked her belly with her hand, with her gaze full of love and compassion.

Li Mu smiled and agreed, “Alright. As long as you know what you’re doing. Don't be shy to let me know if you need my help. After all, I am the father of the child. It’s only right for me to help you and the baby.”

“Okay. Anyway, is that the reason you called me over to sit with you? If there is something you’d like to ask, ask me now. I’m all ears!”

“Sure!” Li Mu went straight to the point and asked openly. “What's the matter with the Interconnection Gateway? Why did you exclude Dongyang Group from this project?”

Lin Wan chuckled and said casually: “I knew it was going to be related to this! Seems like you’re pretty well-informed. You’re quite fast in getting news. Respect. Respect!”

Li Mu looked at her quietly and waited for her to go on.

“Since you know about it already, I have nothing to hide. Yes, we are in the process of technology exchange for the Interconnection Gateway and will soon be writing the tender specifications. The decision to exclude Dongyang Group was made by me. Do you have any questions?”

“Can I know the reason?”

“The reason is because of Dongyang Group’s lack in goods delivery and after-sales service. With an order of this size, I must rely on a large company that is capable enough to handle this. I’m sorry. But your company’s performance is really not up to standard!”

Li Mu nodded. He knew Lin Wan would answer like this. This was considered a standard procedure, an official statement.

Although deep down they both knew what the real reasons were, he knew very well that Lin Wan would certainly not admit that she had other intentions in front of him.

“Lin Wan, I know that Dongyang Group does have its flaws. But it is by no means as bad as you say. We have the confidence and determination to correct those weaknesses that you mentioned. You are pushing us off a cliff by doing so. I don’t want to cause major damage to the company because of my family affairs. I want…”

“Do you want to beg me to spare your company?” Lin Wan interrupted him, “Why don't you want to find a way to solve the problem instead of begging me to let you guys off the hook?”

Li Mu's face flushed with embarrassment as he looked at Lin Wan dumbfounded.

Lin Wan smiled sweetly and said to him seriously, “Even if I promise to let you off the hook, given Dongyang Group’s current state, what do you think are the odds of you winning the bid?”

Li Mu stayed silent.

Lin Wan leaned her head back on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest.

After a while, she whispered, “Help me massage my leg for a bit!”

Li Mu sat beside her and gently rubbed her leg.

“Sigh. Being pregnant is so hard. I think there’s something wrong with my leg now. It’s swollen and hurts really bad!”

“Don't wear high heels again tomorrow. Try to wear loose clothes. And don't always sit down during the day. Exercise whenever you can!” Concerned, Li Mu said.

“Alright. I’ll do what you say!”

“Lin Wan, there’s really no need for you to prove yourself anymore. I sincerely and formally apologize to you for all my mistakes before. Let's remarry and go back to the South Seas together. We’ll wait for the birth of our child together, alright?”

"Are you doing this for me or for Dongyang Group? I’ll only look down on you if this is your method of handling this matter. Is this what you came up with? Do you think you’re a hero for doing this? Is it fun sacrificing yourself for the company?”

“I’m just exhausted and don't want to live like this anymore. Do we even resemble a family now? I’m worried that if we go on like this, we’ll soon have disputes and by the time we want to call it quits, it would’ve been too late.”

Lin Wan's eyebrows twitched as she stayed quiet.

Ignoring her, Li Mu continued, “Although I don't know what I did wrong, I’m willing to accept any punishments from you because I love you. I can tolerate your temper. But you can't just take it out on others.”

Hearing her husband give in made Lin Wan feel happy. But his last sentence annoyed her a lot. She was a little confused as to whether her husband had chosen to give in because he loved her, or was it for the sake of someone else.

“Others? Who? He Xiaoyu?”

Li Mu shook his head.

“It's not just her. Do you know that there are nearly 10,000 employees at Dongyang Group in this department we’re talking about? That's nearly 10,000 families. Can my sins be dismissed merely by a word of apology if I affected their lives?”

Shocked, Lin Wan looked at him and questioned, “Is it that bad? Are you trying to scare me on purpose?”

“I’m not. I might as well be honest with you. Losing an order means nothing. But being rejected to collaborate by a local company and having our products removed by force means a lot! The impact of this is too great for us to bear, as foreign companies will definitely follow suit. Dongyang Group's mobile internet business will suffer a deadly loss!”

Lin Wan nodded. It all made sense now. It turned out that Li Mu was not worried about the gain or loss of this project, but instead, the adverse impact it would cause. To put it simply, this was associated with the company’s reputation in the field. A bad reputation was the most fatal blow to a company.

“Lin Wan, I'm not trying to scare you. But once that happens, many staffs will be fired. I won't be able to face anyone and will feel like a sinner for the rest of my life. I don't want to bear that kind of guilt, nor do I want that kind of emotion to destroy our relationship. Please call it off, okay?”

Lin Wan did not respond. After hesitating for a while, she said to Li Mu, “I'm tired. I need some rest now. Let’s stop the discussion. I’ll think about it and give you an answer tomorrow morning.”

As Lin Wan lay in bed, she tossed and turned while pondering over Li Mu's words. She suddenly started to worry and was afraid she would lose him if she went on any further.

What was the point of training him this hard? She was transforming her lover into a ruthless householder. Was that still the man she loved? She began to wonder if she did the right move.

She was getting bored with this test. Her husband was already worn out by this. And to be honest, she too was sick of their current life. Was there a need to torture him out of love?

Alright, she decided to listen to her husband and stop this instance. She would stop suppressing Dongyang Group and stay home to take care of herself for the sake of the baby in her tummy. All she wanted was to give birth to a healthy baby with her husband’s love and care. That was the life she wanted.

Lin Wan sat up and decided to go and make peace with Li Mu now. She wanted to tell him that she agreed to remarry. Tonight, all she wanted was to lay in her husband's arms and have a good night’s rest, and to never cause trouble again.

Getting out of bed and putting on her shoes, Lin Wan wanted to find Li Mu and talk things out with him. She was ready to tell him her choice completely.

Just as Lin Wan opened the door, she saw Mrs. Hong standing outside and jumped out of shock.

Stroking her chest, she snapped, “What are you doing? Are you trying to pretend to be a ghost? You scared me to death!”

Mrs. Hong was also stroking her chest and complained, “You came out just as I was about to knock on the door. You were the one who startled me!”

Lin Wan subconsciously looked towards the study, but Mrs. Hong pulled her into the room and closed the door behind her, “He's asleep and won't wake up until dawn. Don't worry!”

“Did you hypnotize him again?”

“Yeah. Don't worry about it. There are no side effects. It’s just that he's been under a lot of mental stress lately. A night of deep sleep will help him relieve his stress.”

“Do less of that in the future. I don't like people hypnotizing my husband. In fact, I hate it a lot!”

“Alright. Got it. I won’t do it again!”

Speaking of this, she suddenly remembered something and asked Lin Wan, “Why were you heading out of your room? Are you planning to look for him?”

“Yes. I want to compromise with him and end this stupid test or so-called training immediately!”