Ever since early that morning when he learned the Xie family would be sent down to the countryside, he had been waiting—waiting for her reaction.

He had also been thinking about how to arrange things for her.

Chen Xingyu was unreliable. Besides, he was only being sent down to the countryside, not dying. He would never allow her to take his child and go looking for another man.

As for her maternal relatives—her uncles and aunts—they were greedy, but if he asked one of his father’s friends to “look after” them, they wouldn’t dare mistreat her. That would be a better option.

But from beginning to end, he had never considered taking her to the countryside with him.

Even though after marriage, Lin Zhixia had done many ridiculous things, the initial shock and attraction he once felt for her had already been worn away completely.

However, she was pregnant. As her husband, he couldn’t just watch her suffer in the countryside.

Moreover, with Lin Zhixia’s pleasure-seeking personality, she would never willingly go down with him anyway.

So that possibility had never even crossed his mind.

But now…

The most suitable solution seemed to be taking her with him to the countryside.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Do you still not believe what I said?” Lin Zhixia urged anxiously.

Xie Jingheng shook his head.

“No.”

“I don’t doubt you.”

If she was willing to go to the countryside and suffer for him, what reason did he have to doubt her?

He took a deep breath and said,

“If you’ve made your decision, I promise I’ll do everything I can to take care of you after we go down.”

“Then from now on, let’s live as a family of three and build a good life together,” Lin Zhixia said, taking his hand and placing it on her belly.

“Mm,” he nodded.

Having received his answer, Lin Zhixia immediately pushed further,

“Also, from now on, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. If you have questions, ask me directly.”

“I’m not a mind reader! How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?”

“You always suddenly get a dark face, and I don’t even know what I said wrong!”

This was something she had wanted to say for a long time but never found the right moment.

Xie Jingheng said nothing for a moment, then asked,

“Where do you plan to put the clothes?”

“These clothes won’t be usable in the countryside. I planned to sell them to Li Li and Chen Mei in exchange for money, ration coupons, medicine, and fabric that we can use after we go down.”

“I’m not sure if they’ll agree to buy them, so I didn’t tell you earlier.”

Xie Jingheng hadn’t expected that answer. He looked at her with complicated eyes.

“No need.”

“Money and ration coupons—you don’t need to worry about them.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

After thinking for a moment, he added,

“Just keep the clothes for now. We can pack them in bags and store them under the bed. They should fit.”

Lin Zhixia shook her head.

“No need. Clothes will get damaged if stored too long. It’s better to exchange them for useful things.”

“These clothes were bought with your money anyway, and I’m part of the Xie family. Since the family is in trouble now, I should contribute too.”

More importantly, these flashy clothes weren’t even her style. She wouldn’t wear them anyway.

Xie Jingheng’s eyes flickered with emotion. He opened his mouth, about to say something.

“Gurgle.”

Both of them turned toward the sound.

Lin Zhixia awkwardly touched her stomach.

“Is there anything to eat? The baby is hungry.”

“The buns and porridge I left for you in the morning were knocked over by the people from the Revolutionary Committee. Just make do with some sponge cake for now.”

Xie Jingheng took out a bag of sponge cake from the drawer.

Afraid she wouldn’t like it, he added,

“Eat this first. I’ll think of a way later to get you some imported wafers that you like.”

Lin Zhixia took a bite, and her eyes instantly lit up. The rich egg flavor was soft and fragrant, without any artificial additives.

Clean, simple, and delicious.

After swallowing, she quickly waved her hand.

“No need. This sponge cake is enough.”

“We shouldn’t waste money or ration coupons now that the family is tight on resources.”

Looking at her happily eating the cake, Xie Jingheng suddenly felt an unfamiliar discomfort.

She was being so well-behaved and sensible, not causing trouble at all—but instead of relief, he felt a faint sense of guilt and heartache.

He opened his mouth,

“You don’t need to—”

Before he could finish, Lin Zhixia suddenly interrupted,

“Wait, don’t pack things yet.”

She stuffed another bite of sponge cake into her mouth, grabbed his hand, and walked quickly toward the door, muttering,

“Let’s go help downstairs clean up first.”

“It must be a mess down there. You should’ve told me earlier.”

Xie Jingheng followed her obediently.

When they reached the door, his eyes accidentally caught a glimpse of her neckline as she moved. He frowned and suddenly stopped her.

“Go change your clothes.”

Lin Zhixia looked down and realized she was still in her nightclothes.

“Wait outside. I’ll change quickly.”

The next moment—

Bang.

He was pushed out the door, and it slammed shut in front of him. His face darkened instantly.

Until…

Lin Zhixia reappeared wearing a white shirt and black straight-leg pants, her hair tied into a high ponytail. She looked fresh, youthful, and strikingly beautiful.

Xie Jingheng froze for a moment.

Her usual style was mature and glamorous, but this simple look somehow made her even more eye-catching—so much so that his heartbeat quickened.

“Let’s go,” she said.

He quickly looked away and walked toward the stairs first.

When they reached downstairs, the living room was in complete chaos.

Xie’s father, mother, and Xie Qingshu were cleaning up the wreckage—overturned sofas and tables, shattered glass everywhere.

Father Xie was lifting furniture back into place. Mother Xie was sweeping glass shards. Xie Qingshu was picking up scattered small items.

Seeing Lin Zhixia come down, Mother Xie suddenly remembered something and said apologetically,

“Zhixia, are you hungry?”

“Sit on the sofa and wait. I’ll make you a bowl of noodles right away.”

She hurried toward the kitchen.

Lin Zhixia quickly stopped her.

“No need, Mom. I already ate sponge cake upstairs. I’m full.”

“Mom, is there a broom? I’ll help you clean too.”

“No, no. You’re pregnant. How can we let you work? We’ll handle it.”

“Just sit and rest.”

“Qingshu, peel an apple for your sister-in-law.”

Xie Qingshu, who was bending and standing while cleaning and already exhausted, immediately became unwilling…