Well, afterward, Xue Jinxu and Chen Linyun made some announcements about their pregnancy, too, like expecting twins.

What's more, the news was that the couple also revealed that they were expecting two bouncing baby boys.  Two sons!

The whole party, from start to finish, was not only full of baby stuff but full of positivity as well.  It's a clear celebration of the continuity of life.

Everyone wore genuine, happy smiles.

Except for one.

Teng Man Rui, although smiling, could not hide her intense feeling discomfort.  The feeling was unrelated to her pregnancy, but rather a hundred and twenty percent because of her past flame – Zhu Li Qiang.

Just being in the same room w him was enough for her to fidget and wear such a worried face full of horizontal lines on her forehead.

Nevertheless, she stayed by her husband's side on the full duration of the party, as per his advice, only leaving him during her short trips to the bathroom to relieve herself.

Those instances were not so many.

Perhaps it was G.o.d joking them that during one of these very few instances, they b.u.mped onto each other – Zhu Li Qiang and Teng Man Rui – along the winding hallway that separated the function room where the party was held, from the less visible parts of the building like the kitchen and the comfort rooms.

Or perhaps, Zhu Li Qiang intentionally waited for her at the end of the corridor where the restroom resides.

In every sense of the encounter, it was painfully awkward.  Yet, Zhu Li Qiang grabbed this rare chance to inquire about Teng Man Rui and to check on everything about her – including her apparent baby b.u.mp.  It was almost as big as Xue Jinxu's but Teng Man Rui is carrying only one child, Zhu Li Qiang had to remind himself.

"A daughter, huh?" He broke the silence with a tentative small talk.

"Huh?  Ahh, yes." Endearingly, Teng Man Rui's pursed lips curved upwards.  Her hands automatically landed on her baby b.u.mp with such unparalleled affection from a mother-to-be.

Zhu Li Qiang was in perfect awe at this sight.  It felt like he's falling even more in love with Teng Man Rui if that's even possible.

"How have you been?  I can see that you're excited about motherhood, huh?" Zhu Li Qiang continued to press.  He wouldn't want to waste this only one chance.

"Super excited!  I can feel her inside me.  She sometimes kicks hard!" She giggled in delight.

Zhu I Qiang's haggard face lightened after hearing her laughter.  'Just like how it used to be.  Music to my ears.'

His parched lips stretched into a slight smile.  "Great to hear, Man Rui.  I've been well these days, too.  I know you didn't ask."

She flinched infinitesimally but tried to maintain her composed façade.  She preserved her curved up lips in place.  "Good.  All is well, then." 

She motioned that she would go into the function room first.  Zhu Li Qiang gestured with his hand in answer, "Ladies first.  After you."

She smiled in response.  

It was awkward, yet… warm.

It can never go wrong with Zhu Li Qiang.  That was what Teng Man Rui thought at that moment.

While walking on their way back along the hallway, Zhu Li Qiang blurted out randomly, "Can we grab some coffee, or… uh…", remembering that Teng Man Rui could drink those, he stuttered while blinking in an attempt to clear his head, "I mean, juice or something."

"Not now, of course.  Some other time.  If you have free time.  It's just a friendly meeting, no more, no less." He shrugged.  Zhu Li Qiang was trying too hard to make sure his point came across without misinterpretation. 

Teng Man Rui slightly laughed at his blabber.  She coyly hovered the back of her hand at her mouth to cover it shyly, as her eyes arched with her smile.  After her laugh, she retorted, "I don't think it's appropriate, though…"

"Yeah.  Sure.  No worries. Yeah.  Right. Right."  Zhu Li Qiang was out of wits' end. He darted his eyes in every direction.  'Get a grip, man!' He scolded himself internally.

"But if you need a friend to talk to… Just give it a thought.  I'm one message away." It was his last stroke.  The next move would be Teng Man Rui's.

As they said, it takes two to tango.

But if your potential tango partner is your old flame who's heavily pregnant and is very much married, then, perhaps it' not just mere tango but playing dangerously with fire.

And if the other one did not reciprocate, nothing would ever happen.

"I'll keep that in mind."  Teng Man Rui shot him a genuine, mo-more-than-friendly grin. "Thank you, Zhu Li Qiang."

"Anything for you, Man Rui." He mumbled to himself.  Her response was middle ground and non-confirmatory, perhaps with a little hint of mere small talk – just being polite and all - but he was nevertheless elated and utterly swept off his feet.

Only Teng Man Rui could have this effect on him.

As they almost reached the function room, Teng Man Rui's hand on the doork.n.o.b froze as her eyes saw something – no, someone – inside the function room.

It was certainly someone that was not on the invitation list and clearly should not be there, in that happy baby shower.

"What's wrong, Man Rui?" Zhu Li Qiang who walked just close by behind her quizzically inquired about her sudden halt.  He studied her visage and traced her line of sight.

His brows furrowed instantly as he also saw what she did.

From inside the function room, a dark, familiar velvety voice reverberated amidst the happy chaos of the party.

"Well, well, well." The man wearing a gaudy grin greeted everybody. "Looks like someone failed to invite me here."