The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 263. Got it

Chapter 263: 263. Got it

The woman’s voice transmitted from the voice recorder, and Yu Xiaoxuan greatly wanted to press the stop button, but in the end, she forced herself to listen to the entire recording.

Tears covered Yu Xiaoxuan’s face; she didn’t know what she was thinking at the moment, feeling only a sour, painful ache. She shut her eyes and picked up her phone but didn’t call Han Yi. Instead, she put it back. She admitted that at this moment, she was afraid.

**************

In an estate overseas.

"Allen, Xu Nuo has been outside for several days already, are you not going to let her in?" Peter walked into the living room and spoke to Allen, who was reading the newspaper there.

Allen seemed as if he hadn’t heard, his eyes intently focused on the newspaper, not even his gaze flickering.

Peter sat down on the sofa, clicking his tongue, "Allen, you really are the coldest person I’ve ever met. After all, Xu Nuo is someone you trained yourself. You’ve put so much effort into her, and now you’re saying you don’t need her just like that?"

Allen still didn’t react.

Peter crossed his arms and continued, "I see that Xu Nuo is deeply devoted to you. Don’t say that you can’t see her feelings for you. For someone like you, it’s rare to have a woman fall for you. Are you really not going to consider it at all?"

Finally, Allen lifted his head from the newspaper and looked at Peter with a cold tone, "Are you idle?" His gaze was filled with anger, but Peter saw a very deep sadness hidden within it.

"What’s wrong with you, Allen?" Peter asked, his eyes falling on the newspaper Allen was reading, and he suddenly understood. He said, "Allen, why are you still looking at this news? Since you already knew this day would come, why didn’t you just reclaim this woman named Shen Qinglan? If you’re afraid she’ll run away, you could break her legs so she would always stay by your side."

Allen glared at him menacingly, "You dare touch her, and I assure you, you won’t even have the chance to meet God."

Peter shrugged, "I’m just making a suggestion. You don’t have to take it seriously." This man always likes making people meet God; it’s really not a good habit.

"However, Allen, Xu Nuo is stubborn. If you don’t let her in, she might just keep staying outside.

"Then let her stay there," Allen said coldly. He didn’t need a disobedient dog by his side.

Xu Nuo was staying outside, the fierce sunlight beaming down on her, sweat covering her forehead, the sweat dripping into her eyes, rendering her unable to open her eyes, but she stood still without moving.

Ever since she was taken away by her foster mother the last time, she had not seen Allen again. The mad longing in her heart made her unable to resist running here. She knew Allen wouldn’t keep her again, but she still wanted to try. What if?

But that wait had lasted for several days.

A man in black emerged from the estate, glanced at Xu Nuo, and said coldly, "The boss is calling you in."

Xu Nuo’s eyes filled with wild joy; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Following the man inside, seeing the familiar surroundings, Xu Nuo almost burst into tears. This place, once so well-known to her, had, after a while away, become a place she missed profoundly.

She walked step by step toward the man sitting on the sofa and then stopped a meter away from him, "Master."

Allen didn’t even glance at her, just tossed several photos on the table. Xu Nuo picked them up for a look—they were photos of Andre, Cissily, Eden, and Jin Enxi.

"I’ll give you three days, if any of them is severely injured, you can return to my side," Allen said coldly, his hoarse voice sounding like sweet music to Xu Nuo’s ears, her eyes startlingly bright.

"Regardless of how severe the injuries are, if I don’t hear news of their serious injuries within three days, never show your face to me again."

"Yes, Master."

Xu Nuo responded, gave Allen a deep look, and then turned and left.

Allen’s gaze remained on the newspaper, which covered the upcoming wedding of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi. A cold smile played on his lips, "Xiaoqi, I’m not going to just watch you marry someone else."

*******

In a dense forest in North America, after shaking off the relentless pursuers behind her, Jin Enxi cursed fiercely, "Bastard. Damn Xu Nuo, you better pray you don’t fall into my hands, or I’ll make you understand why the flowers are so red!"

Jin Enxi, gasping heavily, hid in a lush tree, saw those people turn back and headed her way. She held her breath and pressed tightly against the trunk, perfectly camouflaged among the leaves. A silhouette passed under the tree without a glance upwards, proceeding towards a group ahead. Arriving there, he said, "Didn’t see the woman, she probably escaped."

Standing among the crowd was, astonishingly, Xu Nuo. Hearing this, her face turned cold, "She couldn’t have gotten far that quickly, she must be nearby. Keep searching."

The group scattered, with Xu Nuo lagging behind, occasionally scrutinizing her surroundings, but noticing nothing unusual. Her brows furrowed in dissatisfaction, she picked a direction and chased after it.

Once everyone was far away, Jin Enxi finally relaxed a little. But just as her heart settled, the hair on her body stood on end. She didn’t move; her wrist flicked lightly, and the military knife in her hand disappeared. Bracing herself against the tree, she gently leaped to the ground, looked up at the tree, and her face bore an expression of ’just as I thought.’

Right where she had been sitting, a huge python was hissing with a crimson tongue. If she hadn’t reacted quickly, her head might be in the python’s mouth by now.

Jin Enxi and the python stared at each other. Aware it couldn’t see her, but confronting this creature still gave her a headache. It wasn’t that she couldn’t deal with it, but doing so would definitely stir up noise and might attract that group back—something she truly couldn’t afford.

Thinking it through, Jin Enxi decided that "the best plan is to get away," and she turned to run. Her movements were agile, almost seeming to stroll on flat ground despite being in a primitive jungle.

The python sensed its prey escaping but didn’t pursue, just continued to coil on the trunk, flicking its tongue. Jin Enxi sneaked a glance behind her, mentally praising her luck.

After running a distance and making sure she had shaken off everyone, Jin Enxi finally found a place nearby to rest. She pulled out a fruit from her pocket and took a bite—it was something she had picked while fleeing.

She wasn’t worried about the fruit being poisonous. For them, this primitive jungle was just like their backyard—they knew which plants were toxic, which weren’t, which were edible, and which should be avoided.

Jin Enxi hadn’t anticipated that she would be chased by Xu Nuo once again, starting from an incident two days ago.

A week ago, Jin Enxi wanted to prepare a wedding gift for Shen Qinglan. Knowing there was a grand auction in M country, she bought a ticket and went there.

But just two days ago, as she walked out from the auction, she realized she was being followed. Initially, she thought it was petty thugs, but soon she discovered that wasn’t the case, as the tracker moved with evident skill.

Enxi immediately sensed something was off and quickened her pace. However, after only a few steps, Xu Nuo appeared in front of her. Seeing Xu Nuo, Enxi understood everything—new grudges added to old. A fight quickly ensued. They were many, and Enxi was alone. After dealing with three people, she seized an opportunity and ran away. While driving, she called Cissily, who had come to the M country with her but hadn’t attended the auction that night.

Unexpectedly, Cissily also encountered trouble. Having no other option, Enxi had to rely on herself. They chased and she fled, eventually running into a primitive jungle.

She wasted a whole day and night in the jungle with Xu Nuo and his group before finally shaking them off. But just as she stepped out of the jungle and got in touch with Cissily, she heard that Andre was seriously injured.

Enxi’s expression changed, and she immediately rushed to Y country. Sitting in the hospital corridor, Cissily, who looked exhausted, was the first person Enxi saw. "Cissily, how is Andre?"

Cissily shook her head, her face unable to hide her sorrow. Enxi felt her heart sink. However, in a corner unseen by the surveillance, she winked at Enxi, who instantly understood, though her expression grew even more serious.

When the operating room doors opened, Andre, his body full of tubes and wrapped in bandages, was wheeled out. Cissily immediately rushed to him, tears streaming down her face.

Enxi twitched her lips, putting on a very worried expression as she and Cissily entered the hospital room.

As soon as the medical staff left, Cissily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and patted the mummified Andre, "Alright, stop pretending."

"Ouch, gentle, you heartless woman!" Andre exhaled softly, opened his eyes, and suddenly sat up on the bed, not looking severely injured at all.

Cissily rolled her eyes. "Addicted to acting, huh? Want me to punch you hard?" she said, waving her fist.

Andre smiled. "That won’t be necessary, I was just joking."

Cissily snorted.

Enxi, speechless, pulled up a chair and sat down. "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

"It’s all because of that lunatic Allen," Cissily said angrily. "The day before yesterday, I noticed someone was following me. I was playing with those bugs when you called me. I was thinking about sorting them out quickly to come help you. Then Andre said he’d encountered the same situation, so after I dealt with mine, I went straight to find him."

Here, Enxi couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Big sister, it was me who asked you for help first, but you ignored the closer danger to go save your man. Are you taking advantage of me being single?

Andre continued, "After Cissily and I met up, we had a car accident the next day. I simply took the opportunity to come to the hospital."

"So the news of your severe injuries was also intentionally released?"

Andre nodded. "Yes, I observed that those people only wanted to injure us, not kill us, so I guessed Allen just wanted to use us to threaten someone."

And it was clear who Allen could use them to threaten.

"Allen wants to ruin An’s wedding," Enxi spoke, then couldn’t help but clench her teeth, resenting inwardly. That Allen is just a lunatic. An was so young when he set his sights on her.

"Damn, I didn’t tell An that Andre’s injury was fake," Cissily slapped her forehead, having been too absorbed in her act to remember this.

Now that the news of Andre’s hospitalization had probably gotten out, An might have already heard about it. Worse yet, Allen might have already approached Shen Qinglan.

"We must trust An; she will surely find a way to deal with Allen, and An’s man is no pushover. Even King was defeated by that man. With him by her side, An won’t be in any trouble," Andre said calmly.

Jin Enxi looked at him silently. It was precisely because of that man’s presence that it was easier to enrage Allen, who had already become obsessed with Shen Qinglan. If it weren’t for Shen Qinglan’s wedding with Fu Hengyi, Allen probably wouldn’t have caused such a stir this time.

"Andre, are you putting too much trust in An’s man? He isn’t by An’s side right now. Even if something happens, he can’t make it back in time," Jin Enxi said somberly, aware that Fu Hengyi spent most of his time in the military, seldom at home, having stayed in Beijing for so long.

"No, I trust An’s judgment," Andre replied. How could a man who won Shen Qinglan’s heart be incompetent?

Meanwhile, far away in Beijing, Shen Qinglan had just received the news of Andre’s severe injury, which Allen had personally phoned her about.

"Xiaoqi, do you like this wedding gift?" Allen’s voice was hoarse and grating, like a saw cutting through metal, coming from the other end of the phone.

On Shen Qinglan’s phone screen was a photo of Andre being wheeled out of a hospital room, his body wrapped and tubed like a mummy.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were dark, pitch black as if made of indissoluble ink. "Allen, speak up. What do you want?"

Allen chuckled, "Xiaoqi, you have always been smart, so why pretend to be foolish now? My demand is simple: cancel the wedding. If you don’t marry Fu Hengyi and stay away from him, I will leave them be."

"What if I refuse?" Shen Qinglan asked flatly, her tone void of any warmth.

Allen, holding a cat in his arms, caressed it gently and said, "Xiaoqi, you should know the consequences of not listening to me. I raised you all. I tamed you once and don’t mind doing it a second time. But, Xiaoqi, I don’t have the patience to play this game any longer. Give me three days. If you cancel the wedding, this game can end."

Shen Qinglan didn’t say it was possible, nor did she say it wasn’t. She hung up, thought for a moment, and called Jin Enxi, who was also in Andre’s hospital room strategizing. Before they had come to a conclusion, Shen Qinglan’s call came in.

"An, don’t worry, Andre isn’t injured. That was a deception played on Allen." The call had barely connected before Jin Enxi swiftly spoke, knowing Shen Qinglan was calling because she had found out about the situation.

"Really, he’s not injured?" asked Shen Qinglan.

"Um, do you want me to pass the phone to Andre so you can talk to him directly?"

"Yes, give the phone to Andre," Shen Qinglan said, prompting Jin Enxi to look at her phone speechlessly. So what, had her credibility really fallen this low?

Andre took the phone and spoke a few words to Shen Qinglan, finally saying, "An, no matter what condition Allen proposed, don’t agree. He’s not the same as he was before, and we are no longer the weak ones we used to be. Even if Allen wants to harm us now, it won’t be that easy."

Take this situation, for instance; not only had Allen failed to harm them, but he had also lost a few of his own men.

Shen Qinglan hummed in acknowledgment, warned them to be careful recently, and then hung up. She tossed her phone aside, leaned back on the sofa with her eyes closed, deep in thought. After a moment, she opened her eyes, a determined glint flashing through.

*************

"Xiao Xuan, here are your favorite pan-fried buns. Try some," Han Yi said, placing a box of pan-fried buns in front of Yu Xiaoxuan with a smile.

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t even glance at the box and continued applying her makeup. "I’ve been dieting recently; I’m not eating meat."

Han Yi opened the box of freshly made pan-fried buns, the enticing aroma instantly filling the makeup room, "These are vegetarian pan-fried buns, no meat inside, so they won’t affect your diet."

"Fried dumplings are cooked in oil, so they are high in calories. I won’t eat them."

"I got up early in the morning and queued to buy them. Just have one, just one."

Yu Xiaoxuan sighed and looked at Han Yi, "Han Yi, you should go back. This is already affecting my work."

Han Yi looked at Yu Xiaoxuan, "Xiao Xuan, are you still angry?"

Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head, "No, I’m not angry. I really need to go to work."

Han Yi stared at Yu Xiaoxuan, studying her calm, unruffled face, and suddenly felt a panic seize him. He grabbed Yu Xiaoxuan’s shoulders, "Are you breaking up with me?" His expression turned slightly angry, "Yu Xiaoxuan, let me tell you, you can be mad at me, you can get angry, but don’t even think about breaking up. I will never agree to it, not even if it kills me."

Looking at the agitated Han Yi, Yu Xiaoxuan rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Han Yi, I’m not breaking up with you. It’s just that there are some things I haven’t figured out yet. Can you give me some time to calm down?"

Han Yi was taken aback and looked at a different Yu Xiaoxuan from before. The old her would have been all claws and teeth by now, but her current calmness made him feel at a loss.

"Han Yi, I really need to go to work now." Yu Xiaoxuan glanced towards the doorway where her assistant was already waiting. Han Yi let go of her, "Then I’ll pick you up after work tonight."

Yu Xiaoxuan did not disagree, which meant she tacitly agreed. Ever since she had listened to that recording, she had been wondering if she truly lacked trust in Han Yi. Was that why she hadn’t believed him when that woman appeared? Perhaps deep down, she had never really trusted that Han Yi would change his ways?

Han Yi felt despondent. He had done everything he could these past days, but Yu Xiaoxuan still treated him coldly. Although they hadn’t broken up, their relationship remained at a freezing point, and he didn’t know what to do anymore.

Han Yi left Shengxuan and went straight to his office. These days, the atmosphere in Han Group was also very tense. Gone were the days of Han Yi’s smiling face; now he wore a constant frown, making all the management staff tread on eggshells around him. After all, they spent more time with Han Yi compared to the average employee.

If Han Yi was unhappy, he certainly wasn’t going to go easy on the person who caused this mess.

Xia Fei, who had cheated on Han Zhengshan, faced a divorce lawsuit from him, but Xia Fei stubbornly refused. Obviously, she’d have nothing if she divorced now.

She begged Han Zhengshan for forgiveness but couldn’t even get through the gates of the Han Family estate. After several attempts, and seeing him unwilling to even see her, Xia Fei set down her terms: she would agree to the divorce, but she wanted half of Han Zhengshan’s wealth.

Truth be told, Han Zhengshan’s fortunes were only what he had garnered from selling his shares in Han Group; the rest, including the family estate, belonged to Han Yi.

Naturally, Han Zhengshan did not agree. He wanted Xia Fei to leave with nothing—an opinion also shared by Han Yi. She had tried to cheat and still wanted an easy way out; the world just didn’t work that way.

The man Xia Fei had an affair with was married, and while he had sent his family abroad early on, his wife was unaware of his deeds. So, very considerately, Han Yi made sure to notify her.

The man’s wife was no pushover. Upon learning the truth, she hurried back from abroad and caught Xia Fei, who then received a ruthless beating—an exceedingly ugly sight when women fight. Xia Fei was left disheveled and even had her clothes torn off.

Moreover, all of this happened in front of Han Zhengshan, who didn’t show the slightest inclination to help Xia Fei. Seeing this, Xia Fei became even more resolute in refusing the divorce.

It had to be said that Han Zhengshan was ruthless. Seeing that Xia Fei refused to divorce, he took her to a wife-swapping party, where he watched impassively as she was tormented beneath another man, her pleas for help only bringing on harsher treatment.

After several such incidents, Xia Fei couldn’t take it anymore. She finally signed the divorce papers. Leaving the Han Family’s home with nothing but the clothes on her back, she truly left the way she had come.

After leaving the Han Family, it was said that she sought out that man, hoping he would divorce and be with her, but the man had gone abroad with his wife, and Xia Fei could not find him anywhere. Later, no one knew where she had gone, nor was she seen in Beijing.

Of course, that’s all in the past.

**********

With nine days left until Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi’s wedding, and a day after receiving Allen’s call, Shen Qinglan hardly slept all night, unable to decide what to do.

Although Andre and the others had said they would be fine, Shen Qinglan was unwilling to put them in such danger, especially since she knew Allen was a man of his word—if she didn’t agree to Allen’s conditions, Allen would definitely make a move against them. This time had passed without harm, but what about the next?

So, after much thought, the best solution was... for Allen to die.

A cold glint flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes.

A knock at the door followed by Aunt Zhao’s voice rang out, "Qinglan, are you up?"

"Yes, I’m up, Aunt Zhao," Shen Qinglan replied.

"Breakfast is ready, come down and eat."

Shen Qinglan responded and got up to go downstairs for breakfast.

"Would you like some fish fillet porridge this morning?" Aunt Zhao asked.

Shen Qinglan nodded; she wasn’t very hungry and figured porridge would be good.

Aunt Zhao went to the kitchen to serve the porridge for Shen Qinglan.

"Qinglan, you don’t look very well, did you not sleep well last night?" Fu Jingtong asked as she noticed Shen Qinglan’s somewhat exhausted expression, while Old Sir Fu also looked at her with concern.

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "I had a nightmare in the middle of the night, and couldn’t get back to sleep afterward."

"Nightmares mean the opposite, don’t overthink it. Eat well now, and then go back to sleep for a while," Old Sir Fu suggested.

Shen Qinglan nodded. At that moment, Aunt Zhao brought a bowl of fragrant fish fillet porridge in front of Shen Qinglan. Just as she was about to eat, she suddenly covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom. Fu Jingtong was startled and quickly stood up to follow.

"What happened?" Old Sir Fu also couldn’t focus on his meal anymore and followed, looking very worried.

Fu Jingtong, however, looked thoughtful upon seeing this.

Shen Qinglan almost vomited out her bile before she felt a bit better. Seeing that her family looked worried, she reassured them with a smile, "Grandpa, aunt, I’m fine. It’s probably just because I didn’t sleep well last night, and my stomach is acting up."

"Could it be the fish porridge was too fishy? But it shouldn’t be, I tasted it and it wasn’t fishy at all," Aunt Zhao muttered to herself, seemingly puzzled.

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan comforted her, "Aunt Zhao, it’s not the porridge, I just didn’t rest well, and my stomach is sensitive. It always gets uncomfortable if I don’t sleep well at night."

This was true, none of them had a healthy stomach, they all had some issues, Shen Qinglan was no exception, as her appetite in the morning wasn’t very good.

Returning to the dining table, Shen Qinglan was just about to drink some porridge when she frowned and immediately went to the bathroom again, which alarmed Old Sir Fu. Seeing Shen Qinglan vomiting wildly, his face was filled with concern.

It seemed that Fu Jingtong was somewhat certain of her suspicion, a glint of joy flashing in her eyes.

"Dad, Qinglan is fine, don’t worry."

Old Sir Fu glared at her, "She’s vomiting like this and you say she’s fine, hurry up, Xiao Zhao, call the driver. Take Qinglan to the hospital."

"Alright, I’ll go right now." Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao immediately went to the living room to make the call. Fu Jingtong did not stop her, this matter indeed needed to be confirmed at the hospital.

After feeling a bit better, Shen Qinglan said, "Grandpa, there’s no need to go to the hospital, I just need some rest."

"No, we must go to the hospital. Qinglan girl, your health is most important, you mustn’t be careless even with a slight illness, understand?"

"Yes, Qinglan, let’s go to the hospital to check, at least for peace of mind." Fu Jingtong also persuaded.

Helplessly, Shen Qinglan followed Fu Jingtong to the hospital, and Old Sir Fu, worried, went along without even having breakfast.

At the hospital, Fu Jingtong did not take Shen Qinglan to the gastroenterology department, but instead registered for the gynecology department. "Jingting, are you mistaken? Qinglan girl has a stomach issue, why bring her here?" Old Sir Fu asked upon seeing the sign.

Fu Jingtong smiled, "No mistake, Dad, just wait here, I’ll accompany Qinglan inside."

With that said, both Old Sir Fu and Shen Qinglan finally realized, and they both looked at Shen Qinglan’s stomach together.

Old Sir Fu’s face was overjoyed, looking at Shen Qinglan as if she was a precious treasure.

"Dad, don’t get too excited yet, I’m not sure right now, it’s just speculation. Let Qinglan go through the checkup first," Fu Jingtong quickly poured cold water on Old Sir Fu’s excitement.

Old Sir Fu calmed down and nodded, "Yes, yes, let’s do the checkup first. Qinglan girl, go ahead, don’t be nervous, we are all here."

Shen Qinglan really wanted to say that she wasn’t nervous at all, but seeing Old Sir Fu’s expression, she ultimately didn’t speak up.

Shen Qinglan went inside for the checkup while Old Sir Fu paced back and forth in the corridor. Fu Jingtong’s eyes were dizzy from watching, "Dad, stop pacing, please sit and wait."

"Ah, I’m nervous," Old Sir Fu said, recalling that he wasn’t even this nervous when his daughter-in-law was giving birth to Fu Hengyi. He looked at Fu Jingtong, "Is Qinglan girl really pregnant?"

Fu Jingtong said with a smile, "I can’t be sure, but it’s very likely." That morning, seeing Qinglan in such a state, she suddenly recalled when she was pregnant with Gu Yang; she felt the same way, nauseous at the smell of fish even though Aunt Zhao’s fish slice porridge was well-made and the fishy smell was not noticeable. But a pregnant woman’s nose is much more sensitive than an average person’s, and even a slight scent could be detected.

However, after a long time, Shen Qinglan hadn’t come out yet, which made Fu Jingtong uncertain. Could it not be pregnancy, but actually a real stomach issue? But even if it was a stomach issue, she should be out by now.

After waiting a bit longer, just when Jingting couldn’t help wanting to go in and check, Qinglan came out of the room.

Qinglan came out of the examination room expressionless. Old Sir Fu saw her demeanor and felt a bit disheartened, disappointment filled his eyes, but he ignored his own feelings and patted Qinglan on the shoulder, "It’s alright, Qinglan. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t pregnant, you and Hengyi are still young. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Jingting also consoled, "Yes, Qinglan, you and Hengyi are still young, there’s no rush. It was my fault today, I made a big deal out of nothing. Don’t be upset, let’s go check the gastroenterology department next."

Hearing the repetitive consoling of Old Sir Fu and Jingting, Qinglan didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. She handed the paper in her hand to Jingting, who took a closer look and was immediately stunned.

Her eyes widened, staring intently at the text, afraid she had read it wrong. Old Sir Fu, beside her, was getting anxious, "Jingting, what is it with Qinglan? Just tell us quick."

Jingting didn’t react, and Old Sir Fu, growing a bit impatient, snatched the test results from her, "It’s okay if it’s nothing, just say it..." His words stuck in his throat, unable to continue. Old Sir Fu stared with the same reaction as Jingting.

Qinglan hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from the two of them; standing there watching them stay silent was quite uncomfortable. She spoke, "Aunt, Grandfather."

Neither Jingting nor Old Sir Fu responded. Qinglan hadn’t eaten breakfast, and the check-up in the morning had taken some time; she was genuinely getting hungry now. She touched her stomach and spoke softly, "Grandfather, Aunt, I’m hungry, let’s go home."

"Ah, oh, hungry." Old Sir Fu responded instinctively, then came to his senses, "You’re hungry, Qinglan? Quick, quick, we must go home. I’ll call Xiao Zhao to make something delicious for you." Remembering that Qinglan had felt nauseated from the smell of fish porridge in the morning, he added, "Um, definitely no fish."

While walking, Old Sir Fu called home, "Xiao Zhao, we’re coming back soon. Make something for Qinglan to eat, something light but must be nutritious. What do you want to eat? Let me ask her." Old Sir Fu turned, looking to Qinglan, "Qinglan, is there anything specific you want to eat? I’ll ask Xiao Zhao to make it."

Qinglan shook her head, "Grandfather, it’s no trouble. Just a bowl of century egg and lean meat porridge will do."

"How can that be enough? Just porridge, where’s the nutrition in that?" said Old Sir Fu. Without waiting for Qinglan’s response, he turned and instructed, "Xiao Zhao, make some additional dishes according to Qinglan’s usual taste, yes, that’s right, and make sure it’s suitable for pregnant women, okay?"

After hanging up, Old Sir Fu’s gaze was extremely fervent as he watched Qinglan, staring at her abdomen for a long while, his eyes shining brightly.

By contrast, Jingting was much calmer. After the initial shock and joy, Jingting, remembering how long Qinglan had been inside, asked softly, "Qinglan, what did the doctor say?"

Old Sir Fu clapped his head, "Right, right, what did the doctor say?"

Qinglan smiled slightly, "The doctor said that everything looks fine for now, but since it’s still early, it’s hard to tell anything definitive. So, he suggested that I come back for another check once I’m a bit further along."

Old Sir Fu nodded in agreement, "That’s right, that’s right. If Hengyi isn’t here by then, either your aunt can accompany you or I will come with you."

Jingting also said, "Yes, your aunt will go with you then."

At this, Qinglan remembered she hadn’t yet told Hengyi about her pregnancy. She looked up at Jingting and Old Sir Fu, "Grandfather, Aunt, can we please not tell Hengyi about my pregnancy yet? I want to tell him myself when he comes back."

"Sure, as you wish," said Old Sir Fu with a smile. Right now, if Qinglan wanted anything, even the stars in the sky, he would find a way to get them for her.

"Dad, let’s head back now. After all, this is a hospital and the air isn’t good," Jingting said.

Old Sir Fu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, let’s hurry back."