The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 278: Threatened miscarriage

Chapter 278: Threatened miscarriage

Shen Qinglan was caught off guard and hadn’t even reacted before Shen Junze pushed her, and her body instantly lost balance. She was about to fall onto the coffee table, and the first thing to take the impact would be her belly. A flicker of panic crossed the depths of Shen Qinglan’s eyes, and she instinctively reached out to protect her abdomen. Bending her knees, she dropped to the ground, but the belly was unavoidably bumped against the coffee table, causing her to immediately frown in pain.

Feeling the sharp ache in her lower abdomen, Shen Qinglan quickly called out, "Aunt Zhao."

Aunt Zhao had been cleaning upstairs, but upon hearing Shen Qinglan’s call, she immediately came downstairs. Seeing Shen Qinglan on the ground clutching her belly and not moving caused Aunt Zhao to panic, "Qinglan, what’s wrong?"

"Aunt Zhao, call a doctor," Shen Qinglan said, her forehead slick with cold sweat. She didn’t dare to move.

Heeding her words, Aunt Zhao quickly phoned the hospital. Fortunately, there was a military hospital nearby, and the doctors arrived quickly.

When Shen Qinglan was taken away, her white pants had already been stained with traces of red blood.

Old Sir Fu had just returned when he heard that Shen Qinglan had been rushed to the hospital. He hurried to the hospital and saw Aunt Zhao waiting there, asking, "What in the world happened?"

Aunt Zhao didn’t actually know what happened. On the way over, Shen Qinglan was in so much pain she couldn’t speak and was constantly clutching her belly. Aunt Zhao herself was so frightened that she had turned pale and hadn’t thought to ask any questions.

Shen Junze hadn’t imagined that a single push from him would lead to such consequences. He no longer dared to stay around and had already fled back home.

Old Sir Fu was pacing anxiously in the hospital corridor. After a while, when he saw the doctor come out, he quickly asked, "Doctor, how is my granddaughter-in-law?"

The doctor shook his head, and the light in Old Sir Fu’s eyes instantly went out. "No worries, no worries, she and Hengyi are still young, they can have children later. As long as my granddaughter-in-law’s health is fine."

Hearing these words, the doctor was somewhat amused and explained, "Old Sir, you’ve misunderstood. Your granddaughter-in-law’s child is still safe for now, but she is showing signs of a threatened miscarriage and needs to be hospitalized for a while."

Hearing this, Old Sir Fu was first stunned, then he understood and joy spread across his face, "Doctor, are you saying the child in my granddaughter-in-law’s womb is still there?"

"Yes, Old Sir, but Mrs. Fu is currently weak and needs proper rest for a few days. It’s fortunate that she was brought in timely."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness," Old Sir Fu patted his chest, having been truly terrified moments before. If something had happened to Shen Qinglan and her child, it wouldn’t just be a challenge to explain to Fu Hengyi, but also to the Shen Family.

Shen Qinglan was asleep, but restlessly so, with her brows tightly furrowed. Shen Junyu had just received the news and hurried over. Seeing Shen Qinglan’s state, his gaze turned icy.

"Aunt Zhao, you said Jun Ze came to see Lanlan before the incident?" Shen Junyu asked coldly.

Aunt Zhao nodded, "Yes, he said he was coming to see Qinglan. They were sitting in the living room discussing things, and everything seemed fine. Who knew that in the short while I went upstairs, Qinglan would have an accident." Aunt Zhao also regretted it deeply. Why did she choose that time to go upstairs?

Upon hearing this, Shen Junyu didn’t say a word and turned to leave. Both elderly sirs also heard the conversation and had grim expressions.

*********

At the Lu Family’s home, Shen Junze didn’t dare to return to his house and had gone to his uncle’s instead. Lu Jincai saw him come back with a look of panic and asked, "Jun Ze, what’s wrong?"

Shen Junze was a bit pale, having seen the bloodstains on Shen Qinglan’s pants, "Uncle, I’ve caused trouble."

"Weren’t you going to the Fu Family to find Shen Qinglan? Did she not agree?" Even if she hadn’t agreed, Shen Junze shouldn’t look so distressed, should he?

"Uncle, I’ve caused serious trouble. Grandpa and my elder brother definitely won’t let me off this time. What should I do?"

Seeing his panicked demeanor, Lu Jincai began to realize the severity of the situation. "What have you done?"

Shen Junze shook his head.

"You don’t tell me what’s going on, how can I help you?"

Shen Junze hesitated for a moment, then told Lu Jincai what had happened. After hearing the story, Lu Jincai looked very displeased; he had never expected that sending Shen Junze to ask Shen Qinglan for a favor would turn into such a mess.

"I just asked you to plead for a favor; why on earth did you push her?" Lu Jincai was furious.

Shen Junze felt wronged, "She refused to help me herself, and in a fit of rage, I just... How was I supposed to know she was pregnant, that she couldn’t withstand a push?"

Lu Jincai tried to calm himself down and asked, "Now it’s too late to discuss this, did you see clearly whether her child was lost?"

Shen Junze shook his head, "I don’t know, but I saw blood on her pants."

Lu Jincai’s face darkened; this was a real problem now. If Shen Qinglan’s child was still there, there was still room to maneuver, but if the child was gone, just the fury of the Shen Family alone would be a severe blow for them, not to mention the Fu Family.

It wasn’t a matter of whether Shen Junze was the Shen Family’s grandson and untouchable. Shen Qinglan was Old Sir Shen’s beloved jewel; this situation was getting tricky, and for a moment, Lu Jincai didn’t know what to do.

"Uncle, what should I do?" Shen Junze was at his wit’s end.

Lu Jincai paced back and forth, "Don’t panic, let me think of something."

The doorbell rang, and Lu Jincai went to open the door. As soon as he did, Shen Junyu’s face appeared before Lu Jincai. Lu Jincai tried to close the door, but Shen Junyu pushed it open forcefully. Seeing the person entering, Shen Junze turned to run but was caught by Shen Junyu, who closed the distance in a few strides, grasped his collar, and punched him right in the face. With a cold expression, Shen Junyu showed no mercy.

By the time Lu Jincai reacted, Shen Junze had already taken several punches from Shen Junyu. Lu Jincai hurried over to pull them apart, "Jun Yu, if you have something to say, say it nicely; don’t resort to violence."

Shen Junyu pushed Lu Jincai away, his eyes fixed firmly on Shen Junze.

Shen Junze, coughing violently and bleeding from the corner of his mouth, looked up at Shen Junyu, "Are you out of your damn mind? Are you trying to kill me?"

Shen Junyu’s expression was icy, "Do you think I wouldn’t dare?"

Shen Junze’s pupils shrank, and he didn’t dare confront Shen Junyu; this man had been serious with his beating.

Standing aside, Lu Jincai tried to reason in a gentle voice, "Jun Yu, I’ve already heard what Junze has done. What he did was wrong, but right now, the most important thing is to take care of Qinglan. You can discipline Junze later." Shen Junyu was furious, and the best course was to convince him to leave for now.

Shen Junyu didn’t listen to Lu Jincai at all; he didn’t need Shen Qinglan to tell him what had happened to guess the gist of it.

"Shen Junze, let me make it clear to you; the Junlan Group will neither now nor in the future work with the Shen Family. Moreover, starting from today, I will initiate a takeover of the Shen Family."

Shen Junze’s face turned pale, "You can’t do this."

At his words, Shen Junyu let out a cold laugh, "I can’t? Shen Junze, what right do you have to tell me I can’t, just because you also bear the Shen surname? Where do you get the confidence to think I wouldn’t settle accounts with you after you’ve hurt Lanlan?"

"You can’t take over the Shen Family; it’s what my dad left for me. My dad is your Second Uncle; by doing this, can you face him?"

Shen Junyu looked at Shen Junze, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. It was a pity that the business set up by his Second Uncle was going to be wasted, with such a son ruining it, "Rather than watching the business be destroyed in your hands, I’d rather take it over and elevate it to greater heights."

Shen Junze’s expression turned fierce, "You can’t do this; Grandpa won’t agree to it!"

Shen Junyu didn’t even glance at Shen Junze as he turned to leave. Stopping at the door, he said coldly, "You better pray that Lanlan is alright, or the consequences are not something you can bear."

"Uncle, what do we do now?" Shen Junze looked at Lu Jincai in panic after Shen Junyu had left.

"You’re asking me, but who am I supposed to ask?" Lu Jincai yelled, furious at Shen Junze for the first time; he had been nothing but a troublemaker.

Shen Junze was stunned by Lu Jincai’s shout, "Uncle."

Lu Jincai wiped his face, suppressing the anger in his heart, "Get up now and come with me to the Shen Family, kneel down, and apologize to Old Sir Shen. This matter still requires Old Sir Shen to handle it."

He had a good plan, as long as Old Sir Shen was willing to forgive Shen Junze and was willing to protect him, then even Shen Junyu wouldn’t be able to do anything to him, and the Fu Family would also need time for Old Sir Shen to step in.

Shen Junze’s expression was filled with reluctance, "Uncle, I’m not going." That old man has always disliked him, and this time the incident involved Shen Qinglan. If he went to Old Sir Shen, wouldn’t that be asking for death?

Lu Jincai sneered, "You can choose not to go, but then just wait for Shen Junyu to take over the Shen Family. Do you think he was just joking with you?" Having been in Beijing for several months, the first thing Lu Jincai did was to understand the relationships within the Beijing business circles, especially the temperaments and characters of the leaders within key enterprises.

According to his research, Shen Junyu was nothing like the gentle, innocent persona he presented publicly.

If he said something like that today, he would carry it out.

Shen Junze struggled visibly, but Lu Jincai didn’t rush him, sitting down on the sofa, "You need to think clearly for yourself whether you want the company or your pride."

After thinking for a while, Shen Junze finally spoke up, "Uncle, I’ll go to the Shen Family now."

"It’s not the Shen Family, it’s the hospital," said Lu Jincai, "Old Sir Shen must be at the hospital now. Do you know which hospital Shen Qinglan is staying in?"

Shen Junze shook his head. He had been so scared at the time that he had run away immediately; how could he know which hospital Shen Qinglan was in?

Lu Jincai had no choice but to call his sister, Lu Yaqin, who had no idea that such a thing could happen, and suddenly became anxious. Listening to Lu Yaqin’s frantic voice on the phone, Lu Jincai became annoyed, "Alright, alright, stop crying. First, make a call and find out which hospital Shen Qinglan is in,"

After hanging up and receiving the information about Shen Qinglan’s hospital and ward from Lu Yaqin, Lu Jincai took the reluctant Shen Junze with him.

"Put that look away. You’re going to apologize. Even if you’re reluctant inside, hold it in. If you still can’t adjust your attitude when we get there, we won’t go in, lest we make things worse."

"Uncle, I already feel terrible; can you stop lecturing me for now?" Shen Junze said irritably.

"If you weren’t my only nephew, do you think I’d care about you?"

Shen Junze immediately shut his mouth. By the time they reached the hospital, there was no trace of reluctance on Shen Junze’s face.

They ran into Lu Yaqin downstairs in the hospital. Lu Jincai frowned at his sister, "Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you not to come?" The Shen Family didn’t like Lu Yaqin to begin with; seeing her now, wouldn’t it be adding fuel to the fire?

Lu Yaqin’s face was full of worry, "Isn’t this because I’m concerned about Junze?"

"Now that things are already chaotic enough, don’t stir them up further. I’ll take Junze upstairs. You wait here."

Knowing she wasn’t welcome in the Shen Family, Lu Yaqin didn’t insist on going up and waited alone downstairs.

Lu Jincai took Shen Junze upstairs, not rushing to enter the ward but first went to the nurses’ station to inquire about Shen Qinglan’s condition. Knowing that the child in Shen Qinglan’s belly was still there, he let out a long sigh of relief. As long as there was still a chance for things to turn around, it could be discussed.

Arriving at the ward’s door, Lu Jincai’s face was filled with smiles, with Shen Junze following behind him, not saying a word.

Seeing Old Sir Shen, he immediately said, "Old Sir Shen, I’ve brought Junze here to apologize to you."

Old Sir Shen’s face was cold, and his gaze at the two was devoid of any warmth, "No need, I cannot accept it."

Lu Jincai put on a conciliatory smile, "Old Sir Shen, please don’t say that. Junze has already told me what happened; it was his fault, I’ve scolded him for it, and he knows he was wrong." As he spoke, he gave Shen Junze a look.

Shen Junze, with a hardened heart, kneeled directly in front of Old Sir Shen, "Granddad, I was wrong."

Just this move, Old Sir Shen watched without any reaction, his face still cold.

Lu Jincai said on the side, "Old Sir, Shen Jun Ze has deeply reflected on this matter, and he told me as well. He just lost his cool at the moment, and he regretted it afterward. Look, now he’s here to apologize to you, isn’t he?"

"The person he needs to apologize to isn’t me; I don’t need his apology. Our Shen Family can’t accept his so-called apology."

"Look at what you’re saying, Old Sir. Isn’t Jun Ze also a member of the Shen Family?"

Shen Jun Ze had been keeping his head down all along; no one could see his expression clearly, naturally, they also couldn’t see the fierce look on his face after Old Sir Shen said that.

Old Sir Shen did not have a pleasant expression, and Shen Jun Yu, who had just come in and heard this conversation, had an even worse one.

"Who let you come here to play the part of the grieving party? Get the hell out of here," Shen Jun Yu was extremely angry; even after giving Shen Jun Ze a few punches, the fury in his heart had not diminished in the slightest.

Facing Shen Jun Yu, Lu Jincai looked rather sheepishly embarrassed.

"That, Jun Yu, Jun Ze is here to apologize."

"There’s no need for that. I would be grateful if you would just stay away from us from now on."

Lu Jincai looked sheepishly embarrassed, and at the same time, he was somewhat worried that Shen Jun Ze might impulsively say something he shouldn’t. Fortunately, this time Shen Jun Ze restrained himself.

Shen Jun Ze was still kneeling on the ground with his head down, and when he spoke next, his voice was very low, even carrying a faint sobbing tone, "Grandpa, I really realize I was wrong. I didn’t know my cousin was pregnant. If I had known, I would never have done this. Grandpa, will you forgive me this time?"

Lu Jincai also chimed in from the side, "Right, there’s a saying, ’to err is human; to forgive, divine’. Jun Ze didn’t do it on purpose this time, and he’s only eighteen years old, still a child. His father died early. Please forgive him this time for his father’s sake."

Old Sir Shen was angry enough, but mentioning Shen Rang made him even more so, "Given the son you’ve turned out to be, if your dad was still alive, I would have kicked you both out of the Shen Family."

Lu Jincai’s face looked awful, "Old Sir, that’s a bit too harsh. Jun Ze is still your grandson after all. Even if he has done something wrong, you could teach him slowly."

Shen Jun Ze took two steps forward and directly clung to Old Sir Shen’s legs, crying with snot and tears streaming, "Grandpa, I really realize I was wrong. Please don’t kick me out. I will definitely not do it again. I promise to be obedient."

Shen Jun Ze actually looked a lot like a younger Shen Rang, but apart from his appearance, there was nothing about Shen Jun Ze that was anything like Shen Rang, especially his character. It was unclear who he took after.

Old Sir Shen looked at Shen Jun Ze with a face full of disappointment, "Shen Jun Ze, if you had even a bit of the courage your father had, I would have helped you. But you, look at yourself, do you have the slightest bit of a man’s responsibility?"

Shen Jun Ze’s face turned ugly, reprimanded by the old man, he wanted to retort, but he also knew that this time without Old Sir Shen’s help, it would be hard to overcome this obstacle.

In the hospital room, Shen Qinglan woke up and her hand immediately went to her stomach. Chu Yunrong saw this and hurriedly said, "Qinglan, the baby is fine, it’s still in your belly, don’t worry."

Shen Qinglan looked at Chu Yunrong, "Really?"

"When has Mom ever lied to you? However, your body is quite weak right now, and you can’t be discharged from the hospital just yet."

Shen Qinglan, knowing the baby was safe, relaxed immediately, but she was still a little uneasy, "There won’t be any after-effects, right?"

Chu Yunrong replied gently with a smile, "Don’t worry, there won’t be. Once your body gets a little better, the doctor will do another full-body checkup for you."

Shen Qinglan nodded, not seeing anyone else in the room, she felt a little strange, "Where’s grandpa?"

The smile on Chu Yunrong’s face faded a little, "He’s outside."

Shen Qinglan concentrated, and this time she seemed to hear Shen Jun Ze’s voice outside. Her expression turned a bit cold; because of Shen Jun Ze, she had almost lost this long-awaited child.

"Mum, don’t tell Fu Hengyi about this, I don’t want him to worry," Shen Qinglan said.

Chu Yunrong felt somewhat embarrassed, "Hengyi already knows, and he is probably on his way back by now." And she estimated that he was almost there.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, and sure enough, not ten minutes had passed when hurried footsteps sounded outside the ward. The tall figure of a man appeared before Shen Qinglan, still wearing his combat uniform, his face not fully cleaned of camouflage paint, clearly having rushed over in a hurry.

Fu Hengyi hugged Shen Qinglan tightly, although he had learned on his way that Shen Qinglan was fine, he still couldn’t help worrying until he saw her in person. Now that she was in his arms, just as Chu Yunrong had assured, perfectly fine, the heart of Fu Hengyi that had risen to his throat slowly returned to his chest.

Feeling his lingering fear, Shen Qinglan stretched out her arms to embrace Fu Hengyi and whispered softly, "I’m okay, don’t be afraid."

How could Fu Hengyi not be afraid?

He pushed her away slightly to look her up and down carefully, and upon seeing that she was only a bit pale but otherwise appeared to be in good spirits, the usual icy expression on his face finally softened.

"You tell me how I’m supposed to deal with this mess," Fu Hengyi said, his tone helpless.

Shen Qinglan took his hand, "I’m really sorry for making you worry."

"As long as you’re fine, that’s all that matters."

Now that he was sure Shen Qinglan was okay, Fu Hengyi turned to Chu Yunrong to say, "Mum, thank you." If it hadn’t been for Chu Yunrong telling him, he was afraid that Shen Qinglan would have kept this from him, as was her nature.

Seeing how anxious Fu Hengyi was about Shen Qinglan, Chu Yunrong felt a deep sense of relief, "We’re family, you don’t need to say such things."

In the outer room, when Old Sir Shen saw that Shen Qinglan had awakened, he had no time to care about Shen Junze and hurriedly walked in.

Shen Qinglan saw everyone’s worried faces and smiled slightly, "Grandpa, big brother, I’m fine now."

Shen Junyu ruffled her head, "You really scared me to death."

Fu Hengyi frowned and pulled Shen Junyu’s hand away. Shen Junyu chuckled but the smile disappeared from his face when he saw the person who walked in after him.

"Qinglan, seeing that you’re alright, we can all be at ease. It was Jun Ze who was thoughtless this time. Please, be magnanimous and don’t blame him," Lu Jincai said ingratiatingly.

Shen Junze followed behind him, looking down at Shen Qinglan he said, "Sis, I’m sorry."

Shen Qinglan’s expression was cold, as if she neither saw the two of them nor heard their words.

Being ignored by Shen Qinglan, Lu Jincai felt very embarrassed and Shen Junze didn’t dare to show any anger, given how firm Old Sir Shen’s attitude had been, refusing to interfere with whatever Shen Junyu did.

Thinking about his company about to be acquired by Shen Junyu, Shen Junze felt a mixture of anger and resentment, even harboring resentment towards the deceased Shen Rang. After all, he had left this place for decades. Why come back at all? If Shen Rang hadn’t decided to return, none of this would be happening right now.

"Sis, I was wrong this time. You can hit me, scold me, whatever you want, please just forgive me this once," Shen Junze said in a low voice.

Shen Qinglan didn’t even glance in his direction.

Fu Hengyi’s expression was ice-cold as he said, "You should leave; you’re not welcome here."

Lu Jincai tried to keep a smiling face, "Jun Ze really knows his mistake, please forgive him this time."

No one in the ward responded to them, and seeing this, Lu Jincai also felt helpless as the situation seemed to have no room for negotiation.

After waiting for a few more minutes and still being ignored, Lu Jincai had no choice but to leave the place with Shen Junze feeling helpless.

"Uncle, they simply won’t talk to us. What should I do now?"

Lu Jincai stepped out of the ward, his expression changing to one of icy coldness, "What should we do? You’re asking me? How would I know? You’re the one who caused this trouble; you solve it."

"Uncle, you can’t ignore me," Shen Junze said in fear.

Lu Jincai, having just been humbling himself to apologize to someone only to receive an unkind response, was in a particularly bad mood. Now, seeing Shen Junze only made him more irritated, "Go back home for now. I’ll think about what can be done about this."

Shen Junze had no temper in front of Lu Jincai. From a young age, he had been very close to Lu Jincai, even closer than to his own father. Lu Jincai had been good to him, spoiled him, and given him whatever he wanted. In Shen Junze’s heart, Lu Jincai was like a father to him.

"Uncle, you must help me this time," Shen Junze pleaded.

Lu Jincai sighed, "Alright, go back home. Your uncle will definitely find a way to help you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Junze immediately felt relieved and returned home with Lu Yaqin.

Lu Jincai furrowed his brows, still pondering how to handle the situation.

In the ward, Old Sir Shen Shen Qinglan had woken up. Knowing that Fu Hengyi must have more to say to her, she left. Shen Junyu and Chu Yunrong also tactfully left the room, leaving only Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi alone.

Seeing him still looking serious, Shen Qinglan reached out to smooth his furrowed brow, "Fu Hengyi, stop frowning, you’re looking old."

Fu Hengyi took her hand in his, "What exactly happened this time?" Chu Yunrong had only mentioned that Shen Junze had pushed Shen Qinglan down but didn’t provide details, so Fu Hengyi was still in the dark.

Shen Qinglan recounted the whole incident, and Fu Hengyi’s brows knitted together, "A partnership? Was this proposed by Shen Junze?"

Shen Qinglan nodded her head, "But I suspect that the one behind it is Lu Jincai."

Fu Hengyi very much agreed with her, "This Lu Jincai is not a contented man."

Last time Shen Junze made a scene at the Shen Family, Lu Jincai was also behind it. It was a pity that Shen Junze and Lu Yaqin, his mother, could not see Lu Jincai for who he truly was and took him as their most trusted person.

Shen Qinglan did not feel a bit of sympathy for Shen Junze and Lu Yaqin. "Eventually, they will understand. My brother said he wants to acquire the Shen Family business, what do you think about that?"

Fu Hengyi thought for a moment and then spoke, "I don’t agree with the acquisition. Shen Junze is already panicking without it happening yet. If your brother really acquires the Shen Family business, there will never be peace for the Shen Family after that. It would be better to ignore the Shen Family business altogether. With Lu Jincai’s ambition, if the company stays in Shen Junze’s hands, it will eventually fall under Lu Jincai’s control anyway, and that will serve as a lesson for Shen Junze."

Fu Hengyi’s prediction was very likely to happen. Shen Qinglan thought about it and nodded in agreement, but the final decision was in the hands of Shen Junyu.

"Junyu still listens to you," said Fu Hengyi. Shen Junyu was a doting brother; if Shen Qinglan said something, he would certainly take it seriously.

Shen Qinglan pondered for a moment and then made a phone call to Shen Junyu, who had an unfathomable expression.

"Brother, do you hear what I’m saying?"

Shen Junyu smiled helplessly, "I know. I won’t involve myself with the Shen Family’s affairs."

Even though there were people looking after Shen Qinglan in the hospital, Fu Hengyi was still worried and chose to stay in the hospital to take care of Shen Qinglan himself.

"Fu Hengyi, is it really okay for you not to go back?"

Fu Hengyi smiled slightly, "It’s fine. I’ve filed a report." But the truth was he had left the base directly without anyone’s consent, and the higher-ups were furious now.

Shen Qinglan fixed her gaze on him, seeing that his expression was calm, she said no more.

Fu Hengyi went home first, grabbed a couple of changes of clothes, and then returned to the hospital. Fortunately, Shen Qinglan was in a private room. Although the hospital bed was small, they could still manage to squeeze in together, otherwise, Fu Hengyi would have had to sleep on the floor.

Shen Qinglan stayed in the hospital for five days, and Fu Hengyi kept her company for all five days. It wasn’t until the doctor had given Shen Qinglan a thorough checkup and confirmed that everything was fine that she was discharged.

When Shen Qinglan returned home, the housekeeper had already prepared a meal. But as soon as she sat down, her morning sickness began to act up.

This time it was different from the few occasions before. Previously, vomiting would bring relief, but this time, Shen Qinglan found herself getting sick even from just a sip of water. After this ordeal, it seemed as though the baby had become rebellious, tormenting Shen Qinglan endlessly.

And Fu Hengyi, who originally planned to return to his troop, decided not to leave. Shen Qinglan tried to persuade him several times, but Fu Hengyi acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

"Fu Hengyi, it’s just morning sickness, every pregnant woman goes through it. Don’t be so tense, even the doctor said it’s a normal reaction," Shen Qinglan pleaded earnestly.

Fu Hengyi remained unmoved.

In the end, the troop’s leader directly called Old Sir Fu. Old Sir Fu must have said something to Fu Hengyi, for he returned the next day. Shen Qinglan finally breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to be the woman behind Fu Hengyi but didn’t want to become his burden.

Due to the morning sickness, Shen Qinglan lost weight rapidly within just a few days. Everyone was heartbroken to see her condition. Chu Yunrong had stopped going out and her daily mission, along with Aunt Zhao, Sister-in-law Song, and the other housekeeper that Fu Hengyi had hired, was to study Shen Qinglan’s diet. They tried various recipes in hopes that one might settle well.

Regrettably, no matter what she ate, Shen Qinglan couldn’t hold it down.

Seeing that Shen Qinglan forced herself to eat even though she was clearly suffering, Shen Junyu felt extremely heartbroken, wishing he could drag out the culprit responsible for all this and give them a good thrashing.

Shen Qinglan found his gritted teeth quite amusing. "Brother, it’s just morning sickness. You’re all overreacting."

Shen Junyu grumbled resentfully, "It’s all Fu Hengyi’s fault. What’s the rush to have kids? Look at what you’ve been reduced to?" She was already thin, now it seemed as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

"It’s just that I’ve lost a little weight, that’s all. Didn’t the doctor say that it’s easier for a skinnier pregnant woman when it comes time to give birth?" Shen Qinglan didn’t feel hard-pressed. On the contrary, she was happy seeing her child grow day by day in her belly.

Now, she had also picked up a habit of journaling every day, noting down the tiny details of her child’s development.

"You, what am I supposed to say to you? You don’t pity yourself, but I do. When the child in your belly is born, just you wait and see how I educate him."

Shen Qinglan looked at him sideways. "But this is your only nephew, can you really bear to?"

Shen Junyu glanced at her askew. "Bear to, of course, I can. You and Fu Hengyi may try to stop me, but it won’t do any good. I must properly teach him a lesson for being so disobedient."

However, when Fu Mengbao was indeed born later on, the person who doted on him the most turned out to be the uncle who had claimed he would teach him a lesson. Even Fu Mengbao knew, if mom and dad were angry, just go to uncle, and uncle would definitely protect him.

Wen Xiyao, who came with Shen Junyu, chuckled upon hearing this. "Alright, alright. He’s your own nephew, I don’t believe you’d really have the heart. By the way, didn’t Qinglan just say she wanted grapes? Aren’t you going down to buy some?"

At the mention of this, Shen Junyu immediately said, "I’ll go right now. You stay here and chat with Lanlan." With that, he left.

"Your brother is just too anxious," Wen Xiyao said, smiling.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes softened. "When you get pregnant in the future, my brother will definitely be even more anxious."

Wen Xiyao smiled slightly, not doubting the truthfulness of Shen Qinglan’s words.

Later on, it was proven that when Wen Xiyao was pregnant, Shen Junyu was indeed overly concerned, even more so than before.

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

At the Blade Troop Base, Fu Hengyi had just returned when his superior summoned him to the office. The leader’s face was cold as ice, and even after Fu Hengyi had been standing there for quite some time, he did not bother to lift his head to glance at him. Fu Hengyi stood still, silent as a statue.

The atmosphere in the office grew colder by the minute, the anger on the leader’s face intensifying. Finally, he slammed the notebook he was holding onto the desk and glared at him, "Fu Hengyi, do you no longer have any respect for military discipline? Has your sense of duty as a soldier been eaten by dogs? Leaving without permission is an offense deserving of a demerit at the very least."

Fu Hengyi remained silent, allowing the leader to vent the fury within. Seeing this, the leader’s anger did not abate but grew even stronger, "Fu Hengyi, are you even listening to what I am saying?"

Fu Hengyi gave a military salute, "Listening attentively to the leader’s instruction."

If it were anyone else, they might not dare to speak to Fu Hengyi like this. After all, Fu Hengyi’s rank was high, his capabilities robust, and even those in positions above him spoke to him politely. However, this leader was different. Fu Hengyi was handpicked by him from the army, always served under him, one might even say that he was brought up by him. The relationship between them was not just that of superior and subordinate, but also that of comrades who had faced life and death together, making their bond exceptional.

"It seems to me that you only have eyes for your wife now, and forget about me, your leader," the leader scoffed, "Fu Hengyi, go back and write a self-criticism of ten thousand words."

"Yes," said Fu Hengyi. He did not argue as obedience to orders was a soldier’s fundamental duty. Although his military rank was higher than the leader’s, in terms of position, the leader was still his superior.

Seeing that Fu Hengyi accepted the punishment, a bit of the leader’s anger subsided, "How is your wife’s health now?"

Fu Hengyi replied, "The situation is now stable."

The leader sighed, "Hengyi, you’ve always been steady, but this time you went too far. When the higher-ups were here for an inspection, you actually left the base in front of them. Writing a self-criticism is already the lightest punishment. There will be an announcement made in the base later. I hope you can understand."

Fu Hengyi’s expression unchanged, "I understand. No matter what decisions are made by the base, I will understand and accept them." From the moment he left the base, Fu Hengyi had prepared for the worst. He had even considered that if he left this time, he might never be able to return. But at that moment, Shen Qinglan and their child weighed heavier in his heart. He could not stay.

A public reprimand and a self-criticism—it really was the lightest punishment for Fu Hengyi, and he did not believe it was given without the influence of his leader.

"Leader, thank you for this time."

The leader huffed, "Don’t be too quick to thank me; this is the first and last time. If there is a next time, even I won’t be able to help you. Fu Hengyi, you must always remember that you are a soldier."

"Yes."

Now, seeing Fu Hengyi gave the leader a headache, he waved his hand, "You may go."

Fu Hengyi left the leader’s office, only to see Mu Liancheng and a few others waiting outside. They hurried over as soon as they saw him, "Boss, what did the leader say?"

Fu Hengyi glanced at them, his voice frosty, "Are you all so idle?"

Meng Liang chuckled sheepishly, "Of course not, we just came to see how you were doing. Now that we’ve seen, we’ll leave right away." With that, he pulled Qian Fei along, and in a flash, they were gone.

Only Mu Liancheng was left to face Fu Hengyi, whose aura was colder than an iceberg.

Fu Hengyi stared intently at Mu Liancheng and asked, "Anything else?"

Mu Liancheng felt a tingle on his scalp, "Nothing, just wondering if you wanted to join us in the mess hall for dinner."

"No need," said Fu Hengyi as he walked a few steps, stopped, and added, "Bring me back two steamed buns."

"Okay."

Fu Hengyi returned to his office and booted up the computer to begin writing his self-criticism. He had always been the one ordering others to write self-criticisms, but now that it was his turn, Fu Hengyi realized how difficult it was.

When Mu Liancheng came back, Fu Hengyi was still battling with the keyboard, his furrowed brows forming a tight knot.