The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 390 - 392. Lanlan is going to give birth.

Chapter 390: 392. Lanlan is going to give birth.

Three days before Qinglan gave birth, she suddenly received a mysterious phone call. Assuming it was from Jin Enxi, she answered, only to hear a raspy, unpleasant voice, "Xiaoqi, have you missed me?"

Qinglan’s expression changed as she stared at the phone, her eyes slightly cold, "Allen."

Allen chuckled softly, "I thought you had forgotten about me. I’m pleased to see that you remember. Don’t hang up in a hurry, I believe you’ll be interested in what I have to say next."

Qinglan paused, unable to deny that Allen had guessed correctly. She had indeed wanted to hang up.

"Xiaoqi, Qin Yan has escaped, and I guess she’s probably coming to find you," Allen said.

Qinglan’s face grew colder, "Qin Yan is indeed in league with you. She’s Mrs. Jin, isn’t she?"

"Xiaoqi, I’ve always said you’re smart, and yes, you’re right, she is Mrs. Jin," Allen readily gave her the answer, "But you’re mistaken on one point, she isn’t with me; she’s simply the last wife of my father."

"She’s your father’s wife?" Qinglan had suspected Qin Yan’s connection with Carl, but despite all her guessing, she never considered the tie to be marital. Naturally, the status of a wife wasn’t comparable to that of a mistress.

"Haven’t you been suspecting her identity all along?" Allen stated. Though his tone hardly came across as friendly, on the other side of the ocean that Qinglan couldn’t see, his eyes were filled with an emotion called "tenderness."

"If you’ve known all this while, why choose to tell me now?" Qinglan asked.

Allen’s gaze grew darker, "Xiaoqi, I was waiting for you to ask me." Unfortunately, Qinglan never thought to tell him openly. She never trusted him.

"Speak, what are your conditions this time?"

Allen laughed, his broken voice making the laughter exceptionally grating and spine-chilling, "Xiaoqi, you know me best. In this world, we’re the same kind of people. If I didn’t ask for anything, wouldn’t that make you uneasy?"

"Allen, don’t waste my time with your nonsense," Qinglan frowned deeply.

"My only request is that you take care of yourself and don’t get hurt. You’re someone I trained with my own hands, my most satisfactory work. If that trash Qin Yan harms you, Xiaoqi, I would be angry," he said tenderly.

Qinglan was stunned, not expecting this to be Allen’s term. She was momentarily at a loss for words, her mind racing to discern the truthfulness of his statement, while his gentle tone was subconsciously ignored.

"Mrs. Jin has dark, unknown associations with several lords of the underworld, and even has her own forces. Be careful. If he can’t protect you, I welcome your return; my door is always open for you," Allen declared, with that ’he’ obviously referring to Fu Hengyi.

Qinglan’s eyes were somber, "Who sent me that email last time?"

"Xiaoqi, you should be asking why I sent that email now instead."

"It wasn’t you who sent it," Qinglan asserted. Before this, she had thought it was Allen’s doing, but now, she was certain that Allen hadn’t been responsible.

The corner of Allen’s mouth turned up in a slight smile, finally revealing a hint of amusement on his grim face, "Xu Nuo." He uttered the two words.

He watched the phone disconnect with a gentle smile, but when he turned to the housekeeper, his gaze instantly became icy. Standing up, he said, "Let’s go."

The housekeeper followed behind Allen as they walked into the dungeon, where a man, covered in blood and lying on the ground, was kept confined. If not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, one might mistake him for a dead man.

The dungeon that had previously held Xu Nuo and Qin Yan was now empty, the whole space permeated with the stench of blood.

The housekeeper opened the door, and Allen walked in, looking down from his superior position at the person on the ground, "Speak, how many of Mrs. Jin’s people are still inside the base?"

The person on the ground, upon hearing his words, opened his eyes that were crusted with dried blood, shaking his head, "I... I don’t know."

"Heh heh," Allen sneered coldly, speaking indifferently, "Housekeeper, take him to the Beast Cage. A useless piece of trash with no value is only a waste of air."

The housekeeper responded with an ’understood’ and turned to call for help. The person on the ground, upon hearing the words ’Beast Cage,’ didn’t show the fear he would have previously, instead, his eyes revealed a hint of relief; the days worse than death were finally coming to an end.

Allen didn’t even give a second glance to the person in front of him, his gaze pausing for a second in the dungeon that previously held those two individuals. His expression was ice-cold as he turned and left.

The matter of Qin Yan and Xu Nuo’s escape started three days ago.

Due to Allen’s orders, Xu Nuo had been living a life comparable to Hell. Everyone was allowed to have their way with her, coupled with the bone-deep pain every day, leaving Xu Nuo wishing for death but unable to achieve it. Her jaw had been dislocated, so even if she wanted to bite her tongue and commit suicide, she couldn’t, and with her limbs feeling powerless, she was like fish on the cutting board without the slightest ability to resist.

This was also the first time Xu Nuo truly experienced Allen’s cruelty and horror.

Eventually, when Xu Nuo thought she would die there, several men suddenly came and took Qin Yan away. Before they left, Qin Yan requested that they also take her along.

It wasn’t until after leaving that Xu Nuo learned amongst the men who came daily, there were actually Qin Yan’s people. Qin Yan had relied on them to pass the message of her captivity to the outside.

Allen had coincidentally left that day, taking a portion of the staff including the housekeeper with him. By the time he returned, the people had been rescued.

"Good, very good, Qin Yan," snarled Allen upon finding out that his personnel were missing, flying into a rage and dealing with several people. Had Peter not rushed back, even the housekeeper might have died at Allen’s hands.

Allen weeded out several of Qin Yan’s spies, and the one in the dungeon was the biggest fish among them, which was a shame as the fish had very limited information.

Upon realizing the people were missing, Allen immediately ordered a search for Qin Yan’s whereabouts, but to no avail. Knowing what Qin Yan might be plotting and fearing for Shen Qinglan’s safety, Allen then made that phone call.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan’s gaze was serious. Fu Hengyi came in, and seeing her expression, asked, "What’s happened?"

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "Nothing much, just thinking about some things and feeling a bit uncertain."

Fu Hengyi assumed she was worried about the childbirth. Just yesterday, a pregnant woman from the neighboring ward was moved to the delivery room, and she hadn’t come out yet; it was said to be a difficult labor.

"Don’t be afraid, I’m always here," Fu Hengyi comforted her.

Shen Qinglan knew he had misunderstood, but decided to tell Fu Hengyi, to be prepared for unforeseeable events, "Qin Yan has disappeared."

Fu Hengyi didn’t immediately grasp the meaning behind Shen Qinglan’s words, "Wasn’t Qin Yan already missing a while back?"

Shen Qinglan repeated the contents of the phone call from Allen. Fu Hengyi’s expression turned grave; receiving such news right when Shen Qinglan was about to give birth was not a good omen.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you or the child," said Fu Hengyi seriously.

Shen Qinglan wasn’t worried about that. This hospital was the best maternity hospital in Beijing, and the doctor assigned to her was trustworthy. Moreover, she was certain Qin Yan wouldn’t want her dead directly; knowing Qin Yan was Mrs. Jin, Shen Qinglan was sure that what Qin Yan wanted was not her immediate death. Seriously speaking, her actual target was Shen Qian.

What she wanted was for Shen Qian to end up like Yan Anbang—his family destroyed, his wife and children gone, his reputation in ruins—in order to fulfill her purpose of revenge. And now she could confidently assert that her own abduction by human traffickers years ago was Qin Yan’s doing, and as for the motive, it was easy to guess, it was nothing more than two reasons.

Being the only girl in the Shen family for so many years and the treasure of the entire family, her disappearance was a tremendous blow to the Shen family members. Her own mother went insane due to her disappearance—that was one part.

Second, by sending her to Devil Base, whether dead or alive, it would be a huge irony for the Shen Family. For generations, the Shen Family had been soldiers through and through, but now a killer had emerged among them. If the outside world were to learn of this, the Shen Family would be criticized no matter what decisions they made.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were dark and indifferent. She seldom hated someone so much, but Qin Yan and Xu Nuo were definitely at the top of her list.

Jin Enxi and Daniel had wandered in the Primordial Forest for nearly a week before finally making it out. They rushed back and managed to return just two days before Shen Qinglan was due to give birth.

Shen Qinglan looked at them, covered in dirt and with strange expressions. "Did you two go on a trip to the Primordial Forest?"

Jin Enxi was embarrassed, and Daniel spoke awkwardly, "We were originally planning to go see the pyramids. We took a detour along the way."

Daniel could hardly admit that it was all because Jin Enxi suddenly got a wild idea during a layover.

"An, stop bringing that up, it’s totally humiliating," she scolded Daniel, aghast at the thought that they had been kidnapped by natives due to accidentally eating poisonous fruit. If the others found out, they’d tease her for life. Although her wilderness survival skills weren’t the best among them, she wasn’t that bad. It was all because she got saddled with a liability this time.

Thinking of this, Jin Enxi glared resentfully at Daniel while he touched his nose sheepishly.

"You two should go back and rest up," Shen Qinglan suggested.

Daniel and Jin Enxi had rushed to the hospital straight from the airplane and hadn’t had proper rest. Now they really were tired. Jin Enxi nodded, "Alright, An, I’ll come back tomorrow."

After Jin Enxi had rested, Shen Qinglan informed her of Qin Yan and Xu Nuo’s situation and also notified Yan Anbang. Jin Enxi’s smile was grim, "Oh good, they’ve finally shown up. I thought they might have vanished from the face of the earth. This time I’ll dig three feet into the ground if I have to, just to find them."

Jin Enxi looked eager to begin her search, apparently frustrated at not being able to find the mother and daughter for so long.

Shen Qinglan cautioned her, "Qin Yan is Mrs. Jin. The power behind her is complex and interwoven. Be careful in your actions."

Jin Enxi grinned, showing off her sharp little canine teeth, "An, she knows people from the underworld, and so do I. I really don’t believe she’s all that powerful."

"But still, be careful. If the situation turns bad, prioritize your own safety," Shen Qinglan said.

"Got it, I understand, An. I won’t keep you any longer. I’m going to go prepare now. The mother and daughter have done so much behind the scenes; they’ve worked hard. I must prepare a gift for them," Jin Enxi spoke with gleaming eyes that were clearly up to no good.

Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "After you find Qin Yan, remember to tell Yan Anbang."

Jin Enxi looked at her puzzled, "Why?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t explain, "You’ll know eventually."

Jin Enxi shrugged, "Okay then, An, I’m taking off now." She was bursting with impatience; it was time to find Cissily and have a discussion with the one who had the most experience in interrogation techniques.

**

As her due date approached, there was still no sign of labor for Shen Qinglan, causing everyone to grow anxious, not just Fu Hengyi.

"Why isn’t there any movement yet?" Chu Yunrong was visibly worried, pacing back and forth in the hospital room. "Hengyi, what did the doctor say?"

Fu Hengyi was nervous inside, but compared to Chu Yun Rong, his face was much calmer, "The doctor said this is a normal phenomenon; some people give birth early, and some later. Let’s wait a few more days and see."

The doctor had checked Qinglan’s body, and there were no problems, nor were there any problems with the baby. So, when everyone else was worried, it was Qinglan, the pregnant woman, who was the most calm.

"Mom, I’m hungry," Qinglan said lightly, interrupting Chu Yunrong’s train of thought.

"Oh, you’re hungry? Alright, Mommy will go buy something for you now. What do you want to eat?" Chu Yunrong’s thoughts were immediately diverted by Qinglan.

Qinglan mentioned the name of a store, "Their steamed vegetables are really good."

Chu Yunrong picked up her handbag, "Mommy will go buy it now. You wait here, I will be back soon. Don’t be scared or worry."

Qinglan nodded with a smile. She really wasn’t the slightest bit scared or worried.

Wen Xiyao also stood up, "Mom, let me drive you there." Considering Chu Yunrong’s current state, it wasn’t very safe for her to drive.

Chu Yunrong agreed, and she left with Wen Xiyao.

The two old sirs repeatedly confirmed with the doctor several times, making sure there were indeed no problems with Qinglan’s health before they gradually became reassured.

Qinglan touched her belly and said to Fu Hengyi, "The baby just doesn’t want to leave me."

Fu Hengyi frowned as he looked at her belly, "This child is not being good at all, always troubling Mom."

Qinglan, however, did not think so. From the start of her pregnancy to now, she really hadn’t suffered much. Aside from a period of morning sickness, her baby had been very well-behaved. Even during that trip to the rainforest, the baby was quiet. She thought that the child would definitely grow up to be strong and sensible.

Everyone was waiting for the arrival of the baby in Qinglan’s belly, and that wait lasted a week until there was finally movement on the eighth day.

That evening, Fu Hengyi sent away the relatives who had come to visit Qinglan. He was preparing to lie down and rest with Qinglan when, just as he closed his eyes, he heard her soft groan. Fu Hengyi’s eyes snapped open, "What’s wrong?"

"Fu Hengyi, I think I’m going into labor," Qinglan said. Fu Hengyi immediately jumped up from the bed and ran to call the doctor.

The doctor arrived quickly and after examination said, "It’s still early. The contractions have just started, and there’s still some time before delivery. Be patient and wait. But don’t be afraid, I’ll come to check on you often."

"It’s still a long time?" Fu Hengyi frowned. He had experienced such pain and the thought of Qinglan being tormented by it for a long time made him very agitated.

The doctor, who had seen many expectant fathers like him, smiled and patiently explained, "Childbirth isn’t so quick. Her cervix hasn’t dilated yet. Some people take several days from the start of contractions to full dilation; others, just a few hours. Based on your wife’s current situation, it looks very promising, and it shouldn’t be too long."

Upon hearing it could take a few hours, Fu Hengyi’s heart sank, "Doctor, if we choose a cesarean section..."

"Doctor, we choose to deliver naturally," Qinglan interrupted Fu Hengyi’s words, glared at him, and stood her ground. They had already discussed this before, and there was no going back now. Besides, her current pain was nothing to her.

"If you can deliver naturally, it’s better to do so. Your wife is in good physical condition, and the baby isn’t too big. She is fully capable of giving birth," the doctor advised.

Fu Hengyi pursed his lips, still wanting a cesarean section, but faced with Qinglan’s resolute gaze, he ended up saying nothing.

Knowing that Qinglan was finally showing signs of labor, the family rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night, and even the two old sirs stayed awake. They all gathered around Qinglan, offering warmth and concern, while Fu Hengyi was somewhat forgotten.

"Qinglan, eat something first. This is the soup that Sister-in-law Song just made for you. Drink some to replenish your strength. Giving birth is a very tiring ordeal," Chu Yunrong said softly, holding a thermal container.

Everyone immediately nodded in agreement when they heard this and chimed in, "Right, right, right, have something to eat first to replenish your strength."

Shen Qinglan didn’t feel hungry at all, especially at the mention of drinking soup, which she wanted to refuse. However, seeing everyone’s expectant looks and thinking about how they had been worried sick these days, she still took the soup that Chu Yunrong handed her and drank it all in one gulp.

Watching Shen Qinglan drink the soup as if it were medicine, Shen Junyu’s face, which had been worried, suddenly burst into laughter. Old Sir Shen noticed his expression and slapped the back of his head.

Being taught a lesson by his grandfather in front of his wife made Shen Junyu’s face somewhat embarrassed. Shen Qinglan caught this scene from the corner of her eye and her lips curved slightly.

Wen Xiyao pretended she didn’t see anything, as her husband’s dignity still needed to be maintained.

After the bout of pain passed, there was no more activity from Shen Qinglan’s belly, and the family watched it nervously. This made Shen Qinglan, who wasn’t originally nervous, anxious as well.

Seeing this, Fu Hengyi began to usher people out, "Grandfathers, Mom, please go back first. I’ll take care of Qinglan. The doctor also said that Qinglan is not going to give birth so soon."

The two old sirs were unwilling to leave.

"Let’s wait here. It’s still worrying to go back. It’s more comforting to watch over things here," said Old Sir Fu.

"Grandfather, if you stay here, Qinglan will be nervous, and that’s not good for a pregnant woman," Fu Hengyi spoke up. "Once Qinglan goes into the delivery room, I’ll call you, and you’ll still have time to come back."

After hearing this, the old sirs felt it made sense and, after much admonishing and instructing, finally left reluctantly.

The ward was now left with only Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi.

"Does your stomach still hurt?" Fu Hengyi asked softly.

"I don’t feel much now," Shen Qinglan shook her head. She was sure this child would be a mommy’s boy.

Fu Hengyi looked at the time. It was just five in the morning. The family had been worked up for most of the night. Seeing Shen Qinglan seemed tired, he said, "You sleep first, I’ll watch over you."

Shen Qinglan patted the bed, "You come up and rest for a while too." She wasn’t the only one without rest—Fu Hengyi hadn’t rested either.

Fu Hengyi didn’t refuse, got into bed, and held Shen Qinglan in his arms, "You must tell me if you feel any discomfort."

"I know. Fu Hengyi, you’re really getting more and more naggy," Shen Qinglan said with feigned disdain, even though he was clearly more nervous than she was.

It wasn’t until seven or eight o’clock the next morning that Shen Qinglan’s belly began to hurt again. She was awakened by the pain, but feeling the steady breathing behind her, she knew that Fu Hengyi had been worried for her and hadn’t been sleeping well all week. Now that he had finally fallen asleep, Shen Qinglan just lay there with her eyes open, not daring to move.

However, the pain was severe, and it didn’t take long for sweat to appear on Shen Qinglan’s forehead. Fu Hengyi, startled from his sleep, saw her frowning face and abruptly sat up in bed, "Qinglan, hold on a bit, I’ll call the doctor."

Shen Qinglan grabbed him, "Don’t go yet. I’m much better now."

Indeed, the pain passed after a while, and Shen Qinglan sat up from the bed. Fu Hengyi went to the bathroom to wring out a wet towel and helped her wipe the sweat off her face.

It wasn’t long before the doctor came in, asked about Shen Qinglan’s condition, conducted a simple physical examination, and said, "The cervix has only dilated one finger width, it’s still early for childbirth. If you don’t feel too much pain, you can stand up and walk around. Moving slowly can help with your later delivery."

"Doctor, how long before my wife can actually start labor?" asked Fu Hengyi.

"It’s still early; once dilation reaches three fingers, she can enter the delivery room. Based on her current progress, it will probably take another five or six hours. However, don’t worry too much, your wife is in very good physical condition."

Fu Hengyi was not worried about that, but he could not bear to see Shen Qinglan in pain.

The doctor gave a careful explanation of what to pay attention to and, after confirming that Shen Qinglan had no problems, left the room.

Chu Yunrong had come to the hospital early in the morning and just happened to run into the doctor leaving the sickroom. Worried that something might have happened to Shen Qinglan, she hurriedly walked in, only to see Shen Qinglan chatting with Fu Hengyi, both wearing smiles. Clearly, there was nothing wrong, and Chu Yunrong immediately felt relieved.

"Why did you get up so early?"

When Fu Hengyi saw it was Chu Yunrong, he called out "Mom" and was about to stand up, but Chu Yunrong stopped him, "Hengyi, just stay seated." Although Fu Hengyi had recovered quite well, after all, he wasn’t fully healed yet.

"Mom, why did you come over so early?" asked Shen Qinglan.

Chu Yunrong smiled, "When you get older, you sleep less. Since I can’t sleep at home anyway, I thought I’d bring over some breakfast for you. Don’t worry, there’s no soup. Sister-in-law Song made some preserved egg porridge this morning. Mom prepared a few side dishes for you to eat with it, light and gentle."

Chu Yunrong carried two insulated containers in her hands, one prepared for Shen Qinglan, and naturally, the other was for Fu Hengyi, "Hengyi, this is yours."

"Thank you, Mom," Fu Hengyi took it.

"Mom, have you eaten?" Shen Qinglan diverted Chu Yunrong’s attention, seeing her sitting and watching her eat.

"I’ve already eaten. Did the doctor come to check this morning?"

"Yes, the doctor said the cervix has only dilated one finger," Shen Qinglan said. She reluctantly drank a bowl of porridge and refused to eat any more. In fact, since the onset of intermittent pains in the morning, her stomach had been aching continuously. She simply didn’t want Fu Hengyi to worry, and since the pain wasn’t too severe, she had said nothing.

Seeing that Shen Qinglan was not eating anymore, Chu Yunrong packed up and went to wash the dishes.

"Mom, help me get up and walk around, the doctor said walking now can speed up labor." Once Chu Yunrong finished washing the dishes, Shen Qinglan spoke to her. Just then, Eden had arrived and took Fu Hengyi away, and since they were at the hospital, naturally, a checkup was necessary.

Chu Yunrong had given birth to two children and naturally understood these matters. She came forward to help Shen Qinglan up, "Can you manage it?"

"I can still manage." The current level of pain was still within her tolerance.

Chu Yunrong supported Shen Qinglan as they walked up and down the corridor. As Shen Qinglan had reached the later stages of her pregnancy, her whole body appeared somewhat swollen. It was not obvious on her face, but it was clear on her legs. After walking for half an hour, her legs began to ache, and just then, Wen Xiyao came over, so she went in to rest.

Not seeing Fu Hengyi, Wen Xiyao asked about him and learned he had gone for a checkup. She moved closer to Shen Qinglan, "Hengyi still doesn’t know the gender of the baby in your stomach is a boy?"

A trace of amusement flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes as she nodded, "Yes, I haven’t told him."

Wen Xiyao knew about Fu Hengyi’s desire for a daughter and laughed somewhat maliciously, "Then won’t he be stunned when you give birth?"

Shen Qinglan smiled without a word, and as Wen Xiyao observed the smile on her face, she suddenly felt that although Shen Qinglan seemed aloof, there was actually a bit of a mischievous streak in her bones.

"Sister-in-law is here." Fu Hengyi and Eden came in. When Fu Hengyi called out, Wen Xiyao immediately dropped the subject. Since Shen Qinglan wanted to give Fu Hengyi a "surprise," she naturally would play along.

In the afternoon, Jin Enxi and Cissily also came to the hospital but did not appear within everyone’s sight. Qin Yan was always a hidden danger, and they were genuinely concerned she might cause trouble at this time, so necessary precautions were still needed.

**

Country Y.

Allen looked at the housekeeper, his eyes deep and gloomy, "No news of Qin Yan yet?"

The housekeeper bowed his head, his demeanor respectful, "Young Master, there is still no news."

"A bunch of useless trash, so much time has passed, and yet they can’t even find a woman!" Allen exploded with rage, it was uncertain how many times he had lost his temper these past few days.

"What’s the situation over in Beijing?" Allen asked, suppressing his anger.

"Miss Shen hasn’t given birth yet, but it will happen in the next day or two," the housekeeper replied.

Allen’s face darkened, and his entire presence exuded a chill, "No matter what it takes, even if it means turning Beijing upside down, we have to find Qin Yan."

"Yes, Young Master."

Peter came in from outside and signaled to the housekeeper with his eyes. The housekeeper exited, and then Peter spoke, "Qin Yan is as slippery as an eel; it’s normal not to be able to find her. You getting angry at them just harms your own health. Is it worth it?"

Allen gave him a cold glance, "I’m going to Beijing."

Peter rolled his eyes, "Allen, I’ve told you before, your leg can’t be exposed to the cold, yet you still went out and got caught in the rain for so long, now you know it hurts?"

"Cut the crap. Tomorrow, no, this afternoon I must go to Beijing."

"Heh, you really do think I’m a god, but it’s not impossible for you to go. You can just go sitting in a wheelchair, since you don’t plan on appearing before Shen Qinglan anyway—isn’t whether it affects your image not important to you?"

Qin Yan’s target was the Shen Family, so Shen Qinglan’s delivery would be the perfect opportunity for her. If he were Qin Yan, he wouldn’t miss it either.

"There’s really no other way?" Allen asked.

Peter shook his head, his expression turned serious, "Ao, your body has developed a strong resistance to painkillers, meaning that neither painkillers nor anesthetics work on you anymore. The only thing I can do now is give you pain medication, and since that’s useless, I’m really out of options."

For once Allen didn’t erupt in anger, he fell silent for a moment before speaking, "So be it, we’ll fly to Beijing this afternoon. You’ll come with me."

Peter nodded, "Okay. But Allen, I’m really curious, even if you want to protect Shen Qinglan, you could just send someone to do it. Why go personally? Any average young man could take you down easily right now; even if you go, it won’t be of any use."

Allen gave Peter an icy glare, the chill in his gaze made Peter involuntarily shiver. He snorted, "Cut it out, then."

In fact, the reason for Allen’s visit was simple: to make Qin Yan hesitate. Her feelings for Carl were beyond doubt, and only if he showed up personally might Qin Yan consider abandoning this opportunity.

That very afternoon, Allen took his people and went to Beijing. They slipped in quietly without attracting anyone’s attention. Meanwhile, Jin Enxi, who had been monitoring the airport area, was now in the hospital’s surveillance room, overseeing every corner of the entire hospital, with Cissily by her side.

"Ah, I really want to be the first to see An’s baby," Cissily said wistfully, her eyes fixated on the surveillance screen.

Jin Enxi’s expression, however, was grave. Because of her oversight last time, Du Nan was able to successfully wreak havoc and ruin the wedding of Shen Junyu and Wen Xiyao. She had been feeling guilty ever since, and this time she would not let Qin Yan succeed at any cost.

"Enxi, I’m talking to you." Not receiving a response from Jin Enxi, Cissily raised her voice.

"I heard you, stop yelling. Why are you causing trouble at such a critical time?" Jin Enxi was in a bit of a bad mood. It had been more than ten days and she still couldn’t find Qin Yan. She had used all her connections in the underworld, only to learn that Qin Yan had appeared in Japan four days ago, and then there was no further news.

Moreover, during her investigation, she discovered that it wasn’t just her looking for Qin Yan; there was also a mysterious force on the search, but she couldn’t figure out who it was. She initially thought it was Allen, but it turned out not to be him.

Cissily understood Jin Enxi’s anxiety, "Enxi, you should relax a bit. Qin Yan definitely knows we’re looking for her, and she might not come."

"But you’re saying ’might,’ Cissily. I always have this bad feeling," Jin Enxi said.

"You’re overthinking it. Andre is here too, and Eden will be with An the whole time. Plus, with a few of us secretly guarding, if Qin Yan does come, it will be the perfect opportunity to deal with her once and for all. This fly has been buzzing around us for a while, and it’s pretty annoying."

Cissily’s plan was akin to the idiom ’like inviting the enemy into one’s own pot’—indeed, this was a good chance to capture Qin Yan.

"Then I’ll hire some bodyguards to come over. The ones Austin hired last time were not bad." Jin Enxi finally felt a bit more spirited.

"Wait." Just as Jin Enxi was about to call Austin, Cissily suddenly spoke up. She was tightly focused on one of the surveillance videos. Jin Enxi looked over, "What’s wrong?"

Cissily pointed to a figure in the video, "Don’t you think this person looks somewhat familiar?"

Jin Enxi enlarged the image and the screen froze on a woman, "Isn’t that Eden’s admirer? What’s her name... Annie, right? What is she doing at the hospital?"

Hearing this, Cissily also remembered. She had seen photos of Annie, which explained the familiarity.

"What’s wrong with her?" Cissily didn’t know about the incident at Shen Junyu’s wedding and that Annie had a hand in it, so she asked, puzzled.

Jin Enxi briefly explained the situation, and Cissily instantly laughed, her smile carrying a trace of coldness, "So she’s a pig teammate. But why would An’s sister-in-law be friends with someone like that?"

"Just a poor choice in people," Jin Enxi said casually, frowning, "What’s she doing in the maternity ward?"

In the video, Annie spoke to a nurse at the desk and the nurse pointed her in a direction. Annie glanced over but didn’t go there, instead turning around and leaving.

Jin Enxi called Eden, who then went to the nurse’s station to inquire and found out that Annie had come to ask whether Shen Qinglan had given birth to a boy or a girl. Learning that she hadn’t given birth yet, Annie left.

Her eyes flickered, unable to guess Annie’s purpose for being there.

Around four in the afternoon, Shen Qinglan’s cervix was only dilated to three centimeters, and she was taken to the delivery room. Fu Hengyi wanted to follow, but Shen Qinglan stopped him, "Wait for me here, don’t come in; I’ll be out soon."

Fu Hengyi held her hand, "Qinglan, I want to stay with you."

Shen Qinglan smiled, "I can do this on my own, and the doctors said that a woman looks ferocious and ugly during childbirth. I want to preserve my beautiful image in your heart for now."

"Even if you look ferocious, you are still the most beautiful to me."

"Fu Hengyi, listen to me this time. Wait for me outside." Shen Qinglan insisted.

Fu Hengyi stared into her eyes, seeing that Shen Qinglan had no intention of changing her mind, and finally agreed. He leaned down and devotedly kissed her forehead, "Wife, you can do this. I’ll wait for you to come out."

The door to the delivery room slowly closed in front of Fu Hengyi.