It was rare for Old Mr. Ruan to react so quickly. He immediately grasped the key point that mattered to him: “Pregnant and raising a baby?”
Jing Yicheng’s eyes were mocking, but his voice was indifferent: “Yes.”
The sound of Old Mr. Ruan’s coughing came through the phone. Probably, because he was too excited, his voice trembled a bit: “Alright, if what Mr. Jing said is true, I will personally invite you for a drink.”
Jing Yicheng remained unmoved. He preferred that Old Mr. Ruan quickly bring An Rouyu back, preferably to marry her off to Ruan Chenxuan, binding them together as a loving couple, so they would stop bothering Xu Chenghao.
Old Mr Ruan was famously known for focusing on his descendants in the circle. It was said that Ruan Chenxuan was personally brought up by him, and never allowed to be taken away from his side after birth. This led to Ruan Chenxuan not being close to his father, with frequent clashes. There were even rumors that Ruan Chenxuan’s father, realizing he couldn’t control his son, sought other sons, never using contraception during his affairs.
Of course, these were just rumors, with no way to verify the truth. But Old Mr. Ruan’s controlling nature, desire for a four-generation family that lives together, and hope for heirs were real. Given his recent reaction, he would likely take An Rouyu’s pregnancy seriously and might actually bring her back.
By then, Ruan Chenxuan would be busy and wouldn’t harass Xu Chenghao anymore. The thought itself was delightful.
After all this, Jing Yicheng quietly returned to his office, pretending he had done nothing, silently watering the pepper seedlings.
Xu Chenghao glanced at him: “Where’s Li Nian? Why aren’t you two together?”
Jing Yicheng: “He’s gone.”
Xu Chenghao looked up, surprised: “You guys finished the handover already?”
Jing Yicheng: “Yes.”
Xu Chenghao: “That was fast.”
Seeing him looking up, Jing Yicheng wanted to pat his head: “We’ve worked on projects together before, so I’m familiar with your process.”
Xu Chenghao slapped his hand away: “Do you think you can just pat the boss’s head? Go away.”
Jing Yicheng then aimed for his earlobe: “You’re mine, why can’t I touch you?”
Xu Chenghao hit him with a folder: “Don’t mess around, I have work to do.”
Jing Yicheng immediately behaved, sitting across from Xu Chenghao to help with the paperwork. They worked until the end of the day and then resumed their routine of living and eating together.
Meanwhile, Old Mr. Ruan had already started investigating the truth. After all, Jing Yicheng’s relationship with them was very poor, and it could be a deliberate trick. Though he couldn’t figure out why Jing Yicheng would deceive him, especially since he was a rival before, it was still strange that Jing Yicheng personally called to inform him of An Rouyu’s pregnancy.
The more puzzling it was, the more cautious Old Mr. Ruan became. Despite his urgency, he feared it might be a trap, so he conducted a thorough investigation. Even after getting An Rouyu’s medical report, he needed to verify its authenticity.
The fact remained unchangeable; An Rouyu was pregnant before she went abroad.
After a series of careful investigations, Old Mr. Ruan finally believed Jing Yicheng was telling the truth. Once he confirmed that Ruan Chenxuan would have a successor, he immediately started looking for An Rouyu.
Jing Yicheng had the most say about An Rouyu’s whereabouts. Since he personally informed Old Mr. Ruan, he certainly wouldn’t obstruct him as before. Jing Yicheng now thought his past self was foolish for sending her abroad. Wouldn’t it have been better to let them be together? It was truly regrettable in hindsight.
In Jing Yicheng’s intentional leniency, Old Mr. Ruan found An Rouyu’s location within four days. Learning she was seven months pregnant, he immediately brought her back to the Ruan family estate.
An Rouyu was naturally shocked and scared, unwilling to return. But as a pregnant woman, she was defenseless, already struggling. Faced with an invitation that felt like a kidnapping, she had no choice but to follow. Sitting in the living room, she nervously gripped her dress, waiting for the final verdict.
Hearing the sound of wheels, An Rouyu looked up warily to see a stern old man being pushed in a wheelchair. His high cheekbones, tightly pressed lips, and scrutinizing eyes made An Rouyu feel extremely uneasy.
Old Mr. Ruan’s appearance was intimidating; his drooping eyes while not smiling made him look even scarier. Now, with his gaze fixed on her belly, An Rouyu felt a chill in her stomach.
Naturally, An Rouyu recognized this old man. When she saw him, she felt a little despair in her heart. She knew what their purpose was—they were after the child in her belly!
Despite her nerves, maternal instinct made An Rouyu quickly stood up, pretending to adjust her clothes, she covered her belly and forced herself to stay calm: “So the person who travelled all the way to see me is actually Grandpa Ruan. You should have called; there was no need to go through such trouble.”
Old Mr. Ruan leaned back, examining her: “Oh? So you know why I’m here?”
An Rouyu was sweating: “I really don’t know. What matter could make Grandpa Ruan come out personally to find me?”
Old Mr. Ruan coldly replied: “We’ll know in three months.”
An Rouyu was choked. After a while, she gathered her courage: “Are you planning to keep me here for three months? Are you planning to restrict my freedom?”
Old Mr. Ruan: “You were already hiding abroad with no fixed place. Now I’m giving you a proper place to stay, and you still refuse?”
An Rouyu avoided the old man’s gaze, stubbornly saying: “Of course, I refuse. I can’t afford to live in your ‘good place.'”
Old Mr. Ruan didn’t expect such defiance from the seemingly vulnerable younger generation. He immediately tore off the pretense: “Refuse or not, you will stay. You’re carrying a Ruan family descendant. Where do you think you can hide?”
What An Rouyu feared the most was this kind of forced detention. Various thoughts flashed through her mind, and finally, she decided to tackle the root issue: “Who said it’s a Ruan family descendant? Grandpa Ruan, do you really think it’s Ruan Chenxuan’s child?”
Old Mr. Ruan, with clear investigative results, couldn’t be swayed by a few words: “It is Ruan Chenxuan’s child. Did you think I didn’t investigate before bringing you back?”
An Rouyu persisted: “Then you didn’t investigate thoroughly. If I were pregnant with Ruan Chenxuan’s child during our relationship, why wouldn’t I marry into the Ruan family instead of running abroad?”
Old Mr. Ruan: “Because you saw Ruan Chenxuan with another woman.”
An Rouyu: “Why didn’t you investigate why Ruan Chenxuan and I were on cold terms?”
Old Mr. Ruan frowned: “Couples argue; isn’t that normal?”
An Rouyu seized this point to fabricate: “If it were normal, Ruan Chenxuan wouldn’t have gone to another woman, and I wouldn’t have left for abroad.”
Old Mr. Ruan’s sharp eyes bore into her: “What are you trying to say?”
To escape, An Rouyu lied: “Because he found out I still had contact with Xu Chenghao, even catching us at Xu Chenghao’s house. From that day, we were on cold terms, which was around the time when I got pregnant.”
After investigating, Old Mr. Ruan learned that they had been to Xu Chenghao’s home and that they had once had a cold war and quarreled, which led to An Rouyu going abroad. However, further investigation yielded no results because Jing Yicheng was involved, and all his actions and matters were confidential and could not be disclosed or investigated. Therefore, he had no idea that there was another layer to this…
Old Mr. Ruan was already suspicious when Jing Yicheng suddenly told him about this matter. Now, his vigilance increased, and he simply said, “Whether it is or not, we will naturally see the outcome in three months!”
An Rouyu seized the chance: “No matter what, I think we should inform Xu Chenghao. He’s also a potential father.”
Old Mr. Ruan sharply looked up: “Miss An!”
An Rouyu was startled.
Old Mr. Ruan said coldly, “If you’re saying these things to escape, it would stain the child’s reputation and your own. Even if the child truly belongs to the Ruan family, don’t think you can enter our home! Have you really thought this through?”
An Rouyu remained silent for a long time before she finally looked up and said, “I’ve thought it through.”
Old Mr. Ruan was so angry he laughed, coughed twice, and signaled to the person behind him to push him away, not wanting to see An Rouyu at all.
An Rouyu let out a sigh of relief, her legs weak as she sat down on the sofa, touching her belly with a bitter smile. She had been gone for so long, Ruan Chenxuan was probably already deeply involved with that woman and wouldn’t even remember who An Rouyu was. In such a situation, where he didn’t love her and didn’t want to marry her, how could she possibly become Ruan Chenxuan’s wife?
If she had to sacrifice her dignity to get married, she’d rather live on her own with her child. Even if it meant a life of hardship, it would be better than staying in the Ruan family that would devour her whole!
Therefore, she hoped Hao-gege would understand her situation when he got the news and come quickly to rescue her from here!
Suppressing the panic in her heart, An Rouyu clasped her hands together, pressing them against her forehead as she closed her eyes in prayer. She hoped the Ruan family wouldn’t take her child away and that Hao-gege would come to save her soon… As long as Hao-gege came to protect her, she was sure the child would be safe!
The author has something to say: Xu Chenghao: Hello? The wind on the rooftop is too strong, I can’t hear you.
T/N: Yours truly, the one and only Female lead of this novel is back. Anyone miss her? I surely didn’t lol
Chen-ge, you just shot yourself in the foot hahahaha
