Invincible Dad-Chapter 620 Drinking This Bowl of Chicken Soup_1

Chapter 620: Chapter 620 Drinking This Bowl of Chicken Soup_1

"And my share, too," Ruan Tang said, stroking Qian Xiao’s head with a kind smile. "Let’s make it a double."

"Wow! Auntie Ruan Tang, that’s not what I meant!" Qian Xiao’s survival instinct kicked into high gear. "I wasn’t fully awake just now. I was just so excited that I misspoke. Everyone knows you and Uncle Xu are like two lovebirds, deeply in love, perfectly in tune, and always in sync!"

Qian Xiao racked his brain, dredging up every complimentary phrase he had ever learned.

"Well, the ’in sync’ part isn’t wrong," Ruan Lan chimed in, her hair a bird’s nest as she gloated. "If my brother-in-law beats you, my sister will join right in. That’s double the fun! I, Ruan Lan, hereby declare you the greatest of all time!"

"Auntie, save me!" Qian Xiao was on the verge of tears.

"Nope. I’m not your auntie, so don’t you dare try to drag me into this."

"..."

Qian Xiao was utterly devastated.

"Cheer up. This is a happy day," Xu Lai said. "Besides, you getting a beating tomorrow has nothing to do with the you of today, right?"

"Huh, I guess that makes sense." As Qian Xiao sobbed, he descended into a state of self-doubt, though he still felt something was off. He wiped his tears away and hiccupped, "Is Auntie Ruan Tang really pregnant?"

"Yes, she is."

"No, I’m not."

The two answers came from Xu Lai and Ruan Tang, respectively.

They glanced at each other.

Ruan Tang pressed a hand to her forehead. "Xu Lai, can you stop fooling around?"

Xu Lai enunciated each word carefully. "I swear, you are really pregnant." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"As if a thunderbolt would dare strike you just because you swore an oath," his sister-in-law quipped.

Good thing Heavenly Dao wasn’t around. Otherwise, Xu Lai would have definitely clung to Ruan Lan’s leg, crying his eyes out and wailing, "Sis, you’re the only one who gets me! Life is so hard!"

***

Ruan Tang froze.

Staring straight into Xu Lai’s eyes, she asked hesitantly, "You’re... not lying to me?"

"I’m not."

"I’m really pregnant?"

"Yes."

"..."

Ruan Tang rested a hand on her stomach, her face surprisingly devoid of any strong emotion. She couldn’t tell if she was happy, excited, or nervous; it was a whirlwind of feelings.

Just then, Xu Lai also calmed down and said in a solemn voice, "Honey, I’m sorry. I got too carried away. Whether or not we have a second child is completely up to you."

"???"

Ruan Tang’s expression darkened. "The way you say that makes it sound like I’m dead set on getting an abortion."

There was no way Ruan Tang could bear to part with the life inside her. She was simply, for the moment, unable to accept the reality of being pregnant again. It was because Ruan Tang felt she’d been tricked!

"Xu Lai, you tricked me! You explicitly told me before that it was impossible for you to have another child, that the chances of me getting pregnant were zero, and that’s why we never—"

Ruan Tang glared at Xu Lai, her words catching in her throat.

"The Ace Driver of Mount Haitang is about to start her engine. Minors, please cover your ears with Teacher Ruan Lan."

Ruan Lan quickly gestured for Qian Xiao and Yiyi to cover their ears.

Ruan Tang shot her an expressionless glare.

Ruan Lan gave a sheepish laugh. "I’ll go, I’m going right now..."

Not only did the sister-in-law leave, but she also took Xu Yiyi, Qian Xiao, and Beibei with her, leaving only Xu Lai and Ruan Tang in the backyard.

"Hehehe."

Xu Lai giggled foolishly as he pressed his ear to Ruan Tang’s belly. "Honey, I’m going to be a father again! Wait... I think I can hear the baby kicking!"

"That’s my stomach growling because I’m hungry."

Ruan Tang put her head in her hands. They say pregnancy makes a woman silly for three years, but it seemed Xu Lai had become even sillier after finding out.

"You wait right here. I’ll go make dinner now."

With a whoosh, Xu Lai zipped into the kitchen. He tied on an apron and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Ruan Tang just got pregnant, so she needs something nutritious. What should I make? I know!"

「An hour later.」

Ruan Lan, Xu Yiyi, and Qian Xiao stared, jaws agape, at the lavish dinner spread before them. There were five meat dishes, five vegetable dishes, and two soups, all of them rich and nourishing.

"This is too much!" Ruan Lan swallowed audibly. "Sis, I wish you were pregnant every day."

Ruan Tang: "???"

The sister-in-law cleared her throat. "What I mean is, this chicken soup is really fresh. You should try it."

"Mhm, it’s really fresh and delicious," Yiyi said, nodding her little head and praising her father’s cooking.

Ruan Lan lifted the bowl of fragrant chicken soup as if proposing a toast. "Come on, let’s down this bowl of chicken soup!"

"..."

Ruan Tang, of course, had no intention of clinking bowls with her sister. That kind of cringey, teenage behavior was contagious. Besides, the chicken soup was too greasy, and in her current state, she couldn’t stomach it. She didn’t eat much, sticking to the less oily and salty vegetable dishes.

"I’m full," Ruan Tang said a short while later, putting down her chopsticks. "I’m so stuffed."

"Honey, want to go for a walk to help digest?"

"Sure."

Xu Lai took Ruan Tang’s hand, and they left Haitang Court. As he left, he called back, "Ruan Lan, remember to do the dishes when you’re done!"

"Uh..." Suddenly, the braised pig trotter in Ruan Lan’s hand didn’t seem so appetizing anymore.

***

"Honey, slow down, slow down. There’s a little step here."

"Wait! Let me just fill in this path ahead of us."

"Whoa, a bug! Don’t be scared, I’ll step on it... on second thought, I’ll just shoo it away."

Xu Lai’s attentiveness was overwhelming. It got to the point where Ruan Tang’s face was etched with exasperation. "Mr. Xu, that’s quite enough. I’m not that delicate."

"I wasn’t there for you when you were carrying Yiyi. This time, I won’t let you suffer even the slightest hardship." Xu Lai’s voice was soft but incredibly resolute.

"That doesn’t mean you have to help me over a three-centimeter step. And that puddle? It’s barely a centimeter deep. Is it going to trip me, or am I going to drown in it?" Ruan Tang was getting a headache. This was clearly overprotection.

"What about the bug? Bugs are scary."

"I was raised by my grandmother in the countryside. Forget a little ladybug. Back in my day, I was the queen of the block, stepping on water snakes and catching frogs to put all the boys my age in their place."

"..."

Xu Lai stared at her, stunned. He looked her up and down. "I never would have guessed. You’ve never mentioned that before."

Ruan Tang covered her warm cheeks. How could she ever talk about something like that? It was all part of her embarrassing past that she’d rather forget. The truth was, she had been scared back then too. But what choice did she have when those bullies used bugs to frighten her timid sister, Ruan Lan?

Ruan Tang pulled her hand free from Xu Lai’s and said softly, "Darling, please just act normal. I’m really fine."

"Alright."

"Good boy. You get a kiss for that."

Under the moonlight, Ruan Tang, dressed in a simple dress, stood on her tiptoes to kiss Xu Lai. Afterward, she looked around, searching for flowers. She wanted to pick a few Haitang blossoms to put in their room.

CRASH!

In the distance, waves slammed against the reef, creating a thunderous roar.

Watching the clearly cheerful Ruan Tang, Xu Lai felt a surge of excitement and joy that burst from his lips in a long, triumphant howl.

"I’M GOING TO BE A DAD AGAIN!"

The tumultuous waves, which had been crashing moments before, instantly fell silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

It was as if... they’d been scared stiff.

And in fact, they had been.

High above, lounging on a cloud and counting the stars, Sikong Jiu of the Heavenly Dao shot upright, sucking in a sharp breath. The sudden movement caused the candied hawthorn in his mouth to get stuck in his throat, sending him into a violent coughing fit.