The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 416 - 415: Pregnant, Glad to be a Dad

The consequence of pleasing a man is a sore waist and aching legs the next day.

But one must admit, a man in love really is gentle enough to care for her feelings to the utmost.

After being coaxed by her, Pei Yang no longer resisted driving the Crown car given by Zhong Qing.

Remember who said that good emotions are like a seed, they blossom into brilliant flowers, warming each other’s hearts.

...

"Dad, Mom, good morning."

Seeing Zhuang Xueqi walk into the dining room, Yan Jing’s face showed a slightly surprised smile, "Xueqi, when did you come back?"

"Last night, I got home almost at midnight. I didn’t want to disturb your rest, so I didn’t come over to say hi."

Yan Jing pulled her to sit beside her and looked her over, "How was your trip? Did you gain anything?"

Zhuang Xueqi nodded, "I took an English course and met some like-minded friends."

"Not bad."

Ning Wenqian also smiled and said, "Xueqi, if you’re interested in working, you can come to the company, and I’ll have someone arrange a suitable position for you."

"Thank you, Dad, but I don’t want to work for the time being."

Ning Wenqian was noncommittal.

Yan Jing glanced in the direction of the door, "Where’s Xiaoyuan?"

"He didn’t get back until the early hours of the morning, he’s still asleep."

Hearing this, Yan Jing immediately turned and instructed the butler to call Ning Yuan for breakfast.

Watching the butler’s retreating back, Zhuang Xueqi curled her lips into a smile.

He stood her up, making her wait in vain for an hour at the airport, and now he thinks he can sleep in peacefully? Dream on.

Soon after, Ning Yuan arrived in the dining room in his robe, yawning.

Meeting Zhuang Xueqi’s schadenfreude gaze, he guessed she must have tattled on him, but he didn’t dare make a scene in front of his parents and could only glare daggers at her behind their backs.

Zhuang Xueqi didn’t even spare him a glance in her periphery, cheerfully sharing her travel experiences with Yan Jing.

Breakfast was Western style, with common dishes like milk, sandwiches, and fried bacon, plus a serving of caviar pancakes.

"Ugh."

Zhuang Xueqi had just taken a bite of the pancake when she immediately covered her mouth and retched.

Everyone at the table was taken aback.

Ning Yuan instantly turned on mockery mode, "Tsk, some people just can’t appreciate finer things."

After speaking, he took a piece of pancake and started eating it with relish, deliberately making chewing noises.

Yan Jing shot her son a look and patted Zhuang Xueqi’s back to help her burp, "Xueqi, if you don’t like it, don’t eat it. I’ll have someone make you something else."

Although caviar is highly nutritious, its salty fishy taste isn’t for everyone.

Zhuang Xueqi waved her hand and sipped some orange juice to suppress the nausea. Glancing at Ning Yuan who was gleefully munching on the pancake, she turned to smile at her in-laws and said:

"Dad, Mom, I’m pregnant."

The chewing noises quieted down.

Yan Jing was the first to react, her face alight with joy, "That’s wonderful, how many months?"

"Two months."

Yan Jing’s expression turned momentarily rigid.

The butler immediately dismissed the servants, and then he too quietly left.

The spacious villa was left with only the Ning family of four.

Ning Wenqian continued eating breakfast with a knife and fork, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

Ning Yuan "plopped" the pancake on the table, splattering caviar everywhere. Some even landed on Ning Wenqian’s plate, spoiling his appetite. Clenching his knife and fork with a sharp gaze that flashed between his son and daughter-in-law, he emitted an aura that seemed to threaten violence.

"Zhuang Xueqi, there’s a limit to joking around!"

"Who’s joking with you?"

"You’ve been abroad for four months, and you’re two months pregnant? You’re damn... fuck, you’ve really got guts!"

"Of course I have guts; without them, I couldn’t have gotten pregnant."

The two exchanged barbs, back and forth.

Ning Yuan was nearly driven mad with anger. If not for his parents being present, he would probably have charged at Zhuang Xueqi.

Yan Jing stood up and took Zhuang Xueqi upstairs to talk.

Watching his son pace furiously in circles like an enraged lion, Ning Wenqian couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

"I want a divorce! I must get a divorce!"

Ning Wenqian took a lit cigar from the butler and took a puff before he spoke, "The project in Y Country has just started, it’s going to take at least five years to complete the whole thing."

Ning Yuan couldn’t believe it, "Not only did she cheat on me, but you all want me to wear this green hat for five years? Am I supposed to just take it?"

Ning Wenqian flicked the ash, "If you think you can’t get past the shame, I can keep it a secret for you."

Ning Yuan cried out in anger, "Thank you so much! My own father!!!"

Upstairs.

Yan Jing asked Zhuang Xueqi seriously, "Xueqi, who is the father of the child?"

Zhuang Xueqi pouted, "It’s Xiaoyuan."

Yan Jing rarely showed a stern face, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I’m sure."

Just as Zhuang Xueqi was about to take out her records of in vitro fertilization in M Country to clear her name, she heard Yan Jing say: "Alright, I understand. I will hire a nutritionist to come to our house and take good care of you."

Zhuang Xueqi couldn’t hide her surprise, "Mom, you believe me just like that?"

Yan Jing patted her shoulder, "You are the daughter-in-law I personally chose, I trust you are a sensible girl."

"Mom, thank you."

Zhuang Xueqi rested her head gently on Yan Jing’s shoulder, her tone soft with a whine, "Don’t worry, I won’t let you down."

Though the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law always had a good relationship, it was the first time for such an affectionate interaction.

Yan Jing was slightly moved and joked, "You’re about to be a mother, and yet you’re still acting like a child."

"Well, you’re about to be a grandmother too."

By the time Zhuang Xueqi returned to the first floor, Ning Yuan glared at her with bloodshot eyes as if she were his father’s murderer.

"I’m going to have this baby," Zhuang Xueqi declared deliberately.

"Don’t even think about it!"

Ning Yuan jumped up angrily.

With her arm linked through Yan Jing’s, Zhuang Xueqi spoke with confidence, "Mom has already agreed."

Facing his son’s incredulous look, Yan Jing nodded calmly, "Yes, I have agreed."

"Mom, am I still your son? I must be someone you picked up from the trash can, right?"

Ning Wenqian scolded, "How can you talk to your mother like that?"

Ning Yuan left with red eyes and a sweep of his sleeves.

Soon, the butler came in to report, "Sir, ma’am, madam, the young master drove off. He said... said he’s running away from home, that this house can have him or it."

Although the butler did not specify, everyone understood that "it" referred to the child in Zhuang Xueqi’s belly.

"Mom, did I go too far?"

Although Zhuang Xueqi had the intention to infuriate Ning Yuan, seeing his extreme reaction still made her feel somewhat guilty and insecure.

Yan Jing comforted her, "It’s alright, don’t think too much about it, go back and rest well, get over your jet lag."

"Okay, then I’ll head back."

Zhuang Xueqi obediently got up and left.

"The child is Xiaoyuan’s, right?" Ning Wenqian asked with a smile.

The butler should have excused himself as the masters discussed private matters, but he was too curious whether the child Zhuang Xueqi was carrying was really his young master’s, and hesitated to move.

"Whose else could it be if not his?"

Annoyed, Yan Jing glanced back at the butler, "Don’t tell him yet."

"Got it, I understand."

The butler happily left. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

May the ancestors bless, the young master has an heir, he needed to go to the temple to repay his vow to the Buddha.

Ning Wenqian looked at his wife, "Is it necessary to keep this from Xiaoyuan like this? Look at how upset he is."

"He deserves it! His own flesh and blood was stolen and he didn’t even know it! He needs to learn a lesson," she scolded, then rubbed her forehead and added, "Forget it, I will call Xiaoyi and tell him to watch over him."