The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 417 - 416: The Failed Attempt to Run Away from Home

Chapter 417: Chapter 416: The Failed Attempt to Run Away from Home

In the private room of the bar, Ning Yuan was grabbing Yan Yi’s arm, tears mixed with alcohol, as he lamented his anger and grievances.

"Boo hoo hoo, Brother Yan, life’s so tough for a guy like me. Not only did I get such a huge cuckold’s cap, but I also have to be forcibly pushed to take over someone’s mess," he sobbed.

"Tell me, am I even their biological child? I must have been picked up from a trash heap, right?"

Yan Yi disdainfully pulled back his sleeve, "Your sister and brother-in-law are both on Xueqi’s side, not yours. You should think about the reason for that yourself."

Ning Yuan chugged down his drink, his face full of fury.

"What other reason could there be? In their eyes, I’m just a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and be merry. They see me as nothing more than a tool for a marriage alliance!"

"Correct, you’re quite self-aware," Yan Yi retorted.

Ning Yuan felt as if his heart had been pierced, "I want to start a business, I want to break away from the Ning family, to no longer be under their control. No one will dictate my life again or trample on my dignity!"

Yan Yi looked at him coldly, as if staring at a fool.

Ning Yuan, as if struck by some provocation, suddenly stood up. The effects of the alcohol, combined with his abrupt movement, made him sway like seaweed.

"Brother Yan, even you look down on me?"

"What do you think?"

Yan Yi scoffed coldly, "By leaving the Ning family, you’d be handing over your rightful billion-dollar fortune to outsiders for nothing. You’re not only useless but also brainless."

After being scolded a ton by Yan Yi, Ning Yuan sobered up and obediently followed Yan Yi back to the Ning family residence.

His departure from home was declared a failure.

...

Learning that her son had returned home, Yan Jing breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully patted Yan Yi on the shoulder.

"Thanks to you. Otherwise, who knows where the kid would have gone off to make trouble. It’s late; stay overnight at home. I’ll have the housekeeper prepare some supper for you," she said.

Yan Yi nodded in agreement, his usually serene face showing a rare hint of gossip.

"Sis, that child is...?"

Yan Jing chided, "It’s Xiaoyuan’s. Xueqi is quite bold, keeping it a secret from all of us and quietly going to M Country to have an IVF baby."

Although he had suspected as much, getting the confirmed outcome allowed Yan Yi to fully relax.

...

The more Ning Yuan thought about it, the angrier he became. He finally climbed out of bed, staggering drunkenly to the room next door.

"Open up! Open up!!"

Zhuang Xueqi was already in bed ready to sleep and didn’t want to bother with the noise outside, but the non-stop banging forced her to get up and open the door.

"Ning Yuan, are you sick?"

Seeing her dressed for bed, the slight bulge of her belly visible under the silk fabric, Ning Yuan’s eyes turned bloodshot.

"Zhuang Xueqi, you’ve made this young master’s life miserable, don’t think you and the bastard in your belly will have it easy!"

"If this young master can’t sleep, then nobody’s sleeping tonight, damn it!"

Disgusted by the reeking Ning Yuan, Zhuang Xueqi cursed, "Get lost," and slammed the door in his face.

"Aow—"

The pained scream startled the sleeping mountain birds on the hill behind.

...

After the family doctor had bandaged Ning Yuan’s fingers and left, Yan Jing turned to Zhuang Xueqi and said, "All right, it’s over. Go back to your room and rest."

Zhuang Xueqi glanced at Ning Yuan, nodded, said goodnight to Yan Jing and Yan Yi, and then returned to her own room.

Ning Yuan humphed discontentedly, "My finger was nearly crushed by her. Is that all there is to it?"

"You had it coming. Who asked you to make a drunken scene in the middle of the night?"

"This is my own house; I’ll do whatever I want. Who’s to tell me otherwise?"

Ning Yuan’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, half from anger and half from pain.

The pain shot straight to his heart; the tips of his right middle and ring fingers were almost flattened by the door. It would be strange if it didn’t hurt.

Seeing him like this, Yan Jing also felt a pang of heartache.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Ning Yuan scoffed, "It hurts so much, I might as well die!"

Yan Jing glanced at him with annoyance.

Yan Yi turned and left, leaving the space to mother and son.

Yan Jing sat down and looked at her son, "What are you so angry about? Xueqi’s pregnancy is partly your responsibility too."

Ning Yuan stiffened his neck, "What does it have to do with me? It’s not like I made her pregnant!"

"She’s pregnant and you don’t even know whose child it is. To put it nicely, you are an incompetent husband; to put it unpleasantly, you are just pathetic."

"Are you even making sense anymore? It was her fooling around and cheating on me, not me having to tie her to my belt like Mike does, right?"

"How many times have you called Xueqi to care about her since she went abroad?"

Ning Yuan felt wronged, "I already said I don’t like her, it was you all who forced me to marry her!"

"No one put a knife to your neck and forced you. You didn’t resist in the beginning, which means you accepted the benefits of the marriage alliance between the families. As a man, either don’t do it, or take responsibility if you do."

"Do you think by opposing her and ignoring her, you can show your dissatisfaction with your marriage? You’re wrong. This is precisely the behavior of someone who is childish and useless. Outsiders will just laugh at your inability to defy your family and take it out on a woman."

"Xiaoyuan, you’re not young anymore. Do you really want to live your life in such a muddle-headed way forever?"

"Think carefully about what I’ve said."

Looking at the closed door, Ning Yuan punched the bed in anger, but accidentally hit his injured finger. The pain made him howl, and the tears streamed down his face on the spot.

...

Ning Wenqian went downstairs and saw his son sitting upright and serious at the dining table, which was a surprise.

Usually, it would take three or four requests to get him up, but today the sun seemed to rise from the west.

"Dad."

"Hmm, is your hand feeling better?"

The father and son had barely exchanged a few words when Yan Jing also came downstairs and, seeing Ning Yuan, was similarly surprised but said nothing.

Soon, Zhuang Xueqi also entered the dining room.

They began to have breakfast.

"Dad, I want to start working at the company."

Out of the blue, Ning Yuan blurted out these words, drawing the gaze of several pairs of eyes at the dining table instantly.

Ning Wenqian took a sip of his vegetable and fruit juice and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I’ve thought it through."

Ning Wenqian nodded, "Then start by going to Hengxing and finding a department to learn in. If you do well, Hengxing will be yours to manage in the future."

Although Hengxing was just one of the innumerable subsidiary companies under the Ning Family’s umbrella, its market value was also upwards of ten million.

Securing the management rights to Hengxing held a significance for Ning Yuan that was far more important than mere wealth.

"Alright, I’ll work hard."

Yan Jing looked at her son with relief, "Your hand is injured; you should heal up before you go. There’s no rush in a day or two."

Ning Yuan glanced at his bandaged hand, "It’s just a minor injury; it’s not like my leg is broken, it won’t get in the way."

Hearing this, Yan Jing didn’t press further.

After breakfast, father and son left the house one after the other; Zhuang Xueqi stayed and chatted with Yan Jing before returning to her place.

As soon as she entered her small villa, Ning Yuan blocked her path.

"Just wait, once I inherit the family business, the first thing I’ll do is kick you and the bastard in your belly out of the house!"

Zhuang Xueqi rolled her eyes, "Fine, I’ll wait."

Once Ning Yuan stormed out, Zhuang Xueqi touched her belly and chuckled secretly, "Babies, did you hear that? Your foolish dad is off to make money for you."

Ning Yuan arrived at the garage, hesitating about whether to ask the butler to drive for him, when Yan Jing came over carrying her purse.

"Mom, are you going out?"

"I’m taking you to the company, and I also have something to discuss with you."

Alright then.