Qiao Wanqing thought about it all the way home and came to a decision.

Since she’s already pregnant, she decided to keep the baby.

Although it wasn’t part of their original plan, they had already decided to have a second child.

Whether it was early or late, since she got pregnant, they should go ahead with it.

This baby was an unexpected surprise, and it’s clear that Gu Yanqing is indeed a true marksman! It’s amazing that they conceived despite everything.

So, they shouldn’t look for excitement during safe periods.

Gu Yanqing originally thought she might choose to not keep the baby, since Kouko is still young, and it wasn’t planned.

At 27, Qiao Wanqing could easily wait two or three years for a second child.

Hearing that she wanted to keep the baby made him incredibly happy.

He regretted not being there for the birth of their first child, so now, being able to watch their baby grow from the start was something he deeply looked forward to.

It was a feeling that most people wouldn’t experience.

Gu Yanqing hugged her and said, “Thank you, Wanqing. I’m so happy.”

Qiao Wanqing was also very happy.

The moment she decided to keep the baby, she felt a great sense of relief.

Maybe it was because Kouko was so cute, but the thought of having another baby made her heart feel soft.

She felt she was truly suited to be a mother.

Gu Yanqing placed his hand on her belly and said, “I just saw it, and it’s as cute as a little sprout.”

“If I had decided not to keep it, would you have been very regretful?”

Gu Yanqing honestly nodded, admitting he would have regretted it.

However, he respected her choice and didn’t want to interfere.

Having a child is a major decision for a woman and requires sacrificing a lot.

Not every woman would want to have a child unexpectedly, and he couldn’t demand she do so.

Especially since her career was still in its early stages.

They shared the news of the pregnancy with Kouko right away.

Kouko tilted her head, listening to them explain for a while, and finally understood.

She touched Qiao Wanqing’s still-flat belly and innocently asked, “Is there a little brother living inside?”

“It could also be a little sister,” Gu Yanqing, who really wanted a daughter, corrected him.

“Oh.” KuoKuo seemed confused about why it could be a sister, looking a bit puzzled.

Qiao Wanqing thought Kuo Kuo would be excited, but seeing his expression, he didn’t look very happy.

She asked him, “Are you happy about having a little brother or sister?”

KuoKuo didn’t respond.

Instead, he got down from her lap and went to play in another corner of the living room.

Gu Yanqing and Qiao Wanqing exchanged worried glances.

They both had a sinking feeling—could Kuo Kuo be worried that a new sibling might take away his parents’ attention?

He’s so young—does he understand this already?

Qiao Wanqing stopped Gu Yanqing, who was about to go after Kuo Kuo, and said, “I’ll go.”

Kuo Kuo was at the wall, pressing buttons on a set of educational stickers.

Recently, Qiao Wanqing had bought some early childhood education stickers from Taobao.

These large stickers featured small animals, fruits, vehicles, etc.

Each item had a corresponding button that, when pressed, would say the name in both Chinese and English, and simulate the sounds for animals and vehicles.

Additionally, there were automatic teaching and testing functions.

The automatic teaching function was straightforward, and the testing function would randomly ask about an item, requiring the child to press the corresponding button.

The tests were in both languages and assessed the child’s memory skills.

These stickers were perfect for Kuo Kuo’s current stage.

About half a month ago, he only recognized the chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs at home.

Now, he could recognize most of the animals.

During the tests, when asked to find a specific animal, he could accurately identify it with a 100% success rate.

Qiao Wanqing saw Kouku pressing buttons randomly, making the whole living room filled with animal noises.

She walked over, sat down with Kouko on her lap, and asked him, “Don’t you want a little brother or sister?”

“I do,” Kouko said.

“Then why aren’t you happy?” Qiao Wanqing kissed his face.

Kouko’s little hands were fidgeting on her arm as he said, a bit glumly, “Kouko wants a brother.”

“…”

So, never judge children’s feelings with adult logic.

Qiao Wanqing couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

There was no way to give him what he wanted right now since he was born first.

“Why do you want a brother?” she asked, curious about Koko’s thoughts.

Kouko replied seriously, “Kouko likes, likes Brother Yuan Yuan!”

“So you want a brother who is like Brother Yuan Yuan to play with you?”

Kouko nodded, “Mm.”

In other words, he really misses Yuan Yuan.

Kouko loves playing with kids.

When they go out, if he sees another child, he’ll follow them around, and he can spend the whole day playing where there are other kids.

However, many children today are quite spoiled, and Kuo Kuo, being so small, often gets bullied or left out.

He’s like a little pitiful shadow trailing behind the others.

Some of the kids can be quite bossy, finding him in the way and even pushing him around.

Yuan Yuan, on the other hand, is older and always accommodates Kuo Kuo, plays with him, and never turns him away, so Kuo Kuo likes Yuan Yuan the most.

Yuan Yuan went on a trip with his mother after the New Year, and since he hasn’t returned yet, they haven’t seen each other.

This little clever boy, Qiao Wanqing patted his head and said, “How about we have Daddy bring Brother Yuan Yuan over to play this weekend?”

Kuo Kuo’s eyes lit up, and he was finally happy, saying, “Okay!”

…

In City X.

Madam Gu and a few of her friends had an appointment for manicures.

Recently, one of their friends had met a particularly skilled nail artist, so the group arranged for the artist to come to a location and do their nails individually.

Although they were all influential figures, the ladies couldn’t help but compare and show off a little.

In their youth, they compared their husbands and love lives, but when it came to showing off affection, none could surpass Madam Gu.

Although she pursued Mr. Gu, once they were together, Mr. Gu treated her exceptionally well.

He indulged her in everything, quietly cleaned up any messes, and bought anything she wanted without a word.

Most importantly, he was upright, never keeping mistresses or anything like that.

Even while walking on the street, he never glanced at other women.

At this age, they had come to view things like the imperial concubines in the palace, realizing men might not be reliable and thus focusing on the next generation, comparing their sons and their achievements.

“Ah, Madam, this bracelet of yours is really beautiful. It’s made of red coral beads, isn’t it?” The nail artist asked Mrs. Liu, who was being attended to, noticing the bracelet peeking out from under her sleeve.

The nail artist was well-acquainted with the high society and could immediately tell that these women were prominent figures.

She made sure to compliment them on things she knew they liked.

Noticing that Mrs. Liu cherished her bracelet, she started a conversation about it.

Mrs. Liu’s face lit up with a smile as she said, “Yes, this bracelet was a gift from my son’s girlfriend. She knew it was my birth year, so she gave me this to bring good luck and ward off evil. It’s not an expensive item, but the thought behind it is lovely. Young girls these days really know how to make people feel good.”

“Sounds like this young lady is quite thoughtful,” another lady added, “My daughter-in-law, on the other hand, is very practical. When it was my birth year, she and my son bought me a set of red clothes. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

“That’s better than our daughter-in-law,” someone else said. “I didn’t even think about my birth year. I was too busy with work, always out early and back late, working harder than our son.”

…

The ladies began discussing their own daughters-in-law, some with subtle criticism, but Madam Gu remained silent.

Everyone knew that Madam Gu’s daughter-in-law came from a humble background.

Her parents weren’t known, and it seemed she had no family wealth at all.

Madam Gu had never mentioned what her daughter-in-law did for a living.

People assumed she was an ordinary person who, after marrying into the Gu family, became a wealthy wife.

Besides having a son, she hadn’t achieved much.

Since Madam Gu held the highest status among them, everyone spoke cautiously, avoiding further comments to avoid offending her.

After all, Madam Gu had once been very fond of Tan Xin and even considered her as a potential daughter-in-law.

It was evident that Madam Gu had to make many compromises to accept her son’s current wife.

While they didn’t know the specifics, they could imagine the difficulties she must have faced.

So this topic was bound to upset Madam Gu.

After a few comments and exchanged glances, no one brought up a new topic, and they all fell silent.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward.

Madam Gu, who had been looking at her phone, noticed the silence and wondered, “Why isn’t anyone continuing the conversation? Mrs. Liu, your bracelet is really nice, your future daughter-in-law gave it to you?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Liu replied. “She said I should wear red for my birth year and bought this for me. It’s not an expensive item, just a thoughtful gesture.”

Madam Gu nodded and said, “My daughter-in-law just told me she’s pregnant again, so I wasn’t paying attention to what you were talking about.”

Everyone was stunned.

That was showing off for real.

---

Gu Yanqing was taking care of a pregnant woman for the first time and wasn’t sure what to do.

Following his instincts, he decided to make some changes around the house.

He replaced all the carpets with new ones to avoid any bacterial infections.

He swapped all the house shoes for non-slip ones to prevent any accidents.

He moved out anything that might cause radiation.

He arranged for the kitchen to ensure that all meals were nutritious and that foods unsuitable for pregnant women would not be served.

He informed the housekeeper to ensure that Qiao Wanqing wouldn’t need to do any physically demanding tasks.

He even considered hiring another person to help care for her.

Qiao Wanqing, seeing him getting more and more over-the-top, was both amused and exasperated.

She said, “It’s not that serious. When I had Kouko, we didn’t have any of this, and we managed just fine. Don’t treat me like a porcelain doll!”

“So now, it’s even more important to make sure you enjoy yourself,” Gu Yanqing said with his unique perspective.

“Really don’t need to. I’m not a young mistress from ancient times who needs a maid to wait on me hand and foot. Don’t make me feel pressured. I’ll be going back to Dongyang Village soon,” Qiao Wanqing replied.

“…” Gu Yanqing paused and said, “Then let’s hire an assistant.

That way, it’s more legitimate.”

Qiao Wanqing: “…”