Chapter 93: I’m the One Using a Child to Rise

The next day, when Chen Jing came to pick up Ruan Li at Yuyuan, Ruan Li had just woken up. Hearing from the housekeeper that she was still in bed and refusing to get up, Chen Jing had no choice but to wait in the living room.

She had barely sat down when she saw Fu Huaizhou coming downstairs, carrying breakfast from the dining table back upstairs.

Chen Jing couldn’t help but marvel Ruan Li truly had a charmed life. Even after running away while pregnant without telling Fu Huaizhou, he had sweet talked her back, and now he was doting on her.

By the time they were about to leave, Fu Huaizhou was carefully guiding Ruan Li down the stairs. Chen Jing hadn’t seen Ruan Li in a while, and seeing the size of her belly now made her nervous how safe could it be to be out and about?

“Make sure you take everyone I’ve arranged for you. Don’t think it’s a bother,” Fu Huaizhou reminded gently.

Ruan Li obediently nodded, “I know. You’ve said it several times already.”

Fu Huaizhou had his own business to attend to that day, so the two left the house together.

Once in the car, Chen Jing eyed Ruan Li’s belly with curiosity. “Boy or girl?”

“I’m a good citizen who follows the law, so of course I didn’t check the gender,” Ruan Li replied with a light laugh.

Chen Jing assumed she was joking. Though gender checks were officially prohibited, most families secretly found out, especially wealthy families. She was surprised by Ruan Li’s casual response.

“Really, you didn’t check?” she asked tentatively.

Ruan Li nodded. “I wanted to keep it a surprise. Besides, Fu Huaizhou and I would be happy with either.”

Chen Jing just nodded in admiration these two certainly didn’t follow the usual rules. After all, one had run off abroad while pregnant, and the other had left his huge company behind to chase after her.

“My hand is so sore…” Ruan Li complained, rubbing her wrist.

Chen Jing, far from naive, knew exactly what that implied. She glanced at Ruan Li’s increasingly attractive figure, sensing a more mature allure emanating from her.

“Tell President Fu to cool off a bit. It’s not good to be restless during pregnancy,” she said, unable to hold back a reminder.

Ruan Li blushed deeply at the comment. After her pregnancy stabilized, they had found alternatives, though her hand often ended up sore from the effort. As for Fu Huaizhou, his creative methods made Ruan Li suspect he had been reading some… questionable material.

The magazine interview that day was a live broadcast. Because they had planned ahead, it wasn’t going to be very long. The primary goal was to address recent rumors and clarify some facts.

Ruan Li wore loose fitting clothes and didn’t try to hide her pregnancy. The moment she appeared, the live chat lit up with surprise.

“Is that really Ruan Li? She’s definitely pregnant! Whose baby is it?”

“Could she really have gotten pregnant before marriage to climb the social ladder?”

“Why isn’t anyone talking about how she still looks gorgeous while pregnant? Is she actually makeup free?”

“Yeah, right ‘makeup free.’ These actresses love to stress us out about our appearance.”

The host stuck to the prepared script and smiled at Ruan Li. “It seems like you have some good news to share, Ms. Ruan?”

Ruan Li raised her hand, showing off the diamond ring on her finger. “Yes, as you can see.”

The diamond on her ring was massive, catching the eye of many viewers. Comments immediately pointed out the ring’s origin.

“That’s the moon ring from last month’s Sotheby’s auction… It broke records! No wonder it’s with Ruan Li.”

The host quickly recovered from the shock and moved on. “Your role in Jingluan received a lot of praise recently. Why did you step back from the public eye during the promotion?”

“Was she avoiding the family’s pressure to abort? Now she’s succeeded in marrying in.”

Ruan Li didn’t dodge the question. “Missing the promotional period was indeed my oversight. It was partly due to family, but mainly… it was because Fu Huaizhou”

She paused, remembering how he had insisted she call him last night.

“My husband upset me, so I took some time away to clear my head.”

“Have you thought about becoming a full-time housewife after marriage and quitting the industry?” the host asked.

Without hesitation, Ruan Li shook her head. “No. Even if Fu’s company collapsed tomorrow, I wouldn’t give up my career. My family and I are on the same page about that.”

Comments continued to roll in:

“Looks like they’re truly in love. Her attitude seems different.”

“I don’t buy it. Just another actress’ daydream.”

The host picked a question from the audience. “This viewer asks if you’re causing appearance anxiety by staying attractive during pregnancy. Some men tend to blame infidelity on their partners not being pretty anymore.”

Ruan Li smirked, a bit exasperated. She shook her head.

“This answer is for those men. First, cheating is about your morals, loyalty, and love, not your partner’s looks.”

“Second, whether your partner looks good during pregnancy doesn’t depend on her genes or inherent beauty. It depends on you. Did you buy her the best skincare products? Hire the most expensive nutritionist? Provide the best maternity items? Did you get a helper to take care of her?”

She smiled, almost in disbelief. “If you do all that, any pregnant woman can be radiant.”

“So, I’m not creating beauty anxiety. You should be making enough money to properly care for your wife.”

As the interview wrapped up, Ruan Li checked the comments. Many people were impressed by her final remarks, though some still labeled her a pretender who was only playacting the part of a legitimate spouse.

“She’s just a mistress fooling herself,” read one comment.

But a new headline soon dominated the news “Fu Corporation Interview Live Now! Catch Fu’s Personal Segment!” Curious, Ruan Li clicked the link.

In the livestream, Fu Huaizhou was organizing papers on his desk, his calm demeanor matching his steady gaze as he faced the camera.

“Let’s start,” he said, gently inclining his head. “This is my personal time.”

“Mr. Fu, is it true that you’re married, as rumors suggest?”

Fu Huaizhou raised his hand to reveal a simple, handmade band on his ring finger the one Ruan Li had crafted after receiving her own ring. It was rough, a testament to her inexperience.

But he cherished it, wearing it daily.

“Yes, I am married. My wife is Ruan Li. There’s no doubt about it.”

The reporter hesitated before asking, “There are rumors that Ms. Ruan used the child to climb the social ladder is that true?”

Fu Huaizhou’s expression darkened slightly at the blunt question, finding it distasteful. He answered calmly, almost proudly.

“She didn’t.”

Then, with a tone that suggested he was confessing to a personal victory, he added, “I’m the one who used the child to rise.”