Chapter 22: Pregnant

Song Qingyu was caught off guard.

“Mom, what are you thinking? Of course not.” She didn’t dare meet her mother’s eyes, but she comforted herself with the thought that she wasn’t lying—Li Huaidong wasn’t her boyfriend; he was her husband.

“I didn’t think so either. You just got divorced, and knowing your personality, there’s no way you’d find someone again so quickly,” Qiu Yuexian said with certainty.

Song Qingyu masked her embarrassment with a smile.

If her mother found out that she had remarried the day after her divorce, her blood pressure would probably double. If she had learned that the man she married was Lu Yanchuan’s uncle, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Mom’s not against you finding someone new so soon. I just want you to be careful. You’ve already been through one failed marriage, so you should understand by now—looks don’t matter. What’s important is a man’s sense of responsibility. You absolutely must not repeat the same mistake.”

“Mom, I know.”

Her mother seemed like she had more to say, but just then, Sheng Xingnai arrived.

With a fruit basket in one hand and a bouquet of fresh flowers in the other, she looked like the perfect picture of a hospital visit.

“Xingnai, how did you know my mom was hospitalized?” Song Qingyu asked.

“I saw Auntie’s post on Weibo Moments.”

Qiu Yuexian had posted on Weibo Moments last night as soon as she was admitted to the hospital, announcing that the restaurant would be temporarily closed.

“Auntie, how are you feeling?” Sheng Xingnai walked over to the bedside and took a red envelope out of her bag, slipping it into Qiu Yuexian’s hand.

“I’m fine, dear. Just having you visit already makes me happy—I can’t accept this.”

Qiu Yuexian tried to return the red envelope, but Sheng Xingnai stopped her.

“Auntie, it’s just a small token of appreciation. If you don’t accept it, it means you don’t see me as Qingqing’s best friend.”

Qiu Yuexian tried to refuse twice more, but when she saw there was no way to return it, she had no choice but to accept.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take it. Thank you, Xingnai! Qingqing, take Xingnai out for a nice meal at noon—Mom’s treating.”

“Okay.”

After chatting with Qiu Yuexian for a bit, Sheng Xingnai left the hospital room with Song Qingyu.

Just as they reached the ground floor, they saw Lu Yanchuan and Xie Wan’ning walking out of the obstetrics and gynecology building across the street.

Xie Wan’ning saw them too.

“What rotten luck, running into them,” Sheng Xingnai muttered, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

She instinctively tried to pull Song Qingyu away, hoping to avoid the scumbag and his mistress. But instead of staying out of their way, Xie Wan’ning deliberately clung to Lu Yanchuan’s arm and walked straight toward them.

“Qingqing, I heard Auntie hurt her foot and was hospitalized. How is she? Is she alright?” Xie Wan’ning asked, her concern sounding completely insincere.

If no one had mentioned it, Song Qingyu might have let it go—but the moment Xie Wan’ning brought it up, her anger flared.

She shoved Xie Wan’ning aside and strode straight up to Lu Yanchuan, pointing a finger at his nose as she warned, “Lu Yanchuan, if your family dares to lay a hand on my family again, I swear I’ll drag you down with me, no matter what it takes!”

In reality, it had been Li Xianglan who orchestrated the threats and intimidation at Qiu Yuexian’s restaurant—Lu Yanchuan had only found out about it today.

Xie Wan’ning sneered, her gaze filled with mockery. “Song Qingyu, take a good look at yourself. You’re just a discarded wife—penniless and powerless. What right do you have to threaten Yanchuan?”

She let out a cold laugh before adding, “Don’t think for a second that Yanchuan’s apology online meant anything. He was just putting on a show to calm public opinion. If you really care about your family’s safety, you’d be smart to quit while you’re ahead and stop using your divorce to gain attention.”

“Have I ever said anything about our divorce until now? If I really wanted to stir up drama, I wouldn’t have waited until today!” Song Qingyu glared at Xie Wan’ning. “Instead of telling me to back off, why don’t you reflect on your own scheming ways? Stop playing dirty tricks against me. If it weren’t for the mess you created, Lu Yanchuan wouldn’t have become a laughingstock all over Jin City!”

“Exactly!” Sheng Xingnai chimed in. “And you have the nerve to tell Qingqing to look in the mirror? The person who really needs to do that is you! That long, narrow face of yours is just as rotten as your heart! Shameless homewrecker! Let me tell you something—a mistress is always a mistress. Even if Lu Yanchuan actually marries you, you’ll still be nothing more than a mistress who climbed her way up! Your entire family can bask in the glory of having a homewrecker for a lifetime!”

Xie Wan’ning had originally intended to provoke Song Qingyu, but she hadn’t expected the backlash to turn on her so fiercely. In an instant, her expression changed, and she clutched her stomach with an exaggerated gasp. “Ah—!”

“Yanchuan, my stomach hurts!”

Lu Yanchuan immediately reached out to support Xie Wan’ning, his face tense with worry. “Why do you suddenly feel unwell? The check-up just now said everything was fine.”

“Maybe the baby sensed someone they didn’t want to see,” Xie Wan’ning cooed, gently stroking her belly. “Our baby is smart—they know these people are bullying Mommy.”

Song Qingyu was momentarily stunned. Xie Wan’ning is pregnant?

Sheng Xingnai let out a mocking laugh. “Wow, Lu Yanchuan, impressive. She hasn’t even been back in the country that long, and you already knocked her up?”

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Are you even sure it’s yours? Don’t end up raising another man’s kid!”

Xie Wan’ning’s expression darkened for a split second before she quickly regained her composure.

“Who else would the baby belong to? Yanchuan knows best. After all, I’m not like some people—married for three years and still never received his love. With how strong Yanchuan is in bed, having a baby is only natural, isn’t it, Yanchuan?”

Hearing her boast about his prowess in public, Lu Yanchuan’s ego instantly swelled. His face lit up with satisfaction as he pulled Xie Wan’ning closer, one arm tightening around her waist while the other rested possessively on her belly.

“Let’s go, Wan’ning. There’s no need to waste our breath on them.”

“Exactly. It’s not like they even have a sex life. What would they know?”

Xie Wan’ning smirked smugly at Song Qingyu and Sheng Xingnai, arching an eyebrow before turning on her heel. She clung to Lu Yanchuan’s arm, swaying her hips as she strutted away with an air of triumph.

“What kind of lunatic brags about having sex? Does that make her special or something?”

Fuming, Sheng Xingnai shadowboxed the retreating figures of the shameless couple.

“Forget it,” Song Qingyu said, pulling her back. “They’re not worth getting worked up over.”

Sheng Xingnai turned to look at Song Qingyu. “I don’t mind, but are you okay?”

She knew that for the past three years, Song Qingyu had longed to have a child with Lu Yanchuan. It had been her deepest regret.

“I’m fine.” Song Qingyu smiled at Sheng Xingnai. “I’ve already moved on.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

There was a time when she had felt painfully inadequate because Lu Yanchuan had refused to touch her. But now?

She had tasted something far better.

Who would ever crave a plate of stale, foul-smelling leftovers after experiencing the finest delicacies?

To Song Qingyu, Lu Yanchuan was nothing more than that plate of leftovers. If Xie Wan’ning wanted to eat it, she could have her fill.

—

Back in the car, Xie Wan’ning stroked her belly and leaned against Lu Yanchuan, her voice sweet and coy.

“Yanchuan, we already have a baby. When do you plan to marry me?”

In reality, she wasn’t pregnant at all.

The ultrasound report she showed today had been bought at a high price from a doctor in the imaging department. But she wasn’t worried—she had spent the last few days working hard with a strong and virile man to make it happen.

She was confident that soon, she really would be pregnant.

“I need to discuss this with my mom first,” Lu Yanchuan said hesitantly. As a textbook mama’s boy, he wouldn’t dare promise Xie Wan’ning anything unless Li Xianglan gave her approval.

Xie Wan’ning’s expression darkened. “Your mom doesn’t agree to our marriage, does she?”

“No, Wan’ning, it’s not like that. My mom, she…”

“I know she looks down on me.” Xie Wan’ning clenched the ultrasound report tightly in her hand. “Take me to see her right now. I’ll talk to her myself.”

“Wan’ning…” Lu Yanchuan hesitated, clearly torn.

“Take me to her, or I’ll get rid of this baby!”

“Wan’ning! Calm down, don’t use the baby to threaten me. This is our child!”

“If you won’t even give this child a proper home, what’s the point of bringing them into the world just to suffer?”

“I never said I wouldn’t give the baby a home. I just need time to convince my mom.”

“Then let me talk to her. Trust me, I know how to persuade her.”

Lu Yanchuan had no way to argue with Xie Wan’ning. In the end, he had no choice but to take her to the Lu family estate.

Li Xianglan had just returned from a mahjong game. Because of Lu Yanchuan’s cheating scandal, she had spent the entire afternoon enduring the sarcastic jabs of the wealthy ladies in her circle. Her mood was already terrible, and the sight of Lu Yanchuan bringing Xie Wan’ning home only stoked her anger further.

“Yanchuan, why did you bring her back here?” she snapped.

Lu Yanchuan opened his mouth to explain, but Xie Wan’ning gently tugged at his sleeve. “Yanchuan, let me have a private chat with Auntie. This is a conversation between women.”

Lu Yanchuan had no desire to get caught in the middle of a fight between his mother and Xie Wan’ning. Her suggestion was exactly what he wanted.

“Mom, Wan’ning is pregnant. Don’t upset her.” He threw this sentence over his shoulder before quickly walking away.

Li Xianglan’s frown deepened. “What? You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.” Xie Wan’ning handed her the early pregnancy ultrasound report. “Auntie, I came today to ask for your blessing. Yanchuan and I truly love each other, and now that we have a child, I hope you can allow us to be together for the sake of the baby.”

Li Xianglan sneered. “Are you trying to use the child to force your way in? This kind of trick is the most common in wealthy families. Do you think having a baby means you can marry into the Lu family? You’re underestimating us.”

Xie Wan’ning remained composed. “I know you don’t approve of me. You want Yanchuan to marry a wealthy heiress who matches his status. But Auntie, let’s be realistic—after everything that’s happened, the whole internet is talking about Yanchuan’s affair. Do you think any prestigious family would still be willing to let their daughter marry a man who cheated in his first marriage?”

Li Xianglan gritted her teeth. “You… This whole mess happened because of you!”

“No matter whose fault it is, what’s done is done. The impact is already there,” Xie Wan’ning said smoothly. “Auntie, you might as well stop resisting and accept me and the child in my belly. Who knows? If I give birth to a son, it might even make Uncle and Grandma happy.”

Li Xianglan hesitated.

Lu Jianping had already started arranging a marriage between Lu Shiyuan and the eldest daughter of the Sheng family. If Lu Shiyuan had a child first, then Lu Yanchuan’s position in the family would be even weaker.

Moreover, she had heard rumors about a hidden will that the old master left behind before his passing. If that will was tied to the birth of a child, then Lu Yanchuan had to produce an heir before Lu Shiyuan.

Li Xianglan stared at Xie Wan’ning for a few seconds before suddenly laughing.

This woman had some nerve and a bit of cunning. Right now, it was indeed difficult for Lu Yanchuan to marry a wealthy heiress who could support him financially. Since that wasn’t an option, then marrying someone like Xie Wan’ning—a ruthless and ambitious woman who could enhance his ability to fight—might not be a bad choice.

Besides, a woman who dared to threaten her like this wouldn’t be easy to control, but she also wouldn’t be easily bullied.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Xianglan finally spoke. “Fine. Since you already have a child, I’ll acknowledge your relationship. But whether you can truly enter the Lu family depends on your ability. I won’t make it easy for you.”

The moment filming wrapped up, the director personally came over to shake Song Qingyu’s hand.

“Qingyu, your performance was fantastic. I look forward to working with you again in the future!”

“Thank you, Director.” Song Qingyu smiled and bowed slightly.

As she packed up her things, Sheng Xingnai came over, holding a bouquet.

“Congratulations on wrapping up! Now, let’s go celebrate properly!”

Before Song Qingyu could respond, her phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen—Li Huaidong was calling.

Once the filming wrapped up, the next step was the long and arduous post-production process. When the drama would air remained uncertain, and as for her next job, there were no prospects in sight.

A faint sense of anxiety crept over her.

Quan Xinya had been in the entertainment industry for years and had seen countless small-time actors struggle through dry spells between gigs. Her mindset had long since become steady and pragmatic.

“Qingyu, don’t worry. It’s normal for actors without fame to experience career lulls. Honestly, you’re already quite lucky—getting picked by Director Fan right from the start. Once this drama airs and you gain traction, job offers will come naturally. Oh, by the way, I’m taking you to Fiore jewelry gala tonight to get some exposure.”

“The Fiore jewelry gala? We got an invitation?” Song Qingyu was a little incredulous.

FIO was the pinnacle of luxury—countless A-list celebrities could only dream of attending. No matter how many invitations they sent out, it was hard to believe one would land in her hands.

Quan Xinya flashed a bright smile. “I got the invitation, but your big sis here is bringing you along.”

“Would that be okay?”

“Of course. I know the president of Fiore’s China division personally. I have enough sway for this. I’ve prepared two gowns for you—pick whichever one you like later.”

“Alright, thank you, Sister Quan!”

It was Song Qingyu’s first time attending such a prestigious gala, and she couldn’t help feeling a little nervous. Fortunately, Quan Xinya was experienced—she took care of everything, from styling to wardrobe, ensuring that Song Qingyu would be at her best.

The jewelry gala was being held at a resort hotel in Jiulong Bay.

As the car drove along the asphalt road leading into the resort, Song Qingyu caught sight of a palace-like structure adorned with pink flowers on the lawn beside the wishing fountain.

“What’s that?” she asked curiously.

“The young master of the Lu family is proposing today. He had it specially set up as a surprise,” the driver explained.

“The young master of the Lu family?” Quan Xinya had a bad feeling. “Which one?”

“Young Master Lu Yanchuan,” the driver replied.