Chapter 119

Mrs. Qiao was momentarily stunned, but then she quickly asked, “Is… is your mother expecting again?”

Zou Anning nodded gently, her cheeks turning rosy.

After all, she was an unmarried girl, and talking about such matters made her feel a bit shy.

“Mom hasn’t told Dad yet, but I’ve seen her secretly vomiting several times, and my nanny also said it looks like it!”

“If Dad finds out, I don’t know how happy he’ll be, and Grandfather, although he doesn’t say it, with the Yanguo Duke’s Mansion having only me as the legitimate daughter, he must have some regrets in his heart.”

Mrs. Qiao’s head was buzzing.

“My goodness, this is beyond expectations!”

“So Aunt is expecting again, and who could the child possibly be from? That’s really up for debate…”

Mrs. Qiao was aware of the incident where Mrs. Zuo possibly had a private meeting with Li Xusheng after the top scholar’s parade. Now, her hands were trembling as they were tucked under her sleeves.

She no longer wanted to deal with her own brother, but she couldn’t imagine how much pain this matter would bring to her father.

If Lady and Brother could conceive, they would have done so long ago.

Back when she hadn’t severed ties with Lady, Lady occasionally mentioned that it would be great if she could have another son.

How coincidental it was that after so many years without any movement, this happened after a meeting with Li Xusheng?

Mrs. Qiao’s breathing became rapid, but she couldn’t show her agitation in front of Zou Anning. She pretended to drink tea to hide her face.

After setting down the teacup, Mrs. Qiao managed to regain her composure.

She forced a smile and said, “This is truly a great joy, but your mother hasn’t mentioned it yet. Anning, you should pretend you don’t know for now.”

Zou Anning nodded joyfully.

“Anning also thinks so. It’s better for Mom to tell Dad herself.”

“Not hiding it from Aunt, these days, my parents’ relationship hasn’t been good. Mom went to her family’s home several times out of anger, and she didn’t allow me to go with her. I was really worried.”

“Now that everything’s fine, Dad will definitely change once he knows Mom is pregnant.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qiao leaned back on the soft pillow, muttering to herself:

“This is bad!”

“Frequent visits to her family’s home and not allowing her niece to go along… Could it be that she’s meeting with Li Xusheng again?”

“Oh no, this cuckoldry situation is probably unavoidable!”

Mrs. Qiao sighed deeply, then carefully thought it over and summoned the Merit Shop.

“Let’s see if there’s a paternity testing talisman available.”

Mrs. Qiao’s delicate fingers rummaged through the shop and surprisingly found it!

“Paternity testing talisman, essential for palace intrigue and domestic disputes. Drip the blood of both parties on the talisman. If there’s a blood relation, the talisman will ignite on its own. If there’s no blood relation, the talisman seal will turn black.”

“Merit Points required—200??? This paternity testing talisman is even more expensive than the Restoration Talisman!? And it requires blood from both parties, but the baby is still in Aunt’s belly, so it can’t be used yet.”

Mrs. Qiao felt a bit discouraged as she put away the Merit Shop.

“It seems only Aunt herself knows who the child belongs to.”

After sitting for a while longer, Zou Anning noticed that it was almost time to leave.

Mrs. Qiao invited her to stay for dinner, but Zou Anning shook her head. “Thank you for your kindness, Aunt, but I don’t know when Mom will confess to Dad. I’m afraid I’ll miss it, so I’d better go home.”

Mrs. Qiao didn’t insist on keeping her and gently held Zou Anning’s hand.

“Anning, come over often in the future. Aunt is very fond of you and wants to see you more.”

Zou Anning blushed slightly at these words and nodded obediently.

“Okay, Anning will listen to Aunt.”

Mrs. Qiao called for Mr. Qiao again and asked him to be more careful and personally escort Zou Anning home.

As she watched Zou Anning’s figure disappear completely into the courtyard, Mrs. Qiao tightly gripped the cup in front of her, her hands trembling slightly.

How… how will this be resolved?

Mrs. Qiao managed to stay awake all afternoon, and after having dinner, she played for a while before feeling sleepy and nestling into the soft couch.

With worries weighing on her heart, Mrs. Qiao entrusted Liu the maid with taking care of Mrs. Qiao after she fell asleep and led Mr. Qiao to the inner room.

“Husband, something’s not right.”

Mrs. Qiao’s worried appearance startled Mr. Qiao.

“What’s wrong, my dear?”

Mrs. Qiao felt extremely distressed. Holding Mr. Qiao’s hand, she said, “Anning came to our mansion today and said that it seems Sister-in-law is pregnant. This should be a joyous occasion, but unfortunately… unfortunately…”

Mr. Qiao’s expression suddenly stiffened as he guessed the situation.

With teary eyes, Mrs. Qiao continued, “Anning said that Sister-in-law has been frequently visiting her family’s home recently and doesn’t allow anyone to accompany her. I’m afraid she’s meeting Li Xusheng secretly!”

“Husband, I just can’t bear it. My father is old, and I can’t bear to see him heartbroken again, and Anning, Anning is so innocent.”

“My brother is reckless. If he learns the truth, I don’t know what he might do.”

As she said this, Mrs. Qiao’s voice trembled.

Mr. Qiao felt sorry for her and quickly embraced her. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke gently, “Don’t worry, listen to me, my dear.”

“If Sister-in-law is really pregnant, who the child belongs to is probably something only she knows.”

“Currently, we have no evidence of Sister-in-law having an affair with Li Xusheng. It’s better to wait and see.”

“If things turn out as we suspect, we must prioritize Father-in-law and Anning. If we can resolve this privately, it would be for the best.”

Seeing Mr. Qiao so calm, Mrs. Qiao felt as if she had found her backbone and gradually calmed down.

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded gently.

“I’ll listen to you, my dear. The priority now is to find evidence and determine the child’s true father.”

“My father already knows about Li Xusheng’s existence. I hope when the truth is revealed, Father can control his emotions.”

“The most pitiful one is Anning’s child. She hopes that her parents can reconcile. She’s so well-behaved; it really breaks my heart.”

Mr. Qiao sighed softly. “It’s best to keep this from Anning. Don’t blame Father-in-law for entrusting the marriage of this child to you. Her parents are indeed unreliable.”

Speaking of this, Mrs. Qiao remembered something from earlier in the day.

“Today, I heard from Jiaojiao that Anning and that top scholar, Tan, have some history, and Brother also inquired. Tan has never been married.”

Mr. Qiao’s expression changed slightly.

“That Tan is indeed excellent, both in character and strategy. Anning is gentle, polite, and discerning; they would indeed make a good match.”

“In that case, let’s find an opportunity for Father-in-law to meet Tan. If Father-in-law approves, then we’ll see if these young people have such intentions.”

“If it works out, we’ll play the role of matchmaker and facilitate this good match.”

Mrs. Qiao finally felt a little relieved.

“My dear, I’m glad you’re here. I was really upset this afternoon.”

Mr. Qiao gently stroked Mrs. Qiao’s face.

“My dear, in the future, tell me everything promptly. You don’t have to wait until nighttime. Your affairs are of utmost importance to me.”

Mrs. Qiao was moved by his words and nodded gently. “Okay.”

Mr. Qiao hugged her tightly.

“My dear, rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see Old Da, my sworn brother!”