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Fu Jichen took a moment to carefully consider the four nicknames Yu Qing had suggested. They all seemed pretty decent, though the last one carried a strong whiff of earthiness.
Yu Qing, on the other hand, didn’t feel like saying a word and just wanted to shut herself off from everything.
She leaned against the car window, her thoughts in disarray.
Outside, the streets were bustling with people rushing to work.
Though it was still chilly in mid-February, she felt no cold—instead, she felt a wave of heat and even considered changing into a T-shirt.
Before she knew it, they had arrived at the Lemong Tower.
It was peak commuting time, and the entrance was crowded with cars and people coming and going.
Fu Jichen didn’t get out of the car. Before Yu Qing stepped out, he gave her an especially tight hug. “Are you going home tonight or coming over to my place?”
Without hesitation, Yu Qing replied, “I’ll go home.”
She was already feeling unusually sleepy, and after not getting much rest the previous night, she wanted to be somewhere where no one would disturb her so she could sleep peacefully.
If she went to his place, he might end up staying awake late into the night, talking to her and asking all sorts of questions about the baby.
Fu Jichen was in an agreeable mood now. “I’ll come see you tomorrow morning.”
“For now, I don’t want to see you.” Yu Qing pinched his cheeks with both hands. “You’re too smug. You’ve been smiling the whole way here, haven’t you? Don’t think I didn’t notice just because I turned away.”
Fu Jichen tried his best to keep a straight face. “I wasn’t smiling just now.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head and chuckled again.
Yu Qing gave him a series of playful slaps, then opened the door and strode away.
Fu Jichen watched her enter the building before instructing the driver to start the car and leave.
Yu Qing had never arrived at the office this late before. She glanced at her watch—it was already 8:30. As the elevator doors opened, she quickly stepped out.
After walking a few steps, she suddenly realized something.
Her next steps became graceful and unhurried.
Qin Moling happened to be exiting his office just then. He observed Yu Qing, who was carrying her bag, seemingly just returning from somewhere.
He assumed she had first gone to the law firm.
He had heard about the issue between Boss Qian, Duo Xin’s distributor, and Zhuo Hua Trading.
Yu Qing continued walking at her usual leisurely pace. “Looking for me?”
Qin Moling’s expression remained impassive. “You’re missing two words—’settle accounts.’“
Settling accounts with her.
Yu Qing couldn’t help but smile. Her only source of amusement at the moment was Qin Moling’s suspicious and fretful expression over those two vitamin pills.
Yu Qing opened the door, and Qin Moling followed her in, closing the door tightly behind him.
Yu Qing placed her bag down and went to open the window. The cool breeze felt soothing.
Qin Moling hadn’t slept well the previous night. Thinking about those two contraceptive pills made him feel deeply aggrieved.
Although Yu Qing had reassured him that they were vitamin C pills,
he wasn’t stupid.
No one in their right mind would put vitamins in a contraceptive pill bottle.
And then brazenly bring it to the office to take.
He had carefully recalled—when Yu Qing had first taken the vitamin C, he was certain it was from a vitamin bottle.
Out of sympathy for his plight, Yu Qing personally brewed him a cup of coffee.
Qin Moling crossed his legs, leaning back in the chair silently, his gaze following her movements. “You’ve ruined my reputation for life.”
This was undoubtedly the darkest moment of his thirty years.
A grown man had actually taken contraceptive pills.
Yu Qing placed the coffee in front of him. “How many times do I have to say it before you believe me?”
She retrieved yesterday’s bottle, opened it, and poured out a pill for him. “If you don’t believe me, try another one.”
Qin Moling didn’t take it. “Why didn’t you let me try another one yesterday? What’s the point of doing it now? It’s obviously been switched to vitamin C.”
Yu Qing: “They say pregnancy makes you forgetful for three years. I wasn’t thinking straight yesterday and forgot to give you one.”
Qin Moling froze. “What did you say?”
“Pregnancy makes you forgetful for three years.”
“…You’re…pregnant?” Qin Moling couldn’t believe it. “Fu Jichen’s?”
Yu Qing smirked at him. “Who else’s?”
Qin Moling massaged his temples, taking a moment to process. “See? The side effects of the contraceptive pills are already showing. Now I’m even asking such stupid questions.”
Yu Qing couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter again.
“You’re still laughing? Can’t you show some sympathy? Technically, you were supposed to be my fiancée. By rights, the child should be mine.”
“…”
“Now you’re not related to me, and the child isn’t related to me either. But fine, even the contraceptive pill becomes mine.”
Yu Qing interrupted him. “Don’t act so pitiful. Whether Fu Jichen exists or not, there was never a chance for us. You never liked someone like me in the first place.”
Qin Moling: “Don’t be so heartless. Didn’t I plan to marry you? I even bought you a bag to win your favor.”
Yu Qing mercilessly exposed him. “That’s because I refused to marry you, even willing to clash with my family. You felt humiliated and decided to marry me out of spite. After that missed tennis appointment, you already had your answer. You’d seen me before—at the family banquet—you knew what I looked like.”
She took out a tissue, spread it on the table, and poured out the entire bottle of pills, starting to count how many there were.
Qin Moling glanced at her. “Are you bored?”
Yu Qing didn’t respond, focusing entirely on counting.
Qin Moling stood up, fetched three sugar packets from the beverage cabinet, and dumped them all into his coffee.
His mood had soured from yesterday until now.
Upon hearing she was pregnant, he finally felt somewhat reassured.
The side effects of the contraceptive pills weren’t his main concern. What worried him was that if Fu Jichen found out he had mistakenly taken them, wouldn’t he be mocked for life?
Qin Moling stirred his coffee, staring at Yu Qing. Wasn’t she against marriage? And yet, she was willing to have a child?
He couldn’t help but worry.
“Hey.”
Yu Qing finally finished counting and jotted down the number. “Speak if you have something to say.”
Qin Moling: “Don’t get rid of the baby.”
Yu Qing: “…Isn’t that something Fu Jichen is worried about? What does it have to do with you?”
Qin Moling: “It has everything to do with me. If you don’t keep this baby, it means those pills really were contraceptives. My dark history depends on this child to clear my name.”
He took a sip of coffee. “What kind of karma is this? Fu Jichen’s child, and I have to make sure it’s born safely.”
Yu Qing collapsed onto the table, laughing so hard she couldn’t straighten up.
Qin Moling set aside his jokes and got serious. “So, are you planning to get married or what?”
Yu Qing’s mood had lightened considerably, and some of the gloom had lifted.
She sat up properly. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Even after the baby is born and I finish my maternity leave, I’ll still return to Lemong. Fu Jichen and I will love the child and each other, but he is who he is, and I am who I am.”
Qin Moling nodded. “That’s good. Otherwise, I’d have to consider whether or not to partner with you again.”
Yu Qing picked up a tissue and poured the pills back into the bottle.
Qin Moling looked at her, utterly confused. “Are you really that bored?”
Yu Qing screwed the cap back on and handed it to him. “It’s yours now. I’ll switch to folic acid from now on—I won’t need this anymore. There are 78 pills left. Just give me three yuan, and I’ll skip the change.”
Qin Moling: “...”
Before he could retort, his phone rang—it was Leng Wenning.
Qin Moling showed Yu Qing the caller ID, then answered.
Leng Wenning got straight to the point. “Today, there’s no way you can avoid delivering my message. If Yu Qing insists on not renewing the contract and proceeds with a public bidding process, I’ll send her three big gifts.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Moling glanced at Yu Qing, then responded to Leng Wenning. “Big gifts? I’d advise you to think twice. If you have something to say, go talk to her directly.”
“Talk to her directly?”
Leng Wenning sneered. “Whether it’s Yu Qing or Yu Jingxin, I’ll never voluntarily approach them, let alone beg them. Does Yu Qing really think she’s that important?”
She moved on to the main topic. “Pass along my first big gift to her. Oh, and congratulations on her mother remarrying her stepfather. Many of Pang Linbin’s connections in Beijing were introduced by my uncle.”
Qin Moling knew that Pang Linbin had maintained ties with Leng Wenning’s uncle for years, with mutual interests at stake.
Pang Linbin had built his empire on Wall Street, where his group’s headquarters was also located. He lived abroad and rarely personally oversaw the Beijing branch, leaving it to professional managers.
Even someone as powerful as Pang Linbin had limits to his network.
In their circle, no one could act freely—they were all bound by intricate webs of relationships.
A single move could affect everything.
Leng Wenning’s voice continued through the phone.
“A project that Pang Linbin has recently shown interest in was also introduced by my uncle.”
Qin Moling understood what Leng Wenning was implying—she wanted to use Yu Qing’s mother to pressure Yu Qing into submission.
“I’ll ask my uncle to have Pang Linbin reach out to Yu Qing. What do you think would be better for her—to give Pang Linbin face or not to give him face?”
Leng Wenning added, “Let me kindly remind you—the project is handled by my uncle. Even if Fu Jichen’s maternal grandfather’s family wanted to intervene, they’d be powerless.”
She spelled out the consequences for Qin Moling. “If Yu Qing refuses to give Pang Linbin face, it will naturally affect her mother’s relationship with Pang Linbin. Her already strained relationship with her mother will likely worsen even further.”
Qin Moling sipped his overly sweet coffee. “Is this blatant blackmail now?”
Leng Wenning: “Yu Qing started it—don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
She shifted her tone slightly. “However, I’m not someone who pushes things to extremes. After all, we’re all just trying to make a living. I prefer peaceful solutions.”
“I’ll give her time. If she contacts me before six o’clock today and shows goodwill by agreeing to continue working with Wenceng Planning, I’ll let bygones be bygones. But if she remains insincere and insists on cutting ties, then she can wait for Pang Linbin to invite her to dinner in a few days.”
“And even if she agrees to cooperate, she must personally call me.”
“This is just the first big gift. When the time comes, I’ll tell you about the second wave. I don’t like playing dirty—I want her to know exactly where she went wrong and how to apologize to me.”
With that, Leng Wenning hung up.
Qin Moling tossed his phone onto the table, pondering how to relay the situation to Yu Qing.
Yu Qing’s relationship with her mother was already fragile enough to withstand any further strain.
And just yesterday, Aunt Li remarried Pang Linbin. If Yu Qing refused to give Pang Linbin face and insisted on severing ties with Leng Wenning, it could cost Pang Linbin the project.
In that case, Aunt Li would likely grow even more resentful toward Yu Qing.
Her relationship with her mother was an unhealed scar in Yu Qing’s heart.
Though the coffee was sickeningly sweet, he still tasted bitterness.
Seeing his silence, Yu Qing asked, “Did Leng Wenning threaten me?”
Qin Moling recounted Leng Wenning’s words faithfully. “Wenceng Planning—Leng Wenning’s uncle is also a silent shareholder. If Leng Wenning approaches her uncle, he’ll definitely contact Pang Linbin. This isn’t about emotions—it’s about cutting off their financial opportunities.”
Yu Qing had calculated everything but hadn’t anticipated her mother remarrying Pang Linbin.
The critical point was that the project Pang Linbin wanted to invest in was in Leng Wenning’s uncle’s hands—no amount of pleading from anyone else would help.
Yu Qing asked, “Does Leng Wenning want me to call her before six o’clock, apologize first, and then renew the contract?”
Qin Moling nodded.
Yu Qing sneered. “Don’t blame her. It’s daytime—perfect for dreaming. No need to wait until six. Call her now. Even if she sends thirty waves of gifts, I’ll gladly accept them all.”
Qin Moling: “...”
He set down his coffee cup, took out his phone, and transferred five yuan to her.
Yu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Did you forget? Three yuan was enough.”
“The extra two yuan is my tip for admiring your boldness.” Qin Moling admired her defiance and took the vitamin C bottle back to his office.
He didn’t immediately reply to Leng Wenning, wanting to give Yu Qing time to cool off.
For him, working with anyone was the same.
But for Yu Qing, her already precarious relationship with her mother made this situation different.
At 5:30 p.m., it was time to leave work.
Qin Moling went to find Yu Qing, wondering if she had decided whether to cooperate with Leng Wenning or stand firm against her.
Just as he reached Yu Qing’s office door, she opened it and stepped out. She had already put on her coat and was holding her bag.
Qin Moling didn’t beat around the bush. “Have you thought it over?”
“What?” Yu Qing was preoccupied, wondering which work matter he was referring to.
Qin Moling reminded her, “Your response before six.”
Yu Qing frowned. “I vaguely remember telling you to reply to her right away—that she could do whatever she wanted. Bring it on—I’ll take whatever she throws at me, but I won’t back down!”
“You’ve thought it through, then.”
“There’s nothing to think about. If I give in now, Leng Wenning will only find ways to manipulate me later. I’m not going to spend so much money hiring an ancestor to worship.”
Qin Moling didn’t try to persuade her further. “You’re leaving early today?”
“I’m going to the law firm to meet with Qin Yu and Sister Yu Fei for dinner. We’ll discuss how to deal with Duo Xin. They’ve been causing trouble without suffering any losses, yet they’re affecting our sales.” Yu Qing asked him, “Do you have any other plans tonight? Want to join us?”
Since it involved the company’s interests, Qin Moling decided to tag along.
Yu Qing hadn’t driven her car, so she hitched a ride with Qin Moling.
On the way, Qin Moling tried to reassure her. “The company belongs to both of us. If there’s any trouble, I’ll take the lead. As for Pang Linbin, I’ll handle it…”
Yu Qing interrupted him. “No need. It’s my mess, and I’ll handle it. If I don’t personally deal with Leng Wenning, I won’t feel satisfied.”
She asked the driver to stop in front of the pharmacy.
Qin Moling: “What do you need to buy?”
“Fish food for my little Baby Fish.”
“…”
Yu Qing went into the pharmacy and bought a few bottles of folic acid. After paying, she immediately opened one and took a pill.
She hadn’t contacted Fu Jichen all day, and he hadn’t dared to disturb her either.
She took a photo of the folic acid and sent it to him. [Don’t reply—I don’t want to see your messages.]
Fu Jichen was on his way to his grandfather’s house. He zoomed in on the photo and stared at it intently.
He couldn’t resist replying: [Thank you. Actually, you love me more than I love you. In the future, I’ll catch up to you, and then surpass you.]
When Fu Jichen arrived at his grandfather’s house, his parents were already there.
Today, he couldn’t suppress his happiness and joy, so he shared the news with everyone.
For this meal, no chefs were involved. Grandpa, Grandma, Ye Jinhua, and Chairman Fu each prepared a few dishes.
The table was filled with dishes—colorful, aromatic, and flavorful.
Grandpa said, “Make do with what we have. When you’re happy, anything tastes good.”
Ye Jinhua personally poured half a glass of red wine for Fu Jichen. “Thank you and Yu Qing for making me a young and beautiful grandmother.”
Fu Jichen hadn’t enjoyed such treatment in years. He stood up and clinked glasses with everyone. “Thank you all for helping me become someone who’s somewhat interesting and responsible. Otherwise, Yu Qing might not have chosen me, and I wouldn’t be the father of her child.”
“Thank you.”
He tilted his head back and downed the glass of red wine in one gulp.
The elderly matriarch was overjoyed for her grandson. Her happiness radiated, smoothing even her wrinkles. “Jichen, where do you plan to hold your wedding? Why not have two ceremonies—one Chinese-style and one Western-style?”
Chairman Fu chimed in, “Mom, don’t worry about that too much. Jichen doesn’t have time to think about weddings right now. He’s just waiting for the baby to be born so he can get a marriage certificate.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
The elderly matriarch gave her son a helpless look. Though his words weren’t entirely wrong, they were still too blunt. “Can’t you phrase things a bit more delicately?”
Chairman Fu realized his words had been a bit harsh. He coughed awkwardly. “Jichen… he plans to wait until after the baby is born to share the joy of getting the marriage certificate and holding the wedding together with the child.”
Fu Jichen: “...”
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