The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 298 Child, can I... hug you?

Gu Fuju's face was expressionless, his eyes were deep, but his heart suddenly ached.

It wasn't a difficult choice, but rather the indifference in Yu Tingwan's eyes. This child didn't have any hope for her biological parents and didn't think they would choose her.

Eighteen years is indeed a long time.

He and Jiashan were absent from this child's life for a full eighteen years.

He had never seen a girl babbling or toddling.

He didn't hold her hand or teach her how to write with a calligraphy brush.

He didn't even take a detour to buy her a bag of her favorite snacks on his way back from the morning court session.

He was nine months pregnant when Jia Shan was still pregnant, and he felt the pain of childbirth for her. Now she has grown into a beautiful young woman, but he has never been able to do anything for her.

Gu Fujiu's hand fell limply to the ground.

There were rapid footsteps behind him.

"child."

Jiashan had already learned from Gu Fuju how much suffering this child had endured and what she had gone through.

But the more I know, the more heartbroken I become.

I want to hear it, but I'm afraid to listen anymore.

When you first find out you're pregnant, who doesn't say this child will be reincarnated?

She chose herself and Gu Fuju as her parents, but things didn't go smoothly for her; instead, she grew up with many ups and downs.

Not long ago, Jiashan was still speaking sarcastically and harshly to others. Now, her mouth was opening and closing, clearly she had a lot to say, but she uttered a single sentence cautiously, as if afraid of being rejected.

"Can I... hug you?"

Yu Tingwan frowned and looked at Jiashan.

It feels a bit awkward.

I felt awkward looking at her.

But at this moment, I was more lost in thought.

Yu Tingwan remembers that her mother would always take her out for a walk in the evening.

Aunt He from next door would tease him whenever she saw it.

"Oh, the mother and daughter are out for a walk to digest their food again."

Aunt He would try to persuade her.

"Yu Niang, Yao'er isn't young anymore, why isn't there any sign of pregnancy in your belly?"

Yu Niang might have cared about this when Yu Jingcheng didn't return with the soft, tiny swaddled baby.

Yu Niang will always remember that day when the sky outside was dark and the sound of the night watchman's drum could be heard, and only one lamp was lit inside the house.

Yu Jingcheng, who should have been out on a delivery mission, returned instead. His arms were bulging, and he walked awkwardly, as if afraid of dropping something. He went to the bedside and woke her, his eyes shining brighter than the starlight outside.

The man, who usually had a loud voice, spoke very softly, as if afraid of startling something.

He said excitedly.

"Yu Niang, we're pregnant."

She was still drowsy when Yu Jingcheng put the baby, whom he had finally managed to coax to sleep, into her arms.

Yu Niang lowered her head.

She had seen newborns before, and it was obvious that this infant was much smaller.

It looks like a premature baby.

His face was dirty and had obvious tear stains.

She still couldn't open her eyes, and was still easily startled awake. Her voice was weak, like a cat's meow, and she was even hoarse.

Before Yu Niang could react, she was grabbed by the sobbing woman.

Not very strong.

It felt like a feather, tickling her heart.

When Aunt He mentioned it, she smiled gently.

"I'm content with Yaoyao; her father and I will spend our lives protecting her."

Aunt He knew perfectly well how much the couple doted on their daughter, so she didn't bring it up again. In the end, it was replaced by repeated, increasingly annoyed sighs.

"Look at those eyebrows and eyes, she's got the makings of a beauty."

"Yu Niang, this child is just like you in every way, except for being a bit temperamental and spoiled. You, on the other hand, are too soft-hearted and too easy to talk to."

Yao Yao is always very proud.

She is her mother's child, so naturally she resembles her mother.

But times have changed. Yu Tingwan looked at the unfamiliar woman in front of her.

A nameless sorrow washed over her. This emotion seemed to shatter and overwhelm her composure.

It turns out that her personality is unlike her mother's, and her appearance is also unlike her mother's.

She was raised by her mother, who taught her how to conduct herself and distinguish right from wrong. That woman who always smiled gently at her when she made a mistake—fate arranged for them to be mother and daughter, yet they seem completely different.

She softly refused, "No."

Regardless of what happened back then, the tragedy of the Gu family couple was not caused by her.

The pain on Jiashan's face was hard to hide.

Ning Yunling arrived leisurely at this time.

His not-so-bright mind failed to notice the strange atmosphere. He watched as Jiashan, after being rejected, still looked at his sister-in-law with pleading eyes, trying to speak to her softly.

"Mrs. Gu."

Ning Yunling, who considered herself clever, guessed: "You think my sister-in-law looks like you and that you feel a connection with her, so you want to adopt her as your goddaughter?"

No wonder he said that; everyone present thought the same thing.

The two already looked quite similar, and now that they were standing together, the visual impact was even more pronounced.

Ning Yunling took a closer look and said, "I must say, my sister-in-law looks more like your biological daughter than Gu Wu."

"If it weren't for the fact that you only gave birth once, I would have thought that my sister-in-law had been accidentally left outside."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Zhao let out a sneer.

Ning Suchan, seated at her post, glanced at the resistant Yu Tingwan, then at the Gu couple, pondering Wei Zhao's unusual behavior. Suddenly, an absurd thought flashed through her mind.

She slowly put down the teacup in her hand.

She could see the abnormality, but others couldn't.

Lady Ningguo, the wife of the Marquis, sat down next to her at some point.

"The Yu family is fortunate to have caught the eye of the Gu family."

"Don't even mention that Madam Gu has such thoughts. If there were a girl who looked just like me, I would also adopt her as my goddaughter."

Moreover, with this relationship in place, the connection between the Grand Tutor's Mansion and the Duke of Shun's Mansion becomes even stronger, which is beneficial to both sides.

"The Gu family has few offspring, only one daughter. Let alone an adopted daughter, no one would say anything if they adopted a son instead."

Lady Ningguo exclaimed, "I must say, this Yu family mother is quite good at giving birth."

Ning Suchan: ...

Whether Gu Wu and Jia Shan are biological mother and daughter remains to be investigated, but Ning Yunling is definitely born into the Ningguo Marquis's family.

Madam Zhou was so angry that her mouth almost twisted.

Why!

Why doesn't the Grand Tutor's wife recognize her Zhou Yurou as her goddaughter?

Zhou Yurou was not to be outdone, and she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand to shreds.

Ning Yunling felt a chill run down her spine, and her voice trembled as she asked, "Brother, did I say something wrong?"

Wei Zhao replied to him quietly, "No."

That makes sense.

That's good!
Ning Yunling immediately stood up straight.

He kept talking non-stop.

"However, my sister-in-law probably won't agree."

He turned to look at Yu Tingwan.

"Right, sister-in-law?"

"Who wants to have two more elders on their shoulders out of nowhere? They're not even relatives, it's really troublesome. They have to take care of two more people."

"The Gu family has many rules."

Ning Yunling was still shaken: "Even the maids in the manor are all literate."

Even though Gu Fuju was known for his strictness, Jia Shan was still on the verge of tears.

Can……

He was afraid! Wei Zhao.

Ning Yunling: "It's not that I'm being disrespectful, it's just that you, Grand Tutor, are too strict. You are strict with the students, and you treat Gu Wu the same way. You, Madam, have always been a bit difficult to talk to before."

"My sister-in-law was frightened when Madam Zhou raised her voice a little in the street. How much more so would you be?"

Shen Zhiyi spat out a mouthful of water.

Does this fool really think Yu Tingwan is a weak woman?

“If my sister-in-law agrees, she will be under a lot of pressure in the future.”

Ning Yunling felt she was in the right, especially when she saw Gu Wu helping the Empress Dowager over not far away. She spoke loudly, pointing her finger: "You have daughters all too, and here they are. Why do you want someone else's?"