After the divorce, my ex-husband and son lined up to pursue me.

Chapter 103 I No Longer Trust Her

"Are you serious, Chaochao?"

Seeing that no one else was in the ward, Xin Rou's cold expression vanished. "Have you forgotten what your aunt told you before? Your father doesn't love your mother at all, and your mother can't bring happiness to you two..."

"Then I want Jiangxia too!" Ruan Yuanchao, no longer wanting to be brainwashed, covered her ears in protest and stubbornly shouted, "I want Jiangxia! She's my mom!"

Xin Rou's eyes sharpened, and she was about to do something when she caught a glimpse of the old man and her great-aunt walking in.

"Hey, what's wrong with Xiao Bao?"

The aunt spoke first, and when she saw Xin Rou, her gaze became complicated: "Why are you here again? Weren't you busy with a project at the research institute?"

The old man didn't inquire about Xin Rou's recent situation, but he also didn't have a good impression of her.

"Young man, focus on your work. If you like children, hurry up and get married and have one!"

The old man's cold voice clearly indicated his displeasure at Xin Rou's frequent visits to Ruan Yuanchao.

Xin Rou chuckled and quickly stood up: "Grandpa is right, I am indeed very busy. I just thought I'd stop by and see Chaochao on my way to work. I'll be going now."

As I hurriedly left the ward, I could still hear Ruan Yuanchao shouting noisily, "I want my mom! Where's Jiang Xia? Tell her to come see me!"

It really is a mother's instinct...

Blood ties can never be severed, and no matter how much she brainwashes this brat, it will only work temporarily.

Ruan Yuanchao's sudden betrayal was not very damaging, but it sounded an alarm in Xin Rou's heart. When she returned to the research institute, she changed her clothes and walked into the laboratory. The joyful atmosphere in the room instantly vanished and froze upon her arrival.

"What's wrong?" Xin Rou asked with a smile.

Xu Fei winked at the people nearby and urged them, "Go back and get busy."

Then, when he tried to speak to Xin Rou again, Lou Yushi interrupted him with a cold laugh—

“We’re discussing the experimental data from the second phase, and it’s all very good. Sure enough, Jiang Xia’s return not only revived the project but also brought about significant progress.”

Lou Yushi slid her swivel chair to her workstation, but deliberately raised her voice to remind Xin Rou, "But all of this is thanks to Jiang Xia, and has nothing to do with someone like you who parachuted in!"

She even gritted her teeth and spoke each of the last two words slowly and deliberately.

Xin Rou only rejoined the project team last week because the investment and other matters had been settled, so Yan Guozhong had no choice but to accept it. However, Xu Fei and others, especially Lou Yushi, showed unusually strong hostility towards Xin Rou.

Jiangxia has something to do and can't come.

Xin Rou arrived.

Anyone could see it clearly; they were obviously trying to make Xin Rou steal Jiangxia's credit and hard work!

Lou Yushi used to dislike Jiang Xia, thinking she was a stain on Professor Yan's reputation and an insult to the entire school and even the research institute. But after witnessing Jiang Xia's true abilities, she changed her mind and looked at her with new respect.

What makes Ke Xinrou so special?
She brought her own investment to the production team before, and this time she's trying to curry favor with Jiang Xia's husband to squeeze in!

Xin Rou's smile had already frozen, but she forced a dry laugh and said, "I didn't mean to steal anything. I know it's all thanks to everyone. Just let me learn here and gain some experience."

"Hmph." Lou Yushi still huffed in dissatisfaction, "I hope that's really what you think, otherwise..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the warning and threat in her words were already quite strong.

Xin Rou's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Enough! Yu Shi, what nonsense are you spouting now?" Xu Fei frowned and glared at Lou Yu Shi, then looked at Xin Rou gently: "She's straightforward and young, don't take it to heart." "I won't, don't worry, Senior Brother Xu."

"Alright, everyone, stop chatting. Jiang Xia sent me the general outline of Phase 3 yesterday, and I've also spoken with her on the phone. Let's have a short meeting in the conference room in ten minutes."

As Xu Fei spoke, he also organized the documents in his hand and walked back to his workstation.

Xin Rou echoed the others, but inside she felt a burning jealousy that was like a cat scratching at her, her emotions overwhelming her reason...

We have to find a way.

Otherwise, the project is a minor issue, but Ruan Yuanchao has already switched sides. If Ruan Muhuai has a second child with Jiang Xia in the future, what will she do then?
Will she still have a place in Ruan Muhuai's heart?
Throughout the short meeting, Xin Rou was absent-minded. Yan Guozhong treated her only superficially, ignoring the rest. Xu Fei and the others were the same.

This made Xin Rou even more uneasy. Taking a break from the crowd, she made a phone call...

Meanwhile, at Qiushuiyuan...

When Jiang Xia woke up, it was already noon.

She was exhausted and her whole body ached. Her throat was also extremely dry and hoarse. She forced herself to take a shower first, and then went downstairs in her bathrobe to get a glass of water, only to bump into Ruan Muhuai.

He unusually didn't go to the company. Dressed in dark loungewear, he leaned back comfortably on the living room sofa with his laptop on his lap and several recently signed documents piled up beside him.

He was so busy that he didn't even glance at Jiang Xia.

She went into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and after a few sips, her throat felt a little better. Then, she thoughtfully wandered around to the living room.

"Let's talk."

Jiang Xia's voice was still very hoarse when he spoke.

Ruan Muhuai ignored him, his slender, jade-like fingers still tapping crisply on the keyboard.

Jiang Xia wasn't in a hurry. She sat down in a single sofa that was a bit further away. When the keyboard noise stopped, she held her water glass and spoke again: "I agree to have another child and I will cooperate, but you can't keep me imprisoned like this."

"captivity?"

Ruan Muhuai seemed to have heard two jarring words, and his soft voice let out a disdainful chuckle, "Think whatever you want, but once you confirm the pregnancy and pass the first three months, you will be free again."

His cold tone left no room for argument.

It's not a discussion, it's a notification.

Jiang Xia's heart tightened, and the fingers holding the water glass turned pale.

"It can't be this bad, can it?" She tried her best to remain calm. "I've already agreed to have another child, and I've said I'd cooperate. Isn't that enough? Ruan Muhuai, can you please stop being so unreasonable?"

"I just need to go back to work at the research institute. The project can't be left unattended, and I can't keep handling things online like this. Many experiments require..."

"No."

Ruan Muhuai's two indifferent words abruptly cut off all of Jiang Xia's unfinished thoughts.

She froze, looking at him with disbelief and incomprehension.

Ruan Muhuai closed the laptop on his lap, stood up and walked towards her: "If you had cooperated obediently from the beginning, there wouldn't have been any problems, but now... it's too late!"

She had no credibility with him whatsoever. To put it bluntly, Ruan Muhuai didn't believe a single word Jiang Xia said, not even the punctuation marks!

(End of this chapter)