Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

"I want to reciprocate with the jewelry she gave me." Xu Qingcheng shook the bracelet on her wrist.

Fu Jingting, "..."

"Besides, why should I give you a gift? You haven't given me any gifts."

Xu Qingcheng snorted and turned to walk downstairs, but she missed a step and almost tumbled down. The man grabbed her waist and pulled her back down.

Xu Qingcheng was still in shock, her fingers gripping the man's clothes.

Fu Jingting's heart was practically in his throat.

The man's expression instantly turned grim. He gripped her chin with his fingers, gritting his teeth, "Xu Qingcheng!"

Her heart was still pounding. Startled by his shout, Xu Qingcheng didn't know what was wrong with him and just stared at him blankly. "What's wrong?"

The man's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he calmed himself before speaking, "Listen carefully. I don't care what you think, protect the child in your belly. Don't think of any wicked ideas that could lead to a miscarriage. If you do, everything you've received from me will vanish, understand?"

It turns out, he thought she was going to fall on purpose!

But she didn't; it really was an accident.

However, he guessed most of her thoughts, and his heart couldn't help but beat a little faster.

"I didn't, it was just an accident." Xu Qingcheng denied it. She looked up at him, a little confused. She thought he wouldn't like children, that they were a burden, that he wished she would have a miscarriage, and that he wanted to get rid of her.

Why does your tone sound different now?

Fu Jingting looked at her, his eyes deep. Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He held her loosely in his arms, pressing his fingers against her collarbone. "Do you remember how it felt when this bone broke? It hurt so much you couldn't even turn over, and you needed help to go to the toilet."

Xu Qingcheng shivered. "Don't say anything more. I don't want to remember."

"I'm afraid you're not using your brain, and you'll forget the pain once the wound heals!" Fu Jingting snapped at her.

Xu Qingcheng kept her head down and remained silent. The man lifted her chin. "Since you're pregnant, give birth to it properly. Don't sacrifice your health. Have you ever had a miscarriage?"

"Are you crazy? How come I've had a miscarriage? When I was with you, I still... I still..." She felt so ashamed when she heard the words slip out softly for the first time.

"An abortion procedure involves a dilation and curettage (D&C). Surgical instruments will be inserted into your body to break up the fetus and remove it. You can imagine how they enter your body and how they break it up..."

"You, you..." Xu Qingcheng's hand was trembling as she gripped his. She was dizzy and pale. The image of blood-soaked flesh flashed through her mind and she felt overwhelmed. "Don't scare me."

"I'm not trying to scare you, this is the reality. And you might be injured in other places as well, and if there's a major hemorrhage, you might not be able to save your life."

"How do you know you've taken women to have abortions?" Xu Qingcheng asked, suppressing her nausea.

Fu Jingting's forehead twitched. "That's common sense. You can find it with a simple online search."

"But who would watch that? I didn't. I didn't even know you were a man!"

"Didn't you learn about human anatomy and basic sex education when you were in school?" Fu Jingting's forehead twitched. He cursed, "Damn it, that's not the point!"

The topic has been successfully shifted.

However, Xu Qingcheng still trembled. She closed her eyes. She was afraid that she wouldn't experience the pain of a D&C, but she was certain that she would suffer some damage in other places.

However... Xu Qingcheng was afraid of something else.

She is currently not in her safe period.

But she didn't have the chance to take birth control pills.

It shouldn't be that much of a coincidence...

She's always had bad luck, and she hopes she won't have any luck in this matter either.

Xu Qingcheng prayed silently.

Fu Jingting knew she wasn't pregnant, but this woman could be ruthless at times. She could scheme to make herself fall down the stairs for Ye Wenhan, and she could also create an accident to eliminate this lie.

Fu Jingting wasn't afraid of her creating an accident, but he was afraid that she would actually cause herself to get injured in order to make it look realistic.

Zhong Wanxiu told them to arrive early, so the two of them set off early in the afternoon.

When they arrived, there were already some people at the old house. Most of the younger generation hadn't arrived yet, but most of the elders had.

Fu Jingting was called to help put up the couplets.

Zhong Wanxiu arranged for Fu Sichen to take Qingcheng over to greet everyone one by one. Xu Qingcheng had met Fu Jingting's uncle, Fu Minghui, who is now the real head of the Fu Group.

The man, who was always serious and never smiled, exuded a heavy sense of oppression, and his expression when he looked at her was very unfriendly.

He didn't respond when Xu Qingcheng called him "Uncle".

He glanced at her stomach, smiled dismissively, and said, "Miss Xu, have you gotten what you wanted?"

Xu Qingcheng inexplicably felt a chill running down her spine.

Fu Sichen, oblivious to the undercurrents, simply interjected, "Uncle, that's not how it is. Sister Qingcheng is so smart and beautiful; it's our family's wish that came true. My second brother was incredibly lucky to marry Sister Qingcheng; otherwise, he would have married that Ye Wenhan, right? Pshaw! I wouldn't even look at her."

This child speaks directly, yet her bright smile makes her seem genuinely innocent, even if she's doing it on purpose.

Xu Qingcheng was unaware of the intricacies of the Fu family's affairs. However, upon seeing Fu Minghui's furrowed expression, her eyelids twitched, and she reached out to tug at Fu Sichen, signaling her to stop talking.

Fu Sichen, quick to adjust his tone, then changed the subject, saying, "Uncle, didn't Aunt come over? I didn't see her."

As soon as his aunt entered the courtyard, Fu Sichen smiled and raised his voice to praise, "Sister Qingcheng, you haven't met your aunt yet, have you? My aunt is so nice. She's cheerful and easy-going, completely different from my uncle's poker face."

"Oh dear, I heard someone praising me behind my back as soon as I walked in." Aunt Wang Yunzi walked over with a smile, patted Fu Sichen on the shoulder, and laughed, "It's one thing for you to praise me, but you also badmouthed your uncle in front of him. Didn't you see how dark your uncle's face was, comparable to Bao Gong?"

The newcomer was a woman who still possessed a certain charm, and she was a size larger than Zhong Wanxiu. She seemed to have a truly forthright personality, but you could tell from her eyes that she wasn't as straightforward as she appeared. Every bit of her smile was perfectly controlled.

While talking to Fu Sichen, she also subtly glanced at Xu Qingcheng.

Xu Qingcheng quickly called for help, "Auntie."

Wang Yunzi smiled and praised, "What a beautiful girl, no wonder Jingting is so obsessed with you that he doesn't listen to his family and insists on marrying you."

That's a very insightful statement.

Before Xu Qingcheng could speak, Fu Sichen interrupted, "My second brother shouldn't have gotten married. He's still obsessed with it. If it weren't for my grandparents' decision to marry him, my parents wouldn't have listened to him."

With a single sentence, Fu Sichen shifted the blame, and he didn't believe they could still stand up to his grandparents.

Si Chen said he wanted to take Xu Qingcheng to meet the other people, and quickly pulled her away.

He whispered to Xu Qingcheng, "The relationship between our family and my uncle's family is very complicated. My parents won't tell me the specifics, but I'm not stupid, I can sense it."

My second brother's marriage to Ye Wenhan was also arranged by my eldest uncle, as the Ye family has some kinship ties with my eldest aunt's side. However, my second brother has never given his consent, and I think he is unwilling to marry Ye Wenhan; his previous statements were definitely just for show.

Sister, please don't be angry. My second brother may be a bit of a jerk, but he's still a reliable person. I feel like he only acts like a human being when he's with you!

As soon as Fu Jingting arrived, he heard Fu Sichen making fun of him, so he immediately flicked her forehead hard, saying, "Why don't I act like a human being?"

Fu Sichen covered his forehead, his eyes brimming with tears. "Second brother, could you make a little noise so I can think of how to praise you?"

Fu Jingting reached out to discipline her again, which scared Fu Sichen so much that he hid behind the fairy sister. "I took your wife to identify people, which was a lot of trouble. I even had to explain to her that you and Ye Wenhan had nothing going on. Second brother, you repay kindness with enmity."

"You come out here right now, and I'll show you what it means to repay kindness with enmity. You speak without thinking, aren't you afraid of getting into trouble by talking to your uncle like that?!" Fu Jingting's eyebrows furrowed, and he was really going to teach her a lesson.

Fu Sichen pouted, "I'm angry. Why does he have to meddle in our family affairs?"

Fu Jingting's face darkened completely. "You think what I'm saying is going to disobey you?!"

Seeing the atmosphere turning sour, Xu Qingcheng hurriedly grabbed Fu Jingting's waist to stop him, saying, "You're really going to hit me!"

"She won't remember if I don't take action."

"I've got it, I've got it." Fu Sichen quickly raised his finger. "I won't say anything more. I promise."

He ran off in a flash.

Fu Jingting was held tightly by Xu Qingcheng, so he really couldn't chase after her. Saying he would beat her up was just a bluff, after all, he was grown up. But Si Chen was never involved in family matters. She was young and a girl, and she would get married sooner or later. These messy things were not for her to worry about.

However, Fu Jingting was also afraid that she would say too much and make a mistake, causing trouble.

Fu Jingting looked down at Xu Qingcheng. She nestled in his arms, clinging tightly to him. Looking up at him from his embrace, the man couldn't help but chuckle, his fingers tracing across her forehead. "Holding me so tight, afraid I'll run away?"

Xu Qingcheng was startled and tried to let go, but he grabbed her wrist and wrapped it around her waist again. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Like this, let's hug for a while longer."