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

Fu Jingting didn't say anything more, but after a while the car stopped in a parking space on the side of the road. He told them to wait a moment and got out of the car.

Xu Qingcheng was angry, so she deliberately steered her words in that direction, but when she saw his tense profile and his silence, she regretted what she had said.

In short, she was conflicted. Xu Qingcheng pressed her face against Xu Yuan's chest. She felt a little emotional, upset, and wanted to cry.

She knows perfectly well that it's impossible for her to get pregnant. If she can reproduce asexually, that's really amazing; the world wouldn't need men anymore.

Moreover, when she was pregnant with Xu Yuan, it wasn't just the smell of preserved eggs and seafood that made her eat so much; there was practically nothing to eat. Even when Xu Yuan was born, she didn't gain much weight and had to rely on IV fluids for nutrition. That was the real morning sickness.

Even now, the thought still sends shivers down her spine. She should have just made one wish in her lifetime.

Fu Jingting entered the pharmacy. Xu Qingcheng watched his back; he was tall, upright, and had a dignified appearance.

A short while later, Fu Jingting came out of the pharmacy, and the little boy who had been leaning against the car window suddenly banged on the glass, calling out, "Daddy, Daddy..."

Xu Qingcheng looked over when Xu Yuan called out to her.

He was dressed formally today, in a white shirt and black suit, and his well-proportioned figure made him stand out in the crowd.

He was about to cross the street, tilting his head slightly to look at the oncoming traffic. Sunlight fell on his face, kissing the well-defined lines of his features.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly asked Xu Yuan, "Is Daddy handsome?"

I don't know if Xu Yuan didn't react or what, but she didn't answer her.

Xu Qingcheng was just asking, just asking, that's all.

I wish I wouldn't answer her, so be it.

Xu Qingcheng glanced outside again, but the man was already walking quickly towards her, so she quickly looked away.

As Xu Yuan watched her father approach, she danced with joy and waved to him through the car window.

As Fu Jingting got into the driver's seat, he heard Xu Yuan shout, "Daddy's handsome! Daddy's handsome!"

Praised by his little girl, Fu Jingting rarely showed a smile. His eyes sparkled with laughter, and the sharp corners of his eyes lifted slightly, revealing his characteristic mischievousness. He reached back and pinched Xu Yuan's cheek, feeling completely comfortable from his little girl's coaxing. His voice was tinged with amusement, "You have such a sweet tongue. Who taught you that?"

"Mother."

Xu Qingcheng suddenly blushed, and she asked Xu Yuan in a daze, "When did I say that?!"

Xu Yuan didn't understand any of this and even called out "Mom."

Fu Jingting looked at her suddenly flushed face, chuckled softly, and looked at her mischievously, "Is it rare that I can catch your eye?"

"You actually believe all that nonsense a child is spouting!" Xu Qingcheng denied it, and she really hadn't taught him that; she was just... asking a question.

Fu Jingting patted Xu Yuan's head and smiled, "The first time I ran into her at the airport, she called me 'Dad.' I thought it was just a child making a mistake. But now I think she recognized me."

Fu Jingting looked up at her and smiled. Some things don't need to be said too clearly. She must have taught Xu Yuan who her father is and didn't exclude him from Xu Yuan's understanding.

Therefore, Xu Yuan wouldn't say his dad is handsome for no reason.

Xu Qingcheng couldn't stand his gaze, so she turned her eyes away to avoid meeting his gaze and changed the subject in a harsh tone, "Hurry up and drive, I really have something urgent to deal with."

Fu Jingting put the bag of medicine in his hand aside and started the car.

After dropping them off at Jinliu Bay, Xu Qingcheng carried Xu Yuan out of the car, and Fu Jingting pulled her back and handed her the bag of medicine he had bought.

"What's this?" Xu Qingcheng opened the bag to take a look.

"Stomach medicine, and..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Qingcheng suddenly threw the bag of medicine at his face.

She was so angry that she didn't want to say a word, and turned to leave with her wish in her arms.

He actually bought her a pregnancy test.

Fu Jingting clicked his tongue and hurriedly chased after her, calling out, "Qingcheng."

"You don't need to say anything." Xu Qingcheng looked at him with a tight-lipped expression, her eyes slightly red. "It has nothing to do with you, no need for you to worry about it."

"Listen to me, I actually think it would be best if you went to the hospital for a checkup, but you didn't. To put it simply, if you're not pregnant, you can take some stomach medicine and get a gastroscopy when you have time. If you are pregnant, you..." Fu Jingting didn't think there was anything wrong with what he was doing. Did he think he wasn't conflicted? Did he think he didn't care?

But if that's how it is, things still need to be resolved.

Anyone with eyes could see that she looked like that, but she herself just didn't think so.

Early detection and early treatment are always better than late detection.

"Fu Jingting!" Xu Qingcheng suddenly shouted, interrupting him. Xu Yuan, who was in her arms, was startled by her shout and suddenly burst into tears.

Xu Qingcheng panicked for a moment, and tears welled up in her eyes as Xu Yuan cried.

"Why are you crying?"

Fu Jingting grabbed Xu Qingcheng's arm and reached out to wipe her tears, but Xu Qingcheng turned her head away.

Holding a child in her arms, she couldn't avoid it. When the man's fingers touched her eyes, Xu Qingcheng felt her tears welling up even more.

Xu Yuan was still crying loudly, stretching out her arms for her father. Xu Qingcheng was furious, thinking she had given birth to such a daughter for nothing.

But hearing Xu Yuan cry made her feel sorry for him.

I felt really bad about it.

She simply shoved Xu Yuan into his arms and let him comfort her.

The man gently patted Xu Yuan's back to coax her, showing great patience. After a while, the little one quieted down, sniffling, and nestled on Fu Jingting's shoulder, hugging his neck, saying, "Mommy's angry."

Xu Qingcheng really wanted to just leave and ignore him, but because Xu Yuan was being held in his arms, she couldn't leave on her own, no matter how angry she was.

Fu Jingting looked at her and sighed, "You know your own body best. Life is so difficult, I just want you to take good care of yourself."

Xu Qingcheng looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes, her teeth grinding together. "Fu Jingting, have you always thought I had many men around me? Have you always thought I was promiscuous, wanton, and shameless?"

Fuck!

"That has nothing to do with this."

Fu Jingting's forehead was taut, and he was holding a child in his arms. Because of the little one, he felt his movements were severely restricted. Even his explanations were weakened and lacked force, because he dared not speak loudly for fear of startling Xu Yuan.

"What do you mean it's okay? Isn't that what you meant?! Do you think I can get pregnant by myself?"

With red eyes, she questioned him, her voice filled with barely concealed anger.

"Give me the child and get out of here."

She reached out to hug Xu Yuan away, but they couldn't agree on anything, and she didn't want to talk to him anymore.

Because of their argument, Xu Yuan clung tightly to her father's neck and wouldn't let go.

Xu Qingcheng stomped her feet in anger, calling him a traitorous little brat.

"I really didn't think that way."

"Heh, then tell me, what are you thinking?" Xu Qingcheng said coldly.

Fu Jingting, "..."

This is like the chicken-or-egg question – it's impossible to answer definitively.

Xu Qingcheng grabbed Xu Yuan regardless of whether he was crying or not, and forcefully took him in her arms. As a result, the little guy started wailing like the heavens were falling, "I want my daddy, I want my daddy..."

They cried as if it were a matter of life and death.

Xu Qingcheng was so angry she lost all patience and scolded fiercely, "Xu Yuan, shut up! If you don't behave, I'll spank you!"

Children are very good at reading people's expressions. When Xu Qingcheng scolded him with a stern face, the little guy was completely afraid to ask her for anything. He nestled in Fu Jingting's arms, sobbing and trying his best to hold back his tears. He kept hitting her.

They're so pitiful.

While coaxing Xu Yuan, Fu Jingting looked at Xu Qingcheng and said, "I'll take Xu Yuan upstairs."

At this point, the safest thing to do is to change the subject.

only……

"sister."

Xu Qingyao heard Xu Yuan crying as soon as she came downstairs. When she walked over, she saw that her older sister's expression was not right. "What's wrong?"

Upon seeing Xu Qingyao, Xu Qingcheng didn't say much. "Take Xu Yuan home. I have some things to take care of at my company."

As she turned to leave, she saw Xu Qingyao bend down to pick up the medicine bag that had fallen to the ground during their argument.

The young man stared blankly at the pregnancy test stick inside for a moment, then Xu Qingcheng snatched the medicine bag and angrily threw it directly into the community's trash can.

Ugh, she's so angry!

……

Xu Qingcheng drove to X Unknown to pick up her assistant and headed straight to the production factory.

Due to issues with the manufacturing process, the design could not be achieved. After repeatedly communicating with the factory's production staff, they were told that they could try making it again according to Xu Qingcheng's ideas, but they could not guarantee success.

As Xu Qingcheng and her assistant walked out, they unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance they weren't very close to.

Jiang Xin was standing with an older woman, chatting and laughing, when she saw Xu Qingcheng, she paused.

The woman looked over and asked, "Xin Xin, is she someone we know? That pretty lady is the jewelry designer X (whose name is unknown)."

"I know, Xu Qingcheng!" Jiang Xin withdrew her gaze in disgust and said sarcastically, "She is indeed beautiful, but she seduces other people's fiancés just with her face. Auntie, you don't know how disgusting I am with people like that."

"Really? I never would have guessed she was that kind of person."

"Does the word 'fox spirit' still have 'fox spirit' etched on her body? My friend developed schizophrenia because of her and is now locked up in a mental hospital. A perfectly good person, her whole life is ruined." Jiang Xin's eyes reddened as she thought of Wen Fei.

Murder is indeed terrifying.

However, Jiang Xin knew that if Wen Fei were in a normal mental state, she would definitely not do such a terrible thing.

Wen Fei's father was a famous surgeon, and she herself was a doctor. Their lives should have been bright and promising, but now they were in a state of utter darkness.

In particular, because of the issue of helping Wen Fei create public opinion online, Jiang Xin's boyfriend was summoned for questioning and administratively detained for spreading false information.

Because of this, Jiang Xin's boyfriend and she had a huge argument.

Therefore, Jiang Xin felt even more disgusted and annoyed with Xu Qingcheng.

"Why did she come here?" Jiang Xin asked.

"Her craftsmen couldn't produce the effect she wanted from the design drawings, so she either had to find another factory or change the design drawings."

Jiang Xin's eyes suddenly lit up. "Can I take a look?"

Her aunt looked at her and said, "In principle, it's not possible. You're in the same industry, and what if an unreleased product..."

"Oh, Auntie, I was just looking, don't overthink it."

The woman hesitated for a moment, but then agreed.

Xu Qingcheng said goodbye to the people at Hengda factory and prepared to leave, instructing them to tell her the final results of the trial as soon as possible, because time was of the essence.

As she left, she asked her assistant, "What is Hengda's reputation in the industry?"

"They've always been good. In this industry, if you don't have integrity, you can't work with them in the future," the assistant explained. "Besides, we signed a confidentiality agreement with them."

Xu Qingcheng nodded. "That's fine then."

It was very late when I got home. As I walked in, Xu Yuan ran over to greet me, "Mom's home!"

The little guy has long forgotten how he cried this morning.

Kids recover so quickly, it's really enviable.

Xu Qingcheng patted her little head, changed her shoes, and carried Xu Yuan inside.

Zhao Lan was preparing dinner, and there was still a smell of cooking oil in the room.

Xu Qingcheng suppressed the sudden wave of nausea that washed over her, greeted her parents, and went into her room.

Xu Qingyao didn't come home for dinner, saying he had a business dinner outside.

Xu Qingcheng hadn't eaten much either. Zhao Lan asked her, "Why aren't you eating?"

"lose weight."

Zhao Lan looked at her, hesitant, but still asked, "Qingcheng, I heard from Qingyao this morning that you bought a pregnancy test. What's going on?"

Xu Qingyao, that big mouth.

"That's not true. Qingyao has misunderstood."

Zhao Lan looked at her and said, "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, you know better than anyone else. You're not a young girl anymore. What if you get pregnant now? If you two want to reconcile, then no one can say anything. Are you planning to reconcile for Xu Yuan's sake?"

"Mom, I told you it's not true at all." Xu Qingcheng was so annoyed. Was Fu Jingting crazy? Why did he buy her a pregnancy test?

"If you two have made a wish and can understand each other, it's not impossible. It depends on your own thoughts and whether you're willing to take this step. I can see that he really cares about Xu Yuan."

"You're overthinking it. I didn't have that thought," Xu Qingcheng denied.

Zhao Lan looked up at her. Xu Qingcheng's face was tense, and her chopsticks were unconsciously poking at the bowl. She was clearly unwilling to talk about this topic.

Some words welled up in Zhao Lan's mouth, but she swallowed them back. She risked her life to give birth to Xu Yuan. Her family was so opposed and tried so hard to persuade her, afraid that her body couldn't handle it and that the child had such a high chance of having problems, but she didn't waver in the slightest.

What do you think she's doing this for? What's her motive?

When the baby was born, a checkup revealed that one of the ears was not hearing properly. She had just finished her postpartum confinement period and secretly shed tears in the middle of the night while holding Xuyuan.

She said she doesn't love him anymore and doesn't want any further contact. Who believes that?

Zhao Lan didn't believe it.

But Zhao Lan also remembered that when she brought Qingcheng back from the Fu family, she felt extremely heartbroken as a mother. At that time, she thought that it was okay for her daughter to never get married.

That's really not the case. When they get old, she'll be all alone. Who will take care of her?!

"Don't you know your own body? The doctor told you when you were pregnant that you need to be extra careful from now on, because it's not easy to miscarry once you're pregnant. I'm not old-fashioned; it's normal for young people to have some issues, but you're a woman. Women need to protect themselves. You should know the most basic common sense, right? Do I need to teach you that?"

Xu Qingcheng blushed as Zhao Lan scolded her, "I just have an upset stomach."

After helping Xu Yuan take a bath that evening, Xu Qingcheng went to take a bath by herself. She subconsciously touched her stomach, and she was so surprised that she started to have doubts herself.

But how could that be? She had taken birth control pills and had her period, and nothing had happened between them since then.

Xu Qingcheng tapped her head as she went out.

She came out wrapped only in a bath towel, and happened to run into Qingyao. He had just returned and was stunned to see Xu Qingcheng like this.

Xu Qingcheng caught him and scolded, "Why are you so quick to speak? There's nothing between me and Fu Jingting, why are you telling your mother such nonsense?"

"Mom asked you, I just said it offhand." Xu Qingyao didn't take it seriously, but frowned. "Can you please pay attention and put on your clothes properly?"

Xu Qingcheng looked down at herself, snorted, and said, "I'll move out as soon as Xinghe Bay is ready."

"That's not what I meant, it's just that you..." Xu Qingyao tried to explain, but Xu Qingcheng kicked him into the bathroom.

"Who cares what you mean? Stop staring at me, go look at other girls."

My younger brother has grown up.

It's getting warmer, so she can't wear revealing clothes at home. She has to choose the most conservative styles for pajamas and such. She has to be careful about everything, which is really inconvenient.

Xu Qingcheng returned to her bedroom. Her phone was ringing; it was a video call from Fu Jingting. She answered it and immediately handed it to Xu Yuan.

"Daddy, Daddy."

"Yuanyuan isn't asleep yet? What story do you want to hear tonight?"

The father and daughter were going to have a long phone conversation that night.

Xu Qingcheng let them go as they pleased. Xu Yuan was quite happy, and sometimes when she was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open, she would ask her father why he hadn't called yet.

Xu Qingcheng took out her pajamas from the closet to change, and threw the bath towel onto the bed.

On the other end of the video, the man stared intently at the vivid and sensual scene before him, and he couldn't help but cough lightly.

Xu Qingcheng had no idea that Xu Yuan had accidentally turned the video camera around.

Zhao Lan pushed the door open and came in. "I've packed up the watercolor palette you wanted and put it in the living room. It's not ready over there yet, why are you in such a hurry to go over there?"

"I need to revise the design draft and need a quiet environment. I also need to tidy up a bit. I wish I wouldn't bring her over yet; I'll bring her over after I've finished tidying up."

Zhao Lan nodded, and seeing Xu Yuan holding her phone, she couldn't help but say, "Don't let kids play on their phones all the time."

After everyone left, Xu Qingcheng took the phone back from Xu Yuan's hand. "Alright, Xu Yuan needs to rest now."

When she picked it up, she noticed the camera lens had been changed. Xu Qingcheng gasped. She looked at where she had just been standing and squeezed her eyes shut.

"What did you see?"

"Do you believe me no matter what I say?" the man retorted.