My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

Before Lin Jiu could finish speaking, Wang Yuan embraced him.

"I know, I understand, I get it."

Wang Yuan patted Lin Jiu's back hard, almost knocking her to the ground.

Wang Yuan was indeed very distressed by his daughter's premarital pregnancy, but he also understood that this was not something Lin Jiu could decide.

“It’s just us here, and we know all about their situation.” Wang Yuan slowly looked up at the sky, his eyes becoming moist with emotion. He murmured, “Yu Ting is just like her mother in matters of the heart. I dare say I know her better than anyone else in the world. You don’t need to explain anymore. It’s futile for you to resist or struggle in this regard.”

Safety measures?

There was simply no such opportunity.

Looking at Lin Jiu, Wang Yuan felt that Lin Jiu had lost a lot of weight.

This daughter is so rough; even if Lin Jiu is young and energetic, she can't withstand such abuse.

This is why Wang Yuan apologized; he wouldn't put all the blame on Lin Jiu, as that would be unreasonable.

"If you need any help from me or Xiao'er, please don't feel like you're troubling us. Just let us know. Raise the child well and don't worry about the household registration. You just need to take good care of Tingting and yourself."

Wang Yuan gently patted Lin Jiu's thin back. His large hand could almost cover Lin Jiu, and his palm was warm.

"Xiao Jiu, you are a very outstanding person, but don't forget that you are still a young man not yet twenty. Everyone goes through this, making choices along the way with worries and confusion, and only then do we slowly grow into adults. When a helping hand appears before you, don't be afraid, boldly seize it." Wang Yuan said earnestly. He not only saw Lin Jiu's strengths, but also her shortcomings, understanding that Lin Jiu was not a perfect person. In Wang Yuan's eyes, Lin Jiu's life journey was still long, and she would experience many more things; relying solely on his own strength would not be enough.

"I see, Dad."

Lin Jiu felt the fatherly love he had never received from Wang Yuan. Perhaps... this was the kind of father he had always dreamed of.

His palms slowly warmed up, and he gently clenched his fists, as if trying to remember the warmth.

"Dad, thank you."

"We're family, no need for thanks."

Wang Yuan waved his hand, looking every bit like an arrogant middle-aged man.

He seemed to remember something important, and his expression instantly turned serious.

Sensing his father's attitude, Lin Jiu quickly straightened his posture.

"Dad, if there's anything you need, please tell me."

Lin Jiu stood up straight and bowed her head slightly, showing that she was willing to listen.

Wang Yuan tried to speak several times, wanting to tell Lin Jiu something, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. The momentum that had surged within him slowly dissipated. Wang Yuan hesitated, then shook his head and sighed softly. He looked up at the sky, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

"Xiaojiu..."

Wang Yuan looked down at Lin Jiu. He had hesitated for a moment, but seeing Lin Jiu's increasingly thin figure, his heart ached. He decided to stop hiding his secret, not only for Lin Jiu's sake, but also for his own daughter's.

Wang Yuan's eyes widened, his imposing aura radiating as he shouted, "Xiao Jiu, listen up!"

"Yes!"

Lin Jiu responded loudly.

Wang Yuan clutched his chest and said resolutely, "When soaking goji berries in water, you must put in at least ten to fifteen goji berries each time! Absolutely no less!"

Chapter 431 Reward Yourself

"My parents are very receptive to change."

When Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting returned home, both of them were in a daze.

The two elders gave the child a lot of advice about precautions during pregnancy, and Wang Yuan even patted Lin Jiu on the shoulder, telling him to cherish this time. In a sense, the most relaxed period for Wang Yuan since his marriage was when his wife was pregnant. Because strenuous exercise was not suitable during his wife's pregnancy, otherwise there was a risk of miscarriage, Wang Yuan was fortunate to take leave and finally didn't have to pay rent every day.

Mo Xiao excitedly ran to Xia Mei's company to tell her that Lin Jiu was going to be a father.

According to Lin Yingying, that was the first time she had seen her mother's expression change.

Lin Jiu was disappointed that his sister was too surprised to take out her phone to take a picture, otherwise he would have really liked to see it.

Although the mother-son relationship had improved, the rift left behind hadn't disappeared. Mo Xiao also gave Lin Jiu a book as a gift, about how to observe Xia Mei's expressions and body language to determine her inner thoughts. This book was now in Lin Yingying's hands. Because Lin Jiu only needed to read it once to memorize it, he could access the book in his mental memory library at any time.

"Heave-ho."

Wang Yuting sat down next to Lin Jiu and took his hand.

"Jiu'er's mother has accepted us, hasn't she? She even asked my mom to give me a bracelet, which I've already put in my room." Wang Yuting was shocked when she received the gift. The jade bracelet looked very valuable, as evidenced by the fact that Xia Mei had kept it for so many years. If it weren't something important, Lin Jiu's biological father would have stolen it and sold it long ago.

"Yes, it would be best to gain the approval of elders."

Lin Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. He had prepared for the worst, even arguing with his parents to protect Yu Ting and the baby. He hadn't expected his parents to be so domineering, completely disregarding his young age. Regarding marriage, they stated that Lin Jiu would marry Yu Ting when he was old enough. They had already decided Lin Jiu was their future son-in-law; even if he tried to run away, Wang Yu Ting would chase after him relentlessly. What would happen then was anyone's guess.

Before saying goodbye, Wang Yuan patted Lin Jiu's hands and feet, wondering if Lin Jiu would still be intact when she was caught after running away.

"Jiu'er, should we move?"

Wang Yuting asked Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu looked around the room. It was barely enough for two people, since there was only one room and a single bed. When Ye Yue came to visit, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the single bed in the room, imagining what it would be like for Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting to sleep in such a small bed. If Lin Jiu were a little taller, the scene would probably be even more amusing.

"..."

Lin Jiu thought he could easily agree to this, but he opened his mouth and couldn't say anything.

He then realized that he had come to regard this house as his home. No matter where he was, he felt at ease as long as he had a home.

Lin Jiu had no home before she met Wang Yuting.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little reluctant to part with it."

Lin Jiu leaned his shoulder on Wang Yuting's body. He had developed a deep, very deep affection for this place.

Even with his eyes closed, Lin Jiu could clearly picture the room in his mind. He could even spend a whole day at home with his eyes closed, doing everything from laundry to cooking. This place held so many stories between Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting.

"It's okay, I'm reluctant to part with it either. This house will not be sold."

Wang Yuting patted Lin Jiu's head to reassure him.

“Even if we move, as long as we’re together, anywhere is home.” Wang Yuting smiled and nuzzled Lin Jiu’s cheek. She loved this gesture because Jiu’er’s cheeks were so soft and it felt so good to rub against them. When she was little, she liked to nuzzle her mother’s cheeks; her mother’s face felt just as nice. As for her father, even if he shaved his beard, she always felt his skin was too rough and avoided him.

"what……"

Lin Jiu swayed slightly. He thought about it carefully and realized that Yu Ting was right.

The main reason Lin Jiu cherished this place so much was because Wang Yuting was there.

"Then I'll tell Hazuki that I need to take leave and go look at houses."

"No need for that. There's a three-bedroom, two-living-room house upstairs that I really like."

"Then it's decided."

Lin Jiu put down her phone.

Wang Yuting tilted her head blankly and asked, "Jiu'er, aren't you going to take a look at the house before deciding?"

"No need. If you like it, then I definitely like it too," Lin Jiu said frankly. "Even if there are any things I don't like, I'll clean and tidy up the house properly, and then we can renovate it later."

Lin Jiu didn't have high requirements for the house, and since Mingyuexuan Community was a high-end residential area, she didn't have to worry about her child's schooling.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuting felt relieved.

That room was originally the one her parents wanted to buy for her, but Aunt Shuhui felt that letting Yuting live alone in such a spacious house could easily lead to psychological problems, so they changed her to this uniquely designed house. As for the original room, it has always been kept for her, neither rented nor sold, and she can move in anytime.

The elderly couple had no intention of forcing their children to return to their hometown to live with them. They believed the children had their own futures to decide. As parents, hadn't they saved up so much money throughout their lives so that their children could have a good life?

"Ugh."

Wang Yuting suddenly sighed.

Seeing that she looked a little unhappy, Lin Jiu quickly went over to check if she was feeling unwell.

"I really want to reward myself."

Wang Yuting stared into Lin Jiu's eyes as she spoke.

Lin Jiu met Wang Yuting's gaze, and he felt his cheeks gradually burning. He subconsciously raised his head.

"No, you absolutely cannot drink alcohol during pregnancy; it's bad for the baby."

"I wasn't talking about alcohol."

"That won't work either!"

Lin Jiu had originally intended to change the subject, but Wang Yuting unexpectedly circled back to it.

Wang Yuting also knew that she shouldn't do strenuous exercise during pregnancy, as it was bad for the fetus.

"Then I'll reward Jiu'er."

Wang Yuting raised her hands and waved them up and down like a cheerleader, but unfortunately she didn't have a pom-pom in her hands.

Watching the frequency of Wang Yuting's waving, Lin Jiu wondered if the child was truly experiencing weakness and fatigue during pregnancy. Although Lin Jiu was confident in himself, he was ultimately made of flesh and blood, not some kind of superhuman limb. For the sake of his future, Lin Jiu could only shake his head desperately.

"No, Mom told me that men love to cheat on their wives while they're pregnant." Wang Yuting smiled at Lin Jiu, gently stroking his cheek, giving him no chance to escape.

"To prevent you from focusing your attention on other women, I have a duty and responsibility in this regard; it's something my mother taught me." Wang Yuting smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushed, looking incredibly alluring. "Don't worry, I'll reward you handsomely~"

"Even though I've said it many times, I still have to say it—your mother is absolutely awful!!"

Lin Jiu tried to struggle and resist, but Wang Yuting grasped his slender wrist, and his body became docile.

This has already been trained into an instinctive reaction, requiring no other steps.

"That's what you say, but your body tells a different story."

Wang Yuting looked at Lin Jiu with a beaming smile.

Lin Jiu's face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with tears. She looked both cute and pitiful.

Because she had been captured, Lin Jiu had no way to retreat and could only stay where she was. Her cherry-pink lips looked even more lustrous than usual and were trembling slightly, arousing an extraordinary desire and impulse in Wang Yuting's heart.

"Alright, I'll get started."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Something happened that night.

Because Lin Jiu was angry, today's breakfast was soy milk, steamed buns, and rice noodle rolls from downstairs.

Wang Yuting sweetly coaxed Lin Jiu, who couldn't resist her charm and was soon amused.

In the afternoon, Lin Jiu and Wang Yuting went to buy a house.