When Old Master He heard Chen Lishu’s words, he immediately leaned his head over curiously and asked, “What secret things did I investigate?”
The others glanced at him, not bothering to explain the matter right away. Instead, they spoke to Chen Lishu, saying, “It seems there’s no way to investigate, because the two of them didn’t have much time together!”
Li Xiulan propped her chin with one hand, thought carefully, and then confidently raised her head to look at Chen Lishu, saying, “If you all need it, perhaps I have a reason to keep her here, to give them more time to interact, and we can find out what’s not right!”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up instantly. They then looked at Li Xiulan curiously and asked, “Really? So, what do you plan to do?”
Li Xiulan hesitated for a moment, then cautiously proposed her plan: “Isn’t she pregnant? No matter what, she’s still a child of our ‘Gu family.’ So, I plan to let her live here during this time to see what their next plan is!”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze shifted to Chen Lishu. Although Gu Xingdong was about to reject Li Xiulan’s plan, Chen Lishu readily agreed to it, saying, “No problem, then let her move in!”
After the group finished discussing these matters, they immediately left the basement.
----
When Zhang Wan’er arrived at the courtyard again, her mood was very tense. Ever since she knew that the child in her belly was not Gu Xingdong’s, her confidence had waned.
“Auntie.” She politely greeted Li Xiulan and then sat down on the sofa, distracted, wondering what the purpose of being called here this time was.
Li Xiulan nodded, then poured Zhang Wan’er a glass of water, and continued to express concern, “Are you feeling uncomfortable during your pregnancy? You look so sickly, could it be due to the pregnancy?”
Hearing Li Xiulan’s concern for her physical condition, Zhang Wan’er was somewhat surprised. “I don’t feel uncomfortable. The reaction won’t come until three months, so it’s still early for me.”
“After all, you are carrying the Gu family’s child, so it’s better to be careful. Where are you staying now?” As Li Xiulan asked this question, she had specifically asked He Zinian to investigate Zhang Wan’er’s recent situation.
When she heard Zhang Wan’er say she was staying in a hotel, Li Xiulan was not surprised at all. She pretended to look pained and held Zhang Wan’er’s hand, saying, “How can a hotel compare to the environment at home? It must be quite a hardship to live there!”
Seeing the concern in Li Xiulan’s eyes, Zhang Wan’er was stunned for a moment, then went along with it, following Li Xiulan’s words, saying, “It’s not a hardship. It’s just that my family might not be able to accept what I’ve done. I can only stay outside for a while, and talk to them clearly after they’ve calmed down.”
“How can that be? You’re a young lady living alone in a hotel with no one to take care of you. If something were to happen…” Li Xiulan paused here, her eyes already filling with tears. If anyone else were in the living room, they would surely praise Li Xiulan’s superb acting skills, lamenting that it was a pity she wasn’t an actress!
Zhang Wan’er’s lips curved upwards slightly, maintaining her pitiable image to the fullest. “Nothing will happen. My family is quite good to me, but they just can’t accept something like this happening. When they’ve calmed down, they’ll naturally come find me. I won’t let anything happen to me! I really like Gu Xingdong. I know I made a wrong decision, but now, compared to this child, that family fortune means nothing to me. I want to give birth to this child. Will you agree, Auntie?”
After speaking, Zhang Wan’er’s tentative gaze fell upon Li Xiulan. As long as the latter agreed, it would mean she had gained Li Xiulan’s approval, and her plan would be halfway successful. She was confident she had ways to make Chen Lishu leave this house for the remaining half.
“But this child…” Li Xiulan would not agree so easily. The act had to be convincing. She believed that Zhang Wan’er, having planned so much, would surely have a way to persuade her to keep the child!
“Don’t worry, I will absolutely not let this child ruin your family. It’s just that during this time when I am alone and helpless, I often think how nice it would be to have a child by my side. Auntie, this child is also your grandson, don’t you want to see what he looks like when he’s born? He should be as cute as Xingdong was when he was little, right?” As Zhang Wan’er said this, she gently stroked her belly with her hand, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Seeing this, Li Xiulan’s gaze gradually softened. “As people get older, they wish for grandchildren to be around. Two children are too few for us. If we could have one more child, the house would be livelier. You’re right, no matter what, the child in your belly is from the Gu family. Since he’s here, our Gu family can afford to raise him. In that case, you’ll move to the courtyard starting tomorrow. Auntie just feels sorry for this child, there’s no other intention. So, before you move in, Auntie wants to make one thing clear: please don’t mention this to Chen Lishu. Auntie doesn’t want to cause chaos in the family.”
Hearing Li Xiulan relent and agree to her moving into the courtyard, even though she put it so harshly, Zhang Wan’er knew that over time, she would be more filial and obedient than Chen Lishu. Once they were compared, she didn’t believe Li Xiulan would remain steadfast in her decision to have Chen Lishu as her daughter-in-law. Soon, she would be able to replace Chen Lishu and marry Gu Xingdong! Thinking of this, she suppressed her excitement and nodded, agreeing to the matter.
Zhang Wan’er moving into the courtyard was thus decided. They had expected this outcome, but to make the act more convincing, they still held a family meeting in front of Zhang Wan’er. He Zinian was the first to voice his objection: “Is it proper for Miss Zhang to stay in the courtyard? After all, she is an unmarried girl. If this were to get out, it wouldn’t be very good for our family’s reputation with the men!”