"The past is the past, and there's no use dwelling on it. I've asked you here today to ask for your support. I want to pursue Ge'er, to devote myself to her, and to give her and the child a home."
"Of course, if the Shang family is willing, I will treat the child as my own. If not... I will respect Ge'er's wishes and support her wholeheartedly."
"She's been in a bad state lately. I know you're worried, and I see it and am anxious too."
"I can't promise I'll achieve great things in the future, to give her a life of luxury beyond what you and Uncle Zhan can provide. But I can guarantee that as long as we are together, she and the child will be happy every day."
"I want to ask for an opportunity, Auntie. Please help me get closer to her. I will seize this chance with all my might and not disappoint your expectations."
Although Jiang Nan Fang didn't interact much with Lei Dong Yi, her years of experience in judging people told her from the start that he was a good young man of upright character, capability, and steady temperament.
To be honest, she was very surprised when she learned that Ge'er and Shang Jin Cheng had secretly registered their marriage.
This was because Shang Jin Cheng's character and demeanor were never the type Ge'er truly admired.
But since the deed was done, her parents couldn't say much. Moreover, Shang Jin Cheng had encountered such a mishap.
The moment her daughter left home, she faced such a major incident. The last thing parents should do is blame her.
She wanted to help her move on quickly, but the children of the Zhan family were all strong-willed and proud. They didn't want their parents to interfere too much, so she couldn't truly enter Ge'er's heart.
As a mother, she naturally feared that her daughter would give up on herself and remain alone for life.
To be pursued by a young man she admired was a great relief to her worries.
However, Jiang Nan Fang stared at him for a few seconds.
"I believe you are not joking with me, so this is a very sincere agreement between us."
"A true man, once he has spoken, must do his utmost to achieve it. She has already suffered a great setback. I don't want your appearance to be another disaster."
"Lei Dong Yi, I am going to agree to give you a chance. You must swear, unless... you must do what you say."
Lei Dong Yi immediately swore to the heavens that as long as he lived, he would absolutely do as he said.
Jiang Nan Fang quickly returned to the examination room. The check-up was done. Shang's mother quietly pulled her aside to say that the results weren't particularly good, but not a major issue either.
"The doctor just said she's been feeling depressed, and her nutrition isn't very good. The pregnancy isn't very stable. Nan Fang, why don't I take her to the Shang family's place? In this condition, if she's alone with no one to care for her, I just can't rest easy."
Jiang Nan Fang shook her head. "If she were willing to go, would we still be waiting until today?"
"Young people have a generation gap with us, and living together can be uncomfortable. Let her be. Don't worry, she's not a fool. Her maternal instincts will make her protect her child. We'll tell her the results truthfully, and let her decide how to proceed."
When Ge'er was given the examination report and saw that the fetus wasn't doing well, she was also very worried.
After all, this was the only bloodline Shang Jin Cheng had left in the world.
Unless she died, she had to protect it. She already owed the Shang family too much.
As they left the consultation room, Shang's mother and Jiang Nan Fang spoke in tandem.
"Why don't you come home for dinner? I'll have the nanny cook something nourishing for you. You look like you've lost weight recently."
Jiang Nan Fang said, "I've been asking the nanny to make her all sorts of nourishing soups lately, she's probably tired of them. We've all been through that stage; we know that when morning sickness is severe, these things don't help. She understands your good intentions and won't resent you, don't worry."
"Let her handle it herself. She's not a child anymore, and she'll manage her own child. If she really can't eat or sleep, and the child can't be saved, then that's her fate."
Ge'er wasn't foolish. She knew they were deliberately saying this for her to hear, so she tried to compose herself and stated her resolve.
"I will eat well and sleep well from now on. Don't worry. From today onwards, my mission is to nurture the child, and I don't want to think about messy things."
After seeing off Shang Jin Cheng's mother, Jiang Nan Fang spoke to Ge'er.
"We haven't had dinner together in a long time. Would you do your mother the honor of having dinner with me today? Dad found a great new place. I'll get them to make something light for you. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. Mom will just sit with you quietly, okay?"
None of her children were easy to manage. Seeing her mother speak so cautiously, Ge'er felt ashamed.
The chosen restaurant's location wasn't the best, but its decor was exceptionally elegant.
Once seated, Jiang Nan Fang ordered several light and refined dishes that suited Ge'er's taste.
Coupled with her determination to protect the pregnancy, she remained silent throughout, eating with all her might.
Seeing that Ge'er was in a better state and receptive to others, Jiang Nan Fang pretended to take a phone call halfway through the meal.
"Your younger brother, that troublesome boy, has gotten into trouble again. I can't make it for dinner. I'll drive the car away and go back to see what's going on. Can you take a taxi home yourself later?"
Ge'er felt respected that her mother didn't treat her like an incapacitated elderly or sick person, so she agreed.
Jiang Nan Fang said, "Then send me a message when you get home."
As she left the restaurant, she ran into Lei Dong Yi at the entrance.
They exchanged a glance, didn't speak, and walked past each other.
Ge'er asked the waiter for another bowl of rice and buried her head in eating. Suddenly, she felt someone sit down opposite her.
She assumed Jiang Nan Fang had returned and quickly looked up, only to see...
"Lei Dong Yi? What are you doing here?"
Since his return, Lei Dong Yi had maintained this calm and gentle smile on his face every day.
"I was just about to ask you. Didn't you say you had a poor appetite? How did you end up coming here to eat?"
"In the end, you don't want to eat with me, you don't give me face."
Ge'er thought to herself, Who do you think you are? Why should I give you face?
She looked around.
"You're not with friends? Coming all this way to eat by yourself, you really know how to enjoy yourself."
Lei Dong Yi curved his lips. "Absolutely. In this life, besides eating and drinking, everything else is trivial. Why earn money if not to enjoy oneself? Are you alone too?"
Ge'er had almost finished eating and didn't want to engage with him further. She wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"I'm done eating. I'll take my leave. You enjoy your meal."
With that, she grabbed her bag and stood up. Lei Dong Yi also stood up.
"Who told you I haven't eaten? I'm also done, and I've even had a couple of drinks. I was planning to call a designated driver, but since I ran into you, let's go back together."
He's really thick-skinned. Who wants to go back with him?
Ge'er knew what she was about to say even if she used her toes to think, so Lei Dong Yi immediately added.
"Either way, you're driving alone and burning a lot of gas, and me riding with you also burns a lot of gas. It's just a small favor, why be so calculative?"
Just as Ge'er was about to retort, he continued.