Su He was momentarily stunned by the sudden topic of urging childbirth.
Frankly, she felt like she was still a child herself, not yet ready for motherhood.
"I respect Ah Yan's wishes," Su He regained her composure and calmly passed the ball to Lu Yanbei.
This was something they had agreed upon beforehand.
If anyone asked about children, he would be the one to answer.
Su He had adhered to this principle thoroughly.
"Ah Yan is already thirty, he should have a child!"
"Yes! Otherwise, who will inherit this vast family fortune in the future?"
"Pre-conception preparation is very necessary! It's not easy for young people to conceive nowadays due to stress. If there are any issues, it's good to get treatment early."
The relatives, perhaps having heard something, kept glancing at Su He's stomach.
Su He's body had suffered quite a bit from being kidnapped and confined in a refrigerated truck for nearly an hour. Women are prone to cold uterus, and if not treated, it can affect their ability to have children.
Su He picked up the soup bowl and took a couple of sips, maintaining her indifferent demeanor. "Children are a matter of fate; you can't rush it. Ah Yan and I both feel it's best to let things happen naturally."
"That's what you say, but you also need to be proactive. The old man is of an advanced age and is waiting to hold his great-grandchild! Don't wait until you've made up your minds and the old man is gone... Sigh, Auntie is saying this for your own good..."
Su He gave a forced smile and a sidelong glance at the plump elder.
As far as she remembered, this aunt's daughter had married a man over a decade her senior. After entering the marriage, she had two daughters consecutively. It was said that she was looked down upon by her husband's family for not giving birth to a son and had even suffered domestic violence.
Last year, that cousin finally got her wish and gave birth to a son, and her family finally held their heads high.
"Your aunt is right! But don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether it's a boy or a girl, if you get pregnant, just have the baby. The prosperity of the Lu family depends on you!"
The group of elderly women, while urging Su He to have children, also shared tips on how to conceive quickly. Their excitement was such that an outsider might mistake Su He for their own daughter-in-law!
"This, you don't need to worry about, ladies," Lu Yanbei's voice cut in as Su He was contemplating how to politely deflect their advice. He had arrived at their table at some point.
He stood behind Su He, his long fingers resting on her shoulder, giving her immense strength.
Su He reached up and held his hand, calling him "husband" sweetly.
Lu Yanbei cast a cold glance at everyone, then shifted his gaze back to Su He. "Don't you love the crab pot the most? I've asked Aunt Li to prepare it and send it to the room."
"Ladies, please excuse us," Lu Yanbei said, pulling Su He up before anyone could react and leaving.
Lu Yanbei's presence was so imposing that the others dared not express their anger. Only after he and Su He disappeared at the staircase did they recover.
"Did I say anything wrong just now?" a timid woman asked her neighbor at the next table anxiously.
"We were all thinking of the young couple's well-being. If they don't appreciate it, fine, but they can't give us dirty looks! What kind of younger generation talks to elders like that? It's like biting the hand that feeds you!"
"Alas, perhaps we were being too meddlesome! Young people nowadays have their own ideas!"
"We only suggested they have children sooner, it wasn't anything bad..."
"Forget it, everyone, let's eat. Don't overthink it! I heard that Michelin chefs are personally preparing tonight's banquet, how rare an opportunity..."
These women were shrewd enough to avoid offending the hosts, and within a couple of sentences, they changed the subject.
*
Back in their room, Su He found her favorite crab pot on the small table on the master bedroom's balcony.
This season was when crabs were at their plumpest.
However, as those people had mentioned, she had a somewhat cold uterus and couldn't consume cold foods like crabs too often. Lu Yanbei only allowed her to have it occasionally, which made her crave it terribly.
"Love you!" Su He turned to Lu Yanbei and made a heart shape with her fingers before eagerly digging into the delicious food.
Lu Yanbei pulled up a stool and sat beside her, helping her to shell the crab.
"Don't you need to go down and entertain?" Su He asked vaguely, her mouth full of crab meat.
It seemed inappropriate for the two of them to have left the gathering.
"I'm not feeling well, and I'm too lazy to go down," Lu Yanbei replied.
"Ah? What's not feeling well?" Su He's heart immediately clenched with concern.
Lu Yanbei focused on serving her. "It's a minor ailment, nothing serious."
"Is your stomach hurting again? I'll ask a servant to bring medicine!" Su He removed her disposable gloves and anxiously took his hand.
Lu Yanbei stopped her in time. "It's Grandpa's birthday today, so let's not make a fuss."
"I've had some wine, so I can't take medicine. These little aches and pains will pass if I just bear with them."
Su He frowned upon hearing this. "If you know your stomach is uncomfortable, why are you forcing yourself!"
Hearing her nag, Lu Yanbei felt an immense sense of peace within him.
It felt good to have someone care for him!
Under his affectionate gaze, Su He's cheeks flushed slightly. "Are you... really okay?"
"I had a bowl of soup, and it doesn't hurt anymore," Lu Yanbei leaned in and wiped a smudge of crab roe from the corner of her mouth. "Do you want more? I'll shell it for you!"
Su He hesitated for a moment, then honestly said, "Yes!"
Lu Yanbei then put on his gloves again and patiently began extracting the meat from the crab claws for her.
In the entire B City, the only person he would serve with such care, besides Old Master Lu, was likely Su He.
Su He enjoyed her meal thoroughly and was spared the tiresome lectures from the relatives, which was very satisfying. By the time they went downstairs again, most of the guests had already departed.
In the living room, Old Master Lu was directing the servants in clearing up the aftermath.
Seeing them descend, he couldn't help but glare at Lu Yanbei. "You, how could you disappear during the meal?"
Lu Yanbei offered a casual excuse. "I had a temporary issue at the company and went upstairs to take a call."
"A very urgent matter?"
Lu Yanbei, with a straight face, nodded. "Very important!"
Seeing that it wasn't for any other reason, the old man didn't press further. When he turned his attention to Su He, his granddaughter-in-law, his face broke into a smile. "Su Su, you barely ate a few bites before going upstairs, was the food not to your liking?"
"No, Grandpa," Su He quickly denied. "I ate plenty."
To distract the old man, Su He took out the birthday gift she had prepared. "Grandpa, I had someone bring this chess book from abroad for you. Take a look, do you like it?"
Everyone knew that the old man loved playing chess.
However, his skill was only average, yet he enjoyed participating. Su He's gift was precisely to his liking, hitting the nail on the head.
"Su Su understands me best!" The old man opened the box, his smile beaming.