Qin He pinched her brow. "Didn't my brother tell you what I meant?"
"He did," Lu Mingxi replied concisely. "Your brother said you disagreed."
"If you know I disagree, why are you still coming here?" Qin He gritted her teeth. Setting aside other issues, this personality simply wasn't suitable for impersonating the child's father.
"But I want to be," Lu Mingxi said with anticipation.
This wasn't about wanting to be the child's father.
Qin He sneered. "Lu Mingxi, it seems the rumors are true. You'll do anything to chase a girl."
"Little kitten, you're wronging me like this," Lu Mingxi frowned. "I'm sincere."
"The baby in my belly will need a birth certificate and household registration after it's born, and all these require a marriage certificate."
Qin He's expression was indifferent. "You and your Lu family are very unsuitable."
Not to mention the Lu family parents, she also didn't want her child to be considered a Lu family child in the future.
Qin He's idea was to find someone trustworthy, go through a marriage registration when the baby was about to be born, and then divorce after a couple of years.
She would pay a sum of money, but this person must maintain absolute secrecy.
If it were Lu Mingxi, let alone secrecy, Qingcheng would probably be abuzz.
Lu Mingxi didn't mind. "Think about it again, I'm not in a hurry."
Qin He was so angry at his indifferent demeanor that she gritted her teeth. "No need to think about it, you, absolutely not! Lu Mingxi, you are my brother's friend, and also my friend, I don't want to harm you by becoming a second-time married man."
Lu Mingxi's eyes widened. "We haven't even married, and you're already thinking about divorce?"
"Little kitten, I promise I'll treat the child as my own. Think about it again."
"No need to think!" Qin He was furious. "Are you here to talk about this? Then it's a no-go."
Lu Mingxi looked wronged, but Qin He's strong rejection did not dampen his resolve.
His phoenix eyes darted, narrowing slightly. "Alright, we'll talk about this later, but since I'm already here, you have to treat me to lunch, right?"
Qin He remembered she had asked Lu Mingxi to come after lunch. She thought about Lu Mingxi carrying roses all the way to the top floor, likely attracting much attention.
She feared that rumors about her and Lu Mingxi would spread throughout the company again tomorrow.
Qin He was both annoyed and helpless.
Lu Mingxi wasn't a bad person, but perhaps their auras clashed. She always felt Lu Mingxi had an annoying aura about him.
This roguish yet elegant demeanor, what was the difference between him and a playboy?
"Fine, I'll treat you to lunch," Qin He said, suppressing the urge to ask him to leave.
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
Gu Qichen returned to the old Gu family residence. Yu Jing was already waiting for him there.
In the living room, the elderly Mrs. Gu was currently very lucid, her face stern as she lectured Madam Gu.
"Such a big matter, and you didn't tell me. You've gone too far. That good daughter-in-law is gone. Let's see how you regret it later!"
Madam Gu was somewhat unconvinced but didn't dare to talk back, only mumbling softly, "I won't regret it."
In the past, Madam Gu found Qin He annoying. She was so soft-spoken and lacked family background, how could she be worthy of her son?
Later, when Gu Qichen divorced Qin He and they learned Qin He was the eldest daughter of the Qin family, Madam Gu felt even more uneasy.
The eldest daughter of the Qin family had quietly married into their family and hadn't revealed her identity for two years.
Who knew what the Qin family was thinking!
"Grandma, don't be angry. It was brother who said not to tell you," Gu Ranran said softly, sitting beside the elderly Mrs. Gu.
Elderly Mrs. Gu glared at her granddaughter. She had intended to be fierce, but looking at her granddaughter's small face, she couldn't maintain her anger.
She turned and glared at Madam Gu. "From now on, you'd better interfere less in affairs between Qichen and He'er. And that Song Nuan, keep her away from our house!"
"Song Nuan came to take care of you, I didn't ask her to," Madam Gu said, looking aside.
Elderly Mrs. Gu angrily patted the armrest of the sofa. "Qichen is divorced now, he's a single man. It's not appropriate for a woman to come to our house every day. Who knows if she has intentions towards Qichen!"
Gu Ranran and Madam Gu fell silent simultaneously.
Elderly Mrs. Gu only knew that Gu Qichen and Qin He had divorced, but she didn't know Song Nuan's role in it.
If she knew the other party was a "true mistress," she might faint from anger.
When Gu Qichen entered, he saw his mother standing before his grandmother, receiving a lecture.
Elderly Mrs. Gu said angrily, "I know you're also from a prestigious family and have a pampered disposition. You were doted on by your husband, and after your husband passed away, your son was successful. You've never experienced hardship, and your temper hasn't changed. If you continue like this, you'll eventually suffer greatly because of this temper! Even if you don't change your temper, you must at least have good judgment!"
Madam Gu endured it until now. Seeing her son return, her heart felt troubled. "Qichen, come and explain to your grandmother."
Elderly Mrs. Gu looked at Gu Qichen. The grandson she used to find so pleasing and satisfactory now looked particularly irritating!
"I don't want to hear him speak!"
"If Grandma doesn't want to see me, I'll go back to the study," Gu Qichen nodded respectfully, intending to go upstairs.
"Wait, go and chase He'er back for me!" Elderly Mrs. Gu patted the armrest of the sofa and turned to look at Gu Qichen, who had already started up the spiral staircase.
Gu Qichen stopped. "Grandma, Qin He and I are already divorced."
As he said this, a dull ache suddenly surfaced in his heart.
"Divorced people can remarry!" Elderly Mrs. Gu's anger subsided, and her eyes turned slightly red. "Qichen, He'er has been married into our family for two years. She has been impeccable towards you and the Gu family."
"If you don't chase her back now and someone else snatches her away, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!" Elderly Mrs. Gu said anxiously.
Gu Qichen's lips tightened. "I understand."
He went upstairs.
After venting her anger, elderly Mrs. Gu sat on the sofa, feeling heartbroken, and remained silent.
Gu Ranran sat beside her, trying to comfort her. "Grandma, don't be angry."
"I'm not angry, I'm sad, Ranran."
"Before, you and your mother didn't like your sister-in-law. I thought harmony in the family was most important, and He'er was always generous, so I only reprimanded you and didn't interfere forcefully."
Elderly Mrs. Gu sighed mournfully. "Now I truly regret it. If I had been more assertive earlier, perhaps things wouldn't have reached this point."
Gu Ranran remained silent.
She had indeed disliked Qin He before, thinking Qin He wasn't worthy of her brother.
She disliked Qin He's meek demeanor, disliked Qin He's submissive attitude.
Every time Qin He returned to the old residence with her brother, even if her mother made things difficult for her, she was like someone made of clay, without any temper.
Gu Ranran disliked people with that kind of personality.
But last time, she saw Qin He scold someone for bullying Shen Yilin at school.
Later, she kept watching Qin He's live broadcasts and gained a new understanding of her former sister-in-law.
Perhaps, that was the real her.
It was just that during those two years by her brother's side, Qin He had hidden all her sharp edges for her brother.
Gu Ranran bit her lip. "Let's not bring up the past."
"Your temper is just like your mother's, all stubbornness!" Elderly Mrs. Gu snorted angrily.
Lately, the elderly lady and her granddaughter had been watching Qin He's live broadcasts, and she knew her granddaughter's attitude towards Qin He had changed.
After speaking, elderly Mrs. Gu returned to her bedroom.
In the living room, after elderly Mrs. Gu left, Madam Gu revealed her anger.
"Qin He is truly a jinx. Your brother has already divorced her, and I still have to be lectured by Grandma because of her!"