The hour grew late, and for this night, Qin Chuan did not return home, staying at the hotel with his parents.
He, his father, and elder brother shared one room, while Li Ya and Jiang Cuihua occupied another.
It was Qin Shuren's first time staying in a five-star hotel, and he was utterly stunned by the luxurious decor. It was far too opulent; even a single bathroom was grander than the house they lived in back home.
The bathtub was large enough for a family of three to lie in, and the high-spec fittings everywhere showcased the benefits of wealth.
Qin Chuan first had his father and elder brother take turns bathing, then he washed himself last.
After showering, the three men lay on their beds, all wide awake.
The topic of conversation naturally revolved around Qin Chuan's complicated love triangle with Li Ya and Yang Zimo.
If Qin Chuan had merely been juggling two women before, the situation had now escalated dramatically with both women being pregnant simultaneously.
“Xiao Chuan, if you say Li Ya is already three months pregnant, hasn't she urged you to get married and register your union?” his elder brother, Qin Yang, asked.
Qin Chuan, lying in the middle bed, opened his eyes wide and replied with a bitter smile, “Why wouldn’t she? But ever since I confessed my relationship with Yang Zimo to her, Li Ya got angry and has been cold and distant towards me.”
“That’s what you deserve!” Qin Shuren couldn’t help but interject. “Any woman would find this situation unbearable, right?”
“It’s only because it’s Li Ya. Other women would have been crying, making scenes, and threatening to hang themselves. Not only would you not have a moment’s peace, but neither would your mother or our entire family.”
Qin Chuan instinctively pictured the consequences and shivered, a chilling thought.
One marries a virtuous woman; the character of a wife can truly destroy a perfect family.
Analyzing it this way, Teacher Yang Zimo was also incredibly gentle towards him. Like Li Ya, despite her pregnancy, she hadn’t gone to his family to cause trouble.
Whatever hardship they faced, they endured it silently on their own!
The more Qin Chuan thought about it, the more guilt he felt. He truly owed these two women too much in his life. How could he be so fortunate to have two such wonderful women fall in love with him and be so considerate and gentle?
“The day after tomorrow is the end of the three days agreed upon with Teacher Yang’s parents. With you, you rascal, having done this, how are we supposed to face them?” At that moment, Qin Shuren raised a new concern.
Qin Chuan fell silent, immensely agitated. He got out of bed, lit a cigarette, and sat by the window, smoking quietly.
“Sigh…” Seeing his state, Qin Shuren and Qin Yang both sighed, each deeply troubled.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Jiang Cuihua and Li Ya had also finished their baths. Jiang Cuihua was using a hairdryer, gently drying her daughter-in-law’s hair.
During this, Jiang Cuihua’s gaze would occasionally drift to Li Ya’s slightly protruding belly, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Inside her womb was her future grandchild. What parent in the world wouldn’t be happy?
However, the thought of her scoundrel son’s emotional entanglements gave Jiang Cuihua a terrible headache; she was equally agitated.
Once Li Ya’s hair was dry, the two women lay on the bed, chatting.
“Yǎtou, Qin Chuan has told me everything about your situation, including Yang Zimo’s pregnancy!” Jiang Cuihua began. “Although Auntie wishes to avoid this issue, it’s ultimately a burden on all our hearts. Have you… thought about how you want to handle your relationship with Qin Chuan?”
Jiang Cuihua had wanted to ask this question for a very long time, but she had held back during dinner, knowing that if she asked, they might not even be able to have a pleasant meal.
After Jiang Cuihua asked her question, a profound silence fell upon the bed next to hers; Li Ya said nothing more.
Waiting for a long time without a reply, Jiang Cuihua anxiously continued, “Yǎtou, I know my scoundrel son has wronged you both. Whether it’s you or Teacher Yang, you are both victims, and you are both innocent! He’s just a philanderer who likes whoever he sees. Your father and I have lectured him countless times, but he still wouldn’t listen, leading to this situation today. I heard Qin Chuan say he can’t give up either of you, and he’s even prepared to remain unmarried for life because of this. Are you… thinking the same way as him?”
This time, Li Ya finally responded, but her voice was choked with tears. “Auntie, if Qin Chuan doesn’t get married, what can I do?!”
“Wuwu!!!” As she spoke, Li Ya suddenly hugged her blanket and began to cry loudly, as if to release all the grievances deep within her heart.
This completely startled Jiang Cuihua. She quickly sat up from her bed, rushed to Li Ya’s side, and embraced her with immense tenderness. “Yǎtou, don’t cry! Don’t cry. You’re pregnant now, and extreme emotions are bad for you. Crying too much can greatly harm your body.”
After a long period of comfort, Li Ya’s emotions gradually calmed down, but she still sobbed softly, her eyes teary. Jiang Cuihua, too, stared blankly, her eyes unfocused.
She also had no solution for this matter. Li Ya’s background was very pitiable; she lost her mother at a young age. Her father remarried, and her stepmother treated her very poorly, which led to Li Ya going abroad to study.
While it sounded grand to study abroad, in reality, her family didn’t want her there and found her a nuisance. Later, her father passed away, and Li Ya was forced to return to the country and engage in a constant struggle with her stepmother.
Now, with no parents, Jiang Cuihua truly regarded the woman in her arms as her own daughter. Having given birth to three sons consecutively, she was afraid to have more children. Therefore, not having a daughter had become the greatest regret of her life. This made her particularly fond of Li Ya, and Li Ya, being sensible and filial, had earned her deep affection.
That night, many people lay awake.
The next day, the family gathered for breakfast. They all noticed the bloodshot eyes of each other but wisely avoided mentioning it, tacitly pretending not to see.
After breakfast, Qin Chuan drove the family to the Siheyuan he had bought for Li Ya. Upon arriving and seeing the incredibly spacious Siheyuan, Jiang Cuihua fell in love with it at first sight. Especially after learning it cost a hefty 4.5 million, her affection grew even stronger. The environment here was almost no different from where she lived; both had courtyards and multiple rooms. The courtyard could even be used for growing vegetables and raising poultry.
It had been over twenty days since Qin Chuan purchased the Siheyuan. The renovation of the house was nearing completion only in the *daozuòfáng* (the building facing the entrance), which had been completely opened up. The main house and the east and west wings had not yet been started.
“What’s the point of renovating? It’s a waste of money. Just buy some new bedding, furniture, and daily necessities, and we can move in!” After a brief tour, Jiang Cuihua directly forbade Qin Chuan from continuing the renovations. They just needed to tidy up the *daozuòfáng*. Qin Shuren and Qin Yang also agreed. A Siheyuan, they felt, often depended on its cultural and historical depth; over-renovating it would lose its original charm and historical feel.
Qin Chuan looked at Li Ya, who nodded in agreement. “I also think there’s no need to labor over it. Just getting the *daozuòfáng* done is fine!” She added, “At most, we can build a fish pond in the courtyard!”
“We can do that after we move in,” Jiang Cuihua said excitedly. “Then let’s go shopping for all the furniture and supplies we need today. Let’s go, let’s go now!”
“Okay, Auntie! We’ll go right away!” Li Ya, linking arms with Jiang Cuihua, chirped joyfully.
This scene left the three men bewildered.
“Um… since we’re moving in, I’ll immediately call a housekeeping company to clean all the rooms, throw out anything unnecessary, and then we can buy new things!” Qin Chuan said.
“Alright, then the cleaning here is up to you. Hubby, and eldest son, let’s go buy things together!” Qin Shuren and Qin Yang, snapping back to attention, quickly agreed and followed.
In the blink of an eye, Qin Chuan was the only one left in the vast Siheyuan…
Qin Chuan touched his nose and began making calls to find a housekeeping company.