"Having you for a father, I truly feel sorry for my eldest sister," she said, casting a mocking glance at Ning Qinghua before hastening to catch up with Ning Zijin. "Jinjin, Dad didn’t do it on purpose. You know he has a sharp tongue but a soft heart..." Ning Zijin laughed bitterly in response, turning her head to poke Ye Feng’s chest, "Do you even believe that yourself? I’ve been disappointed in him for a long time. Stop making excuses for him." Ye Feng sighed and embraced her, "Jinjin, don’t be sad. I’ll treat you well from now on." Ning Zijin smiled faintly and hugged him back, "Let’s go back to Capital City." "No buts. That’s your home and mine too. No matter the difficulties, we’ll face them together." She had made up her mind a long time ago; besides, it’s not like she couldn’t have children anymore. It was time to see what trick that mother-in-law could pull—surrogacy? Over her dead body. Ye Feng smiled, "Alright, but I’m afraid it’s inevitably going to be hard on you." "I’ve been suffering for eight years. Does it matter at this point?" Ning Zijin said with self-mockery. She didn’t realize how much pain and heartache those words caused Ye Feng, as he couldn’t help but hold her tighter, "From now on, I won’t let you suffer anymore." "Remember your words. I’ll remember them very clearly," she said. Ning Zijin had planned to invite Yun Ya for a meal before leaving as a token of gratitude, but his phone was unreachable. So, she decided to leave it for later. Right now, getting back to Capital City was more urgent, especially since Ye Feng had just received a call from his secretary—Lady Ye was hospitalized with a serious condition and insisted on seeing Ye Feng. Ning Zijin snorted coldly. More tricks, pretending to be sick. It wasn’t the first time she had used that to her advantage. This time, let’s see what she could come up with. Yun Ya took out the keys and turned the lock. The house was clean and tidy, and the living room was empty. She walked to the bedroom door, pushed it open, and found it empty too. "Aunt Die?" she called out softly. Yun Ya frowned, wondering if she wasn’t home. But Aunt Die’s keys were still on the shoe cabinet, showing she couldn’t have gone out. At that moment, there was a noise from the bathroom. Yun Ya quickly went and knocked, "Aunt Die, are you in there? It’s Yun Ya, open the door." "Miss..." A weak voice came from inside, accompanied by sobs. "Aunt Die? What’s wrong? Open the door." The door was locked from the inside, unable to be opened. She ran to the drawer at the door and rummaged for the spare keys, finding the one for the bathroom. Opening the door, she stepped in to find a slender figure crouched in the corner of the bathroom. Ji Die had her head buried in her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly. Yun Ya quickly walked over and touched her shoulder, "Aunt Die, what’s happened?" Although she despised her timidity and hated her servility, deep down Yun Ya still cared for her. After all, she had looked after Yun Ya since she was little, filling the role of her mother and providing warmth during her innocent years. The last person Yun Ya wanted to be in trouble, aside from Miaomiao, was Ji Die. It was only in critical moments that Yun Ya could truly see what was in her heart. She forced Ji Die to lift her head by prying her shoulders. Ji Die’s face was streaked with tears, her eyes swollen into almonds, with tears still pouring out, causing Yun Ya’s heart to ache. "Aunt Die, what on earth is wrong? Tell me," Yun Ya urged, shaking her shoulders. Ji Die looked up tearfully, "Miss, is it you?" Yun Ya nodded, "It’s me." Ji Die broke into heart-wrenching sobs, clinging to Yun Ya, so overcome she could hardly get her breath, "Miss, what should I do?" Yun Ya patted her shoulder, speaking softly, "It’s okay, I’m here. Let it out, and I’ll help you solve it." Yun Ya’s gentle voice gradually soothed the panic in Ji Die’s heart. She hiccupped, slowly pushed herself out from Yun Ya’s embrace, and handed over something she was holding to Yun Ya. Looking at the object in her hand, Yun Ya was a bit stunned. Ji Die, amidst her tears, blurted out, "I’m pregnant." In her hand was a pregnancy test, showing two harshly red lines that brutally indicated the result. Yun Ya’s hand shook, and the pregnancy test suddenly fell to the floor. Yet Ji Die hurriedly picked it back up as if it were some precious treasure, gripping it tightly in her hand. Yun Ya’s breath faltered, her eyes involuntarily falling on Ji Die’s abdomen, "Pregnant?" She wasn’t sure how to feel—her heart was a mix of sourness, anxiety, and guilt. All these complex emotions left her head spinning for a moment. "I missed my period these past few days, and I felt nauseous and vomited this morning. Something felt off, so I bought a pregnancy test from the pharmacy. I was just trying it out; I never even considered the possibility..." She suddenly grasped Yun Ya’s sleeve, weeping, "Miss... What should I do?" The crying was starting to irritate Yun Ya. She took a deep breath and looked Ji Die directly in the eyes. Chapters first released on n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net "This is your and Uncle Qin’s child. Do you want to keep it?" Ji Die hesitated, her grip on Yun Ya’s hand slowly loosening, her eyes gradually fading to a lifeless stare.