Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Si Yiyan and Wen Xinya stayed in Nantong for five days before returning to the city.
As soon as she entered the Wen Family home, she was greeted with the sight of Wen Haowen and Ning Shuqian in the living room. However, she was not surprised at all. Wen Haowen would rarely show up at the Wen Family home ever since he moved out. However, ever since Old Mr. Wen passed out and got hospitalized because of him, he had been pretending to be filial and frequenting the Wen Family home with all of Old Mr. Wen’s favorite foods.
Wen Xinya shifted her gaze onto Ning Shuqian who was seated beside Wen Haowen, dressed in a dark brown skirt and a light gray cardigan coupled with a full set of pearly jewelry. She looked extremely classy and elegant, though she was not as glamorous as she used to be.
Ning Shuqian had stopped stirring any trouble within the Wen Family, perhaps because she had already lost her greatest backer. Instead, she had been actively going along with Old Mrs. Wen’s ideas of going through artificial insemination and getting ovulation jabs and taking oral medication. She had even started consuming Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal recipes. It seemed she no longer dared to offend anyone from the Wen Family ever since she lost her backer.
Hence, the Wen Family had had a peaceful two years and seemed to live harmoniously on the surface.
However, Wen Xinya knew that Ning Shuqian would not be Ning Shuqian if she had genuinely stopped getting up to her evil tricks. The very fact that she was laying low for now simply meant that she was getting more and more scheming and ambitious.
Ning Shuqian was an intelligent person. Due to the fact that she had given birth to Ning Yuya via a Cesarean section, she would have to wait three years before she could conceive and deliver again. By the time she could, the Wen Family had already found Xia Ruya and pampered her greatly. Hence, Ning Shuqian was too preoccupied with doting on her and trying her best to be a gracious stepmother, in a bid to gain affirmation from Xia Ruya. She wanted to become the rightful Mrs. Wen. Hence, Wen Xinya knew that Xia Ruya had something to do with Ning Shuqian’s decision to lay off giving birth.
After all, Xia Ruya had experienced the harshest treatment and seen the worst sides of humanity at a tender age. It was normal for children to feel jealous. At that time, she had just returned to the Wen Family and hence, did not wish for Ning Shuqian to give birth to another child who’d vie with her for the affection of the Wen Family. Ning Shuqian had neglected the need to give birth for she was still young back then.
By the time she wanted to conceive, she could no longer do so. Back then, society wasn’t as liberal, and even a simple visit to the gynecologist was deemed as shameful, let alone being infertile. Hence, being infertile was an extremely disgraceful thing and Ning Shuqian dared not go to the hospital for a checkup.
Wen Haowen had the same mindset as her. Hence, the two of them had been delaying treatment and refrained from visiting the hospital.
As a result, they missed the best opportunity for childbirth.
The older a woman was, the smaller the chances of conceiving.
Ning Shuqian had really gotten a clear idea of the situation and she knew that giving birth to a child for the Wen Family was the only way she could secure her footing in the Wen Family. Even if they didn’t acknowledge her, they would acknowledge their flesh and blood. Once she bore their offspring, it would be impossible for them to chase her out of the family. If she were to give birth to a boy, the Wen Family definitely wouldn’t hand the family business over to Wen Xinya. If she were to give birth to a girl, she’d still be entitled to a portion of the Wen Family’s shares. Hence, she had pinned all her hopes on bearing a child.
Wen Xinya knew that Ning Shuqian had gone through two years of artificial insemination, frequent ovulation injections, regular consumption of oral ovulation medication, as well as frequent intake of Traditional Chinese medicine. As a result, she had become haggard and her face had grown swollen. She was no longer as beautiful as she used to be when she first married into the family. Instead, she looked like she had aged ten years.
With her current appearance, could she still keep Wen Haowen interested in her?
Wen Xinya shifted her gaze onto Wen Haowen, who was sitting on the couch and occasionally glancing at Ning Shuqian. They were no longer inseparable and chummy.
Seemingly having sensed that Wen Xinya was staring at her, Ning Shuqian looked up at her. Her pupils constricted the moment she held Wen Xinya’s icy cold gaze, after which she pretended that everything was alright and looked away.
However, she pinched her handbag tightly, causing indents to appear in the soft leather. Everything that had happened throughout the past two years replayed in her head, and her rationality was soon diminished. Wen Xinya… you won’t be smug for too long, She thought to herself.
Wen Xinya walked towards them slowly and greeted Wen Haowen and Ning Shuqian before returning to her own room. She had already established a tacit understanding with Wen Haowen.
After reading for a while, she was called by Mother Wang, who informed her that dinner was ready.
Old Mr. Wen took the main seat while Old Mrs. Wen sat beside him. Wen Haowen sat on a seat on the left, beside Ning Shuqian.
Wen Xinya walked towards the table and sat down beside Old Mrs. Wen.
The ambiance was a little stale and Wen Xinya picked up her chopsticks to clasp a slice of fish which she then placed inside her grandfather’s bowl. She said, “Grandpa, the striped bass today looks great. In the Jia You book of medicinal recipes, it states that striped bass is great for nourishing the vital organs, joints, and digestive system. Try it and tell me how it tastes.”
Ever since Old Mr. Wen was discharged from the hospital after passing out two years ago, Wen Xinya had been in charge of his diet and she had been feeding him with lots of nourishing tonics. After two physical examinations, the doctor said that his body age was only fifty, though his physical one was sixty.
Old Mr. Wen’s face eased up and he picked up his chopsticks. “Have some food too.”
Wen Haowen was extremely disgruntled to see how chummy they were with each other. He could not help but regret his decision to move out of the Wen Family home, which had given them the chance to get close. Regardless of how hard he tried to be filial, Old Mr. Wen still gave him the cold shoulder. Wen Haowen rebuked. “Your grandpa doesn’t like eating fish. Don’t keep trying to help him to the food.” He then placed some bamboo shoots into his bowl and said, “Father, the bamboo shots look fresh. Have some.”
A sullen expression formed on Old Mr. Wen’s face.
Old Mrs. Wen quickly grabbed the bamboo shoots with her chopsticks and said, “Haowen, you only ever care about your father. You’ve never helped me to the dishes.”
Ning Shuqian stared at Wen Haowen and said, “Father doesn’t like bamboo shoots. He likes the meat in the dish. You were the one who told me that when I first married you. Why did you give Father some bamboo shoots?”
Wen Haowen snapped out of his trance and frantically placed some meat into Old Mr. Wen’s bowl. “Father, I picked up the wrong food. The meat is very fresh. Give it a try!”
Old Mr. Wen said calmly, “The doctor advised me against greasy food and meat. He has suggested that I eat more of bland fish and foods.”
Old Mr. Wen then moved the meat to the side.
Wen Haowen’s face grew sullen, though he dared not express his displeasure, for the doctor had indeed given such instructions. Old Mrs. Wen hurriedly picked up the piece of meat and placed it inside her own bowl. She wanted to explain on Wen Haowen’s behalf but did not know what to say.
Ning Shuqian kept her eyes fixed on Wen Xinya and thought to herself… Wen Xinya has completely replaced Ruya in Old Mr. Wen’s heart within just two years of reuniting with the Wen Family. She has even secured her position as the successor of the Wen Family.
