Chapter 423 The Child in My Belly Is Your Father’s

Chapter 423: The Baby in My Belly Is Your Dad’s

Since Jiang Yu refused to lend her the bike and Jiang Ting didn’t want to walk, she had no choice but to put off her hospital visit and return home.

Lin Hongxia did a double-take when she saw her.

“Weren’t you going to the hospital?”

Jiang Ting complained, “She wouldn’t lend me her bike.”

Lin Hongxia immediately scolded, “Jiang Yu, why are you being so cheap? Jiang Ting is pregnant and needs to go to the hospital for a check-up. What’s it to you to lend her your bike?”

“That’s weird. Doesn’t your family have a bike too? Why must you take mine? Can’t Fu Xiangyang even handle carrying a woman?”

Lin Hongxia fell silent, her face twisted in anger.

Yeah, he really couldn’t.

“I don’t care. You have to lend the bike to Jiang Ting!”

She spoke like Jiang Yu owed her.

Jiang Yu just locked up the bike. “If you can carry it, feel free to haul my bike to the hospital.”

Jiang Ting: …

Lin Hongxia was even more furious, muttering curses. “No damn wonder you got fired! You’re so heartless—you’ll never have kids in your life!”

Jiang Yu laughed. “Aunt Lin, since you’re so fertile, why don’t you have a few more? Better yet, like a damn sow, popping out a whole litter.”

Xu Lihua didn’t get involved in the bike dispute, but her beady eyes kept flicking toward Jiang Ting’s belly.

“Jiang Ting, are you really pregnant?”

Jiang Ting snapped confidently, “I’m sure as hell pregnant this time!”

Xu Lihua figured the timing. Even if she was only a month or so along, Fu Xiangyang hadn’t yet taken the medicine Jiang Ting had gotten from the temple at that point.

Going back a month earlier, Jiang Ting had still been at the temple seeking medicine and hadn’t returned home.

Where’d Fu Xiangyang even get the meds?

“How did you get pregnant, then?”

Jiang Ting shot back angrily, “Aunt Xu, what the hell kind of question is that? Of course, it was with my husband!”

“But that doesn’t make sense. Wasn’t he… incapable?”

“Who said he’s incapable? He’s just fine!”

Xu Lihua didn’t believe her and muttered, “Everyone knows he had issues.”

Did Jiang Ting cheat?

The moment this thought crossed her mind, Xu Lihua was startled and gave Jiang Ting a sideways glance.

Jiang Ting didn’t seem to care, but Lin Hongxia noticed and turned red with shame.

“Xu Lihua, you just hate seeing my Xiangyang succeed, can you? Now that Jiang Ting’s pregnant, you’ve got a damn lot to say.”

Xu Lihua snorted, "Like I give a damn."

"Then keep your mouth shut!"

Lin Hongxia didn’t care how the child was conceived—as long as Jiang Ting could get pregnant, it would redeem Fu Xiangyang’s reputation.

That afternoon, Fu Xiangyang returned.

Lin Hongxia shouted, "Xiangyang, your wife could be pregnant! Take her to the hospital for a checkup!"

Fu Xiangyang stood motionless, showing no reaction.

Most people would be thrilled at such news.

But he was different—not a shred of joy stirred in him.

Only he knew the truth: that potency drug wrecked him, and he hadn’t slept with Jiang Ting since.

He knew damn well where this child came from.

Lin Hongxia jabbed him in the arm. "Are you too happy to react?"

He forced a smile more like a wince. "Fine, I’ll take her to the hospital."

Xu Lihua read him like a book and sneaked over to Jiang Yu’s place.

"Look, they’re going to the hospital!"

Jiang Yu grunted. "Let them. Just don’t borrow my bike."

Xu Lihua’s eyes gleamed mischievously. "Do you think Jiang Ting is really pregnant?"

Jiang Yu hesitated—she wasn’t sure either.

But if her dream was anything to go by, Fu Xiangyang couldn’t get it up.

He wouldn’t have children—the only two kids were Fu Xianghong’s.

"Who knows?"

Xu Lihua whispered, "If you ask me, Jiang Ting probably cheated."

Jiang Yu nearly spit out her drink, coughing until her pretty face turned red.

This was even juicier than the fake pregnancy last time.

"Aunt Xu, how do you know?"

Xu Lihua speculated, "Didn’t she go back to the countryside recently? Said she was fetching medicine for Fu Xiangyang. But in my opinion, she wasn’t after medicine—she was seeking a baby!"

Jiang Yu: "...”

"How?"

Xu Lihua tsked, giving her a disdainful look.

Hah! Wasn’t it obvious?

"Back in the day, if a man couldn’t perform, they’d send their wives out to seek a child—either out in the fields or at shrines. Don’t let this conservative society fool you. There’s plenty of sketchy dealings going on. You kids haven’t heard of it. But I’ve seen plenty back in my day."

Jiang Yu was simply amazed; Xu Lihua always had a knack for dropping bombshells that left people floored.

"Aunt Xu, are you implying Jiang Ting is also...?"

Xu Lihua waved her hand dismissively again. "I didn’t say anything, just making small talk."

Besides, Jiang Ting might not even be pregnant.

That evening, Jiang Ting and Fu Xiangyang returned.

Their grins said it all.

Lin Hongxia was bursting to say it: "Jiang Ting is pregnant! Over a month along!"

Now that she had gotten her wish, she strutted around like she owned the place.

"Old Xu, now tell me, isn’t my Xiangyang something?"

Xu Lihua chuckled and nodded perfunctorily. "Oh, a real stud!"

Given how miserable Fu Xiangyang looked, if he were truly capable, he’d at least crack a smile.

Lin Hongxia didn’t care whether she meant it or not—she was satisfied just hearing those words.

She then turned to Jiang Yu, putting on her ‘wise elder’ voice.

"Jiang Yu, among all the newlywed wives in our compound, you’re the only one left who hasn’t gotten pregnant. Tick-tock! If your body isn’t up to it, take some medicine to regulate it. No shame in seeing a doctor—we won’t laugh at you."

"Oh."

Jiang Yu didn’t want to engage with her. After watching the drama for a while, she went back inside.

The news of Jiang Ting’s pregnancy barely fazed Jiang Yu compared to Jiang Mingrui and Wu Jingyi’s marriage.

Wu Jingyi would sell her own grandmother, even sacrificing marriage. Jiang Yu couldn’t understand what kind of warped priorities that was.

Sure enough, Wu Jingyi personally came to invite Jiang Yu to the wedding banquet.

"Sister Jiang Yu, you and Section Chief He simply must come. It wouldn’t be a party without you."

Jiang Yu smiled sweetly. "Since you’ve invited me so warmly, of course I’ll go. But you don’t mind if I wear a red dress, do you? I can’t help being this gorgeous."

Wu Jingyi counted to ten to keep her face from twitching: *Who wears a dress in winter?*

"Seriously? A dress in the middle of winter?"

Jiang Yu said matter-of-factly, "Of course. That’s why people don’t like inviting me to banquets—because I steal the bride’s thunder. But even without a dress, I’d still be prettier than you."

Wu Jingyi stormed off, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from slapping Jiang Yu.

Only after Wu Jingyi left did Cai Xiaole finally cackle.

"She looked ready to spit nails! Seriously, though—winter dress?"

Jiang Yu glanced at her, "What are you thinking? I'm not into self-torture."

Hearing her words, Cai Xiaole felt relieved.

Since Wu Jingyi took office, she had been constantly ordering Cai Xiaole around.

Even Lan Raoping in the office couldn’t stand Wu Jingyi.

But Wu Jingyi was thick-skinned and didn’t care what others thought, just doing things her own way.

"But are you sure you won’t return to the publicity section? The factory falls apart without you. A while ago, we were trying to import a batch of polyester, and the back-and-forth with the supplier went on forever without reaching a deal."

Besides, life without Jiang Yu felt boring to her.

Jiang Yu mumbled, "Not sure, we’ll see."

After seeing Cai Xiaole off, Jiang Yu mulled over Wu Jingyi’s situation.

When He Tingyue returned, she brought it up.

Hearing him say, "Deputy Section Chief Jiang also invited me."

Having a daughter-in-law who became Deputy Section Chief at such a young age—and one he personally promoted—had Jiang Chenghuai bursting with pride.

He had been eagerly waiting for his son to get married, and now, regardless of the bride’s background, he was grinning like a fool.

"So, are we going?"

He Tingyue lowered his gaze to look at her, "Your call—we’ll go if you want."

If Jiang Yu didn’t go, he certainly wouldn’t either.

Jiang Yu thought for a moment, "Then let’s go."

She glanced outside—it was getting dark earlier these days.

"I’m heading out to the outhouse."

With that, she grabbed a flashlight and headed out, muttering under her breath, "Who knows when we’ll finally have a proper toilet at home. Squatting in the freezing cold is absolute misery."

Jiang Yu shivered and yanked her scarf up.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and froze, holding her breath.

"You’re getting married soon—why are you looking for me now!"

Jiang Yu blinked. That was Lin Yue’s voice.

Who was she talking to? Who was getting married?

"You know why I’m here! If you hadn’t messed me up, I wouldn’t be… Now all I can think about is you. How can I marry someone else?"

Lin Yue snapped, "You’re insane! Back then, I just wanted some guy. I never expected it to be you! Who told you to strip and dump yourself in the street? I just thought, ‘A free man, perfect!’ How was I supposed to know it was you?"

Jiang Yu: "... Wait—that was Jiang Mingrui?"

And it was her who had Lai Liuzi strip him and leave him in the street. When she heard Jiang Mingrui had gone missing, she had no idea Lin Yue would snag him.

But why is Lin Yue with a man?

Jiang Mingrui looked down dejectedly, "But you're already carrying my child. How can I let go? This is my child!"

Jiang Yu quickly covered her mouth. Oh my god, a story between a stepson and his stepmother! How thrilling!

Lin Yue shoved him hard, livid, "Don't you dare say such things! The child in my belly is your father's!"

Jiang Mingrui said, "If it were my father's, the baby should be almost five months by now. Then tell me, why isn’t your belly showing yet? It was conceived during those days—this is my child!"

Lin Yue was so angry she started crying, pounding her fists against him.

"You're impossible! What exactly do you want? Do you want to ruin us both?"

Jiang Mingrui hugged her tight, "I don’t want anything else. I just want to make this work with you. I don’t like Wu Jingyi—my father forced me to marry her. Once I do, she won’t be able to push me into marriage anymore. But I won’t touch her. You’re the only one I love."

Jiang Yu was about to lose it, wondering when these two would finally leave.