Ji Qingtang’s lips were still curved upward, but her teeth were clenched tightly behind them.
Setting aside the fact that her marital relations with Shen Jinyu fell well below the average frequency of newlyweds, Shen Jinyu had always taken precautions before every bout of aerobic exercise. Where on earth was a child supposed to come from?
The agreement not to have children within the first three years of marriage had been privately settled between Ji Qingtang and Shen Jinyu before their engagement.
Ji Qingtang had known from the start that an arranged marriage was an inescapable fate for her.
So when her eldest uncle and aunt ostensibly took her to a banquet but were actually playing matchmaker for her and Shen Jinyu, she went without a second thought.
She was prepared to marry a stranger at any time, but she was not prepared to become a mother.
Marriage—she had no choice in that. But when it came to having children, she was resolute in keeping that initiative firmly in her own hands.
For one, she didn’t believe she could raise a child well. For another, once she had a child, she would be handing over the leverage that allowed her to walk away at any moment.
Yan Xuejiao seemed to have suddenly opened the floodgates of conversation, continuing, “Big brother, sister-in-law, do you prefer little boys or little girls?”
Ji Qingtang sometimes genuinely admired Yan Xuejiao. Every time they met, she tirelessly insisted on locking horns with her.
Of the three unfilial acts, having no heir is the greatest.
To bring this up on Grandmother’s birthday—what a fine tactic indeed.
Ji Qingtang looked up and met Shen Jinyu’s gaze.
Knowing Shen Jinyu’s temperament, he would most likely announce their three-year no-children plan to everyone. Seeing that he was about to speak, Ji Qingtang seized the initiative and trotted out her pre-prepared response: “Well, about this matter…”
Just as she began to speak, Old Mrs. Shen interrupted, “Whether it’s three generations under one roof or four, isn’t it all the joy of family togetherness? Children have their own blessings. I’m old now, and I can’t be bothered to fret over you young ones.”
Ji Qingtang secretly let out a sigh of relief, then heard Old Mrs. Shen continue:
“When they want children, or whether they want them at all, that’s a matter for the young couple themselves. Tend to your own affairs and don’t meddle too much in others’.”
Old Mrs. Shen’s tone was gentle, yet her words carried an inherent authority.
This statement made Ji Qingtang feel even more strongly that nothing could be hidden from Old Mrs. Shen.
Yan Xuejiao lowered her head and forced a smile. “Grandmother is right.”
Old Mrs. Shen continued flipping through the photo album. “This is A’yu and Xiaoyu. The two boys have been close since they were little.”
Ji Qingtang paused. “A’yu?”
Old Mrs. Shen smiled. “They all like to call him Jinyu, but I’m used to it—I’ve always called him A’yu.”
Ji Qingtang hummed in acknowledgment, then tilted her head back to look at Shen Jinyu, beaming brightly. “A’yu.”
Before him was a radiant smile, and in his ears was a light, pleasant “A’yu.” Shen Jinyu felt as though something had been scratched at his heart.
As she finished speaking, Old Mrs. Shen turned to Yang Yan and asked, “Has Xiaoyu not arrived yet?”
Yang Yan said, “He just called—said there was traffic on the road. He should be here any moment now.”
Old Mrs. Shen nodded. Flipping further back, she came to a photo of the three brothers posing in front of the Shen family’s old residence, taken when Shen Mingxiu first entered the family at age eleven.
“When Mingxiu first arrived, he was shy around strangers and close to no one. Who would have thought that now, in the blink of an eye, he’s a married man too.”
The deceased Jiang Shulan and Shen Mingxiu’s status as an illegitimate child were topics the Shen family avoided discussing.
But Old Mrs. Shen never avoided such topics in conversation, bringing them up as casually as if discussing everyday matters.
Hearing Old Mrs. Shen mention her son, Li Yunping immediately put on a fawning smile and said, “Mother, that’s not quite right. When Mingxiu first came into our Shen family, he was closest to you. The boy was quite shy as a child—he never told me directly, but he always said he loved Grandma the most.”
Old Mrs. Shen smiled but didn’t respond.
She opened a new photo album, and the first photo on the page was a black-and-white one.
In the photo was a young woman with clear, bright eyes, dressed in a cheongsam, standing beneath a crabapple tree.
Ji Qingtang’s eyes lit up. “Grandma, is this you? You’re so beautiful.”
Old Mrs. Shen nodded. “Your grandfather took this photo of me.”
Flipping to the next page, there was the wedding photo of Old Mrs. Shen and Old Mr. Shen.
“Back then, your grandfather had taken a liking to me early on, but I could never see him in a good light.” A tender look came over Old Mrs. Shen’s eyes as she recalled the past. “Later, after we married, I don’t know when it started, but my heart could only hold your grandfather.”
With that, Old Mrs. Shen gently patted Ji Qingtang’s hand. “You’re both good children. Take your time.”
Ji Qingtang: “??”
The topic shift was so abrupt—she felt like Grandma was implying something.
Ji Qingtang’s body stiffened slightly. She cast a subtle glance at Shen Jinyu, unsure how to respond, and simply nodded.
…
After finishing the photo album with Old Mrs. Shen, everyone dispersed to chat among themselves.
Feeling a bit stuffy indoors, Ji Qingtang asked one of the household staff for some fish food and went to the pond in the back garden to feed the fish.
Before long, Shen Jinyu followed her over.
Ji Qingtang glanced at him and asked, “Yan Xuejiao said so much just now—are you going to spill the news about not having kids for three years?”
Shen Jinyu hummed in acknowledgment.
Ji Qingtang said with dissatisfaction, “Didn’t we agree back then? This was supposed to be just between us. If you tell people, it won’t affect you much. But have you thought about me? I’d have to bear the pressure from both the Shen and Ji families.”
Seeing that she was genuinely upset, Shen Jinyu explained, “Since it was brought up once, it’ll be brought up again. This can’t be kept hidden forever. And even if I do tell them, I’ll say it was my decision.”
Ji Qingtang was taken aback and looked at him. “You… you’re that loyal?”
Shen Jinyu let out a light scoff and said nothing.
Ji Qingtang curled her lips. “Good thing Grandma helped us out of that.”
Shen Jinyu hummed in agreement.
They each fell silent for a moment. Ji Qingtang was about to speak when she heard the sound of an argument coming from the corridor corner not far away.
“Who told you to act on your own and spend three million on a bracelet?”
“What’s wrong? I bought it to give Grandma as a congratulatory gift.”
“Did you know that Grandma only has—and only wears—that one jade bracelet Grandfather gave her?”
“I… I’m sorry, Mingxiu. I didn’t know about that. Don’t be mad.”
“Enough. Since you haven’t given it yet, don’t. I’ve already prepared a gift—we’ll give one together.”
“Alright, whatever you say.”
“Can you stop acting on your own next time? Is it too much to discuss it with me beforehand?”
“…”
Ji Qingtang recognized the voices as Yan Xuejiao’s and Shen Mingxiu’s. Her fighting spirit instantly surged to full capacity, and she grabbed Shen Jinyu’s wrist. “Quick, quick! Kiss me!”
Shen Jinyu was momentarily stunned, then looked down at her. “What?”