“Why did you bring me here?”
Meng Jinyan scoffed, “I’ve already answered you.”
Hearing this, Jin Yu was stunned for half a second before remembering what she had asked when they first got in the car, so she said nothing more.
She fell silent again.
Meng Jinyan glanced at her sideways and let out a silent, mocking laugh.
So bland, so boring.
They walked all the way to a secluded, heavily incense-scented prayer hall. Jin Yu surveyed the solemn surroundings and finally grew nervous.
Moving forward, she saw a thin figure kneeling on a prayer cushion. Immediately after, a man’s casual voice sounded in her ear.
“Grandma.”
Hearing the voice, Old Madam turned around and was helped up by a servant the next moment. Seeing the handsome man and beautiful woman standing opposite her, she beamed and, with great familiarity, reached out to take Jin Yu’s hand.
“Oh, I’ve finally waited for my granddaughter-in-law to arrive.”
Such a straightforward statement left both Jin Yu and Meng Jinyan simultaneously shocked and bewildered.
Unlike Jin Yu’s unease, Meng Jinyan cut in directly, “Old Madam, don’t add drama to the situation. I’m not even close with this person. How on earth could she be your granddaughter-in-law?”
His words were merciless.
But Old Madam was quick to counter, “Yes, you’re not close. You’ve already shared a bed, so of course you’re not close.”
Meng Jinyan: “…”
Jin Yu: “…”
Perhaps noticing Jin Yu’s awkward expression, Old Madam toned it down a bit and pulled her directly to sit on a red sandalwood chair.
Her familiarity was on full display. “Xiao Yu, I’ve been waiting for over a month and finally got you here. I’ve already prepared the bridal suite for you and my bratty grandson. Now, I’m just waiting for you two to move in. For him to marry a beautiful girl like you, it’s truly a blessing he’s earned over eight lifetimes…”
Old Madam rambled on for a long time, while Jin Yu struggled to process it all.
She nervously glanced at the aloof, impatient man across from her, then at the kind-faced Old Madam before her.
Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Um… Old Madam, have you misunderstood something?”
“This gentleman and I aren’t the kind of relationship you think.”
As she spoke, she looked pleadingly at Meng Jinyan.
Desperately hoping he would explain a few things.
But Old Madam remained immersed in her own joy, her words leaving Jin Yu speechless.
Old Madam patted her hand and said cheerfully, “What’s there to misunderstand? You two have already made a baby. Getting married and having a wedding is just a matter of time.”
Then, as if struck by a thought, she dropped a bombshell.
“I think today is a great day, perfect for you two to register your marriage.” Seeing Jin Yu’s stunned face, she added, “I know you young people find it troublesome and don’t want to go to the civil affairs bureau, so I’ve already invited someone to come to the house. Later, you’ll just need to take photos and sign.”
Jin Yu: “…No, you’ve misunderstood…”
But before she could finish, the man cut in coldly, “Old Madam, I only agreed to bring her back for you to see. I never agreed to marry her.”
Then, he glanced indifferently at Jin Yu’s stomach.
His tone icy, “Besides, the child in her belly—my child—is still just an unborn fetus. If I want, I can make sure it never sees the light of day.”
As his words fell, the old madam directly grabbed a handful of walnuts from the decorative plate on the table and angrily threw them at him.
“Scoundrel! Get out of here!”
In response, Meng Jinyan showed little emotion, merely casting an indifferent glance at Jin Yu.
But that single glance was enough to make Jin Yu restless.
Although she had no intention of keeping the child, his earlier words had truly sent shivers down her spine.
After Meng Jinyan left, the old madam patted Jin Yu’s hand reassuringly. “Xiao Yu, don’t be afraid. With this old woman backing you, that scoundrel won’t dare lay a finger on you.”
Whether he dared or not, Jin Yu didn’t care.
Right now, all she wanted was to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Old Madam, you’ve truly misunderstood. I don’t even know that gentleman, let alone his name. The child in my belly now is the result of both of us being set up over a month ago. To be honest with you, I don’t plan to keep this child.”
After hearing her words, the old madam showed no change in expression.
All of this was within her expectations.
But since it was within her expectations, she naturally had the confidence to turn things around. So, for now, she simply smiled kindly. “I know all of this.”
Hearing this, Jin Yu grew even more surprised. “You know?”
The old madam smiled. “That’s right, I know. Today, I had that scoundrel bring you to see me because I hope the two of you can get married.”
Jin Yu pursed her lips, about to ask something, but the old madam spoke first. “I know you have a younger brother and grandmother to take care of, so, Miss Jin, I’d like to discuss a deal with you.”
With these words, Jin Yu understood everything.
But to make it even clearer, the old madam spoke more bluntly. “The child in your belly is the great-grandchild of our Meng family. Since he already exists, as his great-grandmother, I absolutely will not allow him to be left outside or disappear without a trace. Therefore, he must be born safely into this world.”
“As compensation, whether it’s your grandmother’s surgery expenses or your younger brother’s ongoing medical costs, I will cover them all.”
“Miss Jin, I’ve looked into it. Six years ago, after that car accident, your younger brother was saved, but he still hasn’t woken up to this day. Medically, his condition is called a vegetative state. His monthly hospital expenses amount to over a hundred thousand. As for your grandmother, although she underwent surgery years ago for nerve compression due to blood vessels and was saved, over a month ago, she accidentally fell and suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. She was saved, but her condition is now the same as your brother’s—living in the ICU, relying on a ventilator. Once you can’t pay, she can’t survive.”
“Your uncle and aunt are stingy and harsh. Trying to get money from them is harder than reaching the heavens. So, Miss Jin, you won’t lose out by making this deal with me.”
Hearing her blunt words, Jin Yu pursed her lips tightly, her hands clenched together, her face turning pale.
These were indeed the facts.
But having them laid out so starkly, Jin Yu’s heart began to ache with a sharp, wrenching pain, and a sense of helplessness washed over her.
For the past two years, she had worked day and night, desperately trying to earn money, but even so, she couldn’t afford her brother’s medical bills.
Now, with her grandmother also bedridden, she…
Seeing her begin to waver, Old Madam changed her tone and took her hand. “Miss Jin, I mean what I say. If you don’t believe me, we can put it in writing.”
Upon hearing this, Jin Yu’s gaze flickered, as if she wanted to speak but held back.
Old Madam pressed on, “If, by the time this child is born, you and that rascal still have no feelings for each other, I can also promise you this: if you want a divorce, then it shall be granted.”