Su Hao studied his expression and didn't think he was lying, so he couldn't help but pout. "If you really love Mom, then don't ever hurt her in the future."
"Will you and Guoguo support me? Support me in becoming your dad."
Pei Shaoze's eyes held a hint of anticipation.
"I'm not Guoguo, I can't be bought off with just one meal."
Su Hao turned his face away with a proud air.
Seeing this, Pei Shaoze smiled helplessly. The kid might be smart enough, but he wasn't mature yet.
Su Banxia took Guoguo for a stroll around the courtyard. Feeling it was about time, she planned to head back to the private room. But just a few steps in, she heard voices coming from the woods behind her.
Instinctively alert, Su Banxia quickly pulled Guoguo behind a tree.
"The hospital won't let me abort this child—you figure it out yourself!"
The voice was unmistakably familiar—it was Gu Feifei.
Su Banxia immediately pricked up her ears, eager to hear more.
As Gu Feifei's words trailed off, a man's voice chimed in: "Is that kid even mine? I took precautions."
"Are you serious? Who was it that swore to take care of me for life? Now that I'm pregnant, you want to weasel out?"
Gu Feifei grew frantic, pointing at the man's nose and letting loose a torrent of curses.
Su Banxia was stunned. Wasn't Gu Feifei supposed to be deeply in love with Ren Yuan? Where did this other man suddenly come from?
And the man's voice—she felt she recognized it.
"Has Ren Yuan not touched you during this time?"
The man's tone carried a hint of mockery.
"Don't mention that bastard to me. Ever since Su Banxia came back, he hasn't slept with me at all!"
Gu Feifei's face burned with rage at the mention.
Su Banxia felt unfairly wronged. She hadn't done anything, yet she was being resented like this?
"Oh, isn't Miss Gu usually so confident? Can't even handle a Su Banxia?"
The man let out a scornful laugh.
"Hah! Lin Haoran, don't think I don't know what you're up to lately. What's the deal with cozying up to Su Banxia's best friend?"
Gu Feifei's words left Su Banxia frozen in place. That man was Lin Haoran!
No wonder his voice had sounded so familiar!
"You'd better stay out of my business!"
Lin Haoran's voice was icy, dripping with menace.
"And the child? You have to give me an answer. You can't just pull up your pants and pretend nothing happened, can you?"
Gu Feifei was seething with hatred. Lin Haoran was nothing but an irresponsible bastard.
Lin Haoran sneered. "As for the child, I'm sure Miss Gu knows how to handle it with your abilities. No need to play the victim in front of me."
"Lin Haoran, you bastard!"
Gu Feifei lost control of her emotions.
Through the dim light, Su Banxia could vaguely make out their tangled figures. Afraid of being caught eavesdropping, she quickly hurried away with Guoguo.
"Mom, why are you so nervous?"
Su Guoguo looked up at her, confused.
"Don't talk."
Su Banxia's mind was in turmoil. She had always harbored an indescribable disgust for Lin Haoran, and now learning this made her hate him even more.
But thinking of Fang Shiqing's fondness for him, Su Banxia didn't know what to do.
They stumbled into the private room, and Su Guoguo looked at the two inside, speaking weakly, "Mom and I saw an auntie and an uncle talking in the woods."
"Guoguo..."
Su Banxia called out to her awkwardly.
Though it was unintentional, eavesdropping wasn't exactly honorable.
"You look off. Did you see a ghost?"
Pei Shaoze glanced at her sideways, half-joking, half-serious.
"No, Pei Shaoze, tell me the truth. From what you know, what kind of person is Lin Haoran really?"
Su Banxia clenched her hands tightly, hoping she had just misheard.
"Hmm?"
Pei Shaoze saw the anxiety on her face, sighed helplessly, and then said slowly, "The Lin family isn't really a prestigious clan in Yanshi—just a bit of money."
"What do you mean?"
Su Banxia looked at him tensely.
Pei Shaoze said calmly, "The Lin family has been in business for generations. They were prosperous once, but by his generation, the fortune's probably mostly squandered."
"I'm asking about his character, not his family background."
Su Banxia looked at him expectantly.
"That I wouldn't know. Our Pei family doesn't deal with such small fry."
Su Banxia deflated like a punctured balloon. She had so hoped to hear Pei Shaoze say Lin Haoran was actually a decent person.
"But..."
Pei Shaoze shifted the topic, pausing before adding, "I had a brief exchange with him at a banquet once. I could tell he's quite opportunistic."
Hearing this, Su Banxia felt her steps falter. She barely steadied herself, forcing a faint, bitter smile.
Pei Shaoze didn't know what had triggered Su Banxia's reaction, but from her expression, he guessed she must have overheard something bad about Lin Haoran.
He made a mental note of it.
The four of them finished their meal and left together.
As luck would have it, Su Banxia ran straight into Gu Feifei and her group at the entrance.
Gu Feifei was nestled in Ren Yuan's arms, acting coy, looking especially charming.
"Oh, Banxia, you're dining with Mr. Pei?"
Gu Feifei's voice was syrupy sweet.
Su Banxia had no intention of acknowledging her and brushed past with the two kids.
"Banxia, why aren't you talking to me? I said hello."
Gu Feifei was annoyed and quickly stepped forward to block her path.
"Miss Gu, you're in my way."
Su Banxia looked at her coldly, finding the woman pitiful—always hiding her true feelings.
Sensing the disdain in Su Banxia's words, Gu Feifei's expression soured. With Pei Shaoze off to get the car, she sneered in Su Banxia's ear.
"So you've latched onto a rich man. What's there to be proud of? Su Banxia, do you really think Mr. Pei sees you as anything special?"
"I don't know about that, but Miss Gu, if you don't deal with your own issues soon, I think things might blow up in your face."
With that, Su Banxia glanced meaningfully at her belly.
Sure enough, Gu Feifei's expression shifted subtly, and she instinctively stepped back.
"Feifei."
Ren Yuan quickly moved forward and wrapped his arms around her.