The woman called Xia Ling turned pale instantly.
Her face showed a hint of unease.
She quickly apologized, "Ciyou, I'm sorry, it was just an accident."
Then her eyes reddened, the way she held back tears almost made it seem like she had bullied Jiang Ciyou fiercely.
It was quite amusing.
Jiang Ciyou's expression didn't change much.
She still smiled, "Well, congratulations to both of you."
Onlookers might think it was a sincere congratulation between friends.
Only Jiang Ciyou knew how ironic it truly was.
Three years had passed, and her temperament was no longer what it used to be.
"Ciyou, can... can I keep this baby?"
Xia Ling's voice was cautious, like a humble plea.
This tactic clearly worked on Yan Feng.
"Xia Ling, you don't need to explain to her. This child is ours—do we really need her approval to decide whether to have it?"
Yan Feng shot a fierce glare at Jiang Ciyou, as if she had done something to bully Xia Ling.
She had merely said "congratulations."
Ha.
"Go ahead and have it; we're all family now. It's not a big deal. In ancient times, having a concubine to bear children was a good thing. When the child is born, they will call me 'Mom,' right?"
"Jiang Ciyou, what nonsense are you talking about?" Yan Feng's anger was evident.
Jiang Ciyou smiled even more brightly: "Oh come on, it's just a joke. Why so serious?"
"Grandpa wants me to take you back to the old house. Are you coming with me or with her?"
Yan Feng was silent for a few seconds.
Then he moved his suitcase into Jiang Ciyou's trunk.
"Take us to the Kyoto Grand Hotel first."
Jiang Ciyou cooperatively drove them to the hotel entrance.
After half an hour, Yan Feng finally settled Xia Ling in.
He got back into Jiang Ciyou's car.
He still sat in the back seat, as if trying to keep his distance.
The car merged back into the city traffic.
"If you like her so much, why make her stay in a hotel? She's pregnant now; you should at least get her a few villas," Jiang Ciyou remarked.
Yan Feng's voice was cold, laced with suppressed anger: "Jiang Ciyou, are you doing this on purpose?"
Jiang Ciyou chuckled, "Sorry, sorry, I forgot you don't own any property."
Since it was assumed Jiang Ciyou was the Yan family's daughter-in-law, all properties bought for Yan Feng were under her name.
Jiang Ciyou owned hundreds of properties, including over ten villas and countless commercial shops.
Yan Feng, on the other hand, owned nothing.
But at least he was the sole heir to the Yan family; all the family shares were in his name.
From the beginning, Yan Feng had been observing Jiang Ciyou.
Her smile never faded.
Having grown up together, no one knew her better than he did.
Despite her cheerful demeanor now, she was actually quite vengeful.
It was likely that seeing Xia Ling's pregnancy today had enraged her to the core, hence her sarcastic jokes.
Or perhaps she was trying to use the Yan family's assets to leverage him.
Yan Feng looked at Jiang Ciyou with growing disdain.
"Jiang Ciyou, don't bully Xia Ling, and don't think I'll come back to you. What the Yan family has given you, I won't dispute. It's compensation from me, but if you desire more, don't blame me for not warning you—I can take back the title of Mrs. Yan."
Jiang Ciyou straightened her face, her expression turning serious.
"Yan Feng, let's get a divorce."
No, to be precise, it should be a breakup.
Yan Feng's expression suddenly turned frigid.
"Jiang Ciyou, are you threatening me?"
He never believed Jiang Ciyou truly wanted a divorce; he understood her situation well.
She couldn't return to the Jiang family.
Moreover, she loved him deeply, even attempting suicide for him.
In the three years without contact, she never mentioned divorce.
Now that he was back, she was suddenly talking about it.
The only possibility was that Xia Ling's pregnancy had greatly affected her.
She wanted to force him to break up with Xia Ling.
"I'm not threatening you; I've just come to a realization. Initially, I thought you would come back to me after marriage, but after you left, holding onto the title of Mrs. Yan was merely a way to compete with Xia Ling."
"But now, I suddenly find it pointless. Xia Ling is pregnant; the child is innocent, and I don't want to occupy this position and delay your family's reunion."
In the past, she had been hot-headed, harboring resentment due to the betrayal of both her boyfriend and best friend.
Marrying Yan Feng, apart from the Jiang family's troubles, was also a way to make it hard for them to live peacefully.
But three years had passed, and her mindset had changed.
Moreover, during those three years, she hadn't suffered.
She didn't want to waste her life in a hollow marriage.
Yan Feng's gaze was sharp as he stared at Jiang Ciyou in the rearview mirror.
It was indeed because of Xia Ling's pregnancy.
"Jiang Ciyou, don't you feel guilty saying that? If you really understood, why would you have tried to commit suicide back then?"
Mentioning that made Jiang Ciyou's eyes dim slightly.
Her past attempts weren't solely because of Yan Feng.
After a brief pause, Jiang Ciyou tossed her hair.
Her fingers casually raked through her soft locks; she lifted her head slightly, exuding charm.
She returned to her previously lazy demeanor: "If you don't agree, that's fine."
Yan Feng coldly snorted, diverting his gaze from Jiang Ciyou's captivating face.
Her initiative to bring up divorce inexplicably annoyed him.
For a brief moment, he felt like his heart was being clenched.
He thought she genuinely wanted a divorce.
How overestimated he had been.
Realizing she was only testing and pressuring him in this way made his contempt grow.
"Jiang Ciyou, you're truly despicable."
This was the second time Jiang Ciyou had heard Yan Feng say this.
The first time was after returning from summer camp when he bluntly confessed he was with Xia Ling.
She had been stunned for five seconds before lunging at Xia Ling, slapping her several times.
Yan Feng pulled her off Xia Ling in anger and directly broke up with her.
In a fit of rage, Jiang Ciyou yelled: "Break up? No way! Even if I go to hell, I'll drag both of you with me."
Back then, Yan Feng had called her despicable.
That pain had felt like knives piercing her heart, haunting her through countless days and nights.
Each stab left a blood hole, a sight too grim to bear.
But after dwelling on it for so long, she had grown numb; the past wounds had formed thick scabs, like armor.
So hearing him insult her again elicited no reaction.
Soon, they arrived at the Yan family's old house.
As they got out of the car, they saw Yan's mother, Lan Pei, standing at the door.
Her face showed no joy at seeing her son after three years, only a severe frown.
Upon seeing Yan Feng, she immediately questioned him.
"I heard you brought that little vixen back with you?"
Yan Feng's stern face turned to Jiang Ciyou.
Jiang Ciyou shrugged innocently: "I didn't say anything; you saw it yourself. I hadn't even had a chance to call."