Jiang Baihe felt as if a hammer had struck her head hard. For a moment, her ears rang, her vision spun, and a dull pain throbbed in her abdomen.
With a *clatter*, Jiang Baihe’s hands lost their strength, and the plate she had been holding fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Over on the other side, Chai Jianguo was stunned by his mother’s words, finding them utterly absurd.
Baihe had been so sincere and devoted to him—how could he do something so beastly?
When it came to the matter of children, Chai Jianguo wasn’t particularly fixated. Compared to that, he cared far more about Jiang Baihe herself.
It was Baihe who wanted a child, so he had been willing to have one.
But if the child wasn’t his and Baihe’s, he would rather not have one at all.
He wasn’t some old-fashioned traditionalist who believed he *had* to have a child to carry on the family line.
To him, life was about having a true partner—someone to love, cherish, and support each other. That was far more important.
His mother’s words left him deeply disheartened.
His mother had always viewed things from her own perspective, never once considering his feelings or understanding his thoughts.
Perhaps, to her, Chai Xiaojuan was more important than her own son.
She certainly listened to Chai Xiaojuan more.
Maybe he shouldn’t have let his mother stay in the military compound in the first place—her presence was only destroying the harmony between him and Baihe.
Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a *clatter* behind him. Turning around, he saw Jiang Baihe—who had been in the kitchen earlier—now standing not far away, likely having overheard their conversation.
And right now, Jiang Baihe looked utterly unwell.
She was hunched over, clutching her stomach, her face twisted in pain.
“Baihe! Baihe, what’s wrong?” Chai Jianguo rushed over to support her.
“Jianguo, I—my stomach hurts…”
“Stomach pain? Don’t be afraid, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Scooping her up into his arms, Chai Jianguo was about to carry her to the hospital when he remembered that she might have heard their earlier conversation. He turned back, his face dark as he said to Old Lady Chai, “Mother, I’ll pretend what you just said was nonsense. Don’t ever bring it up again. In this lifetime, Chai Jianguo will only have Jiang Baihe as his wife, and only she will bear my children. If Baihe can’t have children, then I’d rather go childless for the rest of my life.”
“Since you love children so much, why don’t you go back to the countryside and help my younger brother raise his?”
This was essentially kicking Old Lady Chai out and sending her back to their rural hometown.
Hearing this, Old Lady Chai nearly choked on her fury.
Looking at Jiang Baihe in his arms, she was convinced this woman was a fox spirit who had bewitched her son.
“Jiang Baihe, you damn fox spirit! You’ve corrupted my son!”
“Jianguo, don’t be fooled by her! What stomach pain? She’s probably faking it!”
“Why go to the hospital? That’s just a waste of money!”
As she ranted, she even grabbed onto Chai Jianguo’s arm, trying to stop him from taking Jiang Baihe to the hospital.
By now, the commotion had drawn the attention of the other residents. They gathered around, murmuring disapprovingly at Old Lady Chai’s behavior.
“What’s wrong with Old Lady Chai? Baihe’s face is deathly pale—she’s clearly in pain. How can she stop her from going to the hospital? Does she *want* something bad to happen to Baihe?”
“Who knows what kind of schemes she’s plotting? Just look at her face—you can tell she’s no good.”
“Mother, let go! I’m taking Baihe to the hospital!” Chai Jianguo struggled as Old Lady Chai clung to him stubbornly.
Who would’ve thought an old woman could be so strong? If Chai Jianguo had a free hand, he could’ve easily pried her off.
But with both hands holding Jiang Baihe, he simply couldn’t free himself.
Fortunately, a neighbor who was close to Jiang Baihe and couldn’t stand the injustice stepped forward, forcefully yanking Old Lady Chai’s hand away.
“What’s wrong with you, old woman? Can’t you see Baihe is in so much pain?”
“You’re stopping Battalion Commander Chai from taking her to the hospital—what are you trying to do? Do you *want* her to die? You’re downright vicious!”
“Battalion Commander Chai, hurry and take Baihe to the hospital!”
“Aah! My hand, my hand! Chai Jianguo, you heartless brat! You’re so bewitched by that fox spirit that you won’t even protect your own mother when she’s being bullied—”
Chai Jianguo truly had no time to deal with her now. He carried Jiang Baihe and rushed straight to the hospital.
Behind him, Old Lady Chai’s curses echoed, but he paid them no mind.
Once Chai Jianguo had left with Jiang Baihe, the neighbor finally released Old Lady Chai’s hand.
*Hmph!* Her family butchered pigs for a living. She might look petite, but her strength was nothing to scoff at—dealing with a vicious old hag like this was child’s play.
Old Lady Chai, finally freed, rubbed her sore wrist, glaring at the retreating figures of her son and Jiang Baihe. Gritting her teeth, she quickly followed.
“I’ll see for myself whether that fox spirit is really sick or just faking it!”
Old Lady Chai was convinced Jiang Baihe was putting on an act to make her son pity her.
*Hmph!* Did they think she couldn’t see through such cheap tricks?
She’d go to the hospital herself and expose Jiang Baihe right in front of her son.
Meanwhile, Chai Jianguo carried Jiang Baihe swiftly to the hospital, where Dr. Hao happened to be on duty.
After taking her pulse and examining her, Dr. Hao frowned and immediately diagnosed, “She’s experiencing fetal distress.”
“In the early stages of pregnancy, emotional fluctuations must be kept in check. How could you be so careless?”
“I’ll give her an IV to stabilize the pregnancy first.”
As she worked, Dr. Hao scolded Jiang Baihe, “Honestly, don’t you know that pregnant women shouldn’t experience extreme emotional swings? Especially in the first trimester—if you’re not careful, it can lead to fetal distress. Do you even *want* this baby?”
When she finished, she noticed both Chai Jianguo and Jiang Baihe staring at her in stunned silence.
Dr. Hao paused, then realized, her eyes widening in surprise. “Wait… don’t tell me you really didn’t know?”
It was only then that Chai Jianguo seemed to snap out of his daze, stammering, “D-Dr. Hao, did you just say… pregnancy? Fetal distress? M-my wife is pregnant?”
“Yes, Dr. Hao, I’m pregnant?” Hearing the possibility, Jiang Baihe even felt her stomach pain ease slightly.
By now, Dr. Hao had pieced it together—this clueless couple truly hadn’t realized a baby was on the way.
As she administered the IV, she said, “Yes, you’re definitely pregnant. Congratulations—it’s been a little over a month. You’re going to be parents!”
Dr. Hao’s words confirmed it for Chai Jianguo and Jiang Baihe.
The couple stared at each other in disbelief.
Chai Jianguo stepped closer, kneeling beside the bed to grasp Jiang Baihe’s hand. “Baihe, did you hear that? You’re pregnant. We’re going to have a baby… we’re going to be parents!”
Jiang Baihe nodded numbly, tears welling in her eyes. “Mm, I heard. Jianguo, I… I’m really pregnant. This is wonderful… *so* wonderful!”
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