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墨書 Inktalez
After leaving Zhanglin Village, Ye Chenfeng returned home with Ding Li and Sun Xianger.
His parents were naturally surprised. Instead of confronting Ye Chenfeng directly about his decision, they engaged in a heated debate behind his back regarding whether Sun Xianger should stay at their home.
Ye Mom said to Ye Chenfeng, "First of all, I do not agree with keeping Sun Xianger here. She is neither my daughter nor is it likely for her to be your girlfriend. I want to know what identity she has to stay in our home."
Ye Dad added, "Even though Sun Xianger is pitiful, she cannot just stay here casually. I support your mother's opinion."
This was an impromptu family meeting at Ye Chenfeng's house, so Ding Li was temporarily unqualified to participate. At that moment, she rested her chin on her hand and gazed at Sun Xianger. The young girl was quite sensible; she understood that Ye Chenfeng was discussing matters concerning her and remained quietly patient, waiting for the outcome.
Ye Chenfeng sniffed slightly, tapping a pen on the table. After a cough from Ye Dad prompted him, he put down the pen, straightened his clothes seriously, cleared his throat, and said, "Mom and Dad, I'm not here to seek your opinions; I just want to inform you that from now on, Sun Xianger will be my sister." With that, he stood up and walked out of the living room under the astonished gaze of Ye Dad and Ye Mom.
Sun Xianger smiled brightly upon seeing Ye Chenfeng. "Chenfeng Brother."
Ding Li smiled at Ye Chenfeng and asked, "How did it go?" She was thinking that if Ye Chenfeng's family couldn't accept Sun Xianger, she had another plan.
"Pretty good; they had nothing to say."
Ye Mom came out and felt quite irritated upon hearing Ye Chenfeng's words. This child seemed to be soaring high without considering the consequences of bringing such a burden home. Once Sun Xianger moved in, she would become part of the family.
They couldn't neglect her or treat her coldly; this was a requirement and warning that Ye Chenfeng had given his parents before bringing Sun Xianger home.
Moreover, studying required money, clothing required money—essentially everything needed money. Where would this money come from? It would force his parents into overworking themselves! At that moment, Ye Mom truly clashed with Ye Chenfeng.
She huffed coldly and said, "Who said it's all good? I absolutely disagree. Of course, Xiang'er is quite adorable, but that has nothing to do with her living here long-term."
Ding Li really wanted to say something for Xiang'er, but suddenly felt nauseous. She hurriedly covered her mouth and dashed outside, only to turn back a few steps later and run toward the bathroom.
Ye Chenfeng quickly followed, shouting, "Ding Li, what's wrong with you?"
Ye Mom frowned and crossed her arms. "So dramatic." Then she turned to Xiang'er and forced a smile. "Xiang'er, how about I help you with some paperwork to go to the orphanage?"
Xiang'er had heard Ding Li mention the orphanage on the way; it was a place for orphans and homeless children. She didn't want to go there. Besides, her brother Ye Chenfeng had promised to keep her by his side no matter what.
Seeing Xiang'er shake her head, Ye Mom became very angry.
She reached out her hand to Xiang'er. "Come on, let Auntie take you to buy new clothes."
"No, all my clothes are new."
Indeed, the clothes Xiang'er wore were bought with contributions from Qin Keqing, Shen Binghan, Su Bei, and her brother Ye Chenfeng. Along the way, Ding Li had been teaching her some simple phrases so she could quickly learn how to communicate with others.
Xiang'er was very smart; not only did she grasp various ways of communication, but she also learned to read people's expressions. Noticing Ye Mom's dark and gloomy face made her feel fearful inside as she hoped that her brother Ye Chenfeng and Ding Li would come out soon.
In the bathroom, Ding Li was throwing up violently. Pale-faced, she stared at herself in the mirror. Tears welled up in her eyes as her hand slowly moved down to her stomach. Her fingers felt something moving inside, causing her heart to race with anxiety as she looked down.
"Ding Li, what's wrong?" Ye Chenfeng stepped in behind her and noticed her pale face as she looked at her stomach. "Does your stomach hurt?"
Ding Li bit her lip, furrowing her brow as she hesitated before saying, "It's not... it's..."
"Is it really happening or not?" Ye Chenfeng felt anxious about her demeanor.
"Ye Chenfeng, I know how hard Mom has worked."
Ding Li's words left Ye Chenfeng confused, not understanding the meaning behind them. "Are you okay? Why are you suddenly thinking about your mom?"
"You’re so silly." Ding Li took Ye Chenfeng's hand and placed it on her belly, lowering her head and whispering, "I'm pregnant."
Ye Chenfeng froze. "You... what do you mean?" He misinterpreted it as Ding Li having menstrual cramps but sensed something was off.
"You’re really clueless." Ding Li stomped out of the bathroom, suddenly realizing that Xiang'er was missing. "Xiang'er!"
Ye Chenfeng stood there in the bathroom, thinking for a long time. He scratched his head and suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening in shock as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. The next moment, he jumped up in excitement and shouted, "Am I going to be a dad?"
He heard Ding Li calling for Xiang'er and was startled, quickly running outside to embrace Ding Li and asking urgently, "What happened to Xiang'er?"
"It seems Xiang'er went out." Ding Li looked toward the door, which was ajar.
Ye Dad walked out of the bedroom and casually said, "Don't worry, your mom took Xiang'er shopping."
"Oh." Ding Li sighed in relief along with Ye Chenfeng. Then they exchanged glances, their eyes communicating the earlier question.
Ye Chenfeng said, "I’m going to be a parent?"
Ding Li shyly nodded.
"What should we do?" Ye Chenfeng asked.
Ding Li looked troubled, her eyes filled with mist, her lips pressed tightly together.
"What are you two doing?" Ye Dad observed them, puzzled as they seemed to be communicating in silence.
"Nothing," Ye Chenfeng said, pulling Ding Li outside. He let out a deep breath and asked her, "When did it start?"
"Evil Village."
"Evil Village?" Upon hearing those words, Ye Chenfeng felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. He was worried about Ding Li and smiled gently, saying, "Let's go find Xiang'er and Mom." He contemplated whether he should tell his parents about Ding Li's pregnancy.
After all, Ye Chenfeng was only in his second year of college. Was it possible to get married? To have a child? To tell his parents about it? The conclusion was clear: no. Second year was a crucial time for his studies; he couldn't get married.
He couldn't have a child either; if he did, it would distract him.
And he couldn't tell his parents. If they found out, they would force him to break up with Ding Li. In their traditional view, Ding Li was too reckless.
What should he do?
The situation with Xiang'er wasn't resolved yet, and now Ding Li was pregnant again. It was evident that she valued this child deeply. The words she spoke in the bathroom were filled with nostalgia for her deceased mother; she bore the bittersweet feelings of a mother experiencing both happiness and pain.
After walking for quite a while, Ye Chenfeng kept pondering how to handle the situation. It had to be a win-win solution, one that wouldn't hurt Ding Li.
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"I'm thinking about the child's name." Ye Chenfeng stammered a bit, recalling the strange person he met in Zhanglin Village, who claimed that his fate was unfortunate and that if he had a child, it could turn misfortune into fortune. If that were true, perhaps they could keep the child, but what would their parents think?
"Really!" Ding Li was clearly intrigued by Ye Chenfeng's vague response; she genuinely wanted this child.
"Yeah."
Ding Li joined in on the idea of naming the child. Tilting her head in thought for a moment, she broke into a radiant smile and said, "I thought of one."
Ye Chenfeng wasn't really considering whether the name was good or not. Surprised by her sudden exclamation, he casually asked, "What name?"
"Ye Ding Beibei." Ding Li occasionally displayed her innocence; she wanted to incorporate her surname into the child's name. That was fine, but the real issue was whether they would keep the child.
"Sounds good." Ye Chenfeng's smile froze on his face as he forced out a response.
Ding Li sensed his distraction and became angry. Stomping her foot in frustration, she declared, "If you keep brushing me off, I'll just have the baby and give it away."
Give the baby away!
Ding Li's offhand comment sparked an idea in Ye Chenfeng's mind. Why not give it a try? Imagining presenting the child to Su Dad and Su Mother, he couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought of how happy they would be.
"Why are you laughing? Do you think giving the child away is a good thing?" Ding Li looked nervously at Ye Chenfeng, her hand instinctively resting on her belly, as if afraid someone would snatch the baby away.
"Darling, let me tell you a way that works for both of us," Ye Chenfeng said, wrapping his arm around Ding Li's waist and walking forward while talking.
"What kind of way? You can't really be thinking of abandoning this child!" Ding Li frowned, her face filled with displeasure.
"This plan is great. Think about it, Su Mother and Su Dad are having a tough time right now. If they had a child around, just imagine..."
The thought of Su Mother wanting to matchmake her niece with Ye Chenfeng pierced Ding Li's heart like a needle. She pouted, shook her head in defiance, and tears eventually streamed down her face as she sobbed and ran ahead.
Ding Li was pregnant now; she couldn't be too impulsive or emotional. Ye Chenfeng must have regretted it by now. He took off after her, calling out as he ran, "Wait, don't run so fast!"
The two chased each other for a while until Ye Chenfeng finally managed to catch up with Ding Li. He comforted her temporarily by promising not to give the child away and that he would keep the baby close. Only then did Ding Li stop dwelling on it.
When they returned home, they still didn't see Xiang'er. They only found Ye Mom busy in the kitchen and Ye Dad relaxing in the living room, watching TV and sipping tea.
"Where's Xiang'er?"
"I was just about to discuss this with you. Xiang'er went to the welfare home. It's quite nice there; there are many children..." Ye Mom said to herself, completely oblivious to the stunned expressions on Ye Chenfeng and Ding Li's faces.
"Mom, how could you do this? She's my sister!" Ye Chenfeng was furious. He pulled Ding Li closer as they approached Ye Mom, his face filled with anger as he questioned her, "You have no right to do this! You're like the KGB—tyrannical and overbearing. In the past, you made all the decisions for our family; now that I've grown up, I will decide what happens in our family."
Ye Mom did not get angry at Ye Chenfeng's attitude; instead, she simply smiled noncommittally.
To Ye Chenfeng, it was a dismissive smile. He shouted in anger, "Mom, if you don't bring Xiang'er back, I'm moving out and I won't come back ever again."
Watching the situation escalate, Ye Dad noticed his wife's face turning red with anger and hurriedly stepped in to mediate. "This matter isn't settled yet. Xiang'er is sleeping; can't you communicate better with your mother? Until you're married, she still has the final say in this house."
Ding Li went to check on Xiang'er.
Ye Chenfeng seized the moment to voice his thoughts, asking with a half-smile, "Dad, did you just say that once I'm married, I get to make the decisions in this house?"
While softly comforting Ye Mom, Ye Dad replied to Ye Chenfeng, "Yes! But it seems like you'll have to wait until after your graduate exams to get married! That's still a long way off!"
"No, I want to get married right away, as soon as possible," Ye Chenfeng insisted seriously. He wanted to tie the knot before Ding Li had the baby.
"Are you... joking?" Ye Dad and Ye Mom looked at their son as if he were an alien. Perhaps he wasn't really their son; their son wouldn't be so rebellious. He was the son reborn through Mother-in-law's magic.
"I'm not joking; I'm going to be a dad," Ye Chenfeng said as he turned his gaze toward Ding Li, who was approaching.
Ding Li said, "Xiang'er seems to be having a nightmare."
Ye Chenfeng knew that Xiang'er's nightmares were usually related to Zhanglin Village, but he never expected this time would be completely different.
In Xiang'er's dream, flames appeared, and within those flames were a pair of eyes flickering like fire, staring intently at her.
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