Chapter 448: Pressure and Worry

"Uh-huh, I’m not going either. I’ll stay home with my brother." Little Red Carp also shook her head. "Have a wonderful family get-together. It’s getting late, so you should go. Don’t keep them waiting."

"It’s really no problem. We’re all family, so we can all get together," Hua Yusen said, quickly explaining. He was worried his brother-in-law and sister-in-law might get the wrong idea.

Seeing his brother-in-law’s concern, Zhao Nuanyang explained, "We really don’t feel like going. You two should go ahead!"

Zhao Nuanyue knew her brother and sister weren’t the type to be falsely polite, so seeing that they genuinely didn’t want to go, she pulled Hua Yusen away.

They loaded everything they needed to take into the car. Once Zhao Nuanyue was settled, Hua Yusen couldn’t help but ask, "Do Nuanyang and Little Red Carp have a problem with me?"

"Haha, you’re overthinking things!" Zhao Nuanyue shook her head, pleased that Hua Yusen was so considerate of her siblings’ feelings. "Today is about you and me getting together with your parents. There might be private family matters to discuss, so it would be a little awkward if my brother and sister came along. They aren’t trying to be distant with you. They just feel that as relatives, it’s best for everyone to maintain a respectful distance."

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s explanation, Hua Yusen finally understood Zhao Nuanyang and Little Red Carp’s reasoning.

"Oh, so that’s what they were thinking," Hua Yusen said, nodding. He didn’t dwell on it. "You’re right. We really do have some private family matters to discuss this time."

Since these were private family matters, they should naturally be discussed at home. So, Zhao Nuanyue didn’t press him. Instead, she squeezed Hua Yusen’s hand to encourage him. "It’s okay. Don’t worry, everything will be fine."

"Yeah. With you by my side, everything will get better. I’ve always firmly believed that, without a doubt," Hua Yusen said with a nod. "By the way, when you see Nuanyang, tell him to be careful at work lately."

"What is it?" Zhao Nuanyue asked in surprise. Hua Yusen rarely gave such specific warnings. "Is this about Nuanyang’s work?"

Hua Yusen nodded and said gravely, "The archaeology department where Nuanyang works has unearthed something incredibly important—it could even shed light on the origin and evolution of humankind. It’s already making huge waves internationally. Many countries want to purchase it from us or propose a joint research project, but we haven’t agreed because it’s just too critical." Hua Yusen shook his head. "It’s not that cooperation is completely off the table, but they’ve shown no sincerity whatsoever. Yan Country isn’t the crumbling Wenchao Dynasty; we won’t let them take whatever they please. So, we refused. Now that they can’t get what they want, they’ll resort to despicable means to steal it."

"That’s truly despicable," Zhao Nuanyue said indignantly. "If they want to cooperate, then we should all sit down for a proper discussion. But for that to happen, we’d need to establish diplomatic relations first! They refuse to grant us the international standing we deserve, yet they still expect to get their hands on our treasures. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. They’re daydreaming, lost in a fantasy."

"Exactly. So, we’ve already made arrangements to deal with them," Hua Yusen confirmed with a nod. "They’re sneaking in, not coming through official channels. Since they aren’t playing by the rules, we don’t have to hold back. We’ll make sure it’s a one-way trip for them."

"Good. That’s how it should be." Zhao Nuanyue shared Hua Yusen’s righteous anger. "I’ll talk to Nuanyang first thing tomorrow and tell him to be careful. As for you, you need to be even more careful!"

"I know. I would never be reckless with my life. After all, I have elders above and little ones below to think about now," Hua Yusen said solemnly, not wanting to worry Zhao Nuanyue.

"You have elders, but no little ones yet, so don’t talk nonsense." Zhao Nuanyue shot Hua Yusen a look. Thinking about how her period had started that afternoon, she felt a wave of frustration.

’Another failure this month. I’m not pregnant.’

’Sometimes, Zhao Nuanyue felt a chill of fear. Had she actually taken that poison from Wang Yuan after all?’

’However, from what she’d heard, Wang Yuan and Guo Donghai had been living together for a long time. Guo Donghai had even set her up in a large, beautiful house.’

’Wang Yuan was desperate to have a child to secure her position. She didn’t want to be cast aside once Guo Donghai grew tired of her.’

’Thankfully, Wang Yuan wasn’t pregnant either, which eased Zhao Nuanyue’s worries a little. Besides, she trusted that Little Red Carp wouldn’t make a mistake.’

"Heh, are you reminding me to work harder?" Hua Yusen asked, his gaze turning scorching as he looked at Zhao Nuanyue.

"You’re imagining things!" ’Although Zhao Nuanyue was a little disappointed, she wasn’t discouraged. She knew having children was a matter of fate. Trying more wouldn’t guarantee a pregnancy, but it would certainly increase the chances.’

’Still, hearing Hua Yusen say it out loud in the car, in front of an outsider, made Zhao Nuanyue blush.’

"You’re my little treasure, too. There’s no rush to have a child. Don’t put pressure on yourself," Hua Yusen said, gently embracing Zhao Nuanyue and kissing her forehead.

His warm breath brushed against her hair. Zhao Nuanyue closed her eyes in comfort, feeling utterly blissful as she rested in Hua Yusen’s arms.

Hua Yusen fell silent, savoring the wonderful feeling of holding the warm, fragrant woman in his arms.

They soon arrived at the Hua family home. Hearing the car, Hua Yulin came out to greet them personally.

Dinner was already prepared inside, and everyone was just waiting for Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen to get back.

Although Feng Wanru had come to terms with her son moving out, she sometimes couldn’t help but mutter to herself, ’A son with a wife forgets his mother.’

’But then again, Feng Wanru desperately wanted grandchildren, so she figured letting them live on their own would help them relax and conceive more quickly.’

’But they had been married for nearly three months now, and there was still no sign of a baby on the way.’

’It wasn’t that Feng Wanru suspected Zhao Nuanyue of being infertile. Instead, she was deeply worried about her own son, Hua Yusen.’

’After all, Hua Yusen had been poisoned as a child. Even after taking countless detoxifying medicines, some toxins had remained in his system until he met Sun Haoran, who had finally rid his body of the poison completely.’

’Even though he was cured, Feng Wanru wasn’t sure if the poison had affected his fertility.’

’I’ll have to ask Sun Haoran about it in private some other time,’ Feng Wanru sighed to herself.

As Zhao Nuanyue walked in, Feng Wanru’s eyes immediately locked onto her abdomen, as if trying to see right through it.

Zhao Nuanyue acted as if she hadn’t seen her mother-in-law’s eager gaze. She placed the shortcakes on the table, then went to the kitchen to get a plate for them.

Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s nimble movements and slender figure, Feng Wanru felt a pang of disappointment.