Chapter 161: He Chose Jiang Lai

Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongying stared at Mother Shen answering the phone by the roadside, ignoring Shen Xi who kept chattering about wanting to get the property back.

Shen Xi saw that neither of them was listening and angrily let out a shout.

"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Who said we have to listen just because you're speaking?" Ke Zhongying gave her a sideways glance.

Shen Xi, furious, snatched the ticket back.

Jiang Lai, meanwhile, closely observed Mother Shen, whose expression shifted from normal to shocked, then to nervous, her brows furrowed tightly, and she occasionally glanced over at them.

Something happened.

She silently thought, "Not good."

After hanging up, Mother Shen returned and said to Jiang Lai, "We'll talk about sending the evidence another day; I have other matters and must leave first, Xiao Xi is leaving."

Shen Xi was forcibly dragged out.

Ke Zhongying froze: "How come they're not giving it again?"

Jiang Lai's expression grew solemn; she stood and said, "Let's follow them and see."

"Okay." Ke Zhongying immediately stood up, and after Mother Shen and the others took a taxi away, she also immediately hailed a car to follow.

Ke Zhongying couldn't understand: "How could she change her mind? Isn't she the one who most wants to get the money back? What could make her value something more than money?"

Jiang Lai frowned slightly.

Yes, what could make Mother Shen, who values wealth as life, consider something more important than money?

She was also puzzled.

The car followed all the way to where the Shen family lived, but Jiang Lai did not continue following.

If they were going back to the Shen residence, they wouldn't be able to find out anything.

"Let's go back first."

Ke Zhongying wore a regretful expression and thought of another idea: "How about I find two people to watch the Shen family?"

Jiang Lai thought it feasible and nodded.

……

The Shen family.

As soon as they entered the gate, Shen Xi shook off her mother's hand: "Didn't we agree to cooperate with Jiang Lai to get the money back? Why did you leave midway? And you keep forbidding me from asking."

Mother Shen's palms were sweating; she didn't have time to answer her daughter's question, turned her head and told her: "Call your father and ask him to come back."

Shen Xi sensed her mother's unease and speculated: "Is something big going to happen to our family?"

"If you don't call now, something big will really happen—call your father."

"Oh." Shen Xi obediently called her father, muttering that her father also didn't know what was going on; lately he's been absent during the day, having retired to a secondary role yet still running to the company—either going there or meeting people for chess and tea.

Upon receiving the call, Father Shen asked: "What's the matter?"

Shen Xi: "Mom didn't say."

Mother Shen took the phone, her face grave: "This concerns our Shen family; I can't decide, you need to come back quickly—your son is also on his way back."

Father and elder brother are both coming back; Shen Xi felt even more that something major had happened, stopped her complaining, and waited quietly.

Father Shen and Shen Xun returned one after another.

Shen Xun looked at his father and mother, his expression awkward, and he also found it hard to speak.

Father Shen: "Speak up—what exactly is the big matter that made you urgently call me back?"

Mother Shen looked at her son.

Shen Xun produced the examination report, handed it to his father, lowered his gaze and said: "Shutong is pregnant, over a month."

It was that night.

He truly hated himself for not restraining himself then, and even more for not reminding her to take medicine afterward.

He could still figure out a way to explain the money matter to Jiang Lai, but how to explain the child?

Father Shen closed his eyes, unable to speak.

Mother Shen, for a moment, didn't know what to do—money or child?

She leaned toward wanting the child.

Jiang Lai had married into the Shen family for four years and hadn't laid an egg.

But exchanging a child for a hundred million also pained her.

Money can be earned again, a child can be born again… so she really didn't know what to do, and could only wait to see what her husband and son would say.

Upon hearing the news that Lin Shutong was pregnant, Shen Xi was shocked, then suspicious: "How could she get pregnant just when we were preparing to find her to repay the money?"

"What repay the money?" Father Shen had said before that the money matter was past and done, as long as it didn't affect his son's future and reputation.

Did Shen Xi's words mean that she and her mother were thinking of ways to find Lin Shutong to repay the money?

When Father Shen asked, Shen Xi realized she had let slip; her mother had warned her not to let Father and elder brother know.

In this situation Mother Shen didn't want to hide it either, and said bluntly: "Jiang Lai has been secretly gathering evidence, intending to sue Lin Shutong and recover over a hundred million in assets."

Shen Xun's eyes widened.

Indeed, that's the case.

Father Shen furrowed his brows: "Didn't she say she wanted nothing?"

"How could she not want it?" Mother Shen retorted, "Do you know how much money that is? Just letting her have it for free?"

Shen Xi nodded: "Exactly."

Father Shen: "So you've teamed up with Jiang Lai to sue Lin Shutong?"

"It's not like we're suing the son—what are you worried about?" Mother Shen sighed helplessly, "Isn't it that in the end we didn't join forces? Since Lin Shutong is pregnant, I didn't give her the evidence."

"What evidence?" Shen Xun pressed, "Mom, what evidence did you find?"

Mother Shen didn't say.

Shen Xun thought a little and understood; surely it was from looking through his phone.

He had a headache.

"Mom, can't you discuss things with us first next time?"

"Is it my fault? You're sometimes good to Lin Shutong, sometimes good to Jiang Lai; we can't figure out what you mean." Mother Shen retorted, "You give Lin Shutong so much money, but I see your past chat records were proper, at most saying 'I miss you,' and only after she returned did you become clingy."

"So what exactly do you mean?" Mother Shen stared into her son's eyes, "Do you want Lin Shutong and the child, or do you want Jiang Lai?"

She also looked at her husband: "What do you say? I lean toward wanting a child; even if Jiang Lai returns, she can't bear children—what then? Not giving a husband children to continue the lineage—what kind of woman is that?"

Shen Father, who had always wanted his son to coax Jiang Lai back into the Shen family, wavered a bit.

The Shen family's incense must not be cut off.

Shen Xun rebutted his mother: "She can bear children."

Mother Shen: "What can she bear? For four years her belly showed no movement; don't say it's your problem—if it were your problem, Lin Shutong wouldn't have gotten pregnant so quickly?"

Shen Xun opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopped.

Only he himself knows why Jiang Lai didn't get pregnant, because he never touched her.

Each time he could restrain himself.

That's also why he feels the person he loves must be Shutong.

But since Jiang Lai gradually disappeared from his sight, he started frequently thinking of her, and his life gradually became out of control.

Shutong became less and less like his memory of her beautiful self, while Jiang Lai became more and more radiant and charming.

He also gradually came to see his own heart clearly.

"My wife will only be Jiang Lai." Shen Xun said firmly.

Mother Shen anxiously said: "What about the child?"

"Jiang Lai will bear children; she likes kids a lot, but I previously..." Shen Xun's voice paused slightly, "... just refused to give her."

Shen Father and Mother Shen were instantly stunned.

How could they not understand the meaning of not giving?

Shen Father scolded him: "You're foolish!"

If there had been a child back then, Jiang Lai wouldn't have divorced; after going public, all benefits would have gone to the Shen family.

Especially since Jiang Lai has no roots, wouldn't all the fame, glory, and wealth on her person only benefit the Shen family's descendants?

Shen Xun admitted: "I'm foolish, so I can't stay foolish anymore; Mom, you all shouldn't always think about that money—just treat it as compensation given to Shutong back then."

Mother Shen still felt uneasy: "Even if I don't want it, Jiang Lai couldn't possibly not want it. If she refuses this money, when she returns she'll surely make you and your child suffer."

Shen Xun promised: "I won't let Jiang Lai and our future children suffer again."

Shen Father asked: "What about the child in Lin Shutong's belly?"