Chapter 309: Always My Pride

Hearing the two words "Yuanyuan," the two men at the dining table simultaneously darkened in expression, their gazes sweeping coldly across Zhu Yuan's face before they both stood up.

Especially Pei Ling, whose eyes turned cold.

Day after day, one Sheng Yu comes, and now another one!

Pei Li opened the courtyard gate, and what met his eyes was Zhu Jingyao, who was being blocked by a Bodyguard.

"I want to see Yuanyuan!"

The man who was usually as gentle as jade appeared disheveled and wretched at this moment, carrying an air of having traveled a long distance; after finding Zhu Yuan's specific address, he had rushed over without stopping, just to see her once.

Sheng Yu did not look back; sensing someone approaching with hurried footsteps, he subconsciously reached out, immediately wrapping his arm around Zhu Yuan's waist and gently stroking her protruding abdomen.

"Missed your brother?"

It was not that Zhu Yuan did not hear the jealousy in Sheng Yu's words; she looked serious. "I did."

Pei Ling raised an eyebrow slightly and turned his head to look at her.

The moment he saw Yuanyuan, Zhu Jingyao's jaw tightened, and the heart that had long been yearning finally sank. "Yuanyuan!"

He sensed that something was different, but he could not articulate it, until a gust of wind blew, pressing the thin dress on Zhu Yuan's body against her protruding abdomen, and his gaze trembled.

"Eat first."

Sheng Yu held Zhu Yuan and returned under the grape trellis, pressing her shoulders to make her sit down, then placed a few pieces of meat into her bowl. "We'll talk after eating, and let him cool off as well."

Pei Ling signaled for Pei Li to close the courtyard gate.

Zhu Jingyao did not make another sound; he stood quietly in place, and without the Bodyguard's obstruction, he did not take another step forward.

In his mind, the image of Zhu Yuan with her big belly surfaced over and over again.

The little girl who grew up by his side.

The little girl he once wanted to cherish for a lifetime.

A long time ago, when Yuanyuan was still an innocent young girl, her personality and her beauty made him know that his Yuanyuan deserved the most outstanding man in this world.

He arrogantly believed that only he could protect her well.

But in reality, he had never given her true protection.

Zhu Jingyao's expression was stern, yet when he saw Zhu Yuan a few minutes later, he sighed helplessly and asked her, "Is it tiring?"

Zhu Yuan shook her head.

She looked at Zhu Jingyao's face; there was a slap mark on the left side that had faded somewhat, but it was not hard to see that the palm was large.

"Grandpa hit you?"

Zhu Jingyao gave a hum.

Zhu Qi, who read the news every day, naturally did not miss the scandals regarding the Sheng Family, especially those concerning Sheng Yu; he stared at the news every day, wanting to see clearly what kind of end this man would meet—the man who acted one way to Yuanyuan's face while keeping an illegitimate child behind her back.

As a result, he did not expect the direction of public opinion to suddenly shift, leaving the old man stunned for a long time before he realized just how chaotic the Sheng Family was.

Later, he heard the recording of Sheng Hongyao and Ning Huaiqing.

At that time, he rushed in front of Zhu Jingyao without a word and slapped him!

Zhu Qi pointed at his nose and cursed: "Is this how you pursue scholarship! Is the knowledge you possess meant for you to harm others! That child is only two years old! What was it for! For money? Do you think I believe that?"

Zhu Jingyao did not refute a single word at the time; after taking two slaps, he hurriedly supported Zhu Qi, who was trembling with rage.

Zhu Qi was so angry his face turned shades of blue and white, and he cursed with difficulty: "When this is over, go and kneel properly before your parents' tombstones!"

Zhu Yuan pursed her lips; she had originally wanted to hit him, but Grandpa had hit him first, so now should she hit him or not?

Forget it, Sheng Yu said not to be too violent, to pay attention to prenatal education.

But she could not help it; she went up and gave Zhu Jingyao a punch. "Are you sick or what! I f***ing... I XX are your sister! So what if there's no blood relation? Did I call you brother for twenty-some years for nothing? Do I need a DNA test?"

"I'm telling you, Zhu Jingyao, go back and kneel properly before Mom and Dad's tombstones! Kneel until you wake up!"

Zhu Yuan still felt her anger burning; she raised both hands to cover her belly, not knowing where the baby's ears were inside, wishing she could just cover them up.

"Zhu Jingyao, you XXX!"

"You XX, I really XXX!"

"Screw your XXXXXXXXX!"

Zhu Jingyao frowned, suppressing the urge to correct her for using foul language, and watched her quietly.

Until she had vented all her anger.

For a moment, the entire small courtyard inside and out went quiet; even the passing birds stopped on the treetops, not daring to fly, fearing that a flap of their wings would get them cursed at.

Inside the courtyard, Pei Ling leaned against a tree trunk, his lips curving into a smile.

Sheng Yu paused in his tea-pouring motion; this prenatal education was as good as ruined.

Pei Li and the other Bodyguards all remained silently quiet; so Miss Zhu was capable of such cursing.

In the process of cursing, Zhu Yuan unknowingly changed her hands from covering her belly to resting them on her hips.

Seeing her face flushed red from cursing, Zhu Jingyao felt his pocket, pulled out a pack of tissues, and drew one out to wipe her sweat.

Zhu Yuan, however, raised her hand to block him, snatched the tissue from his fingers, and wiped her own sweat.

"In what capacity are you wiping my sweat now? My brother, or the person who likes me?"

Zhu Jingyao frowned. "Your brother!"

Having cursed so much just now, Zhu Yuan only felt angry, but the two words Zhu Jingyao said at this moment made her eyes turn red; she bit the flesh of her cheek, her eyes growing redder and redder.

Zhu Jingyao felt a tightness in his chest. "I knew that when you heard those recordings, you would guess something; you were raised by me, and even if you lack great wisdom, you still have plenty of cleverness..."

"Explanation is one thing, don't curse." Zhu Yuan sniffled.

Zhu Jingyao finally could not help it; he raised his hand and stroked the top of her head. "My Yuanyuan is very smart."

"No need to force a compliment."

Zhu Yuan swatted his hand away.

Zhu Jingyao clenched his fingers. "Can you not forgive me?"

Zhu Yuan was silent.

She did not know how to respond to these words; no matter what the answer was, it seemed unimportant, for what mattered was what was in Zhu Jingyao's heart.

After a long while, Zhu Jingyao gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Are you afraid that Sheng Yu will be jealous?"

"He is not that prone to jealousy." Zhu Yuan almost believed her own words as she said them.

Zhu Jingyao nodded, "I have already donated the money that Sheng Hongyao gave me."

Zhu Yuan was not surprised at all; she gave a hum of acknowledgment, "You never wanted it in the first place."

If he had truly loved money that much, he would not have turned his nose up at so many high-paying offers back then.

"I want to delve into Genetic Engineering."

Zhu Yuan was taken aback.

Zhu Jingyao's jade-like eyes were immersed in a gentle luster, "I want to restore that child's genes to normal so that he will no longer fall ill due to DNA instability; it can also be considered a form of atonement for him."

Zhu Yuan nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, "It is wonderful that you can think this way, Brother; you have always been my pride."

Zhu Jingyao's eyes brightened slightly, and then he said with a smile, "You are finally willing to call me Brother."

Zhu Yuan looked at him, her eyes completely calm, without a single ripple.