Ye Jiuliang couldn’t help but want to laugh, looking at him curiously, "How do you know for sure it’s going to be a boy? Don’t tell me you’ve made a pact with the baby?"

Li Mochan just hummed indifferently.

"Hum what, who are you trying to fool?" Ye Jiuliang said, somewhere between laughter and tears, raising her hand to pat his thigh.

Li Mochan turned off the tablet and casually placed it aside.

With a stretch of his strong arm, he lifted her slightly upward. Looking down at the woman leaning against his chest, his deep voice carried a hint of huskiness, "The baby told me. You really don’t believe it?"

"If I believed you, that would mean there’s something wrong with my IQ," Ye Jiuliang teased while pinching his jaw, the corners of her lips curving.

"Why don’t you tell me how your kiddo informed you?"

"Every night after you fall asleep, the kiddo secretly tells me," he said, pretending to be serious.

"The kiddo also said to make sure you treat me better and not bully me so much."

Ye Jiuliang, "..."

How had her Mr. Li Five become so childish? Was this the same Li Mochan she met for the first time?

"You’re talking out of your hat."

Li Mochan chuckled softly, "Tired, aren’t you?"

Before she could respond, Ye Jiuliang couldn’t help but yawn, her curled eyelashes damp with moisture.

With a baby still inside her belly, sitting on a plane all day had easily made her tired.

Li Mochan reached for the remote and pressed a button; the bedroom was instantly plunged into semi-darkness.

Ye Jiuliang snuggled into his arms on her own accord, curling up tight and stuffing her feet between his legs, "It’s so cold, so cold."

"If you keep snuggling, I can’t guarantee you won’t end up in trouble," Li Mochan warned, his eyes darkening slightly, his low voice tinged with restrained huskiness.

Ye Jiuliang stiffened and fell silent, feeling embarrassed.

Did he have to make it sound so ominous?

She was frightened, timid with fear.

"Behave yourself, go to sleep," Li Mochan said, pulling the covers over her and urging her in a husky voice.

Ye Jiuliang muttered in acknowledgment, knowing full well that he meant what he said. She didn’t dare to tease him any further, as she knew she couldn’t beat him, nor could she escape.

Since she was being so well-behaved, Li Mochan couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

...

With the advent of early spring, the weather gradually warmed up.

The streets were bustling with people coming and going.

A red sports car found a parking spot and stopped not far from the famous fashion capital of M country.

The car door opened, and a woman with an alluring figure stepped out, lifting her sunglasses and setting them atop her hair.

With her fair skin and fiery red lips, she was wearing a form-fitting purple long dress that highlighted her shapely figure, easily capturing the attention of many men.

"Jingxuan, over here!"

Suddenly, a cute voice called out from across the street.

Following the sound, the woman looked over and saw the person waving at her, her face breaking into a smile.

She closed the car door, walking briskly in high stilettos toward the source of the voice.

"Jingxuan, I barely recognized you, it’s been so long," Ye Xin approached with a beaming smile.

Li Jingxuan removed her sunglasses and casually tossed them into her bag, spinning around on the spot, "Really? Have I changed that much?"

"Of course, you’ve become prettier and more mature," Ye Xin complimented.

"Not at all." No woman dislikes compliments, and Li Jingxuan was no exception, responding with feigned indignation, "When did you get here? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have picked you up."

Ye Xin linked arms with her, "Isn’t it a nice surprise?"

"You didn’t tell my brother?" Li Jingxuan was surprised.

Ye Xin shook her head, showing her understanding nature, "Your brother has been busy with the company affairs recently, and I don’t want to distract him. Since I’m free these days, I thought I’d come to see you and Auntie. It’s also been a long while since we last gathered."

"You’re such a good wife to my brother, he’s really lucky to have you," Li Jingxuan said with a bent elbow, teasing her with a wink.

"Oh please, stop teasing me," Ye Xin said, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Li Jingxuan laughed lightly, "Why be shy? I’m only stating the obvious truth."

"Enough about that, let’s go inside and look around, maybe buy a gift for Auntie."

"We’re all family; there’s no need for gifts."

Ye Xin’s blush deepened as she playfully pushed Li Jingxuan forward, "Stop making fun of me, let’s go."

They walked into the City of Fashion, chattering and laughing, lingering in front of various designer stores.

"Jingxuan, what do you think of this dress?"

Ye Xin emerged from the fitting room and walked toward Li Jingxuan, adjusting the hem of her dress.

"Jingxuan?"

She called out several times but got no response.

Ye Xin, puzzled, looked up at her and tugged at her sleeve, "Jingxuan, what are you daydreaming about?"

Li Jingxuan’s laughter absented from her face as she pointed across the store, "Ye Xin, doesn’t the person over there have a back that very much resembles Ye Jiuliang?"

The name "Ye Jiuliang" was like a curse, causing Ye Xin to pale. Through the glass display, her gaze fixated on the figure across the street.

The distance did not prevent Ye Xin from recognizing the person.

The woman’s sable-colored hair was tucked under her hat, her hand holding a drink, as she slouched casually on a sofa, appearing languid and carefree.

That diagonal stance was unmistakably Jiuliang’s.

Ye Xin’s face showed her shock; how could she encounter Ye Jiuliang here?

Suddenly, she lost all interest in shopping.

Seeing Ye Xin’s reaction, Li Jingxuan knew she hadn’t misidentified the person.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Ye Xin, should we go over and say hello?"

Ye Jiuliang was now officially her aunt by marriage, and Li Jingxuan knew she couldn’t be as willful as before. With Li Mochan currently in charge of the Li Family, it wouldn’t benefit her to offend Ye Jiuliang.

Ye Xin pressed her lips together, her complexion slightly unpleasant.

"Wait here for me, I need to change out of this outfit."

Li Jingxuan nodded, her gaze drifting back to the person across the way.

Meanwhile.

"If I had known, I would have dragged Asheng out with me," Veya muttered under her breath while entering the address.

It’s surely more convenient to have a son to help out with the shopping.

"Xiaojiu, are you tired?" The old Madame Jiang stepped out from the fitting room and, seeing Ye Jiuliang leaning on the sofa, asked with concern.

Ye Jiuliang shook her head slightly, smiling faintly, "Grandma, I’m not that fragile, I can accompany you all day."

Hearing this, the old Madame Jiang chuckled, humorously self-deprecating, "Then this old body of mine might just fall apart."

Not accepting old age simply won’t do when you’re old.

Ye Jiuliang smiled slightly.

Suddenly, behind her came a woman’s tender voice, sounding somewhat unfamiliar.

"Jiuliang, what a coincidence to see you here."

That voice sounded oddly familiar.

Ye Jiuliang raised an eyebrow and slowly turned around. The woman had a pleasing smile on her face, less harsh than before.

With her smoky heavy makeup, it took a moment for Ye Jiuliang to recognize her, carefully scrutinizing the woman for a few seconds before finally placing her.

It seems that Li Jingxuan did change a bit during her time away from the capital abroad.