Fang Junhua was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped. But his mother was even more stunned!
After the shock, a fierce rage welled up in her.
"What did you say!" she roared, startling the two people in front of her.
Fang Junhua was so frightened that he almost jumped into a tree. "M-M-M-Mother! Why are you here!"
"Why am I here? If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known when my son had an illegitimate child outside!" Mrs. Fang's eyebrows shot up. She gave Fang Junhua's ear a hard twist and gritted her teeth. "I'll deal with you when we get home!"
"Miss," she said with a very unpleasant expression, but still forcing a smile through gritted teeth. "May I ask which family you belong to?"
Chen Huanyun's heart had been pounding wildly after what had just happened and still hadn't calmed down. But when she learned that the woman in front of her was Fang Junhua's mother, she suddenly felt at ease.
It was good that it was his mother. Since she was here, they might as well settle the marriage today!
"Auntie," her eyes softened. She covered her belly with her right hand. "I'm Chen Huanyun from the Marquis's Mansion."
She wasn't stupid. The Marquis's Mansion was a prestigious name now. If she didn't use it to enhance her status now, when would she?
The Marquis's Mansion? Why was it the Marquis's Mansion again?
Was she having bad luck with the Marquis's Mansion recently?
Mrs. Fang's face suddenly darkened. "As far as I know, there's no such young lady in the Marquis's Mansion. There's only a so - called cousin who came from some unknown corner recently. But I vaguely remember her name wasn't this either."
Chen Huanyun forced a smile. "I'm temporarily staying in the Marquis's Mansion. I'm also a relative of the Marquis's family. Blood is thicker than water after all."
Mrs. Fang sneered. "Everyone knows that the relatives of the Marquis's Mansion are all good - for - nothings. You're hesitating and afraid to reveal your family background. I guess you think your family is not good enough."
"Right," she casually flicked her sleeve. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have had an affair with a man and gotten pregnant before marriage!"
"Auntie!" Chen Huanyun's hands suddenly clenched into fists. She said through gritted teeth, "It was Fang Junhua who came to seduce me first! He said I was beautiful and promised me the position of his main wife. That's why I was so infatuated that I did such a thing. Now, does your Fang family want to renege on its promise?"
She glared at Fang Junhua, who didn't dare to say a word. She cursed him in her heart for being a coward. He didn't even dare to say a word in front of his mother!
Fang Junhua rubbed his nose and didn't dare to meet her gaze.
He had long forgotten how they got together. He had always been a womanizer. He would say he liked any beautiful woman he met. Moreover, when a man was coaxing a woman in bed, who wouldn't say some nice words? It was only natural when love was deep.
Mrs. Fang gave her timid second son a cold look. Then she looked up at Chen Huanyun and said slowly, "A man comes to seduce you and you just agree? So in the capital, if anyone says they like you, you'll give yourself to them? Little girl, haven't your parents taught you what propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame are? What self - restraint is?"
Chen Huanyun's face turned pale and then red. She felt both embarrassed and ashamed. After holding back for a while, she couldn't help retorting, "Auntie, it's not your place to judge my parents' upbringing. What's the use of talking about this now? Anyway, I'm pregnant with your Fang family's child. If your Fang family still has any sense of honor, you should discuss how to propose marriage to my family!"
Mrs. Fang laughed mockingly twice. She exchanged a look with the maid beside her and pointed at Chen Huanyun. "Oh, look at this little girl. She thinks that just because she's pregnant, everything will go smoothly. Even the Buddha doesn't have such great power! You might as well ask around the world. Which decent girl who has an out - of - wedlock pregnancy doesn't try to hide it for fear of being discovered? But you, you don't even care about your own face. You can't wait to let the whole capital know!"
"I'm telling you, if you think you can enter our Fang family and be my son's main wife, you're daydreaming!" Mrs. Fang spat. Her words made Chen Huanyun's fair face turn red with anger and anxiety.
"Fang Junhua! I'm pregnant with your child. Don't you have anything to say!" Chen Huanyun couldn't argue with Mrs. Fang. In a fit of anger, she shouted at Fang Junhua.
By now, she no longer had the confidence she had before. All she knew was that if she couldn't settle this matter today and let Fang Junhua leave, it would be very difficult for her to enter the Fang family again!
She had already given herself to him and was even pregnant. If she couldn't enter the Fang family, she might as well die!
Fang Junhua stammered. He looked at Chen Huanyun and then at his mother in embarrassment. He did have a bit of affection for Chen Huanyun. And now that she was pregnant with his first child, being looked at by her like this, he couldn't help but feel a bit soft - hearted. "Mother, how about..."
"How about what?" Mrs. Fang's sharp eyes instantly fell on him. At this look, Fang Junhua immediately swallowed his words and didn't dare to say more. "I've said it. If you think you can be the main wife, it's a pipe dream!"
"However," she sneered. "Considering that you're pregnant with Junhua's child, I can reluctantly agree to let him take you as a concubine."
"Concubine?" Chen Huanyun couldn't believe it. "You want me to be a concubine?"
"Fang Junhua, you want me to be a concubine?" She almost tore the handkerchief in her hand. She stared hatefully at Fang Junhua, who didn't dare to look at her. "I can't be a concubine!"
Her father's words seemed to still ring in her ears. A child born to a concubine would never be on an equal footing. She couldn't be a concubine!
"It's already a great honor for you to be a concubine!" Mrs. Fang sneered. Seeing that the negotiation had broken down, she was too lazy to argue with her anymore. "Having an affair with a man and getting pregnant. In the previous dynasty, you could have been drowned in the pond."
"Alright, I won't say more to you. Go back and discuss it. Either you enter our Fang family as a concubine with the child, or you abort the child and marry some peddler. It's up to you." Mrs. Fang looked at her with a half - smile. "Oh, right. There's another way. Since you're staying in the Marquis's Mansion, if you can persuade Bai Ruochu to come to me in person to discuss the marriage, I might agree."
She had long disliked Bai Ruochu. When they were young, they had similar social status. Why did Bai Ruochu enjoy a comfortable life after marriage while she could only watch her husband take one concubine after another and live a hard life?
If Bai Ruochu really came to plead with her in a humble way and she showed a smug smile, it wouldn't be a bad deal to marry this Chen Huanyun.
These words left Chen Huanyun speechless for a long time. Mrs. Fang sneered and then left, twisting Fang Junhua's ear.
"Miss..." Qing'er stepped forward and carefully supported Chen Huanyun. She said worriedly, "What should we do now?"
"What should we do? What else can we do!" Chen Huanyun suddenly slapped her. Her expression changed several times and finally settled on a gloomy one. "If I can't be the main wife, what hope do I have in this life?"
Now, she could only swallow her pride and sacrifice her reputation to beg that high - and - mighty Lady of the Marquis's Mansion.