When the session ended, Yuan Ya'er called out to Yan Zhen.
She stared at Yan Zhen blankly and said to him, "Brother Yan Zhen, I'm pregnant with our child."
She gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen. "Will you please give him a name?"
"Get out of here! This is not my child!" Yan Zhen roared excitedly. "You must abort it! I won't recognize this child! We only slept together once. How could it be so coincidental that you got pregnant? I don't believe it! I will appeal. I'm definitely going to appeal!"
If it weren't for the lawyer holding him back, he might have rushed up to strangle Yuan Ya'er on the spot.
"Yan Zhen." Xu Zixi called out to him in time from behind. "Let's go."
Hearing her voice, Yan Zhen instantly came to his senses. He gave Yuan Ya'er a disgusted look as if she were a stranger, then followed Xu Zixi and Yan Yincheng, intending to leave.
This scene stabbed Yuan Ya'er in the eye. She didn't intend to let Xu Zixi off so easily. Raising her voice, she said:
"Sister Xiaoxi, I really know I was wrong. I won't fight with you for anything ever again. I will be a good person and also be a good mother like you. Can you forgive me and the child in my belly for the sake of the fact that we're both carrying descendants of the Yan family?"
Yan Zhen was once again enraged by Yuan Ya'er.
"Shut up! I'm already divorced from you! And this child must not be mine! You're not qualified to call him a descendant of the Yan family!"
Yan Haikun placed his hand on Yan Zhen's shoulder and said calmly, "That's enough. There's no point talking to such a person. Whether it's a descendant of the Yan family or not will be known after the child is born and a paternity test is done. Of course, it would be best if the child were not born."
"Grandpa Yan..." Yuan Ya'er said with teary eyes. "I made a mistake, but the child is innocent. I don't want him to come into this world at this time either. But such things are beyond my control..."
Xu Zixi turned around, looked at the dejected Yuan Ya'er, and laughed:
"Yuan Ya'er, I didn't want to bother with you at first. But you're really disgusting me. I've never seen such a selfish and shameless person like you."
"I must correct you on one thing. My child will surely become the most upright and respected great figure in the world. But your child will be different. With a mother like you, a vicious murderer, his whole life will be a tragedy."
"Because he will always live under the shadow of having a mother who is a murderer and will never feel any happiness."
After saying that, she forcefully pulled Yan Yincheng and left the court.
Yuan Ya'er stood there, watching the Yan family members leave in a grand manner. The smile on her face gradually faded, and finally, she sneered.
Still want to appeal? Humph, let's wait and see. It's not certain who the protagonist of this world will be.
This verdict was completely unexpected. So when they walked out of the court, Xu Zixi noticed that the faces of Yan Yincheng, Yan Zhen, and even Old Master Yan were all very solemn.
Xu Zixi wanted to comfort them but didn't know where to start because even she felt as if a dark cloud was hanging over her head, and a thunderbolt might strike at any moment.
At the court gate, Yan Haikun stroked the armrest of his walking stick, looked at the sky, and sighed, "Forget it. Things are unpredictable. Anyway, the court has already sentenced her. It's a six - year prison term without probation. She still has to go back to prison to serve her sentence after giving birth. It can be considered a punishment."
"Grandpa, how can we just let it go like this? I will definitely appeal!" Yan Zhen said anxiously. "I'm not satisfied with the first - instance verdict!"
"Yan Zhen." Yan Haikun's tone became a bit heavier. "Don't always dwell on the past. Look forward. Don't let this woman hold you back. Appeal? If the original verdict is upheld, how long do you still want to be entangled with her?"
Yan Zhen's lips turned a bit pale. He looked up at Yan Haikun. "Grandpa..."
"You said before that you wanted to break away from the Yan family and start your own business. How's it going? Any progress?"
Yan Zhen moved his lips but couldn't say a word. In the past two months, he had been running around for this case and had also been retaliating against the Yuan and Xu families for Yuan Xi. How could he have thought about starting his own business? There had been no progress at all.
Yan Haikun sighed and looked at Yan Yincheng. "A Cheng, what do you think?"
"Recently, I've acquired several similar enterprises in Country L. I plan to let the Yan Group enter the market of Country L. There's a shortage of someone to take charge there. If you're willing, you can go there to work."
Yan Zhen was stunned. "Uncle!" This meant they hadn't given up on him? Uncle and Grandpa were still willing to cultivate him?
"However, I have a condition." Yan Yincheng said. "When the market share of the Yan Group in Country L reaches 80%, you can come back to China. This process may take five years, ten years, or even longer. It all depends on your ability."
"When you achieve that and return to Fengcheng, I can let you return to work at the headquarters."
Yan Zhen's eyes became a bit hot.
Actually, he understood that Grandpa and Uncle wanted him to go abroad to avoid trouble. All that Yuan Ya'er had done was, in the final analysis, because of him.
As long as he wasn't in the country, even if Yuan Ya'er was released from prison after serving her sentence and came to pester him with a child who might be his, it would be of no use. As long as Grandpa and Uncle didn't recognize the child, what could Yuan Ya'er do?
Let's go. Leave this place. The farther, the better.
Making a decision in his heart, Yan Zhen clenched his fist and said:
"I'm willing to go to Country L to manage the branch there! And I will definitely do my best to achieve the goal you want, Uncle."
Yan Yincheng said, "Report for duty in three days."
Yan Zhen: "No problem!"
After making the decision, they separated outside the court and got into their cars to leave.
Xu Zixi didn't forget the requests of the two kids. On the way, she bought Chinese rice cakes and candied haws as gifts for them. On the way back, Xu Zixi leaned on Yan Yincheng's shoulder, and their hands were clasped tightly together and never separated.
When they got home, the kids were extremely happy when they received the gifts. The sour - and - sweet candied haws instantly became their new favorite. They ate until their mouths were covered in sugar stains, looking like two little kittens.
But looking at the two cute and well - behaved kids, Xu Zixi sighed imperceptibly. She inexplicably felt that the burden on her shoulders was heavy.
Yan Yincheng heard it but didn't say anything. He just put his arm around her shoulder.
At night, after a passionate time, Yan Yincheng's fingertips traced a small mole on her shoulder blade and said, "Zixi, you're not happy."
Xu Zixi laughed. "You even noticed this."
"I think you and I have the same concerns." Yan Yincheng said. "Are you worried that the arrival of Yuan Ya'er's child means that history can't be changed?"
Xu Zixi forced a relaxed smile and said, "You're the one who knows me best, Brother Cheng."
"Maybe there's really some kind of luck in your Yan family. The children come so suddenly. I didn't expect that Yan Zhen and Yuan Ya'er could get pregnant like this."
Her forced calm made Yan Yincheng extremely heart - ache. He held her hand and kissed the back of it.
"Don't worry. I'm here. You just focus on achieving your career goals. Leave the mission of protecting you and the children to me. In this lifetime, I will protect my woman and my children well and let you live a peaceful life."
"Brother Cheng, you're so good." Xu Zixi said touched and hugged the man in front of her tightly.
At this moment, the door was suddenly knocked on urgently. "A Cheng, A Cheng, Zixi, are you asleep?"