Lu Yan lowered his head and looked at Ning Anmiao, who was beaming with a row of cute white teeth. For a moment, he couldn't help but smile.
Out of habit, he reached out his hand, and his palm landed on top of her head, gently rubbing it twice.
This seemingly casual gesture was full of endless doting, making one's heart tingle.
Lu Yan asked, "Are you full?"
"Yeah, I'm full."
Ning Anmiao blinked her eyes and placed her small hand on her belly, making it bulge. Looking serious, she said, "I'm so full I'm about to burst."
Her childish act made Lu Yan pause for a moment. He couldn't help but get in the mood to tease her. "Really? Let me feel."
After saying that, he reached out to lift her pajamas to feel her belly. Ning Anmiao laughed and ran away. She also turned her head and made a face at him. "Bold! How dare you act like a hooligan in broad daylight!"
Lu Yan was a serious man and never had the mind for play. He chased her a few steps but then slowly stopped. There was a smile in his calm voice. "Miaomiao, slow down. Don't bump into anything."
Just as they were having fun, suddenly someone rang the doorbell at the entrance. Both of them froze in place and looked at each other.
"I'll go open the door." Lu Yan's face returned to its usual calm. He casually said this and then walked towards the door with no trace of emotion on his face.
Ning Anmiao, who was standing there, reached out to tuck the stray hairs behind her ears. She lowered her head to tidy up her clothes and was also guessing who the visitor was.
The moment she locked eyes with the person who came in from the door, Ning Anmiao's pupils shrank a bit.
"Mom, why are you here?"
Lu Yan's speech was slow. One couldn't tell his emotions from his voice, but there was definitely no sign of happiness.
As soon as Lu's mother entered the door, she saw Ning Anmiao. A flash of undisguised disgust crossed her eyes. Without even looking up, she started changing her shoes at the entrance. "I came to talk to you about something. Good timing. All the relevant people are here."
Hearing this, Ning Anmiao understood immediately. Her palms tightened.
It seemed that she had most likely come to break them up. Maybe she would even bring up the incident of driving her out of the studio last time and give a good complaint.
After sitting on the sofa, Lu's mother gathered her emotions. Her eyes were full of hatred and anger. Pointing at Ning Anmiao, she said, "Lu Yan, didn't you divorce her? Why did you let her come to the house again?"
"I'm planning to remarry Miaomiao." Lu Yan's words were concise, with his characteristic calmness and coldness.
He had always been like this and didn't intend to hide this matter from Lu's mother.
Rather than answering her, his tone was more like informing her.
Lu's mother was stunned. She didn't expect the gossips she heard in the office last time to be true. Her face immediately turned unpleasant.
"Lu Yan, marriage is not a joke." Lu's mother controlled her emotions. Her voice was non - negotiable. "With your status, you can't just play around."
"I know better than anyone whether my marriage should be a joke or not." Lu Yan's tone was calm, but every word was firm. "Especially when it comes to marrying Miaomiao."
Ning Anmiao was standing beside them. Hearing his solemn statement, her heart couldn't help but race.
Finally, Lu Yan was defending her in front of Lu's mother.
Lu's mother could tell that her son was determined to remarry Ning Anmiao. She was annoyed but helpless, so she turned her sharpness towards Ning Anmiao.
"Miaomiao, Lu Yan is impulsive, but you can't act recklessly with him." Lu's mother forced out the little kindness left in her smile, but her voice was clearly louder than before.
Ning Anmiao lowered her head, not knowing whether she should respond or not.
In her heart, she didn't want to pay attention to Lu's mother. But with Lu Yan standing beside her, she didn't want to be a coward anymore for the time being.
"I don't think Lu Yan and I are acting recklessly." A few seconds later, Ning Anmiao calmly spoke up. Her voice was neither overbearing nor humble. "This is a matter between the two of us. Please don't interfere."
"Ning Anmiao!" Lu's mother couldn't hold back and suddenly raised her voice, as if warning her. "Even if you have feelings for Lu Yan, you should be sensible and know your place."
"With Lu Yan's current status as the head of the Lu family, he needs an heir to inherit the family business. But you couldn't give birth to a child in three years. Obviously, you're not a suitable candidate."
After saying this, Lu's mother seemed to gain some confidence. Standing in front of Lu Yan, she took on the stance of an elder. "Lu Yan, I can ignore other aspects of your life. I know you have your own plans."
"But regarding the issue of children, I can't let you mess around anymore." While preaching earnestly, she also pretended to be thinking about him.
"You're the only bloodline of the Lu family now. You're still young and have the energy and strength to manage the company. But after a decade or so, will you still be able to manage it?"
The more she spoke, the more reasonable she thought she was.
Now, standing on the high ground of the family's development, Lu Yan should have no reason to refute her.
It was also a fact that Ning Anmiao couldn't give birth to a child in three years.
"You're right." Lu Yan's voice was steady. It seemed that he had taken her words to heart. "The Lu family is a big family. It really needs someone to help me share the pressure."
Lu's mother immediately beamed with a smile. "So, you two..."
"So, since you want a child so much, you can find a suitable person and give birth to one quickly while your body is still in good condition."
Lu Yan interrupted her. His voice sank a bit. "Don't worry. I'm not a rigid and old - fashioned person. It doesn't matter even if you have a younger brother with someone else."
"As long as someone can come to help share the pressure of the company, I don't care whether he has Lu family blood in his veins or not."
After saying that, he deliberately paused. There was a hint of sarcasm or indifference in his tone. "Anyway, you're no stranger to such disgraceful things."
"Otherwise, how could I exist?"
Every word in this speech was full of great humiliation, gradually peeling off the identity of the wealthy wife that Lu's mother had built over the years.
The words seemed to be reminding her: Don't forget, you were just an unacknowledged mistress of the old Mr. Lu back then.
Lu's mother's face turned pale. Her hands involuntarily tightened, and cold sweat started to break out on her back.
Since she brought Lu Yan back to the Lu family, because of his own abilities and his status as the heir of the Lu family, no one had ever dared to say such things in front of her!
Now, she heard the most humiliating and the things she least wanted to be mentioned in her life from her own son's mouth!
Seeing Lu's mother's face turn pale and then red, Lu Yan softened his tone.
Although he resented Lu's mother, he wouldn't press her too hard.
He said soothingly, "Mom, I'm almost thirty. It's time for me to start a family and a career."
"I'm not a young man in his early twenties. I can make clear judgments about my decisions and be responsible for what I do."