My College Teacher is My Children's Mom

Hearing these words, Zhao Lizhen immediately scoffed. "What worries could he possibly have? Our biggest concern is you; nothing else matters. Now that you and Lin Feng are so in love, and the babies are all well-behaved, we have nothing on our minds. He's even less concerned, living a life of absolute comfort. The other day when I went to the golf course, he was having a grand old time chatting with a female instructor! Him? Worries… hah."

The more she spoke, the more she grumbled.

Zhang Yuxi sighed, "…"

"Mom, please go ask him," she said. "Maybe Dad really is in some kind of trouble. If it's about money and he's too embarrassed to say anything, I'll talk to Lin Feng."

Zhao Lizhen frowned. "Alright, I'll go ask him."

She muttered to herself as she went upstairs, "Daring to smoke in the house. He's really got some nerve!"

Her footsteps clattered as she returned to the room, startling Zhang Fuyong, who was already at his wit's end.

Zhao Lizhen walked right up to him, her tone icy. "I smelled smoke in the living room just now. Was that you?"

Zhang Fuyong was dumbfounded. I smoked half a cigarette an hour ago! Does she have the nose of a bloodhound? How could she possibly still smell it? Even a dog wasn't that skilled. Lin Feng and Zhang Yuxi must have told her.

Zhao Lizhen's anger was usually all for show; she rarely got genuinely furious. Even so, Zhang Fuyong was powerless against her.

He nodded numbly. "Yes, it was!"

Zhao Lizhen tilted her chin up slightly. "And who gave you the nerve?"

Zhang Fuyong just shrugged, not answering. You did, of course.

Sitting down at her dressing table, Zhao Lizhen said, "Speak. Why were you smoking?"

Zhang Fuyong sat up straight and grabbed her hand. "Honey, you…"

Zhao Lizhen shook his hand off and frowned. "Speak properly."

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Fuyong asked solemnly, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Hearing the accusatory edge in his voice, Zhao Lizhen's expression darkened slightly. "Say what you mean!"

Zhang Fuyong stood up, rummaged through his bag, and pulled out seven test strips. "How do you explain these?"

Zhao Lizhen frowned. "What is there to explain? Don't they come with instructions?"

"No matter what, I'm mentally prepared," Zhang Fuyong said gravely.

Zhao Lizhen understood. So that's it. He's worried about our daughter being pregnant.

She settled into a comfortable and elegant posture. "Well, do you hope for a 'yes' or a 'no'?"

Zhang Fuyong was in turmoil. At their age, it was probably better not to have another one. So embarrassing!

"If… if it's yes, I'll support whatever you decide."

"Why are you looking at me? Is it my decision to make?"

Zhang Fuyong was surprised. "You're letting me decide?"

"What can you decide? I'm just asking for your thoughts and opinion."

Wiping away a bit of cold sweat, Zhang Fuyong declared, "If it's positive, then let's have the baby! The three-child policy is in effect now. Lots of people whose kids are already in college are planning to have another. We're not old, not even fifty yet. We're still young! It would bring more joy to our home!"

Thinking about it this way, Zhang Fuyong had an epiphany. It was settled.

Zhao Lizhen chuckled. "Have the baby? Aren't you going to consider Yuxi's health?"

Zhang Fuyong was stunned. "Yuxi? What does this have to do with Yuxi?"

"How could it not have to do with her? These are her…" As she spoke, Zhao Lizhen suddenly realized something, her eyes widening in disbelief. "After all that, you thought it was me? That I… I was pregnant?"

Good heavens, she could barely bring herself to say the last words. Both angry and amused, Zhao Lizhen grabbed the cushion behind her and threw it at him.

"Me, pregnant? How could you even come up with such a wild idea? Don't you know your own body? If I was going to get pregnant, it would've happened long ago!"

Zhang Fuyong felt deeply humiliated. "You'd better explain what you mean by that!"

"What's there to explain? We have grandchildren already! Stop entertaining such crazy thoughts." Unwilling to deal with him any longer, Zhao Lizhen stood up and walked out.

Zhang Fuyong snorted heavily and cracked his knuckles. I'll remember that! So that's what she thinks of me! Just you wait until tonight!

Seeing her mother come out, Zhang Yuxi asked, "Mom? What's wrong? Your face is all red."

"I was probably just angered by your father," Zhao Lizhen said evasively.

"By the way, what's going on with Dad?"

Zhao Lizhen scoffed. "Him? Pay him no mind. It's nothing. He just gets too many ideas in his head and is always up to some ridiculous antics."

Zhang Yuxi: "???"

「In the afternoon, the An Lan family of three visited.」

An Lan's parents had been busy trying to get their hotel's star rating upgraded, hoping to finish before the end of the year.

They were all close enough that there was no need for formalities. An Lan's mother soon found an opportunity to pull Zhao Lizhen aside for a private chat.

She eyed Zhao Lizhen, unable to hide her amusement. "I heard you ran into the Lu family today and really put them in their place?"

Zhao Lizhen was surprised. "How did you know? Your sources are incredibly fast."

"Never mind how I know," An Lan's mother urged. "Just tell me, what did you do?"

Zhao Lizhen lifted her chin, a triumphant smile on her face. "Don't you know already?"

"I don't know the juicy details!" An Lan's mother grinned. "Come on, spill." We've been best friends for so long; how could I not know what she's like? In that kind of situation, backing down is definitely not her style.

"What else could I do? My son-in-law is so outstanding, I had to show him off, right? And my little grandbabies are so adorable, I had to show them off, too!"

An Lan's mother tugged at her sleeve. "Quick, tell me how you showed them off!"

Zhao Lizhen pursed her lips and smiled. "Actually, I didn't just run into them. I went there on purpose. I found out from Du Qian's aunt that they were celebrating Du Qian's birthday at the restaurant. With everyone who should be there present, it was too good a chance to pass up. It would have been a waste not to do something, right?"

Like mother, like daughter. Nearby, An Lan was also pulling Zhang Yuxi aside to ask about what had happened at noon.

"…'My son-in-law, well, he's got a few assets of his own,'" An Lan said, perfectly imitating Zhao Lizhen's tone. "'Not much, just tens of billions, that's all.'" She burst out laughing at the end.

"Well said! That's Auntie for you. That's exactly how you should have shut them down," An Lan said. "Ah, it's such a shame I wasn't there. I really wish I could have seen the look on the Lu family's faces. And Du Qian! I heard she's already gained twenty pounds since getting pregnant! At this rate, who knows how huge she'll get. Lu Boyu was always carrying a torch for you. After seeing Director Lin, he must have finally given up for good."

After basking in the victory, An Lan rested her chin on her hands and said, "Yuxi, honestly, you're so lucky! If you had married into the Lu family, things would be completely different now. No matter how much Lu Boyu loved you or was willing to do for you, his parents would have always been in the way."

Zhang Yuxi nodded, marveling at how her misfortune had truly been a blessing in disguise.

Dinner was prepared by Lin Feng.

At the dinner table, Zhang Fuyong once again brought up the incident where Zhao Lizhen had made a clay pot explode.

Zhao Lizhen was mortified. "Can't all that food in your mouth keep you quiet?"

Zhang Fuyong just chuckled. "I'm just telling it as a funny story."

After a hearty laugh, An Lan's mother couldn't resist teasing her friend. "He's right. You should stay away from chicken soup in a clay pot. That dish is not for you!"

Zhao Lizhen huffed. "Fine. I'm not making chicken soup anymore, so don't even think about asking."

Zhang Fuyong immediately complained, "Can't you just use a different pot to make it?"

Zhao Lizhen shot back, "I don't know how!"