It was nearly 7:30 p.m. at Zuimo Court, Building Nine.

The Yan siblings were having dinner in the dining room with their visitors: Mr. Tian, Mrs. Tian, and Tian Yu—the family of three.

The feast spread across the table was quite sumptuous, featuring large prawns, swimming crabs, sea bass, duck, and pork ribs.

Most of the ingredients on the table had been brought over by Mr. and Mrs. Tian.

Mrs. Tian had also been the head chef for this meal.

Yan Ziruo and Tian Yu had only helped with auxiliary tasks like washing vegetables, chopping ingredients, peeling garlic, and serving dishes.

As for the two men, once Yan Feifan had reviewed Mr. Tian’s physical exam report and given him a full-body check-up with a stethoscope and his bare hands, they had settled onto the living room sofa to leisurely drink tea and chat.

During the check-up, Yan Feifan found that aside from slightly high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as some issues with his cervical and lumbar spine from his long-term work as a programmer, Mr. Tian had no other major problems.

Mr. Tian didn’t even need medication. He just had to be mindful of his diet and get some appropriate exercise every day…

“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll supervise Dad’s diet from now on.”

With her lips glistening with grease, Tian Yu declared enthusiastically, “From now on, I’ll take care of all the high-fat, high-calorie food. I’ll just let Dad eat vegetables, like we’re raising a little rabbit.”

Mr. Tian reached out and flicked Xiaoyu on the forehead, pretending to be angry. “You little brat, you really are a good daughter to me, aren’t you!”

Mrs. Tian yawned and snorted softly. “You’re barely home for more than a few meals a week. This diet control will have to rely entirely on his own self-discipline.”

“Look at your belly. It’s gotten so big.”

Mr. Tian patted his slightly protruding stomach and defended himself, “For a man my age, a belly this size is actually pretty good.”

“It’s normal for middle-aged men to put on weight.”

“Isn’t that right, Xiaoyan?”

Yan Feifan grunted in agreement and began to explain, “The human body’s basal metabolic rate starts to decline after the age of twenty-five. On average, it decreases by two to five percent every ten years.”

“At forty, your basal metabolic rate might only be ninety percent of what it was at twenty-five. If you consume the same number of calories as you did then, your body won’t be able to burn them all, and the excess will be stored as fat, leading to obesity.”

“On top of that, factors like decreased physical strength and exercise in middle age, frequent social engagements, and a diet of richer foods all contribute to significant weight gain for many people.”

Yan Feifan then advised, “Mr. Tian, when you eat now, don’t aim to feel full. Eating until you’re about sixty or seventy percent full is enough.”

“Also, try to eat more whole grains…”

Tian Yu piped up again, “Dad, did you hear what Mr. Yan said?”

“You’ve been eating this whole time, so you’re well past seventy or eighty percent full. You can stop eating now.”

Mr. Tian flicked Xiaoyu on the forehead again and huffed, “I should have had a second child with your mother. With a brat like you, I’m worried you won’t even let us eat a full meal when we’re old.”

Tian Yu pouted. “Did I stop you from having a little brother or sister? You’re the ones who decided not to because you thought you couldn’t afford it.”

Though he didn’t say anything, Yan Feifan noticed Mrs. Tian cover her mouth and yawn again.

Mrs. Tian was a real estate agent. In his memory, she was always bustling about, full of energy.

If she were pregnant, the fatigue and drowsiness would be easily explained.

“Mrs. Tian, have you been feeling tired and sleepy lately?”

Mrs. Tian hummed in agreement. “Yes. The weather’s gotten hot, and it makes people drowsy. I feel like I can never get enough sleep.”

Yan Feifan said, “Oh. Mrs. Tian, let me check your temperature.”

He didn’t grab a thermometer, instead simply placing the back of his hand on her forehead and then her arm to feel their temperature.

About half a degree higher than normal.

With this result, Yan Feifan felt he was one big step closer to his suspicion.

“Mrs. Tian, has your period been late?”

“And here…”

Yan Feifan gestured to Mrs. Tian’s chest area and continued, “Has it become more sensitive than before?”

Mrs. Tian’s face flushed, and she said, a bit embarrassed, “My period hasn’t arrived yet.”

“As for the sensitivity, it really has… become a bit more sensitive…”

Mr. Tian asked worriedly, “Xiaoyan, have you discovered something?”

Yan Feifan chuckled lightly. “Mrs. Tian might be pregnant.”

“Ah…”

Tian Yu cried out in surprise, “No way! We were just talking about a second child, and now there’s a pregnancy?”

“Did you two plan this beforehand?”

Mr. Tian lightly tapped Tian Yu on the head. “How could you plan something like this!”

He looked at Yan Feifan, both excited and anxious. “Xiaoyan, are you sure she’s really pregnant?”

Yan Feifan shook his head. “I’m not certain. I can only say there’s a high probability. An internal inflammation is also a possibility.”

“If you’re not in a hurry, you should go to the hospital for a blood test tomorrow.”

Mr. Tian said, flustered, “Not in a hurry, not in a hurry. We’ll just wait and get a check-up tomorrow…”

He picked up his glass of yellow wine and drained it in one gulp, then chuckled foolishly. “I was thinking of enjoying a peaceful life, but I never expected I’d have to start slaving away again, haha…”

Mr. Tian suddenly noticed Xiaoyu sullenly chewing on a crab leg and reached out to stroke the top of her head.

“Xiaoyu, even if your mom has a second child, we’ll still love you just as much as before. The main reason we came over this time was to talk to Ruoruo and Mr. Yan about your high school entrance exams…”

As he said this, Mr. Tian stood up, left the dining room, and went to the living room to get his briefcase.

He opened the briefcase, took out fifty thousand yuan, and placed it on the dining table in front of the Yan siblings.

“Ruoruo, Xiaoyan, Xiaoyu has been freeloading off you for her studies, not to mention food, drinks, and fun. On top of all that, you even sorted out the major issue of her high school entrance exam.”

“This money is just a small token of our appreciation.”

Mrs. Tian quickly added, “These days, a single semester of tutoring for a child can sometimes cost more than this.”

“Forget about Binhai University Affiliated High School, we wouldn’t have even dared to dream of a city key high school.”

“You two pulled some strings for this, and favors have to be repaid. This amount of money might not even be enough to treat them to a single meal…”

“Mr. Tian, Mrs. Tian…”

Yan Ziruo put on a stern face. “If you do this, Feifan and I will get angry.”

“We treat Xiaoyu like our own little sister…”

「At that very moment, in the same private kitchen restaurant where Yan Feifan had held his last celebration banquet, Yu Suye was once again savoring the meal she had been dreaming of.」

“Auntie, I didn’t lie to you, did I? Isn’t it amazing?”

Yu Youlian put down her chopsticks and nodded gently. “It certainly is. The flavor is exquisite.”

She took another sip of soup and asked casually, “Su Ye, how far have things progressed between you and that Yan Feifan kid?”

“What ‘how far’?”

Yu Suye played dumb. “Auntie, I don’t have feelings for him. I’m just trying to get on his good side.”

Yu Youlian snorted. “No feelings? Who are you trying to kid?”

“Do you have any idea that your eyes light up whenever you mention that kid?”

“They do?”

Yu Suye quickly took a small compact mirror from her purse to look at her own eyes.

Yu Youlian shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“Su Ye, don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

Yu Youlian said in a serious tone, “Your grandfather is even more conservative than the old man in my family. To this day, he still believes in things like ‘well-matched families,’ ‘the parents’ command,’ and ‘the matchmaker’s word.'”

“He’s already set on that boy from the Lu Family.”

“But as for Yan Feifan, with the medical skills and potential he’s shown, if you get together with him, you’ll definitely have the support of many of the elders in the family.”

“Then, you’ll have the leverage to stand up to your old man.”

Yu Suye said, a bit shyly, “Auntie, I’m aware of the situation you’re describing.”

“It’s just that Feifan… he’s a clueless fool who hasn’t had his awakening yet.”

Yu Youlian just scoffed.

“With that devastating face of yours, and a figure that’s full where it should be, trim where it should be, and with long, graceful lines.”

“Plus, you two have so much in common…”

“As long as you drop the prim and proper act and take the initiative, forget a clueless fool—even a man of stone would be smitten…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep