Finally getting to the point, Li Zhi suppressed his displeasure and spoke in a flat tone, "His name is Li Ziqiao. Qin Yan and I plan to adopt him. From now on, he will be our son. Ziqiao, these are your second uncle and aunt, greet them."
Li Ziqiao was about to stand up and speak timidly when Qin's Father interrupted.
Qin's Father, with a somewhat unpleasant expression, said, "Hold on, this matter hasn't been clarified yet. Don't rush to greet anyone."
Li Ziqiao's face paled, and he could only sit down with his head lowered.
Qin's Mother, being soft-hearted and feeling sorry for the child, said, "Why don't we let Ziqiao go play outside for now?"
Whatever needed to be said shouldn't be said in front of the child.
"It's fine," Li Zhi seemed unconcerned about the child's emotions.
Qin's Father, who had been holding back his anger, spoke directly, "Then let me be frank. Yan Yan is only thirty years old, not yet at an age where she can't have children, right? You didn't even give us a heads up and just brought the child back to inform us. Is this how the Li family conducts business?"
Li's Mother said, "In-law, you can't blame us for this. Ever since Yan Yan's difficult first pregnancy that injured her body, doctors have said it would be difficult for her to conceive again. We can't just wait and waste time..."
Nine years ago, Qin Yan had a stillbirth and couldn't get pregnant afterward.
But the Qin family felt that with medical advancements and Qin Yan still being so young, there was always a chance. They didn't expect the Li family to directly bring a child today.
At this point, Qin Yan's eyes immediately turned red.
[Are they in such a hurry because Li Zhi is about to die and the Li family is about to lose their lineage?] Ji Fei thought sarcastically while eating fruit.
The frustrated Qin family members almost couldn't hold back when they heard this. Even Qin Yan's sorrowful mood was momentarily suspended.
Qin Xian coughed and pressed his hand on Ji Fei's arm, saying, "We're about to eat, don't eat too much fruit."
Then he spoke to Li Zhi, "Why such a rush? Even if you've given up hope and insist on adoption, shouldn't it be a child of a different age?"
Ji Fei obediently put down her fruit fork, but upon hearing Qin Xian's question, she immediately praised in her mind, [Wow, Watson, you've discovered the blind spot!]
Qin Xian paused. Was there really an issue?
Qin's Father and Mother were also stunned. What? What?
Qin Yan's body shuddered, and she looked at Ji Fei in astonishment.
Before Li Zhi could speak, Qin Xian asked sharply, "What's so special about this child that made your Li family choose him?"
Li's Mother and Li Zhi's faces stiffened. Li's Mother immediately forced a laugh and said, "It's just that he's exactly nine years old, and he looks a bit like my son and Yan Yan. We thought it might be some kind of fate, so..."
These words struck a chord, making Qin's Father and Mother involuntarily look closely at Li Ziqiao. Indeed, he did resemble Li Zhi and Qin Yan a bit.
However, when Qin Yan heard this, her face became even more troubled, with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Meanwhile, Li Ziqiao, for some reason, lowered his head even more, looking extremely guilty.
[Bravo! Absolutely brilliant! The child Li Zhi wants to adopt is actually his own son. Since Qin Yan didn't give birth, doesn't that mean it's an illegitimate child from outside? Now they're forcing Qin Yan to raise him, how dare they say such things? Their faces are thicker than city walls!]
The Qin family: !!!!!
These words hit like a thunderbolt, stunning the Qin family. They looked at the people on the opposite sofa in disbelief.
Naturally, Qin Yan was even more incredulous as she looked at Ji Fei, completely unable to understand how Ji Fei knew this.
[And they even made Qin Yan help conceal the child's background, saying the child must be adopted, and if the truth comes out, the Qin family would surely make a fuss. They told Qin Yan not to cause trouble, saying it would make both families unhappy, and if she had to blame someone, she should blame herself for not being able to have children. They can't let their family line die out. My goodness, does your family have an imperial throne to inherit?]
[Qin Yan actually hesitated. Good heavens, did Li Zhi catch her committing murder or arson? How can she endure such humiliation?]
The Qin family was shocked, shocked, and shocked again! Their eyes were about to pop out as they looked at Qin Yan.
Qin Yan was like a balloon that had been pricked. Once a small hole appeared, all her grievances poured out at once, and she nearly burst into tears, covering her face.
Qin Xian's face turned ashen, finally understanding what Ji Fei meant by "juicy gossip."
The Li family still didn't understand why the atmosphere among the Qin family members had changed so suddenly.
Qin Xian spoke coldly, "Then what about this child's birth parents? Who are they? Have you investigated thoroughly? If you haven't, I will. To become a member of our family, their background must be clear."
Upon hearing this, Li's Mother and Li Zhi's faces immediately changed.
Their reaction also made Qin's Father and Mother, who had been shocked by Ji Fei's internal monologue, come to their senses.
Ji Fei's inner thoughts were true!
They were so angry they almost jumped up to hit someone.
"This child is mine," Li Zhi, knowing Qin Xian's character, didn't struggle and directly admitted it.
When Qin's Father heard that Li Zhi showed no shame at all, he suddenly slammed his hand on the marble tabletop, startling even the butler who had just come to help serve the meal.
After all, Qin's Father rarely got so angry since his retirement.
The elderly butler put down the tray, already considering whether to fetch a weapon for Qin's Father to beat someone.
Li Zhi's face paled, but he still forced himself to say, "Regarding this child, I haven't wronged Qin Yan. He was left behind by my ex-girlfriend without my knowledge."
Li's Mother quickly added, "That's right, in-laws, please don't be angry. We only just found out about this child's existence. Everyone knows how our two families' marriage came about. Now that Yan Yan can't have children, it just so happens that we have a descendant of the Li family out there, so we thought of adopting the child back. The child's birth mother has disappeared, and this absolutely won't shake Yan Yan's position in our Li family."
Qin's Mother immediately flushed with anger, "So you're saying my daughter should be grateful for this opportunity to help your son raise his illegitimate child with his ex-girlfriend? You've certainly thought this through!"
"Oh my, if you think about it this way, Yan Yan doesn't have to bear the pressure of having children, and she gets a ready-made son. Once we go through the legal procedures, he'll be no different from a biological child," Li's Mother continued.
Qin's Mother was so angry she didn't know what to say, feeling that this was too much of an insult.
So this was the humiliation her daughter had endured. They blamed themselves for raising their eldest daughter to be too gentle, probably not knowing how to handle such a situation, which is why she instinctively wanted to come home.
Thinking of this, Qin's Mother didn't care if it was cruel to the child anymore and directly said, "Then let our Qin family be clear: we do not agree."
Qin's Father also maintained a stern face, indicating his support for Qin's Mother's statement.
Qin Xian remained silent, but when he turned his head, he saw that Ji Fei was already eating heartily from her rice bowl.
He was immediately speechless. Was she really that hungry?
However, seeing her eat with such relish while still listening intently, he suddenly felt hungry too and picked up his 'conveniently placed' bowl and chopsticks.
Mm, eating a full meal helps one deal with situations calmly.
The tense atmosphere on the other side meant they didn't notice these two who were ignoring the mood.
Li's Mother's face soured a bit. Li Zhi hated feeling pressured by his in-laws the most, but he didn't dare to talk back. He could only pick on the softest target, saying in an unfriendly tone, "Qin Yan, say something. Didn't you not object before?"
"That's right, are you going to drive out my only grandson?" Li's Mother also started with emotional blackmail.
"Enough!" Qin's Father exploded with anger, "Qin Yan, what do you think? Rest assured, whatever decision you make, we will always have your back. No one can bully you!"
Li's Mother and Li Zhi's faces immediately darkened further.
"Dad, I..." Qin Yan panicked and glanced down at Li Ziqiao.
Although she had taken care of the child for two days and he was very well-behaved, and Li Zhi seemed to show no affection for the child, which gave her some comfort, she still felt deeply uncomfortable inside. If it were any other child, she thought she could be a foster mother, but this child...
Li Ziqiao, Qiao Qiao... Qiao Meng, that woman's name.
"Qin Yan!" Li Zhi's tone was threatening.
Qin Yan panicked even more and spoke pleadingly, "I really don't know. Mom, Dad, what do you think?"
Qin's Father and Mother immediately looked disappointed. In the past, Qin Yan was just good-tempered, but how did she become so weak and indecisive after marriage?
Qin Xian put down his chopsticks and sighed, thinking he might as well make a decision for his spineless sister. This child absolutely cannot be raised here.
But then he heard Ji Fei's inner roar: [Damn it! What's there not to know? They're literally shitting on your head, and you're still hesitating? If you don't divorce in this situation, what are you waiting for, New Year's?]
