Chapter 1149: The Ancestral Hall

She looked at him cautiously, not saying a word nor daring to move.

Pei Ziheng's voice was exceptionally magnetic against the night scene, "Why, am I a tiger who eats humans?"

Xia Ling said, "You're more terrifying than a tiger."

Pei Ziheng remembered what she said about a tiger never eating its cubs. He sneered. "Are you happy now that everyone knows you're carrying my baby?" He spent the afternoon in the study room thinking about how he should settle this issue. His cell phone almost exploded from incoming calls and Pei Zhenyuan had yelled at him to return to the household and issue an explanation to the rest of them. Even Secretary Xie, Chu Chen, and the others were concerned about the situation and keeping their guards up.

Meanwhile, she, the protagonist, had the heart to be sleeping here.

Pei Ziheng looked at her wrapped up in the blanket and said, "Sometimes I really feel like strangling you to death."

"Then do it," Xia Ling said slowly.

They kept quiet for a while before Pei Ziheng's voice was heard again. "Xia Ling, don't you even think I can't bear to do it."

Her heart ached at his statement, but she had to act like she couldn't be bothered by it. "Oh? Can you bear to?" Her love had crumbled long ago, and all that was left was a void. If not for the child, she really might have ended her own life. She looked at the man before her, the man she'd loved so deeply...

But so what if she loved him deeply?

There was so much in this world that was more powerful than her. Could she really hope for a change in destiny?

Pei Ziheng said, "Don't show yourself over the next few days. Chu Chen and I will settle it."

Alas, it was only her who could be taken care of by him even after creating such a mess. Anyone else would've died in his hands a thousand times over.

Xia Ling was alright with anything as long as he did not get rid of the child. But she was concerned about the situation. "How do you intend to deal with this?"

Pei Ziheng looked at her solemnly with an expression that made her hair stand.

Suddenly, he said, "Is this the outcome you want? I've already spoken to the Wang family. We'll tell the media representatives that my engagement with Wang Jingwan was an accident. The fortune-teller said that Wang Jingwan was about to face a serious life crisis, and needed some 'festivity' in her life to counter the negativity. It happens that my Eight Characters were compatible with hers. Hence, the Wang family looked me up.

"Miss Wang Jingwan didn't love me, and I didn't love her. We were simply friends and this was just a favor I was doing for her. According to our plan, we'd call the marriage off a short while after the engagement, but it was unfortunate that Miss Wang didn't manage to survive the life crisis anyway.

"I'll also let the media representatives know that you and I are truly in love, but we haven't gotten married yet because of the agreement with the Wang family. Moreover, Wang Jingwan just passed away, and we found that we should postpone the wedding out of respect for her. As such, we'd have no choice but to let you have the baby first before making further plans."

This was the best outcome he could get after communicating with various parties.

As for other matters, they would just have to wait.

Xia Ling knew that it hadn't been easy to come to an agreement on this narrative. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise that this would make her identity and status legitimate—that she was Pei Ziheng's official lover. A flurry of emotions stirred inside her and she had no idea what to feel.

Pei Ziheng looked at her and added, "And one more thing, your name will be taken down from the Pei family tree, to prevent more gossips and taunting. In a few days, you'll follow me to the ancestral hall."

Xia Ling was stunned for a moment and felt a little lost.

Her name would be taken down? Over 10 years back, she'd been so happy to have been adopted by him, anticipating the love and care he'd shower her with for the rest of her life. But what about now? She was only 20-odd years old, not even halfway through life yet, and she was about to be pathetically chased out of the family?

Yes, chased out.

Now the supposed scenario had changed—she was the one who was dying to have this child, not him. She was no longer a Pei family member, no longer a Miss of the Pei's and would never be a daughter-in-law to them. But... even with all the odds stacked against her, she couldn't bring herself to give this baby up.

That was their baby.

Pei Ziheng changed into his pajamas and got into bed. He embraced her from behind and said, "Go to sleep."

Her back was against his chest. She could feel the warmth of his body and his heartbeat, and this felt like a false sense of being loved. She looked up at the starry night sky behind the window, the flickering of the stars seemed to reflect her fickle-mindedness as well. Just then, a voice reached her from behind. "I'm sorry. I only have a little love, but I'll give it all to you."

Her heart skipped a beat as she remained silent.

Pei Ziheng did not say another word as they sank into silence again.

The Wang family coordinated with Imperial Entertainment and held a press conference. They aligned their statements and expressed that it was all for "countering Wang Jingwan's life crisis". That was all that the Wang family could say, otherwise Pei Ziheng would only make nastier comments about Wang Jingwan. With the help of several parties, Pei Ziheng's and Xia Ling's story became one of a fantasy romance. A good number of people gave them their blessings and hoped that they'd have a blissful life ahead.

Pei Zhenyuan was furious. He threw the papers onto the desk and yelled, "Match made in heaven, what nonsense! I think it's more like shameless adultery!"

Pei Jingyu patted his back to calm him. "Grandpa, things have already gotten to this stage, don't make things so ugly. The family still has to rely on Big Cousin in the future."

Pei Zhenyuan scolded her as well. "Didn't you just go for a short trip, how did you get eliminated just like that! Every single one of you is turning against me!"

Pei Jingyu smiled meekly without saying anything more.

Pei Zhenyuan slammed the table. "I'll make sure she gets a taste of it at the ancestral hall!"

Soon, that day arrived. With Pei Ziheng by her side, Xia Ling slowly walked into the ancestral hall in a loose-fitting pastel green blouse. She was now five months pregnant and the baby bump was pretty obvious, but she still looked as beautiful as before. Many of the Pei family members couldn't take their eyes off her.

She stood steadily before the ancestral tablet and felt all eyes on her. Since she had already come to this, there was no longer anything to fear. Whether the Pei family members looked down on her and detested her, they wouldn't be able to waver her.

She was having this child and that was that.

The person in charge of this ritual was a venerable elderly from the household. Before officially striking her name off the family tree, he first had to declare her "sins" to the rest of the family present. He read it one by one, all of which were along the lines of being a shameless unwed woman, an ingrate, not having moral righteousness and the like.