Wang Qiqi kept telling herself not to bother with this mistress. No matter how arrogant she was now, there would eventually be a moment when her bubble burst. The louder she made a scene now, the more people she installed in the company, driving away useful personnel through offense or outright dismissal—once the child was born, that would be her downfall.

However, just leaving like this would make her seem afraid. Wang Qiqi walked to within about two meters of the mistress. "The mistresses these days are truly shameless. Not only is she pregnant out of wedlock and an adulterer, but she dares to run around while heavily pregnant. Doesn't she worry about jeopardizing the baby? You should know this child is your only ticket into the Li family, your leverage. If I were you, I’d stay home quietly and focus on the pregnancy. I hear this one is a boy, so you need to be even more careful. What if something unforeseen happens? Oh dear, did I say the wrong thing?" Wang Qiqi covered her mouth, feigning deep regret, looking as if she truly feared her words might come true. She closely watched the mistress’s face and noticed a flicker of panic. Wang Qiqi wondered if the woman genuinely considered an abortion, or perhaps orchestrate an ‘accident’ to lose the child, betting that fate favored her and she could always conceive again.

Wang Qiqi turned towards Li Xiangdong. "Uncle Li, I heard pregnant women need extra care, especially now that you’re further along. Any accident could be a huge loss to the mother. She needs to maintain a cheerful mood and get some appropriate 〖exercise〗 daily, preferably with someone nearby to look after her. Sister Qian mentioned how diligently her in-laws cared for her when she was pregnant, which is why she had such a healthy, chubby little boy."

Wang Qiqi secretly chuckled. Li Qian had vented thoroughly that day about how badly her in-laws treated her during her pregnancy—if she hadn't given birth to a son, who knew what might have happened. Li Qian, usually so patient, had been driven to fury by her in-laws. This girl, on the other hand, had a terrible temper and was spoiled; Wang Qiqi couldn't help but imagine the fireworks when these three gathered. The mistress wasn't easy to handle, and Li Xiangdong’s mother was certainly no pushover either. If the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law clashed, would Li Xiangdong have an easy time caught in the middle? No matter whom he sided with, it would be problematic. Perhaps in a fit of anger, he would simply stop coming home, opting for the policy of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’

If the man avoids coming home, wouldn't the mistress become suspicious and insecure? If she endures it, it’s bad for her health; if she can’t stand it and argues with Li Xiangdong, what would the in-laws think when they witness it? They certainly wouldn't look kindly upon a future daughter-in-law who acted out. All in all, Wang Qiqi felt her visit today was certainly worthwhile. Honestly, Wang Qiqi felt even fate hadn't helped her, but if she hadn't been present today or hadn't offered a sarcastic remark, Wang Qiqi truly wouldn't have spoken up.

Li Xiangdong was initially quite displeased with Wang Qiqi’s words, as criticizing the mistress also implicated him. But later, Wang Qiqi’s subsequent remarks struck him as quite sensible. Since getting pregnant, the mistress had frequently claimed discomfort to demand his company, yet she constantly rushed about. What if something actually happened? "Qiqi, thank you so much for the reminder." His mother had always favored this woman and they seemed to get along well. Li Xiangdong had long wanted his parents to move in with them, but Li Qian had been unwilling before. Since that was the case, he might as well buy a larger house; then all three generations could live together, which might actually be better.

The mistress was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected Wang Qiqi, after reprimanding her, to suggest having her in-laws come to care for her. How could she accept that? Don't misunderstand; while she had gotten along well with her future in-laws, that was all part of her effort to secure entry into the Li family. But that didn't mean she had no issues with them. Why would she willingly move in with them? Could she maintain the luxurious life she was enjoying now?

Wang Qiqi shot her a look that said, good luck to you, and swiftly slipped away. Regardless, this matter seemed settled for now. In truth, after Li Xiangdong and Li Qian divorced, even if she said nothing now, she would naturally fade out of this life eventually. But she hadn't expected to dig a pit for someone right before leaving. Seeing the other woman glare at her as if she wanted to eat her, Wang Qiqi merely pointed at her belly with a beaming smile and walked away.

When the mistress saw Wang Qiqi point at her stomach, her first reaction was that Wang Qiqi must know she was carrying a girl. In fact, she had paid someone to check, and it was a girl. But her immediate impulse was to terminate the pregnancy. She knew Li Xiangdong’s parents, even with one grandson, wouldn't mind having another, but if they discovered she was carrying a girl, how could they agree to the marriage? Li Qian had stripped away a massive fortune during the divorce from Li Xiangdong. The mistress realized that besides the company, she would have nothing else; she only secured the smallest house. The more she thought, the angrier she became. Just days ago, she had been arguing about needing a house, and a large one at that. She had planned to bring her own parents over later to help with the child, reasoning that the in-laws were old and wouldn't help raise the baby. But before she could even get Li Xiangdong to agree, Wang Qiqi had sprung this on her—what kind of mess was this?

"Xiangdong, well, I certainly welcome Mom and Dad moving in, but you know they are old. Taking care of the baby will be a problem." The mistress said hesitantly, having clearly seen Li Xiangdong was very interested in the suggestion of inviting his parents over. "My parents are younger, and they already said they could help us with the child." She knew Li Xiangdong was a frugal penny-pincher, but so what? The moment she imagined all that wealth belonging to her and her child in the future, she felt a surge of accomplishment. After all, there was so much money on the company books. As for that foolish woman Li Qian, she only asked for savings and a house, giving up the company—she clearly had no brains; the company brought in a steady stream of income.

Li Xiangdong had been contemplating whether it was truly suitable to have his parents move in. They had lived with Li Qian for a while, and it had made everyone unhappy. The reason he had agreed to Qiqi’s suggestion was that he believed she got along well with his parents and they would coexist peacefully. But just as he was about to say something to the mistress, he noticed her gloomy expression, and his heart sank. Although he knew her motives were impure, he hadn't expected her to reveal her true colors before even marrying into the family. While having her parents care for the child might save on nanny costs on the surface, Li Xiangdong recalled that the money spent visiting her parents several times hadn't been insignificant.

Li Xiangdong lowered his head in thought. It was better to hire a nanny. It might even cost less than having his future in-laws come over to raise the child. With this thought, Li Xiangdong addressed the mistress, who was sitting on the sofa lost in her own world: "My parents have always regretted not raising Li Zhe themselves. Now that you're pregnant, they want to raise this child with their own hands. As for whether they'll be too tired or capable of caring for the baby properly, I've thought it through—we can just hire a caregiver. Besides, you don't work; you have plenty of time to look after the child." Keeping her busy raising the child would be better than letting her wander from place to place all day. Previously, Li Xiangdong thought Li Qian was extravagant, while the mistress was frugal, but now reflecting, many things Li Qian bought were for him or their son. But this woman only bought things for herself or her parents. Li Xiangdong had been preoccupied with the divorce battle, but now that it was resolved, he had time to consider the future. The reality was, the divorce was done; not marrying her was impossible, as the entire social circle knew why he divorced, and his parents wouldn't let him avoid marrying her. But was marrying her truly the best path? Li Xiangdong started to hesitate.

The mistress desperately wanted to argue that there was no need to spend money on a nanny; her parents could come and care for the child, and moreover, if her parents helped, she could go out and play. Now, hearing Li Xiangdong suggest his parents would only be responsible for watching the child—directing the nanny or herself if anything came up—and that she could freely go shopping with friends, living the life Li Qian used to—but Li Xiangdong had just suggested this. She had managed to convince him to give up so much in the divorce, proving she had some skill in reading people. Regardless, she decided to agree for now. She didn't believe she couldn't outmaneuver the old women. Regarding Li Qian’s poor relationship with the in-laws, she attributed it to Li Qian's superior attitude and lack of filial piety; she wasn't sweet-tongued enough to placate the elderly and didn't know how to put on a show. For instance, the mistress constantly bought things for the elderly couple—it was all Li Xiangdong's money, so she got the credit. Li Qian had been smart her whole life, but she still ended up worse off than this mistress. The mistress was confident in her own fighting skills; she could definitely charm Li Xiangdong. As for the in-laws, if they behaved, they could stay; she would slowly train them to work. If they were troublesome, she would find a way to kick them out. "Fine. The elderly have experience, and since I’m a first-time mother, having them around to offer guidance is certainly a good thing..."

Li Xiangdong just grunted "Oh," and bowed his head, lost in thought. He had initially believed that after six months of preparation, his divorce from Li Qian would have minimal impact on the company's growth. But he hadn't anticipated things turning out so badly. Some people had jumped ship, and Li Xiangdong knew they did so fearing retaliation from the new boss's wife. Recruiting new talent now wasn't easy; he would either have to raise salaries, which would significantly cut into his profits, or face immense pressure. He still had Li Zhe’s overseas tuition, buying a house, and supporting his parents, wife, and son. Li Xiangdong didn't have the capacity to worry whether his wife and parents would be happy together. In his mind, how much worse could it be than during Li Qian’s time?

【Rebirth Mecha Storm】 Author: Yatou Yimei Synopsis: First, she would ruthlessly stomp that person under her heel! 【Boudoir Affairs】 Author: Yatou Yimei Synopsis: A certain loli declares that fighting in the inner quarters is too stressful; she much prefers chatting nonsense with ghosts! (To be continued)