Comforting it: "Xiaoxue, don’t worry, we’ve already arranged a veterinarian for you. They’ll come to take care of you when you give birth."

Xiaoxue responded by nudging her palm with its head, its reliance was evident without words.

After checking on Xiaoxue, Jiaojiao returned to her room and received a call from Shu Jiao, asking her to visit the Shu Family early the next day with Duan Xi for Shu Lao Yezi’s seventieth birthday.

Jiaojiao obediently agreed, and the mother and daughter chatted for a while before hanging up. Afterward, Jiaojiao immediately called Ruan Jianguo to ask if he would be going to the Shu Family the next day.

Since Shu Jiao and Ruan Jianguo divorced last year, Ruan Jianguo had thrown himself entirely into his career. Perhaps he didn’t want to make Shu Jiao uncomfortable, or maybe he wanted to sever his own thoughts completely, so he chose not to stay in Beidu but went south to engage in real estate with Lu Zhiwei.

In the past year, he had rarely returned home, spending most of his time out of town. Jiaojiao recalled the last time she saw him was in March, which was almost two months ago, and she really missed him.

After several rings, the call was finally answered. Jiaojiao eagerly asked, "Dad, tomorrow is grandpa’s birthday, will you be coming back?"

But the voice from the other end wasn’t Ruan Jianguo’s, but a crisp and efficient female voice: "Hello, I’m not Mr. Ruan, I’m his secretary."

Secretary?

Jiaojiao frowned.

She remembered her dad’s secretary was a man she had met before.

"Hello, are you still there? Who am I speaking with? Please leave your name, and I’ll pass the message to Mr. Ruan for him to return your call." Seeing Jiaojiao not speaking for a while, the female secretary said.

For no particular reason, Jiaojiao didn’t have a good impression of this female secretary, even subconsciously felt hostile, and snapped, "I called your Mr. Ruan dad, you tell me who I am."

"Mr. Ruan’s daughter?" the person on the other end cautiously asked.

"Yes, please let me speak to my dad, thank you."

"Sorry, I can’t right now. Mr. Ruan left his phone at the hotel and he’s currently out with Mr. Lu."

"..." Jiaojiao.

Jiaojiao knew she shouldn’t overthink it, but listening to the female secretary’s words, she couldn’t help but overthink. Her dad and mom had been divorced for a year, and she had no reason to stop either side from finding another partner. But just the thought of Ruan the wealthy finding her a stepmother made her heart stifled and uncomfortable. For the first time, she childishly hung up the phone.

Turning over and lying on the bed, she tossed and turned, still unable to get over it, so she grabbed her phone and called Ruan Hao.

As soon as the call connected, she immediately asked: "Big brother, did dad change his secretary? Where is Uncle Qing?" Ruan Jianguo didn’t like having a secretary before, but since he wasn’t well-educated, there were professional matters he didn’t understand. So Ruan Hao arranged a secretary named Chen Qing, who was in his thirties, and Jiaojiao always called him Uncle Qing.

Ruan Hao seemed to be walking, his breathing slightly heavy, along with several footsteps around him. There were people talking beside him, but they stopped halfway. Then she heard Ruan Hao’s gentle voice: "No."

"No? But I just called dad, and the person who answered was a woman. She also said dad’s phone was left in the hotel and not with him." Jiaojiao minded this a lot.