Josh did not like hearing his wife describe herself as ungrateful. She was the opposite of ungrateful. Jasmine simply wanted to spread her wings with her friends. He would not tie her down and would support whatever she wished to do. Jasmine raised her head while in his embrace. Josh lowered his head and pecked her lips. His eyes were filled with affection. He could not help himself from whispering something in her ears, which earned him a playful pinch and a push. Jasmine sat up with a blush painted on her face. Josh chuckled. However, since one of the bodyguards was driving, he could not do anything to the tempting woman by his side. “Stop by the pharmacy later. I want to buy some supplements for my in-laws,” Josh instructed the bodyguard. He and Jasmine had decided to return to her house spontaneously. Therefore, he did not prepare any gifts. Jasmine said, “We’re just going to my parents’ house. There’s no need to buy so many things. You always have plenty of bag
Mr. and Mrs. Sox had no idea that Josh and Jasmine were coming home for lunch. When they heard the car honking, Camila even told her husband, “Did I mishear? Why does it sound like it’s coming from our gate?”Jasmine’s parents were the only ones having lunch. The youngsters had to work and did not have time to eat at home while their parents were also out visiting relatives. Carlson said, “The dog didn’t bark. The honk’s probably not coming from outside our home. Maybe our neighbor’s son brought his girlfriend back again.”“When can our son bring his girlfriend back?”Camila sighed. Their daughter had gotten married, but their son still had no girlfriend. “Why are you anxious when our son isn’t even worried? He’s still young.”Next, the sound of the gate opening could be heard and the couple exchanged glances.Camila put down her cutleries and got up. She walked out of the house. She saw their dog facing the main gate and wagging its tail. “Jasmine’s back, Carlson.”
Whenever her family butchered a chicken, she only ate the thighs and wingettes, and would not eat the other parts. “Young mothers these days rarely experience nutrient deficiencies after giving birth. In the past, I could only eat a few chickens in the month after I gave birth. I wasn’t as fortunate as you are right now. “You bought so many things back again too. I’ve said not to buy anything. It’s a waste of money, and your dad and I can’t finish them.”Camila scolded her daughter for buying gifts again. Despite saying so, she still took the bags from her daughter’s hand. She was worried it would tire her daughter out. After entering the house, Carlson went into the kitchen and brought out extra sets of plates and cutleries. The two bodyguards had their lunch there too. They knew the Soxes never put on airs and were not particular about rules. If they did not sit and have lunch together, Mr. Bucham’s father-in-law would get angry too. “Is there bread, Mom? I want to have
Josh chatted with Carlson after lunch while Jasmine helped her mom collect and wash the dishes in the kitchen. They could exchange some secrets in the meantime. “Seren’s pregnant, Mom.”Jasmine did not forget to relay the good news to Camila. She and Serenity had been friends for many years. Serenity was like a daughter to her mom. Camila had also been worried about Serenity not getting pregnant despite being married for some time. “Is that true?”Camila was surprised. She immediately put her palms together in a gesture of gratitude and said, “Thank the heavens. Serenity’s finally pregnant. We can be at ease now.“You have us to rely on, but Serenity only has her sister. Although Mrs. Stone is her aunt, she’s her extended family. I’ve always been worried about Serenity. Everything’s fine now. I can rest assured. As long as she can give birth, she won’t have to worry about the York family chasing her out.”“You’re overthinking, Mom. Mr. York won’t abandon Seren. Grandma May
Shawn was reassigned from a subsidiary company back to the headquarters of Lowe Enterprise. He was introduced to the daughter of a wealthy family through his mother, and they started dating. He knew Zachary would only let his guard down around him if only he started dating and got married. “Seren saw Shawn when she accompanied Mr. York to a banquet last time. Mr. York got jealous even though all Seren and Shawn did was greet each other politely. Mom, tell Shawn secretly that Serenity is pregnant the next time he visits. Tell him not to worry anymore.“Also, he should have a good time and nurture his relationship with his girlfriend. We’ll be waiting for his wedding.”Jasmine was opposed to her cousin pursuing Serenity from the start. Serenity was already married to Zachary when Jasmine found out about her cousin’s love for Serenity. Besides, Serenity only saw Shawn as a sibling and did not have romantic feelings for him. Jasmine had advised her cousin to give up. There wa
It was Jasmine’s turn. Ultimately, she and Josh were fated for each other. Josh found her hilarious and had a deep impression of her stunt at the party. Therefore, he readily agreed to go on a blind date with her when Zachary introduced her to him. “Serenity’s luckier than me. Her in-laws are truly open-minded people. Mr. York is also a person who keeps his promises. With him and Grandma May on Serenity’s side, she won’t experience any drastic changes in her lifestyle even after getting pregnant.“Unlike me, she can do whatever she wants. I had to bear my mother-in-law’s displeasure even though I just wanted to manage the bookstore. I wanted to visit the vegetable farms we bought with Seren and Elisa too, but my mother-in-law stopped me because it was too far.”Actually, the journey was only a little more than an hour by car. They could even arrive at the destination in an hour if the traffic were smooth. “Let’s stop complaining. You’re doing fine as you are now. Josh is th
“Don’t compare yourself to Serenity too. She’s skilled in self-defense and has a stronger foundation than you. Some things she does are effortless for her. Learn to be content, Jasmine. You shouldn’t constantly compare yourself to others.“It’ll only upset you.”After listening to her mother, Jasmine’s sadness dissipated. She nodded. “Okay, Mom. I won’t compare myself to Seren anymore. Josh told me that he could provide me with a comfortable life. I don’t have to work with a huge pregnant belly like other women.”“That’s right. Josh really treats you well. Your in-laws are nice to you too. They treat you as if they would a biological daughter.“Maintaining a pleasant mood throughout your pregnancy will be good for you and the baby.”Jasmine nodded. “Wash some fruits and serve them as a dessert. I’m going to prepare some supplements for Serenity. Although she doesn’t lack them, it’s a token from me. I started treating her as your sister long ago.”Camila remembered the first tim
Serenity’s clothes were all dirty, and the strap of her bag was torn off by those people.Thus, she dared not go back to the rented house, afraid that her sister would be upset if she found out.Liberty was in high school and was facing pressure in her studies.Their family did not have much money either.After their parents died in a car accident, the insurance payout they received was divided among their grandparents and relatives, leaving only a small amount of money for the two of them.Liberty said that they needed to live frugally in order to have enough money for both of them to finish university.Serenity felt that Liberty would have to spend money to buy her a new backpack if she damaged hers, so she did not dare to go home.Fortunately, her classmate, Jasmine, who had always been good friends with her, took her back to the Sox residence.Camila was shocked and heartbroken when she saw Serenity.She hugged the little Serenity, comforting her and promising to help her
However, Remy felt that his niece, Chloe, seemed even more outstanding than her brother. Perhaps in the future, it would be Chloe who would take charge of the family.“I miss Clo-clo so much. I don’t know why, but lately, whenever I see little babies, I feel especially fond of them. Maybe it’s because as I get older, I’m becoming more maternal.”“You’re not old at all. I’m older than you, so don’t talk about being old in front of me.”Remy did not like hearing her say she was getting old. If she was old, then he was even older. Remy felt that he was still in his prime, especially since he had not even married Elisa yet.“I’m older than Seren, and her baby is due in two months.“Oh, by the way, earlier, besides complaining that I was making you cook and worrying that I was tiring you out, my mom also suggested that we start preparing for pregnancy. She said that by the time we hold the wedding in the fall, it could be a double celebration.”Remy turned to look at her, his eyes bur
“Just like how Grandma May taught Zachary and the others, being able to cook isn’t just about earning points when looking for a wife—it’s also about rewarding your own stomach.” His own grandmother had not said anything like that. All she said was that flowers did not stay in bloom forever. Although the Johnsons were currently at their peak and were wealthy beyond measure, the world was unpredictable. Who knew in which generation the family might decline?Having more skills never hurt. Learning an extra skill meant that if the family ever fell on hard times, they would at least have the ability to support themselves.That was why their family elders encouraged them to develop a wide range of skills. They did not need to master everything, but they should at least have a basic understanding of many things. In truth, his cooking skills used to be quite average.It was only after he developed feelings for Elisa and learned that she had once had a crush on Zachary, who was skille
Audrey heard the cry of her precious grandson and immediately forgot about her daughter. She called out loudly, “You two enjoy your time together then. My grandson is crying, so I’m heading back inside.“You and Remy can start preparing for pregnancy too. When it’s time for the wedding, it’ll be a double celebration.”Hearing someone else’s daughter had given birth, Audrey was eager for her daughter to do so too. Though she was already a grandmother, she wanted to be a grandmother to her daughter’s child too. That was simply how elderly people with both sons and daughters were.Elisa was speechless. She heard the hurried footsteps of her mother heading back into the house, calling out before even entering, “Darling, don’t cry. Grandma’s back.”Elisa muttered, “Now that she has a grandson, even I, this precious daughter of hers, have been pushed aside. When I give her a grandson, I doubt there’ll be any room left for me.”She and Remy would definitely have children, but they were n
“Remy, Remy!” a voice called from outside. It sounded like Audrey. Remy came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron.“You keep at it, I’ll go out. My mom must have seen the lights and knew you were back, so she’s calling you over for dinner at our house.”At this time, her family was probably halfway through their meal.Elisa put down the remote control and walked out of the house with a packet of snacks in hand, munching as she went.“Mom.” Elisa walked to the fence and responded to her mother.“Elisa? You’re back too? You came back and didn’t even come home for dinner? We’re eating right now. Hurry up and bring Remy over. Grandpa True was just saying that Remy hasn’t come over for dinner in a few days.”Remy had been busy entertaining clients lately, so he had not had time to join his in-laws for meals.Elisa replied, “Mom, I feel like eating Remy’s cooking tonight, so we won’t be coming over. You guys go ahead.”“Oh, you. It’s so late already, and you’re still making Remy c
Elisa said, “Although cousins can be as close as siblings, it’s still better to have another child. After all, we won’t be living at your family home permanently, and our children might not have much time to bond with their cousins in the future.“I have two older brothers, and the three of us have always been close. My brothers have always doted on me, and I can always talk about things with them. My sister-in-law has been very kind to me even after they got married too.“I’m used to having siblings around. It’s lively, and no matter what happens, we can always talk things through. It’s nice not having to face everything alone. I don’t want my children to feel lonely in the future.”Elisa continued, “Most importantly, I love children. If you could be the one to carry and give birth, sparing me the exhaustion of pregnancy, I’d even consider having three kids. But unfortunately, you can’t.“If I have to carry the baby myself, even though I love children, I’d only have two—preferably
Jasmine smiled. “I can’t tell. He’s so tiny. I’m scared when I have to carry him. I’m afraid of hurting him. What if he slips from my arms?”As a first-time mother, Jasmine was inexperienced. She was not like Serenity, who had raised a baby before. Josh and Zachary had secretly taken classes on how to look after a baby. The way Josh held the baby was more accurate than hers. “You’ll get better at it after learning slowly. I didn’t dare to carry my nephew either because I was scared of hurting him, but I’m an expert now.”Elisa could not resist touching the baby’s face again. She really liked babies.“Has the baby been fed?”Camila replied, “He was fed an hour ago.”The baby had been ravenous. Everyone was relieved when they saw the baby could feed normally. The doctor said the baby might experience jaundice a few days later and that premature babies should be monitored closely. Jaundice usually appeared when the baby was a few days old. It would reach its peak after
Remy gave it some thought. If he were to become a father, he would also be extremely happy, to the point that he would forget about posting on social media.They were usually busy people and did not have the habit of posting regularly anyway. Josh only started sharing a lot on Facebook after he got married. He simply wanted to show off his life after marriage and irritate his friends who were still single. Even Zachary would post about his love life on Facebook occasionally. Remy suddenly felt he had to keep up with the trend and post something on Facebook during his free time. Remy and Elisa went to buy some supplements before heading to the hospital. There were still many people in Jasmine’s ward. Most of the men were sitting in the small living area while the women were chatting with Jasmine or looking at the baby in the room. The baby boy was already fed and in fresh diapers. He was sleeping soundly. “Jasmine.”Elisa walked over with the supplements she had brought.
The secretary wished she could skip work and visit Jasmine at the hospital with Elisa. However, that could never happen. She was simply an employee, while Elisa was her boss. The only alternative was if Elisa invited her along. Nevertheless, the employees could meet Jasmine during their break or visit her at her house. Elisa left excitedly. A Maybach was parked at the entrance of the company. When Remy spotted Elisa exiting, he stuck his head out and waved at her. Upon seeing him, she was no longer in a hurry to get to her car. She quickly walked over. “Why are you here? Why didn’t you go inside?”Elisa was beaming. As she had received good news, she had a smiling face regardless of who she met.“I just arrived. I didn’t drive inside when I saw you coming out. Where are you going?”Remy got out of the car.“Jasmine gave birth. I want to go to the hospital to visit her and her baby. You came at the right time. We can head over together, but let’s get some supplemen
“Yes. Health is the most important thing. Everything else is secondary. With the York family’s wealth and numbers, they won’t have to worry about not having a successor even if your child is slightly more ordinary.”Of course, Elisa personally hoped the next successor of the York family would be her nephew.The Stones and the Yorks could be considered relatives because Elisa and Serenity were cousins.The successor of the Stone family was most likely Clive’s son. If the York family’s heir was not Serenity’s child, would the two families’ relationship that was finally mended become strained again?After all, the head of the York family would no longer be a relative of the Stones if that were the case. However, Elisa did not voice her thoughts. She did not want Serenity to feel pressured. As an aunt, she also thought her nephew’s health was more important than anything else.“You must be busy, Elisa. You should go on with your work. I shall not disturb you. I appreciate your