After finishing the meal, Jiang Ninghan took Cao Chenxi to a nearby traditional Chinese medicine store to get some herbs.
Once they returned home, they couldn’t wait to start brewing the medicine.
After it was ready, Cao Chenxi downed it all in one go.
That night, Chen Bin lay beside her, feeling uneasy.
He was afraid Cao Chenxi might do something excessive to him.
However, until he drifted off in a daze, nothing unfortunate happened.
In the middle of the night, he suddenly heard the sound of someone getting up.
Opening his eyes, he saw Cao Chenxi clutching her stomach, rushing to the bathroom.
Chen Bin rubbed his eyes, looking puzzled.
Out of curiosity, he quietly opened the remaining unbrewed herbs.
To his shock, he found croton seeds inside!
Though Chen Bin didn’t know much about Chinese medicine, he knew croton seeds were not something to consume lightly.
Thinking that Cao Chenxi might have to take croton seeds for three months in a row, a wave of fear gripped him.
That much could probably make even an elephant suffer dehydration!
Still, since this was something Jiang Ninghan had prepared, he didn’t plan to say anything.
Quietly putting the herbs back in place, Chen Bin yawned and fell back into bed to continue sleeping.
It was another Friday. Just as Chen Bin was preparing to go home, he suddenly received a call from Xu Ruoxuan.
"Little brother, come to my place quickly, I have something big to tell you!"
Hearing her urgency, Chen Bin didn’t dare hesitate and agreed immediately.
When he arrived at Xu Ruoxuan’s place and pressed the doorbell,
the door opened from the inside right away.
Xu Ruoxuan threw herself into Chen Bin’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Sis, what’s wrong? Did Feng Lei bully you again?"
Shaking her head, Xu Ruoxuan stared intently at Chen Bin.
"I’m pregnant! I’m finally carrying our baby!"
Hearing this, Chen Bin felt a sinking sensation in his heart.
Forcing a couple of awkward laughs, he couldn’t help but ask, "Are you sure you’re pregnant?"
Xu Ruoxuan pulled Chen Bin into the house and, after closing the door, took out a pregnancy test stick.
"Lately, my cycle felt off, so I tested myself. I didn’t expect it, but it’s true—I’m pregnant!"
Clearing his throat, Chen Bin cautiously asked,
"Are you sure this child is mine?"
Frowning, Xu Ruoxuan’s face instantly became sullen.
"What do you mean by that? Ever since I divorced Feng Lei, you’re the only man I’ve been with. If it’s not yours, then whose could it be?!"
"No, no, don’t misunderstand. It’s just my first time hearing I’m going to be a dad, so I’m a bit nervous."
Hugging Chen Bin tightly, Xu Ruoxuan beamed with happiness.
"Don’t be nervous. Once I marry you, you’ll be the head of our family!"
Nodding slightly, Chen Bin didn’t dare respond further.
After the embrace, the two freshened up together.
That night, Xu Ruoxuan cuddled up in Chen Bin’s arms with extra affection.
Because she was pregnant, Chen Bin didn’t touch her.
The next day, they went to the hospital for a prenatal examination together.
Unexpectedly, they ran into Feng Lei.
Seeing his ex-wife pregnant with another man’s child, Feng Lei instantly felt humiliated.
He immediately ordered people to investigate Chen Bin’s shady past, hoping to use it to ruin him.
Yet after some time, all they found were unproven rumors about his relationships with women—nothing concrete!
However, upon learning that Chen Bin recently had a conflict with Ye Hong, Feng Lei thought he could exploit this and bring in Feng Huzhou.
When Feng Huzhou heard Feng Lei planned to go after Chen Bin, he was visibly surprised.
"Why do you want to deal with him?"
After a brief hesitation, Feng Lei decided to be frank.
"Xu Ruoxuan is pregnant, and the person who accompanied her to the hospital for the examination was Chen Bin!"
Feng Huzhou frowned. "Are you saying the child is Chen Bin’s?"
"That... I can’t confirm yet. But ever since Xu Ruoxuan divorced me, she’s been hanging around Chen Bin. I suspect there’s a good chance."
"Useless! You can’t even keep your own woman in check!"
The last time he had Chen Bin transferred from Qingshi County to Dragon Mountain County, Feng Huzhou thought the kid would fade into obscurity.
Who would’ve thought, not only had he thrived in Dragon Mountain, but he’d also hitched his wagon to Cao Sanjin.
Although Feng Huzhou admired Chen Bin’s abilities, the thought of him cuckolding his son made him decide it was time to teach the kid a lesson.
"All right, tell me—what do you want me to do?"
Clearing his throat, Feng Lei immediately shared his plan.
Little did they know, everything they discussed in the study was overheard by Shen Xue.
Looking at the child in her arms, she eventually decided to send Chen Bin a message.
She relayed everything she had just overheard, word for word.
Knowing Shen Xue’s identity, Chen Bin didn’t doubt the content for a second.
After replying with a simple "Thanks," he promptly cleared the chat history.
That afternoon, the Dragon Mountain County Committee office received a call from the Tianhai Municipal Committee’s office.
They informed that tomorrow morning, Provincial Committee Secretary Feng Huzhou and others would be visiting Dragon Mountain County to inspect the organic vegetable greenhouses.
They instructed Dragon Mountain County to prepare for the reception.
The news quickly reached both Chen Bin and Ye Hong.
While Chen Bin understood Feng Huzhou’s true intentions, he wasn’t particularly surprised.
Ye Hong, however, who was unaware of the backstory, was quite taken aback.
Normally, when higher-level officials want to inspect work, they notify several days in advance.
Why was this visit announced only a day ahead?
Though he couldn’t figure out what was going on, the reception arrangements still had to be handled.
The next day, around 9:30 in the morning,
Feng Huzhou’s group arrived in Dragon Mountain County.
Ye Hong and a crew of county leaders all turned out, lining up in a welcoming formation.
Standing next to Feng Huzhou, Ye Hong’s chubby face was full of ingratiating smiles.
"Secretary Feng, hello! I’m Ye Hong, secretary of the County Committee. Welcome to Dragon Mountain for your inspection."
Feng Huzhou nodded. "Your vegetable greenhouses are impressive. Keep up the good work and set an example for other counties."
"Please rest assured, Secretary Feng—I won’t let you down!"
After those words, Ye Hong introduced Chen Bin.
"This is County Magistrate Chen Bin of Dragon Mountain County."
Unlike Ye Hong’s fawning demeanor, Chen Bin extended his right hand with a calm expression.
"Secretary Feng, welcome to Dragon Mountain."
During the handshake, Feng Huzhou clearly applied extra force.
Though his face showed no change, his eyes betrayed a sinister glint.
Even so, Chen Bin remained composed, exuding an air of calm self-assurance.
In this initial confrontation, he didn’t lose his footing in the slightest.
Retracting his hand, Feng Huzhou laughed heartily.
"County Magistrate Chen’s reputation precedes him. Seeing you today, you indeed live up to it!"
"Secretary Feng, you must be forgetting things. My transfer to Dragon Mountain County was entirely thanks to your recommendation. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today. You are truly a pivotal figure in my life!"
These words left everyone, including Ye Hong, stunned.
Did this mean Feng Huzhou was actually Chen Bin’s benefactor?