TFEDLAM 27

Chapter 27

Breakfast was completely ignored by Xia Shi.

By lunchtime, Mother Xia glanced upstairs and asked, “Xia Xia still hasn’t gotten up yet?”

Lu Tingchuan kept a calm face as he put a cola chicken wing into Lu Xuan’s bowl. “Mom, you go ahead and eat first. I’ll bring something up for her later. Xia Xia’s been flying around these past few days, hopping from one plane to another. She’s exhausted—let her rest a bit more.”

Flying around?

Lu Xuan, just a little kid, had flown from China to Orlando and then from Orlando to Philadelphia—and he hadn’t complained once about being tired. Xia Shi was a grown woman, and she’s the one tired?

Mother Xia snorted and gave Lu Tingchuan a sharp look. Yeah right, as if I’d believe that!

Lu Xuan looked left and right, then climbed up onto his grandmother’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “I know! Mommy’s going to have a baby sister for me!”

Mother Xia’s eyes lit up immediately, and she beamed at Lu Tingchuan. “Xia Xia’s pregnant? Didn’t you say the rumors online were fake? What on earth are you two doing—okay, fine, I get that you’re supposed to keep it quiet for the first three months, but you couldn’t even tell me?”

“Mom…”

But before Lu Tingchuan could explain, Mother Xia smacked her thigh. “No way, I have to make some good food for her, and soup—lots of nourishing soup!”

Before she even finished talking, she was already up and marching toward the kitchen.

Lu Tingchuan hurriedly stood and stopped her. “Mom, Xia Xia’s not pregnant.”

Mother Xia froze mid-step, her expression instantly falling. “Not pregnant?” She sighed and then stared at him accusingly. “What are you planning then? Xuan Xuan’s already this big. It’s about time, don’t you think?”

Lu Tingchuan gave a bitter smile. “Mom, you never used to care about us having another kid. Why so eager all of a sudden?”

That was all it took—Mother Xia perked right back up, pulled out her phone, and started showing him pictures while chatting animatedly. “Look, look! These are what the netizens photoshopped based on you and Xia Xia. Isn’t she adorable? Looks just like Xia Xia. The moment I saw it, I thought—this must be my granddaughter! And look at this one! You have no idea, those fans online are incredible—they’ve even written fanfics about your little princess! So cute, so sweet!”

So that’s what triggered this sudden obsession?

Good grief—his mother-in-law was hip! Not only did she know about fanfics, she was apparently an active reader.

Lu Tingchuan’s scalp prickled. This was heading into dangerous territory. Sure enough, Mother Xia smacked him on the back. “You really haven’t thought about giving Xia Xia another baby?”

Lu Tingchuan smiled helplessly. “Of course I have. But Xia Xia says she’s not ready yet.”

Mother Xia glared at him. “Useless! Can’t even handle your own wife!”

Lu Tingchuan could only sigh. Well… she wasn’t wrong.

Mother Xia glanced at little Lu Xuan happily munching beside Father Xia, then pulled her son-in-law aside and whispered, “You two are still using protection, aren’t you? Condoms or pills? Honestly, why don’t you use your brain a little? Haven’t you seen the tricks online? Swap her pills for vitamins or poke a few holes in the condoms! If she gets pregnant for real, do you think she’d ever get rid of it?”

Dear Mother-in-law, what kind of nonsense are you reading online every day?!
You’re scheming with your son-in-law against your own daughter—is that really something to be proud of?

Lu Tingchuan dared not say that out loud. He just flattered her with a smile. “Mom, you sure know a lot. You even know about stuff like that online?”

Mother Xia puffed up proudly. “Of course! I keep up with the times. I even helped your father-in-law set up his Weibo account and taught him how to use it! But he’s hopeless—doesn’t even know how to access it from abroad. Totally useless.”

Lu Tingchuan thought he’d successfully steered her away from dangerous topics, but after ranting about her husband’s tech illiteracy, she circled right back.

“Anyway, I don’t care how—you must give me a little princess! Oh, she’d be so adorable!”

Lu Tingchuan could only pull a pained expression. What could he say? Like it was his choice! What if it’s another boy? But he knew better than to say that aloud in front of an excited mother-in-law.

So he bowed slightly and said with mock solemnity, “Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. I shall obey your imperial decree.”

That finally made Mother Xia beam with satisfaction, while Lu Tingchuan discreetly wiped the sweat from his brow.

Still, deep down, he felt a pang of warmth. His own mother had passed away long ago, and though his stepmother was polite, there was always distance. Even with his father, Lu Jingshan, their relationship—though harmonious—wasn’t quite the same.

But the Xia family was genuinely easy-going. Ever since he’d married in, both Father and Mother Xia had treated him like their own son. It made everything—words, actions, jokes—so relaxed, so genuine.

When Xia Shi finally came downstairs, she saw her husband and mother whispering conspiratorially in a corner, while Father Xia calmly helped Lu Xuan with his meal. Seeing his daughter, Father Xia cleared his throat pointedly.

Mother Xia turned back with a start, then laughed awkwardly and quickly sat down as if nothing had happened.

Xia Shi sat beside Lu Tingchuan, confused. “What were you and Mom talking about?”

Lu Tingchuan just smiled without answering, while Mother Xia kept piling food into her bowl. “Eat more! Look how skinny you are.”

Blatant lie—she’d actually gained three pounds recently.

“Try this one! It’s delicious. My granddaughter’s favorite dish!”

Xia Shi blinked. “…Granddaughter?”

Lu Tingchuan chuckled. “Mom’s been following a fanfic about us online. In it, we have a little princess. Apparently, she loves this dish.”

So that’s what it was.

Xia Shi could only stare at her mother in disbelief and amusement.

That night, Mother Xia sat with her laptop on her lap, squealing every few minutes. “Ah! A new update! Look, the baby girl’s so cute! The little princess is adorable—so soft and sweet! Oh, this author’s so good!”

Then suddenly—“Wait, no no no. This isn’t right. What kind of nonsense is this? Don’t they know you two were high school classmates? What’s this about Lu Tingchuan meeting you during your lowest point in life? What garbage plot! You two were already together by then!”

Mother Xia was full of righteous fury. Xia Shi and Lu Tingchuan exchanged a helpless glance.

Xia Shi quietly walked over, peeking over her mom’s shoulder. The webpage showed a fanfic that, judging by the views and comments, was quite popular.

But what truly shocked her—her mom’s username was sitting at the top of the tipping leaderboard.

And it wasn’t just similar—it was identical to her Weibo handle: “Grandbaby’s Grandma.”

And that “grandbaby” could only be referring to Lu Xuan.

Xia Shi searched the story on her phone, shaking her head as she saw the record-breaking tip amount her mom had given—far surpassing the second place by a mile. The author and fans even called her a “rich fan.”

And not only that—her mother was an active commenter. Dozens of posts, almost all of them praising the fictional “little princess.”

【Grandbaby’s Grandma】: “Lu Tingchuan and Xia Shi were high school classmates. Back then, he used to write her love letters and bring her breakfast! Her mom caught him once and chased him out with a broom! That’s nothing like what the author wrote.”

【Grandbaby’s Grandma】: “All of Lu Tingchuan’s love letters were burned by Xia Shi’s mom. They were full of cheesy nonsense anyway.”

【Grandbaby’s Grandma】: “What proposal? He didn’t even propose! He conspired with her parents to set up a fake scenario and tricked her into signing the marriage papers right in front of a pastor!”

Xia Shi stared at her phone… then at her mom, who was furiously typing away, totally lost in her own world.

Oh my god, Mom. You know all of that because you were literally part of the conspiracy!

But even after all those comments, the readers weren’t buying it.

“OP, even though you’re a rich fan and I like you, come on—why are you talking like you were there? Maybe the author’s not accurate, but how do you know you’re right?”

“Exactly! We just want some sweet romance! Stop nitpicking the details.”

“Don’t think you can just make up stuff because you tip a lot. The author might not be right, but we all know it’s fiction. You, on the other hand, sound way too confident. Are you okay?”

As the number of angry replies climbed rapidly, Xia Shi’s heart sank. She glanced nervously toward her mother—who was now gritting her teeth, furious, and slammed the table.

“Keyboard warriors! I am Xia Shi’s mom! Of course I’d know!” she shouted at the screen.

Thankfully, she stopped herself before actually posting that, muttering the words under her breath instead.

Xia Shi realized if she stayed any longer, she’d get caught in the crossfire. She shot Lu Tingchuan a look, and they both started to sneak away—only for Mother Xia to turn suddenly.

“Tingchuan, don’t you think they’re—”

Then she spotted the two of them tiptoeing toward the stairs. Her face darkened. “What are you two doing?”

Lu Tingchuan smiled. “Mom, it’s getting late. We have an early flight tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, it’s late already?”

Mother Xia’s eyes sparkled—clearly ignoring the part about the flight. “You’re right, it is late. Go on then, go on.”

Then she pulled Lu Xuan over and said lovingly, “Sweetheart, why don’t you sleep with Grandma tonight? Grandma’s missed you so much!”

“Okay! I missed Grandma too!”

Mother Xia’s face lit up with joy. She cleared her throat, then shot Lu Tingchuan a meaningful look of encouragement. Watching the couple head upstairs and close their door, she smiled contentedly.

Ah, young couples… sparks are bound to fly. Once they ditch the birth control, that little princess won’t be far behind.