The atmosphere in the hall reached a complete impasse.

The servants dared not get involved in the argument, and obediently lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, for fear of offending any of them and becoming their innocent punching bag.

However, not daring to participate doesn't mean they're afraid to analyze. After all, everyone has a gossip-loving heart, especially when it comes to the complicated relationships and numerous entanglements within a wealthy family like the Lu family—it's far more exciting than other gossip.

This matter seems complicated, but it's actually quite simple. The key lies in the relationship between the old lady and Miss Jian.

The relationship between these two women was initially extremely tense and fraught with conflict. The old lady, in particular, couldn't stand Miss Jian at all. If it weren't for the young master's reputation and the fact that she was "pregnant," she wouldn't have agreed to let Miss Jian move into the house.

Recently, the relationship between the old lady and Miss Jian has improved somewhat. The old lady's attitude towards Miss Jian has become noticeably kinder, and her views on Miss Jian have changed considerably, with less of the previous dislike and prejudice.

However, this change is far from enough to establish trust. The old lady has been in the Lu family for a long time, and her mind and vision are beyond the reach of ordinary people. She will not easily trust Miss Jian.

Similarly, Miss Jian would not trust the old lady simply because of a temporary change in opinion. Their previous conflicts had not been resolved, and Miss Jian would not compromise herself for the sake of the child and simply wipe the slate clean.

Oh, and there's the child. The old lady values ​​the child very much, and Miss Jian, as the child's mother, can't possibly be completely indifferent to the child. However, given the mutual distrust and numerous conflicts between the two, how could Miss Jian possibly agree to let the child belong to the Lu family?

The servants were silently brainstorming, each offering a logical and well-reasoned analysis.

Jian Ruoxi's attention was entirely on Li Anran.

Is this woman determined to use this opportunity to make herself suffer a terrible setback?

Jian Ruoxi's eyes turned cold: "Shut up, Li Anran. Why are you so noisy? You're giving me a headache."

Originally, with Lu Shen handling things, she had planned not to stoop to Li Anran's level, which was why she had remained silent, only considering her next move. However, this woman was pressing her relentlessly, leaving her no way out, and continuing to spout nonsense and verbally attack her. She was too lazy to pay her any attention, but that didn't mean she would let Li Anran take advantage of her and spread rumors.

"You! You actually told me to shut up and said I was being noisy!"

Li Anran was immediately enraged by Jian Ruoxi, abandoning all pretense of composure and demeanor, and gritted her teeth in hatred.

"Isn't that right? Out of all these people, you talk the most. If you're not the most talkative, who else is?"

Jian Ruoxi sneered. Judging from her expression and tone, she clearly didn't take Li Anran seriously at all.

After reprimanding Li Anran, she looked at the old lady, hesitated for a moment, and decided to offer a few words of explanation.

Having finally improved his relationship with the old lady, and her impression of him had improved considerably, it would be a great loss to risk reverting to an adversarial relationship over this matter.

This isn't something that can't be explained. Even if the old lady might not believe her explanation, something still needs to be said. By explaining, she's essentially telling the Lu family her stance; whether they believe her or not is beyond her control.

"Madam, I know you must be wondering why I kept my pregnancy a secret and let you misunderstand whether it was true or not."

Jian Ruoxi carefully considered her words and tone, making sure that she wouldn't be perceived as making excuses, so that the old lady would listen to her.

"Keeping my pregnancy a secret is better for everyone in the family. You don't have to tolerate or swallow your anger because of my pregnancy. With your temperament, you probably couldn't stand that. Besides, this decision was made by Lu Shen, but it puts you in a difficult position at home. It makes Lu Shen seem inconsiderate, which could potentially affect the harmony between you and your grandson. I'm just an outsider after all. If I affect your family's relationship, then I'll be in a big way. Furthermore, this is also better for Lu Shen's reputation. After all, you can foresee how much negative impact this news will have on Lu Shen's image once it gets out."

The old lady was somewhat speechless.

To be fair, everything Jian Ruoxi said was reasonable and well-founded. He had always valued his child, and if he had known from the beginning that Jian Ruoxi was indeed pregnant with Lu Shen's child, he would have felt resentful and unhappy because of the child. As for Lu Shen…

The old lady had a headache.

Her beloved grandson's public image is indeed something that shouldn't be overthought. Although, given Lu Shen and the Lu family's status, he must have been the subject of much gossip and slander behind his back, those were relatively minor compared to this incident, which, if handled improperly, could cause immense damage to his reputation.

“Madam, you don’t need to worry too much. In any case, you and Lu Shen are family to this child. This is an undeniable blood bond that I cannot change and will not stop. However, I will not leave the child in the Lu family. My child will only live with me.”

Since she had already said it, Jian Ruoxi didn't want to hide it anymore and directly stated her decision to avoid having to argue about the custody of the child again in the future.

Things that can be resolved in one go shouldn't be left unresolved. Otherwise, who can predict how things will develop? Perhaps other problems will arise later. If things aren't cleared up now, and several issues pile up, she might be overwhelmed and unable to protect her child.

That won't do. She doesn't want to leave her child with the Lu family. Judging from how the Lu family treated her back then, who knows how they'll treat their child?

Now that everything was clear, Jian Ruoxi didn't want to linger in the lobby any longer. Too much had happened today; she was exhausted and didn't want to waste any more time or energy. She just wanted to go upstairs and rest.

Jian Ruoxi turned around and walked upstairs, and no one around her tried to stop her.

However, at that moment, Li Anran's voice rang out from behind: "Wait, Jian Ruoxi, I have a question to ask you."

Yes, it's Li Anran again.

Jian Ruoxi clenched her fists in annoyance.

She actually believed someone who called her noisy? All those words she said, are they really going to confirm that label?

Before she could turn around, Li Anran continued, "If I remember correctly, you're currently in the prime of your career, right? Someone as career-oriented as you, would you really give up your promising future for a child? If the child really does affect your career, it's not impossible for you to choose to give up the child for your career."