Chapter 435 - 438: Making Trouble on Purpose

The next morning.

Wren Sutton and Adrian Lancaster had just finished breakfast when a call came from Mrs. Sutton.

"Wren, it’s getting cold. Mom fried a big batch of crispy pork, ribbonfish, meatballs, and stuffed eggplant and lotus root fritters. Come over and get some when you have a minute."

Wren Sutton’s eyes lit up. She happily agreed, "Mom, you’re the best! I dreamed about your crispy pork just last night. It made my mouth water."

"I know you love it, so I made plenty. Come home and get it. There’s a lot, your father and I can’t possibly finish it all." Mrs. Sutton’s voice was gentle, every word brimming with love for her daughter.

"Okay, I’ll be there in a bit."

Wren Sutton hung up, said a few words to Adrian Lancaster and the nanny, and then eagerly got in the car to head to the Sutton Family’s home.

The driver parked the car smoothly downstairs.

Wren Sutton pushed open the door to her family’s home and was instantly enveloped in the rich aroma of hot oil. A wave of warm air washed over her, dispelling the winter chill.

Mrs. Sutton, wearing an apron, was packing the fried crispy pork, ribbonfish, and meatballs one by one into food containers, which already covered the entire coffee table.

Wren washed her hands and eagerly picked up a piece of crispy pork. She savored it, her face a picture of pure enjoyment and happiness.

"This is so good. It’s been years, but it still tastes the same."

"Mom, your crispy pork is the best. No one can make it taste like this but you."

Mrs. Sutton beamed, saying fondly, "You’re always the hungriest one. Take all of these packed containers. It should last you more than half a month. When you run out, Mom will fry another batch when I have time."

As Mrs. Sutton spoke, she glanced toward the door, not seeing Adrian Lancaster.

She asked casually, a hint of confusion in her voice, "How come you came back alone? Where’s Adrian?"

"You two usually come back together. What happened today?"

Wren was popping pieces of crispy pork and vegetable meatballs into her mouth, holding a warm cup of water in her other hand. She ate and drank with a hearty appetite.

"He wanted to come with me. He was worried, but I insisted he stay home and rest. I told him not to run around."

"Because..."

Mrs. Sutton stepped forward and asked with concern, "Because of what?"

Wren put down her cup and the food, wiped her hands, and didn’t hide anything.

"Last week, Adrian went to the hospital for a vasectomy. The doctor told him to rest for a week. Tomorrow is the seventh day."

"..." Mrs. Sutton was stunned speechless. Her initial shock and disbelief gave way to being deeply moved.

In this day and age, there are still so many men who push the entire responsibility of contraception onto women, making them take pills, get IUDs, or have abortions...

They don’t care at all what kind of harm these contraceptive methods cause to a woman’s body. They don’t know how to cherish women, believing deep down that women are just supposed to suffer through it.

Adrian Lancaster, a man of high status, was able to put aside his pride and willingly undergo a vasectomy for his wife’s sake.

The more Mrs. Sutton thought about it, the more touched she became. She was now completely convinced that Adrian Lancaster was a rare and wonderful son-in-law, a good husband who truly cared for his wife.

After a moment, Mrs. Sutton composed herself. She took her daughter’s hand, her eyes filled with relief and emotion.

"For Adrian to be so considerate is truly rare. He really cherishes you and thinks about you in every way. Wren, you married the right man. Mom is so happy for you."

Wren Sutton’s cheeks flushed slightly.

"At first, I tried to talk him out of it, telling him not to be impulsive. But he said that I suffered so much when I gave birth to Owen and Nina, and he couldn’t let me harm my body again for the sake of contraception. He said it was better for him to do it than for me to take the risk."

Mrs. Sutton nodded repeatedly as she listened.

"Adrian is a man who takes responsibility. So many men say they love and cherish you, but when it’s time for them to make a sacrifice or endure hardship, they all back off."

"Adrian doesn’t just talk; he gives you the most tangible form of security. A man like that is one in a million."

After speaking, Mrs. Sutton turned and went back to the kitchen, lifting the lid of a clay pot that had been simmering on low heat.

A rich, meaty aroma mingled with the sweet fragrance of goji berries and red dates instantly filled the air.

"Adrian needs to be recuperating right now. It’s cold, so he shouldn’t be exposed to drafts. Even with a light diet, he still needs to replenish his energy and vitality. Take this pot of soup back with you."

As she spoke, Mrs. Sutton found a large insulated thermos and filled it to the brim.

"Take good care of him. Don’t let him get out of bed and walk around too much. Leave all the housework to the nanny, and don’t you get tired either."

"If you need anything, if you’re missing anything at all, just call Mom anytime. I’ll bring it over for you."

Watching her mother bustling about, Wren Sutton’s heart felt warm. She walked over and hugged her mother from behind.

"Mom, thank you for all your hard work. I’ll thank you on Adrian’s behalf, too."

Mrs. Sutton’s heart also warmed.

"Silly child, we’re family, no need for thanks. As long as you two are well and live your life together happily, that’s more important than anything."

"Since Adrian and the children are at home waiting for you, Mom won’t keep you for lunch."

...

Wren Sutton returned to the Lancaster family’s home with all the packed food.

After getting in the car, she gave one of the boxes to the driver, telling him to take it home after his shift for his family to try.

"Young Madam, you’re too kind. I couldn’t possibly accept this."

Wren Sutton smiled kindly. "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just some homemade fried food, nothing expensive. Please take it. It’s a small token of my appreciation."

"Thank you, Young Madam."

The driver felt a warmth in his heart. He looked ahead, hands steady on the steering wheel, and drove out of the residential complex at a constant speed.

As they were driving on a main road with moderate traffic, a white sedan suddenly merged into their lane from the right.

It was a common model with an unfamiliar license plate, no different from any other car on the road.

Neither the driver nor Wren Sutton, sitting in the back, felt anything was amiss.

After merging, the white car positioned itself directly in front of the Lancaster family’s black car.

It didn’t maintain a normal, steady speed; instead, it sped up and slowed down erratically.

At times, it would slow down to a crawl, hogging the lane without changing or yielding, forcing the car behind it to reduce its speed as well.

Then, it would suddenly accelerate, pulling ahead by several dozen meters, only to slam on the brakes again once the car behind caught up.

This happened over and over again.

Throughout the entire ordeal, it never once made contact or performed any illegal or dangerous maneuvers.

But with a series of deliberate, small actions, it continuously interfered with the Lancaster family’s car, clearly trying to provoke them.

The Lancaster family’s driver frowned in annoyance. He heightened his vigilance but didn’t honk, swerve, or get into a hot-headed race to overtake the other car.

He calmly controlled his speed. When the other car was slow, he maintained a safe distance. When it was fast, he kept a steady pace, refusing to be drawn into the other driver’s rhythm.

"Young Madam, that white car up ahead is acting strangely. It’s been deliberately boxing us in, speeding up and slowing down to obstruct us. It seems intentional."

Hearing this, Wren Sutton looked up toward the front windshield.

The white sedan was unremarkable, with nothing special about it. She had never seen it before, had no impression of it, and didn’t know who the owner was.

Wren Sutton frowned slightly, assuming it was just an unstable driver with road rage, or perhaps a novice with poor driving skills who didn’t know the rules of the road.

"Don’t get into a conflict with him, and don’t let him get to you," she instructed the driver calmly. "Safety first."

"If he wants to go fast, let him. We won’t chase. If he’s slow, we won’t rush. Just wait for a gap in the next lane, change lanes smoothly to get around him. No need to get entangled with him."

"Yes, Young Madam," the driver acknowledged in a low voice, carefully and cautiously observing the traffic conditions, remaining calm and unhurried.

The white car continued its erratic speeding and slowing, deliberately blocking the lane.

The Lancaster family’s driver maintained his own rhythm at a steady speed until the traffic light at the upcoming intersection turned green, and a brief, safe opening appeared in the left lane.

With a sudden flick of his wrist, he turned the steering wheel slightly. The car executed a smooth, steady lane change, passed the white car, and completely broke free from its suppressive maneuvers.

Wren Sutton turned her head and glanced back, noticing that the white car had already merged back into the flow of traffic and was gradually disappearing from view.

She let out a sigh of relief, looked away, and leaned back against the seat, silently memorizing the license plate number.