Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Relieved, Grandmother Qi started crowing away about the delights of her grandson’s wedding again.
Grandmother Gui was getting tired of the conversation and interjected. “Song girl, I remember your mom is from the Yu family, correct?”
“Yes,” Song Yu replied without any further explanation.
“That Yu…” Grandmother Gui tried to remember the name of that insignificant person. “Oh, Yu Zidong, he’s going through a divorce. He’s from your mother’s family, yes?”
Song Yu was mildly surprised. The news had not reached her, and she could not believe Yu Zidong was divorcing Liang Lihua. They were getting along well all this while.
“You didn’t know?” Grandmother Gui leaned forward, interest dancing in her eyes.
While Grandmother Gui was an esteemed lady from The Great Eight Families — her public appearance was often met with awe and starstruck — she was not immune to the gossips.
Regardless of which family was involved in the gossip, Grandmother Gui was always interested to hear a bit more.
In this case, she got the news while playing mahjong with some middle-class friends.
Song Yu shook her head and confessed, “I didn’t know.”
‘After Song Yu’s family went bankrupt, the Yu family had cut ties with them. Now, the relationship between two families was neutral at best, which was probably why Song Yu did not know,’ Grandmother Gui pondered.
If she was in Song Yu’s shoes, she would have brought chaos down onto the Yu family. Grandmother Gui was known for her temper.
She was a very black-and-white person, and she was not above seeking revenge on those who have wronged her.
“I don’t know the reason myself, but it seems to involve their family business. Their company is going to close down soon, I think. Clients are banging on their doorsteps, demanding their money back — especially low-income clients. The combined amount of all their clients’ money made up a large sum. The ongoing strike in front of the company is also bad for their image. I don’t really know if the company is the reason for the divorce, but Yu Zidong seems adamant to get rid of his wife. As if divorcing her would bring the company back into good standing.”
“They’ll fight at home nowadays. Yu Zidong wants to file for a divorce. The Liang family would never stand by such an affront, so they’ve been going over to the Yu family’s to argue. Yu Zidong was worried about the Yu family reputation and didn’t want the news to spread, so he avoided the legal process. But after all that chaos, everybody had heard about the divorce! His reputation was never going to be spared,” Grandmother Gui spoke knowingly.
“Haih, he’s no longer a young man. And out of nowhere, he wants a divorce. Of course it’s going to look ugly,” Grandmother Yan berated as she shook her head.
Song Yu was lost in thought. ‘Why did Yu Zidong’s divorce have anything to do with the company?’
Moreover, she could not figure out why her uncle wanted a divorce at this point after all these years.
Yu Zidong had eyes only for money. If divorcing Liang Lihua would prevent the company’s bankruptcy, Song Yu was sure that Yu Zidong would do it without a moment’s hesitation.
In Yu Zidong’s eyes, familial ties took a back seat when it came to money.
The only person that Song Yu could think of who could push Yu Zidong to forsake his marriage would be none other than Qi Chengzhi.
“Song girl! Song girl!”
The voice of Grandmother Han drew Song Yu out of her thoughts.
Song Yu smiled apologetically. “Grandmother Han, what were you saying?”
The old lady passed her a stack of photos. “Help us browse through these. Youngsters have different tastes compared to old grandmothers. See if there are any promising ladies.”
Song Yu took the photos. She wondered if Han Zhuoli knew that Grandmother Han had so many suitors lined up for him. There was enough variety to arrange for a matchmake every day without getting bored.
They looked through the photos for a while. Then, Grandmother Gui suggested for them to play a few rounds of mahjong as all four elders were present.
Grandmother Han called for the servants to prepare the mahjong table. Song Yu stayed beside Grandmother Qi and occasionally helped refill their cups and snacks.
The three grandmothers looked on admiringly at Grandmother Qi’s daughter-in-law.
Grandmother Gui felt like this whole mahjong session was just a chance for Grandmother Qi to show off in another manner.
Grandmother Qi was not bothered when she lost — she only beamed and praised Song Yu.
When she won, she would commend Song Yu on the luck she brought.
The other old ladies quickly grew tired of Grandmother Qi’s swagger, and the game came to a stop.
Later, they had a meal at Grandmother Han’s house before leaving.
Grandmother Qi was incredibly happy today. Sitting in the car, a giggle would escape her mouth when she replayed today’s gathering.
Grandmother Qi ordered the driver to drop Song Yu back at Viewpark Residences.
Nausea hit Song Yu while she sat in the car.
During the lunch in Grandmother Han’s house, she already felt uncomfortable.
The smell of the dishes did not awaken her appetite, but it was her first time accompanying Grandmother Qi to a friend’s house, so she endured the lunch. It would be offensive if she rejected the food.
Now, the unwelcomed taste occupied her mouth, which made her even more nauseous.
She had been feeling unwell this entire week. When she went out for lunch with Ruan Danchen, she did not eat much as the smell of food made her want to vomit.
Song Yu did not want to worry Grandmother Qi, so she kept her discomfort to herself.
After an arduous journey, the car eventually stopped at Viewpark Residences. Song Yu got down and bid farewell to Grandmother Qi. Once the car had left their street, she quickly braced herself against the telephone pole and puked.
Then, she took some tissues out from her bag and wiped her face. She disposed the contaminated tissue into the trash and, after some thinking, decided to walk outside.
She stood by the road, hoping to flag down a cab, but she then remembered the nausea she felt in the car. She opted for the subway instead.
Song Yu frowned. She never had motion sickness in the car before and could not figure out why her stomach was so upset.
She got off the subway stop closest to the public hospital and quickly got a queue number. She waited at the internal medicine wing to see the doctor.
The doctor was a woman in her mid-forties. She asked for Song Yu’s medical history and checked her breathing and heartbeat. After that, she told her to lie on the bed and examined her abdomen.
The doctor inquired, “Miss, has your period been regular?”
Song Yu was stunned by the question and explained, “I never paid attention to it. I can’t even remember the last time it came.”
The doctor helped Song Yu up and brought her over to the desk. “I suggest you go see the OB/GYN.”
“What?” Song Yu quieted down, her mouth agape. The doctor’s question clearly pointed to something. “Are you saying —”
“This is just speculation, but you’ll have to go to the OB/GYN to confirm,” assured the doctor with a smile.
This was based on the doctor’s experience as a medical practitioner and a mother. She was happy for Song Yu.
Song Yu thanked the doctor. She was still in a daze and disbelief.
She went to the first floor and grabbed a number for the OB/GYN before heading for the third floor.
Surprisingly, there was a crowd on the floor, and she almost had to squeeze her way through.
Song Yu had her hand on her stomach and wondered about the chance of her actually being pregnant.
She read the instructions on the wall and walked toward the OB/GYN department. As she turned, an oncoming figure was millimeters away from colliding with her.
Song Yu immediately sidestepped out of the way, but their shoulders still collided.
The papers in the person’s hand scattered all over the floor. Song Yu bent down to help pick them up.
As she was collecting the papers, she saw a pregnancy test result that stated the person was forty-days pregnant.
Song Yu was ready to return the papers but stopped when she saw the name, Guan Xiaolin.
Her eyes widened. She looked up and was met with Guan Xiaolin’s shocked face.
The papers crumpled in her hands. “You —”
Guan Xiaolin snatched the papers from her hands and quickly turned to leave. Song Yu chased after her. “Guan Xiaolin! Wait!”
Even though Song Yu had not taken a pregnancy test, the possibility of being pregnant made her walk briskly instead of run. However, her efforts were in vain as Guan Xiaolin managed to escape.
Song Yu stopped and frowned. The test results were still stuck in her head.
If Guan Xiaolin was pregnant, the kid would be…
Song Yu had a bad feeling about this. She was stuck in thought but remembered that she had her own checkup to attend to. She shook her head and walked toward the OB/GYN wing.
…
…
Song Yu came out from the examination room and took the elevator to the first floor. The doctor’s words still echoed in her head, and she felt her legs turn to jelly.
She found a chair and sat down. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.
She was pregnant…
Pregnant!
At this moment, her bag contained a doctor’s report stating that she was thirty-seven days pregnant.
Song Yu could not calm her heart. She was nervous, excited, and eager.
She was carrying Qi Chengzhi’s child. They were having a baby!
The thought of carrying the man’s progeny made her incredibly happy — her heart was bursting with joy.
Song Yu put her hand on her abdomen. Her belly was still flat and showed no signs of pregnancy, yet a baby was growing inside her now.
She took the report from her bag and scanned through it again. Then, she took her phone and snapped a photo.
It was not convenient to bring the report everywhere, but she could look at the result whenever she felt like it with a photo.
Staring at her phone, she wanted to tell Qi Chengzhi immediately.
Yet, she did not want to cheapen the good news by telling him through the phone.
Her fingers trembled as she dialed for Qi Chengzhi. The nervousness made her abdomen contract. The left hand holding the phone shook while her right hand clenched repeatedly.
…
…
Qi Chengzhi was in a meeting. The client company from yesterday was sitting across him. Even the company’s director was personally here, along with the deputy director.
His phone was on vibrate mode in case Song Yu needed to reach him during working hours.
Qi Chenglin was in the middle of a presentation when Qi Chengzhi took out his phone. It was Song Yu’s caller ID. He stood up without hesitation and said to the room, “I’m sorry, but my wife’s calling. She usually doesn’t call during work time so it might be important.”
“Go ahead, Director Qi.” The director nodded in mutual understanding.
Qi Chengzhi took his phone and left the meeting room. The people from Qilin were already used to Qi Chengzhi dropping everything at hand for Song Yu.
Whatever important task at hand could not compare to a single phone call from Song Yu.
To the client company and the director who allowed for the phone call, it was an uncommon practice.
Qi Chengzhi actually left the meeting because of a phone call from his wife.
Qi Chengzhi walked back to his office and picked up the call. “Hey.”
Hearing his voice, Song Yu was filled with excitement. Her voice trembled with uncontained joy as she spoke, “Are you still busy?”
“Not at all. Finished chatting with Grandma? Want me to pick you up?” Qi Chengzhi spoke gently and at a steady pace, as if the ongoing meeting next door did not require his attention.
“We already parted ways. I’m at the hospital now. If you’re busy, I can get myself home.” Song Yu looked down at the report. Her heart was still racing.
“The hospital? You’re not feeling well?” Qi Chengzhi’s heart jumped into his throat. It was unusual for Song Yu to call at this hour. ‘She must be unwell, why else would she go to the hospital?’
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just came for a checkup,” Song Yu quickly explained. She could tell by Qi Chengzhi’s tone that he was thinking the worst about the situation.
Her words did not calm him. He figured that Song Yu was only making light of the situation for his sake.
“Which hospital?” Qi Chengzhi asked.
“The People’s Hospital,” Song Yu replied.
“I’ll be there in a bit.”
“Don’t panic. Drive safe —” Song Yu did not manage to finish her sentence before Qi Chengzhi hung up.
Qi Chengzhi was anxious to the point where he did not even believe Song Yu’s words.
‘What checkup? Why didn’t she mention it before?’
She had ended up in the hospital out of the blue, and there was a slight tremor in her voice just now. How was he supposed to not worry?
He rushed out of the building while dialing for Cheng Dongge. “Song Yu’s in the hospital and I’m heading over. Tell Director Yang I’m sorry I couldn’t stay.”
Just when he hung up the call, Song Yu’s call came in.
“What’s wrong?” he answered in a steady voice despite hurrying into the car.
“Chengzhi, calm down. I’m really fine. You can come to pick me up, but please drive safely. Understood?” Song Yu sounded stern and concerned, which made Qi Chengzhi heart warm.
“Alright,” he promised.
After hanging up, Song Yu berated herself. Why did she call him? Of course he would have panicked at the word ‘hospital’.
She could have shared the pregnancy news when they got home later.
She placed the report back into her bag and walked out of the outpatient area.
There was a bookstore next door, and she wanted to browse for some childcare books.
She did not dare to call Qi Chengzhi while he was driving, so she quickly bought two books and went back to the hospital. She sat on a bench near the outpatient area and read her newly-bought books.
However, her heart could not calm down. She was distracted after reading just a few lines.
After a few rounds of glancing about, she saw a black Range Rover rushing toward the hospital at an unsafe speed. Then, the car braked hard at the outpatient doorway.
A man came down from the car and ran into the hospital.
Song Yu immediately stood up and yelled, “Qi Chengzhi!”
He was running in a mad dash without any of his usual calmness. His lanky body swayed as if it would topple at any second.
“Qi Chengzhi!” Song Yu shouted again at the top of her lungs.
Qi Chengzhi had already rushed up the steps to the outpatient area. He stopped and turned around. Song Yu saw the pale face and messy hair — even his suit was a tad crumpled.
She took a step forward and Qi Chengzhi leaped from the steps toward her.
He stopped in front of her. Out of breath, his hands went to her face and checked for any signs of injury. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell or injured?”
Qi Chengzhi squatted and checked her legs. After checking that she was physically fine, he stood back up. “Where do you feel uncomfortable?”
As he breathed a sigh of relief, Song Yu punched him hard on the chest. The pain made him grunted.
“Qi Chengzhi, if you ever drive so recklessly again, I won’t forgive you!” Song Yu was angry and worried altogether. The thought of him driving at such breakneck speed while unfocused was alarming. What if he got into an accident?
Song Yu punched him again. “I told you, I’m fine! I just came for a checkup. There’s nothing wrong. Why didn’t you listen? Didn’t I tell you to drive safely? What if you got into an accident? If you got into an accident because you’re rushing over here, do you know what that would do to me?”
“You scared me just now, seeing your car speeding over here. If you’re driving so recklessly near a hospital, I can’t imagine your driving on the road. What would happen if you got into an accident because you’re unfocused? Qi Chengzhi, you scared me!” As Song Yu blurted all these, her fears intensified and her body became cold.
Maybe it was the pregnancy that made her emotions run high. Her face turned pale while her eyes reddened. She clutched tightly onto the collar of his shirt as the beads of tears fell from her face.
“Why are you crying?” Qi Chengzhi panicked when he saw the tears. His fingers gently rubbed away the tears on her cheeks.
Her cheeks were tender. It was as if a bit more strength and her skin would break under his fingers.
“Don’t cry, don’t be angry,” he whispered in a raspy voice by her cheek and kissed the tears from her face. “I won’t drive so recklessly again, I promise you. Don’t cry, it’s my fault.”
Song Yu pressed herself into his embrace and hugged his waist. She sobbed while saying, “It’s my fault. I frightened you and didn’t explain the situation.”
She could not forget the image of Qi Chengzhi in distraught, running toward the hospital. He was always calm and collected, but he was none of those just now.
The panic and fear on his face made Song Yu’s heartache.
“It’s my fault. I could have just waited to tell you at home instead of making you come over all worried.” Song Yu tightened her arms around him. The intimacy made her feel safe.
Qi Chengzhi could feel Song Yu’s distress. She was still trembling in his arms.
Learning that she cared so much about him, Qi Chengzhi could not help the smile that appeared on his face. He leaned down and kissed her eyes, her temples, then her cheeks.
“It’s alright. I promise you, I’ll never drive so recklessly again. Don’t be scared,” he said in a comforting tone. His warm, strong hands caressed her long hair and back.
A while later, Song Yu gradually calmed down. She murmured, “I’m sorry I scared you.”
Qi Chengzhi bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth. He wiped her tears dry and asked, “Why did you come to the hospital?”
Back in his office, when he heard that she was in the hospital, his heart froze.
Now that he had ascertained that she was alright, his heart could beat at its normal pace again.
Song Yu quietly pulled away from his embrace. She took Qi Chengzhi’s hand from her face.
She looked at the big, strong hand in her palm with its slender fingers.
Even his hand was a work of art to Song Yu.
She guided the hand and placed it on her abdomen. The warmth from his palm gave her belly a pleasant feeling.
“I came here to do… a pregnancy checkup.” Song Yu looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed. The blush had spread from the tips of her ears to her neck. “I’m pregnant.”
“I wanted to tell you face-to-face. So I…” As Song Yu spoke, there was no response from Qi Chengzhi. She raised her head and was met with a dumbfounded Qi Chengzhi. The man who was usually unflappable had his jaw hanging open, staring wide-eyed.
Qi Chengzhi always thought himself as someone who had no particular want for kids. The notion of a child between Song Yu and him seemed inconvenient.
However, at this moment, the news of Song Yu’s pregnancy only filled him with indescribable gratitude. His throat bobbed — he felt like he could cry.
Without Song Yu’s urging, he moved his palm across her belly. He lowered his head and stared at her flat belly.
Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu into a tight embrace. He buried his head into her neck and took a deep breath.
Song Yu shifted her arms and returned the hug.
Although Qi Chengzhi had yet to speak, she understood the significance of his actions.
Even though at times he acted childishly or shamelessly, he never actually put his full emotions on display. Deep down, he was still an awkward and introverted man.
