Chapter 149: Pregnancy

However, she affectionately linked her arm with mine and said, "Lanshan, we are going to be family very soon. If you are so on guard against me, others might mistake me for a wicked mother-in-law. Ange won't wake up just yet; we're just going out for a casual stroll and will be back shortly."

Seeing that I remained unmoved, she added, "Aren't you afraid of me playing dirty tricks behind your scenes? If so, you should spend more time with me. As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles."

Her words brought a smile to my lips, and I couldn't help but admire her. Who talks about themselves like that?

Once we stepped out of the hospital, Shu Aiqing asked A Mu, who had been trailing us the whole time, "Do you think I'm going to devour your young madam?"

A Mu remained unfazed. I knew what he meant—he was afraid Shu Aiqing would harm me.

It took several repetitions before he reluctantly agreed to head back.

I was completely unfamiliar with Manhattan, and the moment I hit the streets, my sense of direction vanished entirely. Shu Aiqing, on the other hand, seemed like a local, guiding me through two massive shopping malls.

The staff in those clothing boutiques seemed to recognize her. The moment we stepped inside, attendants rushed to welcome us. She pointed at the newest arrivals, urged me to try them on, and even offered to buy them for me as a gift.

I hurriedly declined. With a smile, she said, "Lanshan, don't overthink it. Although Lu Ange and I have been locked in a bitter rivalry these past few years, now that he's ill, I'm worried too."

I quickly explained, "All my clothes are custom-made by our company's designers. Besides, these styles are too mature and don't suit me."

She glanced at the outfit I was wearing and let out a chuckle. "Look at you! You're the woman of the prestigious Young Master Lu, yet you dress like a student every day. Where is the aura of a wealthy young mistress?"

Self-conscious, I lowered my head. Did she expect me to wear ultra-short skirts and high heels like Yuan Shengxiao? I simply couldn't picture myself like that.

In the end, she didn't buy me anything, taking me to a coffee shop instead. From time to time, I checked my phone, terrified that A Mu might call with some terrible news.

As Shu Aiqing nibbled on her matcha cake and noticed my anxious state, she said, "I spoke with Mingze yesterday. Though he's reluctant, he promised me he wouldn't give you any more trouble. You can rest easy..."

Catching my gaze, she offered a sheepish smile. "To be honest, I'm doing this for myself too. Fighting with Lu Ange day in and day out would exhaust even Superman. If you can help mend our relationship, why wouldn't I be glad to see it happen?"

I nodded and checked my watch. "Thank you for today. I'd like to head back now."

She waved over a waiter to pack a dessert box for me before accompanying me back to the hospital.

She left as soon as we reached the ground floor of the hospital, mentioning that she would bring Lu Anxin to see Lu Ange in a couple of days.

I walked toward the hospital step by step, counting the days of Lu Ange's coma. It had already been over two weeks, and I had no idea when he would finally wake up.

The day after Ganie returned, he had someone air-freight some snow towers to me. Consequently, my daily routine expanded from staring at the machinery by Lu Ange's bedside and reading books to include flower arranging as well.

The ward was deathly quiet. I crouched in front of the coffee table, using a pair of scissors to trim the delicate stems.

Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation. Turning my head, I saw Lu Ange's obsidian-like eyes staring right at me.

I froze, holding his gaze. When the corners of his mouth twitched into a faint smile, hot tears instantly streamed down my face.

I hurriedly wiped them away and walked over slowly, watching as he made a strenuous effort to lift his hand.

I grasped it instantly. Beneath his oxygen mask, his lips parted to say something. I removed the mask and leaned in close to listen.

His voice was so faint that I had to read his lips. After watching closely several times, I finally deciphered the words: "Do not worry..."

My breath caught in my throat, and an overwhelming surge of joy washed over me. Frantically, I hit the call button, then pulled him into an embrace, smearing my tears and snot all over his clothes.

After Brad conducted his examination, I finally saw a smile break across his doctor's face. The clouds had parted at last, and we had finally welcomed the bright sky.

***

All of Lu Ange's relatives rushed over immediately. Though Brad repeatedly warned them that Lu Ange needed rest, everyone was simply too overjoyed. Guan Erchen hugged me and burst into tears.

Suddenly, the world began to spin, darkness consumed my vision, and I lost consciousness entirely.

During the days of Lu Ange's coma, I had kept every nerve in my body stretched taut, not daring to relax for a single second, terrified that I would collapse before he woke up.

Now that he was awake, that tightly strung cord snapped instantly, and I could no longer hold on.

I had no idea how long I slept. When I finally opened my eyes, I found my hand held in a tight grip.

Turning my head slightly, I saw Lu Ange lying in the adjacent bed, his eyes wide open as he watched me.

I was too exhausted to even twitch a muscle. I simply grinned at him and mouthed two words: "Foolish..."

We just looked at each other like that, neither of us willing to look away, until Brad pushed open the door.

He walked in with a smile, and that was when I learned the truth: after I had passed out, he had originally arranged a separate room for me, but Lu Ange had silently protested to the point of abnormal blood pressure fluctuations. Daring not to stimulate him, the staff had no choice but to wheel another hospital bed into the room.

Brad shot me a knowing look, signaling me to come to his office once Lu Ange fell asleep.

Inside the office, he sat behind his desk with a solemn expression, staring at a medical report.

Assuming one of Lu Ange's vital indicators was abnormal, I asked him if his condition had taken a turn for the worse.

He handed the sheet to me and asked in a low voice, "How could you be so careless? Didn't you notice something was wrong with your own body?"

I took the paper and looked down. Under the patient's name was my own, the department listed was obstetrics and gynecology, and the test result consisted of two words: Positive.

Positive. Positive. That meant...

I looked up at Brad. He offered a somewhat forced, awkward smile. "The results just came in. You're pregnant. Without your consent, I haven't told a single soul—including him."

I gripped the test result tightly in my hand and forced a stiff, unnatural smile as I thanked him.

He tapped his fingers on the desk. "It's clear now that nothing can tear the two of you apart, so you can safely keep this child. After all, it's something he has longed for a very long time."

Clutching the laboratory report, I sat alone in the hallway for a long, long time—so long that my legs went numb—yet I still couldn't sort out my thoughts.

The reason I had wanted this child in the first place was out of fear that Lu Ange might lose his memory; I had wanted to leave behind some tangible proof of the love we shared.

But now, should I really keep this baby? Leaving aside the fact that I hadn't even graduated yet and still needed to take the graduate entrance exams, just the Lu family's disapproval of our relationship, coupled with the irreconcilable feud between Lu Ange and Shu Aiqing, left me with zero confidence.

Besides, Lu Ange hadn't lost his memory after all, and right now, he needed my care more than anything. If I kept this child, how would I be able to take care of him?

And yet... this was our child. Could I really bear to let it go?

I remained caught in this agonizing hesitation for an entire week. Even Lu Ange noticed my unusual demeanor, using his eyes to ask if something was wrong.

Subconsciously, I shook my head. Nearby, Brad gave me a meaningful glance, hesitated several times as if wanting to speak, and ultimately walked out in silence.

I followed him out to his office and stammered out the question: if I chose not to keep the child, could he arrange for a medical procedure?

He looked utterly shocked. "Why? Have you obtained his consent?"

With utmost calmness, I analyzed the situation for him, laying out every single practical difficulty I could possibly think of.

***

He remained silent for a full half-minute. "You Chinese women are truly strange, so casually deciding the fate of a life. You've weathered so many storms together, and this child has arrived at the most opportune moment. Don't you love him?"

I did love him. As I had said long ago, this child was another version of myself in this world—how could I possibly not love him?

Yet... yet, call me selfish if you will, or just call me foolish.

Ultimately, Brad gave me one more week to make up my mind, saying that if I still insisted on the procedure by then, he would make the arrangements.

A week later, Lu Ange had his oxygen mask removed, though he still struggled to speak, meaning almost all our communication took place on paper.

It reminded me of those days in Jingnan, when we also had to converse through written notes. Who would have thought life could be so poetic?

At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to keep the child. Remembering the beautiful visions of our family of three—pictures I had sketched in my mind countless times—I decided to throw caution to the wind.

Morning sickness struck without a shred of warning. I lost all appetite, felt perpetually drained and wanting only to lie down, while desperately trying to hide my condition from Lu Ange.

Several times, when I emerged from the bathroom with a pale face, I would catch his gaze fixed upon me, silently asking what was wrong.

I hastily threw together an excuse about a stomach upset, and remarkably, he believed it, even murmuring the name of a remedy.

However, Lu Ange's condition was far from as optimistic as I had imagined. With my mind consumed by thoughts of the baby, I had completely underestimated the severity of his sequelae.

It was only when Lu Ange suffered a violent headache and tumbled out of bed that I snapped out of my beautifully wrapped dream. I rushed over to catch him and screamed for the doctor.

Brad and his team burst into the room, and one of the physicians effortlessly lifted Lu Ange back onto the bed. It was then I noticed the bulging veins standing out in sharp relief on Lu Ange's exposed arms.

He had grown so thin. Good god, he had wasted away to this extent.

It was as if Lu Ange were Sun Wukong suffering under the torment of the tightening headband spell, clutching his head as he curled up on the mattress, groaning in cold sweat.

Standing helplessly to the side, I asked Brad what could be done. He replied that they would have to administer a painkiller injection.

Though I knew it wasn't ideal, watching Lu Ange suffer such excruciating agony left me with no other choice but to agree.

The medication took effect quickly. Since Lu Ange's daily intravenous infusions already contained sedative components, he soon drifted off to sleep.

I used a damp towel to wipe away his perspiration, staring at his furrowed brow that refused to relax, and silently prayed for the heavens to treat him more kindly.

Even if it meant transferring every ounce of fortune meant for me onto him, I wouldn't care.

Once the first episode occurred, the second was bound to follow, and the frequency of these attacks only grew worse.

The tormenting pain made Lu Ange extremely irritable. I knew he was trying his hardest to restrain himself, but some things were simply beyond his control.

Every time an episode struck, he would thrash around in bed like a martial arts master suffering from a cultivation deviation, smashing anything within reach. On a few occasions when I rushed forward to hold him, he inadvertently flung me away against the wall.

Instinctively, my hands would fly to protect my belly, filling me with a profound gratitude that I had chosen to keep this child.

Later on, Brad was left with no choice but to resort to a drastic measure: having him restrained to the bed and administered sedatives.