The villa's gate code remained unchanged. Ning Rui entered the familiar sequence of numbers, successfully opening the door. The next moment, she saw the man sitting on the sofa. He was still smoking, a cigarette held between his slender fingers. Upon seeing her, he showed no surprise. Ning Ye was here, and she was bound to come and compromise.
Ning Rui walked towards Li Xun, stopping before the sofa. She met his gaze, feigning calmness. "Where is Ning Ye?"
As soon as the words left her lips, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace. Ning Rui was forced to sit on Li Xun's lap. He leaned closer and blew a puff of smoke into her face.
Choked, Ning Rui coughed, then heard him ask, "Do you hate me that much? Hmm?"
Ning Rui remained silent, unsure whether to speak the truth. Shouldn't she hate him? If not for him, she and Ning Ye would still be living in a prosperous and affluent family. She wouldn't have experienced the downfall of her family, and her parents wouldn't have met with misfortune...
He was the culprit behind everything, yet he was asking her such a question, as if it were a joke.
"I planned everything myself; it has nothing to do with Ning Ye," Ning Rui took all the responsibility. "Let Ning Ye go. I won't run away again."
"Rui Rui," he uttered the name he only used in the bedroom. "Do you think you still have any credit with me?"
Ning Rui fell silent again. Indeed, Li Xun was so guarded. After this incident, he wouldn't trust her again. However, she still had to tie Ning Ye down. "We can sign an agreement. I'll do whatever you want, just let Ning Ye go."
Li Xun suddenly laughed. Ning Rui couldn't understand the meaning behind his laughter. She watched him extinguish the cigarette, his hand reaching forward only to retract. Abruptly, he grasped her chin. "Did you ever love me, Ning Rui?"
Ning Rui's heart tightened, her breath catching as if something were constricting her. She couldn't give an answer. Li Xun chuckled and pushed her down. She knew instantly what he intended to do.
Thinking of the child in her womb, Ning Rui quickly stopped him, her hands pressing against his shoulders. Her refusal was evident. Li Xun was angered by her resistance, his actions becoming more aggressive. He tore at her clothes and bent down to kiss her. Ning Rui's stomach churned violently, and she gagged. The sound was piercing in the quiet living room.
Hearing the sound, Li Xun finally stopped his actions. Ning Rui's vomiting, however, did not cease. She covered her mouth, retching uncontrollably. She had intended to hold back, but once it started, she couldn't stop. Ning Rui stumbled and rushed to the bathroom.
Li Xun sat on the sofa, listening to the sounds of her vomiting. It seemed to trigger something in him. He walked to the bathroom door and watched Ning Rui finish. After she rinsed her mouth, he gazed at her still-flat abdomen and questioned, "You're pregnant?"
Lin Mei was very worried about Ning Rui. She had called Ning Rui several times last night, and again this morning. Ning Rui's phone was first unreachable, then turned off.
When Xing Zheng arrived in the morning, Lin Mei was still trying to call Ning Rui. Seeing this, he told her, "Ning Rui went back to Li Xun's place last night."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mei felt a moment of relief, followed by renewed worry. How could Li Xun let her go so easily after she ran away like that? And she had a child in her womb...
"Don't worry," Xing Zheng saw through her thoughts immediately. "Li Xun won't do anything to Ning Rui."
"Really?" Lin Mei didn't quite believe him. "I want to go see her."
"Their matters likely haven't been resolved yet," Xing Zheng took out his phone. "I'll call Li Xun and ask Ning Rui to speak with you for a moment."
This was a viable option. Lin Mei agreed. Xing Zheng quickly contacted Li Xun and, after a brief conversation, handed the phone to her. Lin Mei took it. "Ning Rui?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about me," Ning Rui's voice sounded a bit hoarse and tired. "You're about to give birth; your health is important."
"Are you... not feeling well?" Lin Mei originally wanted to ask about the child in her womb, but this was something only they knew about and was inconvenient to ask.
"I'm fine," Ning Rui continued to say. Then, Li Xun took the phone back. He spoke to Lin Mei, "Rest assured, I won't do anything to her. I'm taking her to the hospital now. Goodbye."
Before Lin Mei could reply, the call ended. Lin Mei frowned. The hospital...?
Ning Rui's morning sickness was so severe. Had Li Xun discovered it already? Li Xun was unwilling to let Ning Rui go in the first place, and now that Ning Rui was pregnant, it was even more impossible.
"Are you relieved now?" Xing Zheng put his phone aside. "Li Xun wouldn't dare to do anything to her."
"Your belly is so big already, you shouldn't worry about other people's affairs," Xing Zheng touched Lin Mei's belly, just in time for a fetal movement. "Listen, my daughter is already agreeing with my words through her actions."
"Who told you it's a girl?" Li Xun had just personally guaranteed that he wouldn't do anything to Ning Rui, so Lin Mei felt much more at ease, her tone no longer as serious as before.
"I think it's a girl, so it is," Xing Zheng was unreasonable, but it was clear he wanted a daughter.
After Ning Rui spoke with Lin Mei, Li Xun took her to the hospital. On the way, she remained silent, and the man beside her was also quiet. Ning Rui caught a glimpse of his serious expression from the corner of her eye, and her heart couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness.
Li Xun had not commented on the child. She didn't know if he would keep it. Now that she had been caught and brought back by him, she had completely lost her autonomy.
The journey was silent. Upon arriving at the hospital, Li Xun had everything arranged. She was taken to have several tubes of blood drawn and an ultrasound. Finally, she was led to the doctor's office. Ning Rui was already very familiar with this gynecologist; she had consulted her for her health issues in the past.
The stack of examination reports was placed in her hands. The doctor reviewed them one by one. After a thorough examination, she said to them, "Mrs. Li is pregnant. According to the ultrasound, she is a little over six weeks along."
"The embryo is early in development, so not much can be seen. Come back in eight weeks for a fetal anomaly scan. During this period, pay attention to rest and nutrition, and maintain a cheerful mood."
A cheerful mood? Ning Rui's heart felt bitter. This was likely the one thing she was least able to possess right now.
As she remained silent, she suddenly heard Li Xun ask the doctor, "If she doesn't want the child, is surgery suitable at this stage?"
Ning Rui's nerves immediately tensed. Her hands clenched her clothes. The doctor was clearly caught off guard by Li Xun's question. After a moment of surprise, she remembered to answer, "Yes, if you don't want it, the surgery should be done as soon as possible. This will cause less harm to the body. It's best to decide before eight weeks."
Li Xun responded with an "Mm," an ambiguous sound that left everyone guessing his thoughts.
The consultation ended, and Ning Rui was taken by Li Xun to the parking lot. After getting into the car, she heard Li Xun ask, "How do you want to handle this child?"