Lin Mei had been experiencing bouts of dry heaving since last night. The smell of steak earlier had made her stomach churn again, and she let out an ill-timed heave.
Covering her mouth, Lin Mei waved to Lan Lan and Feng Feng, signaling she was fine. She then got up and went to the restroom, with Lan Lan following close behind.
Meanwhile, Shen Su watched Lin Mei's retreating back, lost in thought, until Feng Feng spoke to him, "Mr. Shen, do you need something from me?"
"Yes," Shen Su retracted his gaze and looked at the woman opposite him, dressed in a smart suit, a smile in his eyes. "That night in Manhattan, I often reminisce."
Mentioning that night, Feng Feng's smile faltered slightly. Fortunately, she was experienced enough not to be flustered by a casual remark from someone she'd only met once. Feng Feng replied with a smile, "It is my honor to be remembered by Mr. Shen."
Neither humble nor arrogant, she accepted his compliment, but nothing more.
Shen Su gazed at the woman's exquisitely made-up face and, with a smile, handed her a business card.
Feng Feng gracefully accepted it and glanced at it. "Mr. Shen, are you here to discuss business with me?"
Shen Su's lips curved upwards. "Does business in bed count as business?"
Feng Feng replied, "I'm afraid I might have to disappoint you, Mr. Shen."
Shen Su asked, "On what grounds?"
Feng Feng stated, "It's a rule of the world, I don't date the same person twice."
Shen Su countered, "Rules are meant to be broken."
The man implied he would make her break the rule. Feng Feng found it ironic; his confidence was not just for show.
Ordinary men were confident, but men with capital like Shen Su were even more so, as if all women should break their principles for him.
Feng Feng was a seasoned player. Despite her inner disdain, she maintained her politeness and smile. "Like you, Mr. Shen, I eagerly anticipate that day."
Shen Su was a gentleman. Although he wanted to ask Feng Feng out, he didn't force the issue. After leaving his card, he departed.
Shen Su had come out for dinner with Gu Song. As soon as he sat down, Gu Song asked, "Where did you go?"
Shen Su replied, "Old Xing's daughter is over there."
Gu Song exclaimed, "What a coincidence?"
Shen Su picked up his wine glass and glanced at Gu Song, narrowing his eyes. He shared his suspicion, "She might be pregnant."
Gu Song gasped, "Holy crap, Old Xing's?"
Shen Su responded, "You'll have to ask Old Xing about that."
With that, Shen Su picked up his phone and sent Xing Zheng a WeChat message.
Gu Song was still surprised. "Old Xing is something else, silent for years, and then a stunning debut!"
Shen Su put down his phone and took a sip of red wine, musing, "He's endured for over a decade; it's time for him to reach his breaking point."
Speaking of the past, Gu Song couldn't help but sigh. "I wonder if he can ever move past that incident."
---
Lin Mei had spent some time in the restroom, but as usual, nothing came up except for continuous dry heaving and acid reflux.
Lan Lan attended to her nearby. Although she didn't ask anything directly, she began to consider a certain possibility.
After returning to her seat, Lan Lan began to interrogate Lin Mei. "Did Xing Zheng wear a condom when you slept together?"
Lan Lan's question, combined with Lin Mei's dry heaving, changed Feng Feng's expression. She stared intently at Lin Mei, her gaze fixed on her stomach. "Have you checked?"
Lin Mei was about to tell them about it anyway. She truthfully replied, "We didn't use protection twice, and I forgot to take the morning-after pill, but it hasn't been twenty days yet."
"Then go to the hospital immediately after twenty days," Feng Feng advised decisively. "The sooner, the easier it is to handle."
Feng Feng had already assumed Lin Mei wouldn't keep the child, and Lan Lan felt the same. The reason the three of them became best friends was naturally their shared values.
They were all practical people and would never be like the heroines in melodramatic novels, casually having a child with a one-night stand. With the current high cost of raising children, raising one required thorough preparation and could not be done haphazardly.
Although Lin Mei also didn't plan to keep the child, the thought of potentially having an abortion made her uneasy. "I'm a little scared."
Lan Lan immediately comforted her. "Don't panic yet. It's not certain if you're pregnant. Wait until the time comes and get a check-up. If you are, it's okay, Feng Feng and I will be with you."
Feng Feng added, "I know a gynecologist. Don't worry, leave everything to me if anything happens."
With her friends' comfort, Lin Mei felt less scared than before and breathed a sigh of relief.
---
In the following days, Lin Mei kept track of the dates. As soon as twenty days had passed, she made an appointment for a gynecological examination. However, appointments at the maternal and child health hospital were scarce, so she had to wait for special appointments or grab canceled slots.
Consequently, Lin Mei was constantly refreshing the appointment platform.
On Thursday evening, Lin Mei found a canceled appointment for a specialist clinic at a nearby maternal and child health hospital. Just as she was about to book it, her phone suddenly vibrated. The screen displayed Xing Zheng's name. Lin Mei almost swore.
Lin Mei didn't answer the call. By the time she hung up, the appointment slot was gone.
Lin Mei was speechless.
What bad luck!
Meeting that scoundrel Xing Zheng always brought trouble!
As Lin Mei was getting angry, Xing Zheng's call came again. Lin Mei answered and asked impatiently, "Mr. Xing, what can I do for you?"
Hearing her tone, the man on the other end chuckled. "You're getting quite a temper."
Lin Mei retorted, "Your call just now interfered with an important matter I was handling. Please don't call me if it's nothing!"
Thinking of the lost appointment, Lin Mei felt extremely annoyed.
After scolding him, just as she was about to end the call, Xing Zheng said, "You're pregnant."
The four words successfully froze Lin Mei's actions. How did he know about this?
Only Feng Feng and Lan Lan knew about this, and neither of them would have told Xing Zheng.
Could it be...
Lin Mei remembered Shen Su. He had seen her dry heaving at the restaurant that day!
"Pregnant or not?" the man on the phone asked.
Lin Mei was displeased. "I don't know! I can't get a doctor's appointment, and the only slot I finally got was snatched by someone else when your call came in!"
Xing Zheng was silent.
Lin Mei continued, "You can rest assured, even if I am, I'll terminate it."
There was a silence of over ten seconds. Just as Lin Mei thought the call had ended, she heard Xing Zheng's voice again. He said, "Tomorrow morning at seven, Furen Hospital, I'll be waiting for you."
Furen Hospital was the best maternal and child health hospital in Nanjiang City, and appointments were extremely difficult to get. Lin Mei thought Xing Zheng was probably worried about unexpected events, so he wanted to confirm her situation personally. After all, this shouldn't be her sole responsibility.
Lin Mei accepted this calmly and drove to Furen Hospital the next morning to meet Xing Zheng.
Upon meeting, Xing Zheng asked Lin Mei, "Have you eaten?"
Lin Mei nodded, and then Xing Zheng directly took her to the blood collection room, drawing five tubes of blood in one go.
After the blood draw, Lin Mei was taken by Xing Zheng for an ultrasound.
After coming out of the ultrasound room, Lin Mei walked towards the elevator with Xing Zheng.
As they took a few steps, a young boy suddenly darted out and excitedly grabbed Xing Zheng. "Dad!"