Chapter 311: Having a Child for Ke Teng
Her emotions had been in turmoil all day.
So when her shift ended, Jiang Nanfang decided to visit Ke Teng at the hospital.
She didn’t know why, but whenever she felt down, she wanted to see him.
Maybe it had become a habit, or maybe she was hoping he’d recover soon.
In any case, she went.
Arriving at the familiar floor and the familiar ward, she pushed the door open—
Only to find the room empty.
Her first thought was that she’d entered the wrong room.
But when she stepped back and checked again, it was definitely the right one.
Ke Teng wasn’t there. Neither was Ke Jingyu.
Had Ke Teng suddenly gotten better? Or had they found a better doctor and left?
Her heart began to pound uncontrollably.
She rushed to the nurse’s station.
A nurse, swamped with work, glanced up at her.
“He was taken for emergency treatment—didn’t you know? He’s been in there for over an hour!”
“Sudden heart palpitations. It’s serious. You should go upstairs and check.”
What?
Ke Teng’s condition had worsened?
Sudden heart palpitations?
Why hadn’t Ke Jingyu told her?
Jiang Nanfang didn’t even wait for the elevator. She sprinted up the stairs.
At the stairwell, the smell of cigarette smoke hit her. A tall, slender figure stood with his back to the light.
It was Ke Jingyu.
She hurried over. “Mr. Ke…”
Ke Jingyu looked weary. He took a slow drag from his cigarette.
“You’re here.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I was about to.”
“How is Ke Teng?”
“The doctors say it’s not looking good.”
The hope that had sparked in her just minutes ago was instantly extinguished.
A chill ran from her head to her toes.
“But he’s been stable lately—how could this happen so suddenly?”
Ke Jingyu shook his head, stubbing out his cigarette on a nearby trash can.
Then he turned to look out the window.
“Maybe this is his fate. The Ke family’s fate. Built by women, ruined by women.”
“Looking back, my life has been a farce. Lost my wife in my prime, now my son in my old age. There’s nothing left to live for.”
Jiang Nanfang trembled.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Ke Teng leaving Ke Jingyu behind.
A parent burying their child—she knew the pain of losing a child. She couldn’t imagine how devastating this would be for him.
Nor could she imagine how she’d live with herself if Ke Teng really died.
“Mr. Ke, don’t think like that. Ke Teng is a good person. He’ll pull through.”
“Don’t waste your breath on empty platitudes.” Ke Jingyu had clearly braced himself for the worst.
He turned to look at her, hesitating as if he had something to say but couldn’t bring himself to say it.
She was the one who had dragged them into this mess.
If Ke Teng had never met her, none of this would have happened.
What could he possibly hesitate to say?
Jiang Nanfang felt she deserved to be on her knees begging for forgiveness.
“Mr. Ke, just say it.”
Since she’d asked, Ke Jingyu paused, then spoke.
“I know this might feel like emotional blackmail, but there’s no other way.”
“You know how much A-Teng likes you. Truly likes you.”
“He’s always been stubborn, making his own decisions about everything. It’s given me headaches for years. But when it comes to choosing a partner, he’s never let me down.”
“You’re the first girl he’s brought to meet me. The only one he’s ever said he wanted to spend his life with. And I have to admit, his taste is impeccable. I admire you too.”
Jiang Nanfang felt even colder.
Why was he telling her this now? What did he want?
Ke Jingyu continued slowly, “Every day, I watch him go through tests, watching his body deteriorate. It’s agony.”
“He’s my only child. The Ke family’s fortune—it was all meant to be his…”
“Nanfang, if A-Teng dies, I’ll have nothing left to live for. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
Jiang Nanfang wished she could bury her head in the ground.
“This is all my fault. I’ve failed you and Ke Teng.”
Ke Jingyu cut her off.
“There’s no point in saying that now. What we need is a way to make amends.”
“Today, the doctors made a suggestion. I’ve thought long and hard before bringing it up to you.”
“While his body is still functioning… Nanfang, could you have a child for him?”
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck her.
A blinding flash, followed by a ringing in her ears.
All she could hear were those heavy, distant words:
*Have a child for him.*
Ke Jingyu wanted her to have Ke Teng’s child!
She had once thought that if Ke Teng recovered and still wanted to marry her, she would—as a way to make it up to him.
But that had just been a fleeting, guilt-driven fantasy.
When it came to actually having his child—she’d never seriously considered it.
Her mind buzzed for a long moment before she could hear Ke Jingyu again.
He said, “I know what you’re thinking. Even if Ke Teng’s body is failing, the Ke family could find another woman to carry on the bloodline. There are countless women in the world—it wouldn’t be hard.”
“So why does it have to be you? Nanfang, you know why.”
“If he didn’t love someone, I might’ve picked a woman with good looks, education, and genetics—just to leave a Ke heir.”
“But he loves *you*. He’d want that child to be part of you. So… will you do it?”
Jiang Nanfang didn’t remember how she left the hospital.
Only that after Ke Jingyu patted her shoulder and told her to think it over and give him an answer soon, she felt like she was floating.
She drove home in a daze, operating on autopilot.
The faces of Zhan Beijue and Ke Teng swirled in her mind.
Her heart was in chaos.
She had to admit her own weakness.
No matter how many times she told herself to leave Zhan Beijue, when it came down to it, she couldn’t let go.
In all her years, he was the only man she’d ever loved.
How could she just walk away?
But Ke Teng…
If she had his child, even if he didn’t survive, she’d still be tied to the Ke family forever.
Rui Rui and Ge’er had been raised by Zhan Beijue. They’d been fine without her.
That much, at least, she didn’t have to worry about.
Was this the universe telling her it was time to let go?
To pretend she’d never returned to Nan City, never known them—
To leave them completely in Zhan Beijue’s hands and start a new life?
The pain was unbearable.