"I'll ask you one last time, are you going or not?"
Shen Zhizhong's expression became unnervingly calm, like the quiet before a storm, which made Chen Xiang uneasy. But she absolutely could not agree to the paternity test!
"No, I'm not going."
Still sitting on the ground, she fumbled, trying to crawl backward.
Shen Zhizhong strode forward, grabbed her wrist, and with such force that he lifted her off the ground. "If you refuse to go, don't blame me for going after the Chen family."
Chen Xiang's fingertips trembled, her throat tightened. "Zhizhong, how can you bear to treat me like this..."
"Don't call my name!" The sight of her face immediately brought to mind the recording on his phone. He pulled her and turned towards the door. Feeling her struggling in his grip, he turned back and said fiercely, "You'd better behave, or your Chen family will have no way out!"
Chen Xiang shivered, her face pale, daring not to utter another sound.
For the first time, she realized that this man was utterly ruthless. In the past, when he was harsh towards Xiao Qing, the more he was, the happier she felt.
But when it came to dealing with her, she finally understood how heartless this man was.
She was dragged to the hospital, and upon seeing Shen Zhizhong pull a long strand of hair from his pocket, she felt her vision blacken.
She wished she could faint on the spot!
But Shen Zhizhong was determined to do the test. Fainting was out of the question; she had to stay by his side every moment, with no opportunity to interfere.
After waiting for more than two hours, as the test results were about to come out, Chen Xiang clutched her stomach, her face turning green. "I, I need to use the restroom..."
Shen Zhizhong warned, "You'd better not play any tricks."
"I won't, my stomach just hurts so much..."
With the paternity test results not yet out, Shen Zhizhong still held a sliver of pity for her, so he agreed. As she went in, his phone rang.
He had to go to the end of the corridor to take the call.
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Xiang emerged at that moment, and while he was distracted, she quietly slipped into the doctor's office.
The doctor was already looking at the test results. Chen Xiang saw at a glance that it read "non-parental relationship." She wasn't surprised at all, but her eyes flickered.
"Doctor."
She spoke softly, but it still startled the doctor. "Madam, is there something you need?"
He instinctively covered the test results on the desk. Chen Xiang hurried to the desk and quickly said, "Doctor, as you can see, my husband has a bad temper. If he finds out this child isn't his, he might kill me. You are an angel in white; you must help me!"
The doctor stammered, "H-how can I help you?"
"Just help me redo the report."
"Even if we redo it, the owner of this hair still isn't him..." the doctor said halfway through, then suddenly realized and widened his eyes in disbelief. "This won't do, absolutely not. Forging a report is illegal!"
Chen Xiang took a card from her bag and placed it on the table. "This card contains two hundred thousand. If you help me with this, this money is yours!"
She glanced nervously at the door behind her and lowered her voice.
"You should know, he is Shen Zhizhong. If you agree to help me conceal this, then in the future, if you need anything, just ask. I will do my best. But if you ruin our family, you, knowing Shen Zhizhong's secret, while you won't be silenced, you won't get any benefits either!"
The doctor hesitated. "Th-this..."
Chen Xiang urged, "Are you going to agree or not?!"
"I can agree!" The doctor gritted his teeth, unable to resist the temptation of money. "But if this matter is exposed, my future career will be ruined. This little bit of money is probably not enough."
Chen Xiang hadn't expected the timid doctor to immediately start demanding more. "How much do you want?"
"One million!"
"Why don't you just rob someone?!" Chen Xiang exclaimed in shock and anger.
"Of course, I don't need to rob. After all, a ready-made deal is right here," the doctor said with a smile.
Chen Xiang wanted to slap his smiling face, but she needed his help right now. No matter how angry she was, she had to endure. She took a deep breath and said, "Fine, I'll give it to you, but I have one more condition."
The doctor nodded. "Don't worry, as long as the money is in place, anything can be discussed."
Shen Zhizhong finished his call and happened to see Chen Xiang coming out of the restroom. He glanced at her, then shifted his gaze to the doctor emerging from the office.
"Is there a result?"
"Yes."
The doctor handed the test results to Shen Zhizhong.
His hands trembled as he held the results. After finally deciphering the words and knowing he was the father of Shen Yaoyao, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Very good, very good..."
Chen Xiang and the doctor exchanged a look.
She looked at Shen Zhizhong, her eyes full of affection. "Zhizhong, do you believe me now?"
Shen Zhizhong finally remembered what he had done earlier and felt a pang of guilt, but more than that, he was still suspicious and stubborn. "If it weren't for that recording where the man said you..."
He held back his words, mindful of the doctor's presence; family matters were not to be aired publicly.
Chen Xiang's eyes flickered. If she didn't completely dispel his suspicion today, she would likely have no peace in the future. So, she covered her forehead, swayed, and then fainted.
Shen Zhizhong instinctively caught her and quickly looked at the doctor. "Doctor, please check on her quickly!"
The doctor called a nurse to take her to the emergency room. Less than ten minutes later, he came out smiling. "Congratulations, Mr. Shen, your wife is pregnant, three weeks along."
"Pregnant?"
Shen Zhizhong was overjoyed, almost disbelieving.
He thought that at his age, he wouldn't have any more children...
The doctor smiled. "Your wife has woken up. You should go in and see her yourself. She's not in a good mood, which might affect the baby."
"Right, right, I'll go see her."
Shen Zhizhong almost tripped over his left foot as he stood up. He was simply too happy. Three weeks! Counting the days, it was exactly around the time they were together every day. This child could only be his!
As for the recording and his earlier suspicions, they all vanished.
Watching him support Chen Xiang and walk away joyfully, the doctor revealed a meaningful smile and took out his phone, dialing a number.
"Mr. Shen..."
He explained everything to Shen Qingqing.
Shen Qingqing was very pleased, a slight smile on her lips. "Ke Lin, well done."
"Will there be a year-end bonus?"
"Absolutely."
Ke Lin grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Shen."
...
Shen Zhizhong helped Chen Xiang into the car, his cautious demeanor very satisfying to Chen Xiang. However, the earlier beating by him still left her with lingering resentment, and she couldn't help but want to make him suffer a little.
But Shen Zhizhong endured it all. For the sake of the unborn child, his temper had improved.