Lin Mei gagged, unable to answer. She went to the restroom and vomited some of the contents of her stomach. Only then did she feel much better. When she returned after vomiting, she saw Lan Lan and Feng Feng looking at her sternly. Lin Mei explained to them, "It's nothing, I feel better after throwing up."
After starting work, her gastrointestinal function had not been good. Vomiting and diarrhea were common occurrences. It was especially so during stressful times. Lan Lan and Feng Feng did not take her explanation lightly. "Is this the first time you've vomited today?"
Lin Mei shook her head. "I've had it for a few days. Maybe it's too much pressure."
Feng Feng's expression became complicated. "Have you had your period this month?"
Lin Mei shook her head. The last time she had her period was in Run City, more than forty days ago. By any calculation, it should have arrived. Could it be...
"When was the last time you slept with that scumbag Xing Zheng?" Lan Lan became agitated upon hearing that Lin Mei's period was late.
Lin Mei calculated the date and also panicked. "But, I had it once after that."
Lan Lan: "Didn't you say you hadn't?"
Lin Mei showed an embarrassed expression. "It came after we finished."
"Damn it!" Lan Lan swore, "Xing Zheng is worse than a pig or a dog."
"Let's make an appointment first, and go to the hospital tomorrow morning for a check-up. Guessing here is useless," Feng Feng arranged things methodically. Although she also wanted to curse Xing Zheng, the most important matter at hand was not this.
Lin Mei also began to suspect. She booked an appointment for the obstetrics and gynecology department on her phone. Lan Lan asked, "Shall we buy a pregnancy test to check first?"
Lin Mei followed Lan Lan's advice. On her way home, she bought a pregnancy test kit from a pharmacy. Her fingers trembled as she tore open the packaging. The ten minutes waiting for the result felt like an eternity.
Before going to the restroom to check the result, Lin Mei took a deep breath, but her heart rate refused to slow down. She picked up the pregnancy test stick. The two clear lines were clearly visible, stinging her eyes, making her head buzz and her limbs go cold.
Although the accuracy of early pregnancy tests was not high, such a result was already hinting at something...
That night, Lin Mei barely slept. She kept thinking about what to do if she was indeed pregnant with Xing Zheng's child. Should she give birth? She was alone, how could she have the energy to raise a child? Should she abort it? It seemed... that was the most appropriate choice.
She couldn't make a decision all night. When she woke up in the morning, her face was haggard. As she brushed her teeth, she vomited again. Her stomach was empty, and there was nothing left to throw up, only sour water.
Lan Lan and Feng Feng picked up Lin Mei together to go to the hospital. Seeing Lin Mei's憔悴 (qiáocuì - haggard/pale) face, they knew she must not have slept well last night. Lan Lan and Feng Feng held Lin Mei's hands on either side, encouraging her, "Don't be afraid, we'll figure it out together. If anything happens, we'll have your back."
Lin Mei's eyes welled up. If it weren't for the two of them accompanying her at this moment, she would probably have had an emotional breakdown long ago.
Lin Mei underwent hormone and ultrasound examinations. While waiting for the results, Lan Lan and Feng Feng took her to a coffee shop near the hospital for a meal. As Lin Mei was eating a sandwich, she felt the urge to gag again and stopped eating.
Lan Lan and Feng Feng were worried but helpless. They had heard that early pregnancy was tormenting, but neither of them had any experience and couldn't help much. Lin Mei drank some lemon water and felt much better, managing to finish a sandwich.
After breakfast, the three of them returned to the hospital and obtained the test results. The doctor confirmed that Lin Mei was indeed pregnant. "It's forty-two days. The baby looks fine now. Just pay attention to rest and nutrition."
Lin Mei was speechless. Seeing her apparent distress, the doctor said, "If you don't want it, have the surgery as soon as possible. The earlier, the less harm it will cause to your body."
"Okay, I'll consider it further." Lin Mei said "Thank you" to the doctor and left with the examination report, followed closely by Lan Lan and Feng Feng.
After leaving the hospital, the three of them got into the car. Feng Feng was the first to ask Lin Mei, "What do you want to do about this child?"
Lin Mei shook her head. "I thought about it all night yesterday, and I still don't know."
Pregnancy was something that had never been planned in her life for the past few years. Having a child was a major event, requiring immense energy for both raising and educating, and it was irreversible. Such a significant decision could not be made overnight.
Moreover, at this moment, she and Xing Zheng had completely broken up. Xing Zheng's wedding to Jiang Chubi was approaching. This child in her womb, to put it bluntly, was an illegitimate child.
She was already notorious in the bank, with constant gossip. She herself could disregard it, but what about the child? If she gave birth to this child, and others pointed fingers at him, how would she explain?
Lin Mei asked Feng Feng and Lan Lan, "What do you think I should do?"
"Abort it." The two of them said it almost in unison, giving the same answer without discussion.
Lan Lan said, "If it were someone else, I wouldn't advise you whether to keep it or not, but given our relationship, I won't be polite. Keeping this child would be too troublesome."
Feng Feng also said, "If you keep the child, you'll need to devote time to it, and your career will likely have no room for advancement. The economic cost of raising a child would be a bit strenuous for you. Also, regarding the child's status, if Xing Zheng comes to fight you for custody, will you sue him? Can you win?"
With each question Feng Feng asked, Lin Mei's resolve to have an abortion strengthened, until Feng Feng said this sentence, which made her make the final decision, "His illness has a risk of being inherited. This is the key point."
Lin Mei hadn't considered this before, perhaps she was too panicked and not thinking clearly enough. After Feng Feng's words, Lin Mei immediately decided, "I want to book the surgery."
The previous points Feng Feng had made were all things that could be overcome with some sacrifice and effort, but genetic inheritance was beyond her control.
She recalled the string of obscure English words on Xing Zheng's diagnosis report, which strengthened her resolve not to keep the child. She couldn't let an innocent life bear such suffering and risk.
"Okay, I'll book it for you. Your most important task now is to rest well," Feng Feng took on the responsibility of booking the surgery. "I'll go to the maternal and child hospital to book it. Leave these matters to me. Even if you have surgery, you need to ensure you have nutrition and sleep."
Lin Mei nodded. "Okay."
"I'll go take a look this afternoon and notify you once the time is set. Lan Lan and I will both take leave to accompany you then."
Feng Feng's words brought Lin Mei much peace of mind.
Feng Feng drove Lin Mei back to her apartment and then went to the maternal and child hospital to book the surgery for Lin Mei. This took up the entire afternoon.
Lin Mei's surgery was scheduled for ten days later. After Feng Feng returned to the apartment, she went to take a shower.
When she came out after her shower, she found Shen Su sitting in the living room. He was flipping through Lin Mei's examination report and the surgery appointment slip.
Feng Feng, usually calm, lost her composure for the first time and snatched the items from Shen Su's hand. "Who let you rummage through my things?"