Afterward, although Lin Mei had taken medication, such matters were not one hundred percent effective. She had miscarried once, and getting pregnant again shouldn't have been so easy. However, Aunt Wen's words reminded him of those few lapses. If there was an accident...
Taking such high doses of medication during pregnancy would inevitably affect the fetus. Even if it didn't endanger its life, it was hard to avoid causing defects of one kind or another.
Aunt Wen saw Xing Zheng's expression and guessed what was on his mind. She asked him again, "Do you know when Hua Mei's last period was?"
This question stumped Xing Zheng again. When they lived together before, this question was easy to answer, but now that they didn't live together, he hadn't seen her during their weekend meetings.
Seeing that Xing Zheng couldn't even answer such a basic question, Aunt Wen's eyes showed a hint of责备 (zé bèi - blame/reproach). "How can you not even remember such things? This won't do."
If a man truly loved a woman, how could he not remember her menstrual cycle? He was too careless!
Xing Zheng also felt self-reproach from Aunt Wen's words. Aunt Wen continued, "Hua Mei is a thoughtful girl. You need to care for her more. Don't always take things for granted and think you've done enough. You need to consider her feelings and see what she needs most."
Xing Zheng grunted. He indeed hadn't done enough. "I'll come to see the doctor for her examination tomorrow."
After Aunt Wen had given Xing Zheng some instructions, she left. Xing Zheng took a shower, heated a glass of milk, and took it upstairs.
When he entered the bedroom, Lin Mei had just finished her bath. She was wearing a slip dress, and the wounds on her body had not yet healed. Each one served as a reminder of the humiliation she had suffered. Seeing him, she instinctively covered her body.
Xing Zheng placed the cup on the bedside table. "Drink some warm milk. You didn't eat much tonight."
Lin Mei remained indifferent. Xing Zheng personally went to feed her. Although she didn't resist, she wasn't exactly cooperative. It took nearly ten minutes to drink a glass of milk.
That night, Xing Zheng, as usual, held Lin Mei in his arms, his arms wrapped around her, restraining her body and giving her no chance to resist or break free. He lowered his head and kissed her ear.
At such close proximity, his body grew hot, and a flame ignited in his lower abdomen, but he couldn't proceed with anything more intimate. The person in his arms trembled violently, trembling from fear.
Xing Zheng went to comfort her. "I won't touch you. Sleep."
Perhaps his words had an effect, as the person in his arms trembled less violently. Xing Zheng stroked her hair. "Tomorrow morning, we'll draw some blood and get you checked out."
He didn't mention the pregnancy. At this moment, her condition was not suitable for knowing too much.
Lin Mei took her medication before sleeping. Under the influence of the drugs, she fell asleep in his arms. She slept soundly, but Xing Zheng didn't close his eyes all night. He kept thinking about how to handle the situation if Lin Mei was indeed pregnant.
If the child's existence would affect her treatment and recovery, how should he make a choice?
By morning, Xing Zheng hadn't come up with an answer. Early the next morning, a doctor came to draw blood for Lin Mei. Since it was inconvenient for Lin Mei to go to the hospital, the ultrasound was omitted, and only a blood test was performed.
A total of four tubes were drawn. Lin Mei had been weak these past few days, and with more blood drawn, her complexion became even paler. Xing Zheng had prepared breakfast in advance: glutinous rice balls in fermented rice soup and sweet egg soup. After the blood was drawn, Lin Mei went to eat breakfast.
Perhaps it was due to the exertion, but she ate an entire bowl of rice balls for the first time, along with a few small steamed buns. She didn't vomit afterward.
The doctor returned to the hospital with the results. Xing Zheng was anxious and smoked more than a dozen cigarettes while waiting for the results.
At ten o'clock, the examination report from the hospital finally arrived. In the sex hormone test, it clearly stated human chorionic gonadotropin.
Lin Mei had been pregnant once before, and Xing Zheng knew what this hormone meant. The blood test report couldn't determine how far along she was, but it could confirm that she was indeed pregnant...
Xing Zheng held the cigarette butt between his fingers, staring at the string of numbers, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him. Then, he heard Lin Mei's footsteps.
Xing Zheng looked towards the stairs, stuffed the examination report into a coffee table drawer, and extinguished the cigarette butt. "Why did you come down? Can't sleep?"
She had gone upstairs to sleep after finishing her meal. She had been very sleepy lately, whether due to medication or pregnancy symptoms. Although she was sleepy, her sleep quality was not high, and she often had nightmares.
Lin Mei shook her head. She had just seen Xing Zheng looking at documents. "Are you working?"
It was rare for her to show such concern for him after so many days. Surprised, Xing Zheng quickly replied, "Yes, I have a few contracts to look at."
"Oh," Lin Mei said. "I want some water."
She had intended to pour it herself, but before she could finish speaking, Xing Zheng went to pour her a glass of warm water. Lin Mei sat on the sofa on the balcony, basking in the sun, and closed her eyes.
While Lin Mei wasn't paying attention, Xing Zheng took out the blood test report and put it in the study upstairs. Before he could figure out how to handle this matter, Lin Mei must not see this report.
Xing Zheng stopped in the study and called Zhou Yue, telling him about the current situation. Zhou Yue was also very surprised. "Pregnant? Are you sure?"
"The hospital people came to draw blood today, and the hormone report is out," Xing Zheng said, his voice very tired. He stood by the window, looking out, his deep eyes churning with unease. "Can this child be kept?"
"You have the answer in your heart," Zhou Yue said. "It's best not to take medication for the first three months. She's already been taking medication for over ten days. No one can guarantee the condition of the embryo."
"If the embryo is fine, and she stops taking medication, can the child be kept?" Xing Zheng confirmed with Zhou Yue.
Zhou Yue said, "Theoretically, yes, but do you think her body can handle it?"
"It's not just medication that can affect the embryo. If the pregnant woman's mental state is poor and she is depressed, the fetus will not be healthy in the long run. Objectively speaking, now is not the best time for you to have a child."
Xing Zheng had already anticipated Zhou Yue's words. He had been frequenting psychiatric departments in various hospitals since he was nineteen. He had encountered similar cases several times.
During medication, pregnancy was strictly forbidden. Even if it occurred, doctors would advise terminating the pregnancy. If the child was healthy, the pregnant woman would have to stop taking medication. But for someone with severe symptoms, how could they stop medication and fight the illness with willpower? This in itself was a paradox.
"Take her for an ultrasound first to see how many weeks the baby is," Zhou Yue told Xing Zheng. "After the examination results are out, we can discuss the child's fate. By the way, Wen Ke was doing research on this topic recently. I'll have her take a look too."
Not long after finishing the call with Zhou Yue, Xing Zheng received a WeChat message from Wen Ke, "My senior brother told me. Get the ultrasound done first, and we'll figure out the rest together."
Xing Zheng replied to her, "I want to keep this child."
Wen Ke replied, "I understand, but I can't guarantee it. Be prepared. Everything should prioritize the mother's health."