"If you think I'm getting the better deal, I'll pay you for the ride."
"Are you out of your mind, Lei Dongyi? Do you take me for a taxi driver?"
Lei Dongyi continued to smile, "I wouldn't dare. I see you as my valued client. Whatever amount you want, I'll give it to you, alright?"
So greasy. Give me whatever I want? How generous!
Ge'er couldn't help but blurt out, "Then what if I ask for ten thousand?"
"Miss Zhan is delicate and precious. An astronomical appearance fee. It's an utmost honor to give you a ride. Ten thousand yuan is not much."
Ten thousand for a taxi ride isn't too much? Must be loaded.
Ge'er sneered, "Since you think I'm so great, wouldn't ten thousand yuan be beneath me? Then I'll add a bit more."
He remained unperturbed, "Certainly. Whatever Miss Zhan deems appropriate, I will pay."
"I think my appearance fee is worth at least a million yuan. Are you willing to pay that too?"
He thought he could scare her off with money? He underestimated her resolve.
Lei Dongyi, "No problem. It's just that I can't transfer money right now. I'll give it to you when I get home, okay?"
They say that when water is too clear, there are no fish, and when a person is too shameless, they are invincible. One can never reason with someone so brazen.
It wasn't far to go home anyway. She could have already arrived with the time spent arguing.
Ge'er shot him an exasperated look, called him a nuisance, and got out of the car with her bag.
Lei Dongyi followed her to the car. Ge'er reminded him,
"You can ride in my car, but you're not allowed to speak. If you say even one word, I'll kick you out."
Lei Dongyi made a zipping motion across his lips, indicating he would remain silent from this moment on.
They traveled in silence all the way to the apartment complex. After parking the car, they entered the elevator from the underground parking lot.
Lei Dongyi stood in the back corner, while Ge'er deliberately moved forward, closer to the door, creating distance between them.
To her surprise, when the elevator reached the first floor, the doors opened.
A Golden Retriever, with its tongue lolling out, greeted them.
In the lobby behind, a pair of elderly people followed at a comfortable distance, presumably the dog's owners. They weren't using a leash.
Whether it was because the dog was overly excited from playing or had eaten something, it was exceptionally hyperactive.
The moment the elevator doors opened, with a "woof," the dog, tongue hanging out, lunged into the elevator.
Ge'er felt a gust of wind rushing towards her. Before she could even react, the dog, with its tongue out, jumped up and placed its front paws on her shoulders.
The Golden Retriever was huge and leaped with immense force.
With a "thump," Ge'er was slammed against the elevator wall. The dog, with its tongue out, was about to lick her face.
Fortunately, Lei Dongyi was close by. Reacting instantly, he rushed forward, grabbed the dog's legs, and pulled it down forcefully.
The creature was fierce, clinging tightly to Ge'er's clothes, its breath hot and unpleasant as it barked at Lei Dongyi.
Ignoring the risk of being bitten, Lei Dongyi, afraid of frightening Ge'er and the baby, used all his strength to lift the dog and retreat out of the elevator. He then turned and shouted at the elderly couple,
"Is this your dog? Who gave you permission to walk it without a leash? Can you take responsibility if something happens? Get it away from here immediately!"
Before the elevator doors closed, the elderly couple ran over.
They were also very frightened and apologized profusely to Lei Dongyi.
Lei Dongyi ignored them, closed the elevator doors, and rushed to ask Ge'er if she was alright.
Apart from being startled, she didn't feel any other effects.
Ge'er had found keeping dogs in the community quite annoying before and hadn't yet complained to Lei Dongyi.
He, however, dropped his gentle demeanor, his face filled with sternness, and said,
"I'm going to the property management to file a complaint. Large pets like this are prohibited in the complex! Thankfully, you're an adult. If it were a child today..."
"Are you really okay? Your head seems to have hit something. Let me feel it."
As if they were close acquaintances, he reached out to touch her head. Ge'er dodged.
"I'm not that fragile. Since you want to complain, then handle it properly. I don't want to see this creature again."
The elevator quickly reached Ge'er's floor. As the door opened and she was about to step out, Lei Dongyi grabbed her arm.
"Wait."
Ge'er stopped, frowning, "What is it? Are you expecting me to thank you for what just happened?"
Lei Dongyi took out his phone.
"You took quite a hit just now. I'm worried there might be an issue. Let me get your contact information. If you feel unwell at any point, contact me immediately."
Ge'er instinctively covered her stomach and looked at him with a frown.
"Lei Dongyi, are you deliberately cursing me?"
Lei Dongyi stopped joking, "Enough nonsense, give me your phone."
Ge'er refused to give it to him.
This man was too shameless, trying every way to get her contact details. Who knew how he'd harass her later.
She turned to leave, but Lei Dongyi grabbed her bag.
Without a word, he opened the bag, found her phone.
"What's the password?"
Ge'er lunged to snatch her phone back, "Lei Dongyi, have you no shame?"
"Call me whatever you want, but I'm getting this number today."
With that, Lei Dongyi held the phone up, waved it in front of her, and unlocked it with facial recognition.
He entered his phone number and pressed the call button for her.
"Remember this. Call me first thing if anything happens. You can also call me if nothing happens."
Back home, Ge'er tossed her phone and bag onto the sofa and immediately rushed to the bathroom to vomit.
Since she became pregnant, her sensitivity to smells had increased dramatically. The dog hadn't been bathed in days, and it smelled awful, making her sick.
Also, she had been genuinely terrified just now. Her heart was still pounding. She worried if the baby was alright.
She covered her stomach and went to take a shower, planning to sleep early.
However, as she was showering, Lei Dongyi's ominous words came true. Her stomach began to ache with a dull pain.
Immediately after, a trace of blood flowed onto the floor.
Her prenatal check-up results earlier that day had not been good, and now seeing blood, Ge'er's heart sank.
Her first instinct was to call Jiang Nan Fang.
After wrapping herself in a towel and running to the living room, she stopped herself.
Her parents already worried about her being alone. If they knew something had happened, they would insist she move back home.
She didn't want to be treated like a protected animal under constant supervision.
Forget it, she wouldn't tell them. She decided to go to the hospital herself.
Carefully, she stood up from the sofa, intending to protect her stomach as she went to the bedroom to change. However, as soon as she stood up, a stream of warm liquid flowed down her legs again.
Her mind immediately went on high alert. She was terrified and could no longer disregard anything else. Frantically, she called Lei Dongyi.
Moments later, Lei Dongyi, wearing slippers, rushed down from upstairs.
Neither of them had time to change. Grabbing Ge'er's car keys, wrapped only in a bath towel, Lei Dongyi scooped her up and rushed downstairs.
They raced to the hospital, where doctors said Ge'er had a threatened miscarriage and needed complete rest.
"What's going on? She was fine when she came in this afternoon. You two, you wouldn't have..."
She found it difficult to voice her suspicion, but as a doctor, she had to convey the necessary information.
"Her pregnancy was already unstable. Marital activities are strictly prohibited at this stage."