"What's wrong? Why aren't you speaking? Did you forget something?"
Seeing her zoning out, Ke Teng also became nervous.
Jian Fei dared not tell him the earth-shattering news she had just realized, especially with an assistant present. Moreover, she wasn't entirely sure.
She slowly leaned back, "It's nothing. I left something unimportant. I can get it next time."
"You scared me with your sudden reactions."
Upon returning to Tongcheng, Ke Teng had his own work to attend to and couldn't be with Jian Fei every day. He left for a business trip out of town the next day.
Jian Fei used her work access to get a check-up at the obstetrics department of the hospital and soon received her results. She was indeed pregnant.
Although it had only been half a month since their first encounter, Jian Fei was a medical student.
She knew that typically, about 6-7 days after intercourse, the embryo would implant in the uterine lining and begin to gradually secrete hCG, which could be detected in serum within about half a month.
The stark 'positive' on the lab report seared her eyes.
It was too sudden, too abrupt, too unexpected.
She was completely unprepared, and in that moment, she didn't know whether to be sad or happy.
Should she tell Ke Teng about this?
If Ke Teng was just playing around with her, telling him would likely mark the end of their relationship.
But not telling him was also impossible; she couldn't have the child alone; it would be too irresponsible.
Besides, the child's vitality was remarkably tenacious.
Except for the time in her rented apartment where they were only half-involved, they had been intimate at other times.
And she got pregnant from this?
As a medical student, Jian Fei knew that even if they were only half-involved that one time, there was still a chance of pregnancy.
But whether Ke Teng understood or how he would react, she had no idea.
He always conducted himself with meticulous care. If something unexpected happened even under such careful circumstances...
Would he suspect something else? Would he doubt Jian Fei's loyalty?
In any case, it wasn't a happy development.
Jian Fei returned to her office dejectedly. Having just secured the investment project, her workload wasn't heavy. The department head was also absent, so everyone was openly slacking off.
One of the senior colleagues said, "The dowries young people demand nowadays are so high. They constantly scheme and fight over them, treating marriage as a transaction, with no love involved. It's so meaningless."
"My cousin was living with her boyfriend before marriage. Before she even figured anything out, she got pregnant within a month."
"Now, the man's family, to avoid paying the dowry, is falsely accusing her, saying the child isn't theirs."
"They're saying if she keeps the child, they won't pay the dowry. What kind of thing is this?"
Everyone chimed in, condemning the man's family as scoundrels.
Jian Fei, though preoccupied, overheard every word of their discussion.
Couples who slept together every night could still have their children questioned by the man as not being his.
This was only half a month, and they had even used protection...
Perhaps she shouldn't have let Ke Teng know about this.
While he was away, while everything was still early, she could take some medicine and discreetly resolve it, without anyone knowing.
Once a person plants a suggestion in their mind, they will continue to think in that direction.
She spent the rest of the day in a daze. After work, Jian Fei went to get medicine.
Back home, she searched online for various symptoms that might occur after taking the medication, consolidating her knowledge and preparing herself.
Ke Teng called right on time.
"Are you off work? Are you home?"
"Yes, I just got back."
"Are you planning to cook or eat out? What do you want to eat?"
"Let's eat out. I'm thinking of fish and rice."
"Sounds good. Eat plenty then. Is your appetite better today?"
"Much better."
"That's good. I have a social engagement tonight, so I might be back late. If you're not asleep, send me a message. If you're asleep, don't worry about it."
He had become accustomed to reporting his situation to her daily, even though Jian Fei trusted him implicitly.
"Okay."
"Alright then. I'm heading out. Call me anytime if you need anything."
Call him anytime if she needed anything?
Hearing his last words, Jian Fei suddenly felt a strong urge to tell him about her pregnancy.
But...
Jian Fei went to take a shower and tidy herself up, treating it like a ritualistic ceremony.
Unexpectedly, when she came out of the shower, her phone on the table was vibrating.
She picked it up and saw it was Ke Jing Yu.
She quickly answered, "Mr. Ke."
"Xiao Jian, it's me. Are you busy? Can I discuss something with you?"
Due to long-term smoking and drinking, irregular habits, and cerebellar atrophy, Ke Jing Yu had received treatment at Shangcheng Hospital for a period.
It was there he met Jian Fei.
He was supposed to have regular follow-up appointments, but he had been preoccupied with the bidding for the Nancheng Disney project and didn't want to lose to Zhan Bei Jue, so he remained on the front lines.
Recently, he felt his health deteriorating but didn't want to retreat from the front lines. He thought of asking Jian Fei to be his private doctor and take care of him for a while.
"I know about your situation. Your supervisor is withholding your graduation certificate and caused you to lose your internship at the hospital."
"It's truly unacceptable to bully a young girl like that."
"But you can't resign yourself to fate and stay in such an insignificant small hospital for your entire life. How about this: quit your job there and come take care of me for a period."
"Once I'm better, I'll arrange for you to join the Neurology department at Shangcheng First People's Hospital. I'll get back everything that belongs to you, what do you say?"
Not only could she get her doctoral graduation certificate, but she could also work in the Neurology department of a top hospital in Shangcheng. Could there be anything more perfect in the world?
Jian Fei was immediately swept away by joy, "Thank you, Mr. Ke."
The next day, she went to resign from her department head.
Instructions had already been given from above. Even though the department head was reluctant, he couldn't force her to stay.
All the necessary procedures were completed that day. Ke Jing Yu's assistant booked her a flight to Nancheng, and she arrived that evening.
Seeing Ke Jing Yu after a long time, impeccably dressed and elegant as always, but with an undeniable weariness, Jian Fei felt a surge of inexplicable sadness.
Perhaps it was because he was Ke Teng's closest relative, and now Ke Teng had become her closest person.
For some reason, she felt a greater sense of respect for Ke Jing Yu.
Jian Fei was no longer the simple and plain Jian Fei of the past. Seeing her in a signature dark blue designer coat with a white top, he complimented her.
"Young girls should be like you are now—more lively, smiling more, and dressing more brightly."
"Youth is fleeting, with only a few years. Once you're past this age, you'll feel too embarrassed to wear these vibrant clothes. Why be so old-fashioned when you're young?"
There seemed to be no barrier between them. Jian Fei smiled and said she would remember his words.
Ke Jing Yu hosted a welcome dinner for her. They discussed his condition and Ke Teng's situation, and finally, she couldn't help but ask.
"Mr. Ke, actually, there's something I've been pondering and can't quite figure out."
"Just say what you want to say directly."