Jiaxi put his arm around her shoulder and said, "The apartment is yours, and there's still some money in that card. If you have any difficulties in the future, you can message me. I'll send someone to help you, but we can't see each other anymore."
"Will you forget me then?"
Jiaxi was reluctant to part with her, but he knew his mother was right. To appease the Huangfu family and Mengyao, he had to break things off with her completely.
"Silly girl, of course, I won't forget."
At this moment, a window notification indicated that their blood test results were out. Jiaxi took Tong Xiaoli's medical card and printed out the results, then went with her to the doctor's office.
The surgeon looked at Tong Xiaoli's blood test report and didn't rush to prescribe medication. He asked, "Are you pregnant? If you are, you can't use anti-inflammatory drugs."
Jiaxi and Tong Xiaoli were stunned.
"Doctor, I'm not sure," Tong Xiaoli replied.
"One of the hormone indicators in these blood test results is high. You should go to the gynecology department. If you are pregnant, you must be very careful with medication," the doctor said, returning the blood test slip to them.
As soon as they left the doctor's office, Tong Xiaoli's heart leaped with joy. She finally had Jiaxi's child.
But seeing Jiaxi's solemn expression, devoid of any happiness, she dared not show any of her own.
On their way to the obstetrics and gynecology department, Jiaxi couldn't help but ask, "Weren't you taking birth control pills? How could you be pregnant?"
"I was, and I haven't stopped," Tong Xiaoli said aggrievedly. "If the doctor hadn't said anything just now, I wouldn't have had any idea."
Jiaxi saw that she didn't seem to be lying and said, "Let's go see first. That doctor was just suspecting."
"Okay." Tong Xiaoli's joy vanished, replaced by anxiety. It seemed Jiaxi didn't want this child. Would he force her to have an abortion?
When they arrived at the obstetrics and gynecology waiting room, they saw a young couple. The man, upon learning his wife was pregnant, happily lifted her up.
Their joy infected those around them. Tong Xiaoli stopped to watch, her face filled with envy.
Jiaxi, who was walking ahead, saw she hadn't followed and turned back. He also saw the scene of the young couple weeping with joy, their faces radiating happiness.
He couldn't help but recall how happy he was when he first learned Mengyao was pregnant and accompanied her for a check-up.
But in less than three months, Mengyao had lost her child. Such happiness was now out of his reach.
It was at this moment that he regretted, wondering why he couldn't have waited a few more months until Mengyao safely gave birth.
Tong Xiaoli saw him lost in thought and walked over, linking her arm through his. "If I am really pregnant, will you let me keep the child?"
Jiaxi squeezed her hand, finding it so cold.
He had just lost a child. If Tong Xiaoli were pregnant now, perhaps it was fate, giving him a chance to make amends.
Jiaxi hesitated for a moment and then said, "If it's true, then let's have it."
Tong Xiaoli asked in astonishment, "What did you just say? Really? You'll keep this child and let me give birth?"
Jiaxi lowered his head and looked at her. "Don't you think it's even more unfair to you to have this child?"
"It's not unfair. I'm willing to have a child for you," Tong Xiaoli said excitedly.
Jiaxi needed to make things clear with her first. "Even if you have the child, I can't give you a proper status, and this child might not have a formal status either, becoming an illegitimate child in the eyes of the world. Are you okay with all this?"
Tong Xiaoli replied without a trace of hesitation, "I don't mind. It doesn't matter. I'll tell the child that his father loves him, but his mother is not good."
"Good, your words are enough," Jiaxi said, escorting her to the clinic door and waiting outside.
Half an hour later, Tong Xiaoli came out of the clinic. Jiaxi hurried to ask, "How was it? What did the doctor say?"
Tong Xiaoli looked at him, her face unable to hide her joy. "I... I am really pregnant." As she spoke, she showed Jiaxi the examination slip.
Jiaxi took the slip, unsure whether he was happy or not. He said, "Give this to me first. I'll talk to my parents when I get back. You go back and rest, and don't worry about anything."
"Okay." Tong Xiaoli didn't dare to appear too happy.
Jiaxi also asked, "Did the doctor say anything about how you could get pregnant while taking birth control pills? Will this child be deformed?"
"The doctor said that no birth control method is foolproof, and accidents can happen," Tong Xiaoli replied. "As for whether it will affect the fetus, I asked the doctor, and she said it wouldn't, and I should have regular prenatal check-ups, so it should be fine."
She had long since replaced the birth control pills with vitamins, and each time she took them in front of Jiaxi, they were vitamins, not birth control pills.
"That's good. I'll take you back first," Jiaxi said, gently embracing her.
...
After Jiaxi sent Tong Xiaoli back to the apartment, he returned to the Hong family home.
The moment he entered, he found everyone in the living room, all looking at him as if they were waiting to pass judgment on him.
Jiaxi hadn't expected his mother to inform the entire family. He looked at his mother with a reproachful gaze.
Jiaxi's mother immediately said, "You've done well. Luo Hang found out long ago. He just told us all that Mengyao's miscarriage is also related to you going out with that woman."
"Jiaxi, you're too unprincipled. I only told everyone out of sympathy for Mengyao," Luo Hang said, putting on a righteous front.
Jiaxi rushed towards him, grabbed his collar, and raised his fist to hit him.
Jiaxi's aunt quickly intervened, saying, "You did something wrong to Mengyao, and you still have the nerve to talk back! And you dare to hit someone!"
Jiaxi stopped his punch but realized why Mengyao had gone to the apartment that night. It turned out Luo Hang had been behind it!
"Stop it. Kneel down," Grandpa Hong said, losing his patience.
Jiaxi released Luo Hang and looked at Grandpa, lowering his head to explain, "Grandpa, this is all Luo Hang's fault. If he hadn't instigated things, Mengyao wouldn't have miscarried."
"Then is it true that you have another woman outside? Did he falsely accuse you?" Grandpa retorted.
Jiaxi fell silent.
Grandpa roared, "Speak!"
Jiaxi's father, upon hearing about this, had originally intended to discipline Jiaxi himself. But now that the whole family knew, and Grandpa was reprimanding Jiaxi, he couldn't say anything further.
Jiaxi's mother was anxious, but with Grandpa speaking, she had no room to interject.
The other members of the Hong family watched the unfolding drama with schadenfreude.
Jiaxi nodded and said, "No."
"Then why aren't you kneeling!" Grandpa said, pointing at him with his cane in disappointment. He had thought Jiaxi was the most promising among the grandchildren to inherit the Hong family business, but he had never expected him to do something so foolish.
Jiaxi had no choice but to kneel in Grandpa's direction and admit his mistake, saying, "Grandpa, I was wrong. But after Mengyao became pregnant, we slept in separate rooms. I'm also a normal man, and I'm bound to make mistakes. I won't dare to do it again."