Su Ci felt another wave of nausea. The more she thought about it, the more she suspected she might be pregnant.
Tearfully, she looked at Lu Zhe, who seemed completely stunned. "What if I'm pregnant?"
Previously, Su's Mother had reminded her to be careful about contraception, but Su Ci hadn't taken it to heart. Now that she suspected she was pregnant, she was completely panicked.
She was still a child herself, how could she possibly have a baby?
And if she had a child, her and Lu Zhe's two-person world would be over.
Su Ci wanted to cry.
On the other end of the screen.
Lu Zhe's body stiffened, his limbs tingling with numbness. His usually handsome face was filled with tension. "Tuan Tuan, are you sure?" They had taken precautions during their previous encounters.
Su Ci's eyes were pitiful to the extreme. "I don't know, but I feel like throwing up."
Lu Zhe's heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly. He remained silent for a moment, then comforted the girl, "We'll go to the hospital tomorrow to get checked. If it's true that you're pregnant, Tuan Tuan, let's get married."
He would also need to inform Su's Father and Su's Mother about this.
Originally, he had planned to propose after she graduated from university, but now, he needed to move up his plans.
“Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. If Su's Father and Su's Mother are upset, it's all my fault, and I'll beg for their forgiveness,” Lu Zhe gently comforted her. “Is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?”
Su Ci shook her head. She had only felt the urge to vomit earlier.
Lu Zhe felt slightly relieved. "Be a good girl, Tuan Tuan. Go get some rest, and I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."
Su Ci's mind was in turmoil. How had she suddenly become pregnant?
She checked the time. Unfortunately, it was late at night, and the pharmacy was already closed. She couldn't buy a pregnancy test, so she had to wait until tomorrow to go to the hospital.
After the girl ended the video call, Lu Zhe immediately stood up, grabbed his coat from the back of the chair, and strode out.
Wen Ya had just come out of the kitchen, about to bring her son some freshly cooked soup, when she saw him hurrying down the stairs.
"Zai Zai, it's so late, where are you going?" Wen Ya quickly called out to her son.
Lu Zhe turned back. "Yeah, I have something I need to take care of."
With that, he quickly left.
Wen Ya watched her son's tense and hurried expression, feeling a bit worried. It seemed like something serious had happened.
She carried the soup back to her room.
Lu Chen had just finished showering. His midnight blue silk pajamas were only partially buttoned, revealing his chest and collarbone. His wet bangs hung over his forehead, looking quite dashing.
Seeing his wife bringing in the soup, he raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to her. "Ya Ya, did you cook soup for me?"
Indeed, he was the true love of his wife's life. Finally, Ya Ya had cooked soup for him.
Wen Ya handed the bowl to him.
Lu Chen happily accepted the soup, feeling the warmth of his wife's love.
"It's for our son, but he rushed out in such a hurry. I wonder what happened. I saw Zai Zai's expression wasn't very good," Wen Ya thought about her son the entire time.
Lu Chen felt a heavy blow to his chest, and the soup suddenly didn't taste sweet anymore.
He huffed. "He's that old, what could possibly happen? Going out this late, he's definitely going to look for the Su family's youngest daughter."
Lu Chen was so jealous. He thought the soup was cooked for him, but it turned out he was just benefiting from his son's leftovers. He handed the spoon to his wife, shamelessly saying, "Ya Ya, my hands are tired. Feed me..."
Meanwhile, Lu Zhe left home and drove to the Su residence.
His car stopped under a tree by the roadside in front of the Su house, blending into the night.
The young man's angular profile was barely visible in the dim light.
Lu Zhe sat in the car, staring at the Su family's gate. The tension and unease in his chest gradually subsided, and his numb limbs slowly regained feeling.
At that moment, Lu Zhe's phone rang. It was Su Ci calling.
He quickly answered.
"Lu Zhe, I can't sleep," Su Ci said on the other end, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
In the quiet night, Lu Zhe's voice was low and magnetic. "Do you still feel like throwing up?"
"I did again just now," Su Ci turned over, switching hands holding the phone. "Lu Zhe, I want to see you."
Lu Zhe's eyelashes trembled slightly. His throat tightened. "Tuan Tuan, I'm at your house."
Su Ci was stunned. "You came to see me?"
"Yes."
Su Ci ended the call and got out of bed. She put on a coat, slipped into her slippers, and quickly walked outside.
The cold winter night was especially chilly.
Su Ci walked out the door and looked around, spotting a car parked under a tree by the roadside.
Her eyes lit up.
Lu Zhe stood by the car. Seeing the girl running towards him, the cold wind brushing against her white skirt and revealing her slender ankles, he quickly stepped forward. "Tuan Tuan, don't run."
He gently caught the girl as she rushed into his arms, holding her small, cold hand.
Lu Zhe's dark eyes were filled with heartache.
"Why are you dressed so lightly?" Lu Zhe hugged her tightly and led her towards the car.
Su Ci was only wearing a white nightgown, casually draped with a long knit sweater. She had white socks on her feet and slippers, obviously rushing out to see him as soon as they hung up the phone.
The car's heater was on. Lu Zhe closed the back door and bent down to touch the girl's ankles, which were also cold. "Are you cold?"
Su Ci shook her head. Her eyes were bright. "Why did you come?"
She was so surprised.
"Were you going to surprise me? Or were you planning to stay outside my house all night if I didn't call you?"
Lu Zhe had indeed intended to stay outside the Su residence until dawn.
He didn't answer her question. Instead, he gently tucked the stray hairs behind her ear and kissed her. "Do you still feel like throwing up?"
"Not right now," Su Ci leaned weakly against Lu Zhe's chest. "What if the test tomorrow shows I'm really pregnant?"
Lu Zhe's thin lips were pale. His throat tightened. He wanted to say he would respect her every decision.
The next moment, he heard the girl complain, "We haven't even started our two-person world yet, and now there's a baby? After having a child, half of your heart will be taken away."
Lu Zhe was hers. He could only like her, love her, and pamper her.
If they had a child, Su Ci could imagine that Lu Zhe's affection, love, and indulgence would all be divided in half.
Su Ci felt very selfish. She wanted all of Lu Zhe.
Hearing this, Lu Zhe was a bit surprised. The concerns he had were different from Su Ci's.
Lu Zhe's slightly furrowed brows relaxed. He hugged her tightly. "No."
Su Ci sniffled, burying her face in Lu Zhe's chest. "What if the baby we have turns out to be a rabbit?"
Lu Zhe: ...
Lu Zhe had never thought about this question, but he wasn't worried. Both he and she were human, so the baby they had should also be human.
Su Ci had many concerns. "I heard that pregnancy can make you ugly."
For Su Ci, the idea of her beauty declining was the most serious issue.
Lu Zhe was very patient, gently soothing the little princess in his arms. "Tuan Tuan, you're beautiful no matter what, and I'll always like you."
The once cold and reserved young man would never have said such things to comfort someone.
Su Ci looked up at him. "Did you eat candy tonight?"
Lu Zhe chuckled softly. He kissed her soft, squishy cheek. "Tuan Tuan, don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything."
The next day, Su Ci had breakfast and then went out.
After talking with Lu Zhe the previous night, she slept very deeply and woke up with good energy, feeling no urge to vomit.
Lu Zhe was already waiting outside the gate. He hadn't slept all night. He went home to freshen up and change clothes just before dawn, then rushed back to the Su residence.
Su Ci got into the car and immediately noticed the red bloodshot eyes under Lu Zhe's, indicating he hadn't rested well.
It was now her turn to comfort him. "Don't be nervous."
Lu Zhe curled his lips, leaned over to fasten the girl's seatbelt, and kissed her little mouth.
Su Ci had drunk milk that morning, and he tasted a hint of milky flavor.
She was wearing a light pink loose sweater today, a gentle color that made her fair little face even more radiant. Lu Zhe couldn't imagine what the little princess would look like pregnant.
He had thought about it all night. Would the child be as beautiful, cute, and a bit spoiled and naughty as she was?
In the morning, the hospital was not crowded.
Lu Zhe held Su Ci's hand. He had arranged for the doctor who would examine Su Ci today in advance.
The doctor looked at the two young people in front of her, clearly accustomed to the nervous expressions they wore. She asked Su Ci some relevant questions.
Su Ci's menstrual cycle had always been irregular; sometimes it would come a week early, and other times it would be delayed. This month, it was delayed, and coupled with her nausea, she suspected she might be pregnant.
The doctor advised Su Ci to undergo a pregnancy test first.
Zhao Youyou had been having a tough time lately. After Fu Baili saw her accepting gifts from another boy, he got angry and left, even moving out of the Zhao household.
Fu Baili wouldn't listen to her explanations; she and Gao Shangjin were just friends, after all.
Zhao Youyou felt so wronged.
Moreover, Gao Shangjin, after that day, seemed to vanish into thin air, not contacting her at all.
Just the day before, he had been showering her with attention, giving her gifts, taking her to dinner, and even to the movies, where he kissed her in the theater.
Zhao Youyou wanted to ask Gao Shangjin what he meant by all this, but she realized he had never actually said he wanted to be with her.
She turned to Fu Baili, calling him numerous times, only to hear him say they were breaking up.
What shocked her even more was that Fu Baili had returned to the Fu Family, and she had seen online that the Fu Family was planning to arrange a marriage with the Wang Family.
Zhao Youyou sent a message to Fu Baili, questioning if he was breaking up with her because he was going to marry someone else.
But her message went unanswered.
Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and with the weather taking a toll, Zhao Youyou fell ill.
Entering the hospital, she took a photo at the registration desk and sent it to Fu Baili: "I'm sick. I really wish you could be here with me."
However, she never received a reply.
Zhao Youyou felt even more wronged.
She wore a mask as she walked through the hospital, but she didn't expect to run into Lu Zhe and Su Ci. Looking up at the department sign, she was shocked to see that Lu Zhe and Su Ci had just come out of the gynecology department.
Zhao Youyou instinctively pulled her mask tighter, watching as the two walked past her. She cautiously followed them.
Su Ci had prepared herself mentally and discussed with Lu Zhe how to tell their families about her suspected pregnancy. However, now that the test results showed she wasn't pregnant, she was momentarily at a loss.
Lu Zhe looked over the test results several times, his expression always calm and unreadable, making it hard to tell if he was relieved or disappointed.
Su Ci looked up at him. "What's that expression for?"
Lu Zhe put the test results away, gently ruffling her hair. "Relief."
She was still young, a little spoiled, and not yet ready for pregnancy.
Su Ci blinked. "Then why did I suddenly feel nauseous yesterday?" Moreover, she had felt a strong sense of pregnancy.
Strangely, that feeling had disappeared when she woke up this morning.
Lu Zhe took her hand. "Maybe you caught a cold."
Su Ci was still puzzled; she wondered if there was some other issue that hadn't been detected.
Su Ci summoned Fu Gui (a fictional character or device in the story). "What's wrong with my body?"
Fu Gui told her: [Master, you felt nauseous because of pseudocyesis.]
Pseudocyesis?
Su Ci was shocked.
This term was something she had come across while researching rabbit-related information online. She never expected it to happen to her.
Fu Gui, with a little baby voice, explained: [Master, before your estrus period, you will experience a day of pseudocyesis.]
Su Ci was puzzled. "Why didn't this happen before my estrus period?"
Fu Gui was a bit shy. [Because before, Master hadn't done intimate things with Lu Zhe.]
Su Ci: ......
Lu Zhe noticed the girl's blank expression and gently touched her face. "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
Su Ci shook her head, hugging Lu Zhe tightly. "I made a mistake."
Lu Zhe chuckled. "We both lack experience; it's normal to misunderstand."
However, Lu Zhe thought he should probably learn more about this kind of thing.
Watching Lu Zhe and Su Ci walk away, Zhao Youyou put away her phone. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, from the series of pregnancy tests Su Ci had undergone and her frustrated expression, it was clear that she was pregnant.
Zhao Youyou had always believed that, despite her humble background, her ability to be reborn meant she would surely turn her life around.
However, ever since meeting Su Ci, Zhao Youyou felt utterly crushed. Her sense of superiority had completely vanished in front of Su Ci.
Not only did Su Ci come from an extraordinary family, but her appearance was also stunningly beautiful, making people envious and jealous.
Even Lu Zhe, who had a cold personality, had been captivated by Su Ci, to the point where he couldn't see her anymore.
Zhao Youyou flipped through the photos she had just taken, and her recently low spirits lifted a bit.
That night, a sudden news story broke online: "Su Family's Heiress Pregnant Out of Wedlock, Spotted at Hospital with Unknown Man."
The article included photos of Su Ci at the hospital, her hand held by someone beside her. The man in the photo only showed his arm, with no visible face.
Su Ci had previously appeared on a food program and had been a trending topic several times. She had also been rumored to be involved with celebrity Zheng Hao, but it was later clarified that she was his savior, which made headlines twice. Given her breathtaking beauty and top-tier family background, the news of her pregnancy out of wedlock caused an immediate uproar online.
"What is this Su heiress thinking? Pregnant before marriage?"
"Took my popcorn, ready to watch the drama."
"No way, Su Ci is my goddess! She's still in college, how could she be pregnant?"
I heard that people in wealthy families are very open; I wonder who the man beside her is.
"Am I the only one curious about who the man is?"
"Su Ci is from our school; I heard her boyfriend is poor and has a terminal illness."
"Same school here; many people know that Su Ci has bad taste in men; her boyfriend is an orphan from a small town."
In the comments, some netizens were stirring up rumors, imagining all sorts of scenarios.
"Rich heiresses are often well-protected and can easily be deceived by bad men; no wonder so many people criticize 'gold-diggers.'"
"Most of the time, pretty girls end up marrying ugly, greasy men."
"No way, Su Ci is so beautiful and rich; was she tricked by an old man? So stupid and pitiful."
"Are rich heiresses really that dumb? They all like 'gold-diggers'?"
"Su Ci is really beautiful and rich, but her brain doesn't seem to work; what a waste of her good looks and background."
"Our school's campus beauty does have a boyfriend; he's from the computer science department. He's not ugly, but he's definitely poor."
"This beauty is probably being tricked into pregnancy by a man who wants to force her into marriage; otherwise, rich families usually get engaged before marriage."
...
Su Ci learned about the trending topic from her older brother, Su ZhiYuan, who called her.
Su Ci quickly denied it to her brother. "I'm not pregnant."
Su ZhiYuan had known about his sister's relationship with Lu Zhe. Seeing the news, he immediately called her. Hearing her denial, he breathed a sigh of relief.
His sister was still young; he didn't want to become an uncle so soon.
Su ZhiYuan said, "I'll have the trending topic taken down, but Dad and Mom will probably hear about it. You'd better think about how to explain this to them."
After hanging up, Su Ci immediately checked the trending topic.
She scrolled through the comments, seeing netizens' wild speculations, feeling sorry for her being tricked into pregnancy and possibly being forced into marriage.
Many netizens also speculated that the man who tricked her was ugly, old, and poor, coming from a rural area.
Su Ci was speechless.
She logged into her long-unused account and posted: "The 'ugly, old, poor man who tricked me into pregnancy and wants to force me into marriage' boyfriend."
Below, she attached a side profile photo of Lu Zhe at work.
