The middle-aged doctor with black-framed glasses spoke to He Yang while staring at his computer screen.
He Yang, already feeling dizzy and weak from the flu, heard this news as if a bomb had exploded in his head, leaving him even more disoriented.
“Doctor, if… I mean, if one day I don’t want this child, can I terminate the pregnancy?”
The doctor frowned, lifting his gaze from the computer screen to stare in confusion at the beautiful-faced young man in front of him.
“You young people, don’t you take your bodies seriously? You need to understand—as an intersex individual, your chance of pregnancy is only five percent due to your body’s structure. On top of that, you’ve had a miscarriage before. If you insist on terminating this pregnancy, the damage to your body will be severe, and it’s highly likely you won’t be able to conceive again in the future.”
The doctor’s words left He Yang stunned. He walked out of the hospital holding the medical report, his head still spinning.
Autumn had arrived, and the first rain of the season began to fall—lightly, but enough to stop He Yang in his tracks.
He stood at the hospital entrance, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He stared at the dark, overcast sky, his chest tight with discomfort.
It wasn’t that He Yang didn’t want a child. It was just that this pregnancy had come at the worst possible time.
A few days earlier, his husband, Lu Tingfeng, had just returned from abroad. He Yang had prepared an extravagant dinner at home to celebrate their second wedding anniversary.
But what he received instead was a divorce notice.
He Yang froze.
He asked Lu Tingfeng—why did he suddenly want a divorce?
Lu Tingfeng laughed coldly, looking at He Yang, who sat on the edge of the bed, with an indifferent gaze.
“Our marriage was based on your manipulation from the very beginning. Now that Grandpa has been dead for a year, I see no reason to continue this farce.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Why should I? Should I trust someone who used deceit to climb into a man’s bed for money, then used the excuse of virginity to force Grandpa to make me marry them? Someone like you—why should I trust you?”
He Yang stared at him in disbelief, the pain like needles piercing his heart, making him tremble. His eyes reddened instantly, tears welling up.
“My mother told me that I could only be intimate with someone I liked for the first time. You were the one who touched me back then, so you had to marry me. What’s wrong with that?”
“But don’t forget—you were the one who slipped something into my drink, making me touch you.”
“I didn’t do that.”
He Yang still tried to defend himself. He wouldn’t admit to something he hadn’t done.
But Lu Tingfeng didn’t believe him.
From beginning to end, he just stood there with his arms crossed, watching He Yang’s “performance” with cold eyes.
“So, all the kindness you showed me before was just an act to please Grandpa?” He Yang asked bitterly.
“What do you think? Did you really believe I was interested in you? I’ve never been interested in men to begin with.”
He Yang clutched the bedsheet tightly, his tears finally spilling over. His entire body shook.
He Yang had always thought their marriage was happy. When Grandpa was still alive, Lu Tingfeng had been attentive and spoiled him—some might even say excessively, like the kind of doting husband people joked about online.
But then, a year ago, Grandpa passed away.
Their relationship began to deteriorate. Lu Tingfeng often didn’t come home, treating He Yang with cold indifference. They had once shared a bed full of love, but now they slept in separate rooms.
At first, He Yang thought Grandpa’s death had deeply affected Lu Tingfeng—after all, Grandpa had been the one who loved him the most.
So He Yang tolerated it, remaining a dutiful wife, washing his clothes and cooking for him.
But then, tabloids, websites, even TV news began flooding with scandalous reports about Lu Tingfeng.
*”CEO Lu Spotted with Mystery Woman at Hotel Past Midnight”*
*”CEO Lu Visits Secret Lover on Set of ‘Shanghai Nights'”*
*”Certain Actress Rumored to Be Dating Third-Generation Tycoon”*
Each time, the reports featured a different woman.
Lu Tingfeng and He Yang’s marriage had been kept secret. There had been no wedding, just a marriage certificate. Grandpa had once wanted Lu Tingfeng to announce it, but Lu Tingfeng refused, saying he had just joined the Lu Group and didn’t want to draw too much attention. He promised to make it public once he had a firm grasp on the business and stabilized his position.
Grandpa agreed.
That was why no one knew that Lu Tingfeng, only 22 at the time, was already married.
And married at such a young age!
Back then, He Yang had been too focused on Lu Tingfeng. To him, announcing their marriage wasn’t important.
So apart from a few close friends, no one knew about their secret marriage. Everyone else still thought Lu Tingfeng was a wealthy bachelor.
He Yang refused to divorce, but Lu Tingfeng began keeping other women outside.
Remembering this, He Yang’s body trembled uncontrollably. His heart ached as if stabbed by a knife, his breathing ragged.
He gently touched his stomach, as if trying to feel the tiny life inside.
Standing outside the hospital, he sometimes laughed, sometimes cried—like a madman. When he finally regained his composure, he wiped away his emotions and raised his hand to hail a taxi.
—
**Back at the Lu Residence.**
No—the house he had once considered his home.
After their marriage, Lu Tingfeng had bought a villa for the two of them to live in together.
Only on holidays would Lu Tingfeng take him back to the family home for meals with his parents and Grandpa.
He had thought his marriage was happy, but it turned out to be nothing more than an act by Lu Tingfeng to fulfill Grandpa’s wishes.
When he stepped out of the taxi, He Yang saw Lu Tingfeng’s red Ferrari parked in the front yard. He was already home.
He hurried inside.
Lu Tingfeng was leaning against the sofa, speaking on the phone in a low, flirtatious voice.
When he saw He Yang enter, his expression remained indifferent. He barely glanced at him before continuing his intimate phone conversation as if no one else was there.
He Yang clutched his pregnancy report, both happy and sorrowful as he looked at Lu Tingfeng. His tightly pressed lips concealed his emotions.
He desperately wanted to tell Lu Tingfeng that he was going to be a father. Could they not get divorced?
But the words stuck in his throat.
He sat silently beside Lu Tingfeng, waiting for him to hang up.
Finally, Lu Tingfeng ended the call.
“What is it?” His voice was cold.
“Nothing.”
“Made your decision yet?”
The question made He Yang’s heart tremble, burying the words he wanted to say.
After a long silence, He Yang met Lu Tingfeng’s eyes and asked, “Tingfeng, can we not get divorced? Even if you don’t love me, we still have plenty of time to build feelings.”
Lu Tingfeng listened to his ridiculous plea and laughed coldly.
“He Yang, has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly naive? Or, to put it bluntly—you’re incredibly stupid.”
“Just say it—what do you want in exchange for the divorce?”
He Yang still couldn’t adjust to this cold, cruel version of Lu Tingfeng.
It was as if he was still trapped in the first year of their marriage, when Lu Tingfeng had doted on him endlessly. He had once thought himself the luckiest, happiest person in the world.
But suddenly, that man had turned as cold as a stranger, and his dream had shattered.
Yet he still couldn’t let go!
“I won’t divorce you,” He Yang said slowly.
Lu Tingfeng’s face darkened instantly. His icy gaze swept over He Yang. “You’re asking for trouble.”
“Why should I divorce you? To make way for those shameless women? As long as I don’t sign the papers, I’ll always be the Lu family’s wife.”
For the first time, He Yang fought back, voicing his true thoughts.
“He Yang, if you want to keep the title of ‘Lu family’s wife,’ that’s up to you. But I’m warning you—don’t interfere in my affairs. There’s no emotional connection between you and me.”
He was ruthless!
But He Yang still loved him too much to let go.
He was even willing to take a step back and try to mend their relationship.
“Are you hungry? I’ll cook for you.”
He Yang suddenly blurted out something completely unrelated, leaving Lu Tingfeng bewildered. His way of thinking was truly…
Lu Tingfeng ignored him, grabbing his car keys from the table and walking toward the door.
The large house fell silent again, leaving He Yang alone.
He tucked away his pregnancy report, then put on an apron and busied himself in the kitchen, trying to cook something delicious for himself.
Even if he didn’t feel like eating, the baby in his belly needed nourishment.
His stomach would only grow bigger with time. He hadn’t yet figured out how to tell Lu Tingfeng.
If he heard about the pregnancy, would he react with the joy of an expectant father? Or would he just glance at him coldly and tell him to abort it?
He cooked two dishes and a soup, all light in flavor.
The fishball soup was too fishy—he had forgotten to add ginger to neutralize the smell. When he tasted it, nausea surged up his throat. He immediately crouched beside the trash can and vomited until he felt dizzy.
For some reason, tears began to fall
