Gu Xia suddenly realized—was she actually feeling sorry for Lu Shaoting?
She immediately shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it and shake off that unwarranted pity.
No matter how pitiful Lu Shaoting might be, how could it compare to the tragedy of her family’s violent deaths?
Even if Lu Shaoting were disabled—even if he’d lost his ability to have children—he could still live a full life.
Her parents and older sister, on the other hand, hadn’t even had the chance to live.
Watching Gu Xia standing by his hospital bed, shaking her head, Lu Shaoting frowned and said softly, “Gu Xia, I was calling you. What are you thinking about? Didn’t you hear me?”
Gu Xia replied immediately, “I heard you.”
“What did you need me for?”
“I need to use the restroom. Go out and call someone in to help me.”
Gu Xia hesitated for a moment before realizing what he meant by “use the restroom.” She turned and went out to call a young soldier in, but she didn’t leave the room herself.
Lu Shaoting glanced at her.
“What are you still standing there for?” he said impatiently.
He didn’t actually say the word “get out.”
Gu Xia replied very honestly, “I’m trying to learn how to take care of you.”
Hearing this, Lu Shaoting’s face darkened instantly.
“Get out.”
Gu Xia was puzzled, but she obeyed without question.
After helping the commander take care of his bathroom needs, the young soldier stepped outside.
He glanced at Gu Xia, who was standing outside with the posture of a student being punished by a teacher.
He said, “The commander said to go back and come back tomorrow.”
Gu Xia merely looked at the young soldier, but out of politeness, she went back into the hospital room to confirm this with Lu Shaoting.
Lu Shaoting repeated his order with a cold expression.
Gu Xia, however, looked at him and asked,
“Do you really want to marry me? Now that no one from the Lu family is here, you don’t need to use me to deliberately provoke them. I just want to make sure—what are your true feelings?”
Gu Xia didn’t dare say more.
After all, Lu Shaoting was in poor health at the moment, and both the doctor and his family had said he might be unable to have children.
If that were the case, and she used the child in her womb to make a deal with Lu Shaoting, he might agree.
But it was also possible that Lu Shaoting, being ruthless and harboring resentment toward her scheming, would refuse.
Until Lu Shaoting confirmed his intentions, Gu Xia’s heart was filled with worry and unease.
Especially after the commotion caused by the Lu family today—Lu Shaoting seemed angry and had even said that if he were to marry her…
Gu Xia’s purpose in coming to the hospital to find Lu Shaoting was to use the child to strike a deal with him: that he would help her parents and older sister.
As for marrying him, that would certainly be the best outcome for Gu Xia.
By marrying Lu Shaoting, she could leverage his status to personally arrange jobs for her parents and older sister.
“Borrowing the tiger’s might”—she’d learned that phrase in school.
She didn’t mind using it when the time was right.
She was just afraid that Lu Shaoting was deliberately using the idea of marrying her to provoke the Lu family.
After all, Gu Xia was still childish at heart; she insisted on having everything spelled out clearly and getting to the bottom of things.
After she finished speaking, she saw that Lu Shaoting hadn’t said a word but was staring at her with a cold gaze.
“Gu Xia, do you want to marry me, or do you want to have my child and use it to blackmail me into helping you? What exactly is your motive for doing all this?”
Gu Xia wanted to tell the truth.
Whether it was marrying Lu Shaoting or having his child,
she was, of course, merely using the power and status he held.
But she couldn’t say that.
Although she hadn’t spent much time with Lu Shaoting,
she had a general sense of his temperament: he responded better to kindness than to force, and it was best to coax him…
She hesitated for a moment, her expression seeming slightly uneasy.
She whispered, “Marrying you and then having your child—those two things aren’t mutually exclusive. If we get married, won’t you treat me well?”
Treating her well—didn’t that simply mean he’d be willing to help her out?
Lu Shaoting knew full well that Gu Xia’s motives for approaching him from the start had been far from pure.
Yet hearing these soft, sweet words from her still stirred a slight ripple in his heart.
But he knew full well that Gu Xia had approached him with an agenda from the very beginning.
He couldn’t let a few kind words from Gu Xia fool him into truly believing she was a good person.
At that moment, the sternness and coldness on Lu Shaoting’s face softened slightly, though he still maintained a scrutinizing, intimidating gaze.
“Marrying a man who can’t have children—I think I know full well that you certainly wouldn’t do it just because you like me.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t like you,” Gu Xia said anxiously. “Actually, you’re quite nice. Look, you’re handsome and tall. Plus, you’re an officer—you’re so imposing. I’m sure there are plenty of people who like you.”
Lu Shaoting let out a cold laugh.
Yet that cold laugh betrayed a bitter frustration—he was amused by her naive words.
What use were these superficial qualities?
It could only be said that Gu Xia was still young and naive; she saw nothing beyond the surface.
If she were older, like Zhou Liyun, she would definitely stay far away from a man like him—a man whose lower body was practically useless.
After a moment’s pause, Lu Shaoting said, “Marry me, and give birth to the children safely. I’ll help you settle matters regarding your parents and sister.”
“Gu Xia, this is just a marriage of convenience. Once the children are born, you’re free to leave. I’m not marrying you because I like you; I’m simply ensuring my children can exist openly and legitimately.”
Gu Xia nodded.
Besides, she didn’t like Lu Shaoting either.
He’d made his intentions very clear, and Gu Xia understood perfectly.
Lu Shaoting meant that he was marrying her solely to give his children a legitimate status, so they wouldn’t be called bastards.
He certainly wouldn’t have set his sights on her otherwise; she was just a bit pretty.
Apart from her looks, what else did she have to offer?
Gu Xia knew she had nothing.
She was very clear about her own capabilities.
“I know. Don’t worry—I’ll do exactly as you say. Whatever you say goes.”
Seeing her so compliant, Lu Shaoting didn’t feel right about making things difficult for her.
“Once the children are born, you’ll leave. Don’t ever show your face to me or the children again. I imagine, being so young, you wouldn’t want anyone to know you’ve had a child, would you?”
This time, Gu Xia didn’t nod.
Because she didn’t know how to respond to Lu Shaoting’s words.
She hadn’t felt the child’s presence, nor did she know that in the future, she would find it so hard to part with the child.
Gu Xia felt that she had seemingly achieved her goal; she should have been happy.
But this happiness was tinged with a strange feeling.
It wasn’t directed at Lu Shaoting.
It was the sense that she had made another mistake somewhere, but she didn’t know where.
As Gu Xia walked out, she happened to run into Lu Xiaoyan and the others just as they were about to leave.
Lu Xiaoyan looked very upset.
Lu Xiaojing was leaving with Lu Jianming and Qin Xiulian, but Lu Ye was nowhere to be seen.
“What kind of family and relatives are these? Every single one of them is scheming—constantly scheming.”
“Isn’t it great that the fourth son is leaving behind an heir? What’s there to object to?”
As Lu Xiaoyan was speaking, she happened to hear Gu Xia call out, “Aunt Lu.”
Upon seeing Gu Xia, Lu Xiaoyan’s expression improved slightly.
She said, “When I saw you two talking, I went outside to make a phone call. What did you and Shaoting talk about? Is Shaoting going to keep this child?”
Lu Xiaoyan was genuinely concerned about Lu Shaoting.
The siblings didn’t say much to each other.
But when trouble arose, they would genuinely lend a helping hand.
Gu Xia didn’t hide anything and told her the truth: “He said he’d marry me so the children could be his openly and honestly.”