The Lu Family Old Master had long since retired and now spent his days at home, gardening and playing chess with a group of old comrades-in-arms.
Just moments ago, he had heard someone say that his youngest son, who rarely came home, had returned.
He was thinking of telling his youngest son to put in a good word for the grandson of an old comrade who wanted to advance in his career.
As soon as he arrived home, he heard a young girl pointing at his youngest son and saying she was pregnant, that there was a child in her belly.
Old Master Lu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his spirit still vigorous.
“Shaoting, what on earth is going on?”
“Is this young lady Xiaxia from the Gu family?”
Gu Xia was truly terrified. She had come alone to Beicheng to find the Lu family, and the people before her were all elders she had once deeply respected.
The cold-natured Lu Nainai.
The talkative yet stern Lu Yeye.
The rigid and serious Lu Shushu, who had always scolded her in a tone befitting an elder.
But now, she had turned Lu Shushu into the father of the child in her belly. It seemed like a mix-up of generations, but she truly couldn’t worry about that now.
Gu Xia’s voice still trembled.
But she knew she had to calm down. Even if it was her fault, she would find Lu Shaoting later to apologize.
For now, to save her family, she had no choice but to act against her conscience.
“Lu Yeye, I am Gu Xia. I really am pregnant. If you don’t believe me, I can go to the hospital for a check-up and bring you the results.”
“The child in my belly really is Lu Shaoting’s.”
“You can ask him.”
Old Master Lu looked at his youngest son, who remained silent, his face dark and displeased.
He guessed that what Gu Xia said was most likely true.
He knew his son well. If it wasn’t something he had done, not even the highest authority could force him to wear a cuckold’s hat. But now, he clearly wasn’t denying it.
The likelihood of this being true was about eighty to ninety percent.
“Lu Shaoting, you’re truly despicable. How old is Gu Xia, and you dared to touch her? Do you know what Gu Xia calls you? She calls you Uncle, she’s like your niece.”
Lu Shaoting knew that even if he explained now, no one would be willing to listen.
Lu Shaoting said softly, “I’ll handle this matter myself.”
“No need for you to worry.”
Hearing this, Old Master Lu immediately flared up.
“You despicable thing, you’ll handle it yourself? Tell me, how do you plan to handle it?”
Lu Shaoting said coldly, “I have my own way.”
As the father and son were about to argue, Old Mrs. Lu Zhang Yuelan, who was sitting calmly in a chair nearby, looked at Gu Xia.
“Gu Xia, since you’ve come to us, tell us what you want regarding this matter.”
“Shaoting is my son, and I know his character. He is definitely not someone driven by desire; otherwise, he wouldn’t have remained single into his thirties without marrying. He was also prepared not to marry due to his past physical injuries. Now you come here pregnant, claiming to be carrying his child. In matters like this, we must rely on evidence.”
Gu Xia’s heart was so tense and fearful that her hands trembled slightly.
Pretending to be calm, she said steadily, “I know you don’t believe what I’m saying now.”
“I want to negotiate terms with Uncle Lu.”
Hearing this, Lu Shaoting curled his lips into a mocking smile.
He had known all along that Gu Xia must have an ulterior motive.
Whether she was truly pregnant was still unknown.
Lu Shaoting directly took Gu Xia to the bedroom on the second floor.
He would have liked to take Gu Xia into the courtyard, but that would have been seen by everyone.
Lu Shaoting and Gu Xia went up to the second floor.
Voices from the Lu family’s eldest branch could be heard downstairs, with Lu Ye’s voice particularly conspicuous.
“Grandma, I heard Gu Xia is here. Have the Gu family returned from the Great Northwest?”
Zhang Yue said, “Only Gu Xia came back. Why are you here?”
Lu Ye replied, “I was playing basketball in the courtyard when someone told me Gu Xia had returned and even came to our house, so I came to see.”
Regarding the Gu family’s relocation to the rural Northwest, there were certain things Lu Ye didn’t fully understand.
But he knew it must have something to do with his father.
He came to his grandparents’ house to find out whether Gu Xia, having returned to the Northern City and directly sought out the Lu family, had learned something.
Inside Lu Shaoting’s bedroom on the second floor.
Lu Shaoting rarely stayed here. His room, much like the man himself, was rigidly formal, with everything arranged neatly and meticulously.
Lu Shaoting pulled out a chair and sat down, casually taking a cigarette from his pocket.
He lit one, his gaze sharp and cold as he looked at Gu Xia.
“Didn’t you come to negotiate terms? Speak.”
The last two words were uttered in a low, stern tone, causing Gu Xia to tremble involuntarily.
“What do you want me to do?” Gu Xia asked. “No matter what, I’m carrying your child now. You can’t just have slept with me for nothing.”
Hearing this, Lu Shaoting sneered coldly.
“For nothing?”
“Gu Xia, have some shame. I shouldn’t have felt any pity or sympathy for you. From the moment you came to the Northwest military camp, claiming to be my niece, were you already planning to scheme against me?”
“I want the truth.”
Lu Shaoting was too clever. Gu Xia, completely inexperienced, seemed like a child pretending to be an adult in front of him.
No matter how well she acted, there were always flaws.
She had never been good at lying since childhood.
Her mother had told her that children must not tell lies.
One lie would require many more to cover it up, and in the end, it would still be exposed.
Gu Xia raised her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm and composed, at least emotionally.
She couldn’t cry—absolutely not in front of Lu Shaoting.
She bit her lip hard, her almond-shaped eyes fixed stubbornly on Lu Shaoting as she asked again.
“What do you want me to do? Lu Shushu, tell me first, what should I do?”
Hearing her call him “uncle,” Lu Shaoting felt a surge of anger.
“Don’t call me uncle. It disgusts me.”
Gu Xia’s eyes seemed to redden further.
But she knew that what she had done was something only a wicked woman would do. It was only natural for her actions to disgust others.
“Fine, I won’t call you that.”
She really did act like an innocent young girl, answering every question without hesitation.
Lu Shaoting felt that he couldn’t even tell anymore whether Gu Xia was genuinely naive or merely pretending to be, while secretly scheming.
“Get rid of the child. Just tell me what you want.”
Gu Xia had been waiting for these words from Lu Shaoting.
“Help bring my parents and sister back to the city. As long as they return, I’ll have the abortion. I won’t trouble you again.”
Hearing her eager words, Lu Shaoting found it all utterly laughable.
“To get your family back to the city, you didn’t hesitate to drug me. A young girl, so shamelessly riding on top of a man. Gu Xia, if your parents and sister knew you did such a thing, do you think they’d be willing to come back?”
“No.” Gu Xia panicked immediately. “Don’t tell them. Lu Shushu, no—Lu Shaoting, you have to listen to me. You must get my parents and sister into the city, or else, I…”
Lu Shaoting asked sternly, “Or else what?”
“Or else I’ll go all out. I’ll stand at your doorstep, I’ll make a scene at your workplace, I’ll let everyone know that you, Lu Shaoting, raped me.”
“The child in my belly is the best proof.”
“Gu Xia.” Lu Shaoting rose from his chair in anger, grabbing her neck with a fierce glare. “It seems you’ve long planned to scheme against me like this.”
“Why me?”