Lin Qiqi closed her eyes, feeling so helpless she could almost cry.
She felt as if this man was about to drive her mad. Just listen to what he’d said—and in front of all these people, too…
She wanted to find a crack in the floor and crawl into it!
As her words fell, the air in the living room seemed to freeze.
The Lu family members all glanced back and forth between Lin Qiqi and Lu Beicheng several times.
Their expressions were extremely “complicated.” In perfect unspoken agreement, no one said a word; they waited to hear what came next.
Lu Beicheng’s face flushed dark red and black with anger. His expression turned cold, and his thin lips parted slowly. He gritted out, “You, you…”
He’d been sputtering “you” in fury for ages, yet couldn’t think of what to say next.
He did, in fact, have a birthmark resembling a peach blossom.
Because it was in a particularly private place, fewer than three people knew about it.
So how had this woman found out?
Could what she’d said actually be true?
Then why couldn’t he remember anything about her?
Lu Beicheng suddenly felt a severe throbbing in his head. He pressed hard against his temple with his long, slender fingers.
“How long have you been pregnant?”
Lin Qiqi paused. “A little over a month.”
She studied his expression. “You—you really don’t remember? A little over a month ago, Long City, C County, S Town…”
At her words, Lu Beicheng froze. A little over a month ago, he really had gone to C County, S Town, in Long City.
He’d been there on a secret mission, one involving so many confidential matters that even his family didn’t know about it.
So how had this woman learned of it?
Lu Beicheng fixed his dark eyes on Lin Qiqi, scrutinizing her.
At that moment, he was beginning to believe her, at least a little.
After a moment, Lu Beicheng lowered his gaze slightly and said to Lin Qiqi, “Come with me.”
Lin Qiqi had no idea what he intended to do, but obediently nodded and said, “Oh.”
She had no choice. She needed something from him, so she had to keep her attitude in check.
Seeing him get up to leave, she hurriedly called out, “Wait. Help me up—I’m dizzy.”
She wasn’t lying. The original owner’s body had always been more fragile than Lin Daiyu’s, and on top of that, she had a heart condition. It was normal for her to faint without warning and lose consciousness.
Later, after she discovered Lu Beicheng’s unusual constitution, she’d clung to him and spent some time recovering by his side. She’d finally gotten much better.
But with the pregnancy, everything had gone back to the way it was before. She was even weaker than she’d been then.
Lin Qiqi sighed inwardly and stroked her belly.
Right now, both she and the baby she carried desperately needed the man’s nourishment.
That was one of the most important reasons she’d come looking for him.
Lu Beicheng stared at the little hand she held out to him, his face darkening.
Who’d given this woman the nerve to order him around?
When he just stood there, staring at her hand without moving, Lin Qiqi urged him on. “Come on. What are you standing there spacing out for?”
Once she got this whole mess sorted out, she needed a good rest.
Lu Beicheng’s face darkened further. He wanted to throw the woman out.
Honestly, where did she get the nerve?
Though that was what he thought, his actions promptly proved otherwise.
He gave a cold snort, swept out his long arm, grabbed the woman’s hand, and yanked her up from the sofa.
He pulled too hard. Lin Qiqi didn’t manage to steady herself and crashed straight into his chest.
“Mm…” She let out a soft groan, rubbing her aching forehead. “Why are you as hard as a rock?”
Lu Beicheng: “…”
With his keen hearing, he naturally caught her muttering.
Heh. He was the one who’d been hit, yet somehow he was the one at fault. Right?
Lin Qiqi held on to his sleeve, her voice soft. “Where are we going?”
Mm. Sure enough, she still had to stay close to him. She was already feeling much better.
“…” Lu Beicheng glanced at her hand, pulled his sleeve free, and turned toward the stairs.
Lin Qiqi pouted. What a stingy man. Fine, she wouldn’t touch him—like she’d been desperate to touch him in the first place.
She followed close behind him, taking small steps as they went upstairs.
As soon as they left, the living room erupted into chatter.
Old Master Lu beamed and turned eagerly to his wife. “What do you think, dear? How likely is it to be true?”
Old Madam Lu smiled. “I’d say there’s an eighty or ninety percent chance.”
She knew her grandson’s temper better than anyone.
He hadn’t even realized it himself, but he’d been so gentle and accommodating toward that young woman.
Those instinctive reactions were the best expression of what someone truly felt deep down.
Mm, she was going to have a great-grandchild.
Just thinking about a soft, adorable great-grandchild put Old Madam Lu in a wonderful mood.
Then she remembered how frail the young woman looked. Her face was so pale that it tugged at her heart.
Old Madam Lu furrowed her brows slightly. No, she had to make sure the girl got proper nourishment.
Pregnancy was the hardest on women.
“Auntie Wu, do we still have some bird’s nest at home?”
The woman who had just brought Lin Qiqi in answered respectfully from nearby, “Yes. There’s about half a kilo left from the last time we bought some.”
Old Madam Lu nodded. “Go cook some in a little while.”
She’d have the young woman drink it.
“And pick out one of the nicer rooms upstairs and have someone clean it.”
The girl was pregnant, so of course she had to stay here. It would make it easier to take care of her.
“And while you’re at it, go buy some…”
Old Madam Lu went on arranging everything, down to the smallest detail.
Beside her, Old Master Lu was in equally good spirits. He cradled his teacup and leisurely sipped his tea while imagining a soft, adorable little great-grandchild.
Oh my, how adorable!
Still, Cheng boy had behaved terribly. Once the two of them came back downstairs, he’d have to give that boy a good scolding and make him apologize to the young woman.
＊＊＊＊＊
At the same time, in a study upstairs,
Lu Beicheng stared intently at Lin Qiqi. “You—you tell me. What happened a little over a month ago?”
Lin Qiqi furrowed her delicate brows, her eyes full of confusion. “What do you mean?”
Lu Beicheng thought for a moment, then told her the truth. “I don’t remember what happened a little over a month ago.”
Lin Qiqi’s round, almond-shaped eyes widened uncontrollably. “Y-you’ve lost your memory?”
Lu Beicheng nodded. “Yes.”
He’d completed his mission in Long City successfully, but he’d also been seriously injured.
At the time, he’d thought he was sure to die. Unexpectedly, he’d survived.
By the time he opened his eyes again, a long time had passed, and his injuries had healed.
But he couldn’t remember anything that had happened in between.
Lu Beicheng furrowed his sword-like brows.
After returning, he’d gone to the hospital for a checkup, but there had been nothing wrong with his body. He’d simply lost a stretch of his memory.
He’d tried to get it back, but to no avail, so he’d eventually given up.
Lin Qiqi’s head began to ache.
The good news: she’d found the baby’s father.
The bad news: the baby’s father didn’t remember her—or the two of them.
Even worse, the baby’s father didn’t believe the child in her belly was his.
How was she supposed to prove it?
Damn it!