“Whose child is this, exactly?!”
A man in a crisp suit, one hand clutching a medical report and the other gripping the woman’s wrist across from him, demanded loudly.
The woman’s expression was stubborn. After struggling twice to free her wrist without success, she looked at him with reddened eyes. “I don’t owe you any explanation. The child is mine!”
“Say that again!”
Meng Luobai stood to the side, watching the quarreling man and woman. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the door beside her burst open with a bang, and a man with messy hair and stubble around his mouth rushed in.
Before the confronting couple could react, he shoved aside the man who had been questioning her and squeezed excitedly in front of the woman. “Xingxing. I know everything now! You were just using him to make me jealous. You still have feelings for me. The child is mine, right?”
Lin Wanxing, caught between the two men, had a ring of red around her eyes, tears welling up and swirling. “Who said the child has to belong to either of you? Can’t I… raise it myself?”
The man who had been shoved aside, still fuming, heard Lin Wanxing’s words and hurried over to stand before her. “I never said I wouldn’t raise it. I just want to know if the child is mine…”
Lin Wanxing: “The doctor is right here! Why are you asking me?”
The moment she finished speaking, all three of them turned in unison to look at Meng Luobai.
Meng Luobai: “…”
Hey, wait a minute…
Do I have to answer whose child you’re carrying too?
As much as Meng Luobai wanted to quip back, she still took the ultrasound report and said, “…This is an ultrasound report. The genetic test can’t be done until the fetus is past 12 weeks…”
Hearing this, the stubbled man snatched the report and, with lightning speed, crumpled it into a ball. “What test? No need for tests! I’ll take responsibility either way!”
Meng Luobai: “…”
Then why did you snatch it, man? I just told you—this is an ultrasound report! An ultrasound report!
It doesn’t show whose child it is either.
What a lunatic.
Seeing the report snatched and crumpled, the other man fumed, “Peng Yue! You’re deliberately trying to spite me!”
“Peng Li, that’s what I should be asking you!”
They even share the same surname…?
“Stop arguing, both of you…” Lin Wanxing closed her eyes and said in a trembling voice, “The child has nothing to do with either of you. Two months ago, Fu Shan came back from abroad…”
Thud—
Meng Luobai quickly bent down to pick up her pen.
Peng Yue and Peng Li stared at Lin Wanxing in disbelief. “Xingxing, what are you saying?”
Meng Luobai held her breath and straightened up.
Yeah, what is she saying? Even she was having trouble keeping up.
Lin Wanxing: “I can’t lie to myself and forget him…”
Both Peng Yue and Peng Li’s eyes turned red. “No!” “That’s not true!”
Meng Luobai: “…”
…Maybe you should just lie to yourself?
Meng Luobai lowered her head. In her four years as a family physician, she had seen her employers’ couples fight, spouses bicker, sisters feud, and brothers turn on each other—but this was the first time she’d witnessed a scene of two dads fighting over one baby.
She picked up the crumpled report from the floor. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the paper. It had been a long time since she’d felt such cheap-quality report paper.
Her gaze landed on the data column, and her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. The report stated a gestational age of 8 weeks, yet below it was a clear annotation: Biparietal diameter 3.8 cm, femur length 2.1 cm.
An eight-week fetus was still in the transition stage from embryo to fetus. An ultrasound report wouldn’t include measurements like biparietal diameter or femur length, which were used for mid-to-late-stage fetuses.
This ultrasound report was fake.
Just as she reached that conclusion, she heard Lin Wanxing say, “The truth is, I was never pregnant at all!”
Meng Luobai: “…”
Lin Wanxing looked at them, tears finally streaming from the corners of her eyes. “I just wanted to see if you still cared about me!”
Peng Yue and Peng Li said in unison, “Of course I care!”
Meng Luobai: What a lunatic woman…
Peng Yue and Peng Li: Even bigger lunatics. A pair of lunatics.
No wait—two lunatic men and one lunatic woman. Three lunatics in total!
Outside the window, cicadas chirped endlessly. Sunlight slanted through the pleated blinds, carving alternating patches of light and shadow across the three faces, like the opening scene of an absurd play.
…
Meng Luobai quietly spent the entire afternoon eating popcorn at the scene. It wasn’t until Lin Wanxing’s parents rushed in from out of town that the farce finally came to an end. After the two Peng men were kicked out, Meng Luobai also took her leave.
Stepping out of the Lin family’s grand villa, Meng Luobai let out a deep sigh.
Her profession was private physician. She was employed by the country’s top-tier private hospital, providing high-quality, round-the-clock medical services to her clients. However, Miss Lin today wasn’t her client. Miss Lin’s private physician was Meng Luobai’s senior colleague Wen Zheng, who was abroad this month attending a lecture. Meng Luobai was filling in for him—and that was how she got to witness this dramatic love saga.
Quite entertaining, really. Not a wasted trip.
Meng Luobai returned to her car, and just then her friend Zhi Qian called. “Where are you?”
After suppressing the emotions stirred up by the drama she’d just witnessed, Meng Luobai laughed and said, “Just left. Came to see a patient.” She had plans to meet her friend that evening.
Zhi Qian’s voice was sweet and clear. “Isn’t your first day next Monday?”
“It is next Monday, but I’m covering a shift for a colleague.”
“You’re such a workhorse.” Zhi Qian laughed. “Alright then, see you when you get here.”
“Okay.” After ending the call, Meng Luobai opened her navigation and entered the bar address Zhi Qian had given her.
She had been studying and working in Jingzhou ever since grad school, and had only returned to Longcheng last month. Having left her hometown seven years ago, she wasn’t very familiar with some of the places.
It wasn’t rush hour yet, so Meng Luobai drove to the bar without any trouble.
She checked the time—her two younger sisters had gone to another city together for a concert and should have arrived at the hotel by now. She called Meng Luoyu first.
In a moment, Meng Luoyu’s crisp voice came through. “Hello, sis.”
“Arrived at the hotel?”
“Just got here. Dropped off our luggage and came out to find something to eat.”
“What about Sangsang?”
Sangsang’s voice immediately followed. “Sis.”
Meng Luobai smiled. “You two be careful. After the concert tonight, head straight back to the hotel—don’t stay out too late.”
“Got it, got it. We’re together, so don’t worry.”
After hanging up, Meng Luobai had already reached the bar’s entrance.
The bar’s door was a black mirror surface. Under the LED light strip, the mirror reflected a tall, slender figure. As the figure drew closer to the door, Meng Luobai’s features became increasingly clear. Because she was looking down at her phone, her brow bone pressed down prominently, the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, while her inner corners tapered cleanly without a trace of lingering softness. Her nose bridge was sharp and defined, her nostrils narrow and delicate—not the gentle softness typical of most women, but rather carrying a hint of sharpness.
Her entire face had clean, crisp lines, elegance concealing a quiet valor—cool and aloof, blending with her refined bone structure into a striking beauty all her own.
After scanning the messages on her phone, Meng Luobai walked into the bar.
The bar was owned by Zhi Qian. Zhi Qian and Meng Luobai had been close friends since high school. After graduating from university, Zhi Qian worked at a big tech company for five years and ended up with a whole host of stress-related ailments. Fortunately, her salary and bonuses were substantial—after getting treatment, she still had savings left over. With additional investment from her parents, she opened this bar in Longcheng.
Over the years, as Meng Luobai studied and worked away from home, her connections with hometown classmates and friends had faded. The one person she’d stayed in constant, “intense” contact with was Zhi Qian.
“Old Meng!” And there was also this old classmate calling out to her—Wan Rongxuan.
It was still early, so the bar wasn’t too crowded, with soothing, relaxed music playing.
Meng Luobai walked to the counter and took a seat next to Wan Rongxuan. “Teacher Wan, so early?”
“Summer break.” Wan Rongxuan was an associate professor in the philosophy department at Longcheng University. Dressed in a blue shirt and dress pants, a metal watch on his wrist as he held a bottle of beer, he lightly pushed up his glasses, looking every bit the “scholarly scoundrel.” “That’s the perk of being a teacher.”
Zhi Qian was in the middle of saying something to her staff. When she saw Meng Luobai arrive, she stepped behind the counter. “Old bestie, what’ll you have?”
Meng Luobai smiled. “Any recommendations?”
Zhi Qian had a new hair color—a beautiful gold-pink dye that suited her sweet features perfectly. She thought for a moment, then pointed at the bottle in Wan Rongxuan’s hand. “New beer we just got in. Tastes great. Just opened one for him.”
Meng Luobai made an “OK” gesture. “I’ll have one of those then.”
Wan Rongxuan looked at Meng Luobai. “How long are you staying this time?”
Meng Luobai took the beer Zhi Qian handed her. “I’ll be working in Longcheng from now on.”
Zhi Qian chimed in from the side. “Our Luobai got promoted. Allow me to introduce—she’s now the vice director of Longcheng Jiyuan Hospital.”
Caught off guard by Zhi Qian’s announcement, Meng Luobai couldn’t help scratching her brow. “It’s just a branch hospital, and I’m only handling administration. There are plenty of vice directors like that.”
Zhi Qian pointed at her in disagreement. “What do you mean ‘only handling administration’? Our medical skills are clearly top-notch too.”
Wan Rongxuan looked at Meng Luobai. “Impressive. Promoted to vice director that fast. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Humility and keeping a low profile.” Zhi Qian draped her arm around Meng Luobai’s shoulders. “Our Luobai was born to be an official anyway—high school class monitor, college youth league branch secretary, student council president, international debate…”
Even the “humble” one found it cringe-worthy hearing her friend enumerate her “glorious history.” Before Zhi Qian could finish, Meng Luobai quickly cut in. “That’s all ancient history.”
Zhi Qian: “But they’re all glorious credentials. When you become director, can you save me a retirement bed?”
Meng Luobai draped her arm back over Zhi Qian’s shoulder with a light laugh. “I’ll save you ten.”
Zhi Qian immediately turned to Wan Rongxuan with a triumphant look. “Did you hear that, Xuanxuan? How many years until you become president, and what perks are you getting me?”
Wan Rongxuan: “Give me a break. I barely scraped by to get my associate professorship at thirty. I can see the rest of my career from here.”
Zhi Qian: “An associate professor at thirty has a bright future ahead, Xuanxuan.”
Wan Rongxuan: “Stop calling me Xuanxuan.”
Meng Luobai laughed from the side. “My sister’s going to your school for grad school—you’ll need to look after her for me, Xuanxuan.”
Wan Rongxuan gave Meng Luobai an exasperated look. “You too?”
Meng Luobai pressed her lips into a subtle smile. Zhi Qian remarked from the side, “Sangsang?”
Meng Luobai: “Mm.”
Zhi Qian: “If I were your mom, I’d be over the moon. Three daughters—one doctor, one grad student, and Luoyu, who just passed the procuratorate exam. How proud she must be. You were raised incredibly well.”
Meng Luobai smiled without saying a word. She was equally proud of her two younger sisters.
After a while of light banter, the bar began to fill up. The mellow music gave way to heavy-bass house tracks, and the neon lights overhead burst into full bloom, weaving into a dazzling, surreal web that enveloped the entire venue.
A few regulars walked in, and Zhi Qian went over to greet them. Wan Rongxuan, whose social circle overlapped with Zhi Qian’s friends, also drifted off to chat with some acquaintances.
Meng Luobai sat idly at the bar. Soon, two guys in black short-sleeved shirts approached to hit on her.
Meng Luobai’s eyes were clear and clean, her pupils a deep, ink-like black, giving her a cool, distant air. She gave the two of them a once-over, then let her eyelids droop slightly, instantly softening into a look of gentle allure—so natural it was as if she’d become a different person.
By the time Wan Rongxuan returned, the two guys were showing off like peacocks, even trying to one-up each other. “I’m not like him—I have no bad habits. I’m definitely more worth studying.”
“I’ve never even been sick! Didn’t you have abdominal surgery before?” He thumped his chest. “My body’s perfectly intact—I even still have my appendix. I’m the one worth studying.”
Meng Luobai sat at the bar, chin resting on one hand. Her lips were thin and well-defined, curving into a crisp smile. “Why compare? You each have your own strengths.”
One sentence had both of them beaming. If their friends hadn’t called them away, they might have fought over who got to package themselves up and ship off to a lab, just to prove they were the “most valuable sample.”
Only after the two finally left did Wan Rongxuan step forward. “Dr. Meng, what did you say to them?”
Meng Luobai looked up, her fingertips tracing the rim of her glass with idle grace. “Nothing much. They just seemed very enthusiastic about being ‘studied.'”
Wan Rongxuan: “…”
The neon tubes curved across the bar counter like a cool blue river. Meng Luobai took a sip of her drink and had just set down the chilled glass when she heard a girl nearby exclaim, “Holy crap! That spinning elbow was so cool!”
A male voice chimed in, “Jax’s ground lock technique earlier was textbook-level. You girls only ever look at looks.”
That remark immediately drew backlash from the girls nearby. “Ling Sui is the Rookie King. Did a girl come up with that title?”
“Exactly. Ling Sui’s on a thirty-one-fight win streak with zero losses. So what if the lock technique was textbook? He still lost that match, didn’t he? You guys just can’t admit someone can be both handsome and insanely skilled.”
The man was left speechless.
Hearing a name she half-recognized, Meng Luobai instinctively looked up. The giant screen directly in front of the bar, which had been playing cocktail-making videos, had switched. Now it was split by intense red and blue lights, with a mixed martial arts arena filling the entire view.
Under the spotlight, the man on the ring was at the center of a grapple—he wore a tight black fight suit, his shoulders and back flowing with smooth, explosive lines. His black hair, damp with sweat, clung to the sharp angles of his forehead. At that moment, his left arm was locked by his opponent, yet his expression remained calm. Using the momentum of his body’s rotation, his right leg swept precisely into the opponent’s knee, while his left elbow slammed hard into the opponent’s shoulder blade. The movements were clean and decisive, carrying a brutal kind of beauty.
The moment his opponent lost balance and hit the ground, the man bent down, pressing the opponent’s shoulder with his left hand and bringing his right fist down. Shortly after, the referee declared the winner of the match.
The camera panned to the audience, and the crowd erupted.
The man stood in the center of the ring, the arena lights reflected in his eyes. Sweat traced down his jawline and dripped onto the mat. He breathed heavily, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. It held the coldness of a victor, yet concealed a faint trace of languid ease—as if this fierce contest were nothing more than a casual game to him.
A girl at the neighboring table whispered in awe, “No matter how many times I watch it, Ling Sui is just so handsome. He looks so cold, but when he fights, he’s absolutely ruthless.”
Another girl said, “Then you haven’t seen his interviews. He’s actually pretty lively—a chaotic handsome guy.”
“I just saw the news—he’s not competing next season?”
“That’s old news. He hasn’t shown up in months. I heard from his team that he got into grad school and is going to pursue a master’s.” The girl speaking grew excited. “You know that kind of contrast? A handsome guy who actually loves studying.”
“After all, he’s the heir of the Empirl family. MMA was just a hobby to begin with.”
Meng Luobai was just pulling her attention back when Zhi Qian tapped her from behind. “Isn’t this Ling Sui your old neighbor from when you were younger?”
Meng Luobai’s fingertips brushed against the cold surface of her glass. “He is.”
Zhi Qian sat down in the seat beside her. “I used to see him following you around all the time back then. If I’d known, I would’ve asked for his autograph. My employee told me his signature sells for almost five figures now. But why did he change his name? I remember he didn’t go by that name before.”
Meng Luobai shook her head. “I don’t know the reason.”
Zhi Qian: “You two haven’t been in contact all these years?”
Meng Luobai: “No.”
Zhi Qian: “Why did he move away back then?”
Meng Luobai shook her head again. “I have no idea.”
Zhi Qian: “How come you don’t know anything when I ask?”
“I really don’t know.” Then, Meng Luobai asked with a smile, “Do you know where every neighbor you grew up with ended up?”
Zhi Qian thought for a moment. “That’s true.”
Meng Luobai took a sip of her drink. Some departures were sudden by nature, without any warning signs.
Time slipped by unnoticed until ten in the evening. Meng Luobai sent Zhi Qian a message saying she was about to leave, then called for a designated driver.
Since the driver would take a while to arrive, she decided to stop by the restroom first. Just as she came out, Zhi Qian’s reply popped up on her phone, along with a forwarded news article.
[After announcing his hiatus, the rookie sensation makes his first public appearance in months.]
Meng Luobai tapped on the news link, and the first thing that caught her eye was a candid photo taken by a passerby.
—A man dressed entirely in black, his hood pulled low, brows and nose hidden in shadow, revealing only clearly defined lips and a sharply sculpted jawline. Though he was deliberately keeping a low profile, his all-black attire couldn’t hide his tall, impeccably proportioned figure.
The bar corridor was bathed in dim, hazy lighting. Two groups of people were walking arm-in-arm toward the restroom, when one drunk man suddenly became animated, waving his arms and shouting loudly. His companion, caught off guard, stumbled from the impact, and the momentum sent him bumping hard into Meng Luobai’s arm.
Meng Luobai’s attention was entirely fixed on the glowing screen, and she had no time to dodge. Her phone flew out of her hand with a sharp crack.
Meng Luobai staggered slightly. Recovering her bearings, she was about to bend down to pick it up when another slender, fair hand retrieved it first. The person’s gaze lingered on the bright screen for a brief half-second before handing the phone back to her.
Meng Luobai looked up and met a pair of almond-shaped eyes. The person carried a faint citrus scent—soft and pleasant. Before the two could exchange a word, another girl came running over, apologizing profusely: “I’m so sorry, so sorry! My brother had too much to drink. I’m really sorry. Are you okay?”
Meng Luobai took the phone, which now had some scratches and smudges on it. “I’m fine. The phone’s fine.”
The girl apologized repeatedly before hurrying off to catch up with the drunk man ahead.
Meng Luobai wiped her phone and wanted to thank the girl with almond-shaped eyes who had picked it up for her, but she noticed she had already turned and walked with her friend toward the deeper end of the corridor.
The friend who had been on the phone the whole time finally noticed the commotion and asked casually, “What happened?”
“Just helped someone pick up their phone. Seems like they’re a fan of Lori’s.”
The friend glanced back. “What’s Lior up to? Why doesn’t he come out and hang with us? It’s so boring!”
The girl with almond-shaped eyes looked at her phone. “I don’t know. He never picks up my calls.”
Lior?
Meng Luobai’s gaze drifted toward the group walking away, and just then her phone rang—it was the designated driver. She averted her eyes, answered the call, and headed downstairs.