Lin Qing suddenly burst into tears.
Just then, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen — it was her mom.
Lin Qing wiped her tears and picked up.
Zhou Yan’s voice complained from the other end,
“Come out and open the door. The lights are all on, where did you go? I’ve rung the doorbell several times already.”
“Mom, you’re at the door?” Lin Qing was startled.
“Hurry and come open the door,” Zhou Yan said impatiently.
“I’m in the bathroom. I’ll be out in ten minutes.”
With that, she hung up.
Lin Qing quickly got up, threw the used pregnancy test stick into a black trash bag, tied it tightly, and stuffed an unused one into her handbag — planning to take another test the next morning after getting some sleep.
After tidying up, she opened the front door.
Zhou Yan appeared at the doorway with a suitcase.
“Mom, you’re back?”
Lin Qing tried hard to control her emotions.
But sharp-eyed Zhou Yan immediately noticed her red-rimmed eyes and quickly asked, “What happened? You look like you’ve just cried.”
Lin Qing took the suitcase from her and avoided eye contact, answering softly,
“I was just watching a drama… there was a really emotional scene, so I cried.”
“Really? You’re not lying to me?” Zhou Yan squinted suspiciously.
“I’m not lying, I’m really fine,” Lin Qing denied.
She absolutely couldn’t tell her mother about the pregnancy now.
“As long as you’re okay.”
Zhou Yan entered the apartment, placed her suitcase in the guest room, then returned to the living room.
She noticed the takeout box on the dining table — barely touched — and frowned.
“You eat takeout like this every day?”
Lin Qing replied, “Work ends too late most days. I don’t have time to cook, so I make do. I’m not picky with food.”
She sat back in her chair and looked down at the meal in front of her.
It had garlic pork ribs and stir-fried shredded potatoes — both things she liked —
but after vomiting earlier, she couldn’t bring herself to eat a bite.
After a few mouthfuls, she gave up and dumped the whole box into the trash.
Zhou Yan looked puzzled. “Why’d you buy food if you’re not going to eat it? You’re wasting it.”
“I don’t have an appetite, so I’m not eating anymore.”
“How could you have no appetite? Are you sick?”
“Work’s just been stressful lately,” Lin Qing replied.
Then, remembering the bag of trash in the bathroom, she quickly said,
“I’ll take out the garbage now. The sanitation workers will be coming by soon.”
Without waiting for a response, Lin Qing grabbed the bags from the bathroom and kitchen and stepped outside.
Zhou Yan watched her daughter’s back with a nagging sense of unease she couldn’t quite put into words.
__________
Ten minutes later, Lin Qing returned home.
In the kitchen, Zhou Yan had put on an apron and was kneading dough.
“Mom, what are you doing?”
Zhou Yan replied, “I saw you didn’t have an appetite, so I’m making some noodles. I’ll cook a bowl of tomato and egg noodles for you.”
“No need to go through the trouble, I’m really not hungry.”
“Even if you’re not hungry, you still have to eat something. Otherwise, you’ll ruin your stomach at such a young age.”
Unable to win against her mother, Lin Qing could only agree.
Half an hour later, the tomato noodles were served.
The taste was light and not greasy. Lin Qing’s appetite improved a little. She picked up her chopsticks and sat down to eat.
Zhou Yan sat across from her and seized the moment to ask,
“You and that Fu family boy—are you really not together?”
Even though the Fu family had denied the rumors and Lin Qing herself had already denied the relationship over the phone that morning, Zhou Yan still couldn’t help but ask again.
Lin Qing instantly grew annoyed. She had known it—her mom’s sudden return definitely wasn’t simple.
“I’ve already said we’re not involved. How many times do I have to explain before you believe me?”
Suddenly, she felt incredibly wronged. With the pregnancy weighing on her mind, she didn’t even know what to do.
Seeing Lin Qing’s reaction, Zhou Yan quickly softened her tone.
“Okay, okay, I believe you. Isn’t that enough?”
“Finally.”
After a while, when Zhou Yan noticed her daughter’s mood had calmed a bit, she pulled out her phone, opened the photo album, zoomed in on a picture, and placed it beside Lin Qing’s bowl.
“This is your Uncle Ding’s nephew. He’s also a lawyer like you. He’s 183 cm tall, two years younger than you, just returned from studying in the U.S. Take a look—see if you’re interested.”
Lin Qing focused on eating her noodles and ignored the photo.
“Mom, don’t bother. I just took on a huge project. I’m way too busy to date right now.”
“You don’t lack money. I’ve got plenty too. Why are you always thinking about work, work, work!”
“Because the more money, the better. Money gives me a sense of security.”
“If you don’t get married, who’s going to take care of you when you’re old? What if you die alone and no one even knows?”
Lin Qing had heard these arguments a thousand times.
She snorted. “If I’m already dead, why would I care who finds my body?”
Zhou Yan smacked Lin Qing lightly on the head, exasperated. “How did I give birth to such a stubborn kid?”
She couldn’t understand her daughter’s choices—clearly she could live an easy life, but she insisted on working so hard. Wouldn’t it be better to just marry a rich man and live comfortably?
Lin Qing quickly finished the noodles, picked up her briefcase, and headed to the study.
Before closing the door, she added, “I’m going to work on the project proposal. Don’t disturb me.”
Zhou Yan had no choice but to call out, “Go to bed early, don’t stay up too late.”
“Got it.”
Back in the study, Lin Qing opened a financial report on her laptop—
But staring at Dongxin Company’s numbers, she couldn’t write a single word.
Her mind was filled with just one thing: the pregnancy.
What should I do?
What should I do?
If I really am pregnant, then what?
Should I get an abortion or keep the baby?
Should I tell Fu Sinian about it? After all, he is the father.
One question after another crowded her thoughts.
She ran her hands through her hair and tugged at it in frustration.
She couldn’t bear the stigma of being an unwed mother.
But she also knew she could never marry into the Fu family.
And she definitely didn’t want her child to be an illegitimate one.
So what was she supposed to do?
She had never faced such a difficult dilemma.
That night, Lin Qing didn’t write a single word of her financial report.
She couldn’t sleep either.
Tossing and turning in bed, her mind was consumed by the mess that would come if the pregnancy was real.
__________
The Next Morning
As soon as Lin Qing woke up, she immediately took the unopened pregnancy test kit into the master bathroom.
She tested again.
Staring at the clearly visible double red lines in her hand,
she felt completely crushed.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Qing snapped a photo with her phone.
After disposing of the test stick, she sent a message and the photo in her WeChat group chat with Tang Yining and Su Yi.
Text:
【I’m pregnant】
Image:
A photo of the test showing one dark line and one faint line.
Ten minutes later, the group chat exploded with emojis and frantic messages.
Tang Yining:
【WTF, Xiaoqing, it’s not April Fool’s today, right? Don’t scare us.】
Su Yi:
【Oh my god, what is that?! OMG, you’re pregnant?! You’re actually pregnant!!】
Tang Yining:
【Ahhhhh! Which bastard did this to you?!】
Su Yi:
【Spill it — who’s the guy? What the hell happened?!】
Lin Qing’s lips twitched slightly. She sent another message in the group:
【9 AM. See you at the usual spot. I’ll tell you everything then.】
She left them hanging, and Su Yi and Tang Yining started swearing in the chat out of impatience.
9 AM, at a café in the city center.
Lin Qing arrived early and waited for Tang Yining and Su Yi.
Su Yi rushed in, dropped her briefcase, and immediately asked,
“Is this some kind of prank or is it real? Don’t mess with me!”
Lin Qing sighed, “I’m not joking. It’s real.”
“Oh my god.”
Su Yi looked utterly stunned.
Moments later, Tang Yining pushed open the door in her 8cm heels, her makeup immaculate, clearly having come straight from work.
She looked deadly serious as she stepped inside.
“Xiaoqing, I ditched a client to come see you. If you tell me this is some kind of prank, our friendship is over.”
Lin Qing gave a helpless smile. “Why would I lie to you? I’m almost certain I’m really pregnant.”
Su Yi stomped her foot. “Wait—so who’s the guy?!”
Tang Yining followed up, “Since when did you even have a boyfriend? You’ve never said a word!”