The next morning, Susu carefully applied her makeup, waiting for Xin Che to pick her up. Xiao Fei watched her, laughing and scolding, "You little thing, you're so easily swayed by good looks. I've never seen you so invested in any man before."
As soon as Xin Che entered, he first handed a gift bag to Xiao Fei, politely saying, "Thank you for taking care of Susu these past few days."
Xiao Fei didn't hesitate and opened it right away – inside was a pure gold bracelet. She smiled, "Oh my... President Xin is so generous. Thank you, President Xin. But Susu is pregnant, so taking good care of her is the priority. If you two can't work things out, and she asks me to accompany her for an abortion again, I won't be calling you."
"That won't happen." After speaking, Xin Che picked up the luggage Susu had placed by the door.
Susu and Xiao Fei hugged again, whispering a few words to each other before going downstairs with Xin Che.
After they got into the car, Xin Che said, "I'll take you for a prenatal check-up first; I've already made an appointment." He had chosen a private hospital, and the check-up proceeded quickly and smoothly.
After leaving the hospital, he took Susu to a restaurant. The two of them ordered some light dishes, and then he got straight to the point: "The house we're currently living in is worth about ten million yuan, and the mortgage is fully paid off. After we get married, I'll add your name to it. Even if we divorce, you can take half. From now on, I'll transfer my salary into a joint account, and you can keep your salary for yourself. As for my other prenatal property, I'll keep it for my free disposal. Do you think this is acceptable?"
The terms Xin Che offered were close to what she had expected, and Susu didn't want to haggle with him, so she readily agreed. After discussing the marriage, Susu remembered that the Compliance Department was going to Yanqing for a team-building event next weekend and told Xin Che she wanted to go too.
Xin Che casually asked, "Can family members come along?"
Susu was amused by his question, "Yes, they can. But do you think it's appropriate for me to bring you to our department's team-building event?"
"It's not appropriate. But I don't want you to go alone."
"Just consider this my last solo vacation before we get married." Susu played with his fingers, acting spoiled, "It's only for one night, please, just let me go."
In Yanqing in early September, the plane tree leaves on the roadside were already slightly yellow. It should have been a season of clear autumn skies, but the weather that day was unusually hot. On Saturday morning, the company's team-building bus stopped in front of a resort. As soon as everyone got off, they felt a wave of heat wash over them.
This department team-building event had over thirty people in total, including colleagues and their family members. After lunch, the leader arranged for everyone to have free time on the resort lawn. A few younger colleagues gathered to play volleyball. Susu had intended to just watch from the sidelines, but some colleagues knew she had been a key player on the university's volleyball team, and after repeated invitations, she reluctantly joined them.
The intense sunlight beat down on her. After playing for only about twenty minutes, Susu felt a tightness in her chest, her breathing felt scorching, and her limbs felt weak as if they had gone soft from the sun. She told everyone she needed a break. As she sat down in the shade of a tree, a sudden sharp pain in her lower abdomen made her dizzy. She drank a large gulp of water, trying hard to calm the unease in her heart.
In the evening, the group arrived at a farmhouse restaurant. The hot evening breeze was filled with the aroma of grilled meat. Susu had only taken a couple of bites when her stomach churned, and her physical discomfort became more pronounced. Feeling heavy-headed and unsteady, she just wanted to go back and lie down quickly.
After returning to the room, Susu lay on the bed, adjusting her breathing, trying to alleviate the intermittent abdominal pain. Suddenly, a warm flow surged from her lower body, making her heart skip a beat.
✦✦✦