Once the anesthesia wore off, Lu Li woke up.
"You're awake."
Lu Li turned her head and saw Qin Zhi standing by the window.
The anesthesia had worn off, but she still felt somewhat weak and limp.
She assumed the abortion procedure was already complete.
Unexpectedly, Qin Zhi suddenly said, "The abortion hasn't been performed yet. The child is still there."
Lu Li frowned. "What do you mean?"
Her voice was hoarse, and she was thirsty.
Qin Zhi walked over, poured a glass of water, helped her sit up, and fed it to her. After she finished drinking, he said, "Ji Zhichen."
Lu Li's face turned slightly pale.
So he really did know Ji Zhichen.
Expressionless, she asked flatly, "Will you tell him? It's useless even if you tell him I'm pregnant—he wouldn't want this child anyway."
"No." Qin Zhi pulled over a chair and sat down, looking at her with a lazy tone. "I'm not close to him. I won't tell him about this."
Qin Zhi saw the wariness all over her face.
He said in a relaxed manner, "I always keep my word."
Lu Li said nothing, only looking at him with doubt.
Qin Zhi let out a low chuckle.
"Don't worry, I really won't tell him. As for the surgery, I've arranged another renowned doctor for you. He'll arrive here tomorrow."
Qin Zhi had made his promise.
He said, "After all, this child is related to me."
What Qin Zhi meant by "related" was that he was the child's father, while Lu Li thought he meant a familial connection.
Lu Li nodded, temporarily choosing to believe his words.
"You love him very much?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Lu Li was startled. "What?"
Qin Zhi repeated, "You love Ji Zhichen?"
Lu Li smiled faintly, the smile tinged with self-mockery. "I loved him for four years."
Now she no longer dared to love him.
Qin Zhi lowered his gaze, his fingers quickly typing a line on his phone, posting a question online: [If she discovers she's had sexual relations with a man she doesn't love, what would happen?]
A flood of answers appeared online, most of them saying: [Agonizing] [A lifelong nightmare]
Qin Zhi found these answers headache-inducing.
It seemed this matter would have to be kept secret for now.
He spun his phone in his hand, his knuckles distinct, fingers nimble and slender. He looked at Lu Li very seriously and said, "I can help you take care of that woman surnamed Xiao. Do you need that?"
Lu Li couldn't react for a moment.
She hadn't expected that he also knew about Xiao Yaoyao and Ji Zhichen's affair.
She looked at Qin Zhi and saw that he wasn't joking.
"N-no… no need," she replied dryly. She wasn't familiar with Qin Zhi anyway, and she found it strange. "His heart isn't with me. You can't force what isn't meant to be. But… why would you want to help me?"
Qin Zhi smiled lightly. "Just consider it me doing a good deed to accumulate merit."
"…"
She didn't quite believe that.
Her marriage to him was nothing more than a contractual transaction.
It was she who had foolishly let herself fall into it.
Qin Zhi took a pen from the pocket of his white coat, pulled Lu Li's hand toward him, and quickly wrote a phone number on her palm. "If you change your mind, you can contact me."
Lu Li watched his retreating figure as he left the hospital room, then looked down at the number on her palm.
"Xiao Yaoyao is the treasure buried deep in his heart. If she's gone, he'll only remember her even more. I, Lu Li, haven't stooped so low. Just give me a little time, and I'll carve him out of my heart."
Lu Li smiled faintly, picked up the remote control, and casually turned on the television.
Suddenly, her body went rigid.
At that moment, on the financial news channel, a live broadcast was underway from the Ji-shi Group conference hall.
The person speaking on stage was Grandmother Ji.
Grandmother Ji was the former chairman of the Ji-shi Group.
She sat in her wheelchair and announced with a smile, "I hereby declare that the ten percent of shares under my name will be given to my granddaughter-in-law, Lu Li."
The crowd below erupted in murmurs.
Who was Lu Li?
Which family's daughter?
When did President Ji get married?
Just yesterday afternoon, the famous female singer Xiao Yaoyao had been photographed on a date with Ji-shi Group's chairman, Ji Zhichen.
And now today, Old Mrs. Ji had publicly announced such news.
Lu Li, leaning against the hospital bed, had no idea what was happening.
She had only been unconscious for two hours, and when she woke up, everyone knew she was married to Ji Zhichen.
Why had Grandmother Ji suddenly made public the news of her marriage to Ji Zhichen?
And… given her shares as well.
Lu Li felt things were spiraling out of control.
She quickly searched for her phone, turned it on.
The moment it powered up, she saw a flood of text messages.
Lu Li didn't read the messages. She waited for the press conference to end, then immediately called Grandmother Ji.
"Grandmother, why did you suddenly make it public?"
She had already been preparing to divorce Ji Zhichen.
The sudden announcement of their marriage caught her completely off guard.
Grandmother Ji's voice was as kind as ever. "Little Li, you've been wronged these past few days. Why didn't you tell me when she came back? If I hadn't seen the news yesterday afternoon of Zhichen having dinner with Xiao Yaoyao, I would have been kept in the dark by you both."
Lu Li touched her belly, and before she knew it, her eyes had turned slightly red.
For the child they would never have, and for the love she had once given.
"Grandmother, I can't accept the Jishi shares."
"Silly child, once you have Jishi shares, you'll have money in the future. Besides, consider these shares as a gift from me to my future grandchildren."
Once Grandmother Ji made up her mind, it was hard to change it.
Lu Li rubbed her brow, planning to transfer the shares back to the Ji family later.
They chatted for a while, and when Grandmother Ji grew tired, Lu Li hung up the phone.
No sooner had she hung up than she received a call from Ji Zhichen.
"Lu Li! You're quite something, aren't you!"
Ji Zhichen was seething with anger, his cold tone laced with a hint of iciness.
"Congratulations. Now everyone knows you're the Mrs. Ji who owns Jishi shares."
He truly hadn't expected Lu Li to be so cunning.
Lu Li rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. "Ji Zhichen, Grandmother's sudden decision caught me completely off guard. I'll return the Jishi shares to the Ji family."
Ji Zhichen sneered. "It's too late to say anything now. Get back here immediately—we're getting a divorce. The only wife I'll ever acknowledge is Yaoyao."
Lu Li didn't want to talk anymore. Since Ji Zhichen had initiated the divorce, at least she wouldn't have to pay breach of contract penalties. "I'll be back tomorrow."
She hung up on Ji Zhichen directly.
Ji Zhichen stared at the disconnected call, tugging at his tie in frustration.
Song Qiang kept his eyes down, minding his own business.
"Suppress those news stories online as best you can. I don't want them affecting Yaoyao."
Xiao Yaoyao was a big celebrity, and now many people online were calling her a homewrecker.
Song Qiang nodded and left to handle the matter.
Xiao Yaoyao, sitting on the sofa with a pale face, stood up and walked over to wrap her arms around Ji Zhichen's waist.
She pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice soft and tinged with fragility. "Zhichen, why does Grandmother never like me? What did I ever do wrong?"
Ji Zhichen softened the anger on his face, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, his handsome features gentle. "Yaoyao, don't be sad. You're wonderful—it's my fault. If it hadn't been to put Grandmother's mind at ease back then, I never would have entered into a contractual marriage with Lu Li."
Xiao Yaoyao stood on her tiptoes, gently kissing his jaw, then moving to his thin lips. "No, it's all my fault. I must not be good enough yet. But this time, I don't want to let go."
For a fleeting moment, Ji Zhichen thought of Lu Li's stunning, striking face.
He turned his head slightly.
Xiao Yaoyao looked at him with tearful eyes.
Because of his beloved's tears, Ji Zhichen held her tighter.
"Don't cry."
He lifted her chin.
The two kissed each other passionately.
There was a restroom in the office, and Ji Zhichen scooped Xiao Yaoyao up in his arms, heading toward it.
Xiao Yaoyao blushed, her beautiful eyes full of affection as she wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "If I get pregnant, will Grandmother accept me then?"
"I don't want you to feel wronged," Ji Zhichen said, setting her down on the bed. "I want you to wear a wedding dress first. Get some sleep—by the time you wake up, the online mess will be handled."
Xiao Yaoyao bit her red lips. She actually didn't feel wronged at all.
As long as she had a child, that old woman should cave.
Just as Ji Zhichen was about to get up, Xiao Yaoyao pulled him back.
They had been together since college, and their first time had been with each other.
Since returning to the country this time, he had been holding back, never going all the way with her, which made her uneasy.
Xiao Yaoyao thought of Lu Li. She closed her eyes, her lashes trembling slightly.
She kissed Ji Zhichen fiercely. "Zhichen, I've missed you all these years. So much."
Seeing her trembling lashes, Ji Zhichen didn't pull away her hand as it slipped beneath his clothes.
Outside, the sky was darkening. Inside the restroom, on the large bed.
Their bodies accepted each other, awakening memories of being together before.
Man, woman.
Tangled breaths and moans.