She was pregnant.
Going by the timing, it must have happened last month—the last time they were together. After that, Yu Siting had brought up divorce.
For three years, she had longed more than anything for a child with him. She never imagined one would come along just as they were about to divorce.
For a moment, Yan Xi didn’t know whether to feel sad or happy. She took the pregnancy test report from her friend, and when she saw the words “pregnancy confirmed,” her expression turned complicated.
“This child really couldn’t have come at a worse time. You and your husband have both decided to get a div—”
Lu Fangfei stopped halfway through and sighed softly.
Yan Xi clutched the report tightly in her hand. Her smile was bleak, her voice bitter. “Yes. The timing couldn’t be worse.”
The pregnancy had come so suddenly that it had caught her completely off guard.
She steadied herself and spoke quietly.
“Please keep this to yourself for now.”
Lu Fangfei made an “OK” sign. They understood each other without needing to say more.
She and Yan Xi had been classmates since high school. They went on to attend medical school together, then spent three years studying abroad. Now they worked at the same hospital, though in different departments. Lu Fangfei was also one of the few people who knew the state of Yan Xi’s marriage.
As Yan Xi turned to leave, Lu Fangfei couldn’t help reminding her, “But if you don’t want this child, you need to decide soon. You’ll be evaluated for a professional title promotion in the second half of the year.”
“You should at least hold on to one of them—your marriage or your career, shouldn’t you?”
At her words, Yan Xi’s steps faltered. She gave a slight nod, then opened the office door and left.
She would have the baby, but there was no saving her marriage.
A doctor’s instructions rang out from the office next door.
“Miss Zhao, you still need to get plenty of rest and avoid overexerting yourself. You’re a little anemic, so eat more foods that help your body produce blood. Otherwise, the baby might not get enough nutrients, and it could make delivery more difficult.”
“Understood. Thank you, Dr. Wang.”
A gentle, soft voice answered, and Yan Xi’s expression changed slightly.
That voice sounded familiar. She had heard it before on her husband’s phone.
It sounded like her husband’s first love.
Yan Xi had already reached the corner, but she couldn’t help turning back for another look.
Beside the petite, delicate-looking woman stood a man with a cool, distinguished, almost ascetic air. He wore a black shirt with sharply tailored black suit trousers.
He was so handsome that people would scream wherever he went.
Yan Xi paused, tightening her grip on the pregnancy report.
The man was Yu Siting, her husband of three years.
After the doctor listed several foods that could help with anemia, the pretty, delicate woman linked her arm through his and spoke coyly.
“Siting, I’m not very good at remembering things. You’ll have to help me keep them straight.”
“All right.”
The man gave a slight nod. His usually icy, deep-black eyes held a hint of warmth.
Yan Xi clearly saw this side of him, so unlike the man she knew. A sharp pang went through her heart, but she quickly buried it.
Her expression darkened. Standing at the corner, she took out her phone and called him.
He rejected the first call.
He hung up on the second, too.
Yan Xi had never been willful, but this time she stubbornly called a third time.
At last, he answered.
“I’m busy.”
He uttered the three words coldly, then hung up before Yan Xi could say anything.
Yan Xi gripped her phone tightly. Even breathing hurt.
He really was busy—busy accompanying his first love to a pregnancy checkup, busy helping her remember what she should eat during pregnancy.
Two years ago, when Yan Xi was trying to conceive, he had never shown this kind of patience.
She drew a deep breath and started to leave, but a woman’s gentle voice came from nearby.
“Siting, was that the company calling? Am I taking up your time?”
“No.”
His voice was low, and he answered almost at once, as though even a second’s delay might hurt her feelings.
Yan Xi couldn’t help remembering how Yu Siting acted with her: indifferent, aloof, and always looking down on her.
He was divorcing her for this woman.
For the past month, he hadn’t offered a single explanation. All he had sent her was a cold, emotionless divorce agreement.
She pressed her lips together and slipped both hands into the pockets of her white coat, then stepped out from around the corner.
Yan Xi was tall, and the simple white coat looked dignified and modest on her, accentuating her composed, refined, scholarly air.
She smiled faintly, catching the brief flicker of discomposure in the man’s eyes, and spoke softly.
“What a coincidence.”
So the rumors were true. Yu Siting’s first love had returned to the country, and that was why he was so eager to divorce her.
In that single month, he had sent lawyers to speak to her three times.
Zhao Xue’er looked at the striking doctor before her, a flicker passing through her eyes.
She stepped forward and affectionately linked her arm through Yu Siting’s, then looked up at Yan Xi.
“Siting, who is this?”
The man’s brows drew together. His cold gaze fell on Yan Xi, and his voice held nothing but indifference. “My grandmother’s god-granddaughter.”
Before they married, Old Madam Yu had made Yan Xi her god-granddaughter so that she and Yu Siting would have more chances to spend time together. She often found one excuse or another to invite Yan Xi to the Yu family home.
So many years had passed that Yan Xi had almost forgotten about it. She hadn’t expected Yu Siting to remember her status.
Yan Xi couldn’t help it; her lips curved into a deeply mocking smile.
“So Miss Zhao doesn’t know who I am.”
Her words carried a double meaning. As she spoke, she looked up at Yu Siting, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Miss Zhao, hello. I’m—”
Before she could finish, the man cut her off, his face expressionless.
“If Dr. Yan has so much time on her hands, she should visit Mr. Yan more often. He must have a lot to worry about lately.”
A note of warning glimmered in his deep, midnight-black eyes.
Yan Xi paused. The words she had been about to say caught in her throat.
“Let’s go.”
Yu Siting gave Yan Xi one last cool glance, took Zhao Xue’er’s hand, and walked away with her.
As Zhao Xue’er entered the elevator, she turned to look at Yan Xi. Her clear eyes held an emotion that was difficult to read.
Since marrying Yan Xi, Yu Siting had never acknowledged his married status in public.
Very few people in Yuncheng knew they were married.
After all, in his eyes, Yan Xi had used a past favor as leverage to force him to marry her.
And that had driven Zhao Xue’er away in heartbreak.
Yan Xi’s heart twisted painfully. Inside her coat pocket, she clutched the pregnancy report with all her strength.
Her phone rang. It was a call from the Yan family’s butler. Yan Xi forced back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
“Second Miss, please come to the hospital right away.”
“Sir, he… he swallowed pills to kill himself. He’s suffering from drug poisoning and is receiving emergency treatment right now.”
Emergency Room
When Yan Xi arrived, she saw Yan Ruyu in the distance, standing with her back straight outside the emergency room, dignified and elegant.
Yan Xi hurried over and asked, “Sister, Dad—”
Before she could finish, Yan Ruyu’s cool voice cut in.
“Have you talked to Yu Siting about the company? How did it go?”
The Yan Group had recently run into a serious financial crisis. The other parties involved in previously agreed-upon projects were demanding to terminate their contracts. If Yu Siting was willing to help and they could get through this difficult period, the Yan Group could recover.
At her words, Yan Xi lowered her head. “Not yet. We’re getting divorced.”
She bit down hard on her lip. When she said it, she didn’t dare look up at Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu stared at her, stunned and unable to understand.
“What did you say?”
Yan Xi bit her lip hard.
Yan Ruyu took a deep breath and gave Yan Xi a look of exasperated disappointment.
“Yan Xi, the company’s situation is complicated. Dad and I have rarely talked to you about it.”
“If I’ve asked you to go and plead with Yu Siting, you should understand how serious things are.”
“Dad is still in there fighting for his life. Is his life really less important to you than your pride in front of Yu Siting?”