Pei Xi wondered if she had bought fake medicine.
Then it hit her—her period hadn’t come last month.
She let out an annoyed groan. She’d been so busy lately that she completely forgot about it.
After listening to the doctor’s explanation, she learned that emergency contraception wasn’t 100% effective. If taken incorrectly or too late, pregnancy was still possible.
Carefully, she asked, “Doctor… I took the pill. Now that I’m pregnant, will it affect the baby?”
Wasn’t it full of hormones? Would it harm the child?
She wasn’t even sure yet whether she wanted to keep it.
The doctor reassured her. “No. The hormone in emergency contraception, such as levonorgestrel, generally does not increase the risk of birth defects. There’s no need to terminate the pregnancy just because you took the pill. We only need to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. Yours is clearly intrauterine. If you want to keep it, you can.”
The doctor added that last sentence because Pei Xi looked conflicted.
If she truly wanted the baby, she would have been overjoyed. Instead, she looked troubled.
With a sigh, the doctor reminded her that if she didn’t want the child, the safest time for a procedure would be before three months—and that pre-surgical checks were necessary. She advised Pei Xi to decide soon.
Pei Xi truly didn’t know what to do.
Before, she had been certain she couldn’t afford a child. But now that she knew there was a tiny life inside her, the feeling was… strange.
This was the first blood-related family she had ever had in both lifetimes.
She decided to complete all the necessary examinations first. That way, if she changed her mind, she could proceed quickly.
But fate made the decision for her.
After further tests, the doctor said, “Miss Pei, your uterine lining is relatively thin. If you forcibly terminate the pregnancy, it may cause future infertility. I suggest you keep the baby.”
That settled it.
If even heaven had decided for her, she could only accept it.
Back home, sitting on the sofa, Pei Xi gently touched her still-flat stomach.
There was really a little life inside her.
Since she couldn’t abort, she would give birth.
And this child wasn’t hers alone.
She needed to find the baby’s father.
She didn’t expect him to take full responsibility—what if he already had a girlfriend? She only hoped he could share some of the financial burden.
Simply put: child support.
Even without experience, she knew raising a child wasn’t cheap.
Monthly prenatal checkups. Nutritious food. After birth, she would need to hire a postpartum nanny. She had no experience being a mother.
At least for the first two years, she couldn’t manage alone.
Then daycare, kindergarten—public ones weren’t easy to get into, and private ones were expensive.
She simply couldn’t afford it by herself.
Since he could afford that hotel, he should have some money, right? Hopefully he wasn’t broke.
Even if he couldn’t split everything 50-50, he should contribute something.
Wait… where was that note?
She remembered the slip of paper with his phone number and started rummaging through her bag. Finally, she found it tucked in a corner.
Looking at the bold, flowing handwriting, she was glad she hadn’t thrown it away.
She was too tired to call today. Tomorrow.
The next morning, Si Ruohan had just taken a sip of coffee when his private phone rang.
He frowned at the unfamiliar number. Few people had this number. Was it another girl his parents had given it to?
After hesitating, he answered.
The moment he heard her voice, he stood up.
It was her.
When she said she wanted to meet and asked if he had time, he did have an important meeting soon—but he could meet at noon.
Pei Xi didn’t tell him about the pregnancy over the phone. This kind of thing was better discussed face-to-face.
They agreed on a restaurant.
Si Ruohan smiled after the call ended.
She contacted him.
He couldn’t wait to see her.
Pei Xi arrived early, worried about being late. Looking at the obviously expensive restaurant, she hesitated outside.
Could she even afford a meal here?
Maybe she should suggest somewhere else.
Also… what did he look like again? That night she had been drunk. She only remembered that he was handsome.
As she stepped out of the taxi, Si Ruohan spotted her immediately—the black mask in the hot weather made her stand out.
The familiar eyes and brows.
To confirm, he called her phone. When the girl ahead picked up, he walked toward her.
She looked up and recognized him too.
It was him.
Standing face-to-face, Pei Xi suddenly felt shy. She removed her mask.
He had already seen her that night.
Si Ruohan smiled. Seeing her delicate face clearly again deepened the warmth in his eyes.
“Mr. Si, right? Hello, I’m Pei Xi. Sorry to trouble you today.”
He shook her hand gently. “Miss Pei, I should be the one apologizing for not being there when you woke up. Let’s go in. We can talk over lunch.”
Inside the private room, after ordering, he spoke first.
“That night, I had been drugged. I wasn’t in control. I truly didn’t mean to avoid responsibility. I left my number hoping you’d contact me.”
Pei Xi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It wasn’t only your fault. My room was next door—I entered yours by mistake.”
She definitely wasn’t going to admit she had hugged him first.
“Let’s move on,” she said. “I didn’t come about that night.”
He gestured for her to continue.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the medical report and ultrasound.
“I’m pregnant. Over a month. The doctor said I can’t terminate it.”
Si Ruohan stared at the ultrasound image—the small dark blur.
His heart quietly leapt.
“So… you want me to take responsibility?” he asked.
She nodded, then quickly shook her head.
“Not full responsibility. I just… can’t afford to raise a child alone. I only hope you can share some expenses. If you’re married or have a girlfriend, I won’t interfere. I just need some financial support.”
She added softly, “I just graduated. I don’t even have a job yet.”
He laughed—warmly.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not upset. I’m actually happy you came to tell me. I’m not married, and I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Then he leaned back and said calmly:
“Since you’re carrying my child, let’s get married.”
“What?” Pei Xi’s eyes widened. “Marry you?”
“Yes. I won’t let my child be illegitimate. Marriage is the best solution.”
She knew logically it made sense.
But this was too sudden.
“We barely know each other…”
“Then we’ll introduce ourselves properly,” he said. “For now, let’s eat.”
The waiter knocked and entered with dishes.
Pei Xi looked at the food and decided—
She was pregnant.
Better eat first.