Chapter 41: Lu Chengfeng Kneels Before Zhao Jianguo

Li Jiaojiao pointed at the milk tea and pizza on the coffee table. "Aren't they all right there?"

Shu Yan walked over and pinched her best friend gently. "Hurry up! Are you trying to kill me with anxiety? Where is it?"

Li Jiaojiao smiled, pursed her lips, and pulled three pregnancy test strips from her bag, pressing them into Shu Yan’s palm. "Here, I bought three different kinds. Take all of them to test."

Shu Yan frowned. "Why do I need so many?"

Li Jiaojiao replied, "It’s more accurate that way. Go on, and remember to find a disposable cup for the test."

Shu Yan placed the documents she was holding onto the coffee table, pulled out the drawer beneath it, and retrieved a disposable cup. She hurried toward the restroom. As she walked, her heartbeat quickened, and her hands and feet began to tremble.

Slipping into a stall, Shu Yan locked the door and frantically scanned the instructions for the three different test kits. She squatted down to relieve herself, collected a sample in the cup, and followed the steps as directed. Soon, the results appeared on all three strips—they were identical.

Two red lines on each.

Shu Yan felt as if the sky had collapsed. After a moment of daze, she poured the urine into the toilet, tucked the three test strips into one of the packaging bags, and tossed them along with the cup into the trash can, covering them with a layer of tissue. She then stepped out to wash her hands before returning to her office.

As Lu Chengfeng walked toward her office, he happened to see Shu Yan dart inside and shut the door. He approached the entrance and heard her voice. It was quiet, yet he heard every word clearly—it was laced with a desperate, sobbing tone.

"I’m finished," Shu Yan said to Li Jiaojiao. "I really am pregnant. All three tests show two red lines. I’m going to go insane. I clearly took the morning-after pill, so why am I still pregnant!"

Li Jiaojiao paused, then said, "The pill isn't one hundred percent effective, and you just happened to be the one in a million."

Shu Yan slumped onto the sofa. "Oh God, why are you doing this to me? Isn't my life miserable enough already?"

Li Jiaojiao sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her friend to comfort her. "Try looking at it from a different perspective. Maybe this baby is a gift from heaven?"

Shu Yan shook her head violently. "What kind of gift is this? If Director Zhao finds out, how am I supposed to explain it? Am I supposed to tell him that on Valentine’s Day, after having a drink at a bar, I ended up in bed with a stranger, only to discover the next day that he’s our new team captain? And that the contraceptive pill failed, so now I’m carrying the captain's child?"

"How do you think the Director will react if he hears such an absurd story?"

Li Jiaojiao sighed. "I know. Director Zhao is like a father to you; he’s looked after you and your mother for years. He has high expectations for you and hopes you’ll take over the forensics center, but..."

"But he never said you couldn't get married or have children, right?"

Shu Yan’s head throbbed. "You don't understand. The point isn't about marriage or kids; it’s that the man I slept with is the new captain. Now, the Director has paired us up to work together, and we’ve ended up in this mess."

"I can't have this baby," Shu Yan said, grabbing Li Jiaojiao's arm. "Do you know any obstetricians at the city hospital? Can you help me find someone? I want to terminate this pregnancy."

Outside the door, Lu Chengfeng’s heart leaped into his throat. Shu Yan wanted to kill their child. That was absolutely out of the question.

Li Jiaojiao hesitated. "Don't be so rash. Think about it for a few days. I’m afraid you’ll regret it later. Once you’ve thought it through, it won't be too late to decide. If you still insist on terminating the pregnancy then, I’ll help you make the arrangements."

Shu Yan fell silent. Li Jiaojiao picked up a milk tea. "Drink some tea and have a slice of pizza. You said you were hungry, didn't you? Eat something first. Things like this can’t be rushed, right?"

Lu Chengfeng stepped back, frowned in thought for a few seconds, then turned and headed toward the elevator.

When Zhao Jianguo returned to his office and sat down, he had just raised his teacup for a sip when Lu Chengfeng suddenly burst in and knelt before him with a thud.

Startled, Zhao Jianguo quickly set the cup down to help him up. "What are you doing?"

Lu Chengfeng looked aggrieved, tears shimmering in his eyes. "Director, you are a parent yourself—could you stand by and watch your own child be killed?"

Zhao Jianguo knitted his brows. "What?"

Lu Chengfeng replied, "Director, someone is going to kill my child."

Zhao Jianguo looked puzzled. "What?"

Lu Chengfeng gripped Zhao Jianguo’s arm. "Director, only you can save my child now."

Zhao Jianguo stared at him. "Have you lost your mind? Where did you even get a child?"

Lu Chengfeng said, "I have one, but he hasn't been born yet. I just heard his mother say she wants to abort him."

Zhao Jianguo was completely baffled. "What on earth are you talking about? This is all nonsense."

Lu Chengfeng insisted, "Promise me first that you’ll save my child."

Unable to deal with the outburst, Zhao Jianguo appeased him, "Fine, I promise. As long as it’s within my power, I will help you."

Lu Chengfeng stood up, sat opposite the Director, and began his story: "Director, on Valentine’s night, I went to my friend Shi Wei’s bar for a drink. I met a beautiful woman there, fell in love at first sight, and struck up a conversation. We had a drink together."

Zhao Jianguo looked surprised. "I always thought you had no interest in women. So, you rascal..."

Lu Chengfeng interrupted, "Director, please let me finish. After the drink, I suggested going to a hotel. She wasn't very willing, but I persuaded her, and we went."

"I won't go into the details of what happened at the hotel. You’re a man; you understand."

Zhao Jianguo felt a vein throb in his temple. "And then?"

Lu Chengfeng continued, "The point is, the next day, we discovered we were colleagues in the same unit."

Zhao Jianguo’s eyes widened.

Lu Chengfeng went on, "She was my first woman, and I am certain I was her first man. I want to take responsibility, but she won't agree because her superior has high hopes for her. She doesn't want to disappoint him, and her family situation is complicated. I think she’s worried about dragging me down, so no matter how I try to persuade her, she won't accept me..."

"Stop," Zhao Jianguo said, standing up and pacing the room. "Is Shu Yan really pregnant?"

Zhao Jianguo had actually sensed over the past while that Lu Chengfeng was interested in Shu Yan, but he never imagined they were involved in this way.

Lu Chengfeng stood up and looked intently at Zhao Jianguo. "Yes. I went to her office to find her just now and overheard them. She told her friend she didn't want to disappoint you, so she wants to get rid of the baby."

"Director, a while ago, I went with Shu Yan to visit her mother at the nursing home. Her mother expressed hope that she would marry soon and said if we had children, she could help take care of them."

"Shu Yan also hopes her mother will recover and they can reunite. Director, I want to ask for your blessing for me to marry Shu Yan."

Zhao Jianguo looked up at Lu Chengfeng. "You know that Shu Yan’s father is still missing, right? Shu De is likely dead. Zhou Yu, her mother, suffered a mental breakdown because of her husband’s disappearance."

"Your father has already made it clear that you aren't to marry a girl from the South. Furthermore, Shu Yan’s family situation is so complex. Chengfeng, marriage isn't just about two people—it’s about two families."