Chapter 21: Escape

The night before the medical examination, Xie Chenhao called.

At that moment, Gu Hanchen was in the bathroom of her room, showering. She answered the phone in secret.

"Yuyu, I have arranged everything. Don't be afraid."

Gu Fangyu struggled internally; she truly did not want to drag him into this.

As if sensing her thoughts, Xie Chenhao comforted her: "Don't overthink it. I never had any feelings for Gu Yao from the beginning to the end. You know that if it weren't for the Gu family, we would..."

"Whose call is it?" The bathroom door opened at that very instant. The man walked out, wiping his damp, short hair.

Startled like a bird frightened by the mere twang of a bowstring, she hung up the phone in a hurry.

Gu Fangyu’s eyes darted away. "It was Jiang Qi, reminding me of the precautions before the medical exam."

The man stared at her for a moment. "Hmm."

Seeing that he did not pursue the matter further, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come here," the man commanded.

Though reluctant, Gu Fangyu walked over to avoid raising his suspicions. The man handed her a hairdryer, signaling for her to dry his hair. She pressed her red lips together and took it, albeit unwillingly.

Gu Hanchen’s gaze was deep, observing the small, busy figure behind him through the reflection in the mirror.

"Are you afraid?" Suddenly, without warning, the man asked.

Gu Fangyu was so startled she nearly dropped the hairdryer.

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you flustered about?"

She pursed her lips. "Nothing. I just don't like medical exams; every year they are all the same."

Gu Fangyu’s words were half-truth and half-lie. At a time like this, only a blend of lies and truths could easily convince Gu Hanchen. Gu Fangyu had always been resistant to medical exams in the past. She truly detested those procedures, and Gu Hanchen was well aware of this.

The man took the hairdryer from her hand, turned it off, and pulled her into his arms.

"I’ve already spoken with the doctors. This year will be different from previous ones. You just need to cooperate obediently when the time comes."

Gu Fangyu’s internal alarm bells rang. "Different?"

"Yes." He reached out to tidy her hair without saying more.

She knew she wouldn't be able to get anything else out of him. A sense of unease lingered in her heart.

***

Waking up early the next morning, Gu Hanchen was already gone, as usual.

Only a sticky note remained on the bedside table. In his vigorous, forceful handwriting, it read: *Cooperate with the doctors and be obedient.*

Gu Fangyu curled her lips in a mocking smirk. The Gu family was so calculating in their need for her to have this examination—it was nothing more than preparing goods for a sale. She tossed the note into the trash can.

When Gu Fangyu went downstairs, Lin Mu was already waiting. "Miss Gu, Mr. Gu asked me to take you to the hospital."

She had grown accustomed to such arrangements; no matter how much she resisted, nothing would change. However, just as she got into the car, the door on the other side opened.

Gu Yao climbed in as well. "Assistant Lin, my driver happened to have something come up today. You don't mind if I join you, do you?"

Calling it "joining" was more of an excuse; she clearly didn't trust her and intended to supervise the entire process. Lin Mu glanced at Gu Fangyu, and only after confirming she had no objections did he agree.

Once at the hospital, Gu Yao followed her every step of the way. When Gu Fangyu had her blood pressure taken, she did the same. When Gu Fangyu measured her height, she followed suit. If this continued, she would surely be exposed long before the blood draw and ultrasound, even during the routine checks.

Just as Gu Fangyu was calculating how to escape, a nurse led them to the testing station.

The nurse handed her a pill and a cup of water. "You aren't pregnant and have no history of drug allergies, right?"

She stared at the pill, hesitant to take it.

Gu Yao, as if discovering some massive secret, retorted sarcastically, "Gu Fangyu, you wouldn't actually be pregnant, would you? That’s why you’re afraid to take it, right?"

"You’re not even the one having these tests, yet you won't leave and are just waiting to watch me. Do you want me to give you a pen so you can just write 'pregnant' on my face?" Gu Fangyu snapped back.

"Gu Fangyu, stop trying to be clever. Even if you drag this out, no one can save you."

"Is it me dragging things out, or is your mind just dark and twisted?" She stepped closer. "Gu Yao, with your suspicious nature, any man would eventually get sick of you. If Xie Chenhao doesn't want you, it’s because of your own doing."

At this point, she had to be aggressive. Only by driving Gu Yao away could she find an opening to escape. Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned Xie Chenhao, Gu Yao lost her composure.

Just as success seemed within reach, footsteps echoed at the entrance. "What is all this arguing about?"

Gu Fangyu’s expression shifted slightly. She had never expected Gu Hanchen to arrive so quickly. Gu Yao might be easy to fool, but with Gu Hanchen present, it was uncertain if she could leave, and getting past this hurdle would be difficult.

Gu Yao rushed to the man’s side, hooking her arm through his. "Brother, I told you she was pregnant! Look, she’s so afraid to even take the test pill."

The man frowned. "What is going on?"

"If she’s pregnant, she can't do these tests; the pill would affect the fetus," Gu Yao said with certainty. "The nurse asked her specifically, but she kept stalling. I caught her in the act, and she’s still trying to delay."

Gu Fangyu was panicking inside, but she dared not show it on her face. Her brain raced. Suddenly, she steeled herself. Right in front of Gu Hanchen, she put the pill in her mouth and swallowed it dry, without even taking a sip of water.

"Is that enough now?" she asked, looking directly at them.

Gu Yao’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe it. "No, how can that be?" She reached out, intending to search her.

"Enough." Gu Hanchen stopped her with a cold face. "How much longer are you going to make a scene?"

Gu Yao looked back, her eyes reddening with grievance. "Brother..."

"From start to finish, you are the one being paranoid. Gu Yao, whatever problems you have with Xie Chenhao are your own business; don't drag others into it." The man’s tone was stern, a rarity for him.

Gu Yao bit her lip, feeling both wronged and hurt. Since she returned to the Gu family, if Mr. and Mrs. Gu doted on her, then Gu Hanchen had been nothing but perfect to her. Between her and Gu Fangyu, he had always stood on her side without hesitation. But when did her brother start to change?

Ignoring the tense atmosphere between the two, Gu Fangyu said coldly, "Now, may I go to the next examination?"

Without waiting for their reply, she walked quickly between them, her pace hurried.

*[The situation has changed.]* She sent a message to Xie Chenhao while the man wasn't pursuing her.

Soon, Xie Chenhao replied: *[Understood. We only have ten minutes. Someone is waiting for you in the restroom. Be quick.]*

*[Alright.]*

After reading it, she quickly deleted both messages. Gu Fangyu didn't head toward the next exam room but went straight to the restroom.

But before she could take two steps, Gu Yao followed her again. "Gu Fangyu, the exam room is this way. Where are you going?"

She really was like a ghost that wouldn't go away.

Gu Fangyu cursed silently and turned back. "What, I’m going to the restroom; do you have to follow me there too?"

Gu Yao glared at her fiercely but, in the end, did not follow.

Gu Fangyu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ducked into the restroom. Three minutes later, a person wearing a cleaner’s uniform and a face mask emerged from the stalls.

When Gu Fangyu came out, Gu Yao was busy pestering Gu Hanchen while he was having blood drawn. With a calm expression, she pushed a cleaning cart past them.

The next instant, in the empty hallway, she quickly shed the outer layer of the uniform and sprinted toward the hospital exit.