Chapter 4 Why Go to the Hospital

Gu Fangyu sometimes felt that this man’s tongue was truly venomous.

"Then I should have had her abort it immediately, rather than having the child still growing steadily in her belly right now."

The man gave a cold hum. "Give up that thought. Even if Xie Chenhao and Yaoyao were to break up, it would be absolutely impossible for you two."

Gu Fangyu knew this, of course, and she had long since stopped imagining any possibility between them. That remark earlier had been nothing more than idle chatter, meant only to provoke Gu Hanchen.

"Why did you refuse Mother?" he asked suddenly.

Uncertain of the underlying meaning in his question, Gu Fangyu tested him. "Am I even allowed to marry?"

"You have to get married sooner or later," the man replied out of the blue. "Or is there someone else you want to marry?"

Terrified that he would drag Xie Chenhao into the conversation again, she quickly shifted the topic. "Whether I marry or not isn't up to me. You haven't even married yet, so it’s not my turn."

Gu Hanchen’s gaze deepened, his eyes boring into her with a look that was hard to decipher.

Feeling uneasy under his stare, Gu Fangyu instinctively pressed, "And what about you?"

"Hmm, I'm considering it."

Considering it?

The four words sent a jolt through Gu Fangyu. What did he mean by that? Could she interpret this as him having plans to marry—that he was already making arrangements, or perhaps even had a target in mind? Did this mean that once he was married, she could finally be completely free?

"So... if you get married, does that mean our relationship can end?" She finally couldn't help but ask.

The man turned his head, his deep, ink-black eyes locking onto her face, and a biting chill instantly enveloped her. Gu Hanchen reached out, his thumb clamping down on her jaw, forcing her closer. "Xie Chenhao hasn't even claimed you yet, and you're already in such a rush to draw a line between us?"

Gu Fangyu furrowed her brows, feeling as though her jaw might be dislocated the next second. The pain made her thoughts sluggish, preventing her from thinking clearly.

"As for the man this weekend, find a way to deal with it yourself," the man warned in a low voice.

Gu Hanchen had the driver drop her off at the entrance of her company. Fearing she might run into colleagues, she scrambled out of the car as if fleeing. The man’s expression darkened even further.

"Drive!"

Gu Fangyu watched his car pull away before she hailed a taxi to the hospital. To avoid Gu Yao, she specifically chose not to go to the usual hospital, instead having Jiang Qi arrange an appointment at a private hospital funded by the Jiang family.

The moment Jiang Qi saw her, she demanded, "Whose child is it? When did you get a boyfriend?"

Gu Fangyu’s lips trembled, her words stuck in her throat. Seeing this, Jiang Qi immediately jumped to the worst conclusion: "Is the guy refusing to take responsibility? Tell me, which bastard is it? I'll find someone to castrate him right now!"

"I don't even know if I'm actually pregnant yet," Gu Fangyu said, quickly holding back the impulsive Jiang Qi. Though she said that, she had a sinking feeling that it was highly likely. She hadn't expected this; she was always careful, and even when Gu Hanchen lost control and didn't take precautions, she would always wash up thoroughly afterward. How could she still be pregnant?

"Forget it, if you don't want to say, I won't force you," Jiang Qi said, unable to stay angry when she saw her friend's state. "I'll take you to get a blood test first."

"Okay."

As the two walked toward the blood-drawing station, they ran head-on into Gu Hanchen—who they had parted from less than half an hour ago. He was walking side-by-side with Jiang Qi’s father, Jiang Huai, surrounded by a group of senior executives.

Gu Fangyu’s face drained of color in an instant. Panic, guilt, and a whirlwind of emotions tangled within her. She quickly crumpled the blood test requisition form into a ball in her fist.

The man walked toward them, his eyes filled with suspicion. "You aren't at work—what are you doing at the hospital?"

Gu Fangyu’s throat tightened, as if she were being strangled, and she couldn't utter a word. She wasn't sure if he had seen the form. Gu Hanchen was always vigilant; he could detect the slightest change in the air. He had been suspicious before, and catching her red-handed at the hospital now made it impossible for him not to be skeptical.

"Speak!" His gaze drifted slowly from her face downward.

Gu Fangyu’s eyelashes fluttered as she reached out to hook her arm around Jiang Qi’s. "I came to see Jiang Qi."

"What kind of emergency requires you to see her during office hours?" The man wore a half-smile.

She moved her lips, unable to come up with a response. Jiang Qi, who usually lacked sensitivity, could tell the atmosphere was wrong and stepped in to help. "Yes, Yuyu came to see me. We’d planned to go get lunch."

Gu Hanchen raised his hand and glanced at his watch. "It’s only nine in the morning. Are you two having morning tea?"

Jiang Qi felt flustered; making up excuses on the spot wasn't easy, especially not in front of someone with such an overwhelming presence as Gu Hanchen.

"What do you have in your hand?" The man’s gaze bypassed her and fixed on the area behind Gu Fangyu. She instinctively hid the crumpled form further behind her back.

After a moment of silence, she whispered, "My period cramps were terrible this time, so I took leave to come see Jiang Qi about it."

Gu Fangyu knew all too well that if she didn't provide a reasonable explanation, Gu Hanchen would inevitably guess the real reason she was at the hospital. At least he had seen her on her period earlier, and she had even stained his car seat.

The man looked at her bloodless face, though it was unclear how much he believed her. "I have a meeting soon. Wait for me here, and I'll send you back later." Gu Hanchen didn't press further and walked away with his entourage.

Once he was gone, Jiang Qi patted her chest and let out a long breath. "That scared me to death. The look on Gu Hanchen's face was like he wanted to eat someone."

Gu Fangyu didn't feel much better. It seemed the pregnancy test wouldn't be happening today. If she went through with it and wasn't pregnant, it would be fine, but if she truly was, there would be no way to hide it from him.

She didn't wait for Gu Hanchen; she simply told Jiang Qi she was leaving. Just as she was about to depart, Gu Mother called.

"Fangyu, I’ve already made arrangements for you this weekend. I’ve booked activities at the resort, so you young people can go have some fun."

A mocking smile tugged at the corner of Gu Fangyu’s mouth. She was clearly terrified that Fangyu would back out. Looking at Jiang Qi, who was leaning in curiously, a sudden idea struck her. "Alright, but Jiang Qi will be coming along too."

Seeing that she had agreed, Gu Mother didn't make any further demands. Gu Fangyu thought that if Gu Hanchen wasn't around, she might be able to use the date as an opportunity to buy a pregnancy test with Jiang Qi. Since the hospital path was currently blocked, she would have to find another way.

When Jiang Qi heard the plan, she agreed it was feasible. "I'll cover for you then."

...

On the weekend, when Gu Fangyu and Jiang Qi arrived, the others hadn't yet reached the venue. There couldn't have been a better opportunity. After dropping off their luggage, they headed straight for the hotel pharmacy. High-end hotels like this usually had complete amenities, including fitness centers and medical facilities.

They didn't dare to delay and prepared to head back to their room immediately after buying the items. But just as they walked through the hotel lobby, they saw Gu Hanchen checking in with Gu Yao and Xie Chenhao.

"No way, what a coincidence," Jiang Qi exclaimed.

Gu Fangyu felt no better; she felt as if the sky were falling. Twice she had tried to be sneaky, and twice she had been caught red-handed. She was practically exposed.

"Gu Fangyu, what do you have in your hand?" Gu Yao spotted the bag she was carrying immediately.

She instinctively tried to hide it, but this time, the item was not as easy to conceal as the hospital form had been. Gu Hanchen clearly noticed it as well, his eyes scanning the logo on the bag—it was the name of a pharmacy.

The man frowned slightly. "Are you sick?"

She was just about to use her previous excuse of buying painkillers for period cramps, but Gu Yao’s sharp eyes saw through the situation. "Gu Fangyu, is that a pregnancy test? Are you pregnant? You’re actually pregnant!"