"Not at all..." Lu Zhengting's face was covered in black lines.
However, the fact that Xia Siyue and Mu Chengfeng's intimate moments were being freely shared and viewed online was undeniable. To be fair, the viewership of their video had, under certain circumstances, stood out among major欧美日韩 productions. Xia Yan looked at the data analysis in the file and was somewhat surprised.
Her relationship with Xia Siyue wasn't good. Aside from maintaining a normal mindset and not treating the video as a joke, that was the last shred of respect she could offer Xia Siyue.
"What do you think about this? I didn't do it, but now Xia Siyue is dead set on blaming me, convinced I'm behind it. Lu Zhengting, why do I feel like I'm being set up?" Xia Yan said slowly. Honestly, she was starting to wonder if she had paranoid delusions.
"Zhan Meng did it."
"Zhan Meng? Why would she do that?"
Zhan Meng and Xia Siyue? Before hearing Lu Zhengting's words, she never would have connected those two. But now that she thought about it, she could only say it was fate.
Xia Yan's throat still felt very uncomfortable, like something was stuck there. She frowned and kept rubbing her neck. Seeing this, Lu Zhengting directly called the family doctor to the company.
"Is that necessary?"
"What do you think?"
"Cough... fine. I don't have the right to refuse anyway."
The family doctor arrived at the company, and the bodyguard stationed at the entrance led him straight to the chairman's private elevator, which went directly to Lu Zhengting's office.
"Knock, knock..."
The sudden knock made Xia Yan's heart race a few beats. She stiffened her face and pushed against Lu Zhengting's chest. "Let me up. If they see us like this during work hours, what will it look like? If you don't care about your reputation, I care about mine."
"Would they dare say anything if they saw?"
"Boss, of course they wouldn't dare gossip about you behind your back, but I'm different..."
"With me here, I'd like to see who dares to say anything about you."
Hearing this, Xia Yan pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "As if having you here means they won't say anything about me. Weren't those rumors before all fake?"
"What did you say?"
"I said let me down quickly. People might think we're doing something in here, keeping them waiting so long."
Lu Zhengting's hand tightened around Xia Yan's waist, preventing her from moving, and then he said to the people outside, "Come in."
When the bodyguard led the doctor in, his gaze remained calm as if he saw nothing. However, the doctor was completely unprepared. He had been Lu Zhengting's family doctor for years and had once believed that Lu Zhengting was into men.
Xia Yan struggled a few times in annoyance but still couldn't break free from Lu Zhengting's grip. She immediately gave up and shot him a fierce glare.
After the doctor roughly understood Xia Yan's condition, he made a series of judgments. "Miss Xia, your vocal cords are damaged."
Seeing the doctor hesitate, Xia Yan frowned and looked at him, asking suspiciously, "Is there something else?"
"Well, Miss Xia, allow me to ask a presumptuous question. Has your menstrual cycle been normal recently?"
"What does that have to do with my vocal cord damage?"
When Xia Yan asked this, Lu Zhengting instinctively thought and directly stared at the doctor. "What do you mean?"
"Mr. Lu, when I was examining Miss Xia just now, I discovered that she is pregnant."
"What did you say?" Lu Zhengting's hand unconsciously tightened, causing Xia Yan to let out a soft cry of pain. At the same time, she couldn't believe her ears and stared blankly at the doctor's serious face.
"You mean I'm pregnant? But shouldn't pregnant women usually have symptoms? Like morning sickness? I haven't had any of that. I've been eating, drinking, and sleeping normally."
"Morning sickness varies from person to person. Not everyone experiences it, and the timing can differ."
"So I'm really pregnant? Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
"If Miss Xia doesn't trust my judgment, you could go to the hospital for a check-up."
Xia Yan turned her head to look at Lu Zhengting. "Lu Zhengting, what's wrong with you? Are you stunned?"
"It's just that the surprise came too suddenly. I'm going to be a father." Lu Zhengting said this slowly, then had the bodyguard see the doctor out. Once everyone was gone, his calm and composed facade instantly shattered.
Lu Zhengting's face was full of smiles, as if he couldn't stop grinning, which left Xia Yan dumbfounded. She hadn't even processed the news of her pregnancy yet, and now she was being stunned speechless by Lu Zhengting's abnormal behavior.
"Slap, slap, slap..."
Xia Yan reached out and cupped Lu Zhengting's cheeks, boldly patting them a few times. Seeing that he was still staring at her with a spring-like smile, she was at a loss for words. "Lu Zhengting, I prefer seeing you normal."
The office was quiet for a long time. Just as Xia Yan was about to award Lu Zhengting the Best Statue Award, he suddenly hugged her tightly. Although his movements were somewhat rough, when it came to her belly, they became very gentle.
Feeling the shift in Lu Zhengting's actions, Xia Yan almost wondered if this was his first time becoming a father.
Watching the two people tightly embracing in front of the desk, Ke Yaru, standing outside the door, instinctively bit her lip hard, holding back any sound. Her hand gripped the door handle, unwilling to accept it, especially when she heard about Xia Yan's pregnancy. The crazy thoughts in her mind became even clearer.
Ke Yaru coldly and carefully returned to her office. Sitting in her chair, her mind was filled with images of Xia Yan and Lu Zhengting hugging, and the fact that Xia Yan was pregnant. She kept fantasizing about all the consequences that pregnancy would bring.
No, she couldn't let Xia Yan's child come into this world. Absolutely not.
Ke Yaru's hands trembled as she picked up her phone and dialed a familiar number. "You can't delay any longer. I want you to kill Xia Yan right now. I don't want her to stay by Lu Zhengting's side anymore, do you hear me!"
Whatever the other person said, Ke Yaru's emotions became even more agitated. She gripped the phone and slammed her fist hard on the desk, producing dull thuds. "I don't care about that. Do you know Xia Yan is pregnant now? You said you'd do whatever I asked you to!"
"I'm telling you, even if you can't kill Xia Yan, I want her child dead."
******
Xia Yan still couldn't believe she was pregnant. To be sure, she and Lu Zhengting went to their own hospital for a full check-up, and the results confirmed she was pregnant.
As they left the hospital, Xia Yan remained silent, not saying a word. Lu Zhengting, in the driver's seat, couldn't hide his excitement about becoming a father. His usually icy demeanor was now completely replaced by a spring-like glow.
"Baby, let's get married."
"Married?"
"Don't you want to marry me?"
"..."
"You're carrying my child now. In this Jiangcheng, who else would dare marry you?"
"Why are you so arrogant? Who says I have to marry you?"
Lu Zhengting slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the road. He turned to face Xia Yan and said slowly, "If you don't marry me, who else do you want to marry?"
"Lu Zhengting, that's dangerous, you know? And besides scaring me, you're scaring the baby too."
Hearing this, Lu Zhengting paused, as if considering the truth of her words. After a moment, he reached out and touched Xia Yan's belly, murmuring, "Baby, I'm your dad."
Xia Yan's stern face immediately softened at his words. "It's only been a month. The baby isn't even formed yet. It doesn't know anything."
Lu Zhengting glanced at the talkative Xia Yan, withdrew his hand, and restarted the car. It seemed her words had an effect, as he drove more slowly, focusing intently on the road ahead, and returned to the previous topic seriously. "I'll handle the wedding. I'll give you a grand one."
"Who said I agreed to marry you? You haven't even proposed. If I agreed so easily, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?" Xia Yan said lightly.
Just as Lu Zhengting was about to speak, Xia Yan waved her hand to stop him and continued, "If I remember correctly, you liked me first, and then I got swept up and ended up with you. Now you want me to get married to you just as blindly? No way. First, propose, and then I'll consider whether to say yes."
"Propose? Do you think that's hard for me?"
"Hmm, I believe it won't be hard for you. But given how your first date went, I'll remain skeptical. I'm looking forward to your performance." Xia Yan smiled as she finished speaking. Seeing Lu Zhengting so smug, she really wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair.
Sweet, right? But she only had the thought; she didn't dare act on it.
Except for the few days during the New Year when she stayed at the Xia family home, Xia Yan had returned to her own apartment. Lu Zhengting wanted to stay by her side tonight, but in the end, Xia Yan mercilessly sent him back to the villa.
For Lu Zhengting now, nothing was more important than Xia Yan.
Before leaving, Lu Zhengting took Xiao Han with him. Since Xia Yan was pregnant, and Xiao Han was a restless boy, it was no longer convenient for him to live with her.
After Lu Zhengting left, Xia Yan went to the bathroom to shower. When she came out in her pajamas, she happened to hear her phone ringing. She used a dry towel to wipe her dripping hair while looking for her phone.
Zhan Meng was calling her? She frowned and answered, "You want to drink?"
"Yeah, I want to drink. Come keep me company."
"How about this: if you really want to drink, come to my place."
"That works. Wait for me, I'll be right there."