The tall man froze, his sinister pupils contracting slightly. He turned around slowly, stiff as a machine, his eyes fixed on her.
"What did you say?"
"She's seven weeks pregnant. You didn't inform us of the situation beforehand, and the doctor administered anesthesia during the surgery. I'm afraid the child..."
Before she could finish, Shen Xiaoxing strode out of the ward on his long legs, and Ye Feng quickly followed.
An Ruo's injuries weren't severe. She was out of danger and transferred to a regular ward. The doctor, seeing no family present, stayed by the room for a while.
Just then, the tall, strong man burst in, startling the doctors and nurses inside. His chiseled, handsome face made everyone catch their breath.
He pushed through the crowd, walked to the bedside, and looked at the pale girl wearing an oxygen mask. A sharp pain flickered in his deep, dark eyes.
"Are you her family?"
The man sat by the bed, gently taking her hand and cradling it in his palm, moving with such care as if she were fragile, afraid he might break her.
His Adam's apple moved. "I'm her husband."
"I see. According to our examination, she's seven weeks pregnant. Though her injuries aren't serious, the fetus is still unstable. Since anesthesia was used to stitch the wounds, she'll need careful attention once she wakes up."
The doctor listed more precautions, but the man kept his eyes locked on the girl in bed. As he listened, a ringing in his ears drowned out everything else.
She... pregnant?
Carrying his child, their creation growing inside her.
Remembering how she'd rushed over without regard for her own life, a chill ran down Shen Xiaoxing's spine. If not for her luck—the knife only piercing her shoulder, not fatal—she and the baby would have...
Even now, his heart felt lodged in his throat. If something had happened to her, he'd live in guilt and regret forever.
He lifted her small hand and pressed a kiss to it.
Ye Feng stood at the doorway, wanting to enter but afraid to disturb them.
When the nurse changed An Ruo's IV, the man immediately asked anxiously, but the girl remained deep in a coma, unwilling to wake.
He pushed open the door, and Ye Feng followed quietly inside.
"Master, I've investigated. That group was sent by the second young master."
A shadow of malice passed over Shen Xiaoxing's eyes. He clicked his tongue against his cheekbones.
How could he not guess this was Shen Tingfeng's doing?
All these years, assassins had lurked around him wherever he went, endlessly trying to take his life.
"Have you gathered all the evidence?"
Ye Feng nodded. "Rest assured, Master. Our people have recorded everything."
"Keep it safe." The man walked to the window, resting one hand on the sill, his gaze sharp and ruthless. "This time, I won't let him off easy."
In the past, he'd collected evidence and presented it to the old man, but the old man turned a blind eye, giving the second branch only a slap on the wrist before staying silent. Even the plane crash two years ago—though he had no direct proof—the old man ignored everything the second branch had done to him.
But Shen Xiaoxing was no longer the same man. Since the old man wanted him to guard the Shen Group's century-old legacy, he'd use that leverage to punish that father-and-son pair from the second branch thoroughly.
...
The night was thick, and a cool breeze blew through the window. The white curtains swayed gently, like a dancing maiden...
The girl on the hospital bed slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the monotony of white.
She moved her arm slightly, and a piercing pain shot through her shoulder blade.
The door opened, and the man slid in on a wheelchair, moving toward her. Seeing her try to sit up, he quickly rolled to the bedside.
"Don't move," he said softly. "You've just woken up. Tell me if you need anything."
An Ruo's memories gradually cleared. Her gaze fell on his arm, wrapped in thick gauze with faint bloodstains seeping through.
Her voice was hoarse. "Are you okay?"
Seeing her worried expression, a pang of bitterness rose in Shen Xiaoxing's chest. Even injured like this, she still cared about him.
"I'm fine." His dark eyes deepened. "But you—knowing how dangerous it was, you still rushed over. Do you have a death wish?"
Lying in bed, she glanced at him briefly, then slowly looked away.
She knew the danger. Normally, she valued her life, but watching this man get hurt was something she couldn't bear.
Her mind had gone blank, and she'd rushed over without thinking.
Shen Xiaoxing reached out, supporting her back to help her sit up, propping a pillow behind her. He poured a glass of water from the table and fed her the entire cup.
"Still thirsty?"
The girl pressed her pale, cracked lips together and shook her head.
"Don't be so impulsive next time."
She couldn't help but retort, "But if you're in danger, I can't just stand by and watch."
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze deepened, a strange feeling washing over his chest—bitter and sour. He was glad this silly girl cared about him, but he didn't want her to risk herself for him again.
In his life, only two women had ever been willing to risk everything to protect him: the one who gave birth to him and the one who loved him.
"Silly girl," he said, his heart aching. "If there's danger like this again, don't worry about me. Run as far as you can."
"We're husband and wife. How could I abandon you?"
He raised his hand, gently stroking her soft cheek, his voice low. "Fool. Only if you're safe will I want to keep living."
"..."
"If something happened to you..." His eyes suddenly burned, something flickering in their depths. His voice rasped, "Wouldn't I be left alone in an empty house?"
An Ruo gazed at him deeply, listening to his clumsy attempt at a joke to cheer her up. She didn't find it funny. Lowering her long lashes, she pressed her lips together. "Then I don't want anything to happen to you either."
If Shen Xiaoxing weren't her husband, his fate wouldn't matter to her. But now it was different. She loved him—how could she watch him come to harm?
Yet An Ruo hadn't realized her heart loved him more than she did. In that moment, without a second thought, her body moved before her mind could react to shield him from danger.
Sensing the stubbornness in her eyes, he sighed softly, tightening his grip on her hand. "Do you know you're pregnant?"
"?"
An Ruo froze, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as if slowly processing his words.
"You..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "You mean I'm pregnant?"
The man nodded slightly, his voice deep. "Seven weeks now."
An Ruo frowned slightly. No wonder her period hadn't come this month. She'd thought it was from eating something bad, but...
She couldn't believe it as she touched her flat stomach, hardly daring to think a new life was growing there.
Their love child—their first baby?
A gentle smile curved her lips, radiating maternal warmth, so beautiful it was hard to look away.
Shen Xiaoxing's deep eyes grew darker. His girl had a little one now. He couldn't let her face danger anymore. He had to come up with a foolproof plan to protect them, leaving no room for any risk.