Chapter 35 – Still Hesitating
Xu Ruoxin bit her lip. In just two seconds, she had run through every possible scenario in her mind and weighed the consequences.
And she realized—she couldn’t gamble.
“Chengyu.” She lowered her eyes, showing shame. “It was me. I didn’t expect those people to cyberbully Miss Nan. I was just… too afraid. Please don’t blame me…”
She lightly grasped Xie Chengyu’s sleeve, tears dripping down, making her look delicate and pitiable.
“You know how much Grandfather Xie despises me. Only Grandmother ever liked me, and now she’s gone…
“When you and Miss Nan finally divorced, I thought we finally had a chance. But then everything after that went wrong.”
“I was terrified. And I’ve waited for you for so many years—I can’t wait anymore. The child in my belly can’t wait either. So I panicked and did something stupid…”
She covered her stomach, sobbing louder, but still looking heartbreakingly beautiful.
Xie Chengyu’s expression stayed cold. He turned to the window. In the quiet lounge, only her faint sobs remained.
At length, he turned back, patted her shoulder, and said more gently: “I know it hasn’t been easy for you. I remember what you’ve done for me. But you didn’t need to go that far. Nan Xiao is innocent.”
For a moment, the past flickered in his mind—the construction site, when falling debris nearly struck him. Xu Ruoxin had shoved him out of the way, leaving a scar on herself. That memory always softened him.
Xu Ruoxin wiped her tears, looking guilty. “I understand. I won’t do that to Miss Nan again.”
“Good.” He nodded. “Rest well. I’m leaving.”
He picked up the spare copy of Nan Xiao’s guarantee before leaving. Xu Ruoxin didn’t know what to make of it.
Alone, she paced the room in agitation. The guarantee had caught her off guard, and Chengyu’s reaction wasn’t what she expected.
By logic, he should’ve found Nan Xiao ridiculous—or even felt insulted. But instead, his first instinct had been to confront her.
That didn’t prove anything, she told herself. After all, Nan Xiao’s face was still her biggest leverage.
But Xu Ruoxin sensed things drifting slightly off course. She needed to change her strategy.
—
Back at her apartment, Nan Xiao was so exhausted she fell asleep on the sofa.
That night, her phone buzzed. It was Xie Chengyu.
She hesitated, thinking it must be about this morning, then answered: “Hello? What is it?”
“Nan Xiao.”
His deep voice, filtered through faint static, was even more magnetic.
“I found out. That article online—it was Xu Ruoxin. I warned her. It won’t happen again.”
Nan Xiao froze.
It didn’t surprise her that Xu Ruoxin was behind it.
What surprised her was that Chengyu had investigated and told her outright, without covering for Xu Ruoxin.
But then she remembered: the article had subjected her to vile abuse, leaving her shaken for days. And now? He had merely “warned” Xu Ruoxin. No real consequences.
So… it didn’t mean much.
Her lips curled in self-mockery.
“I understand.” Her voice was flat. “Anything else?”
“…”
There was no immediate reply, only faint static.
“If not, I’m hanging up.”
She didn’t wait. She hung up.
Under the night sky, Xie Chengyu leaned against his car, frowning at the darkened screen.
Nan Xiao sounded… cold to him.
He set down the phone, pulled out the copy of the guarantee, and reread it. Frustration surged—he wanted to tear it to pieces.
But he didn’t. He shoved it roughly back into the drawer, buckled his seatbelt, and drove off.
—
Nan Xiao rested at home the next day. That evening, Lin Yan texted to ask her out to eat. She planned to decline—she had to stop by the set later.
But then she remembered something important she hadn’t told Lin Yan. So she changed her mind: “Okay. Send me the location.”
Half an hour later, they met at a hot pot restaurant on Chenghua Street.
As Lin Yan swirled vegetables in the broth, Nan Xiao calmly dropped a bomb: “Yan Yan, I’m pregnant.”
“…What?”
Lin Yan’s head snapped up, staring in shock.
Nan Xiao gave a bitter smile. “It was that night. I forgot the pill, so…”
Her face burned with shame. Lin Yan immediately dropped her chopsticks, clapped her shoulder. “So what? Don’t be upset.”
“Xiaoxiao, what are you going to do now?”
Truthfully, Lin Yan had already suspected this might happen—and she scolded herself for not pushing Nan Xiao to check sooner.
Nan Xiao shook her head. “I don’t know if I should keep it.”
Did she love children? Yes. She had always wanted one of her own.
But her family was too broken. She didn’t believe she could raise a child well. The thought terrified her.
Lin Yan pulled out her phone, searched quickly. “You need to decide within two weeks. If you don’t want it, end it soon—it’s safer. If you do…” She paused. “I’ll help you raise it.”
Nan Xiao’s lips curved faintly. “I can afford to raise one.”
Money wasn’t the issue. Between her earnings and what Chengyu gave her, she could raise ten.
But she was a child of divorce, carrying scars. She feared her own flaws—her tendency to please others, her vulnerability.
If she had a baby, it would also grow up in a single-parent home. Would that be fair?
“Stop thinking about it.” Lin Yan forced a smile. “Let’s talk about something fun. This Friday there’s an auction. Come with me.”
She had managed to get two tickets. She’d meant to invite Li Jingteng, but now, she decided she’d rather bring Nan Xiao.
