123 Our Baby

Xiu Jin took out a stick from a box of expensive cigarettes. He lit it up using his vintage-styled brass lighter. He started smoking at the veranda of the hall.

The way he blew out smoke was more like sighing. He gazed down on the green garden outside. It was also this green, their garden, on that fateful day.

_

"Jin!"

The eyes of the younger Xiu Jin widened as Wong Xiaoyu dashed towards him, holding a baby.

"Look! Our baby looks like you!"

When her words fell, he felt like ice water was poured from his head.

Before he could even react, Xiu Lan's scream penetrated the hall.

"Aoiiii!" Xiu Lan was mortified to see the lady of the house faint, with blood flowing down her legs.

Xiu Jin harshly pushed his ex-girlfriend on hearing the scream. He madly bolted towards the staircase, hurriedly came up to find his wife.

He saw her lying there, unconscious, with blood oozing from between her legs.

"Noooo!" He had tears in his eyes as he swiftly picked her up from the floor. When he reached the living room, the crying Ming Xiaoyu came before him.

"Jin, it's our..."

"That's not mine! Get out of my way!" he screamed at her.

"But Jin, this is our daughter!" She held up the baby towards him.

"I want her out. Now!"

Guards and maids hurried to take the woman out of his sight.

When the then pregnant Aoi Xiu woke up, she immediately moved her hands to feel her abdomen. It was still large.

Beside her was her husband, sleeping with his head resting on the side of her hospital bed.

Sensing her movements, he gradually wokeup. When he saw her awake, his head bolted up, his eyes filled with worry.

"Sweetheart! How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?"

Aoi Xiu looked around her. Her arm which was farther from him had an IV line inserted. She guessed that she was on tocolytics.

She looked at him in disdain. This man fathered a child with another woman and he dared to still sleep next to her!

Seeing her reaction, he had an assumption of what she was thinking.

"Aoi, I didn't..." He was shaking his head.

"Are you gonna tell me that you didn't know that woman?" She was actually hoping that he would.

"No. I knew her. But that baby is not mine! I swear!" He was trying to sound sincere.

To her, it sounded desperate. It was hard to tell if he was lying or not.

She looked down, her thick lashes partly covered her partially opened eyes. She lovingly caressed her abdomen.

Xiu Jin tried to console her. "Don't worry. Our baby is fine."

Our baby. It rang in her ears. Her eyes welled up with tears. She could vividly remember the woman in their house.

"Aoi..." Xiu Jin tried to caress her face but she moved her head on the side to dodge it.

Looking at him with a glare, she exclaimed, "Stay away from me!"

"Sweetheart, don't believe what that woman said. I did not cheat on you! I will never cheat on you! You have to believe me, Sweetheart!"

"She's your ex! You even considered her as your 'one great love'! Given the chance, won't you be with her instead?!" Aoi Xiu winced as she felt another contraction.

The contraction showed on the monitor. Within seconds, the resident-on-duty came into their room to check on the patient and to monitor if another contraction will occur.

A rescue dose of the tocolytic was administered, stabilizing her uterus.

Aoi kept silent after the doctor went away.

Xiu Jin wanted to comfort her, but seeing her icy face, he knew she would only be triggered again. She might really go into preterm labor.

He gritted his teeth. He knew he needed proof to convince his wife that the baby is not his child.

He took out his phone and dialled a number.

For Aoi, her clan had been in business with all sorts of dealings for decades, and it was nothing.

However, her husband's next words made her shudder.

"Remember the neonate yesterday? Get her blood whatever it costs. Make sure no one finds out."