Chapter 67 - Recklessness

Lu Mengjie felt so disappointed. Shouldn't he at least try to think about what happened between them? As far as she could remember, he was the only person she has slept with. She looked at him, glumness filled her eyes. "What if you're the father?" She finally asked. She couldn't keep in the overwhelming misery, curiosity, and dejection inside her.

"Have you not drunk any after pills back then?" He replied with another question.

Her lips were stretched into a straight line for a few seconds before she replied, "vitamin pills…"

"Vita… min…" His eyes went wide from shock and at the same time in disbelief. He cleared his throat to regain his composure. "You should have known."

She clenched her hold around the fork. Why did he sound as if it was her fault? She already knew that but she expected him to react in another way, not pointing fingers at whose fault it was. She lowered her head, her lips stretched. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as if she had been stabbed by a knife. She wanted to cry but she couldn't. She didn't want to cry in front of him, or others, or anyone at all.

It was her carelessness that made her this way that was why she wasn't going to force him to take responsibility. It was already too late to get an abortion. She was already loving the child she was carrying. Her motherly instincts wouldn't allow her to do it now that she was already attached. It was her choice. 

She placed back her spoon and fork on top of the lunch box. She has to get an answer from him first. If he really was the father… which she was sure of. She needed his answer. Would he receive the child or would she have to become the child's only parent? 

She suddenly felt a warm touch on her belly. The sensation slowly spread in her body, caressing the pain in her chest. She cast her eyes at him and saw him staring at her baby bump. He began stroking it gently, carefully. "I can't believe I'm going to have a child at this age," he chuckled softly.

Lu Mengjie didn't know how to react. Why was he suddenly acting this way? She thought that he wouldn't want the baby earlier because of how he sounded. But… he never really said those exact words. She only presumed after hearing his words. Maybe she was just being guilty, so conscious for her recklessness that's why she was hit negatively by his remarks. Still… the Yong Liwei she remembered was kind, maybe he was the type of person to take responsibility so… "You don't have to force yourself," she said to him.

He turned his gentle gaze to her and asked in confusion, "force myself to what?"

"Accept…" she paused. It was hard for her to speak out. She felt a lump in her throat, obstructing her from speaking any further but she has to. She needed to speak out. If she kept quiet, nothing would be known. She would just end up misunderstanding his small actions. Actions may speak louder than words but words clarify the actions.

She gulped down her saliva in hope that the knob in her throat would ease up even a little bit. "Accept this child," she finally uttered. As she did, she felt a prick inside her. She was afraid to hear his answer.

Yong Liwei's eyes softened when he saw how scared she was. "I don't need to force myself," he replied.

One prick was removed from her heart.

"I'll be honest, okay?" His voice deep yet smooth, with a rasp that gave her that fluttering feeling in her stomach. He took her hand and brought it to his chest, placing her palm on his chest. His heart was beating faster than usual. "I want to keep feeling the way I feel when I'm with you, Mengjie. I want to be the man who will wait for you on the other side of the aisle."

She felt her heart race, in sync with how she felt his heart pound under her palm. The room may be dimly lit, her blushing may not be obvious but she felt heat spread throughout her whole face. The man in front of her was like a magnet that kept pulling her to him. 

What should she say now? She was speechless. How could he turn the tables so easily?

"Don't cry…" He said soothingly as he released her hand just to reach out for her face. He lightly stroked his thumb on her cheek, wiping away her tears.

Ah… no wonder her sight suddenly became so glossy. She was crying but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel so relieved. He was not going to throw her away…

"The doctor said that it will be bad for the baby if you stress yourself out like this." He continued to wipe her unending tears, this time he moved to her side.

"Whose fault do you think it is?" She huffed and puffed. She wanted to cry more. Her hormone imbalance was not helping at all until… she suddenly felt something warm and soft. Not on her lips but her forehead.

Yong Liwei pressed his lips on her forehead. His intoxicating smell entered her nostrils. He was leaning so close to her. Strong arms were wrapped around her, embracing her protectively. His hands running up and down her spine, consoling her

Thankfully, her tears stopped. She relaxed in his arms, sinking into his warm embrace. The silence between them was relaxing.