Chapter 22: There’s No Choice but to Give Birth Now
Even though Luo had said some discouraging words, Chi Wang was still quite happy.
If a problem can be solved, then it’s not a problem.
So Chi Wang didn’t worry and went to bed early, sleeping quite soundly.
The next morning, which was also the first time in days, he got up at 5:30 a.m. Normally, he would go running, but now he couldn’t, so he didn’t. Instead, he picked up two small dumbbells to replace running—after all, he needed to move around.
Normally, Luo wouldn’t wake up at this time, but perhaps due to some premonition, he woke up groggily, looked down from his bed, and was startled awake. In a hoarse voice, he asked Chi Wang, “What are you doing?”
Chi Wang looked up at him, the corners of his lips curving up, and said happily, “Working out.”
Luo: “…”
Sometimes he didn’t know what Chi Wang was always grinning about.
Wait, he suddenly sat up in bed. “Can you even work out?”
Chi Wang replied, “I’m not going running. I’m just lifting some dumbbells to work on my arm muscles.”
Luo got out of bed and snatched the small dumbbells from his hands. “Little Ancestor, don’t lift dumbbells. Lifting weights can hurt your back. If you’re going to have an abortion surgery, you might have back pain as a side effect. You need to pay attention to that.”
Chi Wang scratched his head. “These dumbbells are so small; it shouldn’t be a problem…”
Luo said, “Stop messing around. When your body is healed, I won’t stop you if you want to run a marathon.”
Chi Wang didn’t say anything more.
Not being able to exercise made him a bit annoyed, so he opened up his laptop to do some online work instead.
Luo had also gone to bed quite early last night, so he was fully awake now. He asked Chi Wang, “What time are you meeting today?”
Chi Wang replied, “At noon.”
Luo was puzzled. “Do hospitals open at noon?”
Chi Wang said, “He said his hospital can open.”
Luo didn’t know why he started worrying like a family member. “Do you need us to go with you?”
Chi Wang replied, “No, I can go alone. You guys should rest well; you’ve been tired these days.”
Luo said, “It’s okay, not tired. At times like this, don’t hesitate to rely on us.”
Chi Wang laughed. “I know, thank you.”
Luo said, “I’ll go buy breakfast later. We didn’t pay attention before, but now you need to be careful in the cafeteria. Don’t get bumped or knocked.”
Chi Wang thought: Am I a fragile person now?
He found Luo’s cautious attitude a bit amusing and also felt an indescribable emotion—regarding the pregnancy, he didn’t feel much reality yet, but the people around him were already treating him differently.
Although everyone’s thought was to terminate the pregnancy, it’s hard to avoid having a natural sympathy, care, and warmth toward someone who is pregnant.
This instead kept reminding Chi Wang that he had a little life in his belly.
Chi Wang reached out and touched his belly; it’s only 8 weeks, and he wasn’t showing yet. Just his lower abdomen was slightly protruding, making his abdominal muscles less defined. If you didn’t look carefully, you couldn’t tell.
If it weren’t for the gastroenteritis, he really wouldn’t have suspected pregnancy.
After breakfast, they went to class. Luo and Shu naturally stood beside him, one on the left, one on the right, like guardians escorting a flower. Chi Wang felt a bit speechless. “I’m not that fragile.”
He wasn’t used to being protected like this.
Luo smoothly responded, “But you’re unlucky enough.”
Chi Wang: “…”
He couldn’t refute that.
Sometimes he was quite annoyed at his lousy luck, so his protest was silenced.
Chi Wang often ended up sitting on broken chairs. If he didn’t grab a seat early, the ones left were always faulty. This time they were late, and Chi Wang indeed got a broken chair again.
He wanted to make do, but Luo and Shu both scrambled to switch with him.
Chi Wang felt uncomfortable. If he didn’t switch, they looked at him with an expression that said, “I’d be worse than an animal.” So he had to switch with Luo—Shu was too tall and sturdy; he might just break the chair.
Chi Wang wanted to tell them to act normally but thought better of it.
At noon, he went to the appointment. Xie Sicheng was already waiting at the school gate, along with Zuo Qianxing, who was there purely as a driver.
Chi Wang had worked at the Milky Way Club long enough to recognize cars; he saw that this was an Aston Martin.
He couldn’t help but click his tongue—rich people.
But then he thought, anyone who plays golf must be rich. Doubting whether he had money was like asking an air-conditioner repairman, “What do you do for a living?”—ridiculous.
Chi Wang walked over, and Zuo poked his head out of the window and called out to him, “Hey, junior, sit in the back.”
Chi Wang responded with an “Oh,” walked around to the back, opened the door, and got in. He turned to look at Xie, and the first thing he noticed was his dark circles, which seemed even heavier. So he asked with concern, “Did you not sleep well? Your dark circles are quite heavy.”
Xie replied, “Mm, didn’t sleep well.”
Chi Wang asked, “Didn’t you go to sleep at 8 p.m. yesterday?”
Zuo interjected, “He has severe insomnia, stays awake until dawn every day. He’s taken so many sleeping pills that his brain isn’t functioning properly.”
Xie: “…”
Xie’s voice was cold and eerie. “Focus on driving, and drive steadily.”
Zuo: “Oh, so, junior, what’s your illness?”
As he asked, he started the car.
Chi Wang said, “My name is Chi Wang. Brother Zuo, you can just call me by my name.”
Zuo said, “I know your name; I just think calling you ‘junior’ feels more intimate.”
Chi Wang sincerely said, “Then call me Xiao Chi; that’s even more intimate.”
Being called ‘junior’ had a weird greasy feeling.
Zuo fully respected his opinion. “Alright then, Xiao Chi, you still haven’t answered my question.”
Xie suddenly said, “Don’t talk. Focus on driving.”
Zuo muttered, “Look at you, losing your temper again. Xiao Chi, you don’t know, but when he doesn’t sleep, his temper is terrible. You know about Korean K-POP, right? They don’t sleep, so they all have bad tempers, always yelling. He’s like that now; even a passing dog might get kicked by him.”
Chi Wang looked at Xie in surprise. He really hadn’t noticed that Xie had a bad temper.
Xie: “…”
Xie said coldly, “Zuo Qianxing, drive properly.”
Hearing Xie call him by his full name, Zuo immediately quieted down, not daring to provoke Xie further.
He had already gotten his answer.
Test successful. ?
Zuo wasn’t extremely smart but not stupid either. He knew something was off between Xie and this junior.
Although he initially thought it would be good for them to get to know each other, he didn’t expect them to actually become close.
Xie was personally taking Chi Wang to his family’s hospital and even had him act as the driver.
He even got unhappy when Zuo talked to Chi Wang.
Zuo could only think along those lines.
Because Xie wasn’t lacking friends.
There were too many people trying to get close to him; most of the time, it didn’t matter to him. His care was rarely openly expressed.
After probing, Zuo didn’t dare to speak again. Xie rarely fell into his traps, and now that he had, he’d probably settle accounts with him later.
In some ways, Xie could hold grudges; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been feuding with Xiao Fu for so many years.
Zuo took them to a private hospital under the Xie family name. This hospital was famous; during the Qing Dynasty, it was just a medical clinic, but after the war, it was rebuilt into a hospital. Now both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine departments were renowned.
Indeed, as Xie said, it was an old-brand hospital.
After dropping them off, Zuo had no further role. He wanted to follow but didn’t dare after Xie gave him a look.
But no matter how hard Zuo racked his brain, he couldn’t have imagined that Chi Wang was pregnant.
Xie took Chi Wang into the hospital, where they had already been notified. The doctor was waiting in the consultation room.
When Chi Wang saw the doctor, he didn’t expect him to be quite young, at most thirty years old, with thick hair. Chi Wang couldn’t help but give the doctor a distrustful look.
The doctor silently took off his wig, revealing his real thinning hair, and Chi Wang’s eyes instantly filled with trust. He couldn’t help saying, “Doctor, you’re… really honest.”
Doctor: “…”
Sigh, he’s used to it.
The doctor put his wig back on, and his young face showed a kindly expression. “Regarding your situation, Sicheng has told me, but let’s do a check-up first.”
Chi Wang asked, “Can’t we use the examinations from the previous hospital?”
The doctor shook his head. “No, examinations have to be redone. We can’t use reports from other hospitals. If something goes wrong, we can’t clarify the issues, can we?”
Chi Wang: “I see, then let’s do it.”
Anyway, Xie said it would be free.
The doctor wrote up the examination orders and took them together to do the tests.
At the ultrasound room, they didn’t need to wait and could go directly in. After Chi Wang went in, Xie also followed.
Chi Wang saw Xie but didn’t say anything, lying neatly on the bed.
The doctor poured coupling gel onto Chi Wang’s abdomen and began moving the device over his abdomen.
Xie walked behind the doctor, slightly bending over to look at the images.
The doctor said, “It already has a head, and the limbs are differentiated, but it’s still an embryo sac. The genitals haven’t developed yet, so I can’t tell you the gender. Even if they were developed, I wouldn’t be able to tell you the gender.”
Chi Wang wasn’t concerned about this. “Anything else? Can I have a normal abortion?”
Actually, the previous hospital’s doctor, although they had some personal motives, wouldn’t lie to him.
Chi Wang just asked casually, not holding out much hope.
Sure enough, the doctor said no. “It’s too narrow. The exit of this organ is very narrow, not like an elastic tube. Also, it’s too close to the intestines; a small mistake could easily cut into the intestines, causing abdominal cavity contamination.”
Chi Wang was stunned and, after a while, said, “But the hospital I previously went to said they could do it, said they could make an artificial birth canal and perform an abortion.”
The doctor said, “No, this surgery is too difficult. It’s too close to the intestines; if we accidentally damage the intestines, contaminating other organs like the liver—liver bacterial contamination would require removal, which is not worth the risk.”
Chi Wang: “Then what about a cesarean abortion?”
Doctor: “That’s possible, but also very difficult. And since it requires opening the abdomen, why not deliver the baby? The baby already has a heartbeat and is in good condition, indicating it’s a healthy baby.”
Chi Wang’s mood sank, but he persisted. “Is there really no way to abort?”
Doctor: “If you were a woman, I would certainly recommend abortion, but in your case, the passage is long, narrow, and winding like a mountain road with eighteen bends. It’s really hard to perform an abortion. Creating an opening to make a birth canal is wishful thinking. The canal is also fragile, making abortion very difficult. I can’t think of how to perform this abortion surgery right now.”
Chi Wang gave Xie a look that said, You’re such a beast.
The doctor handed him a few tissues. “Wipe yourself.”
Chi Wang asked, “What if I don’t want to give birth?”
Doctor: “…If there’s really no other way, we can perform a cesarean to do the surgery, but the damage to your body would be significant. It’s better to perform a cesarean when giving birth; it’s easier to clean up and recover.”
Chi Wang: “Oh.”
After wiping off the coupling gel, he glanced at Xie. Their eyes met in the somewhat dim room; Chi Wang didn’t speak and looked away first.
So annoying.
He had originally shifted the blame, and Xie’s attitude was good, willing to take responsibility. Chi Wang felt at ease.
But now, he couldn’t help but blame Xie again.
As they left the ultrasound room, Chi Wang suddenly said, “Do you not have a habit of wearing condoms?”
“…” Xie said in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”
He didn’t have much memory of that night, only vaguely remembering a dream where he was surrounded by a soft, sweet doll.
Also, he slept very well that night, which was rare since he usually couldn’t sleep at night.
Xie said, “Since we can’t abort, let’s have the baby. I’m willing to take responsibility.”
Chi Wang lifted his thin eyelids to look at Xie. His face was still cold and indifferent, but in those dark eyes, the seriousness and sincerity softened his sharp features.
Chi Wang said irritably, “I can’t have it. I’m only 18; I’m not ready to be a father. Besides, I’m the one giving birth, not you. It’s easy for you to say.”
Xie’s voice was tense. “But the doctor just said there’s no way to abort.”
Chi Wang looked around; the doctor was still in the ultrasound room. He lowered his voice and said, “That just means the doctor isn’t skilled enough; he’s so young.”
Xie’s tone was serious. “…He holds an MD from Germany.”
Chi Wang scratched his head. “Is that so? Is the degree really valuable?”
Xie Sicheng replied, “Yes.”
Just as he finished speaking, the doctor came out, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “Let’s go; you can get your report now.”
The doctor handed him the report. “No need for other tests. After completing the ultrasound, things are pretty clear. The next effective examination would be a colonoscopy. We can do it without anesthesia to check the condition of that passage. Though we know it’s uncooperative, theory and practice are two different things.”
“…” Chi Wang said, “Doctor, let me think about it.”
Chi Wang was decisive and quickly made up his mind.
After the examination, the doctor gave a negative answer—it was indeed impossible to perform an abortion.
Chi Wang was very disappointed, but only for a few minutes. He then pulled himself together. “Let’s just leave it for now.”
The doctor asked, “Do you want to keep the baby?”
Xie Sicheng also stared intently at Chi Wang.
Chi Wang said, “No, I’m just giving up for now.”
The doctor said, “Then come back in a month for a prenatal check-up? The Down syndrome screening and 4D ultrasounds can all be done after a month.”
Chi Wang mumbled, “We’ll see.”
As they left the hospital, Xie asked, “Will you move in with me?”
Chi Wang was taken aback, realizing what he meant. He frowned slightly and said, “No.”
Xie’s voice was characteristically clear and cold, but his words contrasted sharply with his tone. “If you stay in the dormitory, I can’t take care of you.”
Chi Wang laughed, speaking naturally, “My roommates will take care of me.”
Xie frowned slightly and quickly said, “I told you I would take care of you.”
Chi Wang replied, “You don’t seem like someone who knows how to take care of others.”
“…” Xie said, “I can.”
Chi Wang still refused. He felt that this matter was quite tricky.
Xie spoke well, but if he really moved in, wouldn’t that imply he planned to keep the baby?
Chi Wang couldn’t help but maliciously speculate about Xie’s motives.
Was Xie trying to get him to keep the child?
But then again, if Xie loved children so much, he would have had a bunch by now.
Thinking this way, Chi Wang felt a bit confused, not understanding what Xie was thinking.
Since they couldn’t agree on moving in together, neither spoke further.
Once in the car, Zuo Qianxing asked, “Where to next?”
Xie said, “Back to H University.”
Zuo replied, “Alright.”
They sped back to H University in no time. It was still early, and Chi Wang could even take a nap when he returned to his dorm.
After dropping him off, Zuo asked Xie about his relationship with Chi Wang. There wasn’t much to hide; Zuo didn’t think Xie would be evasive. However, Xie simply said indifferently, “No relationship.”
He’s just the father of Chi Wang’s child.
He refused to say more.
Zuo’s attempt to get more information failed. Since Xie didn’t want to talk, he didn’t press further.
Suddenly, Xie said to him, “I want to adopt Xiaomi.”
Zuo was puzzled. “?? Huh?”
Xie said, “I’ll buy you another border collie.”
Zuo protested, “…But that’s my own son! You say you want him, and I have to give him to you?”
Xie emphasized each word, “I want you to transfer him to me.”
Zuo said, “Can’t you just get one yourself?”
Xie didn’t reply.
After a while, he said, “I’m not going abroad anymore.”
Zuo exclaimed, “?!”
He was caught off guard by the series of news. After a moment, he regained his composure and confirmed, “You’re really not going abroad?”
Xie replied, “Yes.”
He paused. “I want to adopt Xiaomi.”
Although Zuo was reluctant, he relented, “Alright, then I’ll transfer him to you. Looks like his name wasn’t a mistake; he’s really tied you down, haha.”
Xie said nothing.
Zuo: Another failed attempt to get information.
Xie showed a hint of fatigue, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the seat.
The car was filled with the high-end fragrance of car air fresheners, but there was also another scent mingled within, lingering around Xie’s nose.
It was Chi Wang’s scent.
Chi Wang always had a comforting aroma about him. When Xie got closer, he could smell it.
It’s hard to describe the scent in words, but smelling it seemed to relax his mind a bit, inexplicably giving him a sense of peace.
The slight frown on Xie’s face was smoothed out by this lingering scent.
When Chi Wang returned to the dormitory, he hadn’t even entered the room when he slipped in the hallway, almost doing a split. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick; he immediately supported himself against the wall, using his core strength to pull his legs back together.
He couldn’t help but curse inwardly, What the heck? Why is the hallway so wet?
Entering the dorm, he found that Luo Lianyun and Shu Tingyu hadn’t gone to sleep. Seeing him return, they immediately asked about the situation.
Chi Wang recounted what happened, a smile appearing on his face. In a relaxed tone, he said, “Looks like I might really have to keep the baby.”
Shu became anxious, “No, no, don’t keep it! How will you raise the child if it’s born?”
Chi Wang said, “I’ll leave it to the father to raise.”
Luo felt uncomfortable. “Why should he get to enjoy everything? He had his fun and now gets a free child, while you have to undergo surgery and harm your body. How is that fair?”
Chi Wang scratched his head. “There’s no other way. Both doctors don’t recommend surgery. Today’s doctor is a German medical Ph.D.—seems quite reputable.”
Luo was surprised. “…That’s pretty impressive. But didn’t you say it’s that guy’s family hospital? Could they have colluded?”
Without thinking, Chi Wang said, “That’s unlikely. Xie Sicheng isn’t that kind of person.”
Luo: “…”
Shu: “…”
Chi Wang: “…”
He uttered an “Uh,” and said, “I think I misspoke. You didn’t hear that, right?”
Luo said, “I heard you say Xie Sicheng isn’t that kind of person.”
Shu added, “I heard it too.”
Wait, the father is actually Xie Sicheng???
Luo instantly recalled when Chi Wang had previously asked about Xie.
He should have thought something was off back then! Chi Wang wasn’t the gossiping type. For him to ask such questions meant he definitely had some connection with Xie!
How did he not realize?
Luo found it hard to believe that the baby’s father was Xie. Normally, Chi Wang had no interaction with him. How could Xie be the father of Chi Wang’s child?
Xie’s physics department was extremely far from their major! In such a big campus, even after a year, Luo hadn’t run into Xie, let alone Chi Wang, who was always busy with part-time jobs!
Shu stammered, “I really… really didn’t expect the baby’s father to be Xie Sicheng.”
Chi Wang: “…”
Forget it; since it was out, he decided to be honest with his two roommates. “This was all a misunderstanding.”
He briefly explained the situation.
Luo felt guilty. “I didn’t expect to have a part in this. If I hadn’t asked you to join the mixer, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Chi Wang laughed. His smile was beautiful, always giving people a feeling of bright sunshine—warm and radiant. Just looking at him could clear one’s mind.
Both Luo and Shu loved seeing Chi Wang smile.
In fact, Chi Wang was truly charming and full of vitality. Sometimes, Luo couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
Such a person was naturally a shining figure in the spotlight.
Chi Wang said with a smile, “It’s nothing. I’m just unlucky. If it wasn’t this, it would be something else. It’s not your fault.”
Luo didn’t respond. Even though Chi Wang said so, he still felt ashamed.
Chi Wang quickly changed the subject. “I’m thinking, maybe I should check out a few more hospitals. What do you think?”
Luo snapped out of it and said, “We can, but I feel it might just be a waste of money.”
The three male college students huddled together, but couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
Shu repeated his earlier point, “Please don’t keep the baby. My nephew is so hard to take care of. I spent a week with him during the summer break, and I was losing my hair and getting irritable. It was pure chaos.”
Chi Wang muttered, “Whether I keep the baby isn’t really up to me.”
Actually, ever since returning from the hospital, he’d been thinking and weighing his options. He repeatedly pondered over what the two doctors had said and felt they made some sense.
He was decisive, quick to make decisions without hesitation or internal conflict.
Chi Wang said, “Since I can’t abort, I’ll just keep the baby.”
Luo: “!”
Shu’s eyes turned red. As the tallest and strongest in the dorm, he was actually the most naive and emotionally expressive. “No, don’t keep it. I don’t want you to go through that.”
Chi Wang patted Shu’s back to comfort him. “There’s no other way; I have to keep it. The doctors said giving birth won’t affect me as much. Health is most important, right?”
Shu sighed deeply. “I understand, but you’re still so young. If you decide to have the baby, will you take a break from school?”
Chi Wang was surprised. “It’s just having a baby; why would I take a break?”
Both Shu and Luo were speechless. “You mean you don’t plan to take a leave?”
Chi Wang said, “No, if I take a break, what about my university’s special scholarship?”
Luo exclaimed, “Wait, is the scholarship the issue right now?”
Chi Wang said matter-of-factly, “It’s also a sum of money.”
Shu whispered, “When my sister-in-law was pregnant with my nephew, she couldn’t do anything. Her belly was huge; it was pitiful.”
Chi Wang said, “It’s okay; I believe I can handle it.”
“Don’t say that like ‘this job is easy’! You’re giving birth! Giving birth!” Luo’s voice rose sharply.
Chi Wang covered his ears. “I’m sleepy. I’m going to take a nap.”
Luo: “…”
He laughed in exasperation. “You really are…”
Suddenly, Shu made up his mind. “If you’re going to have the baby, I’ll help you raise it. I’ll ask my sister-in-law for old clothes, so we won’t have to buy new ones.”
Chi Wang: “?”
He was stunned, looking at Shu in disbelief. “What did you say? You’ll help raise the baby?”
Shu nodded. “We can’t let Xie have the baby—that would be too easy for him. I’ll help you raise it.” He looked at Luo, who immediately said, “Count me in! My mom said if I start dating, she’ll give me an extra 2,000 yuan a month for living expenses. With that, I can cover diapers.”
After making the decision, Shu felt more relaxed. “At night, Luo and I can take turns taking care of the baby. We won’t disturb you.”
Luo nodded. “Right, we have an empty bed that we can use for the baby. We’ll just need to raise the guardrails so the baby doesn’t fall off.”
Shu said excitedly, “My sister-in-law has a stroller and a crib that they’re not using. I’ll bring them over during the New Year’s holiday.”
Luo commented, “Isn’t it too early to bring them over during New Year’s? If a full-term pregnancy is ten months, the due date would be around July? Wait, it coincides with summer break?”
Shu exclaimed, “What a coincidence! Then in August, we can help you during your confinement period. My grandpa raises a lot of chickens; I can bring some over. I know how to cook!”
Luo said, “But even if you can cook, we can’t use appliances in the dorm.”
Shu retorted, “We’re too obedient. The dorm next door uses appliances; why can’t we?”
Luo replied, “We can’t risk it. If we’re caught, we’ll get points deducted and even get demerits. We’d miss out on all kinds of school awards.”
Shu conceded, “Then I’ll cook at home and bring it over in a thermos.”
Luo said, “That’s more like it.”
After this conversation, the two of them felt that raising a child might not be that difficult. They said to Chi Wang, “Go ahead and have the baby. We’ll help you take care of it, and it won’t interfere with your part-time jobs. Seems doable, right?”
Shu added, “Others keep cats in the dorm; we’ll be raising a kid. It’s kind of trendy.”
Luo nodded, “Exactly. People spend over a thousand yuan a month on a cat. What’s wrong with us spending that to raise our godson?”
When Shu heard a certain word, his eyes lit up. “Oh yeah, we can be the baby’s godfathers! I never thought I’d have a godson at such a young age.”
Listening to their conversation, Chi Wang felt a warmth in his heart. He smiled without showing any unusual expression and said, “You’ve got everything planned out; I don’t even have a say.”
Luo said, “So rest assured. Even if it comes to that, you have us. Raising a child isn’t that hard; we won’t rely on anyone else.”
Chi Wang said, “Got it.”
Of course, Chi Wang wouldn’t let them spend money, but he was genuinely grateful for their kindness.
He smiled naturally and said, “If I really have the baby, you two will definitely be its true godfathers.”
As for Xie Sicheng, he wasn’t thinking about him for the time being.
W friends