Chapter 39: I can wait, but the baby in my womb cannot

Chen Weiping leaned in with a rogueish smirk and stole a kiss. "What did I promise?"

The woman in his arms gave him a light pat and glared at him, pouting coquettishly, "Stop messing around, I'm talking about something serious."

Chen Weiping loved that look in her eyes; it was utterly seductive. "Go on, tell me, tell me."

He said that, but his hands were anything but well-behaved.

The woman gave a soft "hmph." "That partner of yours from the countryside..."

"Stop, stop, stop! What are you saying? She's not my partner. That marriage was arranged by the old man; I never officially accepted it."

The woman hugged Chen Weiping tighter and leaned back into his embrace. "But I'm afraid my aunt won't agree to us either. Besides, you still have that engagement. My aunt has already given me an ultimatum; she said if I don't bring a partner home soon, she'll take it upon herself to choose someone for me."

"That won't do! We've already gone that far, you—"

The woman reached out and covered his mouth before he could finish. "I didn't... I didn't agree. I'm already yours, so how could I agree to what my aunt says? But I'm afraid I can't hold out much longer. And, and, it's just..."

"Xiaoru, what else? Just say it!"

"I... I..."

Before she could finish, she burst into tears.

Chen Weiping dropped his nonchalant act. "Hey, hey, hey, why are you crying all of a sudden?"

The woman sobbed for a long time without saying a word.

Anxious, Chen Weiping became serious. He cupped the woman's face in his hands. "Xiaoru, what happened? Just tell me, you're worrying me to death."

"Brother Weiping, I... I... I might be pregnant."

"What?"

The words sent a shudder through Chen Weiping's entire body; he nearly lost his grip and pushed her away. "No way, we only did it that one time. How could you be pregnant?"

Seeing his reaction, the woman asked, "Brother Weiping, what do you mean by that?"

Chen Weiping's mind went blank. "Wait, wait, let me process this."

Though he was a bit of a rogue, he truly hadn't expected to create a life before marriage. But it was too late for regrets now. It was all his fault for drinking too much that day and failing to control himself. He scratched his head in frustration. "Xiaoru, don't worry. I will definitely marry you with all the pomp and ceremony."

He intended to marry this woman anyway. Not to mention, his uncle-in-law worked at the municipal government; with that kind of support, what was there to fear regarding his future?

It was certainly better than marrying some country bumpkin who offered no help at all. It seemed he would have to speed up the process of breaking off the engagement.

Looking at the melancholy woman in his arms, he said, "Xiaoru, don't worry. I'll break off the engagement as soon as possible. Just give me a few more days."

The woman threw herself into his arms. "Brother Weiping, you have to be quick. I can wait, but the baby in my womb cannot."

Chen Weiping's mind was a mess, but he still replied, "Alright, I won't make you wait too long."

Seeing things unfolding according to his plan, the corner of the woman's mouth curled up slightly.

Chen Weiping thought of something. "Xiaoru, just to be safe, we should probably go to the hospital for a check-up..."

Before he could finish, the woman sat bolt upright. "What do you mean by that?"

"Don't misunderstand. This is a big deal, and you said the baby can't wait. I thought it would be better to confirm it so that when I lay it all out for my family, I can stand my ground. But what if it's a false alarm? With my mother's temperament, I'm afraid she'll come looking for trouble for you, and my grandfather certainly won't go easy on me."

Hearing this, the woman looked worried. "But the county town is so small. If we run into someone we know, how will I ever show my face again?"

(End of Chapter)