Chapter 1 I Don't Want This Child
I stand in the abyss, and no one can save me. —Shen Nian.
At the hospital, long queues stretched for registration. Although it was a weekday, the hospital was bustling with patients needing to register and see a doctor, making the environment somewhat noisy.
In a corner, a figure blended seamlessly into the diverse crowd. Her professional office lady suit accentuated her figure, exuding a composed and capable air.
She sat on a bench in the hospital corridor, slightly hunched over, her hands casually resting on her lap, her fingers lightly tapping the fabric of her skirt at the knees.
Her head was down, and she remained silent.
The quietness seemed out of place in the noisy hospital.
"Patient number 23, Shen Nian, please proceed to consultation room 5." Hearing the mechanical voice from the computer, Shen Nian finally looked up, picked up her bag from beside her, and entered consultation room 5.
She handed the doctor the test results and sat down. The doctor glanced at the report and said, "The fetus is seven weeks along, developing well, congratulations."
"..." Shen Nian didn't speak.
The doctor asked again, "Are you married? Have you had any miscarriages before? Do you have any gynecological diseases?"
After asking three questions without receiving answers, the doctor looked up. The young woman looked very young.
The doctor immediately glanced at the name and age on the report.
Shen Nian, 22 years old.
Already an adult.
Judging from her attire, she seemed to be a white-collar worker, not the kind of girl who would go astray.
She was probably a little confused because it was her first pregnancy.
So the doctor patiently told her, "You need to explain your physical condition to me so I can..."
"No." A soft voice interrupted the doctor; it was a very pleasant female voice.
Shen Nian looked up, staring at the doctor, and said earnestly, word by word, "I don't want this child." Her pleasant voice trembled slightly, but the words she spoke were so resolute.
The doctor paused for a moment, then returned to normal.
“Even if you don’t want it, you still need to explain your physical condition.” The doctor then asked again, “Have you ever been pregnant or miscarried before? Do you have any gynecological problems? Why did you want an abortion? Are you married?” The doctor only addressed the marital issue this time, adding details after asking the first question.
“An abortion requires a signature. You can’t stay silent; don’t delay your subsequent appointments…”
“I’m not married, and I don’t have any gynecological problems.” Shen Nian’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Her memory was instantly pulled back to several years ago. Her lips felt as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds, making even the slightest movement difficult.
“I was pregnant once before, and I miscarried…”
The doctor understood, then asked, “Would you mind explaining why you miscarried?”
“Yes, I would,” Shen Nian replied.
The doctor asked several more questions, which Shen Nian answered one by one.
Throughout the entire ordeal, her face remained expressionless. The doctor, with years of experience, had seen countless pregnant women, some overjoyed and weeping with happiness at the arrival of a child, others heartbroken and devastated by the decision not to have a child.
This quietness… was a first for her.
From the moment she entered, her emotions remained unchanged. Aside from answering questions, she remained endlessly silent, and even the air was thick with a sense of oppression.
Though the doctor didn't know what she had been through, he proceeded with the procedure: "If you're not married, you'll need your guardian or boyfriend's signature. Would you like to give it to your parents or your boyfriend…?"
"My parents died in a car accident when I was seventeen," Shen Nian interrupted calmly. "My boyfriend and I broke up."
After speaking, she finally looked up at the doctor again: "Can't I sign it myself?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment, then answered, "Yes." He opened a drawer beside him, took out a piece of paper, and pushed it towards her: "This is a termination of pregnancy form, proving that you voluntarily terminate the pregnancy. I can only schedule the surgery after you sign it."
Shen Nian picked up a pen, not reading what was written on it, her gaze immediately falling on the signature box at the bottom.
She had only written the first character (three dots of water) when her hand began to tremble uncontrollably.
Shen Nian's thin lips trembled slightly. She gripped the pen tightly and wrote her name in one breath, then pushed the termination form to the doctor: "Thank you for your help." Her tone remained indifferent throughout. The doctor glanced at her again but said nothing, giving her the surgery form.
Shen Nian hadn't eaten anything yesterday, so she could have a painless abortion. The surgery was scheduled for this afternoon, taking less than an hour.
When she was wheeled out, the anesthesia hadn't completely worn off, and Shen Nian was still in a drowsy state. The nurse wheeled her into the ward.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she opened her eyes. She didn't move, but stared blankly at the ceiling. Her stomach was aching slightly from the surgery.
"Buzz—" Her phone vibrated in her bag. Shen Nian slowly came to her senses, reached up and unzipped her bag, taking out her phone.
She glanced at the contact name, swiped the screen, and held the phone to her ear.
"Lingling, what's wrong?"
"Sister Nian, where are you?" A worried voice came from the other end.
Shen Nian lowered her eyes: "I have something to do today, I'm not in the company right now."
Ah, there was a response on the other end, "But there's a very important dinner party tonight. This investor is very important to our company, and President Lu specifically requested that you go with him..."
"..." Shen Nian was silent for a few seconds, "I understand." She hung up the phone, put it back in her bag, and then got out of bed.
A slight pain came from her abdomen. She frowned, put on her shoes, and left the ward with difficulty, pressing her lower abdomen.
When she arrived at the company, Lu Lingchuan was just coming downstairs. He was dressed exceptionally formally today, in a black plaid suit with a matching tie. The diamond tie clip added to his charm. His shoes were polished to a shine. Tall and elegant, he exuded a noble air.
His features were well-defined, but his handsome face was expressionless, his unsmiling demeanor conveying a sense of aloofness.
Hearing the door close, Lu Lingchuan glanced up.
Shen Nian got out of the taxi, straightened her clothes, and walked towards Lu Lingchuan step by step in her high heels, stopping about a meter away.
"Mr. Lu," she said, bowing slightly, her attitude respectful.
Lu Lingchuan gave her a brief glance, said nothing, and simply opened the car door and got in.
Shen Nian closed the car door, then walked around to the passenger side and got in.
Today's business meeting was arranged at a high-end five-star hotel.
Lu Lingchuan valued this project highly and had personally followed up on it from the beginning. The other party seemed to know their intentions, so they hadn't budged, wanting to secure the maximum benefit.
The two sides met in the reserved private room, shaking hands upon meeting.
"Hello, Mr. Lu. I've long heard of your young and promising talents, and seeing you today, it's truly undeniable, haha..." Compared to the young and seemingly easy-going Lu Lingchuan and Shen Nian, the other party consisted entirely of mature middle-aged men in their thirties and forties, their eyes gleaming with shrewdness and calculation.
