Li Susu was pregnant.
The ultrasound scan indicated a twin pregnancy within the uterus, at ten weeks.
Her fingers, clutching the report, tightened until her knuckles turned white, her small, palm-sized face drained of all color.
Perhaps because she often skipped meals, she had developed irregular periods. With her heavy course load and a part-time job to juggle, she had paid it no mind.
It was only when she began experiencing recurring nausea in the last few days that she decided to come to the hospital for a check-up. She never imagined she would truly be pregnant.
She sat on a chair outside the ultrasound room, looking blankly into the distance, lost as to where she should go from here.
Her logic told her that her studies were the most important thing right now; she absolutely could not keep the baby.
But she didn't even have the money for an abortion.
She had just transferred the two thousand yuan she earned from her part-time job to her mother yesterday. Forget an abortion—even buying food required her to pinch every penny.
After struggling with the decision for over an hour, she waited until the outpatient clinic began to empty before daring to enter. The doctor frowned slightly upon seeing her. "What is it, young lady?"
"Doctor, I want an abortion. About how much would the surgery cost?"
Li Susu’s face turned bright red, her voice no louder than a mosquito’s hum.
"Prepare three thousand; that should be enough." The doctor, already accustomed to such cases, spoke in a flat tone. "Come in around 8:30 tomorrow morning. You can have the surgery after the pre-operative check-up. Remember to come on an empty stomach. Also, it’s best if you have a family member accompany you."
"Can I not have the surgery without a family member?" Li Susu asked, worried.
"It’s not a mandatory requirement."
The doctor’s words caused the weight in her heart to suddenly lift.
She had no idea who the father of the child was. What happened at the hotel that night had been nothing but a nightmare for her.
A few months ago, on a weekend evening, her father—a local idler in their village—suddenly came to the school to visit her.
Perhaps because he had been beaten for failing to pay off gambling debts, his face was covered in bruises and patches of purple. He looked significantly thinner and much older than before.
She treated him to a meal at a restaurant near the school.
Seeing her father in such a sorry state, she couldn't help but feel sad, but his next words left her feeling a wave of revulsion.
"Susu, your father has been beaten black and blue by those animals over this 300,000 yuan gambling debt. I’ve been lying in the hospital for half a month. They said if I can't pay it back, the next ones to end up in the hospital will be your brother and your mother! Daughter, for the sake of the twenty years your mother and I have raised you, please help me. If your mother and I hadn't adopted you, you likely would have frozen to death long ago..."
He said that just one night would resolve all the trouble, and it would settle the debt of their years of raising her.
She broke down in tears, trying to flee the restaurant, but she was shoved into a car by a group of men already waiting outside and taken to a hotel.
At that moment, she suddenly went quiet. She stopped fighting and crying, and obediently followed them to the designated room.
When a handsome young man emerged from the bathroom, she curled up in the corner of the wall in terror. But in the end, she overcame her fear and rose to go to him.
The man stared at her gloomily for a long time before squeezing out one word: "Get out!"
He had told her to leave—that was something Li Susu hadn't expected.
Yet, the more he did that, the less she could leave. Because once she stepped out of that room, even more dangerous things awaited her.
The debt collectors would never let her go if they didn't get their money!
And the man before her, though fierce-looking, at least didn't seem like a predator.
"Are you leaving or not?" The man gripped her chin without a shred of gentleness, his eyes seemingly suppressing some unknown emotion.
Seeing that his face was abnormally flushed, Li Susu thought he was ill and asked him with concern, "Sir, are you feeling very unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Just as her hand touched his forehead, the man suddenly leaned down to kiss her... his movements were so swift she barely had time to think.
The night was a blur.
Li Susu didn't know how long she had been asleep. When she finally woke up, the man was just coming out of the bathroom.
He walked silently to the bed and, right in front of her, unknotted his bathrobe.
Li Susu thought he was coming for her again, and she shrieked in terror, pulling her head under the quilt.
However, she heard the rustling sound of the man changing clothes.
Then, a low, magnetic voice drifted into her ears: "This million is your payment."
Recalling everything that had happened to her, Li Susu’s tears spilled over uncontrollably, dripping down her face.
"What are you crying for? You were the one who initiated it last night." The man seemed to have walked closer. He tore the quilt off her head and gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.
Her gaze fell upon his slightly bobbing Adam’s apple, where a clear ring of teeth marks was printed. The marks varied in depth, and the surrounding skin was flushed a faint red.
Thinking that she was the culprit, Li Susu’s face crumpled.
If she had known, she should have bitten harder and killed him, then jumped off a building herself.
But it was too late to say anything now.
"Three hundred thousand, consider it a loan from me. Leave your phone number."
"Why, do you want to find me again next time?" the man asked mockingly.
"Whatever you think."
Li Susu blushed, broke free from his grip, and grabbed her clothes to rush into the bathroom.
About five minutes later, she heard him open the door and leave.
Only when those footsteps were completely inaudible did she let out a small sigh of relief.
When she came out of the bathroom, she didn't see any contact information left by the man.
Holding the million-yuan check, Li Susu felt a complex mix of emotions.
She agonized over whether to go to the front desk and ask for the gentleman’s contact information, because the sum of one million was simply too large—she was terrified he would come back later and accuse her of extortion.
But just as she exited the elevator, her path was blocked by her father and the debt collectors waiting there...
Although several months had passed, Li Susu still couldn't help but cry whenever she thought of it in the silence of the night.
Even though she was only an adopted daughter, she had always treated him like a biological father. Even when he gambled constantly, she would help him out whenever he asked for money, even if it meant she couldn't afford dinner herself.
And yet, he had completely destroyed her life for his own selfish gain.
-
Li Susu borrowed three thousand yuan from a good friend and went to the hospital on an empty stomach the next morning.
There were quite a few girls in the outpatient line, so Li Susu sat on a bench outside to wait.
Perhaps because she hadn't eaten, she felt more nauseous and miserable than ever. She endured it as long as she could, but finally, she had to go to the restroom.
After vomiting until she felt as though her soul had left her body, she leaned against the wall as she emerged, feeling completely drained.
Just then, a man in a tailored suit walked out of the men’s restroom nearby. It was Ji Lin.
He was off today and had come to accompany his new wife for a prenatal check-up. As fate would have it, he happened to run into the girl who had been with his boss that night.
Seeing her deathly pale complexion and the pregnancy test report in her hand, Ji Lin thought for a moment before deciding to follow her to the clinic.
Only after hearing her conversation with the doctor did he realize that this Li Susu was here today to have an abortion!
He caught a glimpse of the ultrasound report in her hand.
Ten weeks pregnant—the timing was an exact match!
But his boss had become infertile due to a car accident. Since Li Susu was carrying twins, could the father be someone else?
Thinking of Old Master Bo and Old Madam, who were desperately longing for a grandchild, Ji Lin didn't dare to be careless. He was terrified that the girl might actually be carrying his boss's child.
With that in mind, he immediately called his wife, explained the situation briefly, and asked her to stall Li Susu while he stepped outside the clinic to call his boss and report the situation.