novelraw Chapter 189 Absolute Secrecy
Chapter 189 Absolute Secrecy
Lu Xiran struggled to her feet, her legs feeling a little weak.
She shuffled back to her room, supporting herself against the wall, picked up her phone, and opened the food delivery app. She typed three words in the search bar, deleted them, and typed them again. After several repetitions, she finally pressed the search button.
Pregnancy test.
Her fingers trembled as she made the payment. She placed her phone face down on the table, afraid to look at the order status. But then the screen lit up, and a notification sounded—"Your order has been accepted; estimated delivery time is twenty-five minutes."
Twenty-five minutes.
She had never felt that twenty-five minutes was so long.
She leaned against the headboard, staring at the ceiling, her mind a jumbled mess.
The pregnancy test arrived. She immediately took it back to her room, closed the door, and locked it. Leaning against the door, she unpacked it and stared at the white thing. She read the instructions three times, trying to understand every single word, yet it seemed like she understood nothing at all.
It would take almost a month to get a positive result. And her period had only ended about ten days ago. The last time she and Gu Yanshen... was right after her period ended. Logically speaking, that should have been her safe period.
Lu Xiran was a little disappointed. She was probably just overthinking things. But she still took the test.
A bar.
—As expected.
She placed the pregnancy test on the sink, looking at the lonely bar, unable to describe her feelings.
Disappointed?
She didn't know. She just stood there, staring at the line, for a long time.
Although she kept telling herself it was impossible, she still couldn't give up.
Then she picked up her phone and searched for the fastest way to test if she was pregnant.
Two to three weeks.
Those who have been in contact with the infected person for ten days can only get a blood test.
She didn't want to get a blood test. She didn't want to go to the hospital, didn't want to have her blood drawn, and didn't want to sit in that cold corridor waiting for a possible result.
She was afraid.
Forget it.
She threw the pregnancy test into the trash can.
After all that trouble, she was exhausted.
It wasn't physical fatigue, but a weariness that seeped into her very bones, a weariness she couldn't shake off. She lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, her phone still clutched in her hand. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her consciousness gradually fading. She didn't know when she fell asleep.
Gu Yanshen returned on time.
There was no one in the living room. He walked to the bedroom door, which was ajar, and gently pushed it open.
She lay curled up in bed, the blanket only covering her waist, her phone still clutched in her hand, screen down in her palm. Her breathing was very light, almost inaudible, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were pondering something even in her dreams.
He suddenly felt a little worried. In his memory, she had never taken a nap in the afternoon.
But these past few days, she's looked so tired. It's not the kind of tiredness from not sleeping well, it's the kind of weariness where everything feels completely drained.
He walked over and gently sat down on the edge of the bed.
I placed the back of my hand on her forehead—thankfully, she didn't have a fever.
He gently took the phone from her hand, as if unwrapping a fragile gift. She stirred, her eyelashes fluttering, but she didn't wake up. He breathed a sigh of relief, tucked the blanket over her, and paused when his fingers touched her shoulder—she had lost weight, as thin as a sheet of paper.
He stood up and went into the bathroom.
A takeout bag sat by the sink, its seal torn open and carelessly tossed aside. He was about to throw it away, but for some reason, he paused as his fingers touched the bag.
He glanced down inside and saw the receipt read – Pregnancy Test.
His fingers froze.
He was rooted to the spot, as if he had been nailed there, forgetting even to breathe. He slowly put the bag down, lowered his head, and his gaze fell on the trash can next to him.
A pregnancy test lay there, a little water stain on its white plastic casing. He bent down, moving slowly, as if afraid of disturbing something.
When his fingers touched the pregnancy test, he found his hand trembling. Not a slight tremor, but a tremor that seeped into his bones, one he couldn't control.
He picked it up and held it up to his eyes. A bar.
He stood there, clutching the pregnancy test in his hand, staring at the line.
She's been tested.
Why test?
Was it because of the vomiting? Was it because of the unusual inability to eat? Was it because she noticed something else?
Or perhaps he's just overthinking it.
He put the pregnancy test back in the trash can and turned on the tap to wash his hands. The sound of the running water was loud, drowning out his breathing. He leaned against the sink, head down, watching the swirling water disappear. His heart was pounding so hard he could barely stand.
He recalled her unusual behavior these past few days—she couldn't eat greasy food, felt nauseous at the smell of coffee, and was always tired. He assumed it was because she was in a bad mood after her foot injury, or that she just didn't want to talk to him. He had never considered this possibility.
The doctor said it would be difficult for her to get pregnant again.
Three years ago, that night, those words were like a knife, piercing his heart, and piercing her heart as well. He thought it would never happen again. He thought it was something he owed her, something he could never repay.
He was even prepared—whether they could stay together or not, whether she wanted him or not—he didn't care about having children.
As long as she's safe, that's enough.
But now.
He looked up at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were red-rimmed, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, as if he had just woken from a long dream. He remembered how she had looked when she was asleep—curled up, huddled up, like a wounded little animal.
He took the pregnancy test from the trash can, wrapped it in a tissue, and put it in his pocket.
He didn't want anyone to see, didn't want anyone to know what she was worried about.
He gently closed the door and dialed Xue Jingyan's number.
"Come here," he said in a low voice. "I need a blood test."
Xue Jingyan paused for a moment. "Who?"
"slowly."
There was a two-second silence. "What's wrong?"
"Absolutely confidential."
The two understood each other without saying a word.
hang up the phone.
Gu Yanshen stood on the balcony, looking at the distant horizon. The setting sun was dyeing the entire sky orange-red, spreading layer by layer from deep orange to light pink, like a painting slowly fading.
He stood there, his hands gripping the railing, his fingertips slightly white.
He didn't know what he was waiting for. Waiting for nightfall, waiting for her to wake up, waiting for Xue Jingyan to arrive, waiting for an outcome he didn't know. He only knew that he couldn't do anything right now. He could only stand there and wait.
He turned around and went into the kitchen.
She'll be hungry when she wakes up. She hasn't had much of an appetite these past few days, only eating a few bites of whatever she eats, but she still needs to eat. He opened the refrigerator and took out eggs, tomatoes, and a handful of scallions. He then opened the cupboard and took out noodles. He thought he'd make her some noodles when she woke up.
When Lu Xiran woke up, it was almost dark.
She leaned against the wall and slowly walked out of the room.
The living room lights were on. Warm yellow light streamed down from above and fell on the sofa.
Gu Yanshen is as cold and sharp as a knife, Lin Chen is as gentle and refined as black jade, and Xue Jingyan is as elegant and graceful as a pine tree.
—The three of them sitting on the sofa made for a truly beautiful scene!