Chapter 3
1176 Words
Song Qingshuang urged Fu Yan to stay at the Huo mansion tonight. The Huo mansion was vast, with each of the old master's children having their own separate courtyards. The fifth courtyard was the farthest from the main building.
Fu Yan refused; she hadn't stayed there since coming of age.
Knowing her daughter's stubbornness, Song Qingshuang did not insist, but reminded her to see a doctor before leaving.
Just as Fu Yan felt a hint of maternal love, she heard Song Qingshuang say, "You looked so pale from vomiting. You have a meeting in a few days. How can you make a good first impression like this?"
"Alright, go rest now. We'll discuss this later."
Not wanting to hear more, Fu Yan pushed her mother into the courtyard.
Song Qingshuang, exasperated, said, "Didn't you see how the Huo family treats us? If you don't succeed, I'll be utterly humiliated!"
"Is marrying into a wealthy family the only measure of success?" Fu Yan averted her gaze.
Knowing her daughter responded better to gentleness, Song Qingshuang held her hand, her eyes reddening, "You know my situation in the Huo family. Do you really want to see your mother unable to hold her head high here?"
Fu Yan couldn't bear to see her mother cry, her heart softening, "Let's talk about it in a few years. I'm not in the right mindset now."
Seeing a crack in her daughter's resolve, Song Qingshuang pressed on, "Men love young women, especially in this circle. They've seen it all. They want a wife who is sensible, obedient, young, and beautiful."
She continued, "Huo Mingzheng is considered quite virtuous among his peers, yet even he can't escape this."
Hearing Huo Mingzheng's name, Fu Yan felt a shiver, torn between wanting to leave and hearing more about him.
"What about him?"
Song Qingshuang's words pierced through her, "I heard the old master introduced a few women to him, and he chose the youngest and most beautiful."
Her heart pounded wildly as she stood in the wind.
By the time she left the Huo mansion, night had fully fallen.
Autumn came early in the southern city, and the evening wind carried a chill.
She quickened her pace, heading out. The Huo mansion was in the suburbs, with no nearby subway station. It took about twenty minutes to walk to the main road to catch a taxi.
Halfway there, a car honked behind her. Instinctively, she stepped aside, but the car stopped next to her.
"Miss Fu." The window rolled down.
It was Huo Mingzheng's secretary, Cao Fang.
A chill ran down her spine as she glanced inside the car.
The back seat was dark, making it hard to see.
Secretary Cao, noticing her hesitation, explained, "Mr. Huo is still at the banquet and couldn't leave. He asked me to drive you to the hospital."
Fu Yan was about to refuse, aware that this was the Huo family's territory and she could be seen at any moment.
Cao Fang smiled politely, "Miss Fu, Mr. Huo instructed me to take you to the hospital for a check-up. He is concerned about your health."
Huo Mingzheng was not known for such consideration.
Fu Yan had a hunch, which Cao Fang's next words confirmed.
"Mr. Huo said if it's a stomach issue, the doctor can prescribe some medication. If it's something else, we can make arrangements."
Something else...
Fu Yan's heart skipped a beat. Pregnant?
What did Cao Fang mean by "arrangements"?
Huo Mingzheng would never allow her to carry his child.
Especially now, with a marriage prospect on the horizon. If she were pregnant, his reaction was predictable.
She felt as if she had emerged from an icy abyss, her entire body cold, dreading the potential reality and the abyss it would plunge her into.
Cao Fang had arranged everything. At the hospital, all she had to do was cooperate with the check-up, including an additional blood test to determine pregnancy.
She sat in the corridor, lost in thought, her palms marked by her nails, each second feeling like an eternity.
By the time she left the hospital, it was late at night.
The air was damp and cold, and she shivered, sneezing twice.
Her nose was red, eyes brimming with tears. The wind made her frail body sway like a fragile willow.
Cao Fang opened the car door, and as she stepped in, she froze.
From her angle, she could only see the man's bent legs, his tailored trousers without a crease.
A hand rested on his leg, fingers long and strong, the wristwatch reflecting a cold, metallic light.
"Miss Fu, please get in." Cao Fang urged, reminding her that she had no choice.
As she entered, she noticed Huo Mingzheng, slightly inebriated, reclining with his eyes closed. The dim light cast shadows on his handsome, yet sinister face.
His suit jacket was casually thrown aside, his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar.
Fu Yan had always known that Huo Mingzheng looked best in black.
His pale skin contrasted starkly, exuding an air of nobility and a rebellious wildness that made one's blood boil.
It was as if the color had been made for him, unmatched by any other man.
Like the night, like an abyss, irresistibly alluring.
As she settled in, the bag of medicine was taken from her.
"Don't worry, you're not pregnant." Her voice was tinged with bitterness.
Huo Mingzheng paused, then casually glanced at the test results, "That's for the best."
Fu Yan couldn't describe her feelings, a lump in her throat.
When the results came out, she had felt a mix of relief and disappointment, her emotions conflicting.
But now, his words were a stark reminder.
Don't harbor any illusions.
She collected herself as Huo Mingzheng divided her medication, handing her a bottle of water.
"Take your medicine, and don't vomit in my car."
Fu Yan remembered his slight obsession with cleanliness.
She didn't explain that she had already vomited everything at the Huo mansion.
Swallowing the medicine, her empty stomach felt uncomfortable.
Just as she finished, her phone rang—it was Song Qingshuang.
She didn't want to answer, fearing what her mother might say.
But the persistent ringing seemed to irritate Huo Mingzheng, who frowned slightly.
Reluctantly, she answered.
"Yan Yan, did you see the doctor?"
The car was too quiet; she pressed the phone close to her ear, trying to muffle her mother's voice.
"Yes, it's gastritis. I got some medicine."
Song Qingshuang, likely doing her skincare routine, spoke loudly on speakerphone.
"Remember what I told you. Rest well these days and look your best for the meeting on Saturday."
Fu Yan glanced at Huo Mingzheng, feeling uneasy, and quickly ended the call.
But her mother's last words, "I guarantee he'll like you," slipped out.
She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, praying he hadn't heard.
The car was silent, the only sound the hum of the engine. Streetlights cast fleeting shadows inside, highlighting Huo Mingzheng's chiseled profile.
Accompanied by a low chuckle.
"A blind date?"
- Writer
