Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Hidden Ailment, Turning Point

Zhang Yuqing was shocked. Eventually, accompanied by her mother, she went to the hospital for a check-up. When she received the test results confirming her pregnancy, she was utterly dumbfounded. Because the previous incident had blown up and made her a familiar face to many, the news of her pregnancy spread like wildfire. And everyone knew that the child belonged to Shen Zhiqiu.

Caressing her belly, Zhang Yuqing thought about how she was now carrying Shen Zhiqiu’s flesh and blood. The hope that had died within her showed signs of rekindling. She began to ponder how to deal with this new life. Should she give birth and raise the child herself, or end it early? Torn between the two choices, she found it impossible to make a decision.

Right at that moment, Shen Zhiqiu—whom she hadn’t seen since that fateful day—appeared before her again. He had caught wind of her pregnancy and learned that the child was very likely his. Furious, he had come seeking her out.

Shen Zhiqiu had initially believed that Zhang Yuqing had schemed against him. However, seeing that she hadn’t bothered him since, his resolve had softened a bit, and he even wondered if he had misunderstood her. But just as he was reconsidering, this explosive news broke out, immediately shattering those thoughts. He became more convinced than ever that this was all part of Zhang Yuqing’s scheme. She was using the child to force a marriage.

How could he let himself be led by the nose? He immediately tracked her down and confronted her. "I will never acknowledge the child in your belly. If you could scheme against me, you could easily scheme against others. Who knows where this bastard child of yours really came from!"

His words were like a sharp knife plunging into Zhang Yuqing’s heart, just as the arrival of the child had brought a glimmer of hope back into her life. Hearing him call their child a bastard made her heart bleed.

"I advise you to drop this idea of using a child to force a marriage," Shen Zhiqiu sneered. "Even if this child is truly mine, considering the shameful methods you used to get here, I will never acknowledge him. He shouldn’t even be brought into this world.

"Zhang Yuqing, if you want to save what little dignity you have left, abort this child yourself and find a place where no one knows you to start a new life!"

Not only did Shen Zhiqiu want her to abort the child, but he also wanted to banish her from the place where she had grown up.

Zhang Yuqing finally snapped. Losing her temper for the first time, she grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it at him.

Shen Zhiqiu dodged the projectiles with ease. Shooting her a look of disdain, he warned, "Do as I said, and don’t bring more suffering upon yourself."

With that, he left again, leaving Zhang Yuqing to bury her face in her hands and sob bitterly. But this time, her tears quickly ceased, replaced by a glint of sheer determination in her eyes. She had made up her mind. She was going to keep the baby!

Shen Zhiqiu firmly believed that she had orchestrated everything to tie him down with a child. She would prove him wrong. She would give birth and raise the child on her own, proving that she didn’t need him at all.

From that moment on, Zhang Yuqing focused entirely on her pregnancy, determined to bring a healthy baby into the world. During this time, although she tried not to let matters concerning Shen Zhiqiu ruin her mood, she couldn’t help but hear a lot of news about him.

Ever since that incident, his childhood sweetheart had completely ignored him and had even gotten married in a flash to someone else. The blow devastated Shen Zhiqiu. On the day of her wedding, he had even planned to crash the ceremony and snatch the bride away. Fortunately, her new husband seemed to have anticipated this and arranged tight security, ensuring that Shen Zhiqiu’s plan failed.

Watching the girl he grew up with marry another man took a massive toll on him. For the next few months, he was depressed and listless. This state of mind eventually led to an accident during a battle against a Mutant. And it was precisely because of this accident that Zhang Yuqing was able to marry into the Shen family.

Recalling these past events, Zhang Yuqing realized her face was already covered in tears. Now, looking back, nothing but hatred remained in her heart. She hated her past foolishness, and she hated Shen Zhiqiu’s callousness.

At the time, Shen Zhiqiu was still wallowing in the sorrow of his childhood sweetheart’s marriage. His lack of focus during the fight against the Mutant had resulted in a severe injury to his lower abdomen, leaving him permanently sterile. As the heir to the Shen family, how could he possibly go without an heir of his own?

At first, the Shen family simply scoured the world for renowned doctors, hoping to cure Shen Zhiqiu’s hidden ailment. But everyone’s answer was the same: the damage was irreparable, and there was no cure. Faced with the imminent end of their bloodline through Shen Zhiqiu, the Shen family members finally remembered Zhang Yuqing.

The incident back then had caused a massive uproar, so the Shen family members were naturally aware of it. However, the Shen family and the Zhang family were completely mismatched in social status. Even after what had happened, they had no intention of marrying beneath their station. Therefore, even though they knew Zhang Yuqing was carrying Shen Zhiqiu’s child, they had remained silent.

After all, it was common for young masters of wealthy families to sow their wild oats without facing any consequences. Which elite family didn’t have a few illegitimate children scattered outside? Only the legitimate offspring had the right to inherit the family estate. So, when they found out that Zhang Yuqing hadn’t aborted the baby, they simply didn’t care. Even if she were to show up at their door demanding things in the future, they had plenty of ways to send her packing.

But now, with the Shen family’s bloodline on the verge of being severed, the Shen family members could no longer sit still. They once again thought of the child in Zhang Yuqing’s womb. The family elders immediately issued a direct order: Shen Zhiqiu was to marry Zhang Yuqing and bring the Shen family’s flesh and blood back into the fold.

Shen Zhiqiu still blamed Zhang Yuqing for losing his childhood sweetheart. Even at a time like this, he refused to be with her. He repeatedly belittled her, pointing out that the child might not even be his. The Shen family members had never looked too deeply into the original incident. They merely treated it as Zhang Yuqing’s underhanded ploy to latch onto their prestigious family. Naturally, someone capable of such schemes had questionable character.

However, some felt that if Zhang Yuqing wanted to cling to the Shen family, she wouldn’t mess around with other men, let alone get pregnant by someone else and pass the child off as Shen family blood. If she were caught doing so, the consequences would be more than she—or even her entire family—could ever bear.

Amidst the differing opinions, the family elders finally decided to have Shen Zhiqiu marry Zhang Yuqing. However, they planned to test the baby’s DNA after birth. If it was truly a child of the Shen family, all would be well. If not, they would take other measures.

Unable to defy his elders, Shen Zhiqiu ultimately compromised and personally went to her door with betrothal gifts to propose. Meanwhile, the news of Shen Zhiqiu’s hidden ailment was kept strictly under wraps. Because of this, when Zhang Yuqing saw him arrive, she genuinely believed he had experienced a change of heart.

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