At my father's funeral, wicked relatives were making life hard for me, a pregnant woman.

I wept before the tombstone, waiting for my fiance, Lu Zichen, all night.

All attempts at reaching out ended in vain: unanswered phone calls, and friends beating around the bush.

And there he was, appearing in a photo on Qiao Wanwan's "The Little Red Book", my high school sweetheart.

"Who would understand, my dear family? I've just returned to the country after five years, and my first love has come to help me move," she bragged.

The comments section was full of people expressing their envy, jealousy, and resentment.

Lu Zichen, in the photo, seemed so pleased with himself.

I gripped the notice of my publicly-funded study abroad opportunity tighter.

It looks like this marriage is pointless to pursue.

***

Even though the appointed time has long since passed, Lu Zichen is nowhere to be seen.

Wearing light mourning attire, I face off against the wicked relatives single-handedly, too timid to speak.

A pregnant unmarried woman, pale-faced, without a husband, it was the perfect topic for the relatives to chat about.

The man who used to swear to protect me now leaves me in a state of embarrassment, like a clown.

"Yueyue, I'm not trying to lecture you," one aunt began, "But it's not worth it for a young girl like you to be used without any commitment in return!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, city folks are never reliable, just look at this, she's pregnant and the man ran off."

"Let your aunt introduce you to a good man. I have a distant nephew who's ten years older than you, but he just lost his wife and is looking for a new one. If you marry him, it will spare your child the embarrassment of being fatherless."

"I also think he did right by leaving. She was already marked by death when her mother died giving birth to her. Now, her father is also dead, and she looks so sickly, who'd dare to take her on?"

They whispered these words, their faces revealing smug and malicious pleasure.

Perhaps a frail woman, pregnant, with both parents gone, makes the easiest target.

My heart felt numb with pain, yet my fingers never ceased sending messages to Lu Zichen.

"Husband, didn't you say you were coming because of my father's matter?"

"Husband, my belly hurts. They're all bullying me. Please come quickly."

Tens of messages sent, all sinking into the abyss.

Suddenly, I remembered that we were following each other on Xiaohongshu, I hurriedly opened the app to send him a message.

But Xiaohongshu pushed me a post of a female stranger.

I didn't swipe it away, because, in the post...was a man I'd shared a bed with for three years.

My fiancé - Lu Zichen.

The photos in the Xiaohongshu post were beautiful.

A gorgeous woman who had returned to her home country, arm in arm with a tall and handsome man. A perfect match.

Words also overflow with happiness.

"Who among my family would understand, just as I recently returned to the country, my high school sweetheart from seven years ago came to help me move house. Never would I imagine the school heartthrob back in the day has gotten even more handsome now."

The comment section was filled with neat and harmonious jealousy and envy, crying out that this kind of relationship is so sweet.

But, isn't this man, helping to move and fawning over me, my fiancé?

In the cold night of my father's funeral, I, bearing his child, endured the mockery of my relatives.

However, he was having a merry time with his high school crush.

One, a farewell to the mother of his unborn child and longtime fiancé.

The other, a reunion with his high school crush after returning to the country.

Lu Zichen's choice was without hesitation.

I was not disheartened, swallowing my sorrow, I kept calling him again and again. On the fifty-fifth time, he finally picked up.

What came through was Qiao Wanwan's laughter.

"This must be my sister-in-law, I'm Zichen's high school classmate, Qiao Wanwan. He just finished helping me move house, he hasn't had time to check his phone yet."

"If there's anything you need, you can talk to me. Zichen is taking a bath, he might not be coming home tonight. We, who haven't seen each other for so long, should catch up."

Before I could say a word, the call was disconnected.

A moment later, Song Zichen sent me a message, "I really can't stand you, always clinging to me. Today is such a rare chance for me to meet up with Wanwan, and you are being so noisy."

My own fiancee is carrying our child and becoming the subject of ridicule, yet he is frolicking under the moon with his old flame just as my father-in-law's funeral hasn't ended?

My lifetime of pain, in his eyes, seems to be worth less than one laugh from his beloved who returned from abroad.

They say a man will steady his heart once he has a child. Even if he doesn't love me, doesn't he care about our child?

Or could it be because it's my child in me that he particularly doesn't care?

If it were Qiao Wanwan's child, he would have already protected and cared meticulously.

He does not love me, nor will he come back. Lu Zichen and I were university classmates.

We were acquainted for five years, in a relationship for three.

The path to being with Lu Zichen hasn't been smooth. He was always the most pursued "campus heartthrob."

And I was an ordinary girl who was just considered pretty.

There were countless beauties at school who boldly confessed their feelings for him - charming, radiant, enchanting... among them, I was always the most ordinary.

I never had the courage to openly pursue him either. I would secretly enquire about his club activities. If he was a part of them, I would strive to join as a willing contributor. If I heard that he was playing basketball, I would be there to deliver water. If I learned that he didn't like meals, I would buy the same kind of bread and have a fellow student deliver it to his dorm.

I thought I was being very subtle, without ever thinking about letting him know everything.

A humble grass beneath his feet, I was content if I could make him happy occasionally.

That was until two years later, when I was bullied by a girl who had a liking for him.

That is my perpetual nightmare, being deceived into a basketball room by the executive of the club.

The girl leading the group was beautiful and arrogant, but she was looking at me with an evil gaze.

"Do you really think you're worthy of Lu Zichen? I feel disgusted on his behalf."

I never advertised my liking for him, but because of my humility, my secret crush was seen as a humiliation.

I was surrounded and shoved by a few girls, their actions got increasingly overboard, they even started to tear my clothes.

The leader laughed heartlessly, "If I were to circulate your nude photos out there, we shall see if you still dare to seduce Lu Zichen."

Tears streamed down my face in fear as I resisted, thinking I would die right there.

Then, Lu Zichen descended like an angel and saved me.

My dorm mate had to look for Lu Zichen when she realized I had not returned.

I don't really remember what happened after, as they say, the brain would make you forget unhappy events to protect you.

All I remember was that Lu Zichen was holding me in his arms, saying seriously,

"I remember you, Shen Yue, the silly girl who keeps hovering near me even though she won't admit it."

I was near tears. He actually knew who I was. He was aware of all the clumsy attempts I thought I had so expertly hidden. Did he think it was a disgrace that I liked him?

"But, I think I kind of like you too. Be my girlfriend."

And just like that, before graduation, I became Lu Zichen's girlfriend.

Maybe it was due to the reflective period during pregnancy, but as my vision blurred with tears, I began thinking back to everything that happened in the past.

When Lu Zichen confessed his feelings, saying, "I kinda like you", it turns out it really was just "kinda".

When we first got together I also heard about Qiao Wanwan, his roommate had told me about her.

"Shen Yue, be careful. When we first met Zichen, he drunkenly called out Wanwan's name many times. We heard she was his high school classmate who went abroad for her studies. Zichen seemed to have a bit of an unrequited love for her."

The man across had a worried look on his face.

I didn't pay it too much mind. It's only natural for an eye-catching man like Lu Zichen to have some past romantic experiences. Moreover, Qiao Wanwan had already gone abroad, and he was not a heartless man. What was there to nitpick about?

After graduating from college, we lived together for three years.

During these three years, I strived to be a good wife.

I accompanied him while he started his business, while he drank socially until he had a gastric ulcer.

We lived together in a rented house; so cold we couldn’t stand it, we would cuddle to keep warm.

Later, his business began to thrive, getting more successful each day.

In order to take care of him, I made soups and stews at home.

I knew his likes and dislikes, and cooked his favorite dishes.

He didn’t let me down either. He handed all the money he earned to me for safekeeping.

No matter how late he came home from social gatherings, he would let me hug him before going to sleep.

Many times when he was drunk, he hugged me and made promises.

"I will always be with Shen Yue, and never betray her."

I really thought once that he and I were in love, that I was his most beloved woman.

But now, I admit that I regret.

As the night deepens, the relatives who had enough of gossips have left one after another.

Alone, I kneel in front of my father's grave, caressing the tombstone by myself.

Dad, I once promised you that I would definitely bring the man I love the most back home, but now I have broken my promise.

He doesn't love me, and he won't come back.

Don’t disturb me. I wish you a blissful marriage. Woken up in a daze, Lu Zichen appears.

Seeing him, my tears are about to flow out, and I try to squeeze out a smile from the corners of my mouth.

Yet, he just frowned, looking at me.

"You've been waiting here all night. I'll take you to the hospital."

"But...but my father..." I stubbornly refuse to leave.

"There's no but. You stayed in the cold wind all night. Don't you consider the baby?"

He seems a little angry, but after a few seconds, he calms down and coaxes me, "Moon, be a good girl, let's go home for the baby's sake."

He didn’t think about the baby when I sent dozens of messages yesterday.

When he was preoccupied with assisting Qiao Wanwan, disregarding our baby's needs, he hadn't thought of me.

Now, seeing that I'm unwilling to part, he's blaming me again, using our baby as a cover.

"You can't do this to me, Lu Zichen." My heart aches deeply as I manage to utter these trembling words.

His face darkens, perhaps angered by my candidness.

"Shen Yue, don't push your luck. Where have I wronged you all these years? Haven't I given you control over the money I've earned?"

His emotions escalate as he vents his long-term grievances against me. "Think for yourself. Can you compare with any of the charming women outside? Which of those big bosses doesn't have multiple concubines? I have been good enough to you, yet you are still unsatisfied!"

Upon hearing his words, I look at him in disbelief, my face pale as a sheet.

After graduation, when Lu Zichen was penniless, I willingly crammed into a rental with him. It was my father who lent him his last savings to give him his first startup fund. When he started earning money, I gave up my career and returned home to manage his daily life. And now, he discredits all my contributions with a single sentence!

Seeing my tear-streaked face, he seems momentarily remorseful. "Yueyue, I must have been a bit impulsive just now, but..."

Before he can finish, a soft, melodious female voice interrupts his apology.

"Zichen, you woke up and didn't tell me, sneaking off to this small town by yourself!" Qiao Wanwan has arrived.

"Wanwan, you..."

"Zichen, we've known each other for so long, it's the first time I've seen you here in such a poor place." She eyes my fiancé with a cheerful smile, seemingly oblivious to my presence.

She's a gorgeous girl, with not a hint of hardship on her. Her radiant, luxurious attire appears to be the latest trend among wealthy young ladies. No wonder she is Lu Zichen's unforgettable muse.

In stark contrast to me, a heavily pregnant and utterly worn-out wife.

She, unabashedly, came up to hold my arm, "Is this your wife? She's much older than me, isn't she? Please, don't blame me if I'm frank."

Ignoring the smug look in her eyes, I replied coolly, "When Lu Zichen was helping you move, my father passed away."

"Perhaps I should thank you. You have shown me what kind of man I've been in love with for three years."

"Shen Yue, stop being unreasonable! I rushed over here early in the morning, aren't you satisfied? See which boss treats his wife as well as I do." In front of Bai Yueguang, Lu Zichen naturally wouldn't admit his wrongs and apologize, but instead flaunted his authority.

Qiao Wanwan also stifled her laughter and advised me, "Elder sister, you probably grew up in a small mountain village and are not aware of the actual situation. Zichen, this talented and accomplished man is naturally annoyed if you look disheveled all day. If you're pretty like me, of course, Zichen will love you."

The audacity in their words made me nearly laugh out loud.

If they thought I was a village girl, then why didn't they disdain my poverty when they took my father's funeral money to start their business?

How could I manage to look gorgeous when I was working around the clock on Song Zichen's projects, handling family and fund affairs, and trying to keep the pregnancy safe?

Looking at their smug expressions, I felt disgust.

Years ago, Qiao Wanwan left because Lu Zichen was broke, and disappeared abroad for seven years.

Now, as soon as Lu Zichen started his successful career, she hastily returned to rekindle an old romance. Such an opportunist.

I pushed Qiao Wanwan away sharply, looking deeply into Lu Zichen's eyes, "Let's cancel the wedding."

"I do not need a man who does not love me to put on an act. From now on, you go your way, and I will go mine."

"Don't bother me anymore. I wish you both a happily-ever-after."

"Fine, I am going to continue my design studies," Lu Zichen declared harshly one day, as he stormed out, dragging Qiao Wanwan with him. He spent the following weeks immersed in his work, not bothering to come home.

I gently caressed my stomach, lying quietly on the operating table awaiting an abortion procedure.

I had borne many hardships alongside Lu Zichen, and my body had yet to fully recover. The pregnancy was an unexpected one, and an attempt to keep it would likely harm the mother's body.

However, I couldn't forget Lu Zichen's joy when he found out about the pregnancy. His eyes sparkled like a puppy’s, and he spun me around in his excitement, expressing joy and affection.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as he said, laughing with delight, "Our child, we will name him Lu Simonth."

In order not to disappoint him, I kept my intention to maintain the pregnancy a secret. I toughed it out every night, enduring the abdomen pain and nausea. I drank bowl upon bowl of bitter traditional Chinese medicine until my eyes welled up with tears. My once smooth and fair skin had turned sallow and haggard due to hormonal imbalance.

But what did I get for all my sacrifices? He disregarded me completely and even gawked at a young and beautiful woman, dissatisfied that he had ended up with me.

I watched as the new one laughed while the former cried.

If so, there was no need to harm my body for a man who didn't love me.

Moreover, if we were to separate in the future, how would he and Qiao Wanwan treat the baby?

Aborting the baby would be a good thing for both me and him.

As the effect of the anesthetic was kicking in, I slowly lost consciousness, and the last tear I ever shed for him trickled down my cheek.

After the procedure, I staggered out of the hospital.

Perhaps due to my poor health, the pain in my stomach intensified. I gritted my teeth to keep my senses together, but ultimately could not fight off the bouts of dizziness.

The surrounding noise gradually faded away, my vision blurred, and unexpectedly, I collapsed to the ground, unable to muster any strength.

When I woke up, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.

The room was bathed in ample sunlight, with exquisite furnishings, and a faint aroma of sandalwood in the air. On the bedside table, there was a bowl of warm goji berry and black chicken soup, and a plate of Ejiao cake.

I tried to get up, but noticed there was a man in the room.

This man sat at a desk piled with books and draft papers, deeply engrossed in writing. His gaze was profound and focused, occasionally tapping his fingers lightly on the desk as if pondering something.

Handsome and possessed of an aristocratic temperament, this man was someone I knew all too well —

My university advisor, Gu Xiuyuan.

Gu Xiuyuan was one of the most well-known Chinese designers, coming from a family background rich in academia. He won a grand slam of design awards as soon as he came of age, and last year he became the youngest honorary dean of Harvard's Design School. Not long ago, he even swept the Red Dot Award - the 'Nobel Prize of design' in Germany, making him a prominent figure in the industry.

Back in university, he had a great admiration for me, believing that if I furthered my studies, I would become the next star in the design industry. However, I had chosen to marry Lu Zichen right after graduation, and began to assist him in starting his own business, thereby abandoning my passion for design.

Now, exposed in my most embarrassed state before the person who recognized and nurtured my potential, all I wanted to do was cry.

"Awake?" He asked with a smile as he walked over to me, sitting on a chair nearby, his concern written all over his face.

"I..." I didn't know how to explain that his once favored protégée was now reduced to fainting on the streets.

Gentle-eyed, he reassured me, "Don't be nervous, I remember you and Lu Zichen were very close back in the day. What happened?"

For some reason, I could swallow all my pain alone, but now, he simply asked a question, and I burst into tears.

Crying so hard that I couldn't catch my breath, I told him, in bits and pieces, what happened after graduation.

He listened attentively, and when I apologised for giving up my career in design over a man, he didn't blame me. Instead, in a soft voice, he reassured me, "Your happiness is what matters the most."

Upon hearing that Lu Zichen cheated on me during my pregnancy, his eyes were as cold as if covered with a thin layer of ice.

"A man like that is not worth crying over." He gently wiped away my tears.

But now, as a woman who forsaken my original career to help Lu Zichen during my prime, what kind of job should I pursue? I genuinely felt lost.

He looked at me resolutely, "If you're still interested in design, I can apply for you to study abroad at the public expense. You can continue to be my graduate student. Your skills should not be wasted."

However, I haven't done any design work for so many years, do I still have the abilities?

"Shen Yue, you must believe in yourself. You're my most admired student. I won't let you doubt yourself at any time."

"After all, with your talent, if you continue studying for three more years, you sure will shine."

Under the lamplight, the man's gentle eyes, like a clear spring, meticulously soothe my battered heart.

My heart, broken by Lu Zichen, seemed to have started beating again.

"Alright, I will continue with design."