Xu Yan still didn't open her eyes.

When Xie Zhuo touched her lower abdomen, she had no choice but to look down and glance at him hastily.

It does actually have a slight curve.

When she looked up in surprise at Xie Zhuo's face, her gaze still swept over the image reflected in the mirror.

Xu Yan's face immediately turned even redder.

Xu Yan felt like she hadn't slept much that night. When she woke up in the morning, the sun was already high in the sky, and Xie Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.

She moved her leg, and her whole body felt sore and weak; not a single part of her body felt comfortable.

Finally, she struggled to sit up, grabbed her clothes, and saw Xie Zhuo carrying a bowl of porridge as she entered.

"Awake?" Xie Zhuo placed the porridge on the bedside table and sat down on the bed.

Xu Yan glared at him.

Last night was too intense, too long, and too many times. She cried and begged for mercy, but this pervert got more and more excited the more he looked at her like that.

This has caused her to be able to clearly feel that a certain area is swollen.

Is this something a human being would do?

"I was wrong," Xie Zhuo knew what was wrong as soon as he saw her like this. He reached under the covers to reach over, but Xu Yan slapped him.

"Let me check," Xie Zhuo said. "Is it swollen?"

Xu Yan didn't speak, but because of his actions, she still subconsciously wanted to squeeze her legs together.

Xie Zhuo pushed him away somewhat forcefully, then touched him.

After checking the condition, I ran out and bought a few tubes of ointment and a few boxes of medicine.

Xu Yan had just finished her porridge when she saw the birth control pills in the bag and turned her gaze to Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo rubbed his nose a little guiltily, "The thing broke the last time yesterday. I only found out when I threw it away after using it. This will definitely not happen again."

He knew, of course, that the drug was very harmful to a woman's body, but there was nothing he could do. He really hadn't expected to break the skin last night, and since Xu Yan didn't want a child for the time being, he could only take a pill as a precaution.

Unexpectedly, Xu Yan stared at the medicine for a while, and finally said she wouldn't take it.

Xie Zhuo was stunned for a while, as if he had just heard what she said.

"Really not going to eat?" Xie Zhuo looked intently into Xu Yan's eyes, carefully confirming her meaning.

“Hmm,” Xu Yan looked at him and scratched Xie Zhuo’s wrist with her fingers. “If it’s not this time, then so be it. If it really is, then let nature take its course.”

Although the chances of hitting the jackpot on the first try were really small, Xie Zhuo still secretly hoped for it.

He will, as before, wonder whether the child looks like him or Xu Yan.

He hoped it would be a little princess who looked like Xu Yan.

Because of a slight slip-up that night, Xie Zhuo didn't touch Xu Yan for half a month. Before going to Hong Kong again, he coaxed Xu Yan to use his hands and legs to help him.

When Xu Yan got her period the following month, Xie Zhuo didn't seem particularly disappointed. Of course, it's also possible that he was restrained when he called her so that Xu Yan wouldn't notice.

No matter what, everything remains the same.

Xu Yan continued to go back and forth between home and school every day, and occasionally went to the post office to pick up the royalties mailed by the newspaper.

Xie Zhuo was already sorting out his assets in Hong Kong and shifting his work focus to City B. So he was extremely busy for the next year or so, and had almost no free time except for calling Xu Yan.

In 1982, the first batch of college students after the resumption of the college entrance examination finally graduated.

When Liu Mancang and Zhao Jisheng learned that Xie Zhuo had dropped out of school to go to Gangcheng, they wanted to go with him, but Xie Zhuo disagreed.

Liu Mancang was depressed for a while, but when he was struggling with whether to stay in B City or go back to his hometown after graduation, Xie Zhu came to see them again.

"Third Brother," Liu Mancang greeted Xie Zhuo as he entered the dormitory.

"What's wrong?" Xie Zhuo put the box she was carrying on the table and glanced at him. "Didn't you eat enough? You look so listless."

"It's not lunchtime yet," Liu Mancang said, standing against the corner of the table instead of sitting down.

Xie Zhuo wanted to say something more, but seeing that there were many people in the dormitory, he had no choice but to stand up and call Liu Mancang to walk outside. When they reached a secluded place, he continued, "When are you going home?"

"I won't reply," Liu Mancang replied instinctively after hearing Xie Zhuo's words, though he had been hesitating.

His tone was somewhat aggressive.

As soon as he said it, he realized it was a bit inappropriate, and rubbed his head with his hands. "That's not what I meant, I just..."

Xie Zhuo didn't interrupt, waiting for him to continue.

“Fine, that’s what I meant,” Liu Mancang stammered for a long time, then looked up at Xie Zhuo as if he had made up his mind. “I don’t want to go back. I’ve followed you since I was a child, and I want to follow you now.”

“Three years ago you told me that the situation was unstable and that things were chaotic in Hong Kong. You didn’t know what was going on, so you didn’t want me to come with you. I listened to you. Now that I’ve graduated from university, you still want to kick me out.”

"Why, Third Brother?"

Liu Mancang's question was quite sincere, and it was clear that he genuinely wanted to follow Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo hadn't said anything until Liu Mancang asked, then he clicked his tongue and said, "How old are you? Crying over something so small?"

“I didn’t cry,” Liu Mancang sniffed hard. “I’ve been having pollen allergies lately, and I feel like this every day.”

Xie Zhuo raised an eyebrow, but didn't say where the pollen came from in this weather.

Seeing that Liu Mancang's emotions had calmed down a bit, he said, "I didn't say I was going to kick you out. I was just asking casually. Why did you react so strongly? Didn't you say a couple of days ago that you were going to send some things to your aunt and the others? I bought some tonics. Take them back with you and come back in a month."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!