Chapter 104 Remembering Human Favors

One wrong step and you might never be able to recover.

She can't afford to lose.

"good."

Sheng Tingzhou finally nodded, his gaze still fixed firmly on her eyes.

A slow smile crept onto his lips.

The smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it carried a hint of danger.

"Before that, let's collect some interest."

As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the back of her head with one hand.

Before her body could even react, he had already lowered his head and kissed her.

In that instant, it was as if all sound had been sucked out of her world.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

But she dared not move, letting him slowly steal her breath.

It was winter, yet the wind howled outside and a thin layer of frost covered the windowpanes.

But inside the room, it was as hot as midday in the height of summer, so stuffy that it was hard to breathe.

A dizzying warmth filled the air.

After a while, he slowly released her, his fingertips still gently supporting the back of her neck.

A moment later, he lowered his head and gently bit her lower lip.

"Little mouse, no running around again at the same time next week. Do you hear me?"

Song Zhiwei pursed her trembling lips, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, her eyelashes lowered.

He nodded slightly after a moment.

"Hmm...I understand."

—

The next morning.

As dawn broke, the sunlight outside the window still had a faint grayish-blue tinge.

The phone on the bedside table started vibrating rapidly.

The ringing was shrill, like a death knell.

Song Zhiwei groggily reached for her phone and glanced at the caller ID.

It's Jiang Mengxi.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her sleepiness vanished instantly. She quickly answered the call.

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Mengxi's voice trembled and broke into broken sentences.

"Zhiwei...I'm finished...I'm really...finished..."

Song Zhiwei suddenly jumped out of bed, her back instantly covered in a layer of cold sweat.

"What's wrong? What happened? Where are you now?"

"I...can I come to your house? I...I'm about to cry, Zhiwei, I really can't hold on anymore..."

Jiang Mengxi's voice was off.

Song Zhiwei's heart sank, and she immediately rolled out of bed, stepping barefoot onto the cold floor.

"Okay, don't be afraid, I'll wait for you. I'll come right now, okay? I'll be waiting for you at home."

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

Song Zhiwei rushed to the door in three quick steps.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Mengxi staggered and pounced on her, almost pressing her entire weight onto her.

"Zhiwei, I'm really finished... I can't go on living..."

Song Zhiwei's heart tightened, and she quickly pulled the person into her arms.

She gently patted Jiang Mengxi's back, soothing her softly.

"Don't panic, don't cry, I'm here. Tell me clearly, what exactly happened?"

She pulled Jiang Mengxi to sit down on the sofa in the living room.

I sat down next to her and held her hand tightly.

Under the lights, Jiang Mengxi's face was as pale as paper, her eyes were red and swollen, and tears kept falling.

"I...I'm pregnant."

Jiang Mengxi finally choked up and said those words, tears instantly streaming down her face.

"I'm pregnant, Zhiwei... I don't know what to do... I'm really... really doomed."

Song Zhiwei's pupils contracted sharply, and she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her mind going completely blank for a moment.

Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"What?"

"Last time at the bar, my friends and I drank too much... I don't remember anything afterwards... When I woke up, I was in a hotel bed... My clothes were messy..."

Jiang Mengxi spoke through sobs, her voice broken and fragmented.

"I don't know... what happened... I don't remember... was anyone there... I checked my phone, there are no call logs, no text messages, nothing..."

Song Zhiwei wanted to scold her, reprimanding her for going to that kind of place and for getting so drunk.

But seeing her so distraught, the words of reproach stuck in his throat, and he could only sigh softly.

Have you checked the hotel's security footage? Did you see anything?

"I checked... The front desk checked the surveillance footage, and the corridor was dark, with no one going in or out... There were no cameras installed in the rooms, I... I have no evidence at all."

Jiang Mengxi shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

“I went to the hospital for a checkup, and there was no infection or injury... but the baby... I'm pregnant... the doctor said it's about five weeks…”

Song Zhiwei panicked as well.

This was the first time she had ever truly encountered something like this.

Although I've seen the news and heard about similar cases.

But when it actually happens to someone you're closest to, the impact is almost overwhelming.

"The doctor said..."

Jiang Mengxi finally broke down, throwing herself into Song Zhiwei's arms, her shoulders shaking violently as she wailed.

"The doctor said... I have severe endometriosis, and the risk of miscarriage is extremely high. Once I have surgery, I might... I might be infertile for life... I'm afraid to have an abortion, and I'm afraid to give birth... Zhiwei, what should I do? What should I do..."

If her father, Jiang Zhenlan, found out, he would definitely break her legs.

That man always valued family honor above all else and hated anything that "brought shame" to his name.

A while ago, he proposed a marriage alliance with the Zhao family, but Jiang Mengxi resisted fiercely and argued back on the spot.

As a result, Jiang Zhenlan slapped him so hard that his ears rang and he had tinnitus for a whole day.

That night, she was so angry that she stormed out of her house and went straight to a bar to drown her sorrows.

But she never expected that her indulgence that night would bring such unbearable consequences.

Song Zhiwei pulled out a tissue and gently handed it to her with trembling fingertips.

"So what are you planning to do now? Have you thought about what to do next?"

Jiang Mengxi just shook her head, her eyes so red they looked like they were about to burst, and she couldn't say a word.

Seeing her like this, Song Zhiwei felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

She took a deep breath, reached out and gently pulled her into her arms, resting her chin lightly on the top of her head.

"Don't be afraid, Mengxi, don't be afraid. I will always be by your side. No matter what happens, I will never abandon you."

Ever since she entered the Zhou family, most people in the circle have treated her coldly, openly and secretly mocking her as a "Cinderella who climbed the social ladder."

Jiang Mengxi was the only girl who had ever been genuinely kind to her.

When others gossiped about her behind her back, Jiang Mengxi was the first to stand up for her.

She kept this kindness in her heart.

"Can I...stay here for a few days?"

Jiang Mengxi raised her tearful eyes, her voice trembling so much it was almost inaudible.

"If my dad finds out when I get home... he'll kill me... I really... won't survive..."

Song Zhiwei nodded without hesitation.

"Of course you can. Stay as long as you want; my home is your home."

There was a small cubicle in the apartment with a single bed, which was usually filled with clutter.

Old newspapers, unused clothes hangers, a few tattered magazines, and several unopened cardboard boxes from express delivery.

The sheets had long since turned yellow, and a broken curtain cord was still hanging at the foot of the bed.

However, with a simple cleaning, wiping away the dust, and changing the bedding, it's ready to live in.

"What do you want to eat for lunch? How about I make you some pork rib soup?"

Song Zhiwei glanced at the clock on the wall.

It's 10:30, and the hands are steadily pointing to that number.