Contractual Love: Mistaken for True

Dissie’s wedding was truly the talk of the town. When her colleagues at the newspaper learned that Wang Jie was marrying Dissie, they couldn’t believe it. How could such a proud model choose someone like Wang Jie, a mere editor-in-chief? But Wang Jie simply said, “When love strikes, it’s unstoppable.”

Xu Xiaoyou found it amusing to listen to Dissie. According to her, Wang Jie had persistently pursued her back then. It was probably that very perseverance that led to the beautiful outcome they had today.

Once Xu Xiaoyou found out she was to be the bridesmaid, Xia Chen kept shaking his head. Bridesmaids were supposed to be unmarried, trying to promote themselves, so what was the point of Xu Xiaoyou, who was already married, getting involved? Xu Xiaoyou felt annoyed by this comment. If it wasn’t to outshine Murong Qing, she wouldn’t bother being a bridesmaid-it’s such a tough job!

On the wedding day, Xu Xiaoyou felt even more nervous than the bride. It was her first time as a bridesmaid, and the bride was a big star, with so many reporters taking photos and interviews. She was genuinely worried about making a mistake. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Watching Xu Xiaoyou’s anxious expression, Xia Chen couldn’t help but tease her, “Honey, if you’re this nervous being a bridesmaid, wait until our wedding-it’ll be even grander. Do you think you can handle it?”

Xu Xiaoyou felt a surge of pressure. Xia Chen was even more famous than Dissie, and the Xia Family’s influence was overwhelming. She feared she wouldn’t even be able to speak properly when the time came.

“Ah Xia,” Xu Xiaoyou whispered as she held Xia Chen’s hand, “How about we skip the wedding? I’m scared to face so many strangers.”

Xia Chen shook his head with a smile, “I’ve nearly planned everything for this wedding. It’s too late for you to say you don’t want to do it. Besides, I won’t let my wife be deprived of her wedding!”

“But… but…”

“There are no ‘buts.'” Xia Chen interrupted her, “I’ll handle everything; you don’t have to be afraid.”

Murong Qing watched the sweet exchange between the two and felt uncomfortable. Xu Xiaoyou, what makes you worthy of Ah Xia’s love? If it weren’t for our similar appearances, do you really think he would choose you? Xia Chen belongs to me; no one can take him away.

After a long day, Xu Xiaoyou lay on the sofa, exhausted and unwilling to move. I’ll never agree to do something like this again. Xia Chen sat beside her, massaging her shoulders, gently and comfortably. Without realizing it, Xu Xiaoyou fell asleep.

When Xu Xiaoyou woke up, she found herself in bed, rubbing her head and unable to remember how she had gotten back to her room. Had Xia Chen carried her in without waking her up? Lately, Xu Xiaoyou had been feeling something was off, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. It wasn’t until one day when she was flipping through her calendar that she realized she hadn’t gotten her period in a long time. Her heart sank at the thought. But after remembering the last time she went to the hospital only to be disappointed, she hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be another false alarm. It would be better to buy a pregnancy test just to be sure.

Finally exiting the pharmacy, Xu Xiaoyou felt sweat pooling in her palms. The nurse had looked at her as if she was some kind of promiscuous person. What the heck? I’m married; how could I even get pregnant?

Just a short distance away from the pharmacy, she noticed someone in sunglasses walking towards her. The person looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t quite recall who it was. It wasn’t until the person came close and called out her name, “Xu Xiaoyou,” that she recognized her-Murong Qing.

Xu Xiaoyou internally groaned. Why is it that I keep running into her? Just look at her; meeting me is never good news.

Murong Qing said, “Xu Xiaoyou, we need to talk.”

Xu Xiaoyou wanted to refuse but surprisingly found herself responding with, “Okay!”

The two found a café and sat down. Without much delay, Murong Qing got straight to the point.

“I saw you holding a box of pregnancy tests just now, right?”

Xu Xiaoyou instinctively tightened her grip on her bag. What does she mean by that? Can’t I buy one?

Seeing that Xu Xiaoyou remained silent, Murong Qing pressed on, “Do you think you can get pregnant?”

Xu Xiaoyou looked at Murong Qing, trying to decipher her words.

“What… what are you trying to say?”

“I mean, you don’t need to buy a pregnancy test because you’re not pregnant. To be precise, you can’t get pregnant,” Xu Xiaoyou’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How can you say I can’t get pregnant?”

Murong Qing smiled slightly, “We’re both women; surely I can tell. Let me ask you, how long have you been married to Xia Chen? And how long has it been since you’ve taken precautions? Why are you only buying a pregnancy test now? Are you certain that test will give you the answer you want?”

A barrage of questions left Xu Xiaoyou feeling breathless. She and Xia Chen hadn’t used protection for a long time, and Xia Chen worked hard every night; logically, she should have been pregnant by now. However, there weren’t any signs that indicated pregnancy, aside from the missed period. Xu Xiaoyou struggled to find a rebuttal to Murong Qing’s words.

“But even so, why are you so sure I can’t get pregnant?”

“Because Xia Chen himself told me,” Murong Qing said, her lips curling into a slight smile as she spoke.

Hearing Xia Chen’s words, it struck Xu Xiaoyou that he knew she couldn’t get pregnant. Why wouldn’t he tell her? “Calm down, Xu Xiaoyou,” she thought. Perhaps Murong Qing was intentionally trying to upset her.

“I don’t believe you! You’re lying to me. I’m leaving now, bye!” Xu Xiaoyou stood up to leave.

“If I’m lying, then you’ll find out tomorrow when you go get checked at the hospital,” Murong Qing called after her.

“Xu Xiaoyou, with such a vast inheritance in the Xia Family, what do you think Madam Xia would do if she knew? Do you think you could continue living in the Xia Family?”

Xu Xiaoyou was lost in thought as she walked home, Murong Qing’s words reverberating in her mind. It couldn’t be true; how could she not get pregnant? That was impossible! When she returned home, she took out the pregnancy test and went to the bathroom. After waiting a long while, the result didn’t reflect what she hoped for. It’s not possible; she thought, sitting on the sofa. Not being pregnant doesn’t mean being unable to conceive. Xu Xiaoyou, don’t let Murong Qing scare you. The things she said about you and Xia Chen are just coincidences; she just happened to hit the mark this time.

When Xia Chen got home and saw Xu Xiaoyou sitting on the sofa in a daze, holding a pregnancy test, he walked over and put his arm around her shoulders, asking, “What’s wrong, honey?”

Xu Xiaoyou turned to him, saying, “I took a pregnancy test today, and it shows I’m not pregnant.”

Although Xia Chen had already suspected this fate, he still held onto a glimmer of hope. The final result was disappointing.

“Well, that just means your husband hasn’t been trying hard enough. Starting tonight, I’ll put in more effort!” Xia Chen said, pulling Xu Xiaoyou close and whispering in her ear.

Usually, when he said something like this, she would playfully hit him a few times, but today, she didn’t react at all.

Seeing the change in her demeanor, Xia Chen frowned. What was going on with her? She seemed like a different person.

“Honey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” he asked with concern.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” Xu Xiaoyou replied, but then she realized she had been home for a while and had forgotten to prepare dinner. She stood up to get started.

Xia Chen pulled her back, asking what she was doing. She explained that she had forgotten to cook.

Looking at the time, Xia Chen said, “It’s so late already; let’s not cook. Let’s go out for dinner!”

The next day, Xu Xiaoyou took a leave of absence to visit the hospital. She wanted to prove that her body was fine and that she didn’t have the infertility issue Murong Qing mentioned. However, the doctor’s words sent her spiraling down into despair.

The doctor said, “I’m very sorry, Miss Xu. We conducted a thorough examination, and we found that your uterus had suffered from a severe infection in the past, which significantly reduces your chances of getting pregnant.” Xu Xiaoyou leaned weakly against the chair. She asked, “So, can I still conceive?”

“You can,” the doctor’s response provided a glimmer of hope, but the next part of his words plunged her back into despair.

“However, the chances of the fetus being viable are very low. It’s quite possible that you might become pregnant but then miscarry without even noticing, mistaking it for an early or late period.”

Xu Xiaoyou couldn’t recall how she exited the hospital; her mind was in disarray. Why did fate have to treat her this way? What did she do wrong? Why? If it weren’t for that kidnapping incident, she wouldn’t have gotten the infection, and maybe she would have already been several months pregnant.

Suddenly, Xu Xiaoyou remembered what Murong Qing had said-Xia Chen knew about this situation. But how did he know she couldn’t have children? When did he find out? Why hadn’t he told her? And if he knew, why would he still say he wanted to be a father? It had to be that Murong Qing intentionally claimed Xia Chen knew in order to manipulate her, trying to provoke a confrontation so she could seize Xia Chen for herself.

Murong Qing, I won’t fall for your tricks. Even if I can’t have children and have to divorce Xia Chen, I will find him a good woman-someone who truly loves him and treats him well, not you.

Little did she know, Xia Chen had already been aware of this situation for some time. Though Murong Qing’s scheme aimed to create conflict between them, Xu Xiaoyou’s thoughts helped her as well; as long as Xu Xiaoyou distanced herself from Xia Chen, Murong Qing would have a chance.

From now on, she decided to savor every single day spent with Xia Chen, until the day she left. That way, even when she lived alone in the future, she would still have memories to keep her company. When Xia Chen returned home and saw Xu Xiaoyou happily cooking in the kitchen, he asked, “What’s making you so cheerful? Did something good happen?”

Xu Xiaoyou turned to him with her back still facing him, saying, “I got a raise today. Does that count as good news?”

“Definitely! That’s great news!” Xia Chen said, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. “I have some good news for you too.”

“What good news?” Xu Xiaoyou turned her head to ask.

“Our home renovations are finished; we can move in anytime.”

“Really?” Xu Xiaoyou spun around and hugged Xia Chen, saying, “I haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Let’s find a time to go check it out together. We can see if there are any areas that need modifications, and we’ll get them done as soon as possible.”

“Okay,” Xu Xiaoyou replied with a smile, but inside, she couldn’t help thinking about whether she would even have the chance to live there for a few days.