Volume One, Chapter 11: Don’t Tell Me You’re Pregnant

Behind the desk, Hosley abruptly stood up, his gaze fixed on Jiang Qin’s pupils—dark and profound, unfathomable.

“Jiang Qin.” His voice was icy as he called her name.

Bent slightly forward, Jiang Qin felt her blood rush backward, as if her entire body had been plunged into an icy lake, every limb and bone chilled through.

She wanted to straighten up quickly, to stop him from overthinking, but the intense discomfort rendered her motionless.

All she could see were the gleaming black handcrafted leather shoes of the man, appearing within her lowered line of sight.

Her body stiffened as she slowly lifted her head. Hosley’s eyes were deep and shadowed, his handsome face overlaid with visible frost.

“Don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

His tone left no room for doubt; it was cold and straightforward, a statement laced with warning and finality.

Jiang Qin’s face drained of color. In that instant, her heart felt as though it had been thrown into a meat grinder, shattered into a puddle of mush.

She always remembered that Hosley had said they would never have children.

But now, hearing those words from the man she had loved wholeheartedly, her nominal husband, spoken with such ruthless indifference, the blow was incomparable.

Yet, there was no time for sorrow. She clearly understood the vast gulf between herself and Hosley. He was the heir of Kyoto’s most prestigious family, towering above all, while she was just an ordinary woman.

For him, resolving a personal matter was as effortless as crushing an ant—let alone a tiny infant.

She knew he was capable of it. But if there really was a child, why should he have the right to decide its fate?

He was the father, but was she not the mother? After four years of a secret marriage, how desperately she longed for a complete family—something he was fully aware of.

“Don’t worry, President Hosley, I’m just feeling unwell today.” Suppressing the discomfort, Jiang Qin straightened her back and met his gaze.

Her mind raced, her pale face set in a professional expression. “You had a car accident at noon. I rushed to the hospital, and in my haste to sign the papers, I started feeling ill. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Assistant He.”

Hosley watched her silently, uncertain if he was hearing her or simply ignoring her words.

Just then, the wind ceased, and with it, Jiang Qin’s unease lessened.

Seeing he remained unmoved, she took out her phone and prepared to call He Xu herself.

Hosley furrowed his brow slightly and suddenly interrupted her, “Go to the hospital.”

Her hand holding the phone froze as she looked up into Hosley’s deep, tranquil eyes.

“Aren’t you afraid to go?”

Recalling the examination results and the doctor’s words from last night, Jiang Qin smiled faintly, confident.

“Why would I be afraid? I already said I’m just unwell. President Hosley, you—”

The moment she uttered “you,” a sudden sensation swept over her.

Jiang Qin’s expression flickered oddly for a moment before she abruptly turned and walked out. Hosley’s brow lifted slightly as he followed.

Outside the office, Jiang Qin quickly set down her bag, opened a drawer, and took out a sanitary pad before pushing open the door.

In the corridor, footsteps followed closely behind, making her twitch the corner of her mouth.

How much did he not want her to be carrying his child that he wanted to personally confirm whether her period was real?

Reaching the restroom, Jiang Qin finally relaxed completely after holding her breath these past few days.

It seemed she had been overthinking—it really had arrived.

Feeling better, she went to wash up. In the hallway, Hosley stood there and even showed a somewhat kinder expression.

“Still not convinced, President Hosley? Want me to take a picture for you?”

The headquarters had closed on time; the office area was already empty. Jiang Qin approached Hosley calmly.

Though she spoke casually, she knew well enough that despite Hosley’s inscrutability at times over the past year, he wouldn’t be so twisted as to agree to her taking such a photo.

Her intuition was correct. After looking at her deeply once, Hosley’s cold tone shifted the topic.

“The things are in the drawer. Get them yourself.”

Saying this, his long legs, clad in tailored trousers, strode toward the elevator.

Jiang Qin withdrew her gaze and returned to the executive office. Inside, she opened his drawer as instructed.

There lay a gift box, its ribbon shimmering with dazzling colors tied in a beautiful bow, appearing untouched.

Taking the box, Jiang Qin slung her bag back on, locked the door, and headed for another elevator.

As she pressed the down button, her phone rang. It was Su Lejia.

“Hey? Qin Qin, where are you? At the office? I’m coming to pick you up!”

Jiang Qin paused briefly before remembering that after learning yesterday morning that Hosley was using her as a substitute, Su Lejia had immediately offered to accompany her. But Su Lejia had been away on a business trip these last two days, so Jiang Qin had waited for her return.

Apparently, she was back today. With so much happening, and Jiang Qin out of sorts yesterday, she had simply forgotten. But now was perfect timing to have dinner together.

“Yeah, I’m at the office, just about to head downstairs,” Jiang Qin replied.

Su Lejia’s tone was deliberately lively. “Great, wait for me six minutes—I’ll be there soon.”

Right on cue, at the sixth minute, a white BMW pulled up before Jiang Qin.

Once inside, Su Lejia launched into conversation about what to eat and drink, sharing her experiences from the recent business trip without pause.

Jiang Qin could tell Su Lejia was trying to comfort her, wanting her to heal swiftly from the wounds Hosley had inflicted.

Jiang Qin and Su Lejia had been classmates through middle and high school, attended the same university, and were close friends for many years. But after Su Lejia started dating and both began their careers, their contact naturally lessened.

This outpouring of support warmed Jiang Qin’s heart. As the car stopped at a red light, she thought for a moment and said,

“I’m okay. He and I have already discussed divorce. He agreed. Soon, we won’t have any ties.”

Su Lejia opened her mouth to comfort her, but Jiang Qin didn’t pause and suddenly smiled at her.

“Lele, do you remember that overseas company I mentioned? I got an offer from them.”

“Overseas company? The art position?!”

Su Lejia recalled the company well—a large, globally renowned corporation with diverse business areas. Jiang Qin had mentioned her strong desire to join them.

Jiang Qin nodded. “Yes, that one. The one I want the most.”

Su Lejia’s eyes lit up instantly, transforming into a lively cheerleader.

“Wow! Sister! Go for it! Love can never beat a career!”

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Su Lejia noticed something. “Hey, Qin Qin, you dropped something.”

Jiang Qin followed her gaze downward, twitched her eyelids, and hastily picked up a piece of paper.

Su Lejia noticed the hospital’s color-printed logo. “Third Hospital? Are you sick?”

“No,” Jiang Qin quickly replied, inwardly alarmed. She had been so careless yesterday—after folding the diagnostic report, she had absentmindedly placed it in the outer compartment of her bag.

Thankfully, her period had arrived; otherwise, if Hosley had seen it earlier, it would have been hard to explain.

“What was it?” The traffic began moving, and Su Lejia steered the car forward while asking.

Jiang Qin briefly explained the situation. “That’s all. It’s nothing; my period has come. I’m not pregnant.”

Su Lejia’s expression darkened slightly. “But Qin Qin…”

Sensing something was wrong, Jiang Qin tensed. “But what?”

“In early pregnancy, bleeding can also occur. It varies by person. My aunt went through the same thing. She told me it looked just like her period, but when it lasted too long, she got checked and found out she was pregnant.”

During the evening rush hour in Kyoto, traffic clogged again, and the white BMW stopped once more.

Su Lejia turned to look at the pale-faced Jiang Qin, her eyes filled with simple care and concern.

“But don’t panic. It could just be a delayed period. Still, I think you should find time to get a proper checkup at the hospital.”