Chapter 16: Yuan Yuan, You Can’t Get Pregnant

Tang Yuan was not provoked by his words; she immediately took out her phone to call the police.

Seeing her call the authorities, the man's pupils contracted sharply, and panic set in at once.

“You bitch! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Being a gambler, he was naturally terrified of the police. His reason for coming to see Chen Meng was because he owed a mountain of debt.

He shoved aside two security guards and glared fiercely at Tang Yuan, his eyes wild and extreme.

“Just wait, I won’t let you off easy!”

With that, he stormed off.

Tang Yuan pressed her lips together and put her phone away. She hadn't actually called the police—anything related to the studio’s affairs needed to be handled discreetly.

She took a deep breath and turned to the doctor beside her. “How is he?”

“No life-threatening injuries, but he needs plenty of rest from now on.”

She nodded and saw the emergency room doors open. Chen Meng was pushed out, then taken down to a ward.

She followed into the ward and sat by the bedside for ten minutes before footsteps approached. It was Fu Yansheng.

He held a spray for bruises and swelling and handed it to her.

She paused for a moment, then accepted it. “Thank you. Chen Meng is in trouble now. Tomorrow morning, I’ll accompany you to sign the contract. After that, you’ll have to join the crew. You have good acting skills; I’ll look for more roles for you.”

His eyelids lowered as he looked at her.

She appeared fragile, but her eyes were bright and resolute. “Okay.”

The doctor said Chen Meng wouldn’t wake until the next morning. Tang Yuan stood up. “Let’s go back; we have important matters to attend to.”

Outside the hospital, she clutched her stomach, nearly vomiting.

Fu Yansheng hesitated for a moment before saying, “I’ll take you home.”

Sweat beaded on her forehead. She forced a smile. “No need. You should rest well after you get back. Wait—”

Before she could finish, a gust of wind rushed by.

“You bitch! I told you not to call the police!”

A stick came crashing down on her head.

Tang Yuan raised her hands to block but saw a shadow envelop her.

Fu Yansheng grabbed the stick and kicked the man two meters away.

The man clutched his stomach, spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

“You pretty boy, just you wait! Just wait!”

He got up and ran away for real this time.

Tang Yuan looked at Fu Yansheng’s retreating figure and hurried forward, grabbing his hand to check carefully. “Are you alright? Any injuries?”

His hand was thoroughly examined by her, and when he confirmed he was fine, she finally exhaled in relief.

“Next time, don’t stand in front of me.”

His fingertips curled slightly as he turned his head away.

Tang Yuan’s gaze fell on the taut bones of his wrist—strong and straight, hinting at the explosive power beneath his handsome exterior.

She withdrew her hand. “See you at the studio at nine tomorrow.”

After speaking, she hailed a taxi and got in.

Leaning back in the car, her face was pale and still uncomfortable; her ankle throbbed with sharp pain.

The car stopped at Shuiyue Bay. As she got out, a sense of foreboding washed over her.

Using her fingerprint to unlock the door, the lights in the hall were on. Shen Zhou sat calmly on the sofa, the atmosphere serene.

She was changing shoes at the entrance when a stabbing pain hit her stomach. She hurried to the bathroom and began vomiting into the sink.

The strong liquor from the afternoon had done a number on her stomach.

Returning to the living room, Shen Zhou was still seated on the sofa.

She knew he was angry.

The angrier he was, the quieter he became.

She stood still, waiting for his judgment.

Slowly, he set down the documents in his hand and asked, “Is something troubling you lately?”

Otherwise, why would his temper be so bad these past few days?

Tang Yuan was startled, her eyes stinging with tears.

How ironic—when she was devoted to him wholeheartedly before, he never cared for her at all.

Now, when she had finally grown cold and resolved not to shed another tear for him, he suddenly showed concern.

No wonder men always liked women who whined and acted vulnerable.

Her face was pale as she leaned on the stair railing, ready to go upstairs.

Shen Zhou watched her retreating back and finally spoke his purpose. “Yuan Yuan, you can’t get pregnant.”

She stopped, her tone calm. “I told you, I’m not pregnant.”

“But you wanted a child before.”

Tang Yuan gripped the cold stair rail tightly; the chill felt like a dagger stabbing her heart.

“Shen Zhou, I know who you’re waiting for. I was naive before, thinking that after knowing each other for over a decade, you would eventually love me. Now I see clearly—I won’t hope for anything more.”

He stared at her back and sighed softly. “How many times have you said things like that? Yuan Yuan, we don’t need to come to this.”

He stood and walked toward her, slipping one arm around her waist. Seeing the sweat on her face, he knew she wasn’t feeling well.

His fingertips brushed the sweat from the tip of her nose, his voice gentle. “The child can’t be kept. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the hospital again. I can compensate you in other ways. Be obedient.”

Her eyelashes trembled violently with anger. She blamed herself for loving Shen Zhou so deeply, so openly, that no one would believe she could ever give up.

Besides, she was a Tang family woman; no Tang woman divorced—that was a disgrace.

She had completely lost hope. No matter what she said, Shen Zhou would never believe her.

Seeing her seemingly calm, he smiled faintly and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

His gesture was elegant but ruthless.

“Don’t cause any more trouble. Tomorrow, bring a jade bracelet to your mother and apologize. Yuan Yuan, you’re meant to be married. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

Tang Yuan slowly closed her eyes. His words were so gentle, yet it felt like a knife descending from the heavens.

Limping, she continued upstairs. It seemed only then did he notice her injured leg.

But he didn’t ask further—he was never one to inquire much.

Back in the master bedroom, she forced herself to take a shower. Sitting on the bed afterward, she realized her ankle was badly swollen.

She sprayed the bruise treatment Fu Yansheng had bought twice, then called a servant to move all her clothes to the guest room at the far end of the corridor.

The servant looked troubled. “Madam, this...”

Tang Yuan’s eyes were calm. “Move them.”

The servant had no choice but to comply.

Shen Zhou came upstairs and saw the scene. He only smiled lightly.

He approached Tang Yuan and gently patted her cheek.

“Childish temper.”

Her expression shifted again, suddenly weak.

Shen Zhou’s phone rang. It was Song Qianqian.

“Yuan Yuan, you’ve made enough of a fuss these past few days. Don’t make me worry about the family. If you’re sleeping apart from your husband, aren’t you afraid I’ll find another woman?”

He didn’t answer Song Qianqian’s call. He was surprised and somewhat entertained by Tang Yuan’s rebellious streak tonight.

Tang Yuan turned her head away, seeing the last of her things removed from the master bedroom. She headed toward the guest room at the end of the corridor, tossing over a line.

“Do whatever you want.”

He stood by the master bedroom doorway and smiled. “Just don’t come crying later.”

Always teasing, everyone knew he was cruel and had long since found countless others.

It was rare for someone like Shen Zhou to truly love a woman and even wait for two years.