Pei Rong squatted on the balcony, chin resting on his hands, watching the two bodyguards below.
These two bodyguards had been following him since he was filming in the northwest. When he entered the Lu Corporation building, they stood guard at the entrance. When he came out, they accompanied him back to the hotel.
Lu Qin didn’t retract the protection order, and the two diligently maintained their positions.
Pei Rong didn’t see it as a big deal; he thought it could be easily fixed. If one solution didn’t work, he was ready with another.
But from the afternoon until the evening, neither of them contacted each other, leaving him uncertain about Lu Qin’s attitude.
His flourishing career in the entertainment industry seemed insignificant in the eyes of a big CEO like Lu Qin. Quitting the entertainment circle to Lu Qin was akin to shutting down a small, marginally profitable project.
The only thing Lu Qin might find offensive is that he acted without informing him first, but Pei Rong had prepared his explanation.
Lu Qin didn’t have the authority or necessity to stop him from enjoying life. Exploiting this, Pei Rong arranged a global trip, gently severing their relationship. In three or five years, Lu Qin might forget about his existence.
If three to five years later, Lu Qin could still accept his true personality... well, perhaps they could sit down and have a conversation.
After some thought, Pei Rong dialed Lu Qin’s number for the first time.
The call was disconnected the first time it rang, but undeterred, Pei Rong called a second time.
This time, it connected, but Lu Qin refused to speak. Pei Rong took the initiative. “I actually wanted to discuss this matter with you at noon.”
He played the victim. “Working in the entertainment industry is really tiring. The last time you took me on a trip to the island, I was so happy. Suddenly, I figured it out—I don’t want to be confined to a small space like the entertainment industry.”
“Coming back from the island, the more I filmed, the more I missed it. I want to explore the world while I’m still young. But President Lu, your expectations of me are too high. I had no choice—”
“Pei Rong, are you really this unambitious?” Lu Qin’s cold voice cut in.
Pei Rong bit his lip, not understanding why Lu Qin was so determined to change him. “President Lu showed me the pleasures of life. Going from luxury to frugality is not easy.”
“You—” Lu Qin evidently found it hard to accept. How did this turn into his fault? “You think I’ll believe that?!”
Pei Rong asked, “Why wouldn’t you believe it?”
Wasn’t it possible for someone to be naturally laid-back?
Lu Qin said stiffly, “I won’t let you go.”
Pei Rong questioned, “Why?”
“No reason.” Lu Qin’s tone became rigid.
“Why?” He had already exhausted all the good words he could say, with Luo Qing acting like this. He just wanted this conversation to end. Nonchalantly, he continued, “President Lu, on the surface, I may seem put together, but inside, I’m a mess. All appearance, no substance—a complete slacker. I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression about my dedication to work.”
“Pei Rong!” Lu Qin growled. Despite all the self-deprecation, Pei Rong’s move caught him off guard. People always showcased their excellence in front of Lu Qin to seek recognition; no one had ever done this before!
His instinct told him that Pei Rong wanted to achieve some undisclosed goal through drastic measures.
Yes, he shouldn’t listen to his sweet words, he should focus on his ultimate purpose.
Negotiations were like this; only what was written on paper mattered. Lu Qin’s thoughts became clear, and he handled the situation with ease.
“You might be a worthless person, but I can still turn you into a phoenix.”
Pei Rong: “I don’t want rebirth; once burned, it’s gone.”
“Nonsense.” Lu Qin paused for two seconds, ran his fingers through his hair, his gaze turning cold. “I won’t argue with you. Come over tomorrow to sign the contract. Whether you see yourself as worthless or not, I hope you realize that acting without consulting the headquarters, terminating the contract on your own, and trying to negotiate, the sunk cost of the Lu family is enough to make you both bankrupt.”
This was the first time Lu Qin spoke condescendingly to Pei Rong. In the past, he didn’t need to speak; everything was arranged smoothly because Pei Rong always cooperated, making everything seem harmonious.
Pei Rong: “You—”
Lu Qin: “Think about it yourself.”
The call ended with a beep.
Pei Rong held his phone, suddenly bending over, hands covering his stomach.
His lower abdomen twisted like a string, the pain making him hesitant to breathe.
“Calling myself a complete slacker, and you’re the one getting all worked up. What’s the big deal?” Pei Rong, holding his stomach, broke into a cold sweat on his forehead. He tried to pacify the one in his stomach, “I won’t argue anymore, won’t argue.”
Sitting by the bed, Pei Rong eased the pain. In his suffering, he suddenly remembered that the baby hadn’t moved for a long time. His hands and feet turned cold.
He was usually too idle, making it easy for him to sense these movements... but the little rabbit seemed genuinely still for half a day.
The words “fetal death in the womb” scared him, his lips turning pale.
Although he used “fetus” to describe the baby, Pei Rong didn’t want to lose him.
“Jiang Yan...” Trembling, Pei Rong dialed Jiang Yan’s number, each second of waiting for the call to connect was agonizing, afraid that he might have missed a critical time for rescue.
“Hello?”
“My stomach hurts, and he hasn’t moved for a long time.” Pei Rong stated as calmly as possible.
Jiang Yan’s heart skipped a beat. Standing up, he gripped the doorknob and said, “Don’t panic; such situations can occur during pregnancy. I’ll ask my senior brother to bring the fetal heart monitor over immediately. Keep your breathing steady and stay calm.”
“Okay.”
“If my senior brother doesn’t make it in time, and the situation worsens...” Dr. Jiang pursed his lips.
“I’ll inform Lu Qin.” Pei Rong was not stubborn to the point of risking his life. When it came to seeking help, he would contact Lu Qin when necessary.
Jiang Yan’s senior brother worked in S City. Fortunately, there was no traffic, and he arrived fifteen minutes later.
Wen Zhenrui, wearing a mask, was a tall and handsome young man. Following the hotel room number, he found the location and rang the doorbell.
Jiang Yan had arranged with him to assist in delivering the baby five months later, but until today, he didn’t know that Pei Rong was the pregnant person.
Today’s news of Pei Rong leaving the entertainment circle was being discussed by the patients he had, and they were speculating about the reasons. Wen Zhenrui, not interested in the entertainment industry, inevitably came across the information.
He guessed that even the other father of the child probably didn’t know the real reason for Pei Rong leaving the industry. Because Jiang Yan asked him to keep it a secret, no one could speak about it.
Pei Rong wore the fetal heart monitor. Soon, Dr. Wen told him that the child had no problems, and his abdominal pain might be caused by emotional tension.
Pei Rong breathed a sigh of relief. It was his first time revealing the pregnancy to someone other than Jiang Yan. Originally uneasy, Dr. Wen’s professional attitude reassured him.
“Thank you, Dr. Wen. Please keep this confidential.”
Wen Zhenrui packed up his equipment and said, “It’s my duty. If you’re not comfortable going to a hospital in China, I still suggest you go to Jiang Yan as soon as possible. Any situation can be resolved there.”
Pei Rong: “I’ll do that as soon as possible.”
If it hadn’t been for the stomachache, he would have been willing to deal with Lu Qin for a few more days, finding a separation method acceptable to both. However, Pei Rong couldn’t take that risk now.
He also couldn’t tell Lu Qin about the child; he already had enough leverage, and revealing this would add another one.
If he and Lu Qin had a child, he would be tied to the Lu family for life, maintaining an awkward relationship without freedom.
