Chapter 9: We Are the Married Couple  

She glanced at Zhao Qingyuan. “Dr. Zhao, please step out for a moment.”  

Zhao Qingyuan looked concerned. “Should I call a gastroenterologist for you?”  

Meng Chu’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Zhao Qingyuan, his voice cold. “Aren’t you busy, Dr. Zhao?”  

Zhao Qingyuan was startled by Meng Chu’s glare. According to Gu Yue, this man was Wanxing’s brother, so he didn’t feel comfortable arguing with him.  

Scratching his head, he reluctantly left the room, glancing back repeatedly before finally stepping out.  

Zhu Yan smirked suggestively at Meng Chu. “Our little star has grown up.”  

The overly familiar tone made Tao Wanxing uncomfortable.  

Truthfully, they weren’t close at all.  

Back then, she had liked following Meng Chu around, and Zhu Yan had occasionally looked after her, but deep down, she sensed that Zhu Yan didn’t really like her.  

It was a girl’s intuition.  

And now, with just a few words, Zhu Yan had insinuated that she might be pregnant out of wedlock.  

Tao Wanxing lowered her head, avoiding Meng Chu’s frosty stare.  

“Zhu Yan, I already said I’m not,” she replied impatiently.  

Zhu Yan quickly backtracked, “Of course, of course, you’re not. I’m a girl too—I understand.”  

“I didn’t even dare let my brothers know when I started dating.”  

The moment those words left her mouth, Meng Chu’s expression darkened further, his eyes chilling.  

Tao Wanxing’s heart sank. Summoning her courage, she met Meng Chu’s gaze directly. “Second Brother, I’m not feeling well. Could you and Zhu Yan leave?”  

Zhu Yan hadn’t expected Tao Wanxing to outright dismiss them. Her face stiffened.  

“Wanxing…”  

Meng Chu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he gave her a displeased look. “Is this how you treat guests?”  

“What kind of attitude should I have, then?” Tao Wanxing blurted out.  

She knew exactly what Zhu Yan was up to.  

And what right did he have to scold her?  

Then she remembered her past in the Meng family and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “No one in Cloud Province knows I grew up in the Meng family. I won’t disgrace your name.”  

She still remembered when she first arrived at the Meng household—her wild countryside habits had caused quite a scene.  

The Meng family members had addressed her as “Miss Wanxing,” but behind her back, they mocked her for being uncouth. Even the Meng family patriarch had quietly reprimanded her in front of her sister for lacking manners.  

Her sister had sternly smacked her palms several times as punishment.  

Back then, she had been naive, not understanding the Meng family’s disdain. She had simply thought she’d made a mistake and that was why her sister had hit her.  

Meng Chu frowned, about to say something, when a voice called from outside the door—  

“Governor Meng!”  

It was Liu Hong, the director of Ci’an Hospital.  

Standing at the doorway, Liu Hong grinned obsequiously. “Governor Meng, what an honor to have you visit our hospital! You should’ve given us notice—we’d have prepared the best ward for you!”  

Meng Chu suppressed his displeasure and turned to the man, nodding formally. “You are?”  

Director Liu’s wrinkles deepened with his smile. “Governor Meng, I’m Liu Hong! We met at the last healthcare system symposium.”  

Meng Chu gave a slight nod and stepped out. “Ah, Director Liu.”  

Liu Hong beamed, glancing at Zhu Yan beside him. “I’ve arranged a private ward for you. Would you like to take a look?”  

Meng Chu turned to Zhu Yan.  

Zhu Yan smiled at Liu Hong. “We’d appreciate that, Director Liu.”  

Liu Hong patted his rotund belly and chuckled. “Miss Zhu Yan, a superstar like you gracing our hospital is an honor in itself!”  

The group walked out, leaving Tao Wanxing lying on the hospital bed—unnoticed.

Tao Wanxing looked at the usually stern-faced dean, feeling nothing but irony.

After finishing the IV drip, the sky had darkened. Tao Wanxing got up on her own and walked to the roadside to hail a taxi home.

Meng Chu probably wouldn’t be returning to Fragrant Mountain Villa today.

In the late summer of Cloud Province, there was already a hint of early autumn in the air. The evening breeze brushed past gently, carrying a chill that seeped into her bones.

She quickened her pace, heading toward the bus stop when the sound of a car horn came from behind her.

Instinctively, she stepped aside, but the car stopped just a few steps ahead of her.

The door opened, and Gao Ming stepped out.

“Madam.”

Tao Wanxing instinctively glanced around—no one was nearby.

Gao Ming spoke again, “Madam, please get in. The Governor asked me to take you home.”

Tao Wanxing wanted to refuse, but she was afraid of being seen. This was the entrance of a hospital, bustling with people coming and going.

Gao Ming noticed her hesitation and added politely, “Madam, the Governor insisted I escort you.”

Was he afraid she’d embarrass him, or was he afraid she wouldn’t go back?

In the end, Tao Wanxing got into the car, but the further they drove, the more uneasy she felt.

“Where are we going?”

Gao Ming replied, “The Governor instructed me to take you to another hospital for a check-up.”

Tao Wanxing’s heart clenched. He had listened to Zhu Yan after all.

Did he think she was pregnant?

Now that he was with Zhu Yan, he definitely wouldn’t let her keep the baby. Otherwise, what would happen to Zhu Yan’s child in the future?

A cold dread settled in Tao Wanxing’s chest, as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

She didn’t dare imagine how Meng Chu would treat her if she really were pregnant.

The car stopped in front of the hospital.

Gao Ming handed her two boxes of test strips. “Madam, the Governor asked me to buy these.”

Tao Wanxing took them, her vision stinging with humiliation.

Did he not trust her word? Was this a second verification?

She went straight to the restroom.

Those few minutes felt like an eternity.

Her clenched heart only relaxed when she saw a single line appear on the test strip.

Gao Ming wanted to see, and Tao Wanxing didn’t refuse.

She watched as he took a photo to report to Meng Chu before tossing it away in disgust.

Expressionless, she looked at Gao Ming. “Can we go back now?”

Gao Ming replied calmly, “The Governor said I should take you for a full examination.”

Tao Wanxing numbly complied with the blood tests and ultrasound.

Then, under Gao Ming’s watchful eye, she sat on a bench in the hallway.

The VIP waiting area was empty except for her.

She felt a chill seep into her bones, hugging her arms and curling up on the bench.

Like a puppet.

By the time they left the hospital, it was already late at night.

Her head felt heavy, and her steps were unsteady. Her frail frame swayed like a reed that could be blown over at any moment.

Gao Ming opened the car door, but just as Tao Wanxing was about to get in, she sensed something amiss.

A faint scent of minty cigarette smoke drifted into her nose.

All she could see were the man’s crossed legs, one hand resting on his knee—slender, bony fingers appearing cold and pale under the streetlight, holding a cigarette.

“Madam?” Gao Ming prompted.

Tao Wanxing pressed her lips together and got in.

Meng Chu’s closed eyelids lifted slightly, revealing a glint of frost.

The collar of his black dress shirt was slightly open, as if a button had come undone. His tie was nowhere to be seen, exposing his pale, delicate collarbones.

The gold-rimmed glasses that usually perched on his tall nose bridge were now placed on the armrest beside him. Half his face was cast in shadow, making him look both handsome and aristocratic, though with a little less sharpness.

There was no denying that Meng Chu’s face and figure were exactly to Tao Wanxing’s liking—she adored every inch of him. If only they didn’t have this kind of relationship.  

A hand reached over, patting the space between them. “Come here.”  

Tao Wanxing’s throat tightened, and the bag in her hand was taken away.  

“Don’t worry, I’m not pregnant,” she said, her voice laced with bitterness and a hint of mockery.  

Meng Chu replied indifferently, “I know. Let’s go back.”  

Tao Wanxing didn’t know how to put her feelings into words. Her throat felt clogged, unable to utter even half a syllable.  

Should she be glad she wasn’t pregnant?  

Then why did her heart ache faintly?  

She should be relieved.  

This way, even if they divorced, there would be no lingering ties—just a quiet, clean break.  

Snapping out of her thoughts, she lowered her gaze and licked her dry lips. “Second Brother, let’s div—”  

Meng Chu’s phone rang.  

His slender fingers tapped to answer, and an overly sweet, coquettish voice came through.  

“Ah Chu, I’m still not feeling well.”  

Tao Wanxing immediately fell silent, sitting as if on pins and needles.  

Whatever Meng Chu said next, she couldn’t hear—her ears were ringing.  

Only when his arm wrapped around her slender waist did she snap back to reality, squirming slightly. “Governor Meng, aren’t you going to accompany Sister Zhu Yan?”  

Meng Chu’s grip stiffened slightly. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, displeased.  

“Tao Wanxing, we’re the ones who are married.”  

She curled her lips but said nothing.  

What kind of marriage did they even have?