Wen Yi returned to Changle Alley, where her mother, Wen Hongyu, was cooking dinner.

Wen Hongyu was a skilled cook and was now responsible for preparing lunch for the children at the tutoring center where she worked.

Wen Yi hadn’t been in the mood to eat properly for the past few days, but the aroma of the food made her stomach rumble. She leaned against the kitchen door and whined, “Mom, is there any food for me?”

Wen Hongyu turned her head and glanced at her, then ordered, “Set the table.”

“Okay.”

The dining table was scattered with red dates, chestnuts, and cups. Wen Yi cleared the table and placed everything on the sideboard. She noticed a tin of tea leaves and picked it up. “Wow, Dongting Biluochun.”

She wouldn’t even give such a good brand of tea to her clients. Wen Hongyu, who didn’t like tea, must have gotten it from somewhere.

Wen Yi called out, “Mom, can I brew some of this tea?”

Wen Hongyu immediately put down the spatula and came over, snatching the tea leaves and placing them on the upper shelf of the cabinet. She scolded, “Don’t touch everything.”

Something was up.

Two dishes and a soup were served, and Wen Yi habitually sat cross-legged at the table. Wen Hongyu took a feather duster and hit her leg, making Wen Yi sit properly and eat.

After a few bites, Wen Yi casually mentioned what her aunt had asked her to do. “Auntie said she wants to introduce you to a man. I’ve seen him, and he seems decent. He’s a researcher at an institute, has a good job, makes good money, and has a married son. He seems to have a gentle personality. Do you want to meet him?”

Wen Hongyu was only fifty but looked much younger due to her good genes and self-care. She could easily pass for someone in her thirties or forties, and with some makeup, she might even attract a younger man.

Because of this, her aunt and neighbors were always trying to introduce her to suitable men, ever since Wen Yi was a child.

Mother and daughter didn’t take these introductions seriously. Wen Hongyu didn’t even acknowledge the suggestion. “Eat your dinner.”

Wen Yi chuckled, “Who gave you the tea leaves?”

Wen Hongyu glared at her, “If you’re not going to eat, get out.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t ask.” Wen Yi stopped laughing and spoke more sincerely, “Mom, if you like him and he’s suitable, you should meet him. It’s not embarrassing to have someone to talk to. I promise not to bother you.”

Wen Hongyu put down her chopsticks, “You should worry about yourself first. In a couple of years, who knows if anyone will want you.”

“What’s wrong with being in my thirties? That’s when a woman is at her best. Besides, I’ve told you, I’m not getting married or having children in this lifetime…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her stomach churned as if the fetus inside was protesting her words. Wen Yi rushed to the bathroom, afraid that her mother would hear her retching. She closed the door, turned on the faucet, and let the sound of running water cover her dry heaves.

A few minutes later, she came out, and Wen Hongyu’s eyebrows were indeed furrowed. Wen Yi explained, “I had some unclean takeout for lunch, and it made me nauseous.”

Wen Hongyu believed her, and Wen Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

If Wen Hongyu found out about the pregnancy now, she would surely disown her.

Wen Yi didn’t have a father. Her uncle, aunt, and grandmother, who had passed away, all said her father was dead. Every time she asked, the answer was the same: he was dead. For twenty-eight years, Wen Hongyu had raised her alone.

In the past, society was less accepting, and an unmarried, pregnant single mother could be ostracized. Wen Hongyu had undergone a major surgery a few years ago, which the doctor said was related to long-term emotional stress.

Wen Yi had grown numb to the stigma over the years, but Wen Hongyu was strong-willed. She had been angry with Wen Yi for years just for becoming a pharmaceutical rep. She wouldn’t approve of this pregnancy, so Wen Yi couldn’t tell her.

Wen Yi was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she might slip up, so she quickly finished her dinner and left.

Yuting Mansion was a twenty-minute drive from Changle Alley. It was in a good location with high-end decor, costing around ten million yuan. Wen Yi couldn’t afford to buy it, so she rented it.

In her line of work, having a local residency, speaking the local dialect, and owning a nice car and living in a good neighborhood were more important than any sales techniques or gifts of wine and spirits.

Wen Yi went from being a novice to mastering the trade in just a week. Her mentor initially valued her local residency advantage and told her to buy some decent clothes and a nice bag to present herself well.

The next day, her mentor took her to meet the head of the cardiology department at a hospital. After the meeting, her mentor handed the client over to her, and Wen Yi started making money before her colleagues who had started at the same time.

Later, she became responsible for an entire hospital, then a district, and eventually started training new recruits. Every time she went out, Wen Yi made sure she looked elegant and sophisticated, like a wealthy young lady. She fooled many clients and almost fooled herself.

Wen Yi entered her apartment, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed onto the sofa.

A month ago, her colleague Yan Fu, who was also a sales manager, secretly contacted one of her subordinates and a good friend of hers, the head of the pharmacy department at a hospital, trying to find faults in her work over the past few years to discredit her.

He couldn’t find anything because Wen Yi had always been ethical in her work. Frustrated, he set her up, but the plan failed. The day after the incident, Yan Fu’s face was pale, and his hands were shaking with anger.

Wen Yi successfully secured the position of regional manager.

But now, just as she was about to settle into her new role, she found out she was pregnant.

Her company, although a foreign enterprise, had good policies and was very supportive of pregnant employees. They offered options like transferring to a different position or reducing workload, and even extended maternity leave by ten days.

But Wen Yi didn’t want any of that. If she took nine months of maternity leave plus three months of postpartum leave, she wouldn’t be able to drink or socialize for over a year. By the time she returned, she would be out of the loop.

Wen Yi closed her eyes, feeling extremely frustrated.

Since the child’s father also didn’t want the baby, there was no reason for her to hesitate.

It was just an abortion procedure. The risk of it being life-threatening was low. If necessary, she could go to another city for the procedure. It wasn’t like the entire country didn’t have her blood type.

…..