Chapter 37: A Bold Guess!

As soon as Shen Yao finished speaking, Song Qiao was so shocked she nearly coughed up blood. If the child in her belly was really Xie Yanli’s, then the sun might as well rise from the west.

Thinking about Xie Yanli’s cold face, Song Qiao found Shen Yao’s bold guess so ridiculous it was almost laughable. She shook her head repeatedly and said, “Yao Yao, you… you really dare to imagine anything. I… I don’t even know what to say.”

But Shen Yao responded seriously, “Didn’t you say before that he called you a heartless woman? And that he accused you of mistreating him? What if it’s because something happened between you two in the past, and now that he sees you marrying Chen Yang, he feels bitter and says those things?”

Song Qiao froze, a flicker of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Shen Yao continued her speculation, “Qiao Qiao, remember that night you got in the car accident? What if you were drunk and ended up sleeping with Xie Yanli, and when you sobered up, you panicked and ran out of the bar—only to get hit by a car?”

Hearing this, Song Qiao’s mind went blank. Cold sweat instantly soaked her back.

Seeing her silent, Shen Yao knew her words had hit home.

She kept analyzing, “Qiao Qiao, try to think about how he treated you before. If he truly hated you, he wouldn’t have taken you to the hospital or bought things for you. This guess makes sense.”

Song Qiao couldn’t quite process it. Her mind was in a daze as she stammered, “How… how does that make sense?”

“Because he’s a powerful CEO, of course he’s proud. He wouldn’t admit anything outright. He’d only mock you subtly to vent. But all that just proves he cares about you.”

Xie Yanli… cares about her?
Song Qiao bit her lip. Shen Yao’s words were like a thunderclap that left her completely stunned.

Shen Yao knew Song Qiao might find this hard to accept, and that her guess wasn’t necessarily correct. But her real purpose was simple: until Song Qiao regained her memory, she shouldn’t reveal her pregnancy to Chen Yang.

Shen Yao continued to comfort her, “Qiao Qiao, don’t overthink it. I might not be right. I’m off work tomorrow, so I’ll go with you to the hospital to ask Dr. Wang about memory loss from car accidents. Let’s see if there’s a way to help you recover your memory quickly—hopefully before your wedding with Chen Yang.”

The reason Shen Yao said this was because she suspected that Song Qiao had gotten drunk at the bar because Chen Yang had done something to betray her—most likely, an affair with Lin Shiyu.

That night, Song Qiao had called Shen Yao several times, but Shen Yao had been asleep and missed the calls. Knowing how considerate Song Qiao usually was, the fact that she called so late—at 1 AM—meant something serious had happened.

She blamed herself for sleeping too soundly. If she had answered, she might’ve known the real reason Song Qiao was drinking. Now, she could only hope Song Qiao would recover her memory before the wedding.

After listening to Shen Yao, Song Qiao nodded distractedly and hung up the phone. Just then, a call from Chen Yang ended too. She noticed he had sent her a message and opened it with a conflicted expression.

[Qiao Qiao, are you busy? Call me when you’re free. I’ll be waiting.]

After reading it, Song Qiao turned off her screen. Her mind was still reeling from Shen Yao’s words, and she wasn’t sure whether to call Chen Yang.

After a long while, she began to calm down and slowly sorted through her thoughts.

She remembered Shen Yao saying that memory loss often stems from trauma—people forget as a form of escape.

Frowning, she wondered: Did something really happen between me and someone else? Did I forget out of fear and avoidance?

But she had always valued her purity. Why would she sleep with someone else? And why did she go drinking at the bar that day? Did Chen Yang betray her, and she acted out of revenge?

Just as she was feeling completely lost, she remembered something Xie Yanli once said—he had accused Chen Yang of betraying her more than once and claimed to have proof.

Maybe if Xie Yanli hadn’t left in such a rush that time, he really would’ve shown me something…

Suddenly, Song Qiao stood up from her bed, having made up her mind.

Before calling Chen Yang, she would contact Xie Yanli to confirm the truth. With that, she sent him a message on WeChat:

[Do you have time right now? I want to meet and talk.]

At that moment, Xie Yanli was on a blind date at a restaurant. Seeing her message, he thought of her walking away without looking back. His lips curled in irritation.

Does she think I’m someone she can summon and dismiss at will?

Annoyed, he typed a reply:

[Busy.]

But before sending it, he added another sentence:

[Busy. I’m on a date with another woman right now.]

Song Qiao stared at her phone, waiting for his reply. It came quickly. After reading it, she didn’t need to guess—he was likely on a date with Jiang Xinhui.

Thinking of what Jiang Xinhui had said earlier, her anger flared again.

Frowning, she muttered, “Xie Yanli, you two-timing bastard. I must’ve been kicked in the head to even message you.”

She tossed her phone aside. But just as she was fuming, it buzzed again—another message from Xie Yanli:

[What do you want to talk about?]

Song Qiao pouted. Didn’t he say he was busy? Why message me again then?

Though she acted annoyed, her fingers betrayed her and quickly typed back:

[Aren’t you on a date? I won’t bother you.]

Xie Yanli stared at his screen for a long time. It seemed she no longer wanted to see him. But despite his anger, a part of him still wanted to meet her.

Yet his pride held him back. Just then, the woman across from him spoke up curiously.

“President Xie, who are you texting so seriously?” asked Zhong Youning, the only daughter of Zhong Qiang, president of Zhong Group.

Xie Yanli looked up and answered truthfully, “A little liar who doesn’t keep her word.”

Zhong Youning’s eyes twinkled. A liar? But he added “little” before it—making it sound strangely intimate.

So far, Xie Yanli had barely spoken a word to her, but he seemed deeply engaged in this chat with someone else. And when he said those words, there was not just anger in his tone—but helplessness too.

She had thought Xie Yanli was cold and emotionless with everyone. Now she realized—he wasn’t. And that woman who could stir his emotions instantly made her feel threatened and jealous.

But Zhong Youning wasn’t someone who backed down easily. Her pride wouldn’t allow another woman to outshine her. So she decided to take the initiative.

With a soft, meaningful smile, she said, “These days, there are too many liars—especially when it comes to handsome, wealthy men like you, President Xie. I’m sure you’ve met plenty of scheming women. But I’m different. You should put your phone away and talk with me. I’m truly sincere about you.”

Xie Yanli narrowed his eyes and studied her. “You’re interested in me?”

Zhong Youning, seeing his frank gaze and realizing he might be considering something further, was delighted. She winked and gently rested her hand on his. Her eyes were full of flirtation.

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