CH 20

After resting at home for two days, Shen Tiantian didn’t feel any better. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse.

Early in the morning, she was awakened by a wave of nausea. Before fully opening her eyes, she jumped out of bed and rushed straight to the bathroom without even putting on her shoes.

“Urgh …”

She retched, but only managed to bring up some stomach acid.

After retching for a while, she finally managed to stop. She looked at herself in the mirror with a disheveled appearance, feeling somewhat puzzled.

The person in the mirror had a somewhat pale complexion, and her lips were dry due to dehydration.

This was the second time she had vomited.

Could it be a lingering symptom of a cold?! But it had been several days already; it shouldn’t be like this. She took a deep breath, realizing that it might be necessary for her to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Having made up her mind, she began to freshen up. However, the scent of the toothpaste she usually used entered her nostrils, triggering another bout of nausea.

After enduring the feeling of nausea a few times, she forced herself to freshen up and walked out of the bathroom with a frown. It was already late, with just only half an hour left before she had to go to work.

Shen Tiantian suppressed the discomfort in her stomach, quickly changed her clothes, and grabbed her bag before heading out. 

Outside the residential complex, as usual, the breakfast stalls were lined up, and she faintly smelled the air filled with the aroma of cooking oil. The pancakes that used to smell particularly delicious suddenly seemed greasy. Instinctively, Shen Tiantian covered her mouth and nose, feeling an unexpected discomfort.

She didn’t have breakfast and arrived at the company exactly at nine o’clock.

Not knowing if it was due to lack of sleep, shortly after sitting down, Shen Tiantian started feeling a bit drowsy. She went to the pantry and made herself a cup of instant coffee.

In fact, Shen Tiantian rarely drank coffee unless she was extremely exhausted. After drinking half a cup, she felt more energized, but her stomach suddenly hurt.

Shen Tiantian lowered her gaze, furrowing her brow as she looked at the remaining two-thirds of the coffee, gently rubbing her stomach.

‘Was the coffee expired?!’

It was perfectly fine when she drank it last week.

The pain in her stomach became more obvious and Shen Tiantian couldn’t continue to think. She held her stomach and went to the restroom.

While squatting down, her stomach didn’t hurt as much. So Shen Tiantian stayed inside for more than ten minutes. When she came out, her face remained pale.

Her stomach was still hurting.

Lately, she had been getting sick frequently, with fevers and vomiting for no reason. Now, just drinking a few sips of coffee caused this level of pain.

She needed to go to the hospital for a check-up as soon as possible. She was afraid that it might be appendicitis.

Shen Tiantian returned to her seat, lightly clenching her fist and intermittently rubbing her aching abdomen.

Lu Xiaochun seemed to notice her discomfort and whispered with concern, “What’s wrong with you? You look terrible.”

Shen Tiantian weakly nodded, whispering, “I don’t know why, but my stomach suddenly feels uncomfortable.”

“Is it very painful?! Should I apply for sick leave for you?” Lu Xiaochun whispered.

Shen Tiantian hesitated for a moment, but her stomach was in excruciating pain. She nodded, “Please, could you help me ask for leave?”

“No problem,” Lu Xiaochun replied with some fear of Tian Jing. But seeing Shen Tiantian in such pain, she bravely agreed. Then she expressed some concern, “It looks quite serious. Are you sure it’s okay for you to go alone?”

Shen Tiantian nodded. She could just take a taxi downstairs.

After a moment of thought, Lu Xiaochun said, “No, I’m a bit worried. You wait for me here. I’ll go talk to Manager Tian and accompany you.” Lu Xiaochun spoke before Shen Tiantian had a chance to respond, and then she disappeared.

Shen Tiantian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she also felt touched at the same time.

Lu Xiaochun quickly returned and swiftly picked up her own bag. “Manager Tian agreed. Let’s go.”

“Thank you, Xiaochun,” Shen Tiantian said weakly.

Lu Xiaochun didn’t reply but supported her as they took the elevator downstairs and quickly hailed a taxi by the roadside.

Shen Tiantian never let go of her hand that was covering her stomach, furrowing her brow in pain.

Resting her head against the window, the moving car caused some shaking, and that familiar yet unfamiliar sour sensation rose again. She quickly covered her mouth, forcefully suppressing the urge to vomit.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaochun quickly handed her a tissue, and with one hand gently rubbing her back, she asked softly, “Are you okay?”

Shen Tiantian shook her head. She was far from okay.

If the person accompanying her to the hospital right now was her CEO, maybe their presence would alleviate some of her pain.

She was grateful to Lu Xiaochun, but she wished it was her lover by her side.

During one’s most vulnerable moments, they always think of the most important person, and this statement turned out to be true.

As soon as she thought of it, she was stunned.

Since when had she started considering Shan Yi as the most important person in her life?!

Shen Tiantian was shocked, even momentarily forgetting about the pain in her stomach.

But soon, she let go of it.

The CEO was her lover, so naturally, she should be included in the list of important people.

“We’re here.”

Lu Xiaochun’s voice suddenly reached her ears, pulling her back to reality.

With Lu Xiaochun’s support, Shen Tiantian got out of the car and watched her register her for the emergency department. A wave of tenderness washed over her heart.

After waiting for about ten minutes, it was finally Shen Tiantian’s turn.

By now, her stomach didn’t hurt as much, but her face remained pale, just slightly better than before.

The old doctor asked some routine questions.

Shen Tiantian thought for a moment. “After having a fever a few days ago, I’ve been experiencing vomiting, excessive sleepiness, and just now, after drinking some coffee, my stomach started hurting.”

“Did you take any medication for the fever?”

“No…” She wanted to, but she vomited it out.

The experienced doctor made a sound of acknowledgment, withdrew his hand, and after jotting something down on a white paper, he handed it to her. “I suggest you get a gynecological examination.”

“?!” Shen Tiantian was confused.

The old doctor explained, “Your symptoms resemble those of morning sickness. As for the stomach pain, it’s likely due to the coffee you drank. Caffeine has a certain level of harm to the human body, and it is prohibited for pregnant women.”

“Pregnant?!” Shen Tiantian was shocked. “Doctor, are you … are you mistaken?!”

How did she become pregnant?

How is it possible for her to be pregnant?!

Shen Tiantian had lived for twenty-four years, and so far, she had never held a man’s hand. The only time she had let loose was probably during a one-night stand. Although she didn’t remember the details clearly, she could at least tell whether her partner was a man or a woman.

She vaguely recalled that person having a chest, even bigger than hers, soft and white.

How could a woman make her pregnant?!

She was certain that the doctor had made a mistake, absolutely mistaken. It couldn’t be true.

After denying it three times in a row, Shen Tiantian finally calmed down a little.

“That’s why I suggested you get a gynecological examination to confirm,” the old doctor said.

Shen Tiantian: ……..

She felt somewhat angry but still politely thanked the doctor and left with the medical form in hand.

Lu Xiaochun immediately approached her. “What did the doctor say? Are you still in pain?”

Shen Tiantian touched her pale face and lightly pressed her stomach. There was still a slight lingering pain, but it was tolerable. She said, “It’s nothing, just a stomachache from eating something bad.”

Lu Xiaochun pouted, a little puzzled. “Didn’t the doctor prescribe any medication or something?”

“No need. Let’s go back.”

Shen Tiantian was convinced that the old doctor had made a mistake, so she didn’t go to the gynecology department. She quickly pulled Lu Xiaochun out of the hospital.

Since they had already taken leave, they didn’t return to the office but went home separately.

Shen Tiantian originally wanted to invite Lü Xiaochun for a meal to express her gratitude, but the doctor’s words weighed on her mind, and she couldn’t muster any interest. In the end, they went their separate ways and returned home.

She nestled tiredly on the sofa, and drowsiness quickly overcame her. Shen Tiantian fell asleep immediately, but she didn’t expect to have a nightmare.

She dreamt of sitting in a small boat, swaying and drifting in the middle of the sea. Besides the abyss-like blue color, she couldn’t see anything. Startled, she stood up, wanting to call out, but the boat suddenly lost balance. As her body leaned, she fell into the sea, and the salty seawater forcefully filled her mouth, suffocating her.

“Help!!!”

She tried to scream, but not even a syllable escaped her lips.

A distant and familiar voice echoed in her ears, like a symphony of justice, gradually pulling her back from the dream.

Shen Tiantian abruptly opened her eyes and realized someone had sent her a video call on WeChat.

She covered her face with force, wondering why she had such a terrifying dream.

It was too scary.

She picked up her phone and saw it was from the CEO, but before she could answer the call, the nausea came faster than her fingers. Shen Tiantian immediately covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.

“Urgh…