Volume One, Chapter Nine: She Never Aborted the Child

Xia Nanzhi’s face turned pale.

It’s over.

“Zhi Zhi, are you coming back?”

It was Meng Chu’s voice.

“Mama…”

Xia Nanzhi snatched the phone abruptly and hung up.

Lu Junshen frowned.

He had heard it.

Someone had called “Mama” on the phone.

His gaze fixed sharply on Xia Nanzhi. His deep eyes narrowed dangerously as he watched her nervous demeanor, suspicion instantly rising in his heart.

“Mama? Someone called you ‘Mama’?”

Xia Nanzhi clenched the phone tightly, steadying her trembling self. “That’s my friend’s child, calling my friend.”

“Your friend’s child,” Lu Junshen repeated coldly, biting out the words. “Then why are you so nervous?”

“How do you know I’m nervous just by looking at me?”

“Hmph.”

Lu Junshen sneered coldly. Despite Xia Nanzhi’s effort to control her breath and expression, her eyes and actions still betrayed her.

“You’re lying, Xia Nanzhi. Don’t you know your eyes tend to dart around when you lie?”

“Lu Junshen, are you interrogating me?”

“Yes, I’m interrogating you. I’m curious—when you went to the hospital to have an abortion at seven months pregnant back then, which doctor agreed to it? Or maybe the child was never aborted at all, but born and raised in Country Y. That little one just now calling ‘Mama,’ could it be the very same child?”

Every question Lu Junshen posed made Xia Nanzhi’s heart race with fear.

Because he had guessed correctly.

Biting her molars tightly, she looked seriously into Lu Junshen’s eyes. “No, the child back then was aborted. What are you doubting? Do you really think I would keep your child?”

Lu Junshen had always doubted whether Xia Nanzhi had truly terminated the pregnancy.

After all, the baby was already seven months along back then, just over a month away from delivery.

Would she really have the heart to abort the child?

Moreover, most hospitals wouldn’t approve an induced abortion at such a late stage.

He had suspicions all along, but his investigation into Xia Nanzhi showed she had been living alone for years, which slightly eased his doubts—until that phone call made him question again.

“Chen Baobei.”

“Mama.”

The more Lu Junshen thought about it, the more he felt that perhaps she never aborted the child.

“If you won’t admit it, then call back and prove it to me.”

Xia Nanzhi’s fingers curled tightly.

---

“Don’t dare? So I was right?”

Xia Nanzhi pressed her lips together. Lu Junshen’s gaze remained fixed on her, full of suspicion.

She knew very well that if she didn’t make that call, it would be an indirect admission that Lu Junshen’s suspicions were correct.

She clenched the phone tightly.

She had no choice but to take a gamble.

“Fine, you doubt me? I’ll call.”

She unlocked her phone and dialed.

Lu Junshen watched her intently, as if trying to read the truth from her expression.

The call was answered quickly. In the quiet car, a woman’s voice came through.

“Hey, Zhi Zhi, why aren’t you here yet? Chen Chen is already anxious.”

Xia Nanzhi’s heart tightened sharply.

“Auntie Zhi Zhi, hurry up, Mama and I are waiting for you.”

Lu Junshen pursed his lips, listening carefully—it was the voice of the little child just now.

Upon hearing the voice, Xia Nanzhi immediately understood and said, “Chen Chen, darling, I’m sorry. Auntie Zhi Zhi has something to take care of and won’t be able to play with you tonight.”

“Why? Auntie Zhi Zhi, you promised to come play with me today.”

“Auntie has some matters to handle.”

“What kind of matters?”

Meng Chu also asked, “Zhi Zhi, what’s wrong? Do you need help?”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

“All right then, when will Auntie Zhi Zhi come play with me?”

“In a couple of days, Auntie will come play with you then.”

“Okay, Auntie, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

Xia Nanzhi hung up.

Lu Junshen frowned.

The child on the phone called Xia Nanzhi “Auntie,” so that “Mama” called earlier must have been to the woman on the other end of the phone. Could it be that he was wrong in his suspicion?

Xia Nanzhi held the phone and let out a deep sigh of relief inwardly. Looking at Lu Junshen, she said, “If you still doubt, you can investigate yourself.”

Lu Junshen didn’t reply. Xia Nanzhi sensed his sudden icy aura.

She felt grateful they had such tacit understanding; otherwise, Lu Junshen would have surely discovered the truth tonight.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the three little ones and Meng Chu also breathed a sigh of relief.

Xia Nanzhi hadn’t returned for a long time. She answered the call but didn’t speak and abruptly hung up. Something must have happened. So when receiving the next call, Meng Chu cautiously tested the waters.

As expected, something really had happened.

“Godmother, Sui Sui is worried about Mama. Could Mama have been taken away by the bad Daddy?”

Meng Chu’s face was full of concern. Obviously, Xia Nanzhi only hid the children’s identity when she encountered Lu Junshen.

So Xia Nanzhi must be in Lu Junshen’s hands now.

“I have to save Mama.”

Chen Chen’s small face became serious as he grabbed his little backpack, ready to leave.

“I’m going too.”

Sui Sui immediately followed, full of determination.

Meng Chu grabbed both little ones, one in each arm. “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t go anywhere. Your Mama’s biggest fear is you being discovered. Are you trying to deliver yourselves to her?”

“But Mama was taken by the bad Daddy. Mama is in danger.”

Sui Sui was extremely anxious.

“Trust Godmother. Your Mama is safe right now. Lu Junshen wouldn’t do anything to her. As long as you aren’t discovered by him, she can be at ease.”

“But Sui Sui worries about Mama.”

Sui Sui’s eyes reddened, tears welling up.

Meng Chu quickly comforted her. “Don’t cry, Sui Sui. Your Mama just told you not to worry, so she must have a plan. You and the boys need to stay here with Godmother, okay?”

“But Mama…”

Nian Nian came over and hugged Sui Sui. “Sui Sui, be good. We have to listen to Mama and stay here with Godmother. Otherwise, Mama will worry. Do you want Mama to worry?”

“Sui Sui doesn’t want that.”

“Then you have to be good.”

Sui Sui wiped her tears and looked at them. “Okay, Sui Sui will be good.”

Nian Nian looked to Chen Chen. “Chen Chen?”

Chen Chen reluctantly put down his backpack. “Chen Chen will be good too.”

With Chen Chen and Sui Sui calmed down, Meng Chu bore the heavy responsibility of taking care of all three children. She could not betray Xia Nanzhi’s trust and could only persuade them to return to their rooms and sleep.

The three little ones did not cause trouble and obediently lay down on their small beds.

Meng Chu held her breath, quietly closed their bedroom door, and took out her phone to call Xia Nanzhi, hoping to find out what was going on.

But Xia Nanzhi’s phone was already unreachable.

Anxiety filled Meng Chu’s heart, but there was nothing she could do. She knew very well that Xia Nanzhi’s true fear was that the children would be discovered. So her most important task was to take good care of these three children.

Meng Chu turned off the living room lights and went back to her room.

Half an hour later.

In the darkness.

Everything was silent.

A small figure quietly slipped out of the room, feeling her way in the dark, silently opening the front door.

The little figure smoothly slipped through the crack of the door.

She gently closed the door behind her. No one noticed. The child let out a sigh of relief and turned on a flashlight.

Suddenly, two figures ahead whipped their heads around sharply.