Celia quickly forced herself to calm down, not daring to move recklessly for the sake of the baby in her belly.
Nathaniel Fu's eyes darkened as he studied her pale, fragile face. She had always been delicate, but now with her reddened eyes and trembling throat, she looked as though she might break apart at any moment. His voice dropped low, tinged with restraint.
"Is your stomach still hurting? Why don't you go to the hospital for a checkup?"
Back in Yecheng, she had often suffered stomachaches. If they hadn't broken up, he would have taken her to the doctor long ago. But now—
Celia pressed her small hand against his chest, her gaze cold. "I don't want you to interfere."
Neither she nor the child wanted his involvement.
Nathaniel's thin lips curved into a hard, icy line. They had already broken up. Why should he interfere at all? He would be a fool to do so.
"Celia," he said flatly, "leave the capital on your own. Don't force me to drive you out. Do you really think Old Madam Shen can protect you?"
Her expression froze. What did he mean by that? Was he planning to move against the Shen family?
Celia gave a furious laugh. "Nathaniel Fu, do you dare lay a hand on anyone close to me?"
The spark in her eyes flared like fire, dazzling and searing in its intensity, burning straight into his gaze.
"What exactly do you want?" he demanded.
Celia's lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Maybe I'll go to your fiancée and say, 'Yara Lu, what's so great about you? You weren't even there when I was with Nathaniel Fu. I was the one who took his first time.'"
Her voice dripped with venom as she added, "And I still have a photo of you in bed on my phone. If you push me too far, I'll release it. Let the whole world see your shame. I'll make you infamous."
Nathaniel's jaw tightened. He had always known her tongue was sharp, but this—this was like being slashed by a blade.
"Hand me your phone. Delete that photo." He reached for it.
"No."
"Celia, you can joke all you want, but never take pictures. Don't you understand the rules?"
Her chin lifted defiantly. "Whether I understand the rules depends entirely on you. Either we live in peace, or we destroy each other."
His gaze dropped to her lips, which were still moving in stubborn defiance. Almost without thinking, his large hand slid to her waist.
But the instant he touched her, she cried out sharply, "It hurts! You're pressing on my stomach!"
The veins on his arms bulged, his whole body brimming with restrained energy. Yet her pained, fragile cry pierced him like a blade, draining his strength. She exhausted him more than ever—more than she ever had before.
"What's wrong with your stomach?" His voice dropped to a husky murmur, as if speaking to himself. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"
He reached out again, this time to touch her belly—
Pa!
Celia slapped his hand away, glaring at him with fierce protectiveness, and then turned and bolted out the door.
Nathaniel stood frozen, his palm still tingling with her rejection, his eyes narrowing as he watched her retreating figure. Suddenly, he noticed something small on the ground. She must have dropped it from her pocket.
He bent down and picked it up—it was a tiny snack bag.
She still carries snacks with her?
Curious, he tore it open. Inside were candied fruits of all kinds. He took one and placed it on his tongue. The sweet-and-sour burst spread instantly across his taste buds.
His brows furrowed. So sour… Why does she like something like this?
…
Celia rushed outside, letting the cool night breeze wash over her flushed cheeks, slowly calming her racing heart.
Just then, Li Yuting hurried over. "Cici, you're out. Did Professor Fu give you a hard time?"
"No."
"That's good." Li Yuting let out a relieved sigh, then pulled out her phone and opened the Tsinghua University forum. "Cici, look—Professor Fu caught you dozing off in class, and someone posted it online. Yesterday you were tied with Yara Lu for first place on the Campus Beauty List, but today you've already dropped ten votes. You're in second now."