The elevator dinged.
Zhang Wei pushed off the wall. Dr. Shen stepped out, medical bag in hand, looking calm like he always did.
"Young master..."
"She's inside." Zhang Wei opened the door without another word.
Dr. Shen walked in. Zhao Mei sat on the bed, hands twisted in her lap. Xiao Lan stood beside her like a bodyguard.
"Mrs. Zhang." Dr. Shen set his bag down. "I'm going to examine you. Is that alright?"
Zhao Mei nodded.
Zhang Wei moved to the window. Arms crossed. Face blank. But his eyes stayed on her the whole time.
Dr. Shen worked fast. Checked her pulse. Blood pressure. Asked questions in that soft doctor voice.
"When did the nausea start?"
"Three days ago."
"Dizziness?"
"Yeah."
"Fatigue?"
"All the time."
"Last period?"
Zhao Mei hesitated. "Four weeks. Maybe five. I wasn't really keeping track."
Dr. Shen pulled out a small device. "Quick test. Just to confirm."
Five minutes of silence that felt like five hours.
Then Dr. Shen stepped back. "Congratulations, Mrs. Zhang. You're pregnant. About two weeks gone."
The room became still.
Zhao Mei's hand flew to her stomach. Her eyes widened in shock.
Zhang Wei's grip on his arm tightened until his knuckles went white.
Pregnant. Not maybe. Actually pregnant.
"I will prescribe Prenatal vitamins," Dr. Shen continued, pulling papers from his bag. "Take a lot of Rest, drink more water, eat more fruits it's healthy for you and the baby, make sure you have frequent Small meals, The nausea should ease up in a few weeks, Ginger tea also helps, one more thing… Crackers before you get up in the morning."
He looked at Zhang Wei. "She needs to avoid stress. No heavy lifting. I will be coming to check up on her, when I'm not available I will send my nurse."
"Alright, I'll handle the rest," Zhang Wei said. His voice came out excited.
Dr. Shen packed his bag. "Call if you need anything, I will be at your service." He beamed a smile. "Take care of yourself Mrs Zhang."
"I will." She replied barely audible.
Then he was gone.
The door clicked shut.
Silence returned.
Xiao Lan looked between them. "I'll just… I'll give you two a minute."
She practically ran out.
Now it was just them.
Zhang Wei still stood by the window Arm crossed, still contemplating on how to react to the news.
"Say something," Zhao Mei broke the silence. "Please."
Zhang Wei turned. "Are you scared?"
"Terrified."
" So am I."
Her eyes widened. "You are?"
"I have no idea how to react." He crossed his arms tighter. "Never thought about being a father. Never planned for it. Don't know anything about raising a kid, it came so unexpected."
"Me neither."
"But I'm not running." He looked at her directly. "You get that?"
She nodded slowly.
"Things change now. You and the baby are now my main priority."
She tried to say something but couldn't find the right words.
He walked closer. Stopped a few feet from the bed. "You've lost weight."
She blinked. "What?"
"You're thinner than when you got here. I noticed."
Her face went red. "I've been eating…"
"Ramen. Instant noodles. Whatever you grab from the kitchen when you think nobody's watching."
She stared. "How do you know that?"
"I pay attention." He gestured at her. "It stops. Now."
"Wei…"
"Proper meals. Three times a day. No skipping. No junk. The kitchen makes whatever you want. You don't like something, tell them. They'll make something else."
"The junks were my favorite, I'm not used to the fancy food being cooked here" she purred.
"You're carrying my kid." His tone left zero room for argument. "You need to be healthy. The baby needs to be healthy. That means eating right."
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
"And your wardrobe."
"My what?"
"You've been wearing the same five outfits since you moved in." He looked her over. "Not anymore. You need maternity clothes. Proper ones. I will arrange for Qiao Qiao to take you shopping tomorrow. Or I have people bring stuff here. Your choice."
"Wei, that's too much…"
"It's not." He sat on the edge of the bed. "You're not a guest anymore, You're the mother of my child. Start thinking like it."
The words came out harder than he meant.
She looked down. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"I'll eat better. I'll get clothes. I'll rest."
"Good."
He stood. "I have things to handle. You rest."
He headed for the door.
"Wei?"
He stopped. Looked back.
"You really want this?" Her voice was small. "The baby?"
He didn't answer right away.
Want? No. This wasn't planned. Wasn't part of any strategy.
But walk away from it? From her? From this kid that was already real?
Hell no.
"I want you both safe," he said. "Healthy. Protected. Whatever that takes."
It Wasn't what she probably wanted to hear.
But it was honest.
"Okay," she whispered.
He nodded once and left.
few seconds after the door closed, Xiao Lan burst back in.
"Oh my God." She sat on the bed hard. "Oh my GOD, Mei."
Zhao Mei looked at her friend. "You are overreacting lanlan."
"You're pregnant!"
"I know!"
"With his baby!"
"I KNOW!" Zhao Mei pressed her hands to her face.
Xiao Lan grabbed her shoulders. "Okay. Okay, breathe. How do you feel?"
"I don't know." Zhao Mei dropped her hands. "Scared. Confused. Relieved?"
"Relieved?"
"He didn't kick me out."
"Mei." Xiao Lan's face went serious. "Did you really think he would?"
"I don't know what to think anymore."
Xiao Lan pulled her into a tight hug.
"You're gonna be okay," she said into Zhao Mei's hair. "We're gonna figure this out."
"We?"
"You think I'm leaving you alone with this? Hell no." Xiao Lan pulled back. "I'm gonna be the best auntie this kid ever had."
Zhao Mei laughed. Actually laughed. For the first time all day.
"There she is." Xiao Lan grinned. "I was starting to think you forgot how."
"It's been a rough morning."
"Understatement of the year." Xiao Lan stood and started pacing. "Okay. Real talk. How do you feel about him?"
"Wei?"
"No, the delivery man."xiaolan rolled her eyes. "Who else, Wei of course."
Zhao Mei pulled her knees up. "I don't know."
"Liar."
"I'm not lying!"
"You are absolutely lying." Xiao Lan pointed at her. "You like him."
"I barely know him."
"You're having his baby."
"That's not the same thing."
"Mei." Xiao Lan sat back down. "Look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing for that man."
Zhao Mei opened her mouth. Closed it.
Because the truth was complicated.
Did she like him? Maybe. In that confusing way where you're attracted to someone who scares you a little. Who protects you but keeps you at arm's length. Who says he'll take care of you but won't say why.
Did she love him? No. Love took time. Trust. Things they didn't have.
But did she feel something? Yeah. She did.
"It's complicated," she said finally.
"Everything about your life is complicated." Xiao Lan flopped back on the bed. "But at least he's hot."
"Lan!"
"What? I'm just saying. If you're gonna accidentally get pregnant by a billionaire, at least he's not ugly."
Zhao Mei threw a pillow at her.
Xiao Lan caught it, laughing. "I'm serious! And did you see how fast he dropped everything and came running? That man walked out on a seventy million yuan deal for you."
"He told you that?"
"I heard him on the phone in the hallway. Damage control mode." Xiao Lan sat up. "He chose you over money, Mei. That means something."
Zhao Mei's hand went to her stomach.
"I'm gonna be a mom," she whispered.
"Yeah. You are."
"I have no idea how to be a good mom."
"Nobody does." Xiao Lan squeezed her hand. "But you've got me. You've got Wei, apparently. You've got this whole fancy penthouse and staff and doctors on speed dial."
She grinned. "Your kid's gonna be so spoiled."
Zhao Mei smiled despite herself. "Probably."
"Definitely." Xiao Lan stood. "Now. You need to eat something. Doctor's orders. What sounds good?"
"Nothing sounds good."
"Crackers?"
"Maybe."
"Crackers it is." Xiao Lan headed for the door. "I'll raid the kitchen. You rest."
"Lan?"
Xiao Lan turned.
"Thank you," Zhao Mei said. "For being here. For everything."
"Always." Xiao Lan smiled. "That's what best friends are for."
********