I'm the Father of the Child

"Honey, your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?" Yiren, who was sitting on the sofa looking at the calendar, said to Ji Minze as he walked back into the bedroom from the study.

"I'd forgotten all about it!" Ji Minze said with a faint smile. He no longer had the energy to care about when his birthday was.

"It's good that I remember. You'll be having your birthday in twelve days!" Yiren made a note in the memo on her phone. She wanted to be the first to tell him happy birthday!

"So, what gift are you going to give me?" Ji Minze sat down next to Yiren, put his arm around her shoulder, and asked.

"If only I could give you what you want the most!" Yiren said a bit dejectedly. But she knew that was impossible, at least for now.

"What is it that I want the most?" Ji Minze asked with interest.

"A child! Don't you want one?" Yiren turned her head and asked with a smile, as if she could have a child right away if she wished.

Ji Minze's whole body shuddered. He didn't want to discuss anything about children with Yiren.

"Today, I saw Yuxuan's cousin. She's almost due. I'm so envious! You know what? Yuxuan's cousin is actually the pregnant woman I send flowers to every day!" Yiren said, leaning on Ji Minze's shoulder. She was imagining what it would be like when she was pregnant one day, completely unaware of the blood draining from Ji Minze's face.

"Honey, why aren't you saying anything?" Yiren asked again when she didn't get any response from Ji Minze.

"I think it's great as it is now. A two - person world is more free," Ji Minze replied.

"A family without children is incomplete," Yiren said disapprovingly. "It's better to have a child. It would be even better if we could have two."

"Let it be," Ji Minze said, changing the subject. "Are you sleepy? You don't usually stay up this late."

It was almost twelve o'clock now.

"I'm so sleepy that I can hardly keep my eyes open," Yiren turned her head and said with a smile.

"Then go to sleep," Ji Minze said.

"The happiest thing in life is being able to sleep when you want to," Yiren murmured to herself, then lay down on the big bed and quickly fell asleep.

After Yiren fell asleep, Ji Minze walked alone to the balcony, smoking a cigarette, his eyes filled with unending worry.

Yiren, as usual, went to deliver flowers to the Tang family. It was the maid of the Tang family, not Tang Lei herself, who signed for the flowers.

"Miss Tang is out, right?" Yiren asked casually as she took back the receipt form.

"Our Second Miss has gone to the hospital to await childbirth today," the maid explained.

"Congratulations!" Yiren said, handing the flowers to the maid.

Yiren rode her bicycle back to the flower shop. Business was especially good today. Mi Lan was busy wrapping each bouquet of flowers. It was a day that could make people feel happy.

After four o'clock in the afternoon, Yiren picked up her bag and left the flower shop.

She took a taxi to Perfetto Building. Her face was a bit red because of the hot weather!

Just as Yiren reached the door of Ji Minze's office, before she could raise her hand to knock, the door opened.

Yiren looked up and met Ji Minze's anxious eyes.

"What happened?" Yiren asked. A sense of unease came over her!

"Yiren, no matter what happens later, please listen to my explanation. Don't leave without saying goodbye like before. Otherwise, I will definitely break down!" Ji Minze held Yiren's shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said very seriously.

"What on earth happened?" Yiren asked, even more uneasy. And she didn't understand what Ji Minze meant by leaving without saying goodbye in the past.

"You'll understand when we get to the hospital," Ji Minze said, pulling Yiren's hand and walking into the elevator, followed by Dongfang Hao and Cui Zijun.

All the way, Ji Minze didn't say a word, just held Yiren's hand tightly!

Yiren had a premonition that something was going to happen, and it must be something bad.

They arrived at the hospital and went to the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Yiren was even more confused. Why did Ji Minze bring her to the obstetrics and gynecology department?

"Uncle Tang, how's Tang Lei?" Ji Minze asked Tang Jun.

"Tang Lei is okay for now, but the doctor said the baby might not be saved," Tang Jun said, looking at Ji Minze and sighing. Only now did he find out that the child in Tang Lei's belly was actually Ji Minze's.

At this moment, the door of the emergency room opened, and a nurse came out and asked,

"The baby has a rare blood type. Who is the father of the child?"

Ji Minze looked at Yiren slowly and said,

"I am."

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"I won't think about it now," she said again, speaking loudly, trying to push the pain to the back of her mind or find something to block it.

As for how to do it, she wasn't sure yet. She didn't plan to think about it now. All she needed was a place to rest and endure the pain, a quiet place to lick her wounds, a refuge to plan the next battle. Just thinking of Tara seemed to bring a gentle and calm hand to stroke her heart. She could see the snow - white, shining house welcoming her with a wave, hidden among the autumn - red leaves. She could feel the peaceful atmosphere of the rural dusk, like the sense of happiness in prayer, enveloping her. She could feel the dew falling on the vast green - and - white cotton fields and see the undulating red earth and lush pine trees on the rolling hills.

...

"I'll go back to Tara tomorrow and think about it then. I'll be able to stand everything then. Tomorrow, I'll come up with a way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day."

Thinking of this passage from *Gone with the Wind*! It fits this situation very well!

Very sad and also very strong!