Let It Go
Since that day, two months had passed, and some things could no longer be hidden.
Xiao Wu was slender, with a thin waist, but her belly was growing day by day, inevitably raising suspicions.
Liu Erlong, being a woman, though she had not personally experienced motherhood, was highly sensitive in this regard due to her extensive life experiences.
The vibrant little life growing inside Xiao Wu could never escape the awareness of a Soul Saint like Liu Erlong.
Having no daughter of her own, Liu Erlong had long regarded this sweet and obedient girl as her own.
"Xiao Wu, be honest with me. Is this child Tang San's?" she asked, both furious and regretful. Such potential wasted.
When she first learned of the situation, she was so angry that she almost had a heart attack.
Xiao Wu's face turned odd. She kept her head down, stammering for a long time without saying a word.
A bad feeling arose in Liu Erlong's heart.
"Xiao Wu, is the child in your belly Tang San's?" She grabbed Xiao Wu by the shoulders, her expression agitated, unable to suppress her emotions.
They had known each other for so long, and at this age, when love between men and women could easily flare up, if the child was born of their love, a bit of scolding would be enough.
But Xiao Wu avoided eye contact, looking scared, not daring to meet Liu Erlong's piercing gaze.
Seeing her reaction, Liu Erlong suddenly felt as if all the strength had drained from her body. She stumbled back a few steps, her heart sinking.
"You... you!" She clutched her chest, feeling as if she was about to have a heart attack, her blood pressure skyrocketing.
This silence and Xiao Wu's attitude unmistakably conveyed that the child was not Tang San's.
Liu Erlong was utterly disappointed in Xiao Wu. She wanted to curse her out—how could she be so reckless? Such an obedient girl, how could she do something so shameless?
Xiao Wu lowered her head, her eyes already moist. She was deeply upset, filled with guilt toward Tang San. But what was done was done, and it was irreversible.
In the distance, Chen Xuan had already broken out in a cold sweat, feeling as if a thunderbolt had struck him from a clear sky, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.
The worst-case scenario had happened; things were unfolding in the worst possible direction.
Chen Xuan was dazed, lost in thought, overwhelmed with emotions, and on the verge of tears. His mind was in complete turmoil.
Was this a "one-shot deal," or perhaps more than one?
Either way, it was explosive. At just over sixteen, he hadn't even explored the world or seen the vast landscapes, yet now he might have to step into the role of a father and husband prematurely?
In the small grove, Liu Erlong was heartbroken, her expression one of exasperation. The girl she treated like a daughter had turned into someone she could no longer recognize.
Xiao Wu's mysterious pregnancy was already hard for her to accept, but to learn that the child belonged to someone else, an unknown man, felt like a thunderclap, shaking her to the core.
"Xiao Wu, I'm asking you one last time, whose child is this?" Liu Erlong's eyes were bloodshot. She was on the verge of breaking down.
"I... I can't say." Xiao Wu's eyes were red, her hands gripping the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She hesitated for a long time but refused to reveal Chen Xuan's name.
Her body trembled slightly, every part of her felt the searing pain. She was the one who was suffering the most. How could she not wish the child belonged to Tang San?
Xiao Wu bit her lip, clenching her mouth shut. No matter how much Liu Erlong pressed her, she would never reveal Chen Xuan's name. That pain was hers alone to bear; she didn't want more people to know.
Liu Erlong's chest heaved, her face turning red and purple from anger. She was about to lose it. If it had been anyone else, she would have lectured them harshly by now.
"Xiao Wu, do you still love Tang San?" Liu Erlong asked.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu opened her mouth but quickly shut it again. She had wanted to declare her love wholeheartedly, but the memory of Tang San kissing Huo Wu in the grove outside flashed in her mind, a kiss that lasted over two minutes.
She hesitated. Unlike before, she couldn't say it firmly. With Chen Xuan and Huo Wu in the picture, her feelings for Tang San were no longer pure. After a long pause, she could only manage to say, "I don't know."
Liu Erlong, however, misunderstood this as Xiao Wu being afraid of her scolding and assumed she had fallen for someone else.
In reality, her indecision had already revealed the problem.
Liu Erlong sighed deeply, her eyes full of disappointment. But Xiao Wu was still the daughter she had just recognized, and she didn't want this sweet girl to continue down this path.
Her face became stern, and she looked at Xiao Wu with severity. "Before Tang San finds out, get rid of the child, and you two can go back to how things were."
After much thought, only Flender knew about this. The best solution was to terminate the pregnancy and pretend nothing had happened.
"No!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately exploded, screaming in protest. Liu Erlong's words had touched her deepest nerve, igniting her defiance.
"This baby is my flesh and blood, it already has life. I can't do such a thing. Even if the baby doesn't have a father, I will still raise it!" Her small face turned red as she grew more agitated, filled with resistance.
"Xiao Wu, stop being stubborn. This won't be good for anyone. What about Tang San?" Liu Erlong was so furious that her hands trembled. Anyone else would have been scolded harshly by now.
At the mention of Tang San, Xiao Wu's attitude softened. Her eyes filled with pain as she struggled intensely between her baby and Tang San.
On one side was the man she loved, and on the other was her own child. Her heart ached as if it was being torn apart, and she truly didn't know what to do.
"I... I don't know. I know this baby is my own flesh and blood. The baby must be okay." Finally, Xiao Wu couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they flowed freely from her eyes.
But her determination was clear. She would put the child's life first. Even if it meant parting ways with Tang San, she would not regret it.
Chen Xuan couldn't take it anymore. He turned and fled, leaving the mountainside and heading back to the academy.
He wasn't running away but feared that if he stayed, he would lose control and Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu would discover the truth.
Not long after, Liu Erlong and Xiao Wu also left the mountainside and returned to Shrek Academy.
Chen Xuan left first, so he didn't know what the two talked about after, but one thing was clear: Liu Erlong had not exposed Xiao Wu's pregnancy. Instead, she helped cover it up, which surprised him.
Chen Xuan knew it wouldn't stay hidden for long. Xiao Wu's growing belly was becoming more noticeable, and sooner or later, everyone, including Tang San, would find out.
Moreover, it was highly likely that her close friends, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, had already noticed. They lived in the same dormitory, spending every day together. It was hard not to notice.
As he suspected, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were indeed the first to discover Xiao Wu's pregnancy, followed by Flender and Liu Erlong.
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