After Being Forced to Take the Role of the Scumbag Protagonist - Chapter 15

Because he didn’t want to bring extra trouble to Wu Yunzhi, Xu Ying had been extremely careful to hide the fact that he was pregnant.

But meals had to be eaten, and debts had to be repaid.

Xu Ying managed every cent coming in and going out of the household. As for the medicine to stabilize his pregnancy, he stopped taking it after finishing the first batch, essentially giving up on himself out of pure exhaustion.

But life doesn’t allow for such apathy. On the third day after stopping his medication, Xu Ying fainted again and was rushed back to the hospital.

After checking him over, the doctor gave him a grim warning: if he didn’t follow the orders to rest and take his medicine, a miscarriage was imminent. Not only would he lose the child, but the damage to his body would be permanent, potentially rendering him unable to conceive ever again.

When Xu Ying walked out of the hospital, rain had already begun to fall. Fortunately, he had brought an umbrella, so he didn’t need to call Wu Yunzhi to come to pick him up.

As he passed a small shop, he glanced inside at a television. The news was reporting that a typhoon would soon hit City A. Xu Ying looked up instinctively; the sky was a bruised mass of black clouds, and the wind was picking up, turning the rain into a biting spray.

For some reason, Xu Ying, who hadn’t cried when he fainted at work and hadn’t cried when the doctor gave him the dire warning, felt a sudden, crushing weight on his heart as he stared at those dark clouds. It was so suffocating that he couldn’t breathe. He sank to the ground, crouching in the rain, and began to sob.

He felt wronged, and he was terrified. Yet, he never showed these emotions to Wu Yunzhi, fearing that it would add to the Alpha’s already immense pressure.

But alone, the fear of losing the child and the crushing weight of the debt finally broke him. He crouched there, crying like a lost child.

The sound of rain pitter-pattered in his ears. Tires hissed across the wet asphalt, sending arcs of water splashing onto the pavement in front of him. Xu Ying buried his face in his knees. In the darkness of his own arms, he listened to the cacophony of horns, rain, voices, and footsteps.

A cold wind brushed against his arms, leaving him covered in goosebumps. Just as he began to shiver violently, the blurred sound of footsteps grew distinct. They approached and finally stopped right in front of him.

It felt as though a solid wall had suddenly appeared, blocking the wind and making the air around him feel strangely warm.

Wu Yunzhi had only come out to buy a few supplies. As soon as he left their apartment complex, he saw Xu Ying crouching by the convenience store entrance like a puppy that couldn’t find its way home.

He stood beside Xu Ying, folded his umbrella, and reached down to pull him up.

“Why are you crouching here all by yourself?”

Xu Ying didn’t realize it was Wu Yunzhi at first. He staggered, trying to find his footing, but the moment he saw who it was, he let himself collapse into Wu Yunzhi’s arms.

Wu Yunzhi: “…”

He froze for a second, then gave a small laugh, reaching out to ruffle Xu Ying’s damp hair. “Acting spoiled, are we?”

Wu Yunzhi’s chest vibrated with his low chuckle, making Xu Ying’s heart feel tingly. He didn’t speak; he just pressed his forehead against Wu Yunzhi’s chest, trying to soak up every bit of security he could find.

“Since you’re staying silent, I’ll take that as a yes.” Wu Yunzhi pinched Xu Ying’s earlobe. “Alright, let’s not stand in the doorway. I need to go in and buy a few things. Once I’m done, we’ll go home together.”

Xu Ying nodded.

Since Wu Yunzhi had successfully signed his contract, they now had two sources of income. Wu Yunzhi bought some milk and the chocolate Xu Ying liked, checked out, and walked back home with him.

“Eat some chocolate and rest for a bit. I’ll go make dinner,” Wu Yunzhi said, noticing Xu Ying’s pale complexion.

“Okay,” Xu Ying whispered.

By the time Wu Yunzhi finished cooking and came out, he saw that Xu Ying had finished the chocolates, except for the rum-filled ones.

Doesn’t he usually like the liquor-filled ones the most? Wu Yunzhi was confused but didn’t push it. They ate together in a quiet, domestic atmosphere.

After dinner, Wu Yunzhi returned to his room to write, while Xu Ying sat in the living room doing the accounts. The money they were making was barely enough for daily expenses; it was nowhere near enough to pay back the million yuan. Even with the most optimistic estimates, it would take at least five years to clear the debt with interest.

Xu Ying scribbled on the paper, eventually crossing out the costs for prenatal check-ups and medicine. Finally, as if possessed, he wrote the words “Abortion Fee.” He snapped out of it a moment later, looking around guiltily before crossing it out as if he had committed a crime.

He crumpled the paper into a ball, washed some fruit for Wu Yunzhi, and knocked on the bedroom door.

Wu Yunzhi was focused on the keyboard. Xu Ying moved quietly, placing the bowl of fruit by his hand. “I washed some fruit for you. Remember to eat.”

“Thanks,” Wu Yunzhi said without looking up.

Xu Ying stood there, watching Wu Yunzhi’s profile. His fingers toyed nervously with the hem of his shirt. Wu Yunzhi assumed he would leave, but Xu Ying remained standing there, showing no intention of moving.

Wu Yunzhi frowned slightly. Usually, when he was meeting a deadline, Xu Ying would never disturb him. Why was he acting out of character today? He saved his document and turned around.

“What is it?” he asked. “Do you have something to tell me?”

Xu Ying hesitated, then nodded.

“Go ahead,” Wu Yunzhi smiled. “Why are you being so hesitant?”

Xu Ying picked at his fingers, avoiding Wu Yunzhi’s gaze. After a long silence, he whispered, “I want to go back and stay at the university dorms for a few days.”

“…You want to go back to school?”

Wu Yunzhi was stunned. He had suggested this before, but Xu Ying had been stubborn about staying. Why the sudden change of heart?

Wu Yunzhi didn’t think it was because Xu Ying was afraid of the debt collectors; if he were, he would have left days ago. He studied Xu Ying’s anxious face for a moment.

“Then go,” Wu Yunzhi said softly. “Do you want me to help you pack your clothes?”

“No…” Xu Ying shook his head slowly. His reactions had been a bit slow lately, like a little snail. “I still have clothes at the dorm.”

“Alright. Should I walk you to the bus stop?”

“No, it’s right downstairs.” Xu Ying’s fingers twisted together. He stared at Wu Yunzhi’s calm expression for a long time before suddenly reaching out and throwing his arms around the Alpha’s neck.

He had decided to quietly undergo the abortion alone. Wu Yunzhi must never find out. If someone had to bear the guilt and lie awake at night because of this decision, he didn’t want it to be Wu Yunzhi.

With this thought, Xu Ying lowered his head and softly brushed his damp eyes against the fabric of Wu Yunzhi’s shoulder. The movement was so light it was almost imperceptible.

Wu Yunzhi didn’t sense anything amiss; he simply thought Xu Ying had become quieter lately due to the immense pressure they were under. He walked Xu Ying back to the university, unaware that as soon as night fell, Xu Ying booked an appointment for an induced abortion the very next day.

Since it was the first time in his life facing such a procedure, Xu Ying was a nervous wreck. He didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, his mind was so clouded that he even took the bus in the wrong direction. By the time he realized he was moving further and further away from the hospital, it was nearly too late.

Frustrated with himself, he planned to take a bus back, but fate intervened. The typhoon brought a sudden, torrential downpour. He was forced to duck into the nearest café to seek shelter.

The café was located near a prestigious law firm and several corporate offices. It was filled with polished, high-flying white-collar professionals. Xu Ying, a green student soaked to the bone and looking disheveled, stood out like a sore thumb. He felt the weight of their judgmental side-glances.

Feeling too embarrassed to just stand there, he reluctantly spent his meager savings on the cheapest latte on the menu and shrank into a corner, waiting for the rain to stop.

The café was bustling. As the storm raged outside, more people crowded in for shelter until every seat was taken. Xu Ying looked at the time, his heart racing with anxiety about his appointment. Just as he was debating whether to run out into the rain or keep waiting, he heard the sharp clack-clack of high heels.

A red leather handbag was placed on the table directly across from him. Xu Ying recognized the brand, it cost upwards of a hundred thousand yuan. He instinctively pulled his neck in, dropping his gaze to his lap, not daring to look further.

The woman sharing his table seemed to be a highly successful and incredibly busy professional. She was constantly on the phone, using corporate jargon that Xu Ying couldn’t quite grasp. He sipped his coffee in silence, trying to make himself as small as possible so as not to disturb her.

Before he could finish his drink, the woman ended her call. From his downward angle, Xu Ying could see her hand resting on the table. Her nails were a delicate, polished pink, and her fingers were long and slender—the hands of someone who had never known a day of hard labor.

He looked at his own hands, rough and calloused from part-time jobs. His head sank even lower.

Finally, the sound of the rain began to taper off. Xu Ying glanced toward the door and felt a surge of relief. He grabbed his canvas bag, ready to bolt for the exit.

But at that moment, the woman across from him spoke. Her voice was tinged with hesitation.

“…Xu Ying?”

Xu Ying froze. He blinked in confusion and slowly turned his head. His eyes met the woman’s perfectly made-up face. He studied her features for a long time until his gaze landed on a small mole near her ear. His breath hitched, and he whispered in disbelief:

“…Mom?”

The woman he called “Mother” took in his bedraggled appearance. She frowned coldly, her voice sharp with disapproval.

“You…” she began, “how did you end up looking like such a mess?”

Xu Ying felt as though he had been stripped naked in the middle of the crowded café. The “Mother” in front of him wasn’t the warm figure from a child’s story but a high-society lady who looked at him as if he were a stain on her expensive rug.

“I… I just got caught in the rain,” Xu Ying stammered, his hand instinctively clutching the strap of his worn-out canvas bag.

His mother, whose name was Lin Shuhua, didn’t offer a towel or a warm drink. Instead, she adjusted her designer glasses and sighed. “I heard you left the Xu family. And for an Alpha with nothing to his name, no less. I thought you had more sense than that, Xu Ying.”

Xu Ying’s throat felt tight. He wanted to tell her about Wu Yunzhi’s talent, about the debt, about the child he was currently on his way to give up because they were too poor to keep it. But looking at her cold, perfect exterior, he knew she wouldn’t understand. To her, everything was a transaction, and he had made a very bad deal.

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