As a Scummy Omega, I Ran Away with the Baby - Chapter 24

That single sentence felt like lifting a stone that had long been pressing on Gu Yining’s chest. She wanted to laugh it off with ease, but when she tried to curl her lips into a smile, she realized tears had already slipped down unnoticed, trailing to the corner of her mouth.

“Thank you… for not choosing to lie to me.”

But the truth was, she wished Bai Qingqiu had lied to her—just once more. After all, hadn’t she lied to her so many times, for so many years already?

Still, since Bai Qingqiu had already spoken this much, if Gu Yining kept wavering, even she herself would look down on her.

Gu Yining rose from the sofa, casting one last deep look at Bai Qingqiu, who had turned her head away and refused to meet her eyes, then turned and walked out.

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Gu Yining had been gone for a long while, yet Bai Qingqiu still sat motionless on the sofa, frozen in the same position.

“Miss Bai… the dinner you just asked me to prepare—” Aunt Han called out softly, almost gingerly.

Dinner?

Bai Qingqiu blinked back to her senses. Right—on her way back earlier, she had sent Aunt Han a message on WeChat to make dinner.

“Bring it out,” Bai Qingqiu said faintly. Forcing her stiff, aching limbs to move, she rose slowly from the sofa. She might not feel like eating, but the child in her belly still needed food.

Aunt Han gave a quick nod and hurried off.

With Gu Yining gone, the house was now empty save for her and Aunt Han. The silence was so vast it was suffocating, broken only by the faint clatter of dishes as Aunt Han carefully set the table.

Soon, steaming dishes were laid out across the table, fragrant and warm. But as soon as Bai Qingqiu sat down, the aroma hit her nose, and her stomach lurched violently.

“Ugh—”

She clapped a hand over her mouth, retching dryly, but nothing came out. Her throat burned with raw discomfort. Her stomach was hollow; aside from the slices of lemon she had been forcing down these past few days, there was nothing in her system to bring up.

“Miss Bai…” Aunt Han quickly poured a glass of warm water and held it out to her. “Here, sip some water first.”

“Thank you, Aunt Han.” Bai Qingqiu paused, then said, “Please… take all this back. I don’t have much of an appetite. Just make me an egg and a glass of warm milk. That will be enough.” She accepted the cup, took a small sip, and handed it back.

Having served her for more than four years, Aunt Han knew her temperament well. She didn’t try to persuade her otherwise, only took the cup silently and began clearing the table.

This was a villa, and the dining room was naturally spacious. Even the faint clink of dishes echoed in the emptiness. Bai Qingqiu steadied herself against the edge of the table, rising with effort. The short walk to the stairs—normally less than half a minute—felt almost grueling.

On the way, she passed a side table where a half-finished pack of fruit candies Gu Yining had opened still lay. The standing bookshelf still held scripts and screenplays she had once left there. A plush toy that Gu Yining liked to cuddle while reading scripts was still slumped on the carpet.

Everywhere carried traces of her.

Bai Qingqiu set foot on the staircase.

“Aunt Han, once you’re done here, contact the property management. I might be putting this villa up for sale soon. After you’ve done that, go upstairs and change the bedding in my room.” Her voice was calm, steady, without looking back, as she climbed step by step toward the second floor.

This house had been bought to suit Gu Yining’s tastes. Now that she was gone, it no longer held any meaning.
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Aunt Han had to finish cleaning up and reach out to the property management, so it was impossible to get the bedding changed right away. Bai Qingqiu retreated to the bathroom instead, hoping a splash of water might calm her down.

But as she reached for a face towel, her gaze snagged on the toothbrush resting in the cup—Gu Yining’s toothbrush. She froze.

Gu Yining had lived here with her for so long that she had seeped into every corner of this house.

Even now that she was gone, her presence still lingered like a shadow.

Bai Qingqiu lowered her hand, abandoning the towel. She lifted her head to the mirror. A pale, haggard face stared back—her lips bloodless, dry and cracked, dark circles faintly staining her eyes.

A complete wreck.

Perhaps the child in her belly could already sense she was unwanted, retaliating against her.

Just as her mother had turned away the moment she realized she was not loved.

Bai Qingqiu pressed a trembling palm to her flat abdomen. Inside, a tiny life was quietly forming—her child, and Gu Yining’s. A living being carrying both their blood.

“Baby… can you stop making Mama feel so awful? Mama can’t hold on much longer. Mama’s so tired.”

She gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh. How could a fetus—perhaps not even fully formed yet—understand her words? And even if it did, why would it care to comfort a mother who didn’t want it?

She had no idea how to be a good mother. She couldn’t even remember her own mother’s face clearly anymore. For Gu Yining’s sake, she had gone drinking and socializing despite suspecting she might already be pregnant. What right did someone like her have to mother a new life?

In the empty bathroom, with no one else around, Bai Qingqiu slid slowly down until she was crouched against the cold ceramic wall, curling into herself and hugging her knees tightly.

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Leaving Bai Qingqiu was not as unbearable as Gu Yining had imagined. She hadn’t brought clothes with her, but that wasn’t a problem—she could buy what she needed and have the hotel clean and deliver them.

The hotel had food, comfort, all the conveniences. It wasn’t so different from the villa. The only difference was the nights: when she woke from dreams and instinctively reached for the warmth beside her, her hand met nothing but the cool, empty sheets.

Still, she went about her schedule. She honored all her existing commitments, but when new ones came, she told Sister An not to accept for now. In her free time, she browsed Weibo, keeping in touch with her adorable fans.

Before she realized it, a whole month had passed.

A month already.

Sitting on the hotel bed, she stared at the blank notice board on her phone.

That meant the contract would expire next week.

【Bei Nanyan】: Ningning, I had a box of fresh fruit sent over. Did you get it?

【Bei Nanyan】: peeking.jpg

The messages popped up on her screen. Gu Yining smiled faintly, opening the chat to thank her sincerely.

Bei Nanyan truly was a kind person. Ever since learning she was living in a hotel alone, she had been checking on her daily—caring words, little gestures, food deliveries.

【Ning】: Got it, thank you.

【Bei Nanyan】: Good. Take this time to rest well at the hotel. I’ll handle the contract matters for you. And keep an eye on Weibo—there might be a surprise for you soon.

【Ning】: Okay.

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“You’re definitely pregnant.” Dr. Lin looked up from the report, meeting her gaze.

“Mm.”

Bai Qingqiu, unsurprised, pressed the cotton ball against the spot where her blood had been drawn and answered softly.

“If you’re certain you don’t want to keep it, I can transfer you to a specialist hospital for a termination.”

“Thank you.”

“But with your current weight, surgery would be very difficult. If you really want to end this pregnancy, you need to start eating, put some weight back on.”

“Mm.”

The nausea was still overwhelming; she couldn’t stomach anything.

“You… sigh… you can’t expect your housekeeper to take you to the hospital for surgery. While it’s still early and won’t cause too much harm to your body, better inform the child’s mother and have her accompany you.”

“Mm.”

It was true—Aunt Han couldn’t take her to the hospital for something like this.

Bai Qingqiu waited a while, but when Dr. Lin showed no intention of continuing, she picked up her bag, stood, offered her thanks, and left without even taking the test results.

“Thank you, Dr. Lin.”

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“Beep—beep—Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is unavailable. Please try again later.”

Sitting in the car, Bai Qingqiu listened to the cold, mechanical female voice she’d already heard countless times these past days.

There was no doubt about it—Gu Yining had blacklisted her.

But if she really wanted to get in touch with Gu Yining, there were still ways.

She opened the dial pad and keyed in a familiar number with practiced ease.

This time, the call connected after only a few rings.

“Bei Nanyan.”

Bai Qingqiu spoke first.

“Talk.”

“Please have Gu Yining answer.”

Her lips pressed tightly together.

“You can’t be serious, Bai Qingqiu. You tracked her down all the way to me? If she won’t answer you, doesn’t that tell you everything? She doesn’t want to talk to you. Why force her to listen to you?”

Bei Nanyan’s voice on the other end was as exaggerated as ever, her provocations clumsy and obvious. A month ago, Bai Qingqiu might have fallen for it.

But a month was long enough to regain her composure. What was done was done—what use was there in dwelling on it?

“I need to speak with her,” Bai Qingqiu said evenly, her tone indifferent.

“Then tell me. I’ll pass it on.” Perhaps frustrated by Bai Qingqiu’s calmness, Bei Nanyan’s voice sharpened.

“This is between me and Gu Yining.”

“Forget it. If that’s all, I’m hanging up. I’m busy.” Bei Nanyan, having gotten nowhere, clearly had no interest in dragging things out. Her voice turned perfunctory.

Busy—as a manager, that could only mean one thing.

Gu Yining.

Gu Yining was signing with one of the Big Three.

Of course. Bei Nanyan would never pass up such a golden opportunity. She wasn’t the type to waste her time on petty revenge when there were benefits to be had.

Holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, Bai Qingqiu reached for a packet of preserved lemons, plucked one out, and let the sour bitterness spread across her tongue.

“She’s already negotiated contract terms with you?” Her words were phrased as a question, but her tone was certain.

“What do you think?”

So it was true. Now Bei Nanyan and Gu Yining were aligned against her.

“Busy digging up dirt on my company?”

That was as far as Bei Nanyan’s tricks and imagination could go.

“I knew it was you, Bai Qingqiu.”

“Spare me the sweet talk. If Gu Yining really intends to leave, I’ll send you something. That way I won’t have to waste money hiring trolls.” At the thought of Hong Xia, Bai Qingqiu’s eyes darkened.

“Fine. Send it to me on WeChat. If you delete me, search this number and add me back.”

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@WeiboEntertainment: #BaiXingEntertainment Leadership Shake-Up

Manager H under official investigation by Party J for embezzling tens of millions and exploiting artists by arranging shady dinners. Rising actress Gu Yining allegedly implicated. 【Photo】【Photo】

@GuYiningV: After the rain, the skies will clear.

@BaiXingEntertainment: Official statement. 【Photo】

Within minutes, the news shot straight to the top of Weibo’s trending chart.

【Holy crap, big scandal. Grabbing my front-row seat.】

【No way… my Ningning didn’t get forced into those dinner deals by that old witch, right? Someone save her!】

【So this is the infamous “unspoken rules”?】

【No wonder Gu Yining always had such great resources at BaiXing. Maybe…】

…

The internet boiled over, but at the storm’s center, Gu Yining sat comfortably in her hotel room, sipping milk tea she’d just ordered in.

She hadn’t expected Bei Nanyan to actually follow through.

She had only once casually complained that Sister Hong often picked on her. Yet somehow, Bei Nanyan had managed to dig up Hong’s dirt, force her out, and even use it to hype up the contract termination.

They weren’t even that close, yet Bei Nanyan not only remembered what she’d said but took action.

By comparison, Bai Qingqiu…

At the thought of her, Gu Yining set down her milk tea, rolled over, and opened her bedside drawer.

Inside was a yellow takeout bag, holding a packet of stomach medicine.

She didn’t know how Bai Qingqiu’s stomach condition was now. Buying it had only been for peace of mind—whether Bai Qingqiu threw it away or ignored it was up to her.

It wasn’t her concern anymore.

The joy of breaking free from the contract quickly faded. Gu Yining lowered her eyes and opened her ride-hailing app.

The contract would soon be over. It was time to go back to Bai Qingqiu’s house, pack up her things, and make a clean break.

She’d bring the medicine along.