Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 12

The weather was decent today, and although the clouds were a bit thick, the sun was still visible through the gaps; I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate the street view outside the window. One hand pressed against my lower abdomen, the result on the pregnancy test stick still flashing before my eyes, refusing to leave. It was hard to imagine… a tiny life was growing inside my still-flat stomach… it was mine and Han Jun’s.

How would he react?

Would he be happy? No… that was too optimistic. After all, he was currently planning to focus on his career, and both logically and emotionally, he was still just a junior in college. Even though he was starting to generate some income, he definitely wouldn’t welcome a child unexpectedly crashing the party.

Would he be angry? But… the contraception between us was always his responsibility. It was his job at first, and then he slacked off. Frankly, it was mostly his fault for this “mistake.” He wouldn’t let me take pills, saying they were too harmful to the body… I appreciated his thoughtfulness, but it was also the reason for this “accident.”

If he gets angry, does that mean I definitely have to give up this child? I’m only a junior in college myself, and even just finding out I’m pregnant has scared me half to death… and then there’s my parents, whom I have to explain things to, whether this child stays or goes… The thought of my parents suddenly makes me feel nauseous.

My mind was a mess, and while I was lost in thought, the car arrived at Plato. I tremblingly handed the fare to the driver, who even asked if I was okay when he saw how pale I was.

I managed a smile and headed towards Plato alone. The main door wasn’t open since they only started operating at six in the evening… I walked around to the back gate of the parking lot. That gate was also locked. Looking up at the silent surveillance camera, a sudden feeling of helplessness washed over me.

I wonder if the sisters are inside? If I could contact them, maybe I could…

Just as I thought this, the door opened. It was Monk Senior! Thank goodness!

“Senior! You’re here!” I ran gratefully towards the door, and he was clearly startled by my sudden appearance.

“Xiao… Xiao Xiao? You…”

“I’m here to find Han Jun! He’s inside, right?”

He stood there, cigarette dangling from his lips, looking dazed. “Probably still in the rehearsal room; you don’t look good…”

“Thanks! I’m going right now!” Ignoring his concern, I walked into the hallway, feeling apologetic, and ran into Loser and Junior who looked equally stunned by the door to the lounge. I didn’t have time to explain; I just rushed down the hallway to the rehearsal room. The all-white door was ajar, not locked! Perfect!

“Wait, wait a minute! Xiao Xiao—” Loser’s voice came from behind. I pushed the door open and stepped into the daylight of the rehearsal room…

There were only two people in the large rehearsal room. It was probably the handover time between two bands’ practice sessions, so most people had left…

One of them was Han Jun.

However, standing in front of him was a long-haired girl about my height. Her hands were intimately wrapped around his neck, and their faces were pressed together…

I almost stopped breathing.

A man and a woman, alone in an empty rehearsal room, leaning against each other so intimately—it was obvious what they were doing!

“Lu Han Jun!” My voice trembled. I felt as if I had already been stabbed once.

My appearance startled both him and Ivy. The rehearsal room door was pushed open; it was Loser rushing in, and upon seeing the three of us facing each other, he let out a meaningless groan.

In the deadly silence, Ivy spoke first.

She smiled like a victor. “I told you, fans shouldn’t come here.”

I walked toward them step by step, filled with hurt, surprise, and most of all, overwhelming disbelief.

I swear I had never glared at him with such force. “You and her, were you kissing?”

Han Jun showed some shame on his face. He frowned and pulled away from Ivy. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t I be here?” After the hurt came the anger. “Is this the reason you can only come home at eleven?” No wonder people were talking! They were practically glued to each other! This made me feel like an utter idiot for spending time comforting him!

“Hey! Didn’t you explain to this woman?” Ivy looked clearly displeased. “Good! Say it in front of her right now! Tell her right now! Tell her you’re with me.”

“Don’t cause trouble.”

“Me causing trouble? Hey! You talked so nicely when you joined the band, but you’re still stringing her along, huh? Then what am I?”

“I’ll deal with her first. Don’t interfere.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“I. REFUSE!” I violently shook off his grip. “Why should I be the one to leave! I’m not the one who did anything wrong!”

Ivy sneered. “You should think about whose territory this is…”

“Ivy!” he yelled, and the air in the rehearsal room vibrated.

“Get out! Let me talk properly with Xiao Ning.”

“You dare to yell at me?” Ivy’s beautiful face instantly darkened. “Fine! I’m going! But I’ll tell the boss, Lu Han Jun, just you wait!” She twisted her waist and quickly left the rehearsal room, taking Loser with her.

I was trembling, almost unable to stand. “When did you… get together?”

His eyes darted around, guilty and unable to look at me directly. Tears streamed down my face, but I laughed. He lied to me again? How many times now? Has he ever been honest with me? Suddenly, I realized I didn’t know this person at all.

He changed! He changed too fast, too fast…

“What did you want to tell me?”

“I’m pregnant!”

He, who had been maintaining a cold demeanor, opened his eyes wide in astonishment and stared at me.

I laughed at his ridiculous expression, but my heart was bleeding. “Thanks to you! I’m pregnant, so I came to tell you… This is important, right? What are you going to do, Lu Han Jun?”

His initial shock quickly turned to annoyance, followed by almost frantic exasperation.

He gripped my hand tightly, making my arm ache.

“Get rid of it!” (literally: “Take it off!”)

But what hurt even more was my heart.

From the moment I burst into the rehearsal room, I knew he was no longer the Han Jun I was familiar with, but I never in my wildest dreams thought that he wouldn’t offer a single word of comfort or apology for his actions—both the betrayal and the accident of my pregnancy. I didn’t get a single kind, gentle smile. All I got for rushing here and pouring out my heart was a heartbreaking and chilling—two words.

Get rid of it.

Get rid of the child. It was a command, leaving no room for negotiation.

Then, he left. He left as if fleeing a nightmare.

He left the rehearsal room, leaving me lost and heartbroken.

He just walked out of my life.

I left Plato almost like a zombie.

To ensure I got home safely, Monk Senior had the crew’s van take me directly back to my apartment. I was grateful for their consideration but also resented their concealment. Sister Saya had tried her very best to make me discover the truth on my own, but the moment the truth was revealed, it was so deeply painful.

Coupled with the baby in my stomach… I felt doubly wounded.

“We’re here, Miss.” The driver’s cold tone sounded like an order. I mechanically opened the car door, got out, and walked into the small alley leading to the apartment building.

At the entrance to the apartment building, I ran into Sister Tao. She was with a mature man with a beard, wearing a coat, and possessing a literary air. They were chatting, and Sister Tao leaned her chin on her hand, seemingly absorbed in listening, finally bursting into laughter.

Is he a boyfriend? I wondered to myself as I slowly approached the apartment entrance.

“…Okay! That’s it for now! As for the details, you can message me later.”

“Alright! Here’s to a pleasant collaboration.”

The man turned his head and met my gaze. He nodded slightly, smiled warmly, and walked away.

Sister Tao, who was about to turn and go upstairs, noticed me. “Xiao Ning? Just got back, where have you been… What’s wrong? You look terrible…”

Her question made the tears well up and spill over. I reached out to cling to her, but misjudged my step and essentially collapsed into her arms.

Sister Tao, my neighbor, became the only lifeline in that moment. “Sister Tao… save me.”

She looked at me with pity and didn’t ask anything else. I felt myself being lifted; I later realized she had simply picked me up around the waist and carried me directly to her third-floor apartment.

She gently placed me on the bed, took off my shoes, and covered me with a blanket. I was half-dozing, my mind a blank slate. After a while, she wrung out a hot towel and wiped my face. “Want some warm water?”

She sat by my side, one hand gently kneading my shoulder under the blanket. My eyes dried and welled up again. I turned my face, and a tear dropped onto the pillow.

“Xiao Ning…” she called my name hoarsely. I heard the sound of a pained emotion in her voice.

I shook my head, closed my eyes, and temporarily lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already dark.

Soft piano music played nearby; it was Sister Tao’s music. There was a mug on the bedside table, which must be the water she meant for me to drink.

Though I hadn’t done anything, my body felt as exhausted as if I had run dozens of laps around a track. My limbs were sore and numb. I propped up my upper body, trying to grab the cup for a drink. As soon as I moved the cup, I disturbed her, who was working at the computer.

“You should have called me.” Sister Tao sighed gently. She sat by the bed and helped me sit up. “The water’s cold. Wait for me, I’ll go heat some up.”

“No need, cold is fine…”

She just pressed me back onto the bed, reheated the water, and brought it back. I nodded gratefully and quickly drank the whole cup.

“Feeling better?”

“Mmm… Thank you, Sister Tao.”

She smiled, crossed her legs, and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with me, speaking in a casual, conversational tone: “Oh, right! Around four o’clock, I heard someone calling ‘Xiao Xiao’ outside the door. I peeked out, and it was a girl. She anxiously asked if you were home. I didn’t know who she was, so I just said no. She looked very disappointed when she left.”

“Long hair? A little curly…” Sister Tao nodded. “That was Sister Saya…”

“Your phone kept ringing too. I turned it to silent so it wouldn’t disturb your rest.”

My phone… I found my dropped bag on the floor. Sister Tao followed my gaze. “Should I get it for you?”

It was probably messages from those “Pufferfish” friends, or maybe… Lu Han Jun himself?

The thought of him heartlessly telling me to “get rid of it” made my eyes sting with fresh tears.

Yu Xiao Ning! You must be blind! To fall for such an irresponsible guy, you deserve this! I cursed myself inwardly, but then I couldn’t help but wonder… What was it that turned a gentle boy who simply loved music and singing into the person he is now?

Fame? Fortune? Or something else I don’t know about?

Does he know that such an intangible yet enormous thing has destroyed my youth, our love, and an innocent life?

If I had to use one word to describe my current mood, it would undoubtedly be “despair.” The sunlight, air, and water I once believed in have left me… no, they have even turned around and bitten me.

I, whom Tao Yi An called the “Breeze,” have been torn to shreds by betrayal and accidental pregnancy.

“Xiao Ning, if you’re really sad, talking about it might be better than keeping it all inside.”