The Reborn Scummy A and the Sickly O Got Together - Chapter 57

The phone in Luo Mingyue’s pocket vibrated persistently. She had intended to ignore it, both because her hands were full and because she didn’t want a call to disrupt the pleasant atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the caller was just as stubborn. Feng Baiming snapped out of her thoughts and offered, “Should I get your phone for you?”

Luo Mingyue gave a muffled “Mm,” thinking to herself that this had better be important. If it was Lu Ping calling just to gossip, she might just lose it and smack him silly.

Feng Baiming pulled out the phone and glanced at the screen. Unconsciously, her brows furrowed slightly as she remarked casually, “It’s Lu Jia.”

A faint sense of displeasure welled up inside her, which surprised her. She knew full well that Luo Mingyue’s kindness toward Lu Jia was only superficial in reality, she was far from friendly toward the girl.

Luo Mingyue froze. “Never mind, I won’t answer.”

Feng Baiming held the phone. “She’s calling this persistently for a reason. She’s already sent you over a dozen messages.”

Reluctantly, Luo Mingyue motioned for Feng Baiming to answer and held the phone to her ear. Before she could even speak, Lu Jia’s indignant voice rang out: “Where are you? Did you see my messages?”

The accusatory tone even took Feng Baiming aback. After all, whenever they saw Lu Jia, she was always delicate, innocent, and soft-spoken like the most fragile flower unable to withstand the slightest breeze.

Out of habit, Luo Mingyue replied gently, “Jiajia, I’m out right now. Whatever it is, we can talk about it when I get home.”

Lu Jia, clearly assuming she had already seen the messages, snapped back, “You saw them and still didn’t reply?”

But then, almost immediately, the sound of sobbing came through the phone. “Zhang Zhuoran refuses to acknowledge the baby. But every life is innocent, Mingyue-jie. You’re the only one I have left now. If even you won’t stand by me, I’ll truly have nowhere to turn.”

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment as Luo Mingyue stood there, stunned. Feng Baiming nudged her shoulder, urging her to respond.

With effort, Luo Mingyue managed to reply, “I’ll head back right away. We’ll talk more tonight.”

The two hurried back, dust and exhaustion clinging to them. Several times, Luo Mingyue almost brought up the topic of Lu Jia’s unplanned pregnancy, but each time, the words died on her lips, leaving behind a bitter taste.

Feng Baiming, however, remained perfectly at ease. Watching Luo Mingyue wrestle with her thoughts the entire way, she found it puzzling and finally broke the silence herself. “Young couples in love, especially at their age, often forget to take precautions. Sure, Lu Jia’s the one who’ll suffer for it, but as long as she can accept it, keeping it quiet these days won’t affect her future marriage prospects.”

Her reasoning was simple. “The Qing Dynasty fell ages ago. No need to act like the sky’s falling.”

But in the short span of time since Luo Mingyue had been reborn, the plot of this life had raced ahead like a runaway alpaca, always taking unexpected turns. For a fleeting moment, the thought that crossed her mind was.

At least the child is innocent.

She could justify exacting revenge on Lu Jia, pushing her into an inescapable abyss, even, if possible, delivering the fatal blow herself to quell the hatred in her heart.

But an unborn child or rather, if this child were truly brought into the world, no matter how wretched its parents might be, Luo Mingyue had to admit that Lu Jia wasn’t entirely wrong about one thing.

This embryo, which had never before existed, was undoubtedly the most innocent party in this farce of a life.

Feng Baiming rarely shrugged, making a helpless gesture: “But I can provide you with some background on Zhang Zhuoran. His mother’s family made their fortune by exploiting Southeast Asian laborers and spent the past twenty years laundering their reputation through the domestic catering industry. While Zhang Zhuoran appears superficially like a playboy, he’s actually deeply influenced by his maternal family. His shallow demeanor doesn’t prevent him from being ruthless and cold-hearted.”

“And his mother is far from benevolent,” Feng Baiming added in a lowered voice as she and Luo Mingyue took their seats on the plane. “They appear respectable domestically, but in Southeast Asia, they act like lawless warlords, practically local emperors.”

Feng Baiming concluded decisively: “This loss must be accepted. Take whatever compensation you can get and settle quickly. Even your grandmother wouldn’t have much influence here. If Zhang Zhuoran’s mother gets involved, Lu Jia might not come out unscathed.”

At the Lu residence, Lu Jia hung up the phone, wiped away nonexistent tears, and sat on the sofa scrolling through her phone. Looking at the test results confirming her one-month-old embryo, she couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

Though confirmation at two months would be more accurate, she had calculated the timing and directly booked an expert appointment for blood tests. Now confirmed pregnant, she had no intention of telling Zhang Zhuoran knowing full well he’d only demand an abortion.

She hoped the child would be an alpha at best, or at worst an omega. A beta, in her view, would be worthless neither suitable as an heir nor valuable for marriage alliances. It might as well be trash.

She planned to wait until two months for another blood test to determine the gender. If confirmed as an alpha, she’d carry the pregnancy to eight months when the fetus was fully formed before telling Zhang Zhuoran by then, he’d have no choice but to acknowledge the child.

Lu Jia’s plan was smooth: go abroad by year-end to avoid Zhang Zhuoran, play the victim to get Luo Mingyue to accompany her overseas, and have Luo Mingyue take care of her abroad.

When Luo Mingyue arrived home exhausted around 8 PM, Lu Jia prepared to put on a tearful, dependent act, only to see Luo Mingyue holding the door open with gentlemanly courtesy, letting that Feng girl enter first.

For a moment, Lu Jia suspected her expression must have twisted into something hideous with jealousy.

Feng Baiming looked up to see a youthful girl in a plain dress and linen knit cardigan. It was hard to imagine she was already pregnant. Feng nodded politely and stepped aside to give Luo Mingyue and Lu Jia privacy.

As they passed each other, the girl whispered just loud enough for Feng to hear: “Don’t you feel cheap picking up someone else’s leftovers?”

Feng barely restrained the urge to retort: At least I’m not a player exposed with an unplanned pregnancy.

She managed to hold her tongue, realizing some people weren’t worth a second glance, and simply ascended the stairs. From the higher vantage point, she cast one cold, silent look downward.

Lu Jia flushed crimson. As Luo Mingyue approached, she quickly switched to a triumphant smile, fluttering toward him like a little bird.

Feng Baiming had already turned to her room, missing how Luo Mingyue sidestepped the girl, merely gripping her shoulders to steady her.

“You’re carrying a child now. Be more careful.”

Avoiding the embrace, Lu Jia’s rising anger subsided slightly upon hearing these words. Her teary eyes and genuine heartache were not feigned, had this been a proper relationship, she would have been the center of attention by now. But because her partner was the cold-hearted Zhang Zhuoran, even giving birth to their child had to be handled with caution.

Luo Mingyue carefully helped her onto the sofa, placing a cushion behind her back with meticulous care. Lu Jia suddenly murmured, “If only this child were Mingyue sister’s.”

Luo Mingyue’s expression darkened instantly. Thinking she had wounded her deeply, Lu Jia burst into tears and said pitifully, “If you were the other mother, just imagining it, this child would be so happy.”

Before Luo Mingyue could respond, she sobbed, “You must despise me now.”

“No, I just don’t understand, why didn’t you take precautions?” Luo Mingyue replied hesitantly.

This only made Lu Jia more aggrieved. “It happened during my heat cycle. Do you think I was being reckless?”

Luo Mingyue suggested, “Demand an explanation from Zhang Zhuoran. Even if he doesn’t want the child, he should compensate you.”

“I…” Lu Jia bit her lip, her delicate face hardening with determination. “I will have this child. Others won’t understand, but you must. This child is my only family.”

Luo Mingyue suddenly fixed her gaze on her, studying her face with unprecedented intensity having known Lu Jia for nearly thirty years across two lifetimes.

Her piercing stare felt like a blade, as if she meant to slice through Lu Jia’s skin, exposing the bones beneath her beauty in a bloody revelation.

Before Lu Jia could shudder at the eerie sensation, Luo Mingyue lowered her eyes.

Still, she pressed on, “Are you sure about keeping this child? Even if it will only ever be illegitimate, and Zhang Zhuoran never acknowledges it?”

“I’m sure.”

Luo Mingyue then relayed Feng Baiming’s warnings. Lu Jia frowned after hearing them. “Do you think I’m after the Zhang family’s wealth?”

Luo Mingyue was blunt. “If you terminate the pregnancy now, you can part amicably and receive compensation. But if you insist on studying abroad with me as your caretaker until the birth, what if the child doesn’t survive? You’d lose both the baby and the compensation.”

Lu Jia suddenly said, “Only you and I know about this. Zhang Zhuoran doesn’t. As long as you stay silent, no third person will ever find out.”

Genuinely surprised, Luo Mingyue asked, “You haven’t told Zhang Zhuoran?”

“I know exactly what kind of man he is better than you do.” Lu Jia took a shaky breath. “Mingyue sister, you’re truly all I have left.”

With a bitter laugh, she added, “If you abandon me too, I might as well be walking to my death.”

Luo Mingyue clenched her fists, then stood abruptly upon seeing Feng Baiming, who was supposed to have returned to her room but had reappeared.

Lu Jia gasped, clutching Luo Mingyue’s hand in desperation, this time, her tears were real. “Miss Feng, you’ve had everything since childhood. I’m not like you. Mingyue sister is all I have. If you take her from me, you’re pushing me toward death.”

Distraught over the innocent child and alarmed by her words, Luo Mingyue quickly pulled her hand free and hurried toward Feng Baiming. “Don’t listen to her nonsense.”

Feng Baiming only looked at Lu Jia, standing tall and straight about five or six steps away from the young girl, and said with a smile, “I never understood Luo Mingyue before, but now I think I’m starting to.”

“Understand what?” Lu Jia’s expression changed abruptly. “Stop speaking in riddles here.” Then, remembering something urgent, her face turned deathly pale. “How much did you hear?”

The warmth in Feng Baiming’s smile gradually faded. “Zhang’s mother is ruthless to her, human lives are nothing more than ants beneath her feet. If you went to the hospital, there would be records. Zhang Zhuoran spent four years abroad, and while many pregnancies reached full term, not a single child was ever born.”

“Do you really think your plan is flawless?” Feng Baiming suddenly reached out and took Luo Mingyue’s hand.

Leading the pale-faced alpha woman away from the living room, she left only her back to the furious girl glaring after them. “I don’t care what your intentions are. I’m only telling you this, Luo Mingyue is mine. For the rest of her life, she will have nothing more to do with you.”

As these words fell, fireworks exploded in Luo Mingyue’s mind, so dazzling and overwhelming that she nearly lost her senses. She couldn’t quite name the emotion surging through her, but despite her best efforts to suppress it, the corners of her mouth threatened to stretch all the way to her ears.

She obediently followed that petite figure upstairs, marveling at how such a small frame could conceal such immense energy.

Lu Jia let out a piercing scream. “You can’t leave with her!”

But Luo Mingyue dismissed it as insignificant background noise. After climbing four or five steps, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “What do you mean, ‘I’m yours’?”

Feng Baiming stopped and looked up at Luo Mingyue, her expression a mix of helplessness and the kind of indulgence one might show a child, as if to say, What else can I do but spoil you?

“It means whatever you think it means,” Feng Baiming replied calmly.

Just as Luo Mingyue was about to press further, her expression soured at the sight of Lu Jia rushing after them.

Her hair was disheveled, tear stains streaked her face, and she tried to shove her way between the two of them. Luo Mingyue blocked her, prompting Lu Jia to exclaim in disbelief, “You’d treat me like this for her sake?”

Then, turning to Feng Baiming, she suddenly spat venomously, “What makes you so special?”

Her gaze swung back to Luo Mingyue, now filled with anguish. “What do you even see in her? Her high-and-mighty attitude? The fact that she has everything? But why should you like her? Because you grew up like trash in the Lu family?”

Lu Jia let out a cold laugh. “Trash shouldn’t dare to dream of swan meat.” Then, bending over as if winded, she demanded, “You want to abandon me? Even you look down on me now? Tell me, how is Feng Baiming any different from Zhang Zhuoran? Others toy with you, and you mistake it for love?”

Suddenly, Lu Jia grabbed Feng Baiming’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded pitifully, “Miss Feng, I’m begging you, don’t play with people like us. Hearts aren’t toys for you rich to amuse yourselves with.”

Feng Baiming had always believed Zhang Zhuoran was the most despicable person she’d ever met until this moment, when she realized there were always worse.

Standing on the stairs, she pried Lu Jia’s fingers away and feigned surprise. “Miss Lu, how can you judge others by your own standards? Not everyone is as careless with others’ feelings as you are.”

The commotion erupted in an instant both of them suddenly tumbled downward. Lu Jia clutched her stomach with a cry and landed seated on the steps.

Luo Mingyue leaped down two steps. Feng Baiming, clutching her head with a groan, had missed her footing on the fifth step and tumbled down to the first floor. Her head struck the wall with a terrifying “thud.” Though her legs and backside hurt more, her mind went blank for an instant.

Lu Jia cried out, “She lost her balance herself! I almost fell too because of her!”

But no one paid her any attention. Luo Mingyue immediately pulled out her phone to call an ambulance. After giving the address, she fumbled nervously, trying to remember first aid procedures her face even paler than Feng Baiming’s, who was sitting on the floor.

No one noticed Lu Jia either, nor when she quietly slipped away from the scene. By the time they reached the hospital’s emergency room, Feng Baiming had undergone a full-body CT scan. The doctor studied the images for a long while.

Luo Mingyue, gripping Feng Baiming’s hand, trembled all over with anxiety, her eyes glistening with tears. “Doctor, just tell us straight.”

The doctor slowly pointed at the abrasions on Feng Baiming’s forearm. “Her head is perfectly fine, no issues at all. It’s just that if you’d arrived a few minutes later.”

“What would’ve happened?” Luo Mingyue’s heart leaped into her throat.

The doctor replied, “These minor scrapes might’ve already healed by then.”

Sitting in a borrowed wheelchair, Feng Baiming wished for the first time in her life that she had a mask to hide her face.

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