First night watch.

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"Who...who’s hiding something from you?" Luo Xiaoqiong blushed as she looked at Chuxia. "Mainly... mainly, I’m not sure myself..."

Chuxia’s eyes widened instantly. She was just teasing her, but seeing her like this, did she really guess it right? Glancing around to make sure no one was there, Chuxia leaned forward, looking at her seriously, "How long has it been?"

"It’s been seven days..." Luo Xiaoqiong bit her lip, her eyes reddening, "Chuxia, if it’s true, what... what should I do? I’ve been scared out of my wits these days."

"You wouldn’t admit it when I asked earlier..." Chuxia looked at her, speechless, "I wouldn’t laugh at you, so why are you avoiding me?" She hesitated slightly before asking, "Is this why you’re in a rush to get married?"

Luo Xiaoqiong’s face turned bright red. She was about to speak when she saw Zhou Mikang coming over, so she quickly swallowed her words and smiled at him, "The Division Commander is back?"

"Congratulations!" Zhou Mikang congratulated her and then turned to his little wife, "You weren’t upset today, were you?"

"It was okay..." Chuxia said as she pushed him, "Xiaoqiong and I have some secrets to talk about, so don’t get in the way here. How about you go chat with my brother and the others?"

"Alright." Zhou Mikang stood up cheerfully and went over to Zhao Qiliang and Lin Wenbin. Chuxia turned back to Luo Xiaoqiong, signaling her to continue the previous topic.

"I’m not trying to marry your brother for this reason; I want to marry him, so I used this way to show him my determination..." Luo Xiaoqiong bit her lip, "Chuxia, will you look down on me?"

"Of course not..." Chuxia looked at her seriously, "You’re doing much better than my brother. You want to use this way to prove to him your determination to be with him.

Honestly, my brother isn’t man enough. Since he accepted your promise, he should have made a promise to you sooner. In the end, you had to bring it up yourself. That’s quite lame of him."

Luo Xiaoqiong bit her lip and looked up at Chuxia, "That day I got him drunk, and afterward, he kept regretting it. He was waiting, hoping nothing would happen, so he could truly settle down before marrying me.

Actually, my reason to convince him was that I...I might be pregnant. I told him that I was afraid of humiliation and forbade him from telling anyone. I also refused to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Once we’re married, after some time, we can naturally bring this up. If it’s off by a month, it’s easy to cover it up; we can say it’s a premature birth.

Although we agreed on this, I’m still anxious, fearing exposure. Chuxia, you mustn’t tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Sigh..." Chuxia sighed heavily. She felt sorry for Luo Xiaoqiong’s torment during this time and understood that no matter how the elders felt, Luo Xiaoqiong would probably feel embarrassed if this got out.

However, if they keep it a secret, what if there’s a disagreement? The first three months of pregnancy are very risky, and even changing jobs isn’t something that can happen immediately, so she’d have to follow along in the countryside, which isn’t suitable for her current physical condition.

Seeing Chuxia’s hesitation, Luo Xiaoqiong panicked, "Chuxia, promise me. Otherwise, I really regret telling you. I didn’t want to tell anyone in the first place. If it weren’t for trusting you as much as I trust myself, I wouldn’t have said anything."

"Have you thought about what to do during this time?" Chuxia looked at her with concern, "You think revealing the truth to the elders is unacceptable, but if fatigue affects the baby, can you handle it? Can the elders accept it?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Then what should I do?" Luo Xiaoqiong looked conflicted, "If I’d known, I wouldn’t have acted impulsively. Who knew it would happen by chance? You know what I’ve been feeling these days?

I used to get annoyed by that time of the month, but now I’m eagerly waiting for it to come. When I called you, it was because I was scared there might be a possibility, so I wanted your advice.

At the time, I was still hoping by chance, but all these days, there’s been no sign; I guess... there’s a nine-in-ten chance that’s what it is.

Otherwise..." She hesitated, looking at Chuxia, "Maybe I should just change jobs. This way, I can stay by Director Xu’s side for just over half a month. As long as I’m careful, nothing will happen."

"If you were staying in the bureau during this time, I wouldn’t worry. The countryside research areas are harsh, and being careful doesn’t ensure safety.

Why not tell the truth to Director Xu and have her keep you working at the bureau? As for a job change, take her advice, or she could arrange for you to further your studies, which is also a good option."

It’s easy to ask Zhou Mikang to help Luo Xiaoqiong with her job, but doing so would surely sadden Director Xu, and since she’s a friend of her mother-in-law, it would be even more inappropriate.

So the best solution is for Luo Xiaoqiong to confess to Director Xu and let Director Xu arrange everything for her. She also believes that with Director Xu’s openness, telling the truth to the other side will certainly make them understand Luo Xiaoqiong.

After pondering for a while, Luo Xiaoqiong agreed to Chuxia’s suggestion. It really seemed like the best option, and she didn’t dare to take risks. If something unexpected happened, all her worries would not only come true but also worsen the harm, leading to an irreparable mess.

Having come up with a solution, Luo Xiaoqiong’s mood clearly eased compared to before. However, letting her completely relax now was impossible, as she still had to face Director Xu.

This method was her own choice, and she had to confront it herself. No one could replace her in this, so Chuxia comfortingly patted her shoulder, sighed, and said nothing.

If Luo Xiaoqiong hadn’t married her cousin, if she didn’t understand her cousin’s personality, she really wanted to scold Luo Xiaoqiong. But now, what could she say?

Talking purely about the matter at hand, she still thought Luo Xiaoqiong’s approach was somewhat unwise. However, this also showed that Luo Xiaoqiong’s feelings for Zhao Qiliang had never changed, and given Zhao Qiliang’s personality, he would certainly be devoted to Luo Xiaoqiong.

Therefore, if this impulsive decision could bring a lifetime of happiness, it might be worth it.

But, can it really be hidden?

Chuxia still held a skeptical attitude towards this, as the elders were extremely perceptive about such matters. As long as Luo Xiaoqiong showed any unusual behavior during these days, they definitely wouldn’t miss it.

When the time comes, it’s not something she can hide even if she wants to.

Although she considered this possibility, Chuxia didn’t mention it. At this moment, Luo Xiaoqiong was like a startled little rabbit, so making her feel stable for a while was the best thing to do.

"Actually, making this decision is really tough..." Luo Xiaoqiong sighed as she continued, "Do you remember when they first returned, I called you and spoke hesitantly?

You even asked me then if something was wrong, and I told you it was gossip from colleagues that made me uncomfortable, wanting to talk it out with you.

Then you comforted me and suggested that I report to Director Xu promptly to avoid falling into those people’s traps. In fact, what I originally wanted to say that day was about the cooked rice incident, but ultimately I didn’t say it."

"I understand..." Chuxia patted her again. "I truly understand the reason for your actions, and I really admire your courage. Actually, if you honestly told the elders, they would understand."

"No!" Luo Xiaoqiong shook her head without thinking. "If my mom knew I made such a decision, she really would be furious. I’ve already disappointed her enough and can’t add more stress to her heart."

"Alright, whatever you say goes..." Chuxia had to give up this persuasion and instead started talking about matters that should be noticed in the early stage. Although the situation hadn’t been examined yet, given how timely she always was, the result with such a long delay was almost beyond suspense.

After lunch, the two went to the Yun Family, with the driver being Wang Zhongliang chosen by Chuxia.

Originally, she planned to have Lin Wenbin or Jing Zhe accompany them, but due to Luo Xiaoqiong’s unexpected situation, she decided it was better to find someone who didn’t know medicine.

As the car stopped at the Yun Family’s entrance, Yun Doudou happened to be seeing off a few neighbors. Seeing the two, she immediately joyfully rushed over: "Why are you two willing to come over now?"

"We missed you." Chuxia smiled.

"I missed you both too..." Yun Doudou looked at her with a face full of grievance. "You two can be companions together, but I’m just a lonely person, too pitiful."

Luo Xiaoqiong quickly said, "We haven’t been together either; we haven’t met in the past three days."

"Let’s go inside to talk." Yun Doudou pulled the two towards her house. "I was thinking earlier whether to sneak out to find you once the guests left, but you got here first."

Yun Doudou’s adoptive parents, two brothers, and one sister were also at the Yun Family. After mutual introductions, Mr. Yun looked at Chuxia with gratitude: "Comrade Lin, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, my Xiaodong wouldn’t even have a job, let alone be a deputy director of the workshop..." As he spoke, he glared at Du Xiaodong, "Hurry and thank your benefactor!"

"No, no, no..." Chuxia quickly waved him off. "Uncle Du, you’re being so polite; it’s too formal. Although my husband helped resolve Brother Du’s job, Brother Du worked really hard, and his current development is entirely earned by himself."

A young woman sitting next to Du Xiaodong swiftly chimed in: "That’s right, Dad, having opportunities without effort wouldn’t lead to being a workshop director. You can’t always undermine Xiaodong’s efforts; he’s had it tough."

"You can’t say that. Without Commander Zhou’s help, I wouldn’t have a place to strive for." Du Xiaodong said as he deeply bowed to Chuxia, "Thank you!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)