That being said, how could Yan Xixi possibly relax?

"To be on the safe side, it’s best for both husband and wife to get a detailed check-up and receive the proper treatment. You should have your husband checked as well."

"Thank you."

She stumbled out of the hospital in a daze, feeling hollow inside. The first time she got pregnant, she had felt as if the world was falling apart. But now, not being pregnant made the whole world seem dull and gray. Life truly felt like a joke: whatever you wanted, it always went the other way. When she hadn’t planned for it, pregnancy came uninvited; but when she yearned for it, she couldn’t conceive.

Xu Xiaoya had been with her the whole time, cautiously saying, "Xixi, don’t be so anxious. With medical technology being so advanced, we can always resort to IVF... I know several people who have had children through IVF, and they’re all hale and hearty. It’s not a big deal..."

She felt listless. She didn’t know how she’d managed to say goodbye to Xu Xiaoya. When she got home, she didn’t even have the energy to freshen up and just lay down on the bed fully clothed. Wan Donglin was out on business and hadn’t returned yet. After lying there for a while, she got up and sat blankly for a long time before rummaging through her luggage.

After everything was packed, she took out her passport and examined it several times, then looked at her other documents—Harvard was within reach. But somehow, the joy she had previously felt was completely gone.

All she could think was: Why would it be like this? Why did it have to turn out this way? This is just how people are; the more you try to relax, the more tense you become.

Time seemed to pass with excruciating slowness. Wan Donglin seemed to have vanished; he still hadn’t come back. She grew anxious and wanted to call him, but when she saw it was just past seven o’clock, she put her mobile phone down in frustration.

When Wan Donglin returned home, the house was dark. He was a bit surprised. Hasn’t Yan Xixi come home yet? After switching on the light and seeing her shoes, he called out, "Xixi? Xixi?"

She lay in bed without making a sound.

He sat down beside the bed, touched her forehead, and asked, "Xixi, what happened?"

She replied listlessly, "I feel dizzy."

"Dizzy? Did you get heatstroke again?"

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry."

He touched her forehead again to make sure she wasn’t suffering from heatstroke, then stood up. "What do you want to eat? I can make you a few small dishes."

"No need, the housekeeper already prepared everything. You go ahead and eat. I don’t feel like eating tonight."

Wan Donglin felt a bit strange eating alone. He quickly finished his meal and went back to the bedroom. "Silly girl, are you sure you didn’t get heatstroke?"

She lay there with her eyes closed, not saying a word.

"What’s wrong? Why do you look upset?"

She clutched her head. "SIGH... I don’t know why, but I feel dizzy, have no strength, and no appetite..."

He suddenly asked, "Has your ’good friend’ not come this month?"

She had dreaded him asking that. Terrified, she didn’t make a sound.

He laughed. "Are you pregnant? When you’re pregnant, you’re always lethargic and have no appetite... HAHA! If you are, I’ll make you a sumptuous feast right away... Silly girl, if that happens, you will truly be treated like an Empress..."

Previously, when he said such things, she had always taken them as playful banter, finding them sweet. But today, his words sounded particularly jarring and offensive.

A sumptuous feast only if I’m pregnant? What if I’m not? What if I can’t conceive? Being pregnant makes me an Empress, but what if I’m infertile? Would I be worse than a maid?