He was eager. "Xixi, I’ll accompany you to the check-up tomorrow..."

She suddenly sat up. "No need."

"Why?"

"My period started."

He was taken aback and slightly disappointed. "So what if it has? Don’t worry, we’ll have one eventually."

She lay down again, feeling depressed.

That night, her mood was exceptionally low. Whether it was his slight disappointment or her own fear, she couldn’t close her eyes the entire night.

She suddenly became afraid. In this world, no matter how intimate the affection between a husband and wife, it’s no match for the bond between parents and children. No matter how loving a couple, without the bond of children, how can this love withstand all? If I really am infertile, can Donglin and I have a lasting relationship?

This fear gripped her, and a subtle worry surfaced. Should I tell him about this?

The conclusion was negative. Absolutely not. I cannot take this risk. The Empress Dowager already dislikes me. If she finds out I have this fatal flaw, would she still allow me to step into the Wan Family’s door?

Even Donglin himself, would he not mind? In a large family like theirs, his generation is already not very prolific. Having children is his foremost duty, a matter of utmost importance. Could he really endure a long time without descendants? Who will inherit the vast family property? What should I do?

She finally fell asleep in a daze around dawn. When Wan Donglin left the house, she was still fast asleep. He kissed her on the lips. "Little baby, wait for me for dinner tonight."

She didn’t hear him.

When she woke up, the sun outside was scorching. A constant noise grated on her ears, and it took her a long while to realize it was her cell phone.

Upon checking, it was Huang Xiaojue who had called. She didn’t want to answer, but the phone kept ringing.

After a while, she picked up the phone, her voice lacking energy. "Hello..."

"Xixi... are you free today?"

She remained silent.

"You’re going to the United States, and I want to invite you for dinner..." he explained. "We may not see each other for a long time. Let’s just have a casual meal as old classmates."

She paused for a moment. "When are you free?"

"Tonight, okay?"

"Okay."

She was very direct. "Invite all our classmates, including Zhou Xiaoxuan and the others."

He was a little surprised but immediately agreed. "No problem. I’ll notify them."

Yan Xixi gathered her spirits, got up, and freshened up. She had no interest in this gathering but felt she had to make an appearance. It was still early, so she drove to the shop again.

It was one of the hottest days of the year. Walking on the road felt as if all the moisture in her body was about to evaporate. Yan Xixi’s mouth was dry and her throat parched. She quickly walked the short distance from the parking lot to the shop.

The office door was slightly ajar. Just as she was about to push it open, she heard soft sobbing from inside. She hesitated and withdrew her hand. The sobbing came from Zhou Xiaoxuan.

"...Men are all heartless! I’ve served him and his parents with all my heart for all these years. I’ve treated my in-laws better than my own parents, constantly trying to please them and buying them gifts. But after this happened, they actually treated me like this..."

Yan Xixi pushed the door open.

Zhou Xiaoxuan was bawling, tears and snot running down her face.

"Little Xuanyuan, what happened?"

"Yan Xixi, it’s your turn to gloat now... I knew you would mock me... SOB. SOB. SOB."

Why would I mock you? Yan Xixi thought.