Chapter 181

Zhao De considered it for a while, but still felt it was inappropriate. What man who hasn't married would want to suddenly have an extra child, one being raised under someone else's name? Even taking a step back, even if things were peaceful for the next few years, he was well aware of the shattered state of Bai Ling's family. With her husband lying in bed half-dead, he believed the man would be gone in a few years. By then, Bai Ling would be an aging woman with little education, unable to find work or support the child. If she were to drag the child to his doorstep, wouldn't that be the end of his official career?

"Sister Bai, it really won't work. Think about it for me. I'm only twenty-four, still very young. To suddenly have a child—even if I don't have to worry about raising it, the fact remains that it's my seed. It's impossible for it not to affect me. So... so it cannot be born... If you must have it, have it with someone else... For a woman as stunning as you, Sister Bai, finding a man to have a child with is very simple." In his desperation, Zhao De used a goading tactic. Bai Ling was indeed angered by him, but she was a sheep by nature; even when provoked, there was only a flicker of fire in her eyes. Her lips were pressed tight, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, her cheeks flushing red with anger. She glared straight at Zhao De for a moment before lowering her head, sobbing, "Fine... I'll just consider this as me debasing myself!"

Zhao De, using both soft and hard tactics, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing she had agreed to abort the child. He smoothed his brow, reached out to straighten her messy hair, and said gently, "Sister Bai, don't talk about yourself like that. How could you be debasing yourself? The situation truly doesn't allow for it right now. If you were my wife, I would definitely let you have it. But you are a chaste woman; you haven't given up on your paralyzed husband for years, so I can only ask you to abort the child. It's for the best for both of us."

"You... the money for the abortion... you have to pay it!"

Seeing her glance at him and then lower her head, Zhao De couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter at her petty words. This caused Bai Ling to look up, her cheeks flushed red—whether from shyness or indignation—as she looked at him with a mix of resentment and bashfulness. "What... what are you laughing at?... I heard an abortion costs over a thousand yuan... I... my monthly salary is only that much... The child is yours... you... you have to pay for it."

"Alright, alright, I'll pay for it." Zhao De suppressed his laughter, gazing at her with a straight face as he rested his hands on her fragrant shoulders and patted them gently. "Sister Bai, you can rest easy now. Are you going to get it done yourself, or should I take you? If you're going alone, I'll give you the money."

Bai Ling lowered her head and said hesitantly, "I'm afraid you'll laugh at me... I... I've never had an abortion before... I'm a bit scared to go alone..."