Chapter 102: Lu Chen: Chatting on WeChat at Night

Teacher Lu, Lu Yanshen has been disfigured, and you—you have a face identical to Lu Yanshen's. Xia Meng's son Dongdong also looks a bit like you.

Guess what—if one day you and Dongdong appear together in the same photo, wouldn't people who don't know the situation think Dongdong is your son?

……

That comment completely stunned Lu Chen.

He thought Xie Wantang would be sad about Lu Yanshen's disfigurement, and also thought she hadn't moved past the shadow Lu Yanshen had cast on her.

Now it seems he was overthinking.

Xie Wantang probably didn't have deep feelings for Lu Yanshen; marrying him was likely just to repay a debt of gratitude.

Just because of gratitude?

Then this feeling, this marriage, seems rather cheap, doesn't it?

Marriage is sacred and inviolable; if its sole purpose is gratitude, he still feels it's not enough.

What's with this feeling of loss in his heart?

Lu Chen didn't say anything.

Seeing Lu Chen remain silent, Xie Wantang didn't think much of it; she felt her topic had shifted too abruptly.

She couldn't help but do that.

Lu Chen's earlier words were also too frightening.

And hearing her own uncontrollable heartbeat, it was pounding excessively.

The cramped car space is only this big; she truly feared Lu Chen would hear her heartbeat.

Pounding so abnormally hard, did it really flutter just because Lu Chen casually said those two lines?

Did it even get her consent as its master?

Soon, the brief awkwardness in the car was broken.

Lu Chen's phone and Xie Wantang's phone rang at the same time.

The difference was, Lu Chen hung up after seeing the number.

Xie Wantang, however, answered.

The call was from Qin Er calling her; Qin Er helped her set up a file at the hospital, and Xie Wantang's ID number needed to be double‑checked, in case a mistake would be bad, after all it's going into the computer system.

"Mm, correct." Xie Wantang heard Qin Mu Feng report the numbers, and they were all correct.

"Go to the hospital early tomorrow for the Down syndrome screening; Second Brother has already booked the appointment for you, you can just go and it won't affect your classes."

"Mm, got it, thanks, Second Brother."

"No need to be polite—hang up, is your ID number correct?" Before hanging up, Qin Er confirmed again.

"Mm, that's right."

Xie Wantang still remembered her own ID number.

After hanging up, Xie Wantang looked at Lu Chen and said, "Teacher Lu, in a few months I'll be a single mother; someone like me isn't worthy of my Senior Martial Brother, nor of an outstanding man like you."

This was her serious answer to his earlier question.

However, Lu Chen quickly rebutted her view: "How could that be? Xie Wantang, a woman like you, how could you think a single mother must be bad?"

"I didn't say a single mother must be bad, Teacher Lu." Xie Wantang emphasized, her tone a bit higher than before.

Since their views clashed, Xie Wantang felt there was a misunderstanding between her and Lu Chen.

Since there was a misunderstanding, it definitely needed to be cleared up.

She hadn't said a single mother must be bad, after all, she was about to become one herself.

If she thought single mothers were bad, she certainly wouldn't let herself become one.

So she had to correct Lu Chen's view.

"I'm just saying I'm not worthy of someone like you or my Senior Martial Brother; personally, I think you'd be better suited with a more outstanding, more perfect woman—nothing more."

"Of course, if Teacher Lu wants to look for a woman on her third, fourth marriage, or even a 'buy one get several free' type, that's also your freedom and choice; you should understand what I mean, Teacher Lu."

……

"Are you angry, Xie Wantang?" Lu Chen raised his eyebrows.

Even if Xie Wantang didn't admit it, Lu Chen could feel the anger in her chest.

But he couldn't really understand why she would be angry at him.

Was it just because of his rebuttal earlier?

She didn't accept his rebuttal and even got angry?

This pregnant woman's emotions are really hard to fathom.

"Of course not; I was just putting on that little act earlier—just a spontaneous debate between me and Teacher Lu. My emotions might not have been adjusted well; sorry, Teacher Lu."

After Lu Chen's reminder, Xie Wantang made a slight adjustment and managed to control her emotions that were about to spiral out of control.

Why did she have to get so worked up and stage that debate with Lu Chen?

It's because for the past three years she never really expressed herself toward Lu Yanshen's face; now that Lu Yanshen is disfigured, from now on only Lu Chen has that face.

She wanted to make up for past regrets, so she could only direct it toward Lu Chen's face?

That idea of hers was wrong.

They are two different people.

Lu Yanshen is Lu Yanshen, Lu Chen is Lu Chen.

You can't let innocent Lu Chen take the blame just because they look alike.

Xie Wantang, you can't do that, nor should you.

"It's fine; you're pregnant, so your emotions are heightened and uncontrollable due to hormonal changes—it's normal, you don't need to bear any psychological burden."

"Thank you, Teacher Lu, for your understanding; you know quite a lot."

"I take that as a compliment," Lu Chen laughed.

All the awkwardness was eased by Lu Chen's laugh.

When they arrived at the Qin Family, Xie Wantang, before getting out of the car, proactively invited Lu Chen to come inside and sit, but Lu Chen politely declined, "Let's talk next time when you're free; I still have to rush back to report the situation here to your Senior Martial Brother, and on the way I can help him sort out his thoughts."

"You can also help him sort out the case's line of thought?" Xie Wantang asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I loved detective novels as a kid; he thought my ideas were sometimes quite original, so when he lacks a line of thought, he'll come talk to me."

"Then can Lu Chen first discuss your line of thought with me?" Xie Wantang opened the car door, then pulled her body back in.

"We already added each other on WeChat, right? Let's chat on WeChat tonight." Lu Chen, seeing Qin Muyang's car pull up, said to Xie Wantang.

"..."

Xie Wantang was just about to ask why they needed to chat on WeChat when they could just talk face‑to‑face now.

"After I finish analyzing things with your Senior Martial Brother, I'll also explain his line of thought to you," Lu Chen continued.

Xie Wantang was pleased.

The next second, she saw her big brother's car parked nearby and called out, "Big brother, why are you back so early today?"

"Work was efficient today, so I finished early and left the office; otherwise staying there would be pointless. Lu Chen, aren't you having dinner at home today?" Qin Muyang replied to Xie Wantang first, then spoke to Lu Chen.

"No, I have other matters," Lu Chen said, and the phone rang again, looking truly busy.

"Alright, then thanks to Lu Chen for bringing my sister back despite his hectic schedule. Wantang, get out of the car quickly; Lu Chen is a very busy person."

"Oh."

"Lu Chen, goodbye."

"Goodbye, Xie Wantang."

Xie Wantang quickly got out of the car and sat in Qin Muyang's passenger seat; it was only a few steps away, she could have walked in, but she knew Qin Muyang wouldn't let her.

After watching Qin Muyang's car drive into the Qin Family, Lu Chen's eyes darkened as he answered the constantly ringing phone, "What is it?"