Chapter Forty-One: A Tightening of the Heart

Initially, Qin Huairu had intended to report this matter to the factory, hoping to use it as leverage to intimidate Xu Damao.

However, after careful deliberation, she grew hesitant. A lie is a lie, and if they were to go for a medical examination again, there would be no one to secretly tamper with the results. Where would she produce a genuine pregnancy report? If the factory discovered she had fabricated such a thing, she would undoubtedly face severe disciplinary action. It might even implicate her friend who worked at the hospital. In the end, she would gain nothing and only bring trouble upon herself—a classic case of losing the bait along with the hook.

At this thought, Qin Huairu’s heart tightened; cold sweat trickled down her back, and her spirit sank to rock bottom.

As for Xu Damao, his thinking was much simpler than Qin Huairu’s; he was in a "break the jar" frame of mind. While he didn't exactly relish the idea of the matter reaching the factory, he realized that the Qin sisters had already made such a scene in the courtyard that keeping it under wraps was likely impossible. So many people from their courtyard worked at the Red Star Rolling Mill, and their tongues were notorious for being sharp and prone to exaggeration.

With that in mind, whether or not Qin Huairu actually took the matter to the factory no longer seemed so critical to Xu Damao.

He stood there with a slouch, looking entirely indifferent, and said to Qin Huairu with a playful smirk, "Qin Huairu, if you’re so desperate to take this to the factory, by all means, go ahead. But tomorrow, Qin Jingru still has to come with me to the hospital for another check-up."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jingru’s face went pale, and her legs turned to jelly. She shuffled inch by inch toward Xu Damao, clutching his sleeve tightly, and pleaded in a voice as thin as a mosquito’s, trembling with tears, "Damao, I beg you, don't go to the hospital. Don't you understand how I feel about you? I truly want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Seeing this, Qin Huairu quickly softened her tone, attempting to mediate, "Xu Damao, what I said about going to the factory was just a moment of anger; don't take it to heart. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our two families could become relatives instead of acting like enemies? Jingru really likes you, and she is carrying your child. If you force her to go for a check-up now, isn't that clearly showing you don't trust her and are just trying to hurt her feelings?"

As Qin Huairu spoke, Xu Damao’s eyes narrowed into slits. He began to look her up and down, as if trying to peer into her soul. Then, he curled his lip in a cold, mocking sneer. "Qin Huairu, we’ve been neighbors for years. Do you think I don't know your little schemes? If Qin Jingru were really pregnant with my child, you wouldn't be wearing that expression right now!"

Qin Huairu pressed her lips together, her facial muscles rigid with tension. She knew Xu Damao had seen through her lie, but she could not think of a way to counter him.

Just then, Xu Damao turned his focus to Qin Jingru, his voice as cold as a winter wind, carrying an unquestionable authority: "Qin Jingru, you are coming to the hospital with me tomorrow. If you are really pregnant with my child, I will marry you. If not—humph—you’ll see what happens!"

At these words, Qin Jingru’s face turned deathly pale. She was already feeling guilty, and being threatened like this by Xu Damao shattered her composure. Trembling, she nearly broke into tears, "I... I won't go to the hospital. I'm not pregnant at all... It was my sister who told me to pretend."

Hearing Qin Jingru’s confession, Qin Huairu felt as if the strength had been drained from her body; her face turned ashen. She was filled with despair. She didn't fear a powerful opponent, but she dreaded having an unreliable teammate.

Though Qin Jingru’s voice was faint, everyone present heard it clearly. The scene erupted into a chaotic buzz; people gossiped and marveled, as if watching a spectacular drama unfold.

Yet, amidst the uproar, He Yuzhu remained remarkably calm. He stood by with a faint, inscrutable smile, as if none of this had anything to do with him. His eyes revealed a sense of ease and satisfaction; clearly, he was very pleased with the outcome.

At that moment, a sudden voice echoed in He Yuzhu’s mind: "Ding... Congratulations to the host for successfully preventing Qin Huairu from achieving her wish. Rewarding the host with two Misfortune Talismans." It was the system, back online, bringing an unexpected surprise to He Yuzhu.

The farce played out by the two Qin sisters had inadvertently planted a seed in Xu Damao’s mind. He began to contemplate a new idea: marrying Yu Haitang. Xu Damao reasoned that once he was married and had a partner, even if Qin Jingru had more tricks up her sleeve, she would find it difficult to pester him further. Of all the potential candidates, Yu Haitang was undoubtedly the most suitable.

She was beautiful, had a good figure, held an urban household registration, and worked at the Red Star Rolling Mill just like him. To Xu Damao, they seemed like a match made in heaven.

Once his mind was made up, Xu Damao couldn't wait to take action. He knew that marrying Yu Haitang wouldn't be easy and required careful planning. After racking his brain, he finally came up with what he considered a foolproof proposal plan.

Xu Damao intended to propose to Yu Haitang at the Red Star Rolling Mill in front of all the workers. He figured that if he did it this way, even if Yu Haitang wanted to refuse, she would have to consider the public setting and wouldn't leave him humiliated. Being a man who cared about appearances, he knew it wasn't appropriate to handle private matters during work hours, so he specifically chose the lunch break for his proposal.

That day, he sat in the cafeteria early, his eyes fixed firmly on the entrance, terrified of missing Yu Haitang’s arrival.

Finally, the moment Yu Haitang appeared at the cafeteria entrance, Xu Damao leaped up from his chair and shouted to the workers nearby, "Brothers, stand ready and hold up the banners!"

The workers immediately lined up and hoisted the pre-prepared banners high. Xu Damao smoothed his clothes, cleared his throat, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Haitang!"