Chapter 45: Have a Baby.

Earlier that day.

During a school meeting, Yu Baowei felt her phone buzz in her pocket.

Glancing down, the caller ID made her frown.

She hung up and resumed the meeting, unfazed.

Two minutes later, it rang again. She hung up again. This repeated several times.

Finally, a WeChat message arrived.

[Yu Baowei, getting bold, hanging up on me? This marriage is happening, like it or not! Three days to come home, or your dad and I will drag you back. Don’t think I don’t know where you are!]

Reading it, Yu Baowei trembled—not from fear, but rage.

Recently, her usually distant mother had started pushing suitors on her.

She knew the guy—a notorious playboy from her hometown.

They’d argued about it multiple times. Her mother’s excuse?

“Muliang was a bit wild before, but he’s changed. At your age, finding a good match isn’t easy, you know?”

No way Yu Baowei was having it. She’d been indifferent to him before—he was irrelevant.

Now, facing marriage to him? Pure disgust.

In a foul mood after the meeting, she sat alone, brooding. A colleague asked what was wrong.

She mentioned the forced marriage, and the colleague, armed with movie-tier wisdom, suggested a terrible idea.

“Fake boyfriend? Where do I find one?”

“Online. There’s services for that. Family always wants us to bring home a guy, but good ones are rare…”

Her colleague’s words sparked a thought—Lu Zhao.

Why him? Maybe because, besides her dad, he was the man she’d interacted with most.

But what about Qingxin? Would she agree?

If not… just don’t tell her.

It’d need Lu Zhao’s cooperation. Would he?

He will. He has to.

Pushed to the edge by her family, her thoughts twisted under pressure.

Sorry, Lu Zhao. I’ll raise your pay later!

“If you don’t help, I’ll tell Qingxin about you and Yan Ruyue!”

Lu Zhao felt his blood run cold.

The fierce woman before him was nothing like the sloppy, mopey otaku or the polished teacher.

He felt like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web, struggling but trapped, watching a black widow bind him tighter, ready to drain him.

“What… what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

He forced his face to stay calm, but his shaky voice and wavering eyes betrayed him.

Seeing his panic, Yu Baowei softened but steeled herself for her goal.

Smirking, she tilted his chin. “Don’t get it? Want me to spell it out? Last summer, you and Yan Ruyue…”

“Enough!” His mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Zhao Rong, you sold me out! Where’s your honor?!

The timeline was Yu Baowei’s guess—based on Lu Zhao’s records, last summer was the likely window.

She didn’t know specifics like location or details.

Lu Zhao swatted her hand away, taking a deep breath, his eyes cold. “Miss Yu, specifics.”

Her heart squirmed under his gaze, but she sat back, suppressing discomfort. “Tomorrow, I’m going back to Bin City. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to my mom as my boyfriend. Then, help me get rid of the other guy.”

He stared at her profile, a mix of betrayal and coercion festering inside.

“You sure I can outshine the guy you’re supposed to marry?”

“Of course!” she snapped, turning to him, but his gaze made her look away, head down. “I don’t like him—I’m disgusted. We’ve known each other since we were kids. He’s always had women around. I don’t know why they think I’d marry him.”

Her tone lost its edge, tinged with grievance.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

No choice now—he’d help. If she got desperate and spilled, it’d be bad for everyone.

She explained her family’s situation and the other guy’s.

“So, your family’s in some kind of trouble?” Lu Zhao, as an outsider, saw it clearly.

Usually, it’s one of two things: her family needed the other family’s help, or vice versa, and for some reason, her family had to comply.

But why marriage?

Was it just for grandkids? No way it was that shallow.

If it was, just say so—he wasn’t incapable.

“Huh?” Her eyes widened at his words.

She hadn’t thought about her family’s affairs in ages. If that was the case, bringing Lu Zhao might not help.

His question made her consider it.

She called home.

It picked up quickly. “When are you coming back?” The tone was sharp.

Yu Baowei glanced at Lu Zhao. “Mom, is our family in trouble? Do we need their help?”

Silence.

They thought they’d hit the mark, but then came a loud reply: “What are you talking about? What’s that got to do with it? Three days. That’s all you get.”

The call ended, leaving them staring at each other.

“Not that?” she asked.

“How should I know?” Lu Zhao rubbed his forehead, head aching.

If it was one of those reasons, he could tell Yan Qingxin—she’d never let her favorite aunt marry a creep.

But if it was about grandkids… that’d be easier.

“Miss Yu.” He turned, staring intently.

“What?” Guilt made her eyes flinch.

“How about you have a kid?”

Her face flushed red, from neck to ear tips.

She hadn’t expected the serious talk to jump to this*.

Even her sharp mind couldn’t keep up.

Fidgeting with her stockings, she stammered, “Th-that… isn’t it… too fast… for us?”

He raised a brow. “Huh? I meant you have one yourself. What’s it got to do with us?”