If this had been postponed for three more years, He Teng did not know how excited he would be. But fate had its own timing, which put him in a terrible dilemma.
"The results won’t be out until tomorrow morning," He Zhilan responded briefly, "I hope it’s just a problem with my body and not what I suspect!"
"What are you saying, are you happy if there is a problem with your body?" He Teng glanced at He Zhilan, "Being sick is not easy, you remember how much you hate taking medicine, don’t you?"
He Zhilan touched her nose. Indeed, she had always hated taking medicine since she was a kid. Every time she fell sick, she would avoid taking medicine as much as possible, and would stealthily throw away the medicine when no one was watching. If she had to take traditional medicine, she would almost always cry while finishing it.
"Brother, tell me honestly, if I really am pregnant, do you want this child?" He Zhilan pondered before speaking. Regardless of how much she tried to evade it, this issue could not be avoided. If she was indeed pregnant, then the question about the child was something that needed to be resolved, to keep or not to keep?
He Teng was taken aback by He Zhilan’s question, not quite understanding her intent. He raised his eyebrows and counter-questioned, "If I say I want it, would you give up your studies to have the child for me?"
"I..." He Zhilan wrinkled her nose and sighed in resignation, shaking her head, "I don’t know."
After a pause, without waiting for He Teng’s reply, He Zhilan continued: "But if there really is a child, remember, this would be our first child. If asked to abort it, I don’t know if I could bear to do it. But giving birth would mean I can’t continue my studies, which, to be honest, doesn’t sit well with me."
"It’s your choice." Even though He Teng wanted the child wholeheartedly, he could not selfishly ask He Zhilan to sacrifice her future and her education for the child. After all, she had always loved her studies and been so diligent.
The two of them were silent for a while. The topic of having a child had apparently reached an impasse between them.
In reality, if only one of them had been a bit more selfish, or more domineering, this would not have been an issue.
For instance, If He Teng had been more selfish, and forcefully asked He Zhilan to bear the child and halt her studies without giving her a choice. Then there wouldn’t have been this dilemma.
Or, if He Zhilan had been more decisive and made her own decision, also not allowing her feeling of reluctance to sway her. The same, there would be no feelings of dilemma.
But, fate would have it such that both of them had their own considerations and were thinking about each other.
"Alright, let’s wait until tomorrow’s results before we decide." Seeing that He Zhilan was genuinely unsure, He Teng also felt uncomfortable.
The more hesitated He Zhilan was, the guiltier he felt. It was clear that she didn’t dislike the idea of having a child with him, it was just that the timing of this child’s arrival was off.
For dinner, He Zhilan still went to Bian Muhe’s apartment to cook something. Knowing that He Teng could eat some stewed egg, He Zhilan prepared a bowl of it as a light dinner for him, along with a freshly stir-fried vegetable dish. She then ate with the siblings, Bian Xiulin and Bian Muhe, at their apartment before returning to the hospital alone.
He Teng, who hadn’t had a proper meal in a long time, was naturally happier to see the stewed eggs than the vegetable soup. While eating, he didn’t forget to ask He Zhilan what she had eaten and if she had enough money. If she didn’t, his salary should come in a few days later, and he would have his buddies bring it over to her.