Momo asked curiously, "Then why don’t you tell Daddy?"
Lin Qi said, "It’s a bit complicated. I plan to have another check-up this week before I tell him."
After all, her pregnancy was discovered during a health check-up, and she had only done a blood test so far, without a B-ultrasound.
In a few more days, she should be able to have the B-ultrasound.
Lin Qi clocked in for work, and Qi Lichuan suddenly summoned her to his office.
As soon as she entered the office, Qi Lichuan stood up, closed the door, turned around, and said with a strange expression, "Lin Qi, are you... pregnant?"
Lin Qi didn’t expect Qi Lichuan to call her into his office to ask her such a question, and her cheeks turned crimson, "Yes... Yes, I am!"
Yesterday she submitted her follow-up report to HR, and the HR manager seemed a bit displeased, but she had already explained that the pregnancy was an accident, and the HR manager only mentioned that it needed to be reported to higher-ups.
Lin Qi was also annoyed by the myriad of protocols at Huace; as a new employee, she had to report her pregnancy through various levels.
Qi Lichuan said, "During this morning’s meeting, the HR manager informed me about it... Did you know about the pregnancy yourself?"
Lin Qi replied, "I found out through the health report."
Qi Lichuan raised an eyebrow, "Is it Mr. Huo’s?"
As soon as he asked, he realized it was a foolish question.
Whose else could it be but Mr. Huo’s?
Lin Qi curled the corner of her lips, "It is his. But this pregnancy was unexpected, and if it hadn’t been for the new employee medical check-up, I wouldn’t have known at all."
Qi Lichuan asked again, "Does Mr. Huo know about this?"
Lin Qi shook her head, "He’s on a business trip, right? This trip seems to be a long one, and I’m worried I can’t explain clearly over the phone because of the 12-hour time difference since he’s abroad. So, I want to wait until he comes back to tell him."
Qi Lichuan said, "You’ve just completed your onboarding, and now that you’re found to be pregnant, let’s postpone the formalization process."
Lin Qi said, "The pregnancy won’t affect my work."
Regarding formalization, she had thought it through, "President Qi, if I am to be regularized, I’d like to join Ms. Zhou’s team."
"Xiao Zhou?" Qi Lichuan said, "Has she talked to you privately?"
Lin Qi nodded, "Yes."
Qi Lichuan said, "Think it through. You’re pregnant now, and there’s no rush for the formalization. Plus, Ms. Zhou’s team has a high workload and pressure. She’s currently handling projects, half of which come from the president’s office and are core projects. I’m not sure of the details, but she’s always been strict with her team, and I’m concerned you might not be able to handle the stress."
Lin Qi said, "I think I get along well with Ms. Zhou; she is straightforward, and I’m used to dealing with bosses like her. She also shared some details about the projects she’s handling, and I think I’m capable of following up. I’ve thought it over before proposing to join her team."
Qi Lichuan said, "Lin Qi, your situation is different from others. I don’t know how pregnancy will affect your work."
He wasn’t a woman; he only knew that Huo Tingdong entrusted Lin Qi to his care, which naturally meant she required special attention.
And this brought about gossip and rumors.
Lin Qi said, "President Qi, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself. If the workload is too high, I’ll adjust accordingly. As for my pregnancy, I have another check-up in a few days. If it affects my work, I’ll apply for maternity leave; if not, I’ll continue to work as usual."
Qi Lichuan nodded upon hearing this, "These couple of days, just continue with the training as usual, and if there are any pregnancy symptoms, tell me in time. Also, if you insist on working with Ms. Zhou, I’ll talk to her, so she takes extra care of you."
Lin Qi felt awkward, "Maybe that’s not necessary... Although I got in through connections, I don’t wish to disturb the office atmosphere. If the follow-up check shows that the baby is stable and I’m ready to remarry Tingdong, it won’t be too late to go public then."
Qi Lichuan stroked his chin, suddenly puzzled, and asked, "I have a question, unrelated to work but on a personal note, I’d like to ask you."
Qi Lichuan: "Was it Mr. Huo who proposed remarriage?"
Qi Lichuan: "But you rejected him?"
Lin Qi: "I just gently refused."
Qi Lichuan was speechless with surprise, "Why?"
Based on his assessment of Huo Tingdong, with all his attributes, Lin Qi had no reason to refuse.
Lin Qi: "Because, I hope to become a better person, rather than just ’Mrs. Huo Tingdong’."
She wanted to have her own identity in this relationship, not just be an adjunct to him.
This could be because she was strong-willed and a bit avoidantly attached from a young age.
Maybe it was because she lacked parental love; she lost her mother early, and her father’s attention was inconsistent - growing colder and more indifferent as she grew older.
A lack of familial bonding made her develop insecurities from a young age.
People with such personalities crave care and affection but hide it carefully due to fear of loss, leading them to suppress their emotions as adults, a reluctance to fall too deep in any relationship, and no expectation of love from anyone, both craving and fearing intimacy.
Indeed, a bit of a contradiction.
Especially thinking about remarriage, to establish a long-term relationship with someone, fearing the loss more than enjoying the gain.
After finishing her talk with Qi Lichuan, Lin Qi left the office.
Maeve looked up, saw her coming out of Qi Lichuan’s office, and rolled her eyes.
"Divorced women really can’t stand being alone!"
Lin Qi was about to sit down at her desk when she heard Maeve’s cold and sardonic comments from her seat.
She furrowed her brow and casually picked up a notebook, flipping through a few pages.
Maeve glanced at her coolly, then suddenly reached out to pat a nearby colleague, "I have some gossip for you."
The colleagues, all ears for the gossip, crowed around immediately, "What gossip?"
Maeve said with suggestive undertones, "I know a woman who got married once, and for some reason, she is divorced now, raising her son alone. She claims to be single, but she’s always involved with various men. I can understand that, of course! After all, women long for a good life partner! However, I recently heard that she got pregnant again, but nobody knows whose child it is in her belly!"
Her words were weighted, insinuating.
The colleagues glanced over at Lin Qi, knowing that Maeve was indirectly referring to Lin Qi’s pregnancy.
Lin Qi looked up at Maeve, hooked her lips into a smile, and said, "I’ve also heard some gossip these past few days, do you want to hear it?"
The colleagues looked at her skeptically, "What gossip?"