After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

"Were you forgetting your medication or were you completely brainless?!" Xie Xingran sat back on the sofa, her face grim. "You're more trouble than you're worth, you're so annoying!"

He grabbed his hair in frustration, and his angry expression made Bai Yueyue freeze instantly.

Her petite body trembled, and she, who had been trying to hold back her tears, could no longer stop them from flowing.

"I...I didn't do anything reckless." Bai Yueyue's voice choked with sobs. "Xingran, I love you, it's always been you."

"Xie Weiyao is a good person, but he's not as gentle as you. I only have respect for him as a friend, not a single romantic feeling for him!"

She lifted her tear-streaked face, a glimmer of hope still lingering in her eyes, "You clearly said it, you held me and said you would marry me and make me the happiest woman..."

"Have you forgotten all of these words?"

"laugh--"

Xie Xingran chuckled as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Leaning back against the soft backrest, her long legs crossed, her impatience almost overflowing:

"Can you really take what's said in bed seriously? Bai Yueyue, you're twenty years old, how can you still be so naive? Those words were just polite things said when things got heated, just to make you happy, and you actually took them to heart."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Bai Yueyue's slightly protruding belly, his eyes suddenly turning cold as he ruthlessly gave the order:

"And this child, you need to go to the hospital and get an abortion right away."

"Xie Weiyao is about to get engaged to you, and our families' collaborative project is at a critical juncture. This child will only bring me enormous trouble, understand?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xie Xingran felt a strong sense of regret.

How could he have been so foolish as to provoke Bai Yueyue, this troublesome woman?

If he had known she was so clueless, taking promises made in bed as gospel, and then clinging to him even after getting pregnant, he would never have touched her.

He was all too aware of the significance of this marriage alliance.

Xie Weiyao is the rightful and sole heir of the Xie family. He has excelled in everything since childhood, surpassing his uncle in every aspect, including grades, abilities, and connections.

This feeling of frustration had been weighing on him for over a decade, filling his heart with resentment.

When looking at Xie Weiyao, she found him irritating no matter how she looked at him, even the way he walked was offensive.

So when he accidentally learned that Xie Weiyao's fiancée was Bai Yueyue, his dark thoughts immediately surfaced.

Bai Yueyue is the most favored youngest daughter of the Bai family. She holds a considerable number of shares in the Bai family and is also pure and lovely in appearance, which suits her taste quite well.

More importantly, she is Xie Weiyao's fiancée.

The thought that Xie Weiyao's fiancée had already been defiled by him and that he would have to marry Xie Weiyao as a "second-hand" woman made him feel that the resentment he had accumulated for many years had completely dissipated, and the pleasure of revenge made him lose his mind instantly.

But despite all his calculations, he never expected Bai Yueyue to develop genuine feelings, let alone that it would lead to such an unmanageable situation as having a child.

Looking at the woman in front of him, her face streaked with tears, he felt his head throb even more: "Stop crying. You need to get an abortion right now. Let's leave it at that and don't contact me again."

"If we get caught, neither of us will be in good trouble!"

If this marriage goes wrong, given how my family raised me, I won't be able to leave the old house for the next year, no, for the next three years!

This was torture for Xie Xingran, who was naturally playful!

Bai Yueyue's crying abruptly stopped. She stared blankly at Xie Xingran's indifferent profile, his nonchalant attitude plunging her heart into an icy abyss.

It turns out that from beginning to end, it was all a one-sided performance by her, and those sweet promises were nothing more than words to deceive her.

Xie Xingran was too lazy to look at her pitiful appearance any longer, so she picked up her cane and got up.

"I've made myself perfectly clear, there's no way I'm going to marry you. If you still care about your reputation, then let's fight."

He left those cold words behind and turned to walk away.

He sneaked out while his older brother Xie Yanfeng was holding a high-level meeting at the company. If his older brother found out that he was meeting with Bai Yueyue in secret, he would definitely be severely criticized again, and might even have his source of income cut off.

The thought of Xie Yanfeng sent a chill down Xie Xingran's spine.

His elder brother was the absolute head of the Xie family, ruthless and with a fierce aura, and had dealt with him a lot since he was a child.

The sheer power of that intimidation, so deep it penetrated to the bone, made his legs go weak just thinking about it.

"Damn it! This whole family are control freaks!" Xie Xingran cursed under her breath as she walked out. "They take advantage of my gentle and easy-going nature, using every trick in the book on me!"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, swinging his cane faster and faster, quickening his pace until he reached the doorknob, wanting nothing more than to escape this place of trouble.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the cold metal doorknob, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

The next second, a warm body slammed into him, its arms clamping around his waist like iron clamps. The force was astonishing; Xie Xingran felt a tightness in his chest and almost choked to death.

"Don't leave me, Ran!"

Bai Yueyue's cries came from behind him, her voice hoarse and broken, yet carrying a resolute determination born of desperation.

"I won't abort the child, absolutely not! I'll tell my parents tomorrow that I'm breaking off my engagement with Xie Weiyao and changing my fiancé to you! I can manage the Bai family's shares; I won't let it interfere with our cooperation. Please don't leave me..."

"Are you crazy?!"

Xie Xingran was shocked and furious. He tried to break free, but Bai Yueyue seemed to be glued to him. Her arms tightened around him, her cheek pressed against his back, and her hot tears soaked through his shirt.

"Let go of me! How dare you say something like that? If Xie Yanfeng finds out, we're both finished!"

He nudged her back with his elbow, but dared not use too much force because of the baby in her belly, and could only struggle in frustration.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a rapid and deep cell phone ringtone suddenly broke the chaos.

"Ring—ring—"

Upon hearing the ringtone, Xie Xingran froze instantly, his anger replaced by fear and tension. He didn't need to take out his phone to check; he knew who was calling just by hearing the unique melody.

This is a custom ringtone exclusively for his older brother Xie Yanfeng. It is a deep melody played on the cello, heavy and oppressive, just like Xie Yanfeng's own aura. As soon as it rings, it can make him tense up instantly.

Each member of the Xie family has their own custom-made ringtone, which is highly recognizable. The purpose is to ensure that no matter the occasion, he can immediately recognize the caller upon hearing the ringtone, leaving no excuse for delaying the answer.

Xie Yanfeng's ringtone was set to maximum volume, echoing in the quiet living room. Each ring felt like a blow to Xie Xingran's heart, instantly making his palms sweat.

Bai Yueyue seemed completely oblivious to his panic and the death knell-like ringing of the bell. She hugged his waist even tighter than before, her sobs mingling with her broken confessions:

"Ran, I really like you... I've liked you ever since I first saw you in high school... I don't care about your status, I just want to be with you..."

"Let go! I need to answer the phone!"

Xie Xingran was trembling with anxiety, and the wound on her left leg was throbbing with pain from the struggle.

He crashed his car last week and broke his leg; he's still in a thick cast and can only support himself with a cane on his right hand.

He tried to pry Bai Yueyue's fingers apart with his left hand, which wasn't using a cane, but her nails were almost digging into his flesh, and he couldn't pull them apart no matter what he did.

The cane thumped on the floor, and he almost fell, losing his balance.

"I won't let go!"

Bai Yueyue's voice was choked with sobs, yet unusually stubborn. Her arms were welded to his waist as if they were made of steel. "Unless you agree to marry me right now, I will never let go!"

As she spoke, she tightened her grip, making Xie Xingran's ribs ache and even making it difficult for her to breathe.

Xie Xingran was on the verge of a breakdown.

In his current state, how could he possibly have any room to struggle?

With one leg in a cast and the other supporting his entire weight, he held onto a crutch with his left hand, not daring to let go. His only movable right hand was not very strong to begin with, and it was of no use against Bai Yueyue, who was going all out.

He could only watch helplessly as his phone vibrated frantically in his pocket. The deep ringtone was like a dull knife, cutting into his heart again and again. With each ring, his face grew paler.

It's already rang five times!

Xie Yanfeng's patience has always been limited. In the past, he would be criticized for being slow to answer the phone, let alone now that it has been ringing for so long.

Cold sweat trickled down Xie Xingran's forehead and temples. He cursed Bai Yueyue a thousand times in his heart, but he had no choice but to soften his tone and grit his teeth, saying:

"Please let me answer the phone first, I'm begging you! I can't ignore my brother's call. We can talk about this later, okay?"

"real?"

Bai Yueyue paused in her sobs, her grip on his waist loosening slightly. Her voice was filled with uncertain hope, "You won't run away after the call, and you won't force me to abort the baby?"

"I won't run away, and I won't force you. Answer the phone first!"

Xie Xingran quickly agreed, afraid that she would change her mind. Taking advantage of the moment when she let go, she staggered two steps to the side, used her cane to support her swaying body, and hurriedly took out her phone from her pocket and pressed the answer button.

Before he could even catch his breath, Xie Yanfeng's deep voice came from the other end of the phone, "Why did it take you so long to answer the phone?"