A Year Ago
The glow of candlelight flickered across the small living room, casting a warm ambiance over the table set for two. Lin Nuan smiled as Shaoting poured her a glass of sparkling water, his grin boyish and endearing.
"To us," he said, raising his glass.
"To us," she echoed, her voice filled with the quiet joy of their shared life.
As they sipped, Shaoting leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've been thinking about something, Nuan."
"Oh?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
He reached across the table to take her hand. "It's been two years since we got married. Don't you think it's time to expand our little team?"
Lin Nuan's cheeks flushed. "You mean…"
"A baby," Shaoting said, his voice soft but steady. "I think we're ready, don't you?"
Her lips parted, but no words came out. She hadn't expected him to bring it up, though the thought had crossed her mind before. The idea of having a child—of creating a family with him—filled her with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
"I… I'd like that," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Shaoting's smile widened. "Really?"
She nodded, her heart fluttering.
He chuckled, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Well, I've done some reading. Apparently, timing is everything. And there are things we can do to, uh, improve our chances."
Lin Nuan laughed, her face turning crimson. "You've been researching this?"
"Of course," he said, feigning offense. "I'm nothing if not thorough. We'll go to the doctor, make sure everything's in order. And then…" He leaned closer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We practice."
Her laughter filled the room, mingling with his. That night, they lay awake for hours, whispering about baby names, painting a picture of a future so bright it felt untouchable.
Present Day
Lin Nuan stumbled to the edge of the street and leaned against a lamppost, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. The rain continued to pour, drenching her to the skin. She didn't care.
Before she told Shaoting that she was pregnant , expecting joy, maybe even tears of happiness. Instead, his silence had spoken volumes. His family's accusations—that she had trapped him, that she was unworthy—had been vicious.
"Leave," his mother had said coldly, her gaze as sharp as glass.
Lin Nuan had looked to Shaoting, begging silently for him to intervene. But he hadn't. He had stood there, frozen, his eyes avoiding hers.
Her heart shattered in that moment.
Now, the memory of his silence burned hotter than the cold rain on her skin. She clutched her stomach tighter, whispering through trembling lips, "I'll protect you. No matter what."
She had no parents, no siblings, no place to call home. The orphanage where she'd grown up was long gone, and the friends she once had were scattered. For a fleeting moment, she considered going back to the house—apologizing, even if she didn't know what for. But the thought of facing that cold rejection again made her stomach churn.
The rain grew heavier, each drop a drumbeat against her fragile resolve. Her legs buckled, and she sank to the ground, the world blurring around her.
But as despair threatened to overtake her, a voice from deep within her heart whispered the same words she had once shared with Shaoting in their vows: We'll build our family together.
"I'll find a way," she murmured, her tears indistinguishable from the rain. "For this child, I'll find a way."
She pulled herself to her feet, her hand resting protectively over her belly. Somewhere, there had to be shelter. Somewhere, there had to be hope.
And for her baby, she would keep searching until she found it.