That was a man with an empire to inherit. Who in the entire capital would dare to cross the Lu family? Lu Shiyan's gaze hardened, his thin lips parting. "You're certain?" Lin Zhiyuan rolled his eyes. "Boss Lu, you know what happened that night better than anyone. The girl was innocent. I'd bet my life those kids are yours. If you don't believe me, I can arrange a paternity test right now." Lu Shiyan stared at the ultrasound scan, silent for a moment. "Understood." He then summoned his special assistant, Zhou Quan, to see the man out. Lin Zhiyuan left the Lu Corporation building, looking thoroughly displeased. However... The moment he got into his car, he immediately called Lu Shiyan's mother. How could he possibly keep such incredible news to himself? Of course, he had to share it with the Lu family matriarch! Lu Shiyan sat in his office for several minutes, lost in thought. Then he called Zhou Quan. "Look into someone for me." A short while later. A detailed file on Ye Sheng Sheng lay before him. She was from an impoverished family, unloved by her parents, with a leech of a brother who bled her dry. She had even paid for her own university tuition by working part-time jobs. And that night... her parents had sold her to... The further Lu Shiyan read, the colder his eyes became, his thoughts unreadable. The Lu family's children. So hard to come by. They couldn't be left out in the world. And there were two of them. If the family found out, they'd be ecstatic. Meanwhile, Ye Sheng Sheng was sitting in her dorm room. It was June, the kind of sweltering heat that made you sweat just by standing still. But Ye Sheng Sheng felt an icy chill seep into her bones, breaking out in a cold sweat. She didn't have classes this afternoon. She'd been feeling unwell lately, and on top of that, her period was over a month late. So she had gone to the hospital for a check-up, and the result shattered her world. The dorm was empty. That's right, she was an outcast. All because she was poor. They looked down on her, never speaking to her, never including her. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but she could only force it down. She didn't have time for self-pity. Her days were consumed by two things: studying and earning money. She had to fight, to claw her way out of the swamp she was in. But just as she was fighting her hardest, fate played a cruel joke on her. She was pregnant. The emotions Ye Sheng Sheng had been suppressing finally broke through. She buried her face in her blanket and let the sobs escape. Her cries were stifled, her whole body trembling. She was afraid one of her roommates would suddenly return. She was used to choking back her sobs; at home, being heard crying only earned her harsher beatings and crueler words. Her mind was a chaotic mess. What was she going to do? Why did that man lie to her? But then, a second thought surfaced. She couldn't blame him entirely. She had been too quick to trust. She should have taken the pill. But it was too late for regrets now. Far too late. She considered finding the man. Not to make him take responsibility, but just to have him pay for the procedure. But what did she know about him, besides his face? Nothing. How could she possibly find him? If she paid for the abortion herself, it would cost around three thousand dollars. That was half a year's living expenses for her. It was a death sentence. But if she didn't have the procedure, how could she, a student, possibly give birth? How could she raise a child? How could she stay in school? Raise the baby by herself? Ye Sheng Sheng cried herself to sleep in the dorm, any thought of her part-time job completely gone from her mind. Night fell. She was woken by the sound of cheerful laughter in the room. She opened her eyes, swollen like walnuts, and glanced at her phone. She had slept until eight in the evening. Her stomach was empty. She got out of bed without a word and went to the balcony to wash up. Afterward, she grabbed her phone and headed out. Just as she did, she heard the sarcastic voice of her roommate, Xi Kexin. "What's this? Ye Sheng Sheng hit the lottery? Skipping your part-time job?" Xi Kexin's family owned a small business and had some money, which gave her an arrogant air. The other two girls in the dorm followed her around like lackeys. She held a particular malice for Ye Sheng Sheng. As soon as she spoke, the other two chimed in with their own vile comments. Ye Sheng Sheng acted as if she heard nothing, walking out of the dorm without a backward glance. The moment she was gone, Xi Kexin sneered, "Thinks she can fly out of the mountains and change her fate. What a joke." Another girl immediately started brown-nosing. "Exactly. She should just sell herself while she's still young and fresh. Could probably get a good price for it." At that, Xi Kexin cackled with delight. Ye Sheng Sheng was used to it. Over the past month, she'd grown numb to their words. But it still stung. Sometimes she wondered if her very existence was a mistake. Her family disliked her because she wasn't their biological child. Her roommates hated her because she was poor. But she hadn't done anything wrong. At the cafeteria, she couldn't afford a proper meal, settling for a single steamed bun and a bowl of broth. She had to count every penny. Her parents gave her nothing, and she had to pay her own tuition with the money she earned working. If she didn't save, she'd never have enough. After filling her stomach, she left the cafeteria and wandered the campus. She needed to calm down, to think about how to solve this catastrophic problem. Beneath the dim yellow lampposts, her shadow stretched long and lonely. It felt as if she were the only person left on the athletic fields. After walking aimlessly for an hour, Ye Sheng Sheng made up her mind. She had thought it all through, planned out the path she had to take. Tomorrow, she would have the procedure. Better to rip the band-aid off now, before things spiraled even further out of control. But... She looked down at her flat stomach, at the tiny life inside, a part of her own flesh and blood. After tomorrow, she would have to say goodbye to it. She couldn't stop her hand from gently stroking her abdomen. A sharp sting pricked her nose, and she quickly tilted her head back, staring at the sky, refusing to let the tears fall. *I'm sorry. If things were different, I wouldn't give you up...* *My baby, I'm so sorry...* Ye Sheng Sheng sniffled, forcing the tears back. Composing herself, she walked back to the dorm. What she didn't know was that, alerted by Lin Zhiyuan, Mrs. Lu now knew Lu Shiyan had two children on the way. She was so excited she nearly floored the gas pedal and drove straight to Didu University to find the girl herself. She had confirmed it with Lin Zhiyuan again and again. Was she really pregnant? Was the girl innocent? Was her son the only man? When the answers to all her questions were affirmative, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then came the sheer, unadulterated joy. The Lu family would have its heirs. Mrs. Lu immediately summoned Lu Shiyan back to the family home. "That is the precious, hard-won bloodline of our Lu family. What are you going to do about it?"