C24 You Actually Let Her Go out Alone

"Yeah." Lu Yao stuffed the food into her mouth and said in all honesty, "That's why I feel like eating sour food."

"…"

Xiang Dongnan gaped at her for a long time. When she did not explain further and continued to eat calmly, he facepalmed. "You only said that you needed help in forcing him to divorce you. You never mentioned once before that you are pregnant. Does Shao Yunchen even know this?"

"He knows. I just saw him at the swimming pool. But I didn't tell him how many months along I am. " Lu Yao paused and looked at him with a embarrassed and apologetic expression on her face. "Sorry, I was afraid that he would suspect it's his, and I don't want him to know that. So I implied that the baby is yours."

Lu Yao never even asked Xiang Dongnan for permission before dragging him into this. They were only friends, so it was embarrassing.

Xiang Dongnan turned silent. After a while, he looked at her, asking seriously, "Yao Yao, why don't we try getting together?"

Lu Yao was so caught off guard that she almost spilled the soup into her lap.

"Dongnan, don't misunderstand me. That's not what I meant." Lu Yao coughed and hurriedly wiped her mouth with a tissue. Awkwardly, she said, "I just want to keep the child. Nothing else occurred to me so I let him think that it's yours. Don't think too much of it, please."

Xiang Dongnan looked very serious. His eyes were calm and honest. "I'm serious, it's not easy raising a child. I can help you share the burden. But I respect your opinion and won't force you. Give me an answer when you have made your decision."

Tian Tian seemed to understand what Xiang Dongnan was saying. She rubbed her head against Lu Yao in anticipation, wishing that Lu Yao would agree to her father's suggestion.

Lu Yao pursed her lips but did not reply.

After getting divorced from Shao Yunchen, she had not thought of a second marriage. Marriage could be so troublesome, but Xiang Dongnan was right. It was a big task to raise a child. She had two men to compete with in office to get a promotion. She was not sure how she would handle her expenses in the future.

Touching her belly through her clothes, she felt as if she could feel the baby's heartbeat, synchronized with her own.

After a long while, she nodded, like she had made up her mind.

"I'll think about it."

Xiang Dongnan smiled warmly as he looked at Tian Tian. He heaved a sigh of relief.

The next two days, Lu Yao did not see Shao Yunchen on the cruise ship again. Perhaps because the cruise ship was too big, that was not so strange. She only walked with Tian Tian in the afternoon on the decks.

On the morning of the third day, the sightseeing was over and the ship arrived in Osaka.

Lu Yao and Xiang Dongnan got off the cruise ship together. They saw Shao Yunchen at a distance from them, standing in the shadows. The two of them followed the others and left the ship.

Their hotel had sent a car to pick up Xiang Dongnan and Lu Yao. Inside the car, Lu Yao watched the scenery whizz past the window. The houses were not very tall, but the streets were clean and tidy. It was a pleasant city.

She had been on the sea for a few days now. Being on land felt different and she wished to tour the place.

When they reached downtown, she called for the car to stop.

"Dongnan, you and Tian Tian can go to the hotel. I want to walk around a little." Lu Yao took out her camera from her travel bag and continued with a smile, "Now that I'm here, it would be a pity not to take some photos."

"No, you're pregnant. You want to tour the city? I'll come with you." Xiang Dongnan said with worry, insisting on accompanying Lu Yao.

Lu Yao shook her head with a smile. "I'm only two months pregnant. It's not like I can't walk. I'll make sure I'm safe. Besides, I have my phone with me. I'll call you in some time."

"All right, be careful then. Call me if you need anything." Seeing that she was adamant, the man gave up.

"Bye, see you."

After getting out of the cab, she waved them goodbye. Lu Yao walked along the street slowly, admiring the scenery. Every once in a while when she saw eye-catching places or buildings, she would stop and take a few pictures.

Lu Yao's mood improved. The sun was not too high in the sky. The warm rays reflected against her body and she soaked in the warmth.

She did not understand Japanese, but that did not deter her. Every now and then she bumped into tourists who were well-versed in English. After getting to know about the city's best restaurants from them, she set out to satisfy her hunger, her camera in hand.

When she was done eating at the restaurant and came out, she noticed that the sun had set. It was dark but the streets were well-lit. She could see a few street stalls in the distance which were bustling with noise and excitement.

"I've been out for so long." Lu Yao raised her hand to check her watch, her eyebrows slightly raised.

She realized that Xiang Dongnan would likely be worried, so she quickly took out her phone from her bag, intending to give him a call.

However, she saw that her phone was switched off. It was out of battery. In her purse, she found only five thousand yen.

Lu Yao stood on the side of the road, at a loss about what to do next.

Sighing, she looked around and saw a convenience store nearby.

Xiang Dongnan waited until 7 that night. Lu Yao had still not come back, so he tried calling her. However, he failed to get through. His worries only increased.

After settling Tian Tian in his room, he picked up his jacket and left.

As he passed by the lobby on the first floor, he said to the receptionist in English, "Room 2207, there is a five-year-old child in there. I have urgent matters to attend to and am a bit worried. Please keep an eye on her for me."

"Yes, sir."

Xiang Dongnan seemed to remember something. He took out his phone, showing the receptionist a photo. "I have a friend whose name is Lu Yao. Here is her photo. If she comes back later, please ask her to call me."

"…"

At this moment, the hotel door opened and a slender figure walked in, accompanied by a group of people. The party was about to take the elevator when the man overheard the conversation between Xiang Dongnan and the receptionist. He frowned and quickly walked over.

"What happened to her?"

Xiang Dongnan was shocked to hear the voice. He turned around and saw who it was. Frowning, he thought it was better to admit than to hide it. "She said she went out to tour the city a bit, but she still had not returned. I can't reach her phone."

Shao Yunchen was Lu Yao's ex-husband and should not be bothered about her whereabouts. But Xiang Dongnan knew that it would be faster to find Lu Yao with another person's help.

Shao Yunchen's face darkened. "This is Japan," he said finally, his voice heavy. "She doesn't speak Japanese. She's pregnant. How could you let her go out alone?"

In the earlier days, when Shao Yunchen occasionally drove with Lu Yao to buy groceries, he had observed that she was always confused about directions. She could not even distinguish between north, south, east, and west when she crossed the road in her neighborhood, let alone in a foreign country.

The more he thought about her getting lost in this city, the more uncomfortable he felt. A hint of anger rose within him.

He turned to the person behind him and whispered a few words. The man nodded and escorted the others to the elevator.

Shao Yunchen took out his phone form his pocket, his lips thinned. He glared daggers at Xiang Dongnan. "Where did she get off?" he asked in a cold voice. "Give me the address."