The words of her parents struck Lu Yao's heart like a heavy hammer. Suddenly, she lost all appetite. She put down her chopsticks, and tears fell like pearls from a broken string.
This was a real problem. Judging by the police's actions this time, Yang Jian's alleged crime seemed more serious than her brother's murder case.
At least her brother's case was investigated by the district police bureau, while this case was supervised by the municipal bureau or even the provincial department. The district bureau didn't even know about it.
This meant that if Yang Jian was caught, his sentencing would be much harsher than her brother's. Her brother was sentenced to six years, so Yang Jian would at least get over ten years.
Even if it was ten years, by the time he got out, she would be thirty-four or thirty-five. These ten years were a woman's prime youth, which she would have to spend in worry, loneliness, cold stares, and contempt.
But if she waited, how could she let go? She truly loved him. It was a love etched into her bones, likely impossible to erase in this lifetime.
Chen Lan took two tissues and wiped her daughter's tears. "Child, I know you're heartbroken and it's hard to let go of Yang Jian right now. But we have to face reality. This relationship with Yang Jian is over.
Your father and I have discussed it. To help you move on from this relationship sooner, you should go to Kyoto. Let your elder sister arrange a job for you there, and start a new life."
"Yes, Yaoyao. You won't be able to see Yang Jian for a while. If he keeps running, he might never come back. If he's caught, he'll be severely punished. You can't wait. Make plans early," Lu Qian also advised earnestly.
Lu Yao's spirit suddenly collapsed. Her heart ached with spasms, and then her stomach felt so unwell that she vomited.
Lu Qian quickly handed her a trash can. Everything she had eaten earlier was thrown up, and finally, she could only bring up stomach acid.
After half an hour of distress, Lu Yao was exhausted and drifted off to sleep in her room.
She definitely couldn't attend class tomorrow in this state. Chen Lan called the school to request a day off.
However, to the surprise of both parents, Lu Yao's condition worsened the next day. Her complexion was sallow, her lips were chapped, and she had no strength.
She slept until noon. Chen Lan forced her to get up to eat, but she vomited whatever she tried to consume.
Chen Lan panicked and, along with Lu Qian, helped their daughter to the hospital.
As a mother who had given birth to two children, Chen Lan had a keen intuition that her daughter might be pregnant. She first took her to the obstetrics and gynecology department for examination.
Before the results came out, she was sent to the surgery department for an examination and to receive an IV drip for nutrition.
Lu Qian accompanied their daughter in the infusion room while Chen Lan went to the obstetrics and gynecology department to get the test reports. When she returned, her eyes were brimming with tears.
After the IV drip, Lu Yao's strength had recovered a little. Seeing her mother's unusual expression, she asked weakly, "Mom, what's wrong?"
Chen Lan glanced at the crowded infusion room and felt that some things were not suitable to say. She forced a smile, "Yaoyao, it's nothing. The wind in the corridor was strong just now, and some sand got into my eyes. You should rest. I'll go buy you something to eat."
"Mom, no need. We'll go home after the drip. Can you cook me a bowl of congee? I can't eat anything else."
After saying this, Lu Yao drifted off to sleep again.
Chen Lan quickly pulled her husband to the stairwell outside the door and handed him the test report. "Old Lu, Yaoyao is pregnant. What should we do?"
Lu Qian was shocked. "No way, are you sure you read it correctly?"
"It's not wrong. She's almost three months along. This is truly a sin. If Yang Jian hadn't gotten into trouble, they could have gotten married. What do we do now?"
"What else can we do? We have to abort it. We can't have a child without being married."
"But I don't think Yaoyao will agree."
"She has to agree, even if she doesn't want to. There's no room for negotiation on this."
"Sigh, we'll talk about it when we get back. It will be difficult to convince her."
Thinking that her daughter would have to suffer again, Chen Lan's tears could no longer be held back and flowed down.
After the IV drip, the family returned home. Chen Lan cooked a pot of white congee. Seeing her daughter eat a bowl and not vomit again, she finally felt relieved.
After eating, Lu Yao wanted to go to sleep again, but her mother stopped her. Lu Qian went out to buy groceries. He had to step aside for his daughter's privacy.
"Yaoyao, how long has it been since your last period?"
Chen Lan wanted to communicate with her daughter about the pregnancy in a gentle and calm manner.
Lu Yao's expression changed. "Mom, why are you suddenly asking this? I haven't had my period for two months. I was planning to go to the hospital for a check-up. How were the results today?"
"Child, you're pregnant, over two months. How could you be so careless?"
"Pregnant? I thought it was just a hormonal imbalance that caused me to miss my period. How could this happen? We used protection."
Chen Lan sighed. "Sigh, there's no hundred percent safe measure. Let's not discuss that issue. We need to think about what to do now."
Lu Yao fell silent. The news was too sudden, and she was completely unprepared to accept this reality.
"Yaoyao, listen to your mother and have an abortion. The harm to your body will be less at this stage."
Chen Lan waited for more than ten minutes. Seeing that her daughter still didn't speak, she had to offer her opinion.
"Abort it? Mom, this is my first child. If Yang Jian goes to jail, this might be his only child. How can we abort it?"
"Silly child, do you really want to give birth to him?"
"What's wrong with giving birth to him? This is the crystallization of my love with Yang Jian, it's a life. How can I bear to extinguish this little life?"
"But have you thought about how you'll get married after giving birth to this child? Unmarried motherhood will bring immense public scrutiny. Even if you agree, your father won't. Your uncle, aunt, and cousins will all object. This concerns the family's reputation, and it's not something to be taken lightly."
Lu Yao burst into tears. She was still a young girl with little experience. Facing this situation for the first time, she was suddenly flustered.
Chen Lan also started crying. Her daughter was naive and inexperienced. Yang Jian's sudden trouble had already been a huge blow to her. Now, with this distressing matter, she was truly at a loss.
"Yaoyao, you're pregnant now. You can't get too agitated or sad. Can I give you some time to consider?"
Seeing her daughter's poor mental state, Chen Lan dared not force her to make a decision now. She could only persuade her slowly after some time.
Lu Yao suddenly stopped crying and wiped her tears with a tissue. "Mom, contact my elder sister. I'll go to her place. I'll submit my resignation at school tomorrow."
Chen Lan was a bit surprised. "I agree with you going to your sister's place. What about the child? When will you have the abortion?"
"I'm going to my sister's place with the intention of giving birth to the child. That way, I won't have to worry about people gossiping."
"You're going to have the child? You're not planning to find someone to marry?"
Chen Lan was shocked by her daughter's idea. Society is very open and tolerant now, and there are unmarried mothers, but not many. Such behavior will eventually be met with social discrimination, and she herself would find it difficult to accept.