Volume 1, Chapter 17: I Will Have an Abortion

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Lu Wentian remained silent, lost in thought, and Cong Wen dared not disturb him.

After a long while, the man finally left his desk. “Call her in.”

Cong Wen immediately went to do so.

Gu Yan happened to run into Cong Wen in the corridor and was directly escorted to the CEO’s office, even taking the private elevator. Several colleagues saw this.

She would have to think of a way to explain later—she wasn’t close to Lu Wentian.

“President Lu.” Gu Yan entered the office and looked at the man standing by the window, hands in his pockets.

When Lu Wentian turned to look at her, Gu Yan felt his gaze was profoundly deep.

“Sit over there,” Cong Wen reminded her.

Gu Yan nodded and went to the sofa.

As she was about to sit, Cong Wen timely handed her a lumbar cushion.

She accepted it with a puzzled expression, hugging the cushion on her lap, watching Lu Wentian still standing there, unsure of his intentions.

Lu Wentian looked at Cong Wen meticulously. “Isn’t there a personnel intention survey on your side? She just joined—perfect for that.”

Cong Wen’s gaze shifted slowly from Gu Yan to Lu Wentian. “There… is?”

Lu Wentian casually walked back to his desk.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Cong Wen smoothly followed Lu Wentian’s lead. “There is such a survey report. The main content is… what again?”

He glanced at Lu Wentian.

Though he knew the Fourth Master well, he wasn’t the gray matter inside his head—he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do. What if he guessed wrong?

Lu Wentian naturally ‘reminded’ him, “Women’s choices between career and married life.”

Hearing this, Cong Wen roughly understood the direction. Coupled with the possibility that Gu Yan might be pregnant, he immediately had a survey topic.

Gu Yan watched as Cong Wen sat opposite her and straightened her posture a bit.

She didn’t know much else, but she was aware of Cong Wen’s status. Even before the old master, in terms of business, Cong Wen’s position was higher than Lu Ye’s.

“Secretary Gu, what do you think? If a woman starts work after marriage, can she devote herself fully to her job, even prepare to accept higher positions and heavier workloads?”

Was he asking this because her recent performance was indeed good and he wanted to promote her?

But he was also concerned about her engagement to Lu Ye—worried that once the marriage was formalized, her focus might shift, affecting work?

“Of course,” she answered confidently.

The engagement was fake to begin with.

Besides, she always thought she might never get married in her life.

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Lu Wentian had rooted deeply in her heart. For other men, she would likely just settle. Even with Lu Ye’s excellent conditions, she hadn’t fallen in love after two years.

It remained to be seen if that would change with age.

Cong Wen nodded.

Then he asked, “If she got pregnant at a critical work juncture, would she choose to resign to have the baby?”

Gu Yan was a bit stunned.

This question was somewhat beyond her scope.

As she fell silent, Lu Wentian squinted slightly over the computer screen.

Fearing she might say something inappropriate, Cong Wen explained carefully, “You know the current employment situation is tough, and companies face considerable risks in staffing. For key positions, if a woman becomes pregnant right after joining, it inevitably affects work.”

“So, the HR department conducts surveys to adapt accordingly—for example, transferring pregnant employees to lighter duties, reducing business trips, banning overtime, and so forth.”

Gu Yan smiled after hearing this.

“That’s quite good. Women’s energy does decline after pregnancy. It’s very considerate for the company to adjust positions like that.”

Cong Wen nodded. “That’s good. I was worried they’d just resign once pregnant.”

“What would Secretary Gu do if she accidentally became pregnant?”

Gu Yan didn’t even need to think.

“I can’t get pregnant. Even if I did, I’d terminate it. Work comes first.”

Her answer was straightforward—not to please anyone, but simply her true thought.

She wasn’t likely to get pregnant anyway.

Even if by accident, at her age and without a career, how could she support a child?

She had endured dark days and didn’t want her child to suffer the same—poor food, poor sleep.

Her answer made Cong Wen hesitate to ask further.

At that moment, a gaze heavy with pressure fixed on her without moving. The face was frighteningly dark.

“Reason.”

The voice came from Lu Wentian.

Gu Yan hadn’t expected his sudden interruption and now saw his expression was extremely unpleasant.

Was her answer unsatisfactory?

She thought for a moment and replied more professionally, “Isn’t there a saying? If a child is born only to inherit one’s toil, fear, and poverty, then not having the child is also an act of kindness.”

Lu Wentian recognized the reason—it was about the money.

Cong Wen, sitting there, could feel the Fourth Master’s low atmospheric pressure. Smiling, he said to Gu Yan, “Alright, this simple survey is done. You may return to your desk?”

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He added, “You don’t have much work today. You look like you haven’t slept well. If you’re not feeling well, you can rest in the lounge for a while.”

Gu Yan smiled. “I’m fine.”

Two minutes later.

Cong Wen glanced at the man sitting over there. “Lu Ye isn’t short of money. He wouldn’t skimp on her living expenses, right? Gu Yan has her own income. Is her life really that bad?”

Thinking it through, Cong Wen could only reach one conclusion—

“Maybe she simply doesn’t want children but can’t say so in front of her boss?”

As he spoke, his thoughts slightly slipped out.

“Or perhaps she’s unsure whose child it is and dares not keep it?”

Right after saying this, Cong Wen felt as if ice knives were raining down on his forehead. His eyes could only dart vaguely toward the Fourth Master, afraid to look closely at his expression.

“You have too much free time?” Lu Wentian’s voice was icy cold.

Cong Wen hurriedly greeted and left.

At the door, he turned back, “Rest assured, my lips are tighter than a safe.”

Gu Yan returned to her desk, drank some warm water, and felt a bit better.

But because her stomach was upset, she hadn’t eaten much at lunch. Somewhere in her abdomen, a slight sour distension lingered.

She really didn’t have much work all day but always felt invisible eyes watching her.

She had reason to suspect that person was Cong Wen.

Because twice when she tried to slack off, Cong Wen appeared with a stern face, like an old steward before a rich master.

The first time, she went to the pantry for a coffee. Just as she poured it into the cup, Cong Wen snatched the cup from behind her.

“Minister Cong?” Gu Yan looked at her empty hand.

Cong Wen poured out the coffee and said, “These coffee beans are of poor quality, not drinkable. They all have to be discarded. Just have some juice today.”

The second time, when she was sleepy and went to the restroom, she lingered to check her phone. Cong Wen came and called her out.

“Is Secretary Gu here? There’s a document for you to handle.”

He forcibly dragged her away from the restroom.

It was obvious this was Lu Wentian’s order—he simply couldn’t bear to see her comfortable or idle.

At quitting time.

Cong Wen was in Lu Wentian’s office, helpless. “Fourth Master, I can watch her at the company to prevent her from going out for an abortion, but if I follow her after work, it’d be creepy.”

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