Su Shanshan had been feeling down these past couple of days, partly due to the mess at home and partly because of Huo Tingtao’s antics.
Her pregnancy had been difficult from the start, and she had nearly miscarried at three months.
Because of this, she and her husband had barely been intimate in the last six months.
But with Father Huo and Mother Huo away these past few days, and now that she was past the six-month mark, Huo Tingtao couldn’t help but let his mind wander.
Lately, he had been pestering Su Shanshan every night, sometimes more than once.
Perhaps it was because they’d been at it too often, but yesterday morning, Su Shanshan noticed some spotting.
A visit to the hospital confirmed it wasn’t serious, but the doctor still gave her a stern warning.
Given her condition, the doctor advised against any further intimacy, as it could easily lead to premature labor.
So today, Su Shanshan stayed home, resting in bed.
Just as she woke from an afternoon nap, her phone rang—it was Su’s Mother.
The news about Su’s Father made Su Shanshan’s vision go black.
“Mom, don’t panic. Tell me, what happened to Dad?”
After hearing the details, Su’s Mother sobbed, “Shanshan, when Tingtao gets home, you must beg him properly.”
“Your sister’s already in trouble. If anything happens to your father, our Su family will be ruined.”
“Mom, don’t worry. Tingtao is your son-in-law. He won’t ignore Dad’s situation.”
No sooner had she spoken than Huo Tingtao appeared in her line of sight.
“Mom, Tingtao’s back. I’ll call you later with updates,” Su Shanshan said hurriedly before hanging up.
The moment the call ended, Huo Tingtao pressed against her, reeking of alcohol.
“You’re home early today. Have you been drinking?”
“Just a small glass. It’s nothing.”
Without giving her a chance to speak, he dragged her into their room and tossed her onto the bed.
“Tingtao, wait—I need to talk to you—”
“Whatever it is, it can wait. Old Second and Old Fourth will be back soon.”
Living under the same roof had its downsides—they could never fully indulge.
With Father Huo and Mother Huo away, Huo Tingtao felt the air at home had grown freer.
Despite his gentle, refined appearance, Huo Tingtao had a volatile temper in private, and Su Shanshan was secretly afraid of him.
Like now—even though she felt discomfort in her belly, she didn’t dare spoil his mood and forced herself to comply.
Ten minutes later, she couldn’t take it anymore and let out a sharp cry.
“Tingtao, my stomach—it hurts so much—”
“Must you ruin the mood every time? You’ve been pregnant before—it’s not like you’re that fragile,” Huo Tingtao panted impatiently.
“No, I’m serious—it really hurts!”
It was a deep, wrenching pain, as if her organs were being pulled down.
She pushed at him weakly. “Take me to the hospital—I can’t take it.”
“Always so dramatic!”
Huo Tingtao yanked the covers aside, only to freeze when something wet dripped onto his hand.
His blood ran cold at the sight of the bed soaked in red.
How could this happen? She was already six months along.
Su Shanshan’s face was deathly pale, her body drenched in sweat.
Seeing him just standing there, she mustered the last of her strength to scream, “What are you waiting for? Get me to the hospital—now!”
Finally snapping out of it, Huo Tingtao threw a robe over her, scooped her up, and bolted downstairs.
Not long after they left, a groggy figure emerged from the neighboring room, pressing a hand to her feverish forehead.
It was Old Third’s wife, Guan Xue, who had taken half a day off work due to illness.
She hadn’t known Su Shanshan was home, as the latter had been asleep when she arrived.
If not for Su Shanshan’s scream, Guan Xue might have slept much longer.
Though the two sisters-in-law weren’t close, the agony in Su Shanshan’s cry alarmed her.
Concerned, Guan Xue knocked on the door—only for it to swing open under her touch.
“Sister-in-law?”
“Sister-in-law, are you okay?”
When no one answered, she was about to close the door when she spotted the blood on the floor.
Without hesitation, she shoved the door wide open.
At the hospital, the doctor took one look at Su Shanshan’s condition and handed Huo Tingtao a surgery consent form without preamble.
“She’s in critical condition. We need to operate immediately.”
“The baby is only six and a half months—its organs aren’t fully developed. Be prepared.”
The surgery lasted over two hours. Thanks to the timely arrival, Su Shanshan’s life wasn’t in danger.
But her uterus had suffered severe damage, and the doctor bluntly stated that future pregnancies would be unlikely.
The greatest loss was the baby, who had passed away within minutes of birth.
The doctor sighed. “She already showed signs of premature labor yesterday. I specifically warned her.”
But it was too late now.
“When she wakes up, comfort her as much as you can,” the doctor advised.
Su Shanshan opened her eyes past 8 p.m. Deep down, she had known the baby wouldn’t survive the moment she was wheeled into surgery.
Yet, feeling the emptiness of her belly, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
Huo Tingtao stood silently by, his expression unreadable.
When her sobs finally subsided, he spoke coldly.
“The baby’s gone. Crying won’t change that. But I’ll make sure someone pays for this.”
“Just focus on recovering. We’ll have other children.”
Su Shanshan looked up, bewildered.
“Pay for what?”
More than revenge, she dreaded facing Father Huo and Mother Huo.
If they asked how she lost the baby—
She couldn’t possibly tell them the truth.
Huo Tingtao stroked her head, as if convincing her—or himself.
“This is Old Third’s fault. If he hadn’t been so ruthless, you wouldn’t have been so stressed about your family and fallen down the stairs.”
“So, Old Third owes us an explanation.”
“And your parents owe us compensation.”
“Don’t you agree?”
Su Shanshan was stunned for a long moment before she finally grasped the meaning behind his words.
No wonder they say two peas in a pod—once it sank in, she didn’t hesitate to echo his sentiments without a second thought.
"That’s right, it’s all Old Third’s fault. If it weren’t for him, my family wouldn’t have gotten into trouble, and if my family hadn’t been in trouble, I wouldn’t have lost this child."
…
Meanwhile, far away on Qiongzhou Island, Jiang Si and Huo Tingzhou had no idea just how far this couple’s blame could stretch.
Today was their wedding registration day. At noon, Huo Tingzhou noticed fresh beef in the canteen and bought a small cut specially. Back in Hu City, Jiang Si had always loved dining at the Red House Western Restaurant.
But the moment she saw the steak he’d prepared himself, she was genuinely surprised.
Before they could even take a bite, however, He Ping’s urgent knocking interrupted them from outside.
His voice carried clear urgency: "Regiment Commander, there’s a call for you—"
