Shen Nanchu followed Liu Yan into the ultrasound room.
Pei Zhengnian had originally intended to go in as well, but Liu Yan stopped him.
"Regiment Commander Pei, only the doctor and the patient are allowed inside the ultrasound room. No unauthorized personnel."
Liu Yan's voice came through her mask, brooking no argument.
"Just wait for me outside!"
Shen Nanchu also didn't want Pei Zhengnian to come in.
She gave him a reassuring look. Some things, she needed to confirm alone.
"Alright then."
Even though Pei Zhengnian was uneasy, he had no other choice.
Inside the ultrasound room.
Shen Nanchu lay on the narrow examination bed, unbuttoned her dress, revealing her fair, rounded belly.
There wasn't a single stretch mark on Shen Nanchu's stomach; even pores were barely visible.
A flash of envy passed through Liu Yan's eyes.
She squeezed out a blob of clear gel and began operating the transducer over Shen Nanchu's abdomen.
From Shen Nanchu's angle, she couldn't see the imaging on the monitor at all.
However, who told Shen Nanchu she had a system?
"Host, would you like me to project the ultrasound image for you?"
The system's electronic voice carried a hint of eagerness.
"Project it."
Shen Nanchu wanted to see what the imaging from this era's machine was like.
The system directly replicated the monitor's image in front of Shen Nanchu.
As a biologist from the post-apocalyptic world, how could Shen Nanchu not understand this imaging?
Although the hospital equipment's resolution was exceptionally blurry, Shen Nanchu could still see clearly.
In the black and white image, a chubby, healthy-looking little one was curled up, sleeping soundly.
Occasionally, a tiny hand would wave, and little feet would give a kick now and then—quite lively!
A faint smile flickered in Shen Nanchu's eyes.
Soon, Liu Yan put away the transducer.
"All done."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were shifty.
Liu Yan very casually tore off a piece of toilet paper and deftly tossed it to Shen Nanchu.
"Wipe it off yourself."
This paper?
Even a dog wouldn't use it for its business.
Shen Nanchu disdainfully moved the paper aside, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped her belly clean.
The ultrasound room door opened.
Seeing Shen Nanchu's composed appearance, Pei Zhengnian's anxious heart finally settled somewhat.
"Let's talk in the office!"
Liu Yan spoke first.
"Alright."
Shen Nanchu was somewhat curious about what this Doctor Liu was planning.
Inside the office, the atmosphere was distinctly divided.
Liu Yan sat at the duty doctor's desk, piled high with medical records and test forms. Shen Nanchu and Pei Zhengnian sat opposite her, separated by a wide desk.
"Regiment Commander Pei, during this examination for your wife, I discovered a problem."
Liu Yan clasped her hands on the desk, her voice deliberately lowered to create a serious atmosphere.
Here it comes.
Shen Nanchu sat up even straighter.
Liu Yan's expression and tone were so serious that Pei Zhengnian's recently eased heart instantly leaped to his throat.
"What problem?"
His voice was several notes lower than usual, and his hand holding Shen Nanchu's unconsciously tightened.
"From the ultrasound imaging, it appears the child in your wife's womb is underdeveloped, missing one arm and one leg."
Pei Zhengnian felt as if struck by lightning.
His breath hitched for a second.
Pei Zhengnian maintained a surface calm, but Shen Nanchu could feel his hand trembling slightly.
Liu Yan directly placed the imaging photo in front of Pei Zhengnian and Shen Nanchu.
"Look here, and here..."
On the blurry image, only the faint outline of the child was visible. As for the spots Liu Yan had just pointed to, the child's little arm and leg seemed to be missing.
If Shen Nanchu hadn't actually seen a clear ultrasound image of the child through her system and witnessed the live imaging earlier, she might have also wondered if her body had been contaminated in the apocalypse, causing the child's deformities.
But now, she only found it laughable—this clumsy PS technique wasn't even as good as the worst computers from the post-apocalyptic world.
Shen Nanchu's indifferent and detached demeanor made Pei Zhengnian panic.
"It's alright, maybe it's a misreading?"
He forced himself to sound calm to comfort Shen Nanchu, but his voice was unnaturally dry.
"We'll go to the city hospital tomorrow, no, right now, for another check."
This was the confusion born of deep concern.
The usually cool and collected Pei Zhengnian was now somewhat flustered.
Hearing Pei Zhengnian mention going to the city hospital, a flash of panic crossed Liu Yan's eyes. Her fingers unconsciously twisted together, knuckles turning white.
"Regiment Commander Pei, are you saying you don't trust our Daliáo Military District Hospital?"
She raised her volume, trying to mask her guilt with accusation.
To stop Pei Zhengnian from going to the city hospital, Liu Yan directly used the reputation of the military hospital to pressure him.
Pei Zhengnian opened his mouth, about to say something, when Shen Nanchu grabbed his hand.
"Then, may I ask, what is Doctor Liu's recommendation?"
Meeting Shen Nanchu's sharp gaze, Liu Yan felt a surge of inexplicable fear and involuntarily shrank back.
Those eyes were too terrifying—pitch black, bottomless, as if they could see through all lies.
Wait, wasn't she just an ordinary woman, albeit quite pretty?
What was she afraid of?
Thinking this, Liu Yan leaned forward again, adopting a professional doctor's posture.
"Given this situation, I recommend you terminate the pregnancy while it's still early."
Her voice was deliberately softened, as if discussing the most ordinary matter.
"It's for the best, for both of you and the child."
The entire office fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Having regained his composure, Pei Zhengnian now stared sharply at Liu Yan.
"Say that again?"
His voice was dangerously low, like the calm before a storm.
So the target was the child in her womb.
How extraordinarily bold!
She just wondered if the mastermind was Liu Yan herself, or someone else.
A trace of mockery flashed in Shen Nanchu's eyes.
Looking at the young couple before her, Liu Yan felt a wave of unease for some reason.
But, thinking of her mission, she gritted her teeth and straightened her posture.
"I'm very sorry the child has this condition."
"But this truly is the best solution."
The best solution?
Shen Nanchu thought this was certainly not the best solution she desired.
"Excuse me, Doctor Liu, could I have another examination?"
Shen Nanchu squeezed Pei Zhengnian's hand.
She even blinked at Pei Zhengnian, her expression perfectly calm.
This small interaction suddenly made Pei Zhengnian realize something...
Shen Nanchu had been far too calm from the very beginning.
This wasn't right.
Pei Zhengnian was absolutely certain Shen Nanchu loved the child in her womb.
As for whether she loved him... he wasn't so sure.
For Shen Nanchu to remain this composed, there was only one possibility.
The examination results before them were problematic.
Pei Zhengnian decided to follow Shen Nanchu's lead.
"Doctor Liu, I agree with my wife. We'd like another examination."
