Chapter 14: Zhang Guoguo Was His Everything

The blue box bore a prominent English word: Contraceptives. Translated, it meant birth control pills. Beside the box lay a neatly arranged strip of pills, each compartment labeled with the days of the cycle—twenty-two in total. Most of the pills had already been taken; only about a third remained. Even if these truly belonged to Zhang Guoguo, she had no way to explain herself now.

So, she could only turn away, tears falling in quiet defeat. “Minglang, I’m sorry. I won’t take them again.”

Her gaze, so full of guilt, struck him as an immense sorrow.

For a woman to prefer harming her own body with medication rather than bear her husband’s child—how little must she love him?

“I’ve never pressured you to love me. But perhaps that hasn’t been enough.”

He shook his head and gave a wan smile, looking at her as though all hope were lost. “Though I know it’s unlikely, I still want to ask: can’t you try to love me, even just a little? Could you start, perhaps, by trying to forget him?”

She could bear it no longer.

At this moment, wasn’t Luo Minglang’s pain for Zhang Guoguo the same as what Shen Linyue once felt for Gu Yiqiao? It was too much. Heartache upon heartache, empathy so deep it hurt.

Wasn’t he the soul perfectly matched with hers? Why keep hurting him?

No. A man as rare and good as this deserved the best love in the world.

So she threw her arms around Luo Minglang, holding him tightly—so tightly.

With her face buried in his shoulder, she said, “Minglang, have a little more confidence in yourself. I’m not taking the pills because of anyone else. I’m just not ready for a child yet, not ready to be a mother. You always say I’m careless—how could someone like me take on the role of a mother? I was wrong to hide it from you, and I apologize. Please, don’t be sad for me anymore. Seeing you like this, my heart aches—truly aches for you.”

Luo Minglang was no child; at thirty, he was a king in the business world—decisive, mature, wise, and shrewd. Yet when it came to love, unless it involved Zhang Guoguo, he was as innocent as a blank page.

Thus, she was his everything; she was the driving force behind his love and ambition.

In love, the one who invests most is always the one who loves the deepest and is the most humble. When the beloved offers even a sliver of hope, it is like rain reviving a desert parched by longing.

So, the despair that the contraceptives had brought Luo Minglang was, with her words, replaced by a rekindled hope—an abject yet powerful force, made mighty by love.

After soothing Luo Minglang, she stepped into the shower, needing the cool water to calm herself and think about what to do next.

At that moment, Luo Minglang entered, carrying a glass of red wine. He sat on the edge of the bathtub, watching her. She noticed him, too.

People said that showering together could strengthen a couple’s bond; she thought this might give him a sense of security.

So, she smiled and beckoned him to join her.

He was surprised and delighted. Setting down his wineglass, he slipped off his robe and stepped into the shower, standing naked behind her. He pumped some body wash into his hands and began to gently wash her back.

In a soft voice, Zhang Guoguo murmured, “That tickles.”

Perhaps it was the intimacy of the small, quiet space, but her voice unconsciously softened, making her naturally gentle tone sound even more alluring. To him, it was an irresistible invitation.

He reached for her delicate jaw and turned her face toward him, his lips instantly finding hers, sealing her with a passionate kiss…