Becoming a Dad?

Zhou Tao handed a ticket to both Ye Chen and Zhu Peng, smiling as he said, "One for each of you. Loyal, right?"

"More than enough. I'm going to dress up to look sharp and practice the songs well. If the camera pans to me, I'll be able to belt out a few lines." Zhu Peng took the ticket happily and replied.

Zhou Tao also looked excited, saying, "I'll finally get to see Su Ningwei in person. I'll probably wake up from my dreams laughing."

"If I could just have a meal with the goddess Su Ningwei, I'd die without regrets," Zhu Peng said, clutching his ticket with a look of longing.

Zhou Tao rolled his eyes at Zhu Peng and said, "Keep dreaming. You'd be lucky to even catch a glimpse of her from afar, let alone eat with her. You could try to find a way into the autograph session, though; you might get a closer look then."

"Haha, I'm just thinking out loud. I'll be satisfied enough just watching the concert," Zhu Peng grinned.

"..."

Ye Chen took his ticket. The concert was scheduled for three months later.

Looking at Su Ningwei's stunning face on the ticket, he recalled the intense battle from the previous night, and his heart began to race, the paper suddenly feeling hot in his hand.

Stop letting your imagination run wild. It couldn't have been Su Ningwei last night.

When the sky had turned completely dark, Cheng Tong finally returned to the dormitory, clutching his lower back.

Seeing Cheng Tong return, Ye Chen stepped forward with concern and asked, "How are you? Was everything okay last night?"

"Don't even ask. The rich really know how to play. I'm about to become the 'Kidney-Deficient Young Master'; I've been ground down to a nub. It's a good thing I let you leave early," Cheng Tong replied listlessly as he walked over to his bed and collapsed.

Ye Chen frowned and asked, "Should I go buy you some Liuwei Dihuang pills to help you recover?"

"No need, a good sleep will do. Tired as I am, I made a lot of money last night. You got your share, right?" Cheng Tong asked with a grin.

Ye Chen nodded. "I got it. Thanks for last night. I've already transferred the money I borrowed from you back to your account."

"What are you thanking me for? We agreed I'd ensure you got out unscathed. No rush on the money. Is your father's medical bill covered? If not, I have some here," Cheng Tong said.

"It should be enough," Ye Chen said gratefully.

Cheng Tong rubbed his eyes and said, "That's good. Remember to speak up if you're in trouble. I'm exhausted, I'm going to sleep for a bit."

Ye Chen felt a warmth in his heart. The greatest gain from his university years was undoubtedly meeting these three good brothers: Cheng Tong, Zhu Peng, and Zhou Tao.

Nine months passed in the blink of an eye.

Ye Chen and his friends never got to see the Rose Girl Group concert. It was said that the lead singer, Su Ningwei, had health issues, leading to the cancellation of the show.

Su Ningwei even paid a hefty penalty to withdraw from the Rose Girl Group, effectively retiring from the public eye.

The system remained silent.

With the medical fees paid, Ye Chen's father, Ye Dashan, received timely treatment and regained consciousness.

However, it had been pitch black that night, and Ye Dashan hadn't seen what kind of car hit him, let alone remembered the license plate.

Ye Dashan's leg was left with a permanent injury, making it difficult for him to walk. He required regular rehabilitation at the hospital and could no longer work as a truck driver.

Ye Chen opened a fruit shop in their hometown of Mountain City, letting his parents manage it, which provided a modest income.

Ye Yao was accepted into university.

The five hundred thousand in Ye Chen's account had been spent on his father's follow-up surgeries, repaying his debts, Ye Yao's tuition, and opening the fruit shop...

It truly lived up to the saying that money flows like water; it didn't last long at all, and within a few months, it was nearly gone.

Ye Dashan's ongoing rehabilitation still required funds, and the fruit shop was just starting out, with average business.

The heavy burden of supporting the family fell mostly on Ye Chen's shoulders.

Although life remained tight and busy, it was still easier than before.

Thinking there would be more opportunities in a big city, Ye Chen stayed in Magic City to look for work.

After graduation, Ye Chen realized that for a music major, without connections, a background, or fame, it was incredibly difficult to find a stable, high-paying job.

Aside from writing and taking on commercial gigs, Ye Chen was also casting his resume everywhere, hoping to find something more stable with better pay.

As it turned out, in the job market, the wages for college graduates were even lower than those for delivery runners.

As for the kind of jewelry show opportunity he'd had before, that was naturally hard to come by again.

At the job market.

A company staff member glanced at Ye Chen's resume and tossed it onto a tall, growing stack of others.

"I've taken your resume. Go home and wait for news," the staff member said with a haughty air.

As Ye Chen clutched his stack of resumes, preparing to head to the next booth, the phone in his pocket rang.

It was an unknown number.

Thinking it was an interview call, Ye Chen answered it quickly.

"Hello, is this Ye Chen?" A sweet but anxious female voice came from the other end of the line.

"It is."

"Can you come to the third-floor operating room of the Haoyun Maternal and Child Hospital right now?"

Good Fortune Maternity Hospital? Isn't that the best private obstetrics hospital in the city?

Ye Chen had a sudden flash of inspiration, remembering the girl from the elevator.

Given this timeline, could it be that he'd hit the jackpot that night and was about to become a father?

But wasn't pregnancy supposed to last ten months?

Ye Chen took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Who is this? Why do you want me to go to Good Fortune Maternity Hospital?"

"I'm Su Ningwei's best friend. Su Ningwei is about to give birth, and the child is yours. She's having a difficult labor right now and her life might be in danger. Can you get here immediately?" The voice on the other end of the line grew increasingly anxious.

"Alright, I'm coming right now." Ye Chen's heart leaped into his throat at the news.

He hadn't expected that he was actually going to be a father.

Wait, who was giving birth?

Su Ningwei was giving birth?

The child was his?

Which Su Ningwei?

As Ye Chen walked out of the job fair, he asked, "Wait, which Su Ningwei are you talking about?"

"Of course it's Su Ningwei, the lead singer of the Rose Girl Group! How many other Su Ningweis have you slept with? Aside from you, Weiwei hasn't been with any other man. Do you know how much she sacrificed for you? Nine months ago, if you hadn't done that to Weiwei..." The person on the other end grew angrier as she spoke.

"No, don't misunderstand. I've only ever been with Su Ningwei, I was just confirming. I'm already in a taxi and will be there soon." Ye Chen ducked into a cab, his heart pounding wildly.

The sight of the blood on the sheets that night was still vivid in his mind, and Su Ningwei had been scandal-free since her debut.

Given Su Ningwei's circumstances, she was fully capable of raising the child on her own, and it was impossible for anyone to have been with her and not want to take responsibility.

Ye Chen had no reason to doubt that the child in Su Ningwei's womb was his.

Since the child was his, Ye Chen would naturally take responsibility to the end.

"That's more like it, hurry up!" The person on the other end finally ended the call, satisfied.

A massive wave of shock crashed through Ye Chen's mind. He hadn't expected it to actually be Su Ningwei, the lead singer of the Rose Girl Group; it turned out that night hadn't been a delusion after all.

No wonder Su Ningwei had suddenly left the group and retired from the public eye—she had been pregnant.

To be with his own idol for his first time.

The feeling was simply indescribable.

It felt just like a dream.

On the way, the cash-strapped Ye Chen sent a message to Cheng Tong, asking to borrow fifty thousand yuan.

Ye Chen figured that with fifty thousand yuan, the hospital fees for the delivery and other expenses should be covered.

Cheng Tong knew that Ye Chen was having a hard time, so he didn't ask any questions and transferred the fifty thousand yuan to him immediately.

A single penny could stump a hero.

Sometimes, you don't need many friends.

Having one or two like Cheng Tong, who were loyal and willing to offer help in times of need, was more than enough to be content.