"Bro, why weren't you answering? Afraid it was a scam?"
Wang Xiaoliang shot upright. "Liu Xinyu?! You scared the shit out of me! Why didn't you call on WeChat? I thought it was some overseas romance scam."
"Must have plenty of money now, worrying about scammers targeting you." Liu Xinyu chuckled, then suddenly paused. "What's wrong? Why's your voice so hoarse?"
"Nothing. Just woke up."
"Shit, at this hour? Getting it on in broad daylight? You and Zijin are practically an old married couple. Couldn't you wait until tonight?"
The corner of Wang Xiaoliang's mouth twitched, but he couldn't manage a smile. Wei Zijin's name stabbed into his ears, and his chest tightened. He didn't take the bait, his tone hardening a little. "If you've got something to say, spit it out."
Liu Xinyu stopped laughing.
Two seconds of silence passed.
"Qingyu's pregnant."
"That's great. Congratulations."
"She's showing some signs of a threatened miscarriage."
Wang Xiaoliang froze, his grip tightening around his phone. "What does threatened miscarriage mean? Is it serious?"
"It means she might miscarry. She has to stay in bed and rest until she's past the danger period."
Wang Xiaoliang let out a breath. "That's not too bad, then. Don't get too worried. It'll be fine."
The other end went quiet for a while.
"Xiaoliang, I need to ask you a favor."
"Go ahead. Since when did you stand on ceremony with me?"
"I can't leave right now. The doctor said this child might be able to save my dad's life. I need you to go to Fucheng and hold down the fort for me. Just six months."
Wang Xiaoliang switched the phone to his other hand. "Hold down the fort? You mean work as a servant at your house?"
"That's just a figure of speech." Liu Xinyu's