On the calendar, Emma had circled a date in faint pencil— Gu Liang's first official prenatal checkup.
She hadn't asked. She knew he wouldn't answer. She had pieced it together from overheard calls with his doctor's assistant, and from subtle marks on his planner. She memorized the date quietly.
The night before, Emma barely slept. A storm of emotions churned in her chest—nervousness, anticipation, and a strange, unshakable fear. It would be the first time her child truly "appeared"— Revealed by cold instruments, Proving its existence.
The next morning, Gu Liang woke slightly later than usual. He looked pale, but alert. He dressed in soft, light gray athletic wear—comfortable, understated.
Emma sat at the dining table, pretending to eat. But her entire focus was on the front door.
When Gu Liang picked up his car keys, ready to leave alone, She stood up.
"I'll drive you." Her voice was stiff—tight with nerves.
Gu Liang paused. Turned. His gaze was calm, assessing.
"No need." His refusal was sharp. Final.
"I… I'll just drop you off. Wait outside. I won't go in." Emma added quickly, her voice tinged with a plea she didn't recognize in herself. "The parking lot's hard to navigate. And… I don't feel comfortable letting you go alone."
That last sentence was quiet— But it landed like a pebble in still water.
She didn't feel comfortable letting him go alone?
Gu Liang's lashes trembled. His eyes lingered on her face—nervous, insistent. She didn't look manipulative. She looked like… A large dog afraid of being abandoned.
The absurdity of the image flickered through his mind— And vanished.
He didn't answer. Just turned toward the door.
Emma froze. Then joy surged through her—raw, wordless. She grabbed her coat and keys, nearly running to catch up.
The drive was silent. Emma drove slowly, carefully— As if the passenger seat held something fragile and priceless.
She stole glances at Gu Liang through the rearview mirror.
He stared out the window. His profile was quiet, delicate. Sunlight brushed his cheek, revealing fine, soft hairs. His jawline had softened slightly— Pregnancy had rounded him, just a little.
Emma's heart thudded. A strange, aching warmth spread through her.
At the hospital, Gu Liang went alone to the obstetrics wing. Emma waited in the family lounge—just as she'd promised.
Time stretched endlessly. Every minute felt like an hour.
She paced. Sat. Stared at the entrance.
Her mind raced— Would the checkup go well? Was the baby healthy? Could Gu Liang handle it? Would he feel sick?
Her Alpha instincts surged— Protective, anxious. She realized, with startling clarity, That the two people inside that room— Were the most important in her life.
Finally, Gu Liang appeared.
Emma stood instantly. Rushed to him. Her eyes searched his face— Looking for answers.
He looked better. Less pale. His usual coldness had softened—just slightly.
"How was it?" Her voice trembled.
Gu Liang looked at her. Then handed her a black-and-white ultrasound report.
Emma held her breath. Her hands shook as she took the paper.
And then she saw it—
In the center of the gray image, A small gestational sac. Inside it, a tiny bean-shaped white dot— Pulsing. Steady. Strong.
Beside it, the words: Early intrauterine pregnancy. Fetal heartbeat detected.
Heartbeat.
Her child's heartbeat.
Emma's vision blurred. Emotion crashed over her— A tidal wave of awe, joy, guilt, and overwhelming responsibility.
She stared at the pulsing light. As if trying to etch it into her soul.
This was her blood. Her bond with Gu Liang— Unbreakable.
Tears spilled silently. Falling onto the report, Leaving a faint, damp stain.
She cried.
Not from sadness. Not from anger. But from something deeper— Something she couldn't name.
Gu Liang stood beside her. Watching.
Her eyes—usually defiant or impatient—were now full of tears. Her tall frame trembled. She looked like a child— Crying over a miracle.
His cold gaze flickered. Something complicated stirred.
He had never seen this Emma.
Vulnerable. Real. Unshielded.
So different from the reckless, selfish Alpha he remembered.
Was it the child?
This unexpected life— Carrying both their blood— Could it truly change everything?
Something inside Gu Liang shifted. A faint crack beneath the ice.
He said nothing. Just turned and walked toward the exit.
Emma jolted. Wiped her tears. Folded the report carefully— Like a treasure. Tucked it into her pocket. Then hurried after him.
Sunlight streamed through the hospital's tall windows. Their shadows stretched long.
One ahead. One behind. Still silent.
But something had changed.
That ultrasound— That flickering heartbeat— Was a light.
Faint. But undeniable.
It pierced the fog between them.
The road ahead was still uncertain.
But for the first time,
Because of that tiny life,
They shared a direction.