554 The Secret About the Past 172 (1/2)

He released his grip on her chin and said, ”Get rid of the child and I'll guarantee that your life won't be in danger. I'll also give you a sum of money enough to last you a lifetime and give you a carefree life. Leave this place and start life anew.”

Sounds great.

But the child she was carrying belongs to her and her husband, Jin Qingyan. What has it got to do with him at all!?!

She decided that deceiving him would be a better choice.

”I'll abort it. Will that do?” said An Xiaoning.

”Don't think you can fool me. I'll supervise the process myself and send someone to perform the surgery on you.”

”…”

”Well then, I'll leave the Autumn Palace and not show up in front of you ever again. Okay?”

”Do you really think I'd believe you? Cut the crap, I don't want to hear any of your nonsense. I'm giving you two options now. You either abort the child or die. Take your pick,” he scorned.

An Xiaoning felt a strong need to leave the palace tonight.

Although she had yet to uncover the truth, it seemed she could no longer continue to remain there.

”Don't keep quiet, speak up!”

”Your Highness… could you give me a little bit of time?”

”You want me to give you the time for the baby bump to grow bigger and bigger with each passing day?”

An Xiaoning shook her head and explained, ”I've always been in poor health and I was once stabbed in my womb. Thus, the doctor said that it'd be difficult for me to be impregnated, and even if I manage to get pregnant, it's almost impossible to keep the child since I'll very likely suffer a miscarriage. If I suffer a miscarriage within a month, this matter would come to an end.”

”What if you don't?”

”If I fortunately don't suffer a natural miscarriage, I'll disappear from your sight forever.”

”What does that mean? What do you mean disappear from my sight forever? Do you mean you'll die?” Tuoba Gucheng questioned.

”Yes. If I don't suffer a miscarriage a month from now, I'll kill myself and die together with the child.”

Needless to say, An Xiaoning did not mean what she said since she definitely would not die. She was merely trying to stall for time.

”Are your brains fried? Is the child really more important than your life? You'd actually rather die together with the child than stay alive,” Tuoba Gucheng remarked in bewilderment. It was his first encounter with such an outlandish woman.

”How about this, then? We'll close this case if I suffer a miscarriage within a month's time. But if I don't, it's up to you to do whatever you want with me. I'm only a bodyguard, it's impossible for me to escape from your hands easily,” An Xiaoning suggested.

”What rights have you got to bargain with me?” Tuoba Gucheng was adamant about not giving in to her request, for he would live in uneasiness as long as the fetus was still alive.

”I'm not in any place to bargain with you, but I'd like to keep it for another month,” said An Xiaoning, staring at the ground.

”But the outcome will still be the same.”

”It won't. I don't think it'll be the same,” An Xiaoning protested, shaking her head.

Tuoba Gucheng could not wrap his head around what she was thinking at all. ”The child has to die in the end, is there any difference at all? Or do you think you'd be able to make me fall in love with you within a short period of time and then allow you to give birth to the child because of that? I don't wish to brood over this matter any further. This is the end of discussion. You must abort this child now.”

Realizing how adamant he was, An Xiaoning clenched her fists tightly and dropped onto her knees in front of him. She burst into tears and pleaded, ”Your Highness, please give me a month's time. Even though I know that the outcome will be the same, I'd still like to wait another month. Your Highness, I'm begging you!”

Tuoba Gucheng looked down at her and noticed a teardrop on her nose bridge. He wavered a little.

”Half a month. I'll give you half a month's time. Regardless of whether you suffer a miscarriage or not, I'll watch you undergo an abortion myself. The outcome will not change, no matter what,” he conceded.

At the end of the day, he still felt a slight tinge of guilt.

Half a month was better than nothing, anyway. An Xiaoning got onto her feet immediately and stared at him with tears in her eyes. ”Thank you, Your Highness! Half a month it shall be, then.”

Tuoba Gucheng raised his chin slightly and said, ”I'll instruct the guards to forbid you from leaving the Autumn Palace without my permission, so don't think of trying to flee.”

”You're worrying too much, Your Highness. I may have trained in martial arts, but I'm not capable enough to leave the Autumn Palace on my own yet.”

”Good that you're self-aware. You may leave.”