The Reluctant Bride Book II Chapter 12

Qiao Tan Yuan stood next to Gu Jiao Wu inside the small elevator.

Qiao Tan Yuan’s heart pounded and she stole glances at Gu Jiao Wu. He looked stern as usual. The only times she had seen him sincerely smile was when he was with Chu Da. Her heart ached and she bit her bitter lips. She took a step away from him and told herself not to look at him anymore.

Gu Jiao Wu didn’t notice Qiao Tan Yuan’s secret glances. Qiao’s company and Tong’s company headquarters were in the same building. He had a meeting scheduled with Tong Shang Wen.

The elevator lights flickered, turned off and the emergency light turned on.

‘Oh…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

The elevator shook and halted.

‘Oh…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

One of Qiao Tan Yuan’s hand protected her stomach and her other hand reached for something to hold onto to stop herself from falling. Gu Jiao Wu held onto her hand and braced her back.

‘Thank you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan barely could see anything under the dim emergency light. But she heard her heart pounding and could smell Gu Jiao Wu’s familiar body scent.

‘What’s wrong with the elevator?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked. ‘Will it plummet?’

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t hear Gu Jiao Wu’s reply. She felt him let go of her hand, but she held his hand tighter. So his other hand let go of her back and reached for a phone in his suitcase.

‘There’s no reception here,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘It’s useless to call for help.’

Qiao Tan Yuan hugged Gu Jiao Wu’s waist and he looked at her stomach.

‘Are you OK?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘I’m scared,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

If Qiao Tan Yuan wasn’t pregnant, she wouldn’t be scared. But she was scared for her baby.

Qiao Tan Yuan wouldn’t let go of Gu Jiao Wu’s waist so he moved them a step back.

‘Lean on the wall,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

‘I don’t want to…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. Her baby kicked her stomach. ‘I’m scared. Gu Jiao Wu, I’m begging you, don’t let go of me.’

‘I’m not letting go,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. He wasn’t that inhumane. ‘But it’s safer if we lean against a wall than standing in the middle of the elevator.’

‘Thank you,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. She moved to a wall with Gu Jiao Wu, but she didn’t let go of his waist. ‘How long do you think it’ll take security to know the elevator’s broken?’

‘I don’t know,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

The building had six elevators, but Gu Jiao Wu and Qiao Tan Yuan were in a private elevator. She bit her lips, her forehead was sweaty and she felt too weak to even make a phone call.

‘Are you in pain?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘I’m OK,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu suspected she was in pain, her heart was racing fast. He held the satellite phone above their heads and turned on the satellite phone. He could see her sweaty forehead reflected off the phone screen. She was looking at the elevator doors, she wrapped an arm around his waist and her other hand protected her stomach.

‘Does your stomach hurt?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan nodded her head.

‘How many months are you pregnant?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘Almost… nine months,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan winced, her stomach ached painfully. ‘Gu Jiao Wu, it hurts.’

‘Are you about to go into labour?’ Gu Jiao Wu asked.

‘I think… I am,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. Her stomach pain hurt a lot more than usual. ‘It hurts… what am I going to do…’

Qiao Tan Yuan’s sweaty hair and face didn’t look like her usual beautiful self, and she held her stomach protectively. The sight disturbed Gu Jiao Wu’s heart. He noticed her bag and grabbed it.

‘What are you doing?’ Qiao Tan Yuan asked.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t want Gu Jiao Wu to open her bag. But he opened it and took out her phone.

‘Gu Jiao Wu,’ Qiao Tan Yuan called.

Gu Jiao Wu ignored Qiao Tan Yuan, swapped their phone sim cards and turned their phones on again.

‘Gu Jiao Wu…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan was embarra.s.sed. The wallpaper on her phone was a photo of Gu Jiao Wu sleeping.

Gu Jiao Wu looked at the photo of himself, he didn’t know she took while he was sleeping.

‘Give back my phone,’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Gu Jiao Wu turned off their phones and swapped back their sim cards before turning their phones on again. Then he put Qiao Tan Yuan’s phone back in her bag.

Qiao Tan Yuan had watched Gu Jiao Wu sleep in the past. The photo on her phone was that night he slept peacefully. She tried to delete the photo many times, but her heart stopped her from deleting the photo.

She wondered if Gu Jiao Wu was mocking her. Her thoughts distracted her from her stomach pain. Then she heard his phone rang. How did he get reception in the elevator?

‘I’m stuck in the elevator,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘Come get me out, and call an ambulance to come here. There’s a pregnant woman going into labour.’

Gu Jiao Wu hung up the satellite phone and looked at Qiao Tan Yuan. ‘Does it still hurt?’

‘Um, but not as painful,’ Qiao Tan Yuan lied. Her stomach pain intensified. ‘How did your phone get reception in here?’

‘There was reception before,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu carried a customized satellite phone in his suitcase. If he was in an emergency, after he switched sim cards with another phone, the Gu Household’s security would pinpoint his location and call the satellite phone.

Qiao Tan Yuan didn’t believe there would suddenly be reception in the elevator. If she wasn’t in pain, she would get the truth out of him.

Gu Jiao Wu looked at Qiao Tan Yuan holding her stomach tightly, and her forehead was sweatier. ‘Can you hang in there?’

‘I…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. Suddenly she felt stomach contractions, and one of her hands held onto Gu Jiao Wu’s shirt. ‘Gu Jiao Wu, what am I going to do? My stomach really hurts. I think I’m going into labour soon.’

Gu Jiao Wu panicked. What should he do? He never gave birth before. He thought about what he saw on TV. Then he held Qiao Tan Yuan’s shoulders. ‘Take deep breaths. Soon people will come here to rescue us.’

‘I…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said. ‘Gu Jiao Wu, I’m really scared. What if something happens to my baby? I’m scared…’

‘Calm down,’ Gu Jiao Wu said.

Gu Jiao Wu was never in a life and death situation before. He didn’t know what to do. But he saw panic in Qiao Tan Yuan’s eyes and forced himself to hide his own panic.

‘Qiao Tan Yuan, calm down for the baby’s sake,’ Gu Jiao Wu said. ‘People will be here soon to help us, and we’ll go straight to the hospital.’

‘But…’ Qiao Tan Yuan said.

Qiao Tan Yuan’s face was pale under the dim emergency light. She hugged Gu Jiao Wu. ‘My stomach really hurts. I’m scared. Gu Jiao Wu, tell me my baby is safe.’

End of Chapter Twelve