Werebeast Gongs CH 097 Abortion
Lei Jin subconsciously covered his stomach—this was the first time he had so clearly acknowledged the fact that there was a child inside him.
If he said he had never doubted it before, that would be a lie. After all, Healer Qing Qiao’s words that day still echoed in his ears, and his growing belly was undeniable. Not to mention, Xiya and Moya had been acting overly cautious lately—forbidding him from touching anything cold, always placing the best food in front of him, and layering his clothes thickly before the real cold even set in, as if afraid the wind might chill him. No matter how much they tried to disguise it as casual concern, Lei Jin had seen all kinds of people in his life. How could he not notice such obvious tactics?
But with Chunji gone, he had no one to talk to. He was a grown man who had never been pregnant before—how could he be sure what pregnancy was really like? Though anxious, he could only pretend to go with the flow and wait.
As for Berg and Roger—it wasn’t that they weren’t trustworthy, but he simply didn’t believe them. One was Xiya and Moya’s papa, and the other had once had feelings for Moya.
He had already suspected it, so when Mingya mentioned it, he believed it immediately. Now that Moya had openly admitted it, there was no room for illusions.
"How many months?" Lei Jin asked, finding the question absurd. He was the last to know about the child in his own body.
"Almost six months," Moya replied, glancing at him.
He didn’t even bother asking whose it was. Counting back, six months could only mean that reckless afternoon in the seaside cave.
Lei Jin pushed the blanket aside and got out of bed. The pain in his lower half made his steps unsteady, and Moya quickly steadied him. "The floor is covered in spilled medicine. Be careful not to slip."
Lei Jin shook him off and went to fetch his clothes from the cabinet. Lifting his legs to put on his pants sent a dull, tearing pain through him, and for the first time, he understood how Berg must have felt back then.
It wasn’t even deep autumn yet, but he was already dressed in winter clothes. Su Rui’s sewing skills were excellent—though the thread was coarse, the stitches were tight, and the fit was perfect. The material resembled mink fur, glossy and black, lined with soft cotton. When Qi Luo had delivered the clothes, Mura had been there and exclaimed how wasteful it was—such fine cotton could have made several summer outfits.
"Eat first. We can talk after," Moya said, seeing Lei Jin about to walk out.
Lei Jin ignored him and kept walking.
Xiya came in from outside and, seeing Lei Jin, naturally reached to touch his forehead. "Finally awake! You slept a full day and night—we were all worried. Let me check if the fever’s gone."
Lei Jin slapped his hand away without a word and stepped past him toward the door.
Xiya shot Moya a questioning look: What’s going on?
Moya didn’t answer, only hurried to stop Lei Jin at the threshold. "You haven’t eaten in a day. Where are you going? I know you’re angry we didn’t tell you sooner, but at first, we weren’t sure. It wasn’t until the baby was three or four months along that Healer Qing Qiao confirmed it. By then, the baby was already big, and you were injured. If we had aborted it then, your body wouldn’t have been able to handle it."
Xiya finally understood what was happening. The child had been in Lei Jin’s belly all along—they never expected to hide it forever. Seeing Lei Jin’s disbelief, he added, "Moya’s telling the truth. Healer Qing Qiao told me the same thing. I knew if I told you, you’d abort the baby no matter the cost, so I kept it from you. The fault is mine. If you’re angry, blame me."
"Eat something first. The food’s getting cold. After that, I won’t stop you from doing whatever you want." He had a vague idea of what Lei Jin intended, but at this point, he no longer hoped for easy forgiveness.
"Lei Jin, the chicken is really good today. Mingya saved the wings for you. Eat with me?" Mingya tugged timidly at Lei Jin’s sleeve.
"So, you’re all acting like you’ve been considerate of me, and I’m the unreasonable one, risking my own health?" Lei Jin sneered. "I suppose I should just lie back, spread my legs, let you all take turns, and then pop out babies for you—that’s the right way, huh?"
He knew his words were cruel, but he couldn’t stop them. His chest felt suffocated. Maybe Moya was telling the truth, but these people had deceived him over and over. Did "love" give them the right to control his life? He believed they cared about his health, but he didn’t believe they weren’t also using this to trap him.
Staying in this world suited them—but had they ever considered the price he would pay? Living in a completely unfamiliar world, dependent on others for survival, was never what he wanted. And now, he was neither man nor woman, pregnant like some freak. He hated the sight of his swollen belly and punched it hard.
"Don’t do that, Lei Jin." Moya caught his wrist before he could strike again.
Lei Jin backhanded him across the face, his gaze icy. "I won’t forgive you this time. You want this child—but did you ever think about my feelings?"
Moya wiped the blood from his lip. "I know."
"I won’t give birth to it." Lei Jin’s voice was merciless. He might have said he liked children, but he never said he wanted to bear them.
"I’ll go to Healer Qing Qiao for the abortifacient. You’re still injured—you can’t walk that far."
"Second Brother?"
"Moya!"
"Forget it, Elder Brother." Moya’s voice was flat.
A storm of emotions crossed Xiya’s face—struggle, conflict—but in the end, he yielded. He understood Moya’s meaning. They had already prepared for a childless life—this was just feeling the loss again. But it was different now. He had felt the baby move against his palm at night, a tiny life. To kill it with his own hands—he didn’t want to accept it. But Lei Jin’s stance left no room for negotiation. The one carrying the child was Lei Jin. If he refused, who could force him?
"Lei Jin, don’t you like the baby? Did it disobey you? But even a disobedient baby is still our baby. We can’t abandon it." Mingya tugged at his hair, whispering.
"Shut up!" Lei Jin snapped.
Mingya bit his lip, peeking at him fearfully before falling silent.
After a long pause, Xiya finally nodded. Lei Jin knew the matter was settled, but he felt no relief.
Moya went to fetch Healer Qing Qiao, while Xiya reheated the meal—a large bowl of mushroom soup, a whole stewed chicken, and two bowls of rice.
"Lei Jin, here are the wings." Mingya dutifully plucked both chicken wings and placed them in Lei Jin’s bowl.
Before Lei Jin arrived, the wings had always been Mingya’s favorite. But since then, Mingya had given them up—because Lei Jin liked them too.
"Drink the soup first. You said you wanted it the other day. It’ll be good for you after just waking up." Xiya pushed the soup toward him.
Neither spoke after that, but Lei Jin could feel Xiya’s gaze lingering on his belly—full of sorrow and reluctance.
He knew how much Xiya and Moya wanted a child. Looking back, they had dropped countless hints over the past months, but he had chosen to ignore them.
Healer Qing Qiao arrived quickly, sweating and disheveled. He fixed Lei Jin with a stern look. "I heard you want to abort the baby?"
Lei Jin wiped his mouth leisurely and stood, nodding in silent confirmation.
"Do you know how hard it is for other families in the tribe to conceive? How can you just throw it away?" As a fellow female, Qing Qiao couldn’t fathom such ruthlessness.
Lei Jin remained standing, but the resolve in his eyes was unmistakable. It was hard to believe such sharp, unyielding determination belonged to a female—and how could such a person ever resign himself to childbirth?
"And you three agree?" Qing Qiao scanned them.
"We’re still young, just adults. There’ll be other chances for children later," Xiya spoke for them.
Qing Qiao saw through the lie. Young? Just adults? Other chances? Nonsense. The truth was Lei Jin didn’t want it. It seemed An Sen’s household had once been ruled by Roger, and now Xiya’s home would be ruled by Lei Jin. Who would’ve thought? He had delivered these boys himself and watched them grow. Mingya might be soft, but Xiya and Moya had always been strong-willed. Yet Lei Jin had somehow tamed all three.
"No need for medicine," Qing Qiao said, addressing only Lei Jin.
Lei Jin frowned. "Why?" Was there another way?
"Didn’t Xiya tell you?"
Lei Jin turned to Xiya—more secrets?
"Let me explain," Qing Qiao cut in before Xiya could speak. "Didn’t you wonder why, at two months, there was still no pulse?"
That was something Lei Jin wanted to know. If he had known earlier, maybe...
"I heard you were badly injured during the hunt. You conceived on the journey back—the jostling damaged the fetus early on. Then you ate the wrong thing and soaked in hot springs. That’s why there were no signs for so long. These past months, your body finally recovered somewhat, but then you were injured again two days ago. I’ve told Xiya—this child’s chances of surviving birth are slim. Even if it lives, it’ll be weaker than most. But Xiya refused to accept it. Now, at six months, aborting it would severely harm you. Even if it's a female baby, just endure three more months—it’ll likely be stillborn anyway."
Lei Jin shook his head. He couldn’t wait that long. Suppressing his unease, he insisted, "No. I want it gone now."
"Why are you so stubborn?" Even the mild-mannered Qing Qiao lost his temper. Was this man so eager to destroy his own child, denying it even a chance at birth?
"Healer Qing Qiao, don’t be mad at Lei Jin," Mingya pleaded pitifully.
Qing Qiao shot him a look. Hopeless. Still defending him at a time like this.
"Healer Qing Qiao, give us the medicine," Moya said, glancing at Lei Jin.
"That’s your child."
"We’ll have others," Xiya said, clinging to that hope.
"There is no such medicine. When have you ever heard of our tribe aborting a child? Do you think we’d keep that around?" Qing Qiao refused outright.
"Healer Qing Qiao, I know it exists," Xiya said, checking Moya’s expression before adding, "My papa mentioned it."
"You—!" Qing Qiao was too furious to speak. Finally, he spat out, "Fine. If you’re so determined to kill it, I won’t stop you. Just don’t regret it later. There’s a deep pool in the back mountains—you know the one. White tea flowers grow by its edge. Boil ten blossoms into one bowl of water. It’ll induce miscarriage within two days."
Roger, having caught wind of the situation, arrived just as Qing Qiao was leaving.
"Healer Qing Qiao—"
Qing Qiao shot him a glare and stormed off without a word.
At this point, Roger was the least qualified to persuade Lei Jin. He understood Lei Jin’s determination to leave. Lei Jin was far more decisive than he had ever been. If he had possessed even half that resolve twenty years ago, maybe he would have returned home. But he had made his choice—regretful, but unchangeable. He only hoped Lei Jin wouldn’t come to regret his.
"Whatever you decide, healing your injuries comes first," Roger said meaningfully.
Moya personally gathered and brewed the white tea flowers. Through it all, he never tried to dissuade Lei Jin again.
Night deepened, and none of the three returned. By evening, the bowl of medicine Moya had left on the windowsill had gone cold.
Lei Jin tightened his clothes around him. The empty room felt unnaturally lonely.
"Xiao Jin, sit here and be good. Mommy will be back soon."
He had been good. But in the end, he was still discarded—like an old, unwanted coat. No reluctance, no attachment. Maybe that woman had seen him as nothing but a burden.
"Baby, it’s not that Dad doesn’t want you. But... wouldn’t it be better not to come at all, than to leave you alone in this world someday?"
Lei Jin reached for the cold bowl of medicine.
When Moya returned the next morning and saw the empty bowl on the windowsill, even prepared as he was, profound agony flashed in his eyes.
Meanwhile, across the sea...
"Are you sure?"
"Not entirely. But from your description, it sounds like the person who followed the leopard werebeasts. They passed through our Wolf Tribe once and stayed the night."
"Heh... It must be him. I heard from his clan—he was obsessed with a leopard werebeast, even forced him into a bonding ceremony. So that’s where he’s been all this time? Chasing after him to his tribe? Hmph. Berg, you’ll never escape me."