Pei Yunian gave away the blood I had stored for seven years. He gave it to the daughter of Lin Zhiyi, the girl he had loved before me. His friends tried to stop him. "What about Yuanyu? She has a rare chimeric blood type. Without stored blood, a hemorrhage could kill her." Pei Yunian was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "Tongtong is Zhiyi's daughter. She is small. She needs it more." Someone said, "But Yuanyu is five months pregnant. You know what a hemorrhage would mean. Two lives." He did not hesitate. "Then we will not have the child for now. Yuanyu always listens to me." I stood outside the door with my prenatal report in my hand. The words "twins, both viable" looked back at me like a quiet joke. Once, he had been the one who begged me to store blood, terrified that something might happen to me. Now he had taken it without asking. I turned around and walked to the reception desk. "I would like to schedule a termination," I said. The nurse looked at my file and frowned. "Are you certain? With your blood type and anemia, this procedure carries real risk. Does Director Pei know?" "Yes," I said. "I am certain." Whether he knew no longer mattered. The moment he took my blood, a knife had begun hanging over my head.0

Pei Yunian came home that evening with Lin Zhiyi and her daughter. Tongtong was pale and thin, wrapped in a blanket. "She is afraid of hospitals," he explained, "but she still needs a doctor nearby. It will be easier if she stays here." "For how long?" I asked. "Two or three months." Our wedding was supposed to be next month. He intended to give half of our new home to his former love and her child. "You stole my blood," I said, "and now you bring the thieves to live with me. Do you know how to respect anyone?" His face hardened. "Yuanyu, you are being cruel. They will only stay for a while. There is no need to be so aggressive." Aggressive. I turned away before he could see my face. He thought I had surrendered. "When Tongtong comes out, please smile. Do not frighten her." I went into the bedroom. Behind me Lin Zhiyi's soft crying began. "Yunian, does Yuanyu hate me? I know I should not have come." He murmured something I could not hear. I sat on the bed and pressed my hand to my stomach. The babies moved under my palm, small and insistent. I had wanted them so badly. I had already chosen names.0

The next morning I woke late. When I came out, Pei Yunian was feeding Tongtong breakfast. He stood and went to the kitchen for a bowl of porridge. "You were sleeping so well, I did not wake you." Tongtong set down her spoon. "Dad, I am done. You and Mom can take me to see the wedding photos now." The words went through me like a needle. Pei Yunian froze. Lin Zhiyi stood up in a panic. "Tongtong, do not say that. Uncle Pei is not your father." The child looked confused. "But he said..." "Tongtong." Pei Yunian's voice was sharp. The girl fell silent. I went back into the bedroom and began to pack. My hands shook so badly that I dropped a glass. Pei Yunian appeared at the door. "What are you doing?" "Packing." "Yuanyu, do not be dramatic. She is a child." I kept folding clothes. He reached for my arm. "What is that paper in your hand?" I looked down at the termination form. I had been holding it since yesterday. Slowly, I tore it into pieces and dropped them into the bin. "Nothing important," I said. He watched me for a moment, then left. The door closed. I sat down on the floor, dizzy, and did not get up.0