Apartment 520
In the early hours, everyone headed back to their own places.
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"What were you whispering about on the balcony with Adam?"
Inside the bedroom—after finishing her morning routine—Monica casually asked while applying her skincare products.
"Joey's business," Chandler replied from the bed. "Adam told me to remind Joey to stop messing around. His buddy Barney, who's as famous as Joey in New York, has already caught that seductive virus—and he's still undergoing treatment."
"What?"
Monica's eyes went wide. "You mean he actually got infected?"
"Adam said that if Joey doesn't watch himself, then with the public service ad he did for the hospital back in the day—combined with his now modest fame as a soap opera actor and his firsthand experience—it's a done deal that someone will pay him to do another ad."
Chandler quipped, "Maybe they'll even hire him as a spokesperson."
"But that's the seductive virus, isn't it?" Monica replied, exasperated. "Do you remember what happened last time when Joey, who didn't even have the virus, did that ad?"
"Oh, I definitely remember," Chandler laughed. "He went over a month without a date, and his family wouldn't let him come home for Christmas—they were scared he'd infect them."
"Yeah…" Monica sighed, feeling uneasy. "Joey's been slacking off for over ten years without any issues. I almost forgot about it—it always felt so far removed from us."
Well, that uneasiness was more like lingering fear.
After all, Monica had had her share of relationships back in the day.
And Chandler, too.
Plus, Chandler even had that fling with the legendary Aurora—who traveled the world and always seemed to have more than one boyfriend wherever she went…
"I heard some nasty diseases can lie dormant for years, right?" Monica mused, her worry growing.
"We're fine," Chandler quickly reassured her.
"You don't understand!" Monica cried, her face clouded with distress. "What if we end up infecting our kids someday?"
"They won't… But if you're worried, we can get tested."
Chandler continued, "Adam works at the hospital. We can quietly ask him to run some tests for us—it's really convenient."
"Did Adam say something to you?"
Monica pulled away from Chandler's embrace and glared at him. "He even asked if we wanted to have kids. Is he worried we might pass it on?"
At that, she launched into an emotional tirade and self-reproach:
"I hate you! When you first came over to my place, I was totally smitten. If you had felt the same, we would have been each other's only one—then we wouldn't have these worries! And I hate myself, too! Why was I so unrestrained back then? What harm would waiting a few more years have done…?"
Chandler groaned. Back then, he was in college and Monica was still in high school—they were clueless. There was no way either of them could have been the one and only for the other. And, to top it off, Monica was two-faced back then—how was he supposed to choose? Which one? My wife's compulsions are killing me.
"I swear, I really didn't…" Chandler tried to explain, but looking at Monica's frantic expression, he knew words were futile.
At the very least, sleep was out of the question tonight. So he got up and pulled Monica along.
"What are you doing? It's this late—I'm not in the mood!" he protested.
"I'm not in the mood either. Adam's on duty at the hospital tonight, so we're going to sneak over and have him run some tests to rule out any risks. That way, you and I can finally sleep easy, don't you think?"
"Alright."
Monica instantly perked up.
---
Adam had just returned to the apartment and was about to head to the hospital when he received a call from Chandler and Monica.
"Come over then," they said.
Adam replied with mock surprise. After hanging up, he couldn't help but smile. This had been part of his plan all along—even if he had underestimated Monica's reaction speed.
Letting slip that they should come to the hospital to rule out "filthy diseases" was just an excuse. What he really wanted was for Chandler and Monica to get a fertility test. Adam knew Chandler was fine, but Monica truly longed for a child of her own. After all, she'd broken up with that beloved older man back then precisely because he already had kids and didn't want any more.
Both Chandler and Monica had issues in that department, making it incredibly difficult for them to conceive the fruit of their love. Even though Adam—the real go-getter—had already talked Chandler into leaving his body-damaging job as a coder and dragging him out for morning runs, the true results were still up in the air.
If they continued to struggle with conceiving, time would be the most critical factor. The very latest update? It was announced in issue 69 of "The Book!" After all, a woman's prime childbearing years are only a few, and Monica's were nearly over…
Plus, as she aged, her chances of conceiving would drop while the risks of pregnancy steadily increased. That was one of the key reasons why, in the original timeline, Chandler and Monica eventually gave up on having kids and opted to adopt. By then, they simply didn't have much time left to try.
Now, with Adam helping out, they started planning all of this during their two-month honeymoon. If the test results weren't promising, they'd immediately start "stacking up" time—a few years' wait, hoping things might eventually work out.
What would it cost? Just a few tearful, heart-wrenching moments. And think of all the life experiences they'd gain along the way…
At that point, Owen Li straight-up said, "Now that's some pro-level insight!"
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Medical Center
Adam waited outside.
Before long, Monica and Chandler rushed in.
"Aren't we just getting our blood drawn?" Chandler remarked, holding a purple-gold bowl reminiscent of the one Tang Sanzang used on his epic journey—half laughing, half exasperated.
"Both," Adam said in a straight face. "We're doing a full check-up."
"Cut the crap—let's get moving!"
Monica, in full boss mode, declared, "This time, I'm making an exception—go ahead and daydream about Casey in the bathroom."
Chandler just managed a bitter smile.
"Go on—I still need to take Monica for her tests."
Adam patted Chandler on the shoulder with a grin, "The lady's spoken. This is a rare opportunity, so make the most of it!"
Resigned, Chandler clutched the bowl and shuffled into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Adam led Monica over to another female doctor. After all, women and men are different—these kinds of tests aren't as straightforward for women.
"Christina, what are you doing here?" Adam asked as he came out after settling Monica in, bumping into Christina. He immediately frowned, "Weren't you supposed to be watching Dr. Gray?"
"I wanted to," Christina shrugged. "But she's resting now, and someone volunteered to keep an eye on her. There's no point in me just sitting there, so I thought I'd take a walk and see if anyone else needs me. Don't worry—I'll check in every half hour."
"Someone volunteered? Who?" Adam asked, surprised.
"Go see for yourself," Christina replied with a strange look.
Now intrigued, Adam immediately walked over.
"Holy shit!"
When he reached the ward and peeked inside, Adam was utterly dumbfounded.
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