Zhan Beijue had Jiang Nan Fang stay in the hospital to protect her pregnancy, which led to her becoming friends with two nurses who worked in shifts.
One day, Jiang Nan Fang was reading in her room, accompanied by a caregiver, when she suddenly received a delivery, a same-day express.
Coincidentally, a nurse and a doctor came to check on her. The caregiver helped her unpack it.
It was a cute rabbit plush toy, over a meter tall, slender and long like a caterpillar, but with wings and a giant pinkish-white head.
The caregiver held the rabbit in front of Jiang Nan Fang for her to see, unable to suppress a smile.
"Mr. Zhan is truly attentive to you, Mrs. Zhan. I just casually mentioned to him yesterday that some women experience back pain during pregnancy and need to lie on their sides or place something under their body to sleep comfortably. And look at this, he immediately thought of it."
She placed the rabbit on herself to gauge its size and made a comical gesture.
"It's likely handpicked and fits your body shape perfectly. You can use it to prop your legs when you sleep tonight. It's both cute and practical."
Unlike other girls, Jiang Nan Fang didn't have many toys growing up.
In her younger, ignorant days, she had envied other girls who had dolls and plush toys.
But at her age now, with her child already grown, she had long since lost interest in such things.
However, seeing this oddly-shaped creature with such a large head and two rosy blushes embroidered on its cheeks, her mood couldn't help but lift a notch.
"Only you can tell this is a rabbit. Where did he buy it? It's so peculiar."
"This isn't for me, it's entirely for his child. I never saw him put this much thought into things before she was pregnant."
The caregiver said as she took the item to the bathroom to wash it.
"How could that be? I see Mr. Zhan takes good care of you usually. His eyes are always on you, and the way he looks at you is so gentle."
"My daughter used to love watching Korean dramas and said the male leads' gazes were so captivating they could kill. I never understood it, but now I finally do. Mr. Zhan has that kind of gaze!"
With the doctor and nurse present, saying such things was a bit too exaggerated.
Jiang Nan Fang felt a little embarrassed, but the nurse also chimed in.
"Mr. Zhan is indeed like that. He comes to see you as soon as he finishes work every day, and stays in the room without going anywhere. In the mornings, before leaving, he always instructs us to take good care of you. He also constantly sends people to deliver things. He's practically the best husband in the world."
Since everyone was praising him so much, Jiang Nan Fang couldn't bring herself to refuse Zhan Beijue, so she went along with their sentiments.
"Yes, yes, yes. I must have done too many good deeds in my past life, burned too much incense, to have met him in this life."
"You're still young. Since you don't have a boyfriend right now, go home and burn a few more incense sticks. You can do it too."
The doctor and caregiver erupted in laughter.
The nurse also smiled, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.
Soon, the doctor left.
The nurse lingered by the door, then turned back.
Closing the ward door, she looked at Jiang Nan Fang with a mix of timidity and grievance.
"Mrs. Zhan, I have nowhere to go, and I'm feeling upset. If I go back to the nurses' station, they'll see it and I'll be embarrassed. So, could I stay here for a while?"
Seeing her downcast expression, Jiang Nan Fang quickly gestured for her to come closer.
After the nurse walked over and sat by the bed holding her hand, she asked with concern.
"Of course, you can. Stay as long as you like. What's wrong?"
Touched by her concern, the nurse's nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"I wasn't that sad initially, but seeing how good you and Mr. Zhan are, I just couldn't hold it in."
"Actually, I have a boyfriend, and today is my birthday."
"Oh?" Jiang Nan Fang quickly wished her a happy birthday, then asked.
"So, is it that your boyfriend forgot your birthday, and that's why you're feeling so disappointed?"
"Not exactly," she replied.
"We met in high school, and this year marks our sixth year together. He comes from a modest background, and I understand his struggles, so I've never asked him for gifts."
"As you know, with all the commercial hype, there are so many Valentine's Days throughout the year, plus holidays and birthdays. It's truly a heavy burden for young men."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan Fang realized she was a very understanding girl.
The saying goes, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease," but overly understanding girls often don't receive the cherish they deserve from men.
Indeed, the nurse continued.
"Not holding it against him doesn't mean he doesn't need to show any thoughtfulness. Do you know how excited and expectant I was when he finally told me a few days ago that he would give me a gift for my birthday?"
"Then this morning, the gift arrived. When I opened it, it was also a plush toy."
"It's just about 1/3 smaller than yours, about the size of a pillow, and it looks crudely made, emitting a strong, unpleasant smell."
"But I still had to force a smile and thank him. I kept telling myself not to overthink it, that his intention was enough. But now, I'm truly heartbroken."
"Mrs. Zhan, am I not good enough? Am I not worthy of being loved? Tell me, why is he treating me like this?"
By this point, the nurse was crying uncontrollably.
Jiang Nan Fang grabbed some tissues, gently wiped away her tears, and pulled her into a hug.
"You are wonderful. Beautiful, gentle, understanding, compassionate, you are exceptionally good. You deserve to be cherished by all discerning men in the world."
"Even if no man has discerning eyes, you deserve the respect of all your fellow women. So, don't doubt yourself."
"I can only say that your so-called boyfriend is a blind selfish idiot, useful only for wasting your youth. He is here to teach you a lesson, to help you mature. Now you have realized and matured. So, it's time to dump him."