The man didn't even glance at her, cradling the delicate woman in his arms, and turned to leave the hospital.
His wife cried alone, lamenting.
She had followed him from having nothing, working hard to get to where they were now.
She had borne him children, cared for his parents, and this was the end result.
No one went to comfort her.
After a moment, the crowd dispersed, everyone returning to their places, starting to whisper.
Their words were all the same.
They cursed Ah San and the ungrateful man, and sighed about the state of the world.
"These men nowadays, not a single one is honest."
"Wives stay home to look after children and parents, while they pretend to be single outside, or claim marital discord. Tell me, why are so many foolish women willing to believe them?"
"Exactly. Why don't they find single, unmarried men, and instead go for these older married men? Are the eyes of girls these days completely blind?"
Xiang Wan's face turned from green to white.
It felt as if everyone could see everything she had done, even through her skin.
She caressed her belly, thinking of Lu Mingzhe on her phone.
She couldn't lift her head.
Soon, the report came out.
She was indeed pregnant. Forty days along.
Her condition was normal, and the doctor even congratulated her.
Forty days ago, seeing such a result, she would have been very happy.
But today, she didn't know what there was to congratulate.
She began to overthink.
She thought of how she and her younger brother had lived a difficult life with their grandmother after their father fell ill.
If the child were born without parents who could properly accompany them.
It would be better if they never came.
Otherwise, like her, they would experience all the hardships of life, and it would be so meaningless.
If Lu Mingzhe were like the man just now, and she were like the third sister just now.
How could she educate their child with any face after it was born?
She walked out of the hospital alone and dejected.
Hospitals must be places that witness the most suffering.
Even at this hour, many people were rushing in.
Lost in thought, she didn't pay attention to her surroundings.
As she walked, her shoulder was bumped.
It was by a man rushing in with a child.
Xiang Wan didn't pay it much mind.
But the man stopped and apologized to her.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she said, turning her head slightly, and turned to leave.
The man immediately called out to her again.
"Xiang Wan? Miss Xiang, isn't it?"
This person actually knew her?
Xiang Wan turned her head back again to look.
Oh, it was him.
She had encountered his car on the road before. The man hadn't held it against her, and later had asked her out for meals several times on WeChat.
But she had refused them all.
Tang Haichao, the renovation boss.
"Mr. Tang."
Tang Haichao was clearly excited that she recognized him.
"It's me, it's me. I didn't expect you to still remember me. Why are you at the hospital alone? Are you unwell?"
Xiang Wan found it difficult to answer his question.
Seeing a little girl slumped limply on his shoulder, she asked him instead.
"Is this yours? What's wrong with her?"
"My daughter. The teacher called saying she suddenly had a fever at school, so I'm taking her to see a doctor."
Although he was not young, Xiang Wan hadn't expected him to be married.
After all, his previous attitude in inviting her out for meals had been so sincere, which was not behavior expected of a married man.
As expected, the gossip was right, not a single man was honest.
"Then you should go quickly. It looks like her fever is quite high."
After saying that, she turned to leave again.
Tang Haichao called out to her again.
"Miss Xiang, if it's convenient, I was wondering if you could possibly wait for a little while?"
"Does Mr. Tang need something else?"
His expression was a little awkward.
"It's like this, her mother couldn't come at the last minute. And my daughter is older now, I'm afraid it might be inconvenient later. Could you perhaps...?"
Alright.
Seeing that he had frankly admitted to having a wife and child.
And considering the child's pitiable state.
Xiang Wan decided to help him.
The two of them went to the pediatrics department together.
It was crowded.
Tang Haichao went to register and pay. Holding the child made it inconvenient, so Xiang Wan sat outside to accompany the little girl.
The little girl looked very much like her father.
Although her eyes were single-lidded, they were quite large.
Her nose bridge was high, her mouth small, and she had ear-length short hair, giving her a bit of a Korean style.
Her face was flushed from the fever.
Xiang Wan's maternal instincts kicked in, and she couldn't help but stroke her hair.
"It's okay. Your dad will be back soon, and you'll be fine."
The little girl didn't seem scared to have her father absent.
She stared at Xiang Wan for a few seconds.
"Auntie, you're so beautiful."
"Thank you, you're beautiful too."
"I'm not beautiful. My mom is prettier. Mom says I look too much like Dad, and haven't inherited any of her good genes."
Xiang Wan smiled.
"Daughters usually resemble their fathers. I look like my dad too, and it's quite nice."
The girl liked her very much, leaning her head against Xiang Wan's arm.
"Auntie, you're so gentle."
"Thank you. You're very gentle too."
"I hope when I grow up, I can be like you and be a gentle person."
This statement inevitably made one think of her mother.
Perhaps her mother wasn't gentle enough?
"Where is your mother? Are you missing her?"
The little girl shook her head.
"No. My mom is very fierce. She divorced my dad."
"..."
After a basic examination, it was just a common fever, nothing serious.
The doctor prescribed some medicine and told them to go home.
Tang Haichao, holding his daughter, kept thanking Xiang Wan.
"I'm sorry to have taken up your time. Let me treat you to dinner."
"No need. I don't have anything to do going back so early anyway. It's nothing."
Xiang Wan refused instinctively.
"Tangtang isn't feeling well, it's better to go back early. Maybe another day."
However, Tangtang had grown fond of her during their hour together.
She looked at Xiang Wan reluctantly.
"I don't want to go home so early, I don't want to go back and sleep. Auntie, won't you have dinner with us?"
"My dad cooks very badly, I don't want to eat his cooking."
This little one was indeed more and more endearing, and knew how to speak well.
Xiang Wan finally relented.
The two of them drove their respective cars out, went three blocks, and found a casual restaurant.
"I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with the area, so we'll have to make do with this today. I'll treat you to something better another time."
Xiang Wan said, "This is already very good. I don't have high expectations for food."
While waiting for the food, Tang Haichao couldn't help but smile when he saw that Xiang Wan instinctively refused everything he said.
"Miss Xiang is truly an ice beauty. Every word you say pushes people away."
"..."
"Don't worry, I don't mean anything else. I just feel we have a connection. Since we met..."
"Forget it. If Miss Xiang doesn't like interacting with people like me, I won't say anything more."
Xiang Wan smiled, but didn't respond.
In her heart, she thought:
It's not that I don't want to interact with people like you, it's that I no longer want to interact with men at all.
Xiang Wan ate little, and with her mind preoccupied, she lost her appetite after just a few bites.