"He's here, gone to pay the fees, asked me to watch over things."
"The patient was rushed to the emergency room as soon as she arrived. Many routine checks weren't done, and the family didn't provide clear information, which is why we didn't know about her pregnancy beforehand."
"The surgery was already halfway through, and anesthesia had been administered, when we called the head of gynecology to perform the procedure jointly."
"The head of gynecology said that she has records with us. Previous prenatal check-ups had consistently shown low progesterone levels, and the fetus might not have survived."
"Coupled with the effects of the anesthesia now, the child has been lost."
"However, she's still young. As long as she takes good care of herself, she can have children anytime in the future. Don't take this too hard."
The child was lost?
Just as she vaguely understood the child's origin, the doctor had already taken it away?
A Zhong's face turned ashen, and he grabbed the doctor's collar.
"How could you not consult the family beforehand about such a major decision?"
The doctor, exhausted from the surgery, naturally responded with annoyance.
"You were an emergency patient. No procedures were completed upon arrival, and not even the hospitalization fees were paid. If it weren't for our responsibility towards her life, she might not have even entered the operating room by now..."
Jiang Nan Fang knew the entire story.
If they were to hold the doctor responsible for the child at this point, it would be like the farmer and the snake.
Moreover, she had also experienced low progesterone and a miscarriage in the past, so she understood that the doctor couldn't be entirely blamed.
"Alright, alright. It's already happened. Let's not dwell on it. Let's get her to rest first."
A Zhong had been by Zhou Jin Bei's bedside.
After waiting for an entire afternoon, she finally woke up as darkness fell.
When she opened her eyes and saw A Zhong sitting dejectedly before her, Zhou Jin Bei couldn't believe it.
She reached out to touch him.
There was a real sensation.
Why was he here?
Who told him she was sick?
Was he here to see her?
In what capacity?
Her hand was gently touched, and A Zhong quickly looked up.
He saw the weak Zhou Jin Bei opening her eyes.
"You're awake?"
He reached out, brushed the hair from her forehead.
"How do you feel? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
Zhou Jin Bei was in pain all over, weak, and wanted to speak but couldn't.
A Zhong couldn't help but scold her.
"I told you not to skip meals. You're all grown up, and you still manage to get your body into this state. Now you know what it feels like to be uncomfortable?"
"It's alright, the anesthesia is just wearing off, so it's bound to hurt. Just bear with it for a while, and it'll be fine."
How did they suddenly return to a time before any estrangement between them?
His tone, both stern and gentle, made her want to burst into tears.
Zhou Jin Bei was confused again: "Am I dreaming? Is it really you, Zhong Jia Ming?"
A Zhong took her hand and placed it on his face, pressing it tightly.
"Touch me and see, is it me? Are you dreaming?"
"But..."
A Zhong interrupted her.
"You're so guilty, afraid to see me, you're hiding a secret from me, aren't you?"
"?"
"You have a secret that belongs to both of us, and you're hiding it from me, aren't you?"
A secret?
Zhou Jin Bei's eyes suddenly became flustered.
Could it be that he already knew everything?
She hadn't told anyone. Who told him?
Although she liked A Zhong and wished they could be together every day, she knew that ideals were ideals, and reality was reality.
For her and A Zhong to truly be together, they still had to go through some twists and turns.
It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, but no matter what, they were her parents.
If they clashed with A Zhong, she wouldn't be happy no matter who won.
"...What secret?"
Seeing her evasive eyes, A Zhong cupped her cheeks.
"You're not being honest. At least, not as honest as before. It seems I never truly understood you."
"I always thought you were carefree, but you carry so many burdens in your heart. Did you divorce Jiang Si Cheng?"
Zhou Jin Bei's face turned even paler.
In front of others, no matter how pathetic she was, it didn't matter.
Because she didn't truly care about their opinions.
She could even brazenly tell them that she married Jiang Si Cheng solely for his money.
But in front of A Zhong, how could she be so shameless?
She was a vain, greedy, and useless woman.
Her pride was shattered.
"Who did you meet while I was asleep? Chen Jiao Jiao? She just likes to talk nonsense."
A Zhong wouldn't let her change the subject.
"Don't you think she's very similar to your past self?"
"Can we be more honest with each other like we used to be? Tell me the truth, what's going on with the child in your belly?"
He even knew about the child?!
That damned Chen Jiao Jiao!
A Zhong looked at her with burning, certain eyes, as if he already knew the truth.
Zhou Jin Bei felt cornered by his gaze.
She thought, why not just admit it!
If she dared to get pregnant, what storms couldn't she face?
Thinking this, she was about to confess to A Zhong when the hospital room door was suddenly pushed open with a bang.
A group of people rushed in, led by her mother.
As she ran, she shouted loudly.
"Bei Bei, my dear daughter! How could you not tell your mother about such a big thing?"
"If your phone hadn't been off, and Cheng's phone had also been off, I would have thought something had happened to you. I called your in-laws, and they still didn't know about the mess you two made!"
"You silly girl, why are you so foolish? You were pregnant, how could you divorce Ah Cheng over such a small matter?"
"Marriage is not a child's play. You two are truly outrageous!"
The mother-in-law was also in a hurry.
"Exactly, Bei Bei, didn't I treat you well at the Jiang family? Grandpa was so happy when he knew you were pregnant! I even gave you a jade bracelet passed down through generations!"
"We doted on you like a treasure, and yet you and Ah Cheng played such a joke. We elders are so angry with you."
"Look at you, drifting around outside with a child alone, how hard it must be. You've worn out your body."
"Oh my, look at this pale face. What did the doctor say?"
Their divorce had been exposed.
Judging by their tone, the two were here to mediate.
The two mothers completely ignored A Zhong.
As soon as they arrived, they pushed him aside and squeezed in next to Zhou Jin Bei.
A Zhong turned his head and saw Zhou Jin Xiu, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, Father Zhou, Jiang Si Cheng, and Jiang Si Cheng's father.
They were all dressed in fine clothes, exuding an elegant aura.
And then he looked at himself...
He suddenly felt a bit presumptuous and self-important.
Who was Zhou Jin Bei?
The cherished daughter of the Zhou family, the young mistress of the Jiang family.
Even if she had acute gastritis, even if her life was hanging by a thread, it wasn't his place to worry about her.
There were so many people who cared about her, all of them better than him.
You, who have nothing, still want to give her a future?
Moreover, everyone knew about her pregnancy, and Jiang Si Cheng knew too.
It seemed it happened while she was still with the Jiang family.