"I'm here, don't be afraid." Qiao Chen didn't know how to comfort people, so he could only pat Bai Zhen's shoulder.
Bai Zhen was touched and gazed at Qiao Chen. Then she glanced at Xu Wan and said aggrievedly, "Miss Xu, we're all women. How could you be so heartless? I almost lost my child with Brother Chen! You've gone overboard!"
Xu Wan stared at Bai Zhen blankly. She opened her mouth but said nothing.
"You've really challenged my assumptions about you time and time again!" Qiao Chen said bitterly as he glared at Xu Wan.
"Brother Chen, my wrist still hurts a little. Can you help me rub it…" Bai Zhen mumbled.
"It won't hurt anymore after applying some ointment when we go back." It was rare that Qiao Chen's tone was not so icy. Bai Zhen was so elated that she could have jumped in joy. When Qiao Chen wasn't paying attention, she looked at Xu Wan and revealed a smug smile. Then she mouthed the words "I did it on purpose."
Xu Wan watched from the side. She saw how much Qiao Chen loved that woman. She felt her heart was being stabbed by a thousand daggers.
Qiao Chen, did you know that I'm pregnant with your child?
But the difference between the way you treat her and the way you treat me is like the difference between heaven and earth.
Xu Wan let out a bitter laugh and turned to leave before anyone noticed her.
Qiao Chen tolerantly comforted Bai Zhen for a while. By the time he turned around, Xu Wan was nowhere to be found.
Why was that woman looking at him like that just now?
Qiao Chen found it hard to describe that look.
Neither hate nor anger.
There was more misery and despair.
Why was she looking at him like that?
Qiao Chen didn't really understand and didn't care about this matter. After all, his impression of Xu Wan was terrible.
"Rest well. Call Ah De if there's anything." After returning home, Qiao Chen tucked Bai Zhen into the soft bed and closed the door before leaving.
After seeing that Qiao Chen had left, Bai Zhen immediately got up from the bed. She didn't look as feeble as she did two minutes ago.
Bai Zhen unlocked her phone and dialed a number.
"Get it done cleanly."
After the call, Bai Zhen smiled with satisfaction, her eyes revealing a hint of ruthlessness.
*
Xu Wan returned to the rented apartment and collapsed on the bed, feeling a little exhausted.
She picked up her phone to check it—there were two more laboratory classes in the afternoon.
She majored in chemistry, and her school had one of the top chemistry departments in the country. At first, Old Master Qiao opposed her decision to study chemistry.
However, Xu Wan felt this major suited her. After all, she didn't like to interact with people and preferred to do things alone. Chemistry research suited her personality.
Xu Wan held her phone and hesitated for a while. She was conflicted.
She would inevitably come into contact with chemicals in laboratory class. It was not good for her babies.
Xu Wan caressed her stomach and pondered for a while before calling her teacher.
"Professor Lin, I'm not feeling well today. Can I take a day off?"
As Xu Wan had always been the top student in the cohort, the professors had a good impression of her. Hence, her professor immediately agreed. "No problem, but you can't be absent for next week's exam. Rest well."
"Yes, thank you, professor!" Xu Wan nodded and hung up the phone.
After hanging up, Xu Wan got up and was about to cook some frozen dumplings when she suddenly felt like vomiting.
She did not understand why her morning sickness was so serious. Previously, when she went to the hospital to see the doctor, she was too shy to ask much.
After vomiting, Xu Wan decided to look up information about this on the Internet. After all, she was a single mother and had to rely on herself for everything.
It was almost dark by the time she learned what she needed to pay attention to during pregnancy.
Xu Wan walked to the kitchen and saw the bag of frozen dumplings. She contemplated for a while before she threw the dumplings away.
It was fine for her to eat these things alone. However, now that she was pregnant, she could not eat these things for the sake of her babies. She had to eat something nutritious.
Xu Wan went to the market to buy some meat, eggs and vegetables. She wanted to try cooking.
She had never cooked in the Qiao family before. After all, there were over ten chefs in the Qiao family. Sichuan Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, Lu Cuisine… They could make different dishes all year round.
Now that she was no longer the noble lady of the Qiao family, she had to learn to survive on her own.
Xu Wan followed the recipe she found on-line and started cooking seriously as if she was conducting a chemistry experiment. The book said that the required amount of flour was 50 grams, so she meticulously weighed 50 grams of flour. The book said that one should bake it for 20 minutes, so she followed the instructions strictly.
After a busy hour, the bread was finally ready.
Xu Wan took a bite. Although it was somewhat fragrant, it was not as good as what the Qiao family's chef made.
However, as long as she took in enough nutrition, she would be fine. Xu Wan finished the bread and drank a glass of milk before she fell asleep at ten o'clock.
The next day, Xu Wan opened the window to ventilate the room. She was about to change into her sportswear and leave the apartment when someone knocked on the door.
Xu Wan opened the door. She thought it was someone from the estate management company. She did not expect to see a few strange yet familiar faces.