7
He stood there frozen, as if struck by a heavy blow. Seeing his discomfort filled me with a strange sense of satisfaction. After shutting the door, I returned to the obstetrics and gynecology department, where I received a shocking revelation.
The baby had survived. Not only that, but it was thriving. "It's completely normal. Sometimes, HCG levels start low and gradually rise. The little one is doing well. I'll set up a record for you," said the doctor.
I was stunned. "I bled when I used the toilet that day," I asked Dr. Liu, trembling. "A bit of bleeding is nothing to worry about," she assured me kindly. "This child has a special connection with you. Don't be too upset. As a friend of Dr. Gu, I'll be honest with you. Infertility is a common issue nowadays, and conceiving a child is particularly challenging. Moreover, your uterine wall is thin, making pregnancy even more difficult in your case."
"Oh, and you mentioned that Dr. Gu has a child? You must have misunderstood. It seems like it's his cousin who had the baby, not him. He doesn't even have a girlfriend yet. You scared me for a moment," she added.
"What? His cousin?" I exclaimed in surprise. Why would he post something about his cousin giving birth? Suddenly, it dawned on me that I had made a huge mistake. That explained why he was so angry earlier.
However, despite the misunderstanding, the fact remained that he didn't like me and didn't want this child. After a moment of calm reflection, I sighed and said, "There's no other way. The father doesn't want it."
Just as I finished speaking, Gu Xiao appeared before me again. "Could you come out for a moment?" he said.
I felt a chill run down my spine. Why was it him again? And why did he always say the same thing? Dr. Liu looked at us with a puzzled expression, obviously feeling somewhat annoyed.
With a headache, I followed him out. "What is it now, Dr. Gu?" I asked, feeling frazzled and unwilling to engage in any more arguments due to my concerns about the baby. "Couldn't you just leave me alone for a while?"
"That night... you said something happened between you and me?" he asked, staring intently at me. "Which night?" I pretended to be ignorant. "The night of the academic conference," he growled. "Don't you remember what happened? Don't you know what you did?"
I was annoyed. He had called my name countless times that night, and now he was pretending to have forgotten? After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "Is the child mine?"
"Who else could it be?" I retorted. "Don't accuse me of playing games with you," I smiled. "There was no one else but you during those days." In fact, there had never been anyone else, but I was afraid that admitting that would make it seem like I still had feelings for him.
"So, what do you want to do?" he sighed.
"What do you mean, 'what do I want to do'?" I asked impatiently. I didn't want to argue with him any further, so I simply stated my demands. "Get a marriage certificate with me. The child needs a birth permit. And give me 3000 yuan every month. I can't raise a child on my own."
He stared at me silently, making me feel uncomfortable. As he didn't speak for a long time, I became increasingly nervous.
"If you think 3000 is too much, 2500 is fine," I tentatively asked him.
"Chen Jia..." he said in a startlingly low voice, "marriage is not a game."
I fell silent.
Does he still not want to marry me?
After a tense few seconds, I felt a bit awkward and bit my lip, turning to leave.
"Clear your schedule for the weekend," he called out to me, as if he had made a difficult decision.
"Why?"
"I'm going to your house."
I was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and pretended to be indifferent, replying with a casual, "Oh."
Back in the department, I established a medical card. Dr. Liu was still very warm towards me and even tried to pry into my relationship with Gu Xiao.
I carefully observed her.
With an oval face, fair skin, and delicate hands that suggested a privileged upbringing, she had a cheerful personality.
If I were a man, I would like her too.
Such a girl pursuing Gu Xiao made me feel uneasy, but I seemed to have no qualifications to feel that way.
Does Gu Xiao's intention to visit my house on the weekend mean he wants to marry me?
After the consultation ended, I took the newly established medical card and passed by the emergency department without seeing Gu Xiao.
Disheartened, I headed for the bus, but then his text message arrived.
"Did you leave already?"
"Yes."
"I'll call you tonight."
"As you wish."
Sitting on the bus, I stared at the text message. Despite having seemingly reached a major milestone in my life, I couldn't help but feel unhappy.
Later that night, he kept his promise and called me.
But he was so boring and cold.
Our conversations revolved around questions like, "Did you vomit today?" "How many times?" "What did you eat?" without any concern for how I felt.
I mechanically answered his questions, sometimes a bit superficially. But he got upset, asking, "Chen Jia, are you always so cavalier?"
"Well, Dr. Gu, are you always like a cold machine when you're not in bed?"
The conversation died down quickly, and I hung up the phone.
Should I always have to warm up to his cold shoulder?
8
On the weekend, a black Mercedes was parked in my yard.
At the dinner table, there were suddenly three strangers - Gu Xiao, his father, and his mother. The atmosphere was as awkward as it could be.
"How long have you been pregnant? This child didn't even tell us," Gu Xiao's mother spoke up.
She was dressed in a suit and skirt, and her high heels had accidentally stepped into the gutter of my house when she got out of the car. She struggled for a long time to pull them out.
"12 weeks," Gu Xiao said.
I was a bit surprised, not knowing how he knew.
Later, I realized he was a doctor and he would know how to calculate it.
"12 weeks already, we need to hurry up and get things done. Soon your belly will start to show. What do you think, in-laws?" Gu Xiao's mother asked my mother for her opinion.
"Yes," my mother replied eagerly.
Gu Xiao didn't say anything, but when I reached for the chili peppers, he gave me a stern look and said, "Don't eat too much spicy food."
"Have some steamed egg, it's nutritious," Gu Xiao's mother said, scooping up a spoonful of steamed egg for me.
However, as I stared at the yellow steamed egg, my stomach churned, and I quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom to vomit.
After vomiting, I felt completely drained.
"Are you feeling this bad?" My mother looked at me with concern.
"Strong reactions mean the baby is healthy," Gu Xiao's mother said with a smile, seemingly satisfied with my reaction.
"So, how about you two finding a time to get married first? Of course, we'll have a wedding too. Gu Xiao is our only child, so when Jia Jia comes over, it'll be like having another child in the family. We'll definitely..."
Before Gu Xiao's mother could finish her sentence, my dad suddenly came back, followed by my younger sister.
"Dr. Gu..." My dad first recognized Gu Xiao's father.
That single greeting made me break out in a cold sweat.
Yes, Gu Xiao's father was a renowned neurologist and the attending doctor for my younger sister.
Before my dad came back, my mom hadn't mentioned it, and I thought she had forgotten.
But as soon as my dad came back, he recognized him immediately.
Gu Xiao's father was also taken aback.
Probably because he had seen so many patients, he had forgotten about my sister until my dad mentioned it.
"Do you know each other?" Gu Xiao's mother asked.
Gu Xiao's father pursed his lips and didn't speak.
He looked at my sister, then at my dad, and finally at me, before finally withdrawing his gaze.
"Just a patient," he sighed, as if he wanted to say more but didn't.
Gu Xiao stared at me with a puzzled expression.
Gu Xiao's mother also fell silent.
"Sister," Chen Yu said with her pronunciation not quite accurate. She smiled and ran up to me, spreading out her hand as if she wanted to give me something precious.
When I saw the water leech in the palm of her hand, I felt a chill down my spine.
"Be good and don't play with this," I said, trying to keep my emotions under control and praying that she would understand me this time.
"Sister," she couldn't read the expression on my face and continued to hold out the water leech to me.
"Just be a little bit obedient..." I begged her.
"Water leeches suck human blood! Take it away from her quickly!" Gu Xiao's mother stood up to help, but my sister, startled, screamed and hid under the table, looking at the strangers in fear.
My sister's behavior abruptly exposed our deepest shame.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," my mother apologized awkwardly, standing frozen in place. "My youngest daughter... there's something wrong with her mind."
"But she's just shy, she'll be fine in a moment," my mother said as she crawled under the table, struggling with all her might to coax my sister out.
When that didn't work, my dad had to join in, and together they managed to pull Chen Yu out and carry her to her room.
The whole process was both comical and heartbreaking.
Seeing the overly expressive look on Mrs. Gu's face, my heart sank.
I had imagined that if his parents knew my sister was epileptic, we could sit down together and discuss it openly.
If they didn't accept it, I wouldn't blame them.
After all, it's a realistic issue.
But I underestimated my sister's ability to make a scene that was enough to scare anyone.
After my mother locked my sister in her room, they all sat back down.
For a moment, everyone sat silently, no one speaking.
"How is the child? Has she had many seizures recently?" Mr. Gu couldn't help but speak up first, "I'll go check on her."
"Okay," my dad stood up somewhat embarrassed, "Thank you, Doctor Gu."
My dad's use of the title "Doctor Gu" stung me.
Even though the two families were discussing their marriage, he still called him "Doctor Gu".
My dad and Mr. Gu went to check on my sister in her room, and I sat there silently.
"About the marriage, we have no objections, whatever is fine," my mother spoke up, her head drooping.
"My youngest daughter has epilepsy, it's congenital, we've been treating it for years but it's incurable."
"But don't worry, as long as her dad and I are alive, we won't be a burden to you."
Mrs. Gu's face changed expressions repeatedly before she finally spoke.
"Ms. Chen, you said you're only 12 weeks pregnant, right?"
"Yes."
"You look quite thin, and I heard from Gu Xiao that your previous medical exams weren't too good. Giving birth is a big matter, and at 12 weeks, it's still uncertain whether the pregnancy is stable."
Her tone changed so abruptly that my expression darkened.
"The wedding isn't urgent, with the pandemic, everything should be simplified. We can get the marriage certificate later when the pandemic is over, there's no rush..."
Of course, I understood what she meant, and I lowered my head, not saying a word.
Actually, Mrs. Gu had spared us enough face.
Other mothers would have said something like, "Your family has a fool, who would dare to marry you! Whoever marries you will be burdened with this idiot for the rest of their lives."
"Alright, Mom, stop saying that," Gu Xiao finally interrupted his mother.
Her face stiffened, and she fell silent.
9
Chen Jia, can I have a look at your room?" Gu Xiao suddenly asked.
I felt a sense of relief wash over me. The earlier situation had been truly suffocating.
My home was a rural self-built house with two floors. I led him upstairs.
He followed silently behind me, not uttering a word.
The more silent he was, the more uncertain I felt.
Once we were in my room, he played with my childhood toys, exuding a low-key atmosphere. "Is there something you want to say to me?" he asked.
"Say what?" I asked nervously, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Anything, just say what you want," he said, his emotions unreadable.
I couldn't fathom his intentions, and the feeling of waiting to be judged was unpleasant.
"You saw everything, what else do you want me to say?" I mumbled under my breath.
He suddenly turned to face me, looking down at me with a serious expression. "I want to hear it from you."
He paused for a moment. "Tell me why you knew my father all those years ago and pretended not to. Tell me why you chose me. Tell me why you chose to have this child."
His words left me stunned, unable to utter a single word.
My mind flashed back to six years ago when I broke up with him.
At that time, my sister had another episode at home. My dad spent several days in the hospital trying to get an appointment with an expert. My mom and I struggled to get her to the hospital.
"Her condition is quite severe, and it's difficult to cure completely. We can only control it with medication," the expert said.
"But based on what you've said about the frequency of her episodes, you, as her parents, need to keep a close eye on her at all times," he added, noting my horrified expression beside my sister.
"Are you her sister?" he asked.
I didn't respond.
"Yes," he said, not saying anything more.
Later, when I went to pay the fees and brought the receipt to the department, I encountered his assistant doctor talking to him.
"Oh, her sister is also going through a tough time. After her parents are gone, it'll be up to her to take care of her sister. No one will dare to marry into such a situation," the assistant said.
"Don't discuss others' affairs," the expert sighed, cutting him off.
That expert was none other than Gu Xiao's father, Gu Mingsheng.
I had heard Gu Xiao mention before that his father worked in the neurology department of this hospital, and the name matched.
On my way home that day, I thought long and hard before sending a message to Gu Xiao.
"Let's break up."
"What are you fussing about now?" he replied.
"I'm not fussing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
He didn't reply, effectively agreeing to it.
We both had the tacit understanding of never contacting each other again.
Being young and insecure, with a tinge of pride, I had proposed the breakup.
Little did I know that six years later, fate would arrange for us to go through this mess again.
When Gu Xiao confronted me, I didn't respond, just playing with my phone.
Perhaps tired of waiting for my answer, he turned away in disappointment and left the room.
As the sound of the car starting downstairs echoed, my phone screen went blank.
There was water on the screen, making it unresponsive. In a fit of anger, I threw the phone aside.
10
The wedding was a dismal failure, and the atmosphere at home reached its iciest point.
"They had something to attend to and went back early," my dad came to my room to relay the message.
He was trying to comfort me.
I knew.
Anyone with eyes could see what had happened.
"Xiao Gu wants to go get the marriage certificate tomorrow," my dad added.
"Oh," I said, feeling a bit surprised. I had expected him to leave directly and not even consider marrying me.
"As for the wedding... his mother doesn't want one," my dad continued.
"Alright."
"His mother has bought an apartment near Xiao Gu's hospital. You can live there after getting married, but it's a bit far from your workplace, isn't it?" my dad asked.
"Yeah, a bit," I replied. My workplace was in the north of the city, while the hospital was in the south. It would take nearly two hours by subway and bus.
He walked over and sat beside me.
"Have you made up your mind?" my dad looked at me.
"About what?"
My dad sighed and hesitated to speak. "You're grown up now, and we can't control you anymore."
"Don't you want me to get married? You and Mom always wanted me to get married, didn't you?" I asked him, trying to sound casual.
"We wanted you to get married because we wanted someone to take care of you," my dad said, sounding a bit angry.
I had nothing to say in response and muttered, "I don't need anyone to take care of me."
My dad didn't say anything else and sighed as he went downstairs.
When he saw me off at the bus station, he stuffed a package into my hands.
"We have money at home. You should keep what you earn for yourself. Buy whatever you want to eat or need. Don't send money home," he said.
"My life is set this way, but yours is still long ahead."
After saying that, he turned and walked away without giving me any chance to speak.
Sitting on the bus, I opened the package and found a bag of fresh peanuts and a plastic bag filled with money.
Holding the money in my hand, I felt an indescribable heaviness in my heart.
The next day, at nine o'clock sharp, I arrived at the civil affairs bureau. Gu Xiao was already there.
Getting the marriage certificate took less than ten minutes. Afterward, he said he was very busy and had to go to work in the afternoon.
"I only took the morning off," he said, handing me the keys. "I haven't even lived in that apartment yet. I usually stay in the dormitory."
"Take a look at the apartment first and make a list of what you need to buy. Send it to me," he continued.
"The emergency room is very busy. You don't have to wait for me. I might not even come back once a week."
Listening to him, I felt like we were just going through the motions of a transaction, devoid of any human touch.
I understood his implications clearly.
Getting married was forced upon him, and he didn't want to see me.
"Funny, I only took two hours off too. Could you please stop at the next intersection?" I smiled and pointed to the upcoming crossroads.
He obviously didn't expect this from me, and his expression darkened.
"I'm not going to work until the afternoon. If you leave now, where am I supposed to go?" he asked.
Why should I care where you go?
Didn't he say he didn't want to see me?
Just now, when we were saying our wedding vows, it felt even more awkward than if he were being interrogated. Did he think I wanted to see him?
"There's a park up ahead. A lot of old men play chess there. If you really don't have anywhere to go, you can go there to relax," I said, smiling at him before opening the car door and walking away without looking back.
Once I was out of sight of his car, I took a bus.
On the bus, I received a text message from him. It consisted of only three words.
"You're really something."
I didn't bother to reply.
To be honest, his workplace was too far from my office, and I regretted it a little.
If I had known, I would have asked him to drop me off at my company.
Ever since I got pregnant, the mingled scents of many people on the bus made me feel nauseous and want to vomit.
Why was I getting angry at the bus? Now I was suffering...
11
After a long day of work, I took the subway for two hours to get to his house.
The neighborhood was upscale, and the house was spacious. It was a duplex with a rooftop terrace.
The decoration was quite simple, as he had mentioned. No one had been living here, and the rooftop garden was just soil with no plants or even weeds.
There were five rooms in total, much larger than my one-bedroom apartment.
I sent him a text message asking, "Which room should I stay in?"
He didn't reply.
So be it.
I chose a small bedroom on the second floor.
Since no one had been living here for a long time, I had to clean up for an hour, and I was exhausted to the point of not being able to straighten my back.
I didn't want to cook, so I ordered takeout and ate it hurriedly.
I waited for him that night, but he didn't come back until 12 o'clock. I didn't ask, and I just went to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up, got dressed, and left in a hurry.
When I was changing my shoes at the door, I noticed that the men's slippers hadn't been moved at all.
A slight emotion welled up in me.
Then the second day, the third day...
For a whole week, those shoes didn't move.
When I came back at night, I changed my shoes and sat at the door, lost in thought.
Finally, I bent down and put the men's slippers away in the shoe cabinet.
Why wait for someone who doesn't want to come back?
Because of the long subway rides, I didn't have the energy to buy and cook my own food. I ate takeout for several days, and the little one inside me started to get upset.
Just the sight of takeout made me want to vomit.
So I bought some frozen dumplings from downstairs and cooked them myself.
When my mom called me on video, I was boiling the dumplings.
"Is that all you're eating?" My mom was worried.
"It's quite delicious," I said.
Simple and convenient, frozen dumplings were really the first choice for office workers for dinner.
"Delicious? You're not alone now. How can this provide enough nutrition for the baby?"
"He's only 14 weeks old, just a little fish. What nutrition does he need?" I said impatiently.
"Where's Gu Xiao? Hasn't he come back yet?" My mom asked.
The atmosphere suddenly became silent, and I casually said, "He's busy."
Truthfully, I was a little sad at the beginning when he didn't come back.
But after getting used to it, I found it easier and more comfortable to be alone.
"He doesn't even come back. What kind of marriage did you get into?" My mom sighed on the other side of the video.
"Doctors are like that," I explained. "I'm fine by myself. Don't worry about me."
"How are Dad and Chen Yu?" I changed the subject.
I always mentioned my sister's name in front of my mom.
Yes, I didn't agree with her having a second child initially, so I refused to call her my sister. Later, I got used to calling her Chen Yu and didn't feel like changing it anymore.
"Your dad..." My mom shook her head. "He hasn't been able to sleep well these days because of your marriage."
My mom started crying as she spoke.
My heart suddenly sank.
"Why are you saying these things to the child!" My dad scolded my mom on the side.
"I'm just worried. Both of my children... why are their lives so difficult?" My mom cried on the other side of the video while being scolded by my dad.
Listening to the noise on the other side of the video, I didn't say anything and just kept quiet.
After an indeterminate amount of time, my father took the phone.
"Jiajia," he called my name.
"Does Gu Xiao's mother not come to visit you there?" my father asked me in a soft voice.
"They have their own home. Why would they come here?" I replied.
"I see..." My father pondered for a moment. "Can you handle it alone?"
"Why not? You forget that I'm a top-notch chef when it comes to cooking," I said with a smile. "It's just that I've been feeling a bit under the weather recently and can't eat much, so I've been eating frozen dumplings. But once I feel better, I'll cook up some delicious meals for myself."
"Don't worry about us," I assured them.
"Alright," my father said, but his face still showed concern.
"This house is quite big, and it feels empty with just me living here. You can come to the city for a visit when you have time," I suggested.
"That's not appropriate," my father discouraged me. "Just take care of yourself and let us know if you need anything."
"Alright," I replied.
Later, we chatted about my work.
Although he didn't quite understand it, he listened intently.
After each of my explanations, he couldn't help but offer me some advice.
"Jiajia, suffering is a blessing. Take your time, and I believe you can achieve your goals. I trust you," my father said.
"Girls should also strive and work hard. The result is not important; it's always worth a try. You used to say you weren't suited for the marketing department, but I think you're doing a great job," he added.
Every time I saw him analyzing things so seriously, I found it amusing.
He was just a construction worker who dealt with cement and sand every day and didn't really understand my work.
But he thought deeply and sincerely wanted to help me.
So, I pretended to listen to his analysis seriously.
12
On Wednesday, I went to the hospital for my NT scan for the baby. Doctor Liu was as warm and welcoming as ever.
"Why are you always here alone for your appointments? Where's your husband?" she asked, watching me pay the fees, queue up, and run up and down.
"He's busy," I replied with a smile, trying to hide the awkwardness.
"Busy enough to miss all your prenatal appointments?" Doctor Liu held up the NT report and examined it carefully.
I fell silent. The truth was, Gu Xiao wasn't completely absent. He was always at the hospital, just not with me for my appointments. He didn't even want to see me, let alone accompany me for my prenatal checkups. If he could choose, he would probably prefer not to have run into me at the classmate reunion.
"The baby is fine," Doctor Liu said, pointing to the report. "It looks a bit chubby and cute."
I looked at the tiny human shape on the ultrasound image and felt a strange sensation in my heart. Life was truly amazing, so small and yet so perfect. Even though it was just a tiny bundle, I could already see the outlines of its arms and legs. Its round head took up two-thirds of its entire body.
"You can come back for the Down's syndrome screening next week. Don't forget," Doctor Liu reminded me.
"Thank you, Doctor Liu," I said sincerely.
"You're welcome. Doctor Shun is very concerned about you. He always asks me about you when we meet," she said with a smile. "He remembers more about you than you do yourself."
"Hi..." I hesitated.
"It's obvious that you were once very good friends," she continued. "Dr. Gu is usually very reserved, but I've never seen him so concerned about anyone else. Even when his sister gave birth in our hospital, he didn't seem as worried. He only learned about it the next day."
"Oh," I said, lost in thought. "I'll thank him when I see him."
"Sure!" Doctor Liu took my arm and led me out. "Why not now? I'm just getting off work. Let's go find him together."
"Ah, no need. I can do it another day..." I didn't want to see him. It would be too awkward.
"Come on, I'm actually just using this as an excuse to talk to him," Doctor Liu said with a blush. "There's a team-building event tonight at the hospital. I'm going to see if he's going. If he's not, then I'm not going too."
Team-building? It seemed that their lives weren't as busy as I had imagined. He wasn't busy; he just didn't want to see me. I was curious to see what made the hospital so comfortable that he preferred to stay in his department rather than come home.
So, I followed Doctor Liu to Gu Xiao's department. It was noon, and most of the nurses had gone to lunch. A few doctors were sitting in the office, eating their boxed lunches and chatting. Despite their white coats, I immediately spotted him among them.
He was sitting on the sofa, apparently finished with his meal. However, there was still quite a bit left in his lunch box, indicating that the hospital food wasn't very appetizing. His phone was lying next to him as he leaned back, eyes closed, seemingly resting.
After a week's absence, a few stubble had appeared on his chin. It was only when he was closed-eyed that I dared to look at him so freely.
Results hadn't even been in my sight for two seconds, and suddenly he opened his eyes, startling me. I couldn't dodge in time and felt incredibly embarrassed.
"Why aren't you guys going to the canteen and just eating takeout?" Liu Qian walked over to greet them.
"We're tired of the canteen food."
"We're tired of takeout too."
"Life is hopeless," they complained, their enthusiasm for anything waning.
"Takeout can't compare to the nutrition in the canteen," Liu Qian joked with them, smiling. "If you're tired of it, find a girlfriend to cook for you."
"Can we find a girlfriend with this job?"
"We spend 20 out of 24 hours in the hospital. Even if we found someone, it would be a waste."
They spoke with indignation.
I stood outside the door listening to their conversation, while Gu Xiao stared at me the entire time. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, I decided to move to the side and avoid looking at him.
"Gu Xiao, are you going to the team-building event tonight?" Liu Qian asked him.
I was also curious and peeked up at him. He was looking back at me.
Why is he staring at me? Does my face have the answer written on it?
"Keep looking," he said, his voice sounding dry and exhausted.
Has he been up all night again?
"Oh," Liu Qian said, sounding disappointed. Then she remembered something and beckoned me to come in. "Jiajia, come in and say hello."
With a forced smile, I walked in.
"Who is this?"
"Liu, is this your sister? She's so pretty!"
"Introduce her to us!"
The male doctors instantly put down their takeout boxes and turned their attention to me.
I felt uneasy.
"Hello, I'm Chen Jia," I introduced myself as best I could.
"Hello, I'm Chen Jianwei," one of the doctors stood up and reached out to shake my hand.
I glanced at Gu Xiao and saw his face darken.
"Get away," Liu Qian pushed away the doctor's hand. "This is Gu's college classmate."
"Gu Xiao, when did you have such a pretty classmate and not introduce us?"
"Miss, I'm..." Another doctor stood up to introduce himself to me.
The crowd around us started to cheer.
Gu Xiao, who had been silent beside me, suddenly stood up and squeezed through the gap between me and the doctor. Then he stopped and said, "She's pregnant, so don't even think about it."
Me: !
Being pregnant isn't embarrassing, but the way he blurted it out made it really awkward. I saw several doctors withdraw their hands, embarrassed to the point of digging their toes into the ground.
"No, we didn't notice," one said.
"With such a slender figure, we really didn't see it," another added.
"Don't mind it, miss," a third comforted.
"Yeah, she's been pregnant for over three months," Liu Qian said with a smile.
Then she turned to me and whispered, "These old men are like this. Stuck in the hospital all day, they see a pretty girl and it's like they've discovered a new continent."
"Oh," I replied.
"What do you want to talk about? Come out here," Gu Xiao said, standing at the door with a haughty expression.
Me: ? I wasn't even looking for him.
"I wasn't looking for you, just passing by," I smiled back.
His face darkened.
But I didn't care.
After that, I bid farewell to Doctor Liu.
"I'll be going now," I said.
"Take your time eating, you've worked hard," I waved to the doctors and turned to leave.
Gu Xiao didn't say anything else and threw his takeout box into the trashcan outside.
As I walked into the elevator, he followed me in.
Without looking at me or saying a word, he just stood there. Fine, if he didn't want to talk, I would keep silent too. After a few seconds, he lowered his eyes and glanced at me. "What kind of examination are you getting today?" he asked.
Oh, finally he remembered there's a baby involved. I sneered inwardly.
"NT," I replied briefly.
"Is everything okay?" he asked again.
"Yes."
The atmosphere once again fell into an awkward silence. I remembered how he used to be when we were dating, sparing his words like gold, speaking so little it was almost maddening. Every time to avoid an awkward silence, I would rack my brain for topics to talk about.
Now it's different. I don't want to force myself anymore. If it's going to be awkward, so be it. After enduring so much in society, no one expects anyone to love them. I'm already struggling to live my life, I don't need to add more torture to myself.
As it was, he followed me all the way to the bus stop, still silent.
"Didn't you say riding the bus was uncomfortable?" he asked, frowning as he looked at the crowded bus.
"I think working is also uncomfortable, but I still have to do it," I said calmly, then turned and squeezed onto the bus.
He really is a spoiled prince who knows nothing about the struggles of ordinary people.
Do I not drive a BMW because I don't like four-wheeled vehicles? My monthly salary is 4,500, with subsidies bringing it to less than 7,000. My rent for a one-bedroom apartment is 1,500, and my daily expenses add up to around 2,000. That leaves me with 3,500, and I still have to send 2,000 to my mother every month. With monthly prenatal check-ups, it's really difficult to save even a few hundred dollars.
He asked me why I took the bus. Because I'm poor. Since we broke up, I haven't had the courage to ask him for money.
Just then, I received a WeChat message. It was a transfer of 3,000 yuan. I hesitated for a few seconds but eventually accepted it. I felt like accepting his money made me seem spineless, but life has taught me that one has to survive first before talking about pride.
He kept his promise and finally remembered to send me 3,000 every month. I obediently sent a message, "Thank you."
He didn't reply.