Chapter 69 No Longer Alone?

Humans are a species deeply afraid of loneliness. That’s why we all hope our lives will shine brightly beneath the rising sun, and dazzle under the bath of starlight.

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Xue Zuining steadied herself against the wall, barely managing to walk out of the restroom, and after only a few steps, collided with Secretary Yang, who had come searching for her in the corridor.

“Miss Xue, so this is where you were. Why have you been talking with Mr. He for so long?” Secretary Yang tried to steady her, but Xue Zuining subtly evaded her touch.

A sense of wariness rose in Xue Zuining’s heart, an instinctive distrust of anyone connected with Lu Huaining. “It’s nothing. I was just returning his jacket,” she replied coldly, a sneer flickering deep inside. What she really suspected was that Secretary Yang cared more about whether she’d uncovered some unspeakable secret.

“In that case, since you don’t look well, why don’t I have the driver take you home to rest? You must be tired.” Faced with her cool, distant answers, Secretary Yang maintained a polite smile. “I heard you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, and you don’t look as well as before. I went ahead and scheduled a doctor’s appointment for you tomorrow—”

“There’s no need. I want everyone you’ve sent to stay far away from me,” Xue Zuining’s gaze flashed with icy sharpness, but when she caught the stiff smile on Secretary Yang’s face, it vanished instantly.

“Miss Xue, what’s wrong? Did someone upset you?” Secretary Yang watched her sudden loss of composure with concern.

Realizing she’d almost let her emotions show, Xue Zuining placed a hand lightly on her abdomen. Seeing Secretary Yang reach for her phone, she hurriedly stopped her. “I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor. I just… I’m just not in a good mood.”

“Is it because of… Mr. He?” Secretary Yang immediately thought of He Min, who had clashed with Xue Zuining in the past.

To cover her panic, Xue Zuining nodded and went along with her assumption. “Just now, he…” Her eyes shimmered with grievance. “Secretary Yang, you’re a woman too. You must understand how it feels to be mocked and humiliated.”

Secretary Yang, unsure how to respond, heard her soft request: “I just want to be alone for a while, is that alright?”

“But…” Secretary Yang hesitated. If she pressed too much, it would only arouse suspicion. Since everything had already been settled, perhaps it was time for everyone to relax a little.

Seeing Secretary Yang finally nod in agreement, Xue Zuining managed a faint smile. “Thank you. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to myself.”

“You’re too polite, Miss Xue. I’m only following Mr. Lu’s instructions. If I’ve offended you in any way before, I hope you can forgive me. If you need anything, just contact me.” With that, Secretary Yang took her leave.

Xue Zuining sat in the coffee bar for nearly half an hour, waiting until she was sure no one was tailing her before hailing a taxi. When she gave the driver the address of the hospital and he caught a glimpse of her pale face, his heart skipped a beat. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you there as quickly as I can,” he said, stepping on the gas.

Inside the doctor’s office, a middle-aged female physician, having put on her white coat, picked up a lab report from her desk and glanced at the figure on the small sofa. “Is this your report?”

The sound of the doctor’s voice made Xue Zuining stand up reflexively, nervously clutching the thin strap of her purse, and nodding at the doctor.

“Come and sit here, then.” The doctor gestured to the small chair in front of her desk, her head bent over the report as she spoke. “Forty-two days pregnant. Have you been taking folic acid? Aside from some light bleeding, any other discomfort?”

But Xue Zuining sat as if turned to stone, her eyes staring blankly as a single sentence echoed relentlessly in her mind: Pregnant. She was really pregnant.

Receiving no answer for a long moment, the doctor finally looked up. “Miss, could you please answer my questions first? Then we can discuss what to do next, all right?”

“I’m sorry, I…” Xue Zuining was at a loss for how to face this sudden turn of events, how to confront the tiny life quietly sprouting inside her.

The doctor saw the bewilderment in her eyes, then glanced at the “unmarried” box on her intake form. It was a common enough scenario that she’d long since grown numb to it. Adjusting her glasses, she asked, “Do you want it?”

Want it? The doctor’s calm, measured tone sent shockwaves through Xue Zuining’s heart. Such a simple question, yet it was an agonizing choice.

“In my opinion, whether you want to keep it or not, you should get an ultrasound first to check on the development.” The doctor scribbled a few lines in the chart, closed it, and handed it back. “Shall I have a nurse accompany you?”

Xue Zuining rose slowly, numbly shaking her head.

Watching her leave like a soul lost, the doctor could only sigh and shake her head.

The cold gel was spread over her skin. Xue Zuining stared hollowly at the ceiling, feeling a chill gathering in her eyes.

The whir of the machine filled the room. Unconsciously, her gaze shifted to the screen, to the tiny black speck. Was this the little life budding inside her? It was so small, so fragile.

The doctor enlarged and shrank the image a few times on the monitor, then handed her some tissues. “All done. You can get up now. Wait a few minutes in the lounge; a nurse will call you.”

In the special maternity lounge of the hospital, expectant mothers, their bellies heavy with life, passed by from time to time. Their happiness was made sweeter by the presence of their families, which only made her own solitude more poignant. She pressed her warmed palm gently over the spot where a new life was growing. This was her child—a tiny embryo that shared her blood. Did this mean she would never be alone again?