An Can understood that the term “Miss An” created distance between them. She took a large gulp, not being a tea connoisseur and not wanting to pretend: “Auntie, I don’t understand tea. All tea tastes the same to me.”
Lin Xianghua smiled faintly: “You respect me as an elder, calling me Auntie.” She slowly sipped her tea: “You’re right. To those who understand it, this tea is a treasure; to those who don’t, it’s just grass.”
An Can was not used to beating around the bush but understood Lin Xianghua’s meaning, and spoke directly: “Madam Jun, I may be slow, but I know you didn’t invite me here just to taste tea.”
“Hehe…” Lin Xianghua chuckled: “Actually, you’re quite clever.” She pulled out a folder from her bag: “Look at this, and you’ll understand why I’m here.” She stared at An Can, not missing any subtle expression.
An Can took the folder, her expression changing from surprise to anger: “Is this how you rich people trample on others’ privacy?”
Lin Xianghua remained calm: “I first want to apologize for this matter, but I did not mean any harm.”
An Can couldn’t hide her anger. Her parents’ death was already a pain in her heart, and now the past was being brought up again: “Then tell me, what is this about?”
“Our Jun family has been single-line descendants for generations. We don’t mind if the daughter-in-law’s status is low, but we must ensure the absolute health of the Jun family bloodline,” Lin Xianghua said matter-of-factly. “Your mother was a CR virus carrier. Currently, the cure rate is only twenty percent, and most importantly, this virus can be inherited. We don’t want to take that risk. Do you understand?”
“Madam Jun, don’t say anymore. I know what to do. But I also want to tell you that having money and status doesn’t make you noble,” An Can unconsciously touched her slightly protruding belly. Becoming pregnant was something she never expected, and she had been struggling, while Lin Xianghua was simply making the final decision for her.
“What about Jun Hao?” Lin Xianghua was still somewhat worried. She didn’t want to harm an innocent child, but for the Jun family, she had no choice.
“I will tell him the truth,” An Can challenged her with her gaze.
“Do you think he’ll believe you? Will he want this child? Everyone knows he’s currently on vacation in Europe with Leng Xiang,” Lin Xianghua, usually well-mannered, was now angry: “If he truly cared for you, would he abandon you and your child to be with another woman?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do as you want,” An Can laughed without hostility: “This child is mine. Whether to keep or discard is my decision alone.” Her laugh was mixed with tears, realizing she had overestimated her own importance.
“Take this,” Lin Xianghua pulled out a small bottle: “It causes less harm to the human body.”
An Can stood and took the bottle: “It seems you’re certain I’ll do as you say.”
Lin Xianghua, not entirely heartless, added: “If you need help in the future, you can always find me.”
“No need. Before meeting him, I lived a colorful life for over twenty years. I believe I can still live well without him,” An Can spoke easily, only she knew how heavy each step would be.
She didn’t dare tell him the truth about that night from years ago, afraid that if she did, she would never have another chance to stay by his side. Because of that incident, he said he could give her the best life, give her everything she wanted, except love. He didn’t know that what she wanted most was not anything else, but the love he couldn’t give. The best life she wanted was a life with him in it.
He didn’t know this. In his heart, she was the kind of woman who would say after sleeping with a man: “This is a physical need, we each get what we want, and no one owes anyone anything.” Then she could easily pat her bottom and leave. He was wrong, and terribly so. She was like him – either not loving at all, or once in love, difficult to change her mind, loving wholeheartedly, with no room for anyone else.
B City An Ke sat in the temporary rented small house, holding the bottle of medicine Lin Xianghua gave her. Recalling Lin Xianghua’s last words before she left: “Having Jun’s child will bring endless wealth and glory. I know most women wouldn’t bear to abort this child for the sake of money.” Lin Xianghua was gambling on how much Jun Hao meant to her, betting whether she would destroy her own child with her own hands for her pitiful self-esteem.
“An Ke, how about giving me a child?” “Would you consider it? There are many benefits to giving me a child.” Jun Hao’s words floated in her mind. Whether true or false, at least when he spoke, she felt he was serious.
An Ke threw the medicine bottle into the trash can nearby, lifted her head and sniffled: “This child is mine. Her life is given by me. No one has the right to not want her.” Having made her final decision made her mood much better. Pei Xuanyan was right – life goes on. She, An Ke, would be fine without Jun Hao. She told herself she would definitely forget him in three months, definitely become indifferent to this unwarranted heart flutter.
The doorbell rang at this moment…
I want the best ward, the best care, I must not let anything happen to her.” Pei Xuanyan loosened the doctor’s collar and ran his hand through his short hair. When he heard An Ke say on the phone: “She is the child of me and Jun Hao, I don’t want anything to happen to her,” he was stunned. His first reaction was: How could she have Jun Hao’s child?
“Now we’re transferring the patient to the intensive care unit. You can go see her, but don’t stay too long. There’s just one thing we don’t understand: you gave the pregnant woman abortion medication, but why did you also give her sleeping pills? If the patient doesn’t wake up in time, she’ll be a corpse by tomorrow.” The doctor shook his head and walked away, ignoring the dazed Pei Xuanyan.
After a long time, Pei Xuanyan dragged his heavy steps into the ward. An Ke on the bed had a pale face, with tear stains at the corners of her eyes. When he found her at the address she mentioned, she was already unconscious, with blood staining the sheets. Occasionally he could hear her say, “Be sure to save my child.” He was grateful that when she was in danger, he was the first person she thought of.
His cold fingers gently caressed her bloodless cheek: “An Ke, do you know? From the first time you called me ‘Brother Xuan’, I had inappropriate feelings for you, and at that time I only saw you as Xuan Ling’s shadow. You don’t know that Xuan Ling used to call me like this, saying she didn’t want to call me brother, and couldn’t call me Xuan, so she called me ‘Brother Xuan’.” He paused and continued: “At first, I told you not to love Jun Hao and stay away from him. At that time, I just didn’t want him to be hurt again, after all, I was wrong to him in the past. The last time with Xuan Zhi, the reason I so decisively cut off our previous relationship was also partly because of you.”
He picked up her hand and gently kissed it near his lips: “Only by cutting off relations with him could I have a chance to pursue you, to dare to love you. For years, I’ve been trapped in the past, unable to free myself. You made me face life again. It was the story you told me that made me understand that people can’t just live in the past, and moving forward will discover something better, and you are the one I discovered that I’m unwilling to let go.”
At this moment, An Ke moved slightly, slowly opening her eyes, speaking with some difficulty: “Brother Xuan, you’re here. Is my child okay?”
“An Ke.” He put her hand under the covers and gently brushed her hair: “Brother Xuan will always be by your side.”
An Ke weakly touched her abdomen: “As long as the child is fine.”
Pei Xuanyan found it hard to speak: “An Ke, I’m sorry, I came too late. The child couldn’t be saved.”
