“No, it’s because of other reasons.”
“Alright, I’ll do as you say and keep my lips sealed.”
“Good.”
Mu Wansheng answered with a nod, “Rest assured.”
“Have you been refraining from contacting your boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“Contact him so that he can stop worrying. Put yourself in his shoes. If I were him, I’d be very worried if my girlfriend goes missing or stops contacting me all of a sudden.”
She shook her head and said, “No, I’m afraid that I’ll become too soft-hearted and tell him that I’m here. I’ll go see him once I’m fully recovered.”
“Why don’t you want to let him know that you’re injured and let him come here to take care of you? Isn’t he your boyfriend?”
After a moment of silence, she explained, “His family is not well to do and he had to borrow money from lots of people to pay for the down payment of his house. He thought that life would be more stable once he has a place of his own. Actually, we were also hoping that my family would approve of our relationship after he finally owns a house. However, being able to afford the down payment is barely enough for my family. They still look down on him and despise him all the same. They’ll never see him in a different light even if he can afford to pay the full sum in one go. Besides, my medical bills cost a bomb. I don’t want him to feel burdened.”
Fan Shixin did not expect that that would be her reason. He recalled shortlisting her as a candidate without hesitation, back when he was paging for blind dates.
Seems like I’ve got a decent taste in women. She’s such a kindhearted girl. It’s a shame that we met at the wrong time.
“Oh, I see.” He removed the lid of the food container and said, “You’ve been having porridge for the past few days. I brought you some shrimp dumplings tonight. They should taste great.”
She smiled and said, “Yes. I can finally eat something different.”
——
Zong Jingyi had been collecting new pieces of evidence almost every other day, ever since he met Mrs. Mu and a high-ranking military officer in B City.
An Xiaoning did not put in much effort at all. However, she learned a fact.
Just like she had expected, Zong Jingyi had long devised a seamless plan and merely needed her support.
Her status and identity was enough to help speed up his investigations.
He was entirely confident about solving the matter perfectly. The plans were well prepared and lacked just one crucial element.
The matter dragged on until mid-September.
He finally stopped after collecting sufficient evidence.
“If you ever work at the police station, you’d be an outstanding policeman.”
Zong Jingyi looked down and said, “Unfortunately, I’ll never get the chance to become a policeman or a military officer.”
An Xiaoning said, “I’ve already submitted all of the evidence to the head councilor of the military in B City. They’ve already begun the investigations and the tallying of the evidence. I believe the results will be out soon. You’re much more capable than I had imagined.”
“No, I’m not capable at all. You are. If it weren’t because of you, no one would bother re-investigating my case again, regardless of how well prepared I may be. This is the charm of possessing power and authority.”
“No matter what, it’s crucial to act at the right time and to know your limits. Greed will always ruin everything. Don’t think that possessing power and authority will give you everything. There’s always going to be someone better and stronger than you are. You can never be the best of the best.”
“Boss, that fellow is calling you again!”
An Xiaoning took out her mobile phone to see that it was a call from Gu Beicheng. She immediately answered, “Hello.”
“…”
“Really? Great. I’ll head there immediately.”
“…”
Noticing how elated she seemed, Zong Jingyi immediately asked, “Is there new progress?”
“No, I’ve become an aunt. I have a nephew now.” An Xiaoning stood up agitatedly and said, “This shall be all for today. I’ll be heading to the hospital now.”
“Alright.”
An Xiaoning then drove to the hospital.
Lin Mingxi had given birth to a baby boy who weighed about seven pounds. By the time An Xiaoning arrived at the hospital, Lin Mingxi’s ward was already filled with people.
There were visitors from the extended Gu family as well as Lin Mingxi’s family. They were all there to congratulate the newly-minted parents.
Upon the sight of her, everyone began greeting her one after another. Gazing at Lin Mingxi, who was lying on the bed, An Xiaoning held her hand and said, “Congratulations on becoming a mother. It’s been hard on you.”
Beaming with joy, Lin Mingxi said, “I’ve finally delivered the product. You have no idea how much I’ve suffered in the past few weeks. I could barely sleep at night. It was terrible.”
“What were you expecting? It’s not easy being a mother.”
“Indeed. Xiaoning, Beicheng and I have already thought about it and we’ve decided to let you name the child.”
“Me?” An Xiaoning waved her hands and countered, “I’m terrible at naming babies. You and Beicheng shall name your son.”
“No, you do it. If it weren’t because of your help, our son might have… So, Beicheng and I have already decided to let you be in charge of naming him. Just give him whatever name you’d like.”
“How can you be so casual about it? Since you’ve tasked me with this, I shall rack my brains to come up with a nice name.” A name popped up in her head and she continued, “How does Gu Xiyuan sound?”
Lin Mingxi agreed gleefully, “Sure, we’ll name him just that, then.”
An Xiaoning then proceeded to take a look at the newborn. Staring at his fair and chubby cheeks, she could not help but caress his face. An Xiaoning recalled the time when she gave birth to Jin Yiheng. In the blink of an eye, Yiheng is already seven years old. Oh, how time flies.
Gu Beicheng handed the infant to her and said, “Carry him.”
She carried the infant in her arms and remarked, “He’s so tiny and light. I’m so afraid of dropping him.”
Gu Beicheng smiled and asked, “Xiaoning, do you think he looks like me or Mingxi?”
“His features have yet to develop. However, he seems to resemble you more, especially his eyes. He’ll definitely be better-looking and outshine you in the future. Look how your son has inherited the positive traits of the two of you. He was just born and yet he’s already so handsome.”
“Yes, that’s for sure,” said Gu Beicheng, who was as happy as a lark.
After carrying the infant for a while, An Xiaoning placed him back into his cot. Staring at his little lips, she found him extremely adorable and bent forward to kiss his cheeks. Her heart almost melted.
An Xiaoning left after staying for more than an hour. It was a joyous occasion for her.
There was new hope in Gu Beicheng’s life and he had achieved another milestone.
What a great feeling.
As soon as she reached the elevator, she was suddenly reminded that Mu Wansheng had been admitted to the same hospital as well. After some consideration, she decided to visit her.
Mu Wansheng was alone in her ward. Upon the sight of her, Mu Wansheng sat up straight and greeted with a smile, “Hello, Ms. An.”
