When Xing Zheng spoke, both Xie Qin Jia and Xing Sha showed expressions of astonishment. In the past, no matter how Xie Qin Jia treated Xing Zheng, he would never lose his temper with her, let alone drive her away. Now, he was so furious that if he showed no restraint, he might directly tell her to "get out!"
Even Lin Mei was surprised. She had never heard him speak to Xie Qin Jia like this, filled with disgust and impatience. The hospital room fell silent. Xing Sha, unable to bear it, spoke up for Xie Qin Jia, "We were also worried about Lin Mei's health, and we thought her parents knew about this matter... we didn't expect it to turn out this way."
"She doesn't need you to worry about her," Xing Zheng's tone was cold and devoid of warmth as he looked at them, not like he was looking at his parents, but like he was staring at enemies. "Don't appear before her again, or don't blame me for disowning my kin."
Xie Qin Jia's hair stood on end, goosebumps rising. She had never seen Xing Zheng so vicious. She had no right to accuse him of disrespecting his parents, for she knew clearly that she and Xing Sha had never truly acted as his parents. "Lin Mei, I'm sorry. Take good care of yourself." With that, she took Xing Sha's hand and they left together.
The hospital room fell silent. Xing Zheng walked to Lin Mei's side, sat down, and held her. Her body was trembling, accompanied by soft sobs, her eyes already red from crying. He felt heartache and self-reproach, not knowing how to comfort her, so he held her tighter. "I'm sorry."
No matter how angry he was or how much he blamed Xie Qin Jia and Xing Sha, it wouldn't change the fact that he was at fault first. If he hadn't forced her back then, that child... she might have softened and kept it.
Lin Mei leaned her head on his shoulder, remaining silent. Xing Zheng wiped her tears and confessed, "Our first child, I indirectly caused his death. I know everything now."
Lin Mei stopped and looked at him with confusion, as if asking: How did you know?
He didn't explain how he knew, but he accurately described her situation at the time, "You were so angry that you bled. You wanted to go to the restroom to check, and that's when you bumped into the cabinet. It wasn't to miscarry the child."
These words hit the memory Lin Mei least wanted to recall. All the nightmares she had experienced resurfaced in her mind. Her body trembled even more violently. Xing Zheng kissed away her tears, "I wasn't good enough. Don't cry."
He told her not to cry, yet his own eyes reddened. Fortunately, the child in her belly was strong enough. If he also met with an accident, how would Lin Mei bear it?
No matter the cost, this child must be born safely. There could be no mistakes.
Lin Mei sobbed and remained silent in Xing Zheng's embrace. Xing Zheng held her and kept coaxing her, but she wouldn't respond. He didn't rush her, continuing to talk to her patiently.
In the early hours of the morning, Xiao Yue woke up and saw the scene of the two embracing. Upon seeing Xiao Yue, Xing Zheng immediately asked, "Teacher Xiao, are you feeling unwell? I'll find the doctor on duty."
"There's no need," Xiao Yue's attitude towards Xing Zheng had become much colder. She didn't even look at him, her gaze fixed solely on Lin Mei.
Seeing her pale face and swollen, red eyes, she couldn't help but feel heartache. She had only this one daughter, and all her maternal love was given to her. Even if she made mistakes, she couldn't bear to see her like this. "Lin Mei, come over here and sleep. Aren't you going to take care of the child in your belly?"
Although her tone was harsh, it couldn't hide her concern. How could Lin Mei not hear it? Her eyes welled up, and tears instantly flowed.
"Be good, listen to Teacher Xiao. Go and get some rest," Xing Zheng also coaxed Lin Mei. He had been talking for a long time, but she refused to rest. "We'll talk about other things in the morning."
Lin Mei "Mm," not wanting to worry Xiao Yue any further, followed her words and went to the bedside. At this moment, she heard Xiao Yue say to Xing Zheng, "You should go back and rest too. We'll handle our family matters ourselves, so we won't trouble you."
These were polite words, but the underlying meaning was all too clear. She was reminding Xing Zheng that from now on, she would not allow any further entanglement between them. How could Xing Zheng not understand? He bowed slightly, "I'll wait outside."
Leaving was out of the question. Given the current situation, no matter how big the matter, he wouldn't leave.
Xing Zheng didn't give Xiao Yue a chance to speak again and turned to leave. Lin Mei watched the hospital room door close, her chest feeling as if something was pulling at it. She knew clearly that the path between her and Xing Zheng was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Lie down and rest quickly. The child in your belly can't withstand this kind of distress," Xiao Yue urged Lin Mei.
Lin Mei "Mm," and lay down on the bed. Xiao Yue went to pour a cup of hot water and sat by the bedside. In the darkness, Lin Mei softly said, "Mom, I'm sorry."
Her parents had doted on her since she was young. Although their family wasn't extremely wealthy, they had provided her with a comfortable life. Her life should have been stable and predictable. However, she had fallen for Xing Zheng, time and again sacrificing her dignity for him, exposing her vulnerabilities for him to hurt.
"You're not sorry to me, but to yourself," Xiao Yue didn't blame her, but her words were more hurtful than any accusation. "When you were very young, your father and I told you that people must learn to love themselves before they can love others. Pursuing love is not wrong, but you must see if the other person is worth doing it for."
"Your father and I agreed to your relationship simply because you liked him. The kidnapping incident originated because of him, but we are reasonable people, and we can't entirely blame him. You were determined to be with him, and you were already pregnant. If we opposed it further, you would have felt bad."
In private, Xiao Yue and Lin Zheng De had discussed their relationship more than once. Lin Mei had suffered so much because of Xing Zheng, and as parents, they didn't want her to be with him. However, they saw the depth of Lin Mei's feelings for him, and Xing Zheng had indeed put in effort for Lin Mei. Thus, they compromised.
Who would have thought that Xing Zheng had done such outrageous things before!
"But that was under the premise that he hadn't intentionally harmed you," Xiao Yue asked, "What exactly happened between you two before?"
Lin Mei was speechless when asked. Xiao Yue didn't press her. "Never mind. You rest first and think about it carefully. We'll talk about it when your father wakes up."
Lin Mei had already anticipated that when Lin Zheng De woke up, he would demand a clear explanation of past events.
Lin Mei slept in a semi-conscious state. Around seven in the morning, Lin Zheng De finally woke up.
As Xiao Yue was about to go to the cafeteria to buy food, Xing Zheng had already brought breakfast. Overnight, stubble had grown on his chin, his hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating he had stayed up all night.
Even so, Lin Zheng De still didn't have a good expression towards him.
Xing Zheng put down the items and brought the soy milk to Lin Mei, feeding her.
Lin Zheng De was furious, but his upbringing prevented him from uttering profanities. "Xing Zheng, you can leave now."