Lin Mei brushed Xing Zheng's hand away, shifted to the side, creating distance between them, and began eating breakfast. After filling her stomach, the urge to retch was indeed not as strong as before.
Recently, Lin Mei had a poor appetite, and she was struggling to distinguish whether she was feeling nauseous from hunger or experiencing what was rumored to be morning sickness.
Half an hour after breakfast, Lin Mei and Xing Zheng went back to retrieve the reports.
On the way, Xing Zheng asked Lin Mei, "What are your plans?"
Lin Mei knew he was asking about the pregnancy. "I haven't seen the results yet."
Xing Zheng, however, was persistent, insisting on getting a clear answer. "If you are pregnant, what are your plans?"
"Deal with it as soon as possible," Lin Mei stated decisively.
Xing Zheng retorted sarcastically, "Would you deal with it the same way if it were Chen Qi's?"
"You're being ridiculous." Lin Mei couldn't understand what Chen Qi had to do with this. Xing Zheng was clearly looking for trouble and making things difficult for her, and she wasn't going to play along.
They arrived at the report machine, where Lin Mei swiped her ID to retrieve the report. Xing Zheng then took Lin Mei to the attending physician's office for a consultation.
When the doctor uttered the words "You are not pregnant," Lin Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief. The psychological burden she had carried for several days was completely lifted, and she no longer had to live in constant anxiety.
Xing Zheng noticed Lin Mei's relieved expression, and a faint, unreadable light flashed in his eyes. He then asked the doctor, "Is her constant nausea a gastrointestinal issue?"
The doctor replied, "It's highly possible. You can get a check-up at the gastroenterology department."
"No need. I have the medication prescribed earlier. Thank you, Doctor." Lin Mei declined. As long as it wasn't a pregnancy, other issues were not a problem.
The examination finished around ten o'clock. After leaving the doctor's office, Lin Mei intended to part ways with Xing Zheng, but as their paths to the parking lot were the same, they still had to wait for the elevator together.
However, Lin Mei deliberately maintained her distance from Xing Zheng. After learning she wasn't pregnant, Xing Zheng had become noticeably colder. Lin Mei was happy about this; without this worry, they should be able to cut ties completely.
The elevator arrived, and Lin Mei stepped in, with Xing Zheng following closely. Although the hospital elevators were spacious, the crowd made it feel cramped. Lin Mei didn't expect to run into an acquaintance in the elevator.
"Lin Mei! Is that really you?" The person speaking to Lin Mei was Zhang Yue, a classmate from their master's program.
Lin Mei turned at the sound of her name and, upon seeing Zhang Yue, greeted her, "Are you here for a check-up too?"
Zhang Yue replied, "My stomach's been bothering me, it's from working overtime. What about you?"
Lin Mei held her examination report. Zhang Yue glanced at the ultrasound image and, with a smile, asked, "Any good news with Chen Qi?"
Before Lin Mei could explain, the elevator stopped. Zhang Yue was going to the first floor to pick up her medication and left in a hurry.
After leaving the hospital, Lin Mei parted ways with Xing Zheng and returned to work. Upon arriving at her office, Lin Mei informed her best friends, Lan Lan and Feng Feng, of her test results in their group chat, reassuring them.
The next day, Lin Mei had to visit another food company for business. The company was located outside the fifth ring road in the suburbs of Nanjiang City, and it took over an hour to drive there.
Lin Mei stayed at the food company until past three in the afternoon. After completing her work, she began her journey back.
There were few people in the suburbs, and Lin Mei drove at a faster pace. When she reached an intersection, she suddenly saw a middle-aged woman collapse in pain.
Lin Mei slammed on the brakes, pulling her car over to the side of the road, and got out to help. As she approached, she realized the woman had an extremely beautiful face. Although her clothes were dirty, they were clearly expensive.
"Madam, are you feeling unwell?" Lin Mei crouched down to help her up. Seeing that the woman's eyes were open, Lin Mei inquired, "Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"
Lin Mei initially thought she might be someone who had wandered out from a nearby sanatorium, but her attire didn't seem to fit; people from sanatoriums usually wore uniforms.
"No, thank you," the woman replied. Her voice was gentle, not at all in line with her earlier distressed behavior. She asked Lin Mei, "Are you heading back to the city?"
"Yes, are you too?" Lin Mei said enthusiastically. "If you don't mind, I can give you a ride."
"Then thank you," the woman said, expressing her gratitude. She then introduced herself, "My name is Xie Qinjia. What's yours?"
"Lin Mei, like the Mekong River," Lin Mei noted the woman's name and then introduced herself.
Lin Mei helped Xie Qinjia into the car. Seeing that she was sweating, Lin Mei offered her tissues and a bottle of mineral water. Xie Qinjia thanked her, drank the water, and then said, "This is the first time I've met someone as kind as you."
Lin Mei felt that Xie Qinjia's compliment was a bit excessive. She explained, "It's just how I was raised. My parents taught me this."
Xie Qinjia asked, "May I ask presumptuously, what do your parents do?"
Lin Mei replied, "My parents are both middle school teachers and are now retired."
"That explains it," Xie Qinjia suddenly became melancholic. She lowered her eyes, looking at the water bottle in her hand, and after a moment, sighed, "You would have been a perfect match for my son. If he were still alive, I would have introduced you."
When Xie Qinjia said, "You would have been a perfect match for my son," Lin Mei almost thought she had met a matchmaker. Just as she was about to refuse, she heard the latter half of the sentence and immediately understood the source of Xie Qinjia's sadness.
"Your son..."
"He passed away the year he graduated from university. If he were alive, he would be twenty-nine this year..." Xie Qinjia raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
The pain of a parent outliving their child was already cruel. Lin Mei was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to witness such scenes, and she too felt a pang of sadness.
Along the way, Xie Qinjia kept telling Lin Mei stories about her son's life. In Xie Qinjia's words, her son was a gentleman of great demeanor and kindness.
Xie Qinjia was also a person of high literary cultivation. Listening to her descriptions, Lin Mei had already formed an image of her son in her mind: nearly six feet three inches tall, gentle as jade, handsome, and possessing an air of scholarly refinement.
Lin Mei thought that if he were still alive, they might have become very good friends.
After talking about her son for a while, Xie Qinjia began to ask about Lin Mei's life. Upon learning that Lin Mei was from Xiangjiang, Xie Qinjia became excited. "You're from Xiangjiang? Which district of Xiangjiang?"
"I used to live in Lukou. After high school, we moved to Jiaxing due to demolition," Lin Mei explained. Seeing Xie Qinjia's excitement, she asked, "Are you also from Xiangjiang?"
"Yes, I moved to Nanjiang after I got married. My husband is from Nanjiang," Xie Qinjia said. "My parents are both in Xiangjiang, and they used to live in Lukou. Perhaps they knew your parents."
Lin Mei smiled, "It seems we truly are destined."
Lin Mei and Xie Qinjia felt an instant connection. After Lin Mei drove her back to her mansion, Xie Qinjia warmly invited Lin Mei to stay for dinner. The invitation was too heartfelt to refuse, so Lin Mei followed Xie Qinjia into the opulent residence.
As they entered, a servant came forward to take their shoes and simultaneously reported to Xie Qinjia with trepidation, "Madam, the second young master returned this afternoon."
The smile on Xie Qinjia's face vanished instantly, and her voice turned sharp. "What did he come back for?!"