She didn't open his chat interface, but instantly lost her appetite.
"..."
Qin Yunxi pressed the send button, expecting to see a red exclamation mark, indicating that the friend request needed to be re-verified. He thought she had deleted him, blocked him.
This was standard operating procedure for women.
He was already accustomed to it.
But no, Grace hadn't deleted him, nor had she blocked him.
Subconsciously, without even realizing it himself, Qin Yunxi's lips curved slightly.
He buried his head and typed again: [Cooperate with me and put on a show for my mother before the woman gives birth.]
[Even if you're just going through the motions.]
[I won't make excessive demands.]
[I won't hug you, kiss you, let alone get into your bed.]
[Grace, speak.]
[Or do you want me to appear before you in half an hour?]
Grace looked at the messages sent by the man, some pleading softly, some threatening, some in exasperation.
Her stagnant gaze finally stirred.
"Sigh..."
With a soft sigh, she opened the message and replied: [How should I cooperate?]
If it was just taking a phone call, asking Aunt Zhan about her well-being, and if he didn't bother her or appear in her life, she could reluctantly cooperate.
Upon receiving the message, Qin Yunxi's spirits lifted. [Where are you?]
Grace: "..."?
Is this related to cooperation?
She didn't want to deal with matters unrelated to it.
Qin Yunxi waited a few seconds for a reply, then typed again: [My mother is coming to New York, and we're having dinner tonight.]
[I will leave midway.]
I won't make you feel uncomfortable.
The last sentence, Qin Yunxi added silently in his heart.
Grace said while eating: [I've returned to the research institute, I'm not in New York.] I won't be having dinner, you can think of your own excuse.
Qin Yunxi: "..."
Didn't Du Ruoxin have a miscarriage? Why didn't Grace go to the hospital to see her?
Could they be plastic sisters?
Impossible.
That foolish woman Grace could harm herself for Du Ruoxin; their feelings were more than ordinary.
Qin Yunxi thought for a moment and typed: [You don't know Du Ruoxin had a miscarriage?]
What?
Grace's throat suddenly choked, almost causing her to die.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Flustered, she picked up her phone and called Du Ruoxin.
Du Ruoxin was eating.
After Feng Linwan, Rong Jingyang, and the others left, she felt as if her spirit had been drained, lying listlessly on the bed. No matter what Christiano said or did, she had no interest in it.
She didn't even have the desire to eat.
It was only when Christiano threatened to feed her with his mouth if she dared not eat that he managed to subdue Du Ruoxin.
Eating the unpalatable porridge as if it were a lump in her throat, the phone rang.
Seeing it was Grace, Du Ruoxin slid to the green button.
"Sister Xin..." Grace's voice was hoarse, her eyes full of worry on the video call.
Du Ruoxin, however, displayed the most beautiful and gentle smile. "What's wrong? You don't look too well."
Grace stood up, fumbling and bumping into things as she walked, "I— I'm coming to New York right now."
Seeing her friend's anxious look, Du Ruoxin's gloom seemed to clear instantly. She smiled, "Alright, focus on your work. I'll be discharged tomorrow."
"If you're free, keep me company?"
Grace's steps halted. Free, she was very free.
But—
Sister Xin—
Grace worried that Du Ruoxin would be too sad and develop some lingering illness.
"Mhm," she returned to her seat, staring at the screen. "You talk, I'm listening."
Du Ruoxin looked at Grace through the screen, many words and thoughts surfacing in her mind, but from these myriad thoughts, only one sentence escaped her lips.
"Do you regret it?"
Grace, do you regret designing Qin Ge to leave you?
If time could turn back, if you had another chance to choose, would you still push Qin Ge away?
Du Ruoxin's eyes were distant, her expression vacant. While asking Grace, she was also asking herself.
Regret...