"What?" Grace didn't quite understand.
The three words, devoid of context, left her utterly bewildered.
Du Ruoxin lay on the bed, perhaps from lying down for too long or for other reasons, her spirits flagging. "Brother Qin." She paused. "Do you regret pushing him away?"
Grace was taken aback by the question – why bring up Qin Yunxi all of a sudden?
As if under a spell, she remained frozen, unsure how to answer or react.
After a moment of stunned silence, Grace shook her head bitterly.
She looked back at the screen, only to find Du Ruoxin lost in thought, seemingly troubled by something.
Could Sister Xin have meant something more?
Grace asked, "Why do you ask?"
Du Ruoxin's expression was somewhat dazed. "Huh?"
Grace became even more certain – Sister Xin had something weighing on her mind.
"Do you regret it?" Grace countered. "Regret divorcing Rong Jingyang?"
Du Ruoxin blinked slightly, then grinned. "I asked you, why are you asking me back?"
Seeing the woman on the screen smile, Grace's tone also relaxed. "If you regret it, I regret it. If you don't regret it, I don't regret it."
Du Ruoxin's eyes widened, her brow furrowed. "Hmph, you've learned to tease people too? Did you pick up bad habits from Brother Qin?"
Grace rolled her eyes dismissively and said in a joking tone, "I suspect you took money from the scumbag Qin, with two out of every three sentences mentioning him."
Du Ruoxin could no longer hold back, bursting into laughter. "Hahaha..."
The Rong couple, the Qin couple, Qin Yunxi, Rong Doudou, and a few others walked into the ward just as they heard the hearty and unrestrained laughter.
Everyone: "..."
It seemed Du Ruoxin wasn't too upset about her miscarriage?
Those who had been feeling low seemed to have shed their burdens.
Feng Linwan, carrying the chicken soup she had personally brewed, asked, "What are you laughing about? So happy?"
Du Ruoxin immediately stopped laughing and greeted the elders and Brother Qin in turn.
Her gaze towards Qin Yunxi was particularly meaningful.
Qin Yunxi was a bit confused – why was she looking at him like that? Had he done a good deed anonymously?
Not really.
The last time they met was at the swimwear party.
Recalling that night, Qin Yunxi offered a cold yet graceful smile in return, his lips curving unnaturally.
"Are you eating? Perfect timing." Feng Linwan saw the food on the bedside table, which Du Ruoxin hadn't touched much, and immediately moved it aside. "I made chicken soup, drink it while it's hot."
Cristiano: "..."
Seeing the meal he had ordered the chef to prepare being unceremoniously set aside by Feng Linwan, he raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased.
"No need..." Du Ruoxin wanted to say it wasn't necessary, that she didn't want chicken soup, but the moment the lid was lifted, a strong greasy aroma wafted into her senses.
"Ugh—"
Completely unprepared, she covered her mouth and retched violently.
"What's wrong?" Feng Linwan patted Du Ruoxin's back. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Cristiano strode over, closed the lid of the chicken soup, and said coldly, "She can't stand the smell of grease."
When he had asked the chef to simmer the chicken soup, he had instructed them not to stir-fry with oil and to remove the chicken skin and fat.
Cristiano took the items Feng Linwan brought outside.
"Ah?" Can't stand the smell of grease? What did that mean? Feng Linwan was confused.
Du Ruoxin gagged a few more times, tears welling up in her eyes from the retching.
"Mommy." Rong Doudou thoughtfully took out a tissue, climbed onto the bed, and wiped Du Ruoxin's mouth. "Are you feeling better?"
Du Ruoxin nodded. "Yes, thank you, Doudou."
She looked up at Feng Linwan. Although she felt a bit panicked, she concealed it well.
With a pale and weak expression, she lowered her head sadly. "It's just... when I was pregnant, I couldn't stand the smell of oil."
Cristiano walked back in from the door, his tone sharp. "It'll be fine in a few days."
He looked at Feng Linwan, his cold and piercing blue eyes leaving no room for doubt. "Mrs. Rong, I will be responsible for Xin'er's diet, you don't need to worry about it."
Feng Linwan: "...Oh."
Feng Linwan didn't think much of what Du Ruoxin and Cristiano said, but the young man's tone displeased her. "What do you know as a man?"
"How can the chef's cooking be as to my taste as mine?"
"I will be responsible for Ruoxin's diet."
You stay out of it.
Cristiano: "—"
Du Ruoxin saw the sparks flying between her elder brother and her mother-in-law and, fearing an explosion, quickly said, "Mommy, I'm not feeling well these past two days, so I'll leave Doudou in your care."
"The little girl is very mischievous, and taking care of her already takes a lot of your energy. Let Cristino handle these hospital chores."
"He is my husband, taking care of me and serving me, running errands up and down, is what he should be doing."
With these words, Du Ruoxin seemed to be considering Feng Linwan's feelings, but in another way, she was stating – she was already married, married to someone else. She and Rong Jingyang truly, truly, could never go back.
Feng Linwan knew this, but...
Knowing it was one thing, being able to accept it was another.
She...
Felt a pang of sadness.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy and depressing.