Susu glanced again at her retreating figure, a persistent doubt lingering in her heart: what had happened to Zhan Jiayi’s child with her father? Had it not been born, or something else?
This hospital was actually Lancheng’s most renowned maternity and children’s hospital, divided into two campuses. One campus was exclusively for children, while the other was dedicated to obstetrics.
People in Lancheng habitually referred to it as the Children’s Hospital, but also as the Municipal Maternity and Children’s Hospital.
Connecting the two campuses was a garden beautifying the hospital grounds, which was why they had encountered each other so coincidentally.
Susu settled into the car, finally recovering from the shock of meeting Zhan Jiayi.
Little Xingxing, delighted to be discharged, chattered incessantly in the car.
“Mom, when can I go to school after we get home?”
Susu smiled and replied, “Sweetie, you can’t go to school yet. How about reading books at home by yourself for now?”
Little Xingxing let out a slightly disappointed “Oh.”
Tianyi took Little Xingxing’s hand and said, “We won’t go to school. Dad will hire a private tutor for you. You can learn anything you want.”
“Just me, without other classmates?” Little Xingxing asked.
Tianyi said, “But you can still learn knowledge. When you’re completely recovered, it won’t be too late to go to school.”
Little Xingxing still asked, a little confused, “Dad, Mom, what illness did I have? I can be discharged now, and I don’t feel uncomfortable. Am I not well yet?”
Susu took his hand and placed it over her heart. “Can you feel your heart beating?”
Little Xingxing nodded. “I know everyone’s heart beats.”
“It’s just that a problem was found in this area. Until it’s completely healed, you can’t go to school or engage in strenuous exercise,” Susu said gently. “Even though we’re discharged, we still need to take medicine at home and have regular check-ups.”
“I know. If my heart stops beating, I will die…”
Susu quickly covered Little Xingxing’s mouth, stopping him from continuing. “How could that happen? Your little heart is still beating perfectly fine. Wipe your mouth, and don’t say that unlucky word again.”
Little Xingxing hugged her. “Mom, I love you, and I love Dad. I don’t want to leave you.”
Tianyi stroked his head and said, “Dad won’t let you leave. Our family will be together forever.”
…
Sha Sha remained abroad, still communicating daily with the legal team regarding Xie Qining’s case, awaiting a retrial after the appeal.
Feng Rou’s health couldn’t keep up, and Xie Zhendong was busy with the group’s affairs in Lancheng. As Xie Qining’s wife, she had no choice but to stay and work on his behalf.
The pharmaceutical laboratory she had previously established had been shut down under Qin Tianyi’s forceful supervision.
The people Qin Tianyi sent had also destroyed a considerable amount of experimental data, leaving her with no choice but to endure it.
However, after staying abroad for too long, although she had more freedom than in the Xie family, she missed her child terribly.
She would frequently make video calls, having the nanny hold the child for her to see, and she would talk to her child.
Through frequent video contact with the nanny, she learned that the elderly matriarch had been staying at the hospital since learning about Qining’s situation. Feng Rou hadn’t been bedridden recently, but she had been seen caring for the child in the nursery.
When Sha Sha inquired about Feng Rou and Xie Zhendong’s recent situation, the nanny only said she wasn’t sure and rarely saw Xie Zhendong at home.
She keenly sensed that something was amiss in the Xie family. She proactively called Feng Rou twice, but no one answered. Not wanting to directly call the matriarch or Xie Zhendong, she couldn’t help but feel worried.
Due to the pressure from Qin Tianyi and Gu Susu, her affairs abroad were hindered, preventing her from earning substantial money. If the Xie family encountered further problems, what would become of her and her child’s future?
Besides waiting for Daniel to find news of Xiao Anjing’s adopted daughter, she was also concerned about the current situation of the Xie family.
As for whether the retrial of Xie Qining’s case could alter the current verdict, she didn’t particularly care. It was merely a formality for the legal team, at least to make outsiders believe she had done her best.
Today, with nothing to do, she stayed in her hotel room and browsed Lancheng news online, keeping up with events there.
She stumbled upon gossip about Feng Rou causing a scene with a mistress.
Online rumors also suggested that Xie Zhendong had a mistress outside who was pregnant, and that there would be a battle for dominance between her and Xie Zhendong’s legitimate wife.
In any case, the online gossip portrayed the affluent family’s scandals like a melodramatic television series.
But Sha Sha knew that if gossip dared to fabricate such stories, it must have at least a fifty percent basis in truth.
She called Feng Rou’s phone again, wanting to clarify the situation.
She wouldn’t have found it surprising if Xie Zhendong had a woman on the side. However, if the woman outside was pregnant, it would pose a threat to her child.
This time, Feng Rou finally answered, but her voice sounded distressed.
“Mom, how have you been recently?” Sha Sha asked with concern.
Feng Rou didn’t answer but instead asked, “What’s the progress on the retrial in the higher court? When will the hearing be?”
“It’s proceeding relatively smoothly,” Sha Sha replied. “The lawyers say it will take time to submit new evidence to the court, so it will be at least three more months.”
“So long?” Feng Rou’s voice became hoarse. “How is Qining doing in there? Is he being bullied again?”
During this time, Sha Sha had visited Xie Qining twice with the help of her lawyers.
His condition inside was not good. He had become increasingly gloomy, his face often bearing injuries, as if he had transformed into a different person.
It seemed the situation in prison was terrifying, but Sha Sha dared not tell Feng Rou the truth, so she lied, “No, Qining has adapted to life inside. His complexion is fine, and he’s even gained some weight.”
“That’s good. Tell him that when the second trial begins, I will go to see him. It’s all my fault as a mother for being useless and unable to help him. He must persevere on his own.”
“Mom, I know. I’m always encouraging him,” Sha Sha paused and then added, “I just saw some gossip online about Lancheng. I don’t know if it’s true? Is Dad’s mistress pregnant?”
As soon as she asked, there was silence from Feng Rou’s end.
Feng Rou was both angry and heartbroken about this matter. Besides crying, she didn’t know what else to do.
The day after Xie Zhendong had people clear out his personal belongings from the house, the matriarch summoned her to the hospital.
After learning about the situation, the matriarch spoke with her, but surprisingly, she implicitly supported her son and the woman outside, not siding with her at all.
She even advised her to accept the situation, prioritizing the Xie family’s lineage and future.
In front of the matriarch, she could only feign compliance, but in her heart, she felt as if she had been stabbed again.
After returning from the hospital where the matriarch was staying, she became even more despondent, feeling that everyone in the Xie family had ganged up to bully her!