Chapter 133: Untitled

Mrs. He, seeing the rigidity of Xin’s mother’s attitude, shifted her tone. “Mrs. Xin, we have known each other for several years. My son’s time abroad was largely due to Xin Gan’s kind care. I didn’t come here today to make things difficult for you; I simply hoped we could handle this matter amicably to avoid damaging the relationship between our two families.”

Xin’s mother did not buy it and promptly ordered her to leave. The He family was currently embroiled in so many problems they were barely keeping their own heads above water; yet here she was, asking for reconciliation? Reconciliation for what? It was impossible.

As Mrs. He was escorted to the door by the Xin family’s nanny, the nanny offered an apologetic smile. “I’m truly sorry, Mrs. He. Please take care on your way out; I won’t be seeing you off.” Mrs. He stomped her foot in frustration, shocked that Xin’s mother would be so oblivious to social niceties as to show her the door so bluntly.

Returning from the Xin residence, Mrs. He was seething with anger. When she saw A-Zhou, her mood soured even further. She shot her a glare and headed upstairs to her room to rest. A-Zhou, oblivious to Mrs. He’s expression, sat in the courtyard soaking up the sun, her belly growing larger by the day.

That evening, Mrs. He invited a doctor to the house. They spoke in the study with no one else around. After closing the door, Mrs. He lowered her voice and asked, “Given her constitution, can she be fattened up?”

“She doesn’t gain weight easily, but the baby in her womb can grow larger with more nourishment. Given her frame, I’m afraid she will have difficulty during delivery.”

Mrs. He nodded; that was exactly the effect she wanted.

A-Zhou knew nothing of this. Mrs. He had told her that because she was thin, she was worried the baby would be malnourished, so she fed her a great deal of prenatal supplements—some through diet, some through medicine. These were highly nourishing substances; while fine in moderation, they would cause problems if consumed in excess.

Mrs. He had plotted against her, while A-Zhou remained immersed in her dream of being a swan.

Once her business was settled, Xin Gan returned to London to see Cheng Hui. Not long after she landed, her mother called. “Has something happened again recently?”

“What do you mean?” Xin Gan asked. “Nothing in particular.”

“Are you still trying to hide it from me? Mrs. He came to the house and told me everything. You child, why don’t you ever listen? Did He Cheng do something?”

Xin Gan had no choice but to explain clearly to her mother. “I didn’t want to worry you, so I didn’t explain properly at first. Mom, it’s nothing major. Besides, the police are investigating, and there will be results soon.”

“You child, this must not happen again. No matter what happens, if you need your mother’s help, we will certainly be there for you.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Cheng Hui had been staying in the apartment, not going anywhere. During the days Xin Gan was back, she spent her time in her room watching television. She wasn’t picky; she watched whatever was on. Liang Yang visited frequently, always arriving with bags full of gifts for her.

When Cheng Hui was in a relatively calm mood, she told him, “Stop buying these things. I can’t eat them all, and once they pass their expiration date, I have to throw them away. It’s too wasteful.”

Liang Yang would agree verbally, but he kept doing the same thing the next time.

During this period, aside from Dr. Ye, Liang Yang was the most frequent visitor. However, Cheng Hui wanted to keep her distance from him. Her attitude toward him grew cold, and she barely paid him any attention. Liang Yang assumed it was because he bought too many things, and since she had told him not to but he didn't listen, it had made her unhappy. So, the next time he came, he only bought some fruit and brought nothing else.

Little did he know, as soon as he arrived at Cheng Hui’s place, she shoved a stack of money into his hand and said, “Don’t come here anymore. Take this money as compensation for your trouble.”

She had lost a significant amount of weight. Compared to the first time he met her, she was even thinner—a sickly, frail thinness, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

Liang Yang’s gaze lingered on her, and he curled his lips into a smile. “Why the sudden coldness? Why are you trying to chase me away? What did I do wrong?”

Cheng Hui said, “It’s not your problem; it’s my own.” She didn’t want others to see her in such a wretched state. She had used Liang Yang as someone to vent to, and he knew more or less about her situation. Precisely because of that, she couldn’t face him.

Even being friends was likely impossible now. Cheng Hui didn’t want to make any more friends; being alone was just fine. She thought pessimistically.

Liang Yang asked, “Can we not even be friends?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have that honor. It’s better if we don’t keep in touch.”

After she chased Liang Yang away, she felt a little better, as if a burden had been lifted. She felt less stifled and didn’t have to pretend to be fine anymore. At the very least, she could be lazy and not worry about anyone else’s feelings. She needed time to catch her breath and recover.

After Xin Gan returned, Cheng Hui didn’t mention Liang Yang in front of her. She was gentle and docile, showing Xin Gan that she was fine and had fully recovered. Even Xin Gan believed she was better and went specifically to ask Dr. Ye.

Dr. Ye said that the treatment was effective, but this kind of illness was prone to relapse and could potentially last a lifetime, so it could not be taken lightly. That she was fine now did not mean she would be fine in the future; she had to be closely monitored.

Not long after, Cheng Hui was able to go out to the mall to buy daily necessities on her own. Her emotions gradually stabilized, and she could communicate normally, looking no different from anyone else. Fearing a relapse, Dr. Ye prescribed her medication, telling her she could take it to calm herself if she felt overwhelmed, but she should not take it often, and the dosage had to be strictly controlled.

Cheng Hui smiled and agreed. Seeing her like this, even Xin Gan thought she was better and that everything was moving in a positive direction.

Afraid of delaying Xin Gan’s work, Cheng Hui urged her to return to Yongcheng. Xin Gan wanted to stay a few more days to keep her company, but since she insisted, Xin Gan eventually returned to Yongcheng.

The day after Xin Gan left, Cheng Hui met with Dr. Ye and borrowed ten thousand yuan from him. When Dr. Ye asked what it was for, she smiled and said, “It’s a secret, Dr. Ye. Don’t worry, I will pay you back; I won’t default on it.”

Cheng Hui was an adult, and Dr. Ye respected her privacy. Since she didn’t want to say, he wouldn’t ask. As long as she wasn’t wasting it recklessly, he was happy to lend it.

With the ten thousand yuan in hand, Cheng Hui secretly bought a plane ticket and returned to Yongcheng. She didn’t tell anyone about her secret trip, not even Xin Gan. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Xin Gan, but there were some things she had to do herself.

She had returned from the gates of hell, and on the surface, it seemed she had given up and stopped thinking about He Chuan, but only she knew that she still couldn’t let him go. Saying she had let go was just self-deception.

She flew back to Yongcheng overnight. After landing, she didn’t care what time it was; she hailed a taxi at the airport and went straight to the residential complex where He Chuan lived. The security guard had changed, didn’t recognize her, and since she didn’t have an access card, she was barred from entering. She hadn’t realized the security had become so strict; she used to be able to come and go as she pleased.

He Chuan had blocked her number, so she couldn’t reach him. With no other choice, she crouched by the greenery at the entrance of the complex to wait. It was cold, and even though she was wearing layers, they couldn’t stop the whistling, biting wind from lashing at her face. Every second of waiting was an agonizing torment.

As it grew darker and later, she still hadn’t seen He Chuan. The security guard, seeing her crouching there for so long, couldn’t help but walk over. “Young lady, who are you waiting for? Why don’t you make a phone call? If you can’t reach them, you should go home and wait. It’s not safe for a girl to be crouching here this late.”

Cheng Hui was stubborn. She shook her head. “I’m not leaving. I’ll wait here. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“It’s not that I don’t worry… forget it. Why don’t you come sit in the guard booth? You don’t look like a bad person.” Cheng Hui looked clean and frail, and her eyes were like a forest fawn’s—innocent, harmless, and clear. Anyone could tell at a glance she wasn’t a bad person. Besides, with her slight frame, she couldn’t be a bad person even if she tried.

The guard led her into the booth and poured her a cup of warm water. “Just sit here. Don’t touch anything.”

“Thank you,” Cheng Hui said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it. By the way, who are you waiting for? How come they haven’t shown up after all this time?”

Cheng Hui held the disposable plastic cup with both hands. The plastic was thin, and the water was warm, not scalding. She took a sip and whispered, “I’m waiting for my boyfriend.”

“I see.”

Gradually, it was past midnight. The guard couldn’t help but ask, “Which floor does your boyfriend live on?”

“Nineteen.”

“It’s already past one. Why don’t you go home and come back to find him tomorrow?”

“Oh, okay. Thank you.” Cheng Hui knew he was asking her to leave. She didn’t linger in the booth, set the cup down, and left. However, she didn’t go far; she found a spot and sat down, intending to continue waiting for He Chuan’s return.

The guard noticed she hadn’t left and was just sitting on a flower planter by the roadside. He sighed, not knowing what to say. He walked over again and said, “Forget it, just go wait in the guard booth. I really don’t feel comfortable leaving a girl out here alone.”

Cheng Hui pursed her lips blankly, saying nothing.

Around two o’clock, He Chuan’s car appeared. Cheng Hui, who had been on the verge of falling asleep with her head on the table, was jolted awake by the sound of the horn. She reflexively looked out. When she saw the person she had been longing for day and night, her breath hitched, and the world went silent. She saw He Chuan, but before she could react, another woman appeared in her line of sight.

Wen Liang, sitting in the passenger seat, appeared right in Cheng Hui’s view. The moment Cheng Hui saw her, her blood seemed to run backward. She hurriedly hid herself, her mind going blank. A chill crept up her spine, and she didn’t know how to react. She didn’t know who the woman in the passenger seat was. Why was she coming back with He Chuan so late? Was she his new lover? Had she moved in with him?

“Why is the gate broken again? Didn’t they just fix it the other day?” the guard muttered as he manually opened the gate.

Cheng Hui hid behind the window, afraid of being seen by those in the car. He Chuan didn’t pay attention to the guard booth. Wen Liang coughed, and He Chuan instinctively looked over. “Is your throat uncomfortable?”

“A little. I might have caught a cold.”

He Chuan said, “I have cold medicine at home. I’ll get some for you in a moment.”

“You keep cold medicine at home? I wouldn’t have guessed, senior,” Wen Liang smiled.

He Chuan paused. The medicine had actually been prepared for Cheng Hui. She couldn’t take care of herself, and whenever the weather changed, she would catch a cold if she wasn’t careful. Over time, he had started keeping the medicine stocked at home.

The gate opened, and He Chuan pressed the accelerator, driving into the complex.

After the sound of the car vanished, Cheng Hui came to her senses. She smiled wanly and said to the guard, “Thank you. I’m not waiting anymore. I’m going home.”

“Be careful on your way home, it’s so late.”

“Yes, okay. Thank you.”

Cheng Hui’s feet felt like lead. Every step was incredibly heavy, just like her heart, sinking deeper and deeper into a bottomless abyss. She felt she really should give up. He Chuan had long forgotten the things he had said to her; perhaps he had forgotten them the moment they left his lips, and only she was foolish enough to remember.

Most of the ten thousand yuan she borrowed from Dr. Ye had gone toward the plane ticket. She didn’t have much money, and every cent she received from Mrs. Cheng was accounted for. She didn’t dare ask Xin Gan for money, so she had no choice but to borrow from Dr. Ye. Fortunately, it was enough for a return ticket.

She spent the night at the airport and caught the earliest flight back to London the next day. She thought she might never want to come back again.

Not long after returning to London, she had another episode, though she didn’t try to commit suicide. When she felt something was wrong, she took her medicine and immediately sought out Dr. Ye.

Dr. Ye came over, provided hypnotic counseling, gave her more medication, and stayed with her for the entire day. Once she woke up, he asked, “Did you secretly run back to Yongcheng?”

Cheng Hui was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“Did you borrow money from me to go back to Yongcheng to find him?”

“Did you see him?”

“I did,” Cheng Hui said, her eyes drifting away. She took a deep breath. “Seeing him didn’t change anything. He made it clear from the beginning. It was just me being a fool, unable to let go. It was my own pathetic self-doing.”

“In matters of the heart, there is no one who is ‘pathetic.’ It depends on who invests more emotion. The more you invest, the more you get hurt. That is normal. Don’t think it’s just your problem. Human psychological activity is very complex, but it all follows a certain logic. To be honest, some relationships aren’t destined to have a result, so don’t dwell on it. It’s better to cherish the memory than to meet again.”

Dr. Ye smiled again. “I asked you about the money when I was hypnotizing you. I apologize; I have to be honest with you. I didn’t ask out of malice, but I had a hunch it was related to your condition.”

Cheng Hui replied, “It’s fine. You’re my doctor and my creditor anyway.”

To Dr. Ye, this sounded like self-abandonment, and he raised an eyebrow.

“I will pay you back as soon as possible, but please don’t tell my sister-in-law.”

Dr. Ye agreed. “I can do that.”

When Xin Gan returned to Yongcheng, she had barely stepped off the plane when she was surrounded by a group of people carrying cameras. She didn’t know what was happening. A camera was shoved right into her face; she couldn’t escape even if she wanted to. Pushed and shoved in the crowd, she was trapped at the airport with no one to help her.

Finally, someone called airport security, and Xin Gan was rescued. After checking herself, she found only minor scrapes and nothing serious, so she left the airport. Some of the reporters followed her; seeing them in her rearview mirror, Xin Gan felt speechless. She had her driver take a large detour to shake them off before finally heading home.

Xin Gan hadn’t told Cheng Jiu she was coming back, so he wasn’t aware. Xin Gan grabbed a medical kit to treat her bruises and then received a call from her assistant, learning that a group of people claiming to be reporters had also gone to her studio, causing a major disturbance. Xin Gan told her assistant to call the police, and upon hearing that, the reporters left, fearing the situation would escalate.

Xin Gan vaguely felt this had something to do with He Cheng. She went online and, sure enough, saw a headline called “He Cheng’s Ex-Girlfriend.” Clicking on it, she saw her own photo, along with a text explanation of their “love history.” Her entire background had been dug up and splashed across the internet. No wonder reporters were blocking her at the airport for interviews; it was because of this news.

She was absolutely furious. She didn’t know who had posted it, and even less did she know the intent behind such a malicious rumor!

Soon, Mrs. Cheng heard about the matter as well. She was shocked; she truly hadn’t known Xin Gan had dated He Cheng. However, the timeline of the leaked content matched reality—especially the period when Xin Gan was studying abroad, as He Cheng had also gone to London at that time, which Mrs. Cheng was well aware of.

Mrs. Cheng couldn’t sit still. She made a phone call and summoned Xin Gan, questioning her to her face. Mrs. Cheng was burning with rage; she hadn’t expected Xin Gan to have been with He Cheng, nor had she ever confessed it. What was this supposed to mean?!

Xin Gan knew exactly why Mrs. Cheng had called her back.

Mrs. Cheng said, “What’s going on between you and He Cheng? Tell me. Why haven’t you told us for so long? I never would have guessed you actually dated He Cheng!”

Xin Gan understood that Mrs. Cheng was in a fit of rage, but being questioned in front of the domestic helpers was indeed difficult to bear. She steadied herself and explained, “Mom, I can explain. It’s not true. I never dated He Cheng. None of that is true.”

“Then why would others say you dated He Cheng? And there’s evidence, and intimate photos of you two. What’s going on? Who are you trying to fool? Xin Gan, oh Xin Gan, you are such a disappointment!” Mrs. Cheng wouldn’t listen to any of her explanations; in her heart, she had already decided that the rumors were true.

Xin Gan said, “Mom, please don’t be angry. I can guarantee that nothing happened between me and He Cheng. Everything being said outside is false.”

Mrs. Cheng sneered, her eyes full of suspicion and distrust. “At this point, what more is there to explain? Enough, no need to explain. I only believe in evidence. Xin Gan, I am very disappointed in you. I never expected you to be this kind of person. I always thought you were gentle and sensible, and I was very satisfied with you. In the end, we were the ones deceived by you.”

Hearing these words from Mrs. Cheng, Xin Gan felt a chill run through her entire body. She was speechless. Her presence only seemed to fuel Mrs. Cheng’s intense annoyance, so she had to shut her mouth, unable to offer any further explanation.

Mrs. Cheng’s illness flared up, and the maid hurriedly brought her medicine. Seeing Xin Gan still standing there, the maid said, “Miss Xin, why don’t you go wait outside? The Madam is in a fit of anger and probably doesn’t want to see you right now. It’s not good for you to stay here. Please, go wait outside.”

Xin Gan nodded, her face pale, and turned to leave, closing the door behind her.

After a while, the maid came out of Mrs. Cheng’s room. Seeing that Xin Gan was still there, she hesitated before walking up. “Miss Xin, I heard what the Madam said earlier. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but there’s a reason for this. I hope you can understand.”

“What reason?”

“Previously, the Madam fell ill from anger because of Cheng Hui’s situation. She went to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said she’s going through menopause, which causes intense emotional swings. I hope you can understand. If the Madam said anything that made you unhappy, please be patient. Please don’t upset her anymore.”

So, Mrs. Cheng wouldn’t listen to her explanation either.

After work, Cheng Jiu called her. Her voice sounded exhausted, and he noticed it immediately. “Are you too tired? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Xin Gan replied. “Still dealing with jet lag. Maybe a little tired.”

Cheng Jiu asked, “Where are you now?”

“On… on my way home.”

“Did you go to the Cheng residence?”

Xin Gan paused. “Yes.”

“Let’s talk when you get home.”

Cheng Jiu was well-informed and naturally had heard the rumors. He had suspected as much, guessing that Mrs. Cheng had seen the news and called Xin Gan in for questioning. Cheng Jiu’s heart tightened.

He returned home before Xin Gan. After waiting for a while, she arrived. She walked in and was standing in the entryway taking off her shoes when Cheng Jiu hugged her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and nuzzled her. “Tell me, did she say something to you?”

Xin Gan was slow to react. “Huh? What?”

“Didn’t you just come back from the house? I said, did Mom say something to you?”

Xin Gan hadn’t finished putting on her slippers, so she stopped. She turned in his arms, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his waist. “It’s nothing,” she said, her voice muffled. “I can explain. I really have nothing to do with He Cheng.”

“I know.” Hearing the choked-up sound in her voice, Cheng Jiu felt even more heartbroken. “You’ve been wronged.”

“It’s not that. It’s just a misunderstanding. As long as you believe me, that’s all that matters.”

“Good girl,” Cheng Jiu kissed the top of her head gently. “Let’s hire a lawyer.”

She paused. “Okay,” she whispered.

“I’ll contact one.”

“Okay.”

The heavy stone that had been weighing on Xin Gan’s heart finally settled. She felt a little better. Fortunately, Cheng Jiu believed in her unconditionally.

Cheng Jiu quickly found a lawyer in Yongcheng with extensive experience in defamation cases. They met with the lawyer during the day and explained the situation. The lawyer’s advice was to first send a legal notice to the blogger who had posted the rumors to stop the spread of the information. Considering the increased cost of spreading rumors, many people would no longer dare to chase the trend so recklessly.