Chapter 62: Is This Gossip Really So Explosive?

Xia Yan’s hands paused mid-motion, her delicate brows knitting together as a trace of surprise crept across her forehead. “Who?”

“Teacher Yuan from the school.”

“Yuan Xiangqin? Aunt Wang, are you sure it was her?”

Hearing that name, Xia Yan was indeed taken aback. Despite some minor disagreements between them, Yuan Xiangqin was still a teacher—how could such rumors possibly spread about her?

Wang Guilan nodded. “I’m certain. Just yesterday, I went to the hospital to see Dr. Zhang for some medicine, and overheard the two of them talking at the door…”

As she spoke, Wang Guilan began to recall the events of the previous day.

At noon, after she’d finished cooking, she felt a wave of dizziness and decided to visit Zhang Jun at the clinic for some medicine. It was midday, so she was the only patient there.

Just as Wang Guilan reached the door, she heard a woman’s voice cursing from inside.

“Zhang Jun, I’m telling you, you’d better find a solution.”

“Xiangqin, could it be a mistake?”

Inside, Zhang Jun wore a troubled expression. He hadn’t expected that after just one encounter, Yuan Xiangqin would end up pregnant.

“Mistake? You did the examination yourself—are you saying I’m mistaken? Zhang Jun, are you trying to shirk responsibility? I’m warning you, if Li Yong finds out you got me pregnant, we’ll both be in real trouble!”

Yuan Xiangqin pointed at the report in front of Zhang Jun, her voice rising loudly.

Her shout startled Zhang Jun, who hurried to the door, opened it, and looked around. Finding no one, he breathed a sigh of relief. “For heaven’s sake, can’t you keep your voice down? If anyone hears us, we’re finished!”

Wang Guilan, hidden behind the wall, clutched her chest, overwhelmed by the shocking news she’d inadvertently overheard while seeking treatment.

Yuan Xiangqin, realizing the gravity of Zhang Jun’s words, lowered her voice. “So what do we do now?”

Zhang Jun thought for a long moment.

He reached out and stopped Yuan Xiangqin. “Xiangqin, we can’t keep this child. I know a doctor in the city who can perform the procedure.”

“Procedure?” Hearing the word, Yuan Xiangqin’s face turned pale and she shook her head. “I won’t do it! If I undergo surgery, I’ll need several days to recover. Li Yong will be back soon, and if he finds I’m not at home, how will I explain?”

“Just tell him you’re visiting a friend in the city.”

“Friend? I don’t have any friends in the city!” Yuan Xiangqin glared at Zhang Jun. “Are you stupid? You know my family’s from the south—where would I find friends in this remote northwest?”

Zhang Jun thought again, then suggested, “How about saying the school sent you to the city for training?”

Yuan Xiangqin shook her head again. “Training? The school here has only a few dozen students, and in all these years, I’ve never heard of anyone being sent to the city for training!”

“If that won’t work and nothing else will, then what do you suggest?” Zhang Jun’s patience was dwindling, his tone growing irritable.

Yuan Xiangqin’s temper flared as well. “Zhang Jun, are you even a man? No sense of responsibility at all. How did I ever fall for you? And you still think you can win over Xia Yan?”

“What nonsense are you talking? How am I pursuing Xia Yan? Xiangqin, you’re the only woman in my heart.” Zhang Jun immediately suppressed his anger, taking Yuan Xiangqin’s hand.

Yuan Xiangqin sneered, pulling her hand away. “Do you believe your own words, Zhang Jun? I’ve heard you say the same to Dr. Zhu more than once. And that time in the corridor, you grabbed Xia Yan’s hand.”

Zhang Jun glared. “Were you the one spreading those rumors?”

“So what if I was? So what if I wasn’t? Zhang Jun, the issue you should be worrying about now is my pregnancy!”

Zhang Jun slapped his thigh in frustration. Yuan Xiangqin regretted her involvement, but so did he. Suddenly, he recalled something. “Yuan Xiangqin, are you sure the child is mine? Could it be Li Yong’s?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Li Yong has been up in the mountains lately. Apart from him, I’ve only slept with you. The timing matches—it’s yours, who else could it be? Zhang Jun, you just don’t want to take responsibility. I’m warning you, if you can’t figure something out, then we’ll all go down together!”

Yuan Xiangqin sprang up, pointing at Zhang Jun’s nose and shouting.

Zhang Jun waved his hands frantically, urging her to quiet down. “Don’t get worked up, I was just saying.”

Outside, Wang Guilan covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was hearing. For a moment, she even forgot about her own dizziness.

Listening to Wang Guilan’s recounting, Xia Yan was equally stunned, covering her mouth in shock. This gossip was explosive—she’d completely forgotten about the rumors.

“What happened next?”

“After that, their voices dropped. I caught something about abortion pills, then heard someone approaching, so I went home.”

When Wang Guilan finished, Xia Yan immediately cautioned, “Aunt Wang, don’t tell anyone else about this.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a gossip. If Yuan Xiangqin hadn’t spread those rumors about you, I wouldn’t have told you. This is serious—Dr. Zhang always seemed decent, but I never expected him to do such things.” Wang Guilan shook her head in disbelief.

Xia Yan said nothing. She knew Zhang Jun was two-faced: upright in public, but entirely different in private.

That night, when Xia Yan climbed into bed, Lin Nuannuan was already asleep.

After kissing her forehead, Xia Yan lay down herself. The past few nights in the hospital had left her aching and sore. Though this palm mattress was nothing like the modern spring beds she remembered, it was still more comfortable than the hospital’s wooden cots.

Thinking back, Xia Yan felt nostalgic. Her friends and career were all in that former world. “I wonder how they’re doing now? Was my funeral a grand affair?”

She wrapped herself in the quilt she’d taken from Lin You’s room earlier. It carried a faint, clean fragrance—Lin You’s scent, which she liked. Hugging it, it almost felt as if Lin You were lying beside her…

She closed her eyes, and perhaps because of the poor sleep in the hospital, she drifted off quickly.

The next day, before dawn, the sound of the bugle woke Xia Yan.

She went to the kitchen, dug out some flour, and made pancakes for the three children.

After cooking, Xia Yan stepped out into the courtyard and began jogging around the training grounds. Since arriving in this world, she hadn’t gone for a morning run—her old habits were nearly forgotten.

The sun was just rising over the grasslands, and verdant shoots were breaking through the earth. She stretched, gazing at the distant sky—it really was beautiful.

Not long after, Xia Yan heard the sound of hooves approaching. Soon, she saw a dozen soldiers riding toward her.

Leading them was Liu Yuanchao, the man she’d met on her first day at the outpost.

“Sister-in-law, you’re up early,” Liu Yuanchao greeted her, dismounting.

“Comrade Liu, have you just finished exercising the horses?”

“No, we just came down from the mountain.” Liu Yuanchao shook his head.

At that moment, another rider approached. Liu Yuanchao saluted him promptly. “Company Commander Li!”

Xia Yan looked at the newcomer. He was burly, with a full beard, large eyes like copper bells, and a dark complexion—reminding her of Li Kui from the classic tales she’d read.

He dismounted and said, “You must be Captain Lin’s partner? I’m Li Yong…”