Not far away, the group of women had witnessed the entire scene Xie Qingwan approaching warmly, only to be met with indifference before He Ruchu walked away.
They quickly called over the visibly upset Xie Qingwan and began bombarding her with questions and words of comfort:
“Xiao Xie, what’s wrong? Did that He girl bully you again?”
“If you ask me, Xiao Xie, you’re just too nice. With how spoiled and overbearing that He girl is, it’s no surprise she keeps picking on you.”
“Exactly! Xiao Xie, listen to Auntie you need to stand up for yourself. Why let her push you around again and again?”
“That’s right. That He girl always targets soft-hearted people like you…”
As she listened to them, a faint smile flickered in Xie Qingwan’s eyes.
The irritation in her heart eased somewhat.
She sniffled and forced her reddening eyes to appear pitiful.
“Aunties, please don’t say that. Ruchu didn’t bully me. She’s just in a bad mood.”
“In a bad mood? I’d say she’s in a great mood!”
One of the women said with a knowing grin.
The others immediately burst into laughter and chimed in:
“Exactly! That He girl has good news coming soon. How could she be unhappy?”
“That’s right, Xiao Xie. You probably don’t know yet you’ll be getting a new sister-in-law soon…”
The little bit of improvement in Xie Qingwan’s mood instantly vanished.
Not wanting to hear any more, she forced a smile, said a few perfunctory words, and left.
As soon as she was gone, the women gathered together again and resumed gossiping.
“If you ask me, Xiao Xie is far more virtuous than that He girl.”
“Exactly. Back when the Shen family adopted Xiao Xie, I thought they had other plans in mind.”
“Me too! I thought so as well. Who would’ve guessed it would end up being the He girl instead?”
“To be honest, I always felt Xiao Xie was a much better match for that Shen boy.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t understand. No matter how good Xiao Xie is, she’s still an adopted daughter. She doesn’t have family status or a powerful background. How can she compare to the He girl?”
The moment those words were spoken, the group fell silent.
It was true.
The He family was currently rising in influence.
While they couldn’t compare with the very top families in the compound, they were still among the most prominent emerging powers.
Their future prospects were virtually limitless.
Anyone with half a brain knew which choice made more sense.
Not far away, Xie Qingwan heard every word.
Especially that last part.
Her hands clenched tightly into fists.
With her eyes lowered, she concealed all emotions from view.
No one knew what she was thinking.
After a long while, she finally relaxed her grip and continued walking as though nothing had happened.
So what if I’m adopted?
So what if I have no family background?
As long as I work hard, I can still succeed.
Meanwhile, He Ruchu arrived at the bus stop and headed straight to the city hospital.
The City Hospital also known as Kyoto Hospital was the best hospital in all of Kyoto.
In the original novel, this was where the male lead had gone for treatment.
If she hurried, she should still be able to find him.
After arriving and asking a nurse for directions, He Ruchu headed directly to the Andrology Department on the third floor.
The hallway outside the department was completely empty.
She had no idea which consultation room Shen Siyuan was in or whether he’d already finished and left.
As she was wondering, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from behind her.
Turning instinctively, she saw a tall, straight figure emerge from a nearby examination room.
It was Shen Siyuan.
He was still dressed in a white shirt and black trousers.
However, it was obvious that they weren’t the same clothes he’d worn earlier.
Clearly, he had changed.
Perhaps because of discomfort from his injuries, the collar of his shirt was slightly open, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms.
Outside the window, the setting sun poured through the glass, bathing him in a soft golden glow.
The light seemed to soften even his naturally cold and distant aura.
For two whole seconds, He Ruchu stared in a daze.
No wonder he’s the male lead.
That face. That physique.
Absolutely unbeatable.
Even the sunset seemed inclined to favor him.
At first, Shen Siyuan, whose gaze was lowered, didn’t notice her.
Only after sensing her intense stare did he look up.
The moment he saw He Ruchu, the doctor’s words from moments earlier flashed uncontrollably through his mind.
His expression instantly turned icy.
Without another glance, he turned and walked away.
Snapping out of her daze, He Ruchu hurried after him.
“Hey, Shen Siyuan, wait!”
Because of his injuries, Shen Siyuan couldn’t walk too quickly.
She caught up to him almost immediately.
Looking at him apologetically, she asked carefully,
“Shen Siyuan… how is your injury?”
As she spoke, she silently prayed that her unexpected appearance might somehow alter the plot just a little and save the male lead’s future.
Unfortunately, hearing her question only made Shen Siyuan’s expression colder.
Thanks to the woman beside him, his life as a man was supposedly ruined forever.
Yet as a man, how could he bring himself to say such words aloud?
After a long silence, he merely shot her a cold glare.
“Stop following me!”
He Ruchu paused.
Part of her wanted to turn around and leave.
But in the end, she hurried after him again.
“Shen Siyuan, don’t worry. Once everything between us is settled, I promise you’ll never see me again.”
Not a single word of that registered as sincere to him.
In his eyes, it was simply another form of her relentless pursuit.
“Is playing hard to get really that interesting?”
His icy gaze swept over her.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her into a deserted corridor and then released her.
“He Ruchu, I’ll say this one last time stop bothering me.”
His voice was frigid, devoid of even the slightest warmth.
The tiny amount of patience he once possessed had long since been exhausted by the woman before him.
He Ruchu parted her lips, wanting to explain that she wasn’t trying to pursue him.
She only wanted to know the extent of his injuries.
But before she could speak, the tall man stepped closer.
His sharply defined face was filled with coldness.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep the promise I made to your family.”
Wasn’t this what she wanted?
To marry him?
Fine.
He would marry her.
He Ruchu looked up at him.
After a moment of silence, she said softly,
“Shen Siyuan, I’m sorry…”
That apology wasn’t really hers.
It was one she offered on behalf of the original owner.
Regardless of her reasons or intentions, the original owner’s actions had undeniably caused him tremendous harm.
She owed him more than one apology.
“Shen Siyuan, everything that happened before… I was wrong. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble.
I’ve finally realized that some things can’t be forced.
From now on, I won’t pursue you anymore.”
Shen Siyuan frowned deeply.
“He Ruchu, what kind of game are you playing now?”
A look of helplessness appeared in her eyes.
Trying to reform a villain’s image was truly difficult.
“Whether you believe me or not,” she said sincerely, “everything I’m saying is true.”