As for what came after that, Gu Xia didn’t tell Lu Xiaoyan.
She felt that was a verbal agreement between her and Lu Shaoting regarding this marriage, which was based entirely on mutual exploitation.
Actually, there wasn’t much to say.
Hearing Gu Xia say this, Lu Xiaoyan felt reassured.
“It seems he’s really decided to keep the child—he’s even willing to marry you. But, Gu Xia, you need to understand that given Shaoting’s health, he might not be able to… in the future.”
Looking at Gu Xia’s youthful, round face, her bright, large eyes radiated a clarity untainted by the world.
Lu Xiaoyan felt that discussing matters of intimacy with her would be like defiling the child.
But she was about to marry Shao Ting. The things that needed to be said had to be said in advance.
“Shao Ting’s health might present some minor issues down the road. You need to think this through before you marry him. Once you’re married, you can’t regret it and cause a huge commotion over these matters.”
Gu Xia nodded slightly.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Lu. I know all about it. I’ve heard what the doctor and everyone else has said.”
“Uncle Lu wants to keep the baby in my belly precisely because he won’t be able to have children in the future. I know all that.”
Lu Xiaoyan looked at the innocent Gu Xia, yet she found that Gu Xia—who had come knocking on her door while pregnant, demanding he take responsibility—wasn’t quite as annoying as she’d first thought.
As her impression of Gu Xia improved, her tone softened as well.
“Gu Xia, just call me ‘Second Sister’ from now on. And don’t call Shao Ting ‘Uncle Lu’ anymore—just call him by his name.”
“Are you going back now? Did Shaoting tell you to go back?”
Gu Xia gave a soft “Mm-hmm.” “He told me to go back. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Lu Xiaoyan instinctively glanced at Gu Xia’s stomach and said,
“Since you two are getting married, you’ll be husband and wife from now on. Shaoting’s lower body is injured right now, and no matter how attentive the soldiers and nurses are, it’s not as convenient as having someone from your own family. You’re pregnant now, though it’s not showing yet, so I’d appreciate it if you could take extra care of Shao Ting.”
“I’ve asked the doctor. His leg injury is severe, so I’ll need you to stay by his side for a few more days. Once his condition improves a bit, he’ll be able to go home to recuperate.”
Gu Xia understood what Lu Xiaoyan meant—she wanted Gu Xia to care for Lu Shao Ting in her capacity as his fiancée.
It wouldn’t be very convenient for anyone else to take care of him.
Not only was Lu Shaoting’s injury severe, but it was also in a rather sensitive area—near the groin.
Changing the dressing would require him to be nearly naked from the waist down.
As Lu Shaoting’s older sister, Lu Xiaoyan was aware of her brother’s particular cleanliness habits; he couldn’t tolerate physical contact from a female stranger.
After this surgery, he flatly refused when a female nurse approached him, so the doctor had to apply the dressing himself.
Hospitals generally have more female nurses than male ones—male nurses are practically nonexistent—and given his status, the hospital staff respected his wishes.
But with dressing changes required so frequently, the doctor couldn’t keep attending to him alone indefinitely.
That would be a waste of resources.
Lu Xiaoyan thought about persuading Gu Xia to stay, after all, they had been intimate.
If Gu Xia were to come and care for the Fourth Brother, she would be the most suitable candidate.
Gu Xia wasn’t opposed to caring for Lu Shaoting; after all, if she took good care of this man, his parents and older sister could change their fate for the better.
However, Lu Shaoting didn’t seem to like her very much.
Gu Xia knew full well that Lu Shaoting had married her solely to have a child.
For one thing, Lu Shaoting was getting on in years; for another, his recent injuries were severe and had seriously compromised his foundation.
His sole purpose was to have a child.
Gu Xia’s purpose was also to use a child to keep Lu Shaoting tied to her so he would help her.
It was a partnership of mutual interest.
After listening to Lu Xiaoyan finish speaking, Gu Xia simply said she’d go home for the day to pack up her personal belongings.
If she came back tomorrow, she’d be able to stay overnight to provide care.
Hearing Gu Xia say this, Lu Xiaoyan didn’t feel it was right to press the issue any further.
She gave her a few parting words: “Take care of yourself, and get home safely.”
She also gave Gu Xia her phone number, telling her to call if anything came up.
It was clear that Lu Xiaoyan truly cared about the two children in Gu Xia’s womb—children who belonged to Lu Shaoting.
In fact, judging by how concerned Lu Xiaoyan seemed, she appeared to care even more about the unborn children than Lu Shaoting, their biological father, did.
Gu Xia returned to her rented room and packed up her belongings.
She didn’t know whether she would return here after taking care of Lu Shaoting or move in with the Lu family.
But none of that was her greatest concern; her heart was heavy with worry for her parents and older sister.
Having lived in such conditions in her previous life, she knew just how harsh that environment was.
The Gu family had been sent down for “re-education,” so they had no so-called work assignments or wages to speak of.
They were usually given some coarse grains and mixed flour rations based on the number of people.
They weren’t well-fed, but they didn’t starve to death either.
Gu Xia wondered if she could find some work to do while she was pregnant and preparing for childbirth.
In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to even think about it—after all, her household registration had been transferred to a rural area in the far northwest, so in the city, she was an undocumented resident.
Never mind finding work—just getting by was difficult enough.
But if she married Lu Shaoting, her status would have an extra layer of security.
At least until the baby was born, she’d have a legitimate status.
She couldn’t waste this time; she had to earn as much money as possible so she could help support her parents and older sister.
Gu Xia was also wondering when exactly Lu Shaoting planned to step in and help.
Especially since Lu Shaoting was currently injured—quite seriously, at that. If he were to be recuperating for a year or so, wouldn’t her parents and older sister have to suffer for that much longer?
The more she thought about it, the more anxious Gu Xia became.
The next morning, she grabbed a few essentials and headed straight for the hospital.
She arrived just as Lu Shaoting was due for a dressing change. The doctor hadn’t arrived yet, but a young nurse was standing in the ward, her eyes red-rimmed, holding the supplies needed for the procedure.
Lu Shaoting didn’t look well either.
He knew it wasn’t appropriate to dwell on such peculiarities in a hospital setting.
But physically, he just couldn’t get past it.
When he saw Gu Xia appear, Lu Shaoting’s expression shifted slightly.
He seemed to feel that Gu Xia, though a stranger to him, was just a little more familiar than the nurse, making her presence easier for him to accept.
“Gu Xia, come in and help me with the dressing change.”
Gu Xia was taken aback for a moment, but she was obedient.
Still, it was best to say what needed to be said.
“I can help with the dressing change, but I don’t know how to do it.”
“I’ll show you.”
After saying that, Lu Shaoting immediately dismissed the nurse.
The nurse felt wronged—she’d been stuck with the task of caring for such a difficult-to-please high-ranking official.
But her superiors had made it clear that this official held a high position and was not someone to be crossed.
When she saw Gu Xia suddenly appear and get called over by the official to change the dressing, the nurse felt an immediate sense of relief—someone had taken care of her urgent problem.
But she was also worried: what if the inexperienced Gu Xia didn’t apply the dressing properly? She would certainly be held responsible.
Gu Xia sensed the nurse’s concerns and took the initiative to ask her how to change a patient’s dressing.
She might seem simple and naive, but in reality, Gu Xia was quite smart and picked up new skills quickly once taught.
It was just that her older sister’s brilliance was so dazzling that it overshadowed her own.
But she never let that bother her; she simply felt that it didn’t matter whether her older sister or she was more capable—after all, they were both members of the Gu family.