Gu Xia was still reeling from the shock of this news.
Meanwhile, Zhou Liyun was called out by Wang Fenlan before she could continue speaking to Gu Xia.
“Liyun, what are you doing? Who is that person? Is she your friend?”
Zhou Liyun seemed to have vented her inner frustration by saying those words to Gu Xia earlier.
It was the frustration and anger stemming from having fixated on Lu Shaoting for so many years, only to learn that he could no longer function as a man and might even be paralyzed from the waist down.
Zhou Liyun walked over to Wang Fenlan and said indifferently:
“What friend? She’s Lu Shaoting’s admirer. But the Lu family doesn’t like her—they won’t even let her through their front door.”
Given Lu Shaoting’s condition, Zhou Liyun certainly wouldn’t marry him now.
She had no intention of becoming a living widow.
But she also didn’t want Gu Xia, Lu Shaoting’s admirer, to feel at ease.
After Zhou Liyun and Wang Fenlan entered the residential compound, Gu Xia turned and walked away.
At that moment, what she was thinking was: Lu Shaoting is now in trouble.
From what Zhou Liyun implied, Lu Shaoting had suffered injuries to his lower body. Not only could he no longer function as a normal man, but he might also be paralyzed from the waist down.
Combined with what Lu Xiaoyan had told her earlier—changing her initial advice to have an abortion and instead urging her to keep the child—Gu Xia felt that what had happened to Lu Shaoting was almost certainly true.
So, for her, was this another opportunity?
Could she use the child in her womb to negotiate with Lu Shaoting?
Gu Xia considered calling Lu Shaoting’s workplace to ask about his condition, or where he was hospitalized and his room number.
But she was genuinely afraid her identity might be exposed. She was supposed to be in a rural village in the northwest, not inside Beicheng.
As far as the city was concerned, she was an undocumented resident.
Knowing that Lu Xiaoyan worked at a hospital, Gu Xia deliberately went there and asked around for Dr. Lu Xiaoyan.
This was easy to find. Even if there were others with the same name, it was unlikely they would share both the name and the age.
Lu Xiaoyan worked in the obstetrics and gynecology department. When she saw Gu Xia coming to see her, she thought Gu Xia might be feeling unwell.
Lu Xiaoyan quickly brought Gu Xia into the department and had her sit down.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Let me personally examine you.”
“No,” Gu Xia said softly. “Aunt Lu, I’ve heard about Lu Shaoting’s accident. Can I go to the hospital to see him?”
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoyan instinctively felt that Gu Xia was too deeply in love with her younger brother, Old Fourth.
Even though Old Fourth didn’t like Gu Xia, Gu Xia still cared about him.
Lu Xiaoyan’s expression faltered for a moment, seeming conflicted.
Gu Xia spoke up proactively: “I know Lu Shaoting probably doesn’t want to see me right now, and he wouldn’t be willing to. But as for this child, he didn’t want it from the start. Now, I can’t just keep it because of what you said.”
“I need to ask him what he thinks.”
“He doesn’t like me, and I won’t cling to him. When I came to the city this time, I originally intended to rely on him, but he wasn’t willing.”
This…
How could Lu Xiaoyan not know?
Old Fourth had no genuine affection for Gu Xia.
Lu Xiaoyan was also curious: since Old Fourth didn’t like Gu Xia, how did the two of them end up having relations, and how did Gu Xia get pregnant?
Seeing Gu Xia insist on meeting Lu Shaoting, Lu Xiaoyan could only nod.
She said, “I can take you to see him, but he just woke up, and I can’t guarantee whether he’ll agree to meet you.”
“Gu Xia, from my perspective, I certainly want you to carry my brother’s child, but I know I can’t force you in this matter.”
“If you have any conditions, you can state them, and I’ll do my best to meet them.”
Gu Xia replied, “This matter has nothing to do with you. I won’t make demands of you. Even if I have conditions, I’ll hold Lu Shaoting responsible for them.”
Hearing Gu Xia mention responsibility, Lu Xiaoyan thought she probably wanted to marry Shaoting.
This was something she needed to discuss with their parents at home.
Given the circumstances, Lu Xiaoyan felt it would already be quite good if Gu Xia could marry the fourth son.
During her lunch break, Lu Xiaoyan took Gu Xia to the Military General Hospital.
She smoothly brought Gu Xia into Lu Shaoting’s hospital room.
Lu Shaoting had already woken up and undergone surgery.
However, the anesthesia hadn’t completely worn off, leaving his lower body somewhat numb.
Seeing Lu Xiaoyan bring Gu Xia, Lu Shaoting frowned, his expression filled with impatience.
This Gu Xia was truly persistent. Even with him lying in the hospital’s intensive care unit, she still managed to find him.
Lu Xiaoyan also noticed the impatience on Lu Shaoting’s face.
She said softly, “Shaoting, Gu Xia came specifically to see you after learning about your injury.”
“How are you feeling now? You look much better than yesterday.”
Lu Shaoting replied calmly, “The surgery went well, but there might be some aftereffects.”
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoyan understood—Lu Shaoting likely didn’t want to explain too clearly, so he simply mentioned aftereffects.
“It’s fine. We can find good doctors for rehabilitation later. Mom and Dad already know. Mom is very worried about you—her blood pressure spiked. Dad called to ask about your condition. I told him you were doing well and suggested they visit you later.”
Lu Xiaoyan was the first to learn about Lu Shaoting’s accident.
Before losing consciousness, Lu Shaoting had said not to notify his family and to proceed directly with the surgery.
His comrades and superiors assumed he was worried about his family’s concern, especially since his parents were older.
Only Lu Shaoting knew the real reason.
What they wanted was never him as a person, but the honor he brought to the Lu family.
Lu Shaoting gave a noncommittal “Hmm” and said nothing more.
Lu Xiaoyan suggested Gu Xia speak with him and then turned to leave the room.
Lu Shaoting seemed to see right through all of Gu Xia’s hidden thoughts.
“Speak.”
Even lying in the hospital bed like a sick cat, Lu Shaoting’s authoritative command was enough to startle Gu Xia.
She had rehearsed many things to say, but when it came time to speak, she didn’t know how to begin.
After hesitating repeatedly, she thought it best to start with a word of concern.
“Are… are you okay? I was waiting for your news. When you didn’t come to find me, I didn’t know whether to keep waiting or go to the hospital myself to… take care of it. So I went to your house to look for you. It was only after hearing about your situation from your blind date that I asked Aunt Lu to bring me here.”
She was telling the truth.
Lu Shaoting stared at Gu Xia and said, “Right now, I can barely take care of myself. If you want me to accompany you, you’ll have to wait. If you don’t want me to, I can arrange for someone to take you to have it removed.”
“Lu Shaoting, do you want this child? If you do, I can give birth to it. The conditions remain the same as before—if you agree, I can give you the child after it’s born.”
Gu Xia’s mind was a mess. That wasn’t what she had originally intended.
She had planned to show Lu Shaoting attentive care and concern, hoping to move him.
She wanted Lu Shaoting to fall for her, so she could then use him.
But now, seeing his stern and fierce expression, Gu Xia was so frightened that she blurted out everything in her heart.