An Bo fiddled with the phone for a long time before finally dialing Lu Xicheng’s number.
The phone was passed in, and Shi Wan held it with trembling hands.
The signal in the dark room was poor.
She leaned down, slipped her right arm through the small opening, held the phone in her right hand, pressed her head against the hole, and strained her ear to listen.
The edges of the hole were rough, with exposed saw-cut wood splinters that pricked her cheeks.
It hurt.
She opened her mouth, hissing softly, enduring the pain.
Finally, Lu Xicheng’s voice came through, asking right away:
[Have you made up your mind?]
The long-unheard voice, the splinters pricking her face—Shi Wan’s eyes welled up with tears.
[Xicheng, why haven’t you come to see me?]
[It’s been 17 days since we parted. I’ve changed a lot.]
[Xicheng, I’m preg…]
Suddenly, Lin Zaixin’s laughter cut into the call. “Xicheng, come quickly~”
The woman was cooing, so happy she seemed about to float away.
The earth shook, the mountains trembled.
A fierce wind rose.
It extinguished the faint light in Shi Wan’s heart.
Despair, like vines, crawled wildly across her heart, tightening around it, twisting it into a mangled mess. A foolish heart died right there.
Her obsession with Lu Xicheng had fallen away.
This relationship had its regrets, but no remorse.
Reflecting on the hardships she had endured during this time, she had suffered and been tormented, but… it was worth it.
In a total of 20 days—3 plus 17—she had walked through hell, worn away her love for Lu Xicheng, and extracted the poison named Lu Xicheng from her life. She had found liberation.
She didn’t blame Lu Xicheng.
She no longer loved Lu Xicheng either.
Early the next morning.
The big-eared bodyguard opened the door.
Light streamed in.
In the corner, on a small plastic stool, the divorce agreement lay quietly.
Shi Wan picked up the pen and signed.
She had thought that after a night of building her emotional defenses, she would be strong enough to face this farewell.
But… tears still broke through, uncontrollably, dripping onto the tip of the pen.
The water stains spread, dampening the paper.
She shifted slightly and started writing again from the second stroke.
—Shi Wan.
—October 2, 2052.
She handed the divorce agreement to the waiting bodyguard, and the door closed again.
At lunchtime, the main door of the dark room opened.
“Shi Wan, you may leave.”
Shi Wan glanced at the garden. The small green path was as exquisite as ever, the apricot leaves on either side slightly yellow, and chrysanthemums blooming fiercely beneath the trees.
A light drizzle fell, dampening the petals. The autumn scenery was desolate.
After all the love they had shared, Lu Xicheng couldn’t even be bothered to see her off.
The big-eared bodyguard dragged over a rectangular, plump-bellied suitcase.
Shi Wan recognized it as the one her classmate had given her for her birthday three months ago.
Her classmate’s family ran a luggage factory and had designed it especially for her.
It was meant to make it easy for her to carry her medicine kit and acupuncture tools when she started working.
The suitcase was made of canvas, which made it look cheap.
That was probably why the Lu family didn’t mind her taking it.
The bodyguard solemnly reminded her, “Your things are inside. The young master instructed that you leave through the back door, so as not to disturb anyone else.”
It was a bit pathetic, but upon reflection, Shi Wan smiled.
Was Lu Xicheng reminding her, “Please leave decisively, without any lingering attachment, so that you won’t come back looking for me after you leave. I’m afraid you’ll cling to me”?
Lu Xicheng hoped she would “vanish from the face of the earth” and never disturb him again.
He should have known that, having grown up depending on others, she understood propriety better than anyone.
So she would grant Lu Xicheng his wish. She wouldn’t keep the child in her womb either.
She would cut all ties completely!
Shi Wan dragged her canvas suitcase and left through the small gate in the backyard that she usually used to walk the dog.
As soon as she stepped out, the bodyguard locked the door behind her.
On the greenway, a light drizzle fell, dampening her oily, dirty, and sticky long hair, causing water to trickle down, stinging her eyes.
She walked a stretch, paused, wiped her eyes, and continued forward.
After leaving the luxurious Dijing Road Villa District, she spotted a taxi.
She quickly raised her hand and waved, shouting loudly, "Driver, driver…"
The wheels hesitated, seeming to want to stop but not quite.
After the car slid past her for a few meters, the driver leaned out and looked her way.
Shi Wan swung her suitcase, hoisted it onto her shoulder, and hurriedly ran.
Just as she was about to reach the car, her gaze met the driver's eyes, which flickered with an odd light.
Heh heh!
She smiled slightly.
She was just about to open the trunk.
Whoosh…
A puff of exhaust burst from the rear of the car, spraying her face with scalding heat.
By the time she wiped her face and looked again, the car's rear was bouncing away in the distance.
Was it haunted?
But she wasn't a ghost.
She looked down at herself, still wearing the red dress she had worn on her wedding day twenty days ago.
The dress was covered in filth—rat droppings, mosquito droppings, and black insect droppings all mixed together—no wonder it had scared off the grown man.
She walked a bit further and came across a chain hotel.
She lifted her suitcase and clattered up the steps.
The security guard at the door leaped down in one swift motion to block her.
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Get away, get away."
Shi Wan looked up. "Brother, I have money. I just need a room to take a shower and leave."
This glance upward only made things worse, allowing the guard to see her face clearly.
She could plainly see the strange glint in the guard's eyes, the disgust reserved for beggars written all over his expression.
She turned away on her own, carrying her suitcase as she walked off.
In the world, not causing trouble for others is the same as making things easier for oneself.
If they wouldn't let her book a room, so be it.
She walked a little further.
The road was wide.
Looking left and right, she chose a desolate barbershop where the owner was slumped on the sofa, dozing off.
She pushed the door open and explained what she needed.
The owner only agreed to wash her hair.
She opened her suitcase, took out all her cash, and pulled out 300 yuan.
"Then wash quickly," the owner said, opening a tiny bathroom barely big enough for one person to squat in, standing guard at the door to supervise her shower.
"Tsk tsk! Are you starving or fleeing a famine? You're nothing but skin and bones, looking like you're about to die."
Shi Wan scrubbed her body vigorously, swish, swish, swish—
"I won't die here, don't worry."
She washed for a full 45 minutes, with the owner grumbling and cursing the whole time.
Shi Wan added another 200 yuan to buy some peace and quiet.
After changing into clean clothes, she took the opportunity to check her suitcase.
Thankfully.
The Nine Cauldrons No Illness Needles passed down to her by her grandfather were tucked away in a small hidden compartment, unnoticed by the Lu family.
Inside the needle case was a No Illness Blade, passed down through three generations, used for shaving hair on patients before acupuncture. Its edge was incredibly sharp, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud.
Once Shi Wan had freshened up, she hailed a taxi and headed straight to the hospital.
Haishi Women and Children's Hospital, Gynecology Department, Outpatient Room 12.
"Doctor, I want an abortion."
Shi Wan handed over the completed medical record.
The doctor flipped through it.
"21 years old."
"Graduated from the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine."
"Second pregnancy. Was the first one also terminated?"
Shi Wan clenched her jaw. "The first child… I originally wanted to keep it, but something… unexpected happened."
Then, in a firm tone, she insisted, "This child, I absolutely do not want it. I must have the surgery today."
The doctor looked at her, sighed, adjusted her glasses, and shook her head.
"You're also studying medicine, you should know you look sallow and emaciated, your body is in a sickly state. If you have an abortion now, will you ever be able to have children again?"
"Even if I become infertile in the future, I don't want this child!" Shi Wan said resolutely.
The doctor: "Then go for an ultrasound first to determine the size of the fetus."
The examination slip was handed over, and Shi Wan took it and left.
The doctor in the ultrasound room performed the examination, eyes widening as they stared at the screen, widening even more.
Eyes wide open, mouth agape, eyebrows raised high.
Looking as if they had seen a ghost.
The doctor jumped up, grabbed their white coat, and ran out.
Soon, they returned, calling out and bringing back an elderly doctor with a face full of wrinkles.
"Director Ma, I found quadruplets. Please take a look and help me confirm."
What?
Shi Wan scrambled to sit up.
"You must be mistaken! I almost starved to death, how could I possibly be carrying four!"
"Hey, hey, hey—don't get excited, lie back down, lie back down. Let me take a look." The elderly doctor stretched out an arm and pressed Shi Wan back down.
Another half hour of examination.
With the ultrasound report in hand.
Shi Wan cried.
Too many babies!
Aborting four at once, given her current physical condition, she would die on the operating table.
And four lives—just thinking about it…