Nan Xin stared at the words on the screen, her fingertip hovering over the send button for a long time.
Fu Yueling’s words felt like a thorn, piercing straight into her heart.
What exactly had happened to the Fu family?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before finally pressing send.
Nan Xin: 【Okay. I’ll go back.】
After replying, Nan Xin stopped looking at her phone. She got up, washed up, and changed her clothes. She had been planning to order some groceries through her phone, but the moment she stepped out of her room, she heard noises coming from the kitchen.
She walked over and saw that Aunt Zhang had bought a large amount of groceries and was sorting and cleaning them.
When she saw Nan Xin, she smiled warmly.
“I wasn’t sure what ingredients you needed, Miss, so I just bought a variety. If there’s anything else you need, just tell me. I can pick it up tomorrow when I come over.”
Aunt Zhang had bought everything from seasonings to fresh ingredients, and the selection was incredibly complete. There was more than enough to make meals for a whole week, let alone just one.
“This is more than enough. Thank you, Aunt Zhang.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
As she spoke, Aunt Zhang couldn’t help sighing.
“Sir is very particular about his food. When he first came to Jiangcheng, I cooked for him a couple of times, but afterward he wouldn’t let me cook anymore. It seems he really does like the food you make, Miss.”
“What does he normally eat?” Nan Xin asked instinctively.
“Sir probably cooks for himself. I occasionally see some food waste, but…”
Aunt Zhang gave an awkward smile.
“I don’t think Sir’s cooking is very good.”
“Okay.”
Nan Xin didn’t continue chatting with Aunt Zhang. Instead, she took over the task of sorting the ingredients while Aunt Zhang went off to clean the house.
Nan Xin stared absentmindedly at the bubbling yam soup in the pot, the steam blurring her vision.
Fu Beichen’s stomach wasn’t very good either, and the dish she was best at making was nourishing porridge for the stomach.
The ladle in her hand paused.
She gave herself a self-mocking smile. She was supposed to draw a clear line between them, yet even when choosing ingredients, she had instinctively avoided anything spicy.
The sea bass was steamed until tender and silky, the chicken wings simmered until soft and falling off the bone. She had deliberately toned down the flavor of every dish.
She pressed her lips together and closed the lunch box, as though doing so could also conceal that little bit of concern she shouldn’t have had for him.
Around noon, Nan Xin called a ride-hailing car to the hospital.
Just as she entered the hospital lobby carrying the lunch box, she saw several young nurses setting up display stands. She could vaguely make out the words “childcare” on them.
She paid no attention to it and headed straight to the obstetrics and gynecology department.
When she arrived, the consultation room door was closed. Ji Zhouye was probably seeing a patient.
Nan Xin sat outside with the lunch box and waited.
“Eh? Miss Nan, what are you doing here?”
A female voice suddenly came from beside her.
Nan Xin looked over and saw a nurse holding a stack of what looked like promotional leaflets, smiling as she stopped in front of her.
It was none other than the nurse who had taken care of her for a week at the Ji family home.
Before Nan Xin could say anything, the nurse spotted the lunch box in her hands. Her smile immediately became meaningful.
“So you brought lunch for Dr. Ji!” The nurse’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, her gaze sweeping over Nan Xin’s belly. “Miss Nan, you’re really thoughtful. You’re already seven months pregnant and you’re still thinking about Dr. Ji.”
“No, it’s not…”
Nan Xin tried to explain, but the nurse didn’t give her a chance. Instead, she sat down beside her and handed her one of the colorful flyers.
“Perfect timing. Our hospital invited a senior childcare expert to teach expectant parents how to care for newborns, along with some basic newborn knowledge. Miss Nan, would you like to attend?”
The flyer listed several practical topics, all useful for taking care of a newborn after birth.
Most of the women waiting outside the obstetrics and gynecology department had their husbands or parents accompanying them, and they would have family members to help after giving birth.
But Nan Xin was different.
She had neither her husband’s family nor her own family. She only had herself.
She had stubbornly insisted on giving birth to this child simply to prove a point.
Nan Xin’s eyes darkened.
She really did need to learn these things in advance.
She glanced at the time. It was already 12:40. She only had to wait a little longer, and since she was already there, there was no need to hurry home.
She nodded.
“Okay. I’ll attend.”
The nurse was delighted. After having Nan Xin register her basic information, she was about to leave when Nan Xin called her back.
“Miss Nan, is there anything else?”
Nan Xin politely asked, “May I ask when I can get the itemized bill for my hospitalization expenses?”
She had assumed that staying at Ji Zhouye’s home also counted as being hospitalized, and that Ji Zhouye had probably coordinated with the hospital so that the bed fees and other miscellaneous expenses would be reimbursed to him as part of his compensation.
“Hospitalization?”
The nurse frowned.
Nan Xin’s hospitalization fees from half a month ago had already been paid. What other hospitalization expenses could there be?
After hesitating for a moment, she carefully replied, “Dr. Ji will settle everything when you give birth.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Nan Xin completely misunderstood what the nurse meant. She never figured out how much her stay had actually cost before the baby was born.
Just then, the consultation room door opened.
A young woman with a slightly protruding belly walked out. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked somewhat shy.
After the patient left and no one else entered, Nan Xin picked up the lunch box and walked inside.
Inside the consultation room, Ji Zhouye was wearing a white coat and carefully washing his hands beside the sink.
He didn’t turn around, but he had already guessed that it was Nan Xin.
“Close the door.”
“Okay.”
The moment she finished speaking, Ji Zhouye had already walked over. He picked up his stethoscope, his gaze falling to her chest.
Nan Xin hesitated, then slowly pulled down the zipper of her coat. She undid two buttons at the collar underneath, revealing the fullness beneath.
She turned her head away before pulling the neckline down slightly.
The cool touch against her chest made her entire body shiver.
Even though she knew it was only an examination, she still felt embarrassed.
After more than ten seconds, the stethoscope was removed.
By the time she turned back and pulled her clothes into place, Ji Zhouye had already sat down and started eating, as though what had just happened had merely been a routine action.
Nan Xin finished adjusting her clothes and sat down. Since she still had to wait a while before leaving, she told Ji Zhouye that she would be attending the childcare class that afternoon.
“Mm. That’s a good thing.”
Ji Zhouye responded indifferently without looking up.
Seeing how absorbed he was in his meal, Nan Xin didn’t say anything else.
After Ji Zhouye finished every dish, she packed the lunch box away. She had planned to go outside and wait, but unexpectedly, Ji Zhouye left the consultation room immediately after finishing his meal.
It wasn’t until the class was about to begin that Nan Xin got up and went to the floor where the class was being held.
There weren’t many pregnant women attending—only a dozen or so couples.
Nan Xin was the only one who had come alone.
She was stumped from the very first step: changing a diaper.
The plastic baby doll was much heavier than she had expected.
Nan Xin fumbled with the diaper, her palms beginning to sweat.
Beside her, a couple quietly discussed the proper technique. The husband steadily supported the baby while the wife handled the diaper with gentle, practiced movements.
And Nan Xin had only herself.
The model suddenly slipped from her hands.
Clang!
It hit the floor.
The gazes around her felt like tiny needles pricking her skin. Nan Xin hurriedly bent down to pick it up, her ears burning with embarrassment.
At that moment, she felt with absolute clarity that she was walking this path completely alone.
A low chuckle came from the doorway.
Nan Xin looked up and found herself staring straight into Ji Zhouye’s deep, unfathomable eyes.
He was leaning lazily against the doorframe, his white coat hanging open, his posture relaxed.
The man standing beside him playfully bumped his shoulder.
“Your wife is practically about to cry from worry. Aren’t you going to help her?”