Since she had brought up the divorce, and Lu Beichuan even mentioned the prenuptial agreement, it was no longer appropriate for her to use the supplementary card he provided for living expenses.
Fortunately, An Xia had been secretly taking on painting commissions as a side job for the past three years, earning some extra money. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to find a place to stay so quickly.
After finding a budget hotel to stay in, An Xia called her best friend, Jiang Qingyu.
She was a bar owner, and it was the middle of the night, her most energetic time.
As soon as the call connected, she teased, “Why are you calling me so late at night instead of enjoying a sweet reunion with your Mr. Lu? I don’t want to be a third wheel ruining your good time.”
“Qingyu, I’m planning to divorce him.”
An Xia’s light words almost shocked Jiang Qingyu off her high chair.
“What?!”
They had been best friends since junior high school, and after years of friendship, Jiang Qingyu knew how important Lu Beichuan was in An Xia’s heart.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Lu Beichuan was the light that illuminated An Xia’s entire adolescence.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have married him at such a young age, ignoring invitations from highly respected university professors and job offers with million-dollar salaries, and resolutely flying abroad with him to get married.
Hearing the word “divorce” from Lu Beichuan’s mouth might not have been so shocking, but An Xia, who had always cherished this marriage, had brought up divorce…
Jiang Qingyu had only one guess in her mind.
“Did Lu Beichuan cheat on you?”
An Xia was silent for a moment, not directly answering.
“I remember Professor Song hasn’t taken any students recently?”
Back then, An Xia was recommended to the top art academy in the country, the China Academy of Art, and Song Jinyi was the most respected professor in the academy, the dream of all art students.
Every year, hundreds of art students were admitted to the China Academy of Art, but none of them caught Song Jinyi’s eye. An Xia was his only satisfactory student.
But as soon as she entered the school, An Xia got married, then suspended her studies and returned home to become a full-time housewife.
Jiang Qingyu instantly understood An Xia’s meaning.
“I’ll compile your works from the past few years now and give them to Professor Song tomorrow.”
Jiang Qingyu was also from the China Academy of Art, although she wasn’t Song Jinyi’s student, she usually had a good relationship with Song Jinyi and had frequent contact with him.
“Thank you,” An Xia said gratefully.
This matter had always been a regret in An Xia’s heart. If she had the opportunity to rejoin Professor Song’s tutelage now, she would naturally try her best.
Jiang Qingyu waved her hand, “We don’t need to be so polite with each other.”
After spending the night in a hotel, An Xia went to the hospital early the next morning.
Her father had been staying in a private hospital under the Lu family for the past few years, and the treatment costs were paid through the Lu family’s account. She didn’t know the exact amount.
Now that she was going to divorce Lu Beichuan, and she had said that she would bear her father’s treatment costs herself, she had to understand the basic costs.
“Your father’s condition has been quite stable recently. We’ve contacted a foreign laboratory and are preparing to introduce new drugs to try on him. The medical expenses plus the ICU hospitalization fee will cost about 200,000 yuan a month.”
Shen Huaian, the attending doctor in charge of An Jianguo’s condition, explained to An Xia in detail.
200,000 yuan…
An Xia bit her lip.
This was nothing to Mrs. Lu, but for An Xia, who was about to get divorced and was no different from ordinary people, it was a huge amount.
Although she had saved some money through part-time jobs over the years, it wouldn’t be able to support this fixed monthly expense of 200,000 yuan for too long.
Seeing her suddenly pale face, Shen Huaian asked with concern, “This amount of money is nothing to the Lu family. Why do you seem so worried?”
This was the Lu family’s private hospital, and An Jianguo had been hospitalized here for three years. Lu Beichuan and An Xia’s marital relationship was no secret here.
After her father had an accident and was hospitalized, Shen Huaian had been the attending doctor. They were also senior and junior classmates from the same high school. An Xia and Shen Huaian were considered acquaintances, and there was naturally no need to hide some things.
“I’m planning to get a divorce. I’ll have to rely on myself for the hospital expenses in the future.”
Shen Huaian was stunned, clearly surprised.
After a moment of shock, he quickly composed himself and didn’t ask too much, only saying, “New Kang’s employees have family discounts. If you need it, I can help you apply.”
An Xia immediately looked up at him in surprise, “Really? Is that okay?”
Shen Huaian smiled lightly, “Yes. I have a good relationship with the director of the administrative department. It shouldn’t be difficult to ask him to help. It’s just that the discount isn’t very high, so it may not be much.”
“I’ll be satisfied if it can be reduced a bit!”
The total monthly medical expenses were 200,000 yuan. No matter how much the discount was, as long as it was reduced, it would be a great help to An Xia.
Shen Huaian looked at her smiling eyes, and his eyebrows were unconsciously infected and bent down.
The two were chatting intently, completely unaware that the man who had walked out of the elevator behind them and was standing in place was staring at them motionlessly.
Feeling a burning gaze on her back, An Xia subconsciously turned her head and met Lu Beichuan’s dark eyes.
Her figure paused. Before she could ask anything, Lu Beichuan strode over, put his hand intimately on her shoulder, and pulled her into his arms.
Their intimate appearance was like a loving couple.
“Why did you come here by yourself?”
After saying this as if doting on her, Lu Beichuan looked up at Shen Huaian.
“Dr. Shen, how is my father-in-law doing recently?”
An Xia didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that Lu Beichuan’s tone of voice was heavier when speaking to Shen Huaian. He didn’t seem very polite to him.
Shen Huaian still smiled warmly, “I just explained Mr. An’s specific situation to Xia Xia.”
“Xia Xia?” Lu Beichuan ground these two words with his cold lips, turning his head to look at An Xia faintly.
An Xia trembled inexplicably.
But after recovering, she quickly straightened her back.
She was innocent, what was there to be afraid of?
Shen Huaian didn’t seem to hear the anger in his voice and was still smiling.
“Aren’t you going to divorce An Xia? It shouldn’t be offensive for me to call her Xia Xia, right?” After saying this, a nurse came to call him. Shen Huaian said hello to An Xia and went to check on the patients first.
As soon as he left, An Xia was pulled into the empty ward next door by Lu Beichuan.
The door was slammed shut, and An Xia was forcefully pinned against the door by Lu Beichuan. With a muffled groan, An Xia felt that her shoulder blades were about to be crushed.
“So that’s why you suddenly brought up divorce. It turns out you’ve found a new home.”
Lu Beichuan pinched An Xia’s chin and sneered coldly.
Last night, he was so angry at the word “divorce” that An Xia had mentioned that he couldn’t sleep well all night. This morning, he received a message that she had come to New Tang Hospital, so he immediately followed her to ask her clearly. As a result, as soon as he arrived, he saw her chatting and laughing with another man.
The straightforward sarcasm was simply an insult to An Xia.
An Xia met Lu Beichuan’s gaze, her watery eyes filled with anger.
“President Lu, not everyone is like you, with the red flag at home not falling and colorful flags fluttering outside.”
“What did you call me?” Lu Beichuan’s voice tightened.
Since he had known her, she had always sweetly called him “brother,” and after marriage, she always shyly called him “husband.” At the very least, she would call him by his full name. But now, she was calling him “President Lu” so distantly.
“We’re about to get divorced. If I don’t call you President Lu, do you want me to call you brother like when we were little?” An Xia’s pale lips trembled, her gaze meeting Lu Beichuan’s directly and without fear.
“You’d find it disgusting even if I did call you that, right?”
Three years ago, she woke up from the pain all over her body, and before she knew what had happened, she was met with Lu Beichuan’s cold and disgusted gaze.
“I provided you with education so you could learn how to climb into your brother’s bed? An Xia, you’re disgusting.”