Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Qin Zhiyuan met a girl named Song Fengmei.

She was lively, fiery, loud, and had an extraordinary amount to say.

She arrived suddenly at the workplace where Qin Zhiyuan was employed, and all the male coworkers grew restless over this injection of fresh blood.

Wherever Song Fengmei was, laughter followed. She was average at her job, but she loved sneaking off during work to chat and tell jokes. The men all enjoyed being around her.

Qin Zhiyuan was instantly drawn in by that passionate energy of hers. He loved listening to Song Fengmei talk and laugh. He could hardly imagine how happy his life would be if his girlfriend were as cheerful as she was.

Song Fengmei also had quite a good impression of Qin Zhiyuan. More than once, she stared at him for a long while with a smile on her face, then shook her head and turned away.

Finally, one day when no one was around, Qin Zhiyuan couldn’t help asking her, “Why do you always shake your head at me? Do I look… strange or something?”

Song Fengmei laughed, revealing a row of white teeth. “No. I just think it’s such a shame.”

Qin Zhiyuan asked, “What’s a shame?”

Song Fengmei said, “You’re wonderful. It’s just a shame that you already have…”

Halfway through, she smiled, waved her hand, and left.

Qin Zhiyuan understood at once what she meant.

For Qin Zhiyuan, this was almost too direct. He nearly couldn’t handle it. He had long since grown used to Hu Yonglan’s inexpressive personality, and now that he had suddenly encountered such a straightforward woman, it was like stepping into a whole new world.

Deep down, everyone longed to be loved. Everyone needed to feel the approval and affection others expressed toward them.

Qin Zhiyuan did not understand that truth, but in Song Fengmei’s eyes, he saw the light radiating from himself.

After that conversation, Qin Zhiyuan turned more and more of his attention toward Song Fengmei.

Song Fengmei’s smile gave him the feeling of being deeply valued. Whenever her gaze suddenly met his, he felt as though he had been shocked by electricity. Even his ordinary self seemed to become extraordinary in an instant.

He did not care whether it was real or an illusion. In any case, it was an experience he had never had before.

As they went back and forth, Qin Zhiyuan finally could not resist the temptation and began secretly dating Song Fengmei.

Song Fengmei gave him an entirely new experience of love. For the first time, Qin Zhiyuan learned that women could be as proactive and passionate as men in expressing love, and that men, like women, could feel embarrassed from being teased.

Their underground relationship lasted less than three months before Song Fengmei became pregnant.

She began to grow dissatisfied with the situation and told Qin Zhiyuan bluntly that he now had to choose between her and Hu Yonglan.

By then, several coworkers had occasionally seen the two of them eating and taking walks together, and rumors slowly began to spread.

Qin Zhiyuan found himself in a difficult position. He asked Song Fengmei to give him some time to think about what he should do.

A week later, Qin Zhiyuan mustered his courage at the dining table and told Hu Yonglan that he had decided to separate from her.

Hu Yonglan did not say a word. She pressed her lips together and stared into Qin Zhiyuan’s eyes.

Qin Zhiyuan knew she wanted to ask, “Why?”

Yes. Even at the point of breaking up, she was unwilling to express even a fraction of her true feelings. She remained as silent as ever.

He went on by himself. “I think our personalities just aren’t suited to each other. A lot of the time, I don’t know how to make you a little happier, or how to get you to talk to me more.”

Hu Yonglan said nothing.

Qin Zhiyuan sighed. “I’m always guessing, over and over. It’s exhausting. We both speak Chinese, but I feel like I’m your translator.”

Hu Yonglan said nothing.

Qin Zhiyuan said helplessly, “See? Just like now.”
Hu Yonglan said nothing.

Qin Zhiyuan said, “I need your love too. Do you love me?”

Hu Yonglan said nothing.

Qin Zhiyuan licked his lips and said, “If you have no other objections, then that’s it?”

Hu Yonglan still said nothing.

Qin Zhiyuan rose from his stool. “Then I’m leaving.”

Hu Yonglan remained seated, motionless.

Qin Zhiyuan looked at her for a while, then walked out.

Hu Yonglan sat facing the leftovers on the table for the entire afternoon.

She did not say a word. She did not call her family or Qin Zhiyuan. She simply sat there.

In truth, she had meant to tell Qin Zhiyuan today that she was pregnant. She had wanted to use the meal as a chance to discuss their wedding date with him.

Hu Yonglan spent the whole night reflecting. She felt as if she were a block of ice, and Qin Zhiyuan was a pair of hands. Those hands were warm, trying to melt the ice, but in the end, the ice had not melted, while the hands had been frostbitten.

Now that those hands were leaving, Hu Yonglan felt as if a knife were twisting in her heart.

The next day, she mustered her courage and went to Qin Zhiyuan’s workplace.

This was the first time she had ever taken the initiative with Qin Zhiyuan. She had finally figured it out. Qin Zhiyuan was only a man; he was not a saint. If he was always the one reaching out, he would get tired too. He needed something from her in return.

This time, she would take the initiative and ask him to stay. She would tell him that she had always had deep feelings for him, that every fragment of the future she had imagined included him, and that if she had to choose one man to spend her life with, her only choice would be him. And… he was going to be a father.

Before she reached Qin Zhiyuan’s office, Hu Yonglan was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea. It was morning sickness from the pregnancy.

She covered her mouth, turned around, and went to the public restroom by the entrance of his workplace, where she found a stall and crouched down.

Two female workers were chatting in the restroom, one with a southern accent and the other with a northern accent.

The northern woman said, “…Don’t just talk about that little tramp. In my opinion, Qin Zhiyuan isn’t exactly innocent either.”

Hu Yonglan’s nerves instantly went taut.

The southern woman said, “Dogs like to eat shit. None of them are any good.”

The northern woman lowered her voice. “That little tramp seems to be pregnant.”

The southern woman’s voice shot up at once. “What?!”

The northern woman gave a cold laugh. “She’s terrified other people won’t know. Lately, she’s been dry-heaving in the room every chance she gets, and she even asked me if I had any preserved plums. Isn’t that just her telling everyone she’s pregnant? She’s even hinting at that old saying about craving sour things meaning it’s a boy and spicy things meaning it’s a girl. She’s convinced she’s carrying a son!”

The southern woman said in shock, “How shameless. Doing that before she’s even married. Absolutely shameless!”

The northern woman said, “Do you think the baby she’s carrying is Qin Zhiyuan’s seed?”

The southern woman said, “Heh, that’s not so certain. Who knows who she goes around seducing all day? A few words with this one, a few words with that one. She’s so slutty it’s disgusting.”

The northern woman said, “Poor Qin Zhiyuan’s girlfriend. She was with him for years, and in the end, this is the kind of man he turns out to be.”

The southern woman said, “You mean that mute? I think she deserves it too. She looks so strange all day, always looking down her nose at everyone… As if the whole world owes her something. Acting like that from morning to night – serves her right!”

The northern woman laughed. “Who knows what Qin Zhiyuan likes about her? It’s like he found himself an empress to worship. Hahaha…”

The southern woman said, “Who do you think Qin Zhiyuan will choose? Who will he marry in the end?”

The northern woman said, “Definitely that bitch Song Fengmei. She’s already pregnant! Who can compete with that?”

Hu Yonglan suddenly retched.

The two female workers immediately fell silent, pulled up their pants, and hurried out of the restroom.