NOVPUB
Chapter 295: Chapter 295: Hearing the Wedding News
Upon seeing Si Chen, Song Yu felt as tense as a mouse in the presence of a cat, his muscles tightened and he stiffly uttered a greeting alongside Xiaohui, "Brother."
Si Chen’s gaze swept over him briefly, resting barely a second, before returning to Si Xiaohui. With a slightly cold ’hmm’ in response. But it was unclear to whom the response was intended.
Sin Weimin, on seeing his nephew, was filled with discomfort due to Lin Fengying’s words, feeling a sense of guilt and awkwardness towards him.
The three people in the room felt a bit guilty, causing the atmosphere in the ward to freeze over momentarily. The silence was eerily quiet, causing Song Yu to hardly dare to breathe loudly.
He thought if he could win over his talented uncle, his life would be smooth sailing with a milk tea shop of his own. Unfortunately, his uncle proved impossible to please, leaving Song Yu powerless and trying hard to shrink from view.
Having been part of society for over ten years, Si Weimin quickly managed his facial expression. Seeing Xiaohui’s fear of Si Chen, he spoke up, "Xiaochen, it’s because I didn’t plan well enough when Xiaohui got into trouble, do not blame her."
Si Chen’s face was expressionless and he replied coldly, "The marriage was her choice and her body is her own. If she didn’t take it seriously, why should I blame her?"
Even as an elder brother, Si Chen could not be blunt. Through Yuan Caizhen’s hesitant expression earlier, he was somewhat able to guess the truth behind Xiaohui’s miscarriage.
Now that the people closest to Xiaohui are here, it was not his place to say anything.
"Brother, don’t you love me anymore? You don’t show any concern even though I am in this condition. Are you really my blood brother? You lost your nephew yet you are so indifferent, are you even capable of compassion?" Xiaohui’s bottom lip quivered and she barely avoided dissolving into tears.
Honestly, she couldn’t understand. She simply chose someone she liked, didn’t she?
Why must her big brother be cold towards her? Even if he is angry, seeing her in this state, he should have some sympathy, right?
Where has the bond between them, borne out of shared hardships from their childhood, gone?
At hearing the words ’real brother’, Si Chen pursed his thin lips in disapproval. But he merely glanced at Weimin without uttering a word. That glance caused his whole body to stiffen and he felt as though he had fallen into a pit of ice.
If before he only had a suspicion, now he was quite certain - Si Chen was aware of something.
Si Weimin’s hand clenched into a fist at his side. He intended to call out to Si Chen, but he found himself unable to produce any sound.
Tong Yao and Yuan Caizhen entered, just in time to witness the scene.
"What’s going on?"
Yuan Caizhen broke the tense atmosphere. Knowing the poor relationship between the uncle and nephew, she took the initiative to smooth things over, blaming herself.
"Xiaochen, we didn’t take good care of Xiaohui. As her aunt, I neglected her physical condition. Please, don’t be angry. For the time being, I will take care of Xiaohui and help her regain her health."
"Brother, I... I made a mistake too. I didn’t take good care of Xiaohui. If you want to blame anybody, blame me! If you want to scold or hit me, I won’t fight back," Song Yu added, trying to showcase his manliness. However, Si Chen didn’t engage him at all.
Si Chen’s countenance relaxed, he delivered some advice regarding physical well-being, then left the ward with Tong Yao. He had fulfilled his duties as a hospital visitor, but his visit was a mere formality, having stayed just long enough to check in on Xiaohui before leaving.
Tong Yao could understand Si Chen’s behavior. With both Si Weimin and Song Yu present, there was no room for him to say or do anything. Despite Xiaohui’s pitiful tears, if Si Chen reprimanded Song Yu, she would undoubtedly defend him like a hen protecting its chicks.
Then, Si Chen would end up the bad guy.
And so, it is of no use to be a princess in a marriage if you can’t stand up for yourself.
No sooner had the two come out of the ward, Lin Man walked over with an IV bottle in hand. It just so happened that she saw Si Chen and Tong Yao descending the stairs. The sight of Si Chen claimed her full attention. Lin Man quickened her pace to catch up with them but slipped and took a fall. When she got up and chased after them, they were gone.
Thinking of the fact that they had come out of ward 203, Lin Man picked up the saline bottle from the floor and went back there. There were quite a few people inside and no one looked particularly happy, so Lin Man pushed down her excitement and remained silent.
The patient was here for a miscarriage and had to stay in the hospital for at least two or three days. So, Lin Man could take her time. When she found out that the patient also shared the same last name, Lin Man was very kind to Xiaohui. They soon got acquainted and even planned to go shopping together in the future.
Being able to make a friend in Kyoto made Xiaohui very happy. She didn’t feel any sadness for the loss of the baby. She was only just over a month pregnant, so she wasn’t particularly attached to it. Miscarriages are quite common among women in the village. It’s no big deal, a sentiment that Xiaohui had already internalized.
She cried and sobbed in front of her uncle, pretending to be heartbroken, solely to provoke her uncle’s guilt. And now, she had achieved her goal.
The uncle had said that she should rest for a month. There was no need to run the restaurant anymore. The uncle would arrange other things for Song Yu. Coincidently, she didn’t want to have children so soon. The timing of the miscarriage was perfect.
During the day, she was taken care of by the nurses and Song Yu. Aunty Caizhen brought her meals every day. In the evening, Song Yu stayed with her as her caretaker. She was living luxuriously like an empress. Xiaohui wished she could stay a few more days in the hospital.
"Is your brother called Si Chen?" asked Lin Man, a casual inquiry made when Xiaohui was alone in the ward. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Xiaohui raised her chin proudly and replied: "Indeed! You don’t mean to say that you know my brother and his wife, do you? My brother is a surgeon at the First Hospital, he is a graduate of the Medical University of Kyoto, his skills are exceptional." Even as she quarreled with her brother, Xiaohui found a sense of pride in talking about him.
She felt it gave her a sense of prestige when mentioning Si Chen in front of others, thus satisfying her vanity.
However, for Lin Man, the word ’sister-in-law’ caused her to freeze in place; her warm heart shattered into pieces under the crushing wave of reality.
Was this some divine prank?
After months of waiting in vain, and finally giving up, she was given hope again. But before she could recover from the surprise, the hope was extinguished by Xiaohui’s single word.
Having had a sleepless night, she had been fantasizing all along that Si Chen came to Kyoto for her and that the only reason he didn’t contact her was because she had moved to a different address.
This was like a plot from a movie. They met during an earthquake, but later due to her relocation, Si Chen arrived looking for her, only to miss her due to the circumstances.
And then, they miraculously meet again at the hospital.
This sort of beautiful and perfect destiny, the likes of a dream or even a movie, was shattered the moment Xiaohui spoke the word ’sister-in-law’.
How could he possibly be married so soon?
