Xin Qing stared at Lin Xiaoyu with an expression of mild shock. The reason for Lin Xiaoyu's sudden emotional outburst eluded her.
"I...I'm pregnant..." Lin Xiaoyu said with hot tears pooling in her eyes.
"Ah!" Xin Qing's hand flew to her mouth and she looked at Lin Xiaoyu in shock, saying, "then...what are you planning to do?" Xin Qing knowingly did not ask Lin Xiaoyu about her boyfriend's attitude regarding the matter. Xin Qing already knew that Xin Haoyu would never take up the responsibility for what he had done to the woman.
The next moment, a sobbing Lin Xiaoyu clung on to Xin Qing, "Xin Qing, please. I beg you. Please tell Haoyu that I'm pregnant. He can't abandon me now. He can't."
"It's pointless even if I told him," Xin Qing said, wanting to push Lin Xiaoyu off but had then elected not to after remembering her pregnancy. Instead, Xin Qing began patting her, "When you mentioned responsibility, what exactly did you have in mind?"
Lin Xiaoyu shook her head in a fit of panic and said, "It's not what you think. It's not about money. I really do love him."
"That's even more unlikely." Xin Qing frowned. Lin Xiaoyu was entirely clueless about the rules of the game. Men like Xin Haoyu would never agree to a marriage. And the Xin family would never want Lin Xiaoyu as a daughter-in-law.
Once again, Lin Xiaoyu shook her head in apprehension. "How do you know it's impossible? Did you say something to him?" Lin Xiaoyu wondered. All of a sudden, she glared at Xin Qing. "So that's why he won't see me. Did you bad-mouth me in front of him?"
Xin Qing wanted to kill herself. She stood up with every intention to leave.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Xin Qing," Lin Xiaoyu said, pulling her back, "I was too hasty. I didn't mean it that way. So please don't leave. You gotta help me!"
Xin Qing studied Lin Xiaoyu, who was holding on to her with a death grip. "I can't help you," Xin Qing said helplessly.
"You can. You just have to give Haoyu a call and tell him that I'm pregnant. He'll definitely agree to see me then."
"Why didn't you call him yourself?"
A sorrowful look flitted across Lin Xiaoyu's face. "He isn't picking up my calls."
"Figures," Xin Qing thought, "once he's done playing with you, he wants nothing to do with you."
"Xin Qing, I beg you. I'd kneel before you. Please! Help me!" Lin Xiaoyu said, already half-kneeling. Xin Qing tried to pull her up as she responded. "Don't do this. Get up."
"No. I won't get up. If you don't help me today, then I'll just be kneeling here until you do," Lin Xiaoyu bawled. Other students who were walking by had already begun murmuring and pointing fingers at them.
Xin Qing truly regretted ever agreeing to the conversation with Lin Xiaoyu in the first place. Now she had no choice but to help the woman out.
"Fine. I'll make the call. But how it turns out is none of my concern," Xin Qing said, already pulling out her phone. She dialed the numbers in front of Lin Xiaoyu. If this was what it would take to get Lin Xiaoyu to give up on her delusions, then so be it.
Seeing that Xin Qing had pushed the call button, Lin Xiaoyu stood up and wiped away her tears. "No. He won't do that to me and our child."
"Xin Qing?" Xin Pengfei was extremely shocked that Xin Qing was calling him. But then Xin Qing knew of no other way to get in touch with Xin Haoyu. Besides, there was only the call history between her and Xin Pengfei in her phone.
"There's this problem that concerns Xin Haoyu," Xin Qing said, "I've got a classmate pregnant with his child. You should go ask him what he plans to do about it."
On the other end of the line, Xin Pengfei went into a state of stupor. "What are you talking about?" he asked.
"It's got nothing to do with me. I'm just the messenger," Xin Qing said. She had no plans to be dragged into this mess at all.
Xin Pengfei went quiet. A few moments later, he asked, "Is that classmate beside you right now?"
"She's here. Why don't you talk to her, then," Xin Qing passed the phone to Lin Xiaoyu.
When Lin Xiaoyu took the phone, her comportment was a mixture of anxiety and excitement. "Hello, Uncle Xin. I'm Haoyu's girlfriend, I..."
The look on Lin Xiaoyu's face changed before she could finish. "Probably because of what Xin Pengfei was saying at the other end," Xin Qing thought.
"No... it's not like that at all, Uncle Xin. I'm not doing this for money...please, you have to believe me. The child really does belong to Haoyu... no... you... Uncle Xin? Please listen to me... Uncle Xin?"
Obviously, Xin Pengfei had already hung up the phone. Seeing Lin Xiaoyu's blank and unmoving form, Xin Qing snatched her phone back and broke off into a run. When she had run all the way to the field, she snuck a glance backwards. Faintly, Xin Qing could make out Lin Xiaoyu's profile. Lin Xiaoyu was still standing at the spot where Xin Qing had left her. She did not seem to have moved at all.
In the evening, when Ying Qingcang came to pick up Xin Qing, he immediately noticed her brooding.
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah? Oh, it's nothing," Xin Qing answered half-heartedly, still staring out the car window.
Ying Qingcang glanced at her. "But you're frowning so hard that your eyebrows are practically joined," he said, "alright, tell me! What's going on?"
Xin Qing thought for a moment before she said, "Lin Xiaoyu approached me today."
Ying Qingcang frowned as he tried to recall the name. "Oh, is that the classmate who gave your designs to Xin Yudie that time?"
"Yeah, that's her," Xin Qing said, "she told me she's pregnant, and the child belongs to Xin Haoyu."
A look of surprise flitted across Ying Qingcang's face. At the same time, he looked as if he had just been told the funniest joke in the world. "Oh, this is going to be quite a show," he said.
"What do you mean?"
Ying Qingcang did not explain it. "So now she wants you to help her persuade the Xin family to acknowledge the child?" he asked instead.
"I called Xin Pengfei. And it doesn't seem like he's going to acknowledge the child," Xin Qing said. At the time, Xin Qing could pretty much guess what Xin Pengfei had been saying at the other end of the call just from the look on Lin Xiaoyu's face.
"He will," Ying Qingcang said, shooting Xin Qing a glance.
Xin Qing glared at him. "What is this man up to this time?" she thought.
"Don't worry, you'll know soon enough."
Because of Lin Xiaoyu, Xin Qing had restricted her own comings and goings in school this week. She had not dared to go anywhere at all in fear of being pestered by Lin Xiaoyu again. But in the end, all her efforts proved futile.
"Xin Qing!" Lin Xiaoyu said as she stood blocking Xin Qing's way out at the school entrance. "Why is Ying Qingcang so late today?" Xin Qing grumbled inwardly.
Lin Xiaoyu took the remaining steps to close the distance between them. Apparently, Lin Xiaoyu's behavior showed more firmness and backbone this time. "Xin Qing, go tell Xin Haoyu to marry me," she demanded in an obnoxious tone.
Xin Qing looked at Lin Xiaoyu as if she'd gone insane. "You alright?"
"Xin Yudie told me that right now the Xin family is keen on doing your bidding. So as long as you say the word, he'll marry me." Lin Xiaoyu stared at Xin Qing. She looked like she would pounce the moment Xin Qing shook her head.
Xin Qing took two steps backwards, hoping to keep the other woman at arm's length. "You overestimate me," Xin Qing said, "the affairs of Xin family has nothing to do with me. And your business is none of my concern too. So don't come looking for me again because of this. I don't want to see your face."
Lin Xiaoyu rushed forward and got up to Xin Qing's face. "It's because you don't want me as a mistress of Xin family, isn't it? You just don't wish a good life for me!" Lin Xiaoyu sneered.
Xin Qing's face darkened. "Did Xin Yudie tell you this too?"
"It doesn't matter who told me. Just tell me if you'd help me with this."
Xin Qing turned around to leave. Panicking, Lin Xiaoyu yelled, "Stay where you are!" She rushed forward and tugged at Xin Qing's arm. Xin Qing was not in the mood for Lin Xiaoyu's pestering, so she flung out her arms to shake Lin Xiaoyu off. But in the midst of it all, Lin Xiaoyu had lost her footing and ended up falling on her butt.
"Ah!" Lin Xiaoyu released a bone-chilling shriek. Her hands went straight to her stomach. "My tummy."
Xin Qing, who had never experienced something like this before, went still with shock.
Beep! Beep! A series of horns sounded from behind Xin Qing. She turned around and hollered, "Ying Qingcang, help!"
At the hospital, Xin Qing was pacing holes in the corridor of the waiting area. When Ying Qingcang returned with coffee, he forced her to sit down on the bench.
"Even if something happens to her, it's not your fault."
Xin Qing looked slightly dazed. She thought of Lin Xiaoyu's bloodless features when the doctors took her. "If...if the child..."
"It has nothing to do with you," Ying Qingcang said aloud, pulling her into his arms. "None of this is your fault. Listen to me and stop blaming yourself. Besides, we don't know for sure what's gonna happen. Who knows, it might turn out to be nothing!"
Amidst the gentle strokes of Ying Qingcang's hand on her back, Xin Qing found herself slowly calming down.
"President Ying, Xin Qing? What are you guys doing here?"
Xin Qing would be able to recognize that voice anywhere. She lifted her head and saw Xin Pengfei standing a few feet away. He looked agitated and there was a medical report in his hand.
"Is he here to see Lin Xiaoyu?" Xin Qing thought, "no that can't be it. How could he have known about what happened..."
"Are you guys here to visit a patient?" Xin Pengfei walked up to them. He even gave them both a once-over to see if they were both alright.
Ying Qingcang laughed all of a sudden. "What about you? Here to visit a patient as well?" he asked.
Xin Qing glanced at Ying Qingcang. That smile of his looked way too suspicious.
Xin Pengfei sighed. "It's Haoyu. He...he's here for a health screening."
Though from the look on Xin Pengfei's face, Xin Qing was not entirely convinced that this was about something as simple as a health screen. Xin Qing suddenly thought of Ying Qingcang's words from before. Ying Qingcang had told her before that Xin Haoyu's troubles were far from over. Could this be it? Was this part of the trouble that Ying Qingcang had been referring to?
The exchanged was interrupted when Lin Xiaoyu was rolled out from the examination room.
"No harm done. But be careful next time. She's only two months pregnant, which is also the most unstable time period."
Xin Qing nodded. "Understood. Thank you, doctor."
"This is?" Xin Pengfei looked at Lin Xiaoyu's unconscious form. "Is she that classmate you mentioned?"
Xin Qing ignored him and trailed after the nurse. Ying Qingcang glanced at Xin Pengfei before hurrying after Xin Qing. Xin Pengfei stood there for a long time, wallowing in his own thoughts.
In another hospital room, a pissed off Xin Haoyu was throwing a fit.
"What's wrong with me? Why is this happening to me all of a sudden?" he yelled at the doctor. Zhao Jiali was standing at one side wiping her tears.
"My guess is that you've been having a highly active sex life recently. And you've also been drinking too much alcohol. All these things contributed to your erectile dysfunction," the doctor explained helplessly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Xin Haoyu glared daggers at the doctor. Zhao Jiali quickly held him back before turning to the doctor, "Doctor, can the condition be reversed with proper lifestyle adjustments and remedies?"
The doctor gave Xin Haoyu a look of sympathy. "I can't guarantee that. It might be permanent."
Xin Haoyu picked up a cup from the night stand and threw it to the ground. "Get out! To hell with permanent! Get the fuck out!" Xin Haoyu glanced from side to side and asked, "Mom, where's my dad? Let's go to another hospital and let another doctor have a look at me."
Zhao Jiali pulled her Xin Haoyu into her arms as she sobbed. "Just what kind of sin did we commit to deserve such karma!" she thought.
A few days ago, when Xin Haoyu was out fooling around, he felt a sharp pain in his nether regions. After he got sent to the hospital, he learnt that he had erectile dysfunction. He could not get it up. The doctors had tried everything, and he still could not get it up.
Xin Pengfei walked in with a frown. Noticing Xin Pengfei's arrival, the doctor advised, "Your son can be discharged anytime. Besides, there's not much point in staying anyway. I suggest you consult a Chinese medicine practitioner. Perhaps the traditional way might offer a solution!"
After the doctor left, Xin Pengfei studied Xin Haoyu, who was still in the middle of his tantrums. At that moment, Xin Pengfei felt nothing but anger. "Oh, so now you're freaking out," he barked, "and you didn't think having some self-control when you're out cavorting?"
Xin Haoyu had pretty much gone hysterical at that point. "Dad, what's the point of you saying all this now? Our family bloodline is going to end!" Xin Haoyu yelled.
A sudden coldness took over Xin Pengfei's features. "No. That won't happen. From now on, you listen to everything I say. And just now, the doctor even said that traditional Chinese medicine might be helpful. We'll try that out first. Who know's you'll recover after a few months."
"But...but what if he doesn't?" Zhao Jiali said worriedly. She knew that Xin Pengfei had been having health problems of his own for quite some time. So having another child with him was impossible. If Haoyu did not recover, then the Xin bloodline would really come to an end.
Xin Pengfei's eyes darkened and he said, "Then I'll arrange for a marriage immediately."