Lin Xinyan kept her head low as she shot him a sidelong glare.
Zong Jinghao responded with a soft chuckle.
As they made their way out of the ward, they were met by the group that came back from visiting the baby earlier.
“Congratulations on your new baby boy.” The voices of both Shen Peichuan and Su Zhan echoed simultaneously. It was an unexpected synchrony. They exchanged a disdainful glance before they turned their backs against each other.
Su Zhan seemed to have recovered from his injury. The bandage on his head earlier had been removed.
The man’s previous hairstyle had been sacrificed in the process. Nevertheless, he hadn’t lost his charm.
Meanwhile, Sang Yu and Qin Ya instinctively walked over to Lin Xinyan’s sides. “Let us do it,” Qin Ya said to Zong Jinghao as the duo supported Lin Xinyan on her feet.
“Be careful, you two,” Zong Jinghao instructed as he made way for them.
“Tsk tsk,” Qin Ya muttered under her breath. What’s with that arrogance? A passing thought crossed her mind upon Zong Jinghao’s authoritative tone. On the other hand, she could empathize with how he felt. It’s only understandable that he was so immersed in the pride and happiness of having fathered a newborn son.
Wary of Lin Xinyan’s postpartum condition, Qin Ya shifted her focus back onto providing support while being as careful as possible.
Lin Xinyan glanced at Sang Yu and then at Qin Ya, noticing how different each of them looked. Sang Yu appeared somewhat healthier and more radiant than before. Qin Ya, on the other hand, didn’t look too well.
Lin Xinyan held onto Qin Ya’s arm as she slowly lowered herself onto the couch. Conscious of the fresh stitches on her abdomen, she leaned back further to prop herself up against the cushioned backrest.
“Is there something on your mind?” Lin Xinyan looked at Qin Ya worryingly.
Qin Ya lowered her eyelids. “It’s nothing,” she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.
The past few days had been tormenting. However, Qin Ya did not want to ruin the atmosphere. That was why she decided to keep those feelings of distress to herself.
Ever since Su Zhan recovered, Grandma Su had been urging them both to undergo a test in the hospital.
The results that came weren’t pleasant. The report showed that she had poor ova quality and was required to give herself six injections daily. The numerous needle marks left on her waist and arm looked just as miserable as how she felt.
Qin Ya had only made it through the first three days. It was just the beginning, but the days ahead seemed as if they’d only be getting more and more difficult. It took such a huge toll on her body and mind.
“What’s wrong? Did you have an argument with Su Zhan?” Sang Yu asked.
Before Qin Ya managed to answer, Su Zhan intervened, “What are you talking about? If any argument happened, it’d be between you and Shen Peichuan. Don’t you start cursing us!”
Sang Yu shot him an angry glare. “What’s gotten into you? There’s no need to be so offended. You could’ve simply said a ‘no.’“
“Looks like you’ve improved a lot on your arguing skills these days. Haven’t you learned anything good ever since being together with Shen Peichuan?”
“You’re one to talk. Haven’t you been bullying Peichuan every time you’re with him?”
“You…”
Before Su Zhan could retaliate further, Shen Peichuan cut his sentence off. “What’s the fuss about?” He jabbed an elbow at Su Zhan, who stood near him. The wounds on Su Zhan’s body no longer hurt much, but he acted as if he was still in a lot of pain. “Ouch! Shen Peichuan, are you trying to get me hospitalized again?”
Shen Peichuan looked at him, unamused. “Don’t snap at me. Aren’t you pretty much recovered already?”
“Who told you I’ve recovered completely? Whatever. You’ll have to pay for that!”
“What am I supposed to do?” Shen Peichuan maintained a cold attitude towards his acting.
Su Zhan answered without thinking, “You’re going to give me a huge sum of red packet money.”
“In your dreams!” Shen Peichuan replied dismissively. He then wrapped an arm around Su Zhan’s shoulder. With a taunting grin, he spoke in his ear, “I’ll give you a big one on the day you have a son.”
He gestured in the air with his hands as if outlining the image of a huge money sack.
Su Zhan was rendered speechless.
He immediately regretted his answer earlier. Of all things, the topic of having a child hit him the hardest.
Grandma Su had been giving him a lot of pressure on this matter. It hurt him to see Qin Ya suffer because of this too.
He was so torn in between.
Lin Xinyan’s voice broke the momentary silence. “I’m getting tired. Ya, can you help me into the room?”
“Sure.” Qin Ya immediately offered the woman a hand.
Lin Xinyan wasn’t exactly tired. She could see that Qin Ya was troubled, and she wanted to have a word with her.
Qin Ya kept silent as she helped Lin Xinyan walk.
“Close the door,” Lin Xinyan requested once they entered.
In a swift and nimble motion, Qin Ya swung the door shut with one hand. As Lin Xinyan settled onto her bed, she motioned for Qin Ya to sit beside her. “Something is definitely troubling you. Can’t you tell me about it?”
Qin Ya let out a helpless sigh. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk about it. I just don’t know where to start…”
Lin Xinyan frowned as she waited for Qin Ya to continue.
“I went for a test recently, and it turns out that my eggs are of poor quality. I’ve been on medication and injections every day since, and I’ll have to go for a follow-up at the hospital again in a month’s time. I’m so stressed… I’m really scared about this. I know it’s just the beginning, but I feel like giving up already…”
Qin Ya’s voice trailed off as she looked out the bedside window. She had been wrestling with her inner thoughts. She had never felt so lost in her life before.
Ever since she remarried Su Zhan, there wasn’t a single day where her heart felt at peace.
Lin Xinyan placed her hand on Qin Ya’s as she listened to her story. The former didn’t know what best to say to comfort her.
“Are you looking for a surrogate?” she asked. It would be impossible for Qin Ya to bear a child without a uterus.
Qin Ya nodded. “We’ve already found a suitable candidate.”
Lin Xinyan’s eyes widened in surprise. “That was faster than I thought!”
Qin Ya gave another helpless nod. “Grandma Su’s been really desperate,” she replied and looked up at Lin Xinyan. “She’s been making me drink these weird concoctions every day… I have no idea where she has gotten such recipes from. She claimed that they’re herbal supplements for my body, but the ingredients she used were ridiculous. You wouldn’t believe what she’s actually put into those so-called herbal soups…”
Qin Ya’s face turned pale as she explained. Lin Xinyan held onto her hands firmly. There had been times she felt tempted to advise Qin Ya to give up, but she had held her tongue each time nonetheless.
Grandma Su wasn’t a bad person. She was indeed known to be staunch, however, whenever it involved her old-fashioned mentality or personal interests.
If Lin Xinyan were to tell Qin Ya to give up, how would her friend survive being a part of the Su family in the days to come?
Lin Xinyan teared up with regret. “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have helped Su Zhan convince you to reconcile with him. Su Zhan’s a good person who’s matured a lot after that incident. I also understand that it’s difficult for him to disobey his grandma. She’s the one who raised him, after all. I should’ve known better back then… I didn’t realize these would all be so unfair to you…”
“Don’t put the blame on yourself. It has nothing to do with you.” Qin Ya knew she shouldn’t make anyone responsible for her own decisions. If she herself wasn’t so softhearted back then, nobody could’ve convinced her either way.
It was heartbreaking for Lin Xinyan to see Qin Ya pale so much that her face began to turn yellow. Lin Xinyan reached out a hand and gently caressed her cheek. “Oh, dear… I can’t imagine how will it be like for you from now on…”
“I can only hope that everything eventually gets better,” Qin Ya replied blankly.
Lin Xinyan nodded. Perhaps this would be the last hurdle she had to endure before her painful ordeal comes to an end. Perhaps the rainbow would finally appear after this one last storm.
“Feel free to tell me if there’s anything you need,” Lin Xinyan murmured. She wished so much to help ease Qin Ya’s burdens. Yet again, she realized that there was nothing she could do.
Qin Ya put on a weary smile. “You shouldn’t be worrying about me in your current state. Rest up as much as possible and focus on your own recovery first.”
Her facade didn’t make Lin Xinyan worry any less. “Who’s the surrogate? What kind of a person is she?” the latter probed further.
She had to make sure that the surrogate was chosen carefully. If something were to go wrong with the childbearing process, Qin Ya’s future could be at stake.
