Chapter 59 Final Chapter

She bought a plane ticket to Linzhi four days later. Most of the places she had visited before were abroad or famous tourist destinations, with not many domestic locations.

Tang Man decided to take her time and explore China thoroughly. She thought she could start by visiting the deities of China, after all, Tibet was a place of pilgrimage, wasn’t it?

But before that, she needed to go to the hospital first. The elder Tang had called her several times recently, but Tang Man hadn’t answered. She could imagine the few things the other party might say.

Ever since learning that Yang Qing didn’t want this child, that man seemed to think he had an assured victory. Perhaps his standard for judging a woman’s feelings for a man was that simple – whether she was willing to have a child for him or not.

Compared to the Yang Qing who was once willing to give up her studies to have Tang Man for him, in his eyes, the current Yang Qing clearly didn’t love Gu Yuanke enough.

Tang Man neither affirmed nor denied the elder Tang’s views, offering no comments.

But one thing she could affirm was that while Yang Qing might not love the current Gu Yuanke deeply, she didn’t necessarily love the Tang Zhengfeng of those days either.

If a woman loved too many times in her life, the love she gave to each person would diminish.

The surgery was scheduled for the morning. An abortion was just a minor procedure, usually completed within half an hour. However…

The elder Tang had also arrived but had enough self-awareness not to approach and cause trouble. Xie Li was present too. Ever since Tang Man arrived, his gaze had been fixed on her. She could sense the subtle emotions behind his stare, but she pretended not to notice, taking a seat beside Hu Haiying.

Before the surgery, Yang Qing had to undergo a series of examinations, which would take over an hour. Throughout the process, Yang Qing remained very tense. During the electrocardiogram, the doctor noticed her excessive tension, and Gu Yuanke gently reassured her from the side.

“Don’t be nervous. After the anesthesia, the surgery will only take about ten minutes. It will be over quickly and won’t hurt much, Aqing.”

He felt somewhat guilty because Yang Qing’s mental state hadn’t been great during her pregnancy. More than the physical torment, the pregnancy had dealt her a severe blow, and she struggled to accept it for a long time.

Yang Qing didn’t respond, instinctively touching her abdomen. Whether it was a psychological effect or not, she could clearly sense the life stirring within.

She had accidentally watched a short film about the abortion procedure. Although it was just an animated version, it was still shockingly horrifying, terrifying even, to the point of inducing a visceral sense of pain.

Humans are always fearful of the unknown, stemming from a lack of control over domains beyond their grasp, leaving them feeling uneasy about the future.

After Yang Qing was taken into the operating room, the others waited outside. Tang Man sat on a bench in the hallway, head lowered as she scrolled through her phone. Xie Li seemed to have something to say to Tang Man and was about to approach her when, almost simultaneously, the operating room door that had just closed reopened. Tang Man looked up.

She saw Yang Qing emerge, sobbing in Gu Yuanke’s embrace, repeatedly saying she regretted it and didn’t want the abortion anymore.

Tang Man put away her phone, feeling a sense of inevitability. Her mother, Madam Yang, had always been an indecisive person. This decision was more in line with her true nature. Tang Man stood up, said nothing more, and simply nodded slightly at Gu Yuanke, who was consoling the weeping Yang Qing, before turning to leave.

She had booked a flight to City C for that evening. There were no direct flights to Linzhi, so she had to transfer. Originally, she had only intended to stay an extra night for Yang Qing’s sake, but now there was no need.

However, before leaving, she did see Hu Haiying off. Xie Li glanced at the departing Tang Man, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t follow her out.

Tang Man and Hu Haiying went for a late dinner together. She hadn’t told Yang Qing and Tang Zhengfeng about her travel plans yet, but she had mentioned it to Hu Haiying, who fully supported her decision.

“It’s good for you to go travel. After your mom has this child, you can come back. You know your dad is worthless, and your mom’s not very clear-headed either. Going out and playing for a bit is fine, so you don’t get dragged into their mess.”

In Hu Haiying’s view, Yang Qing could never make a decisive choice, always dragging things out. As for keeping this child, it wasn’t out of love either, so there was no telling if she might change her mind later. But that wasn’t something Hu Haiying should worry about. Yang Qing was over forty and should be responsible for her own decisions. Plus, there was Gu Yuanke. Between the two of them, at least one should have a clear head, so it wouldn’t be a disaster.

Tang Man smiled. “Grandma, you’ll have a great-grandchild now. Aren’t you happy?”

Hu Haiying replied, “I’m already so old, and I have one at home who only knows how to eat, drink, and play. I can’t even take care of that one properly. What’s there to be happy about with another little one? More children just means more debt. Your mom alone is already enough of a headache.”

Tang Man burst into laughter upon hearing this. “Grandma, I won’t worry you the way my mom does.”

Hu Haiying neither affirmed nor denied Tang Man’s words. She truly didn’t think Tang Man was someone she could stop worrying about – it had been evident since she was young.

Of course, Tang Man wouldn’t think that way. She genuinely believed she was someone adults didn’t need to worry about.

She sent Hu Haiying back to the nearby residence, a property under Yang Qing’s name where Hu Haiying had been staying recently. However, she had mostly been accompanying Yang Qing at the hospital since Gu Yuanke would sometimes leave, and the medical staff was too detached.

Yang Qing wouldn’t show her unease in front of strangers. She only needed to express her emotions to those closest to her because strangers wouldn’t be moved by her negative feelings.

Before leaving, she said, “I’ll miss you, Grandma.”

Hu Haiying didn’t respond. Like most people, she was blunt and unskilled at expressing affection. She couldn’t respond to Tang Man’s occasional outbursts either. When Tang Man was young, the two weren’t particularly close, but unexpectedly, their relationship had improved significantly as Tang Man grew older.

Tang Man went downstairs, sat in the car for a long time, and then drove out of the community, intending to return to her apartment and pack her luggage. This was a long-term trip, so she didn’t pack much – a suitcase, a large travel backpack, and carefully selected skincare and makeup products fitting into a cosmetic case. As for clothes, she only brought a few summer outfits, planning to buy more if needed along the way.