Chapter 53: Sarcasm

“Xia Xia, my parents already know they were wrong. They asked me to apologize to you and beg you not to hold it against them.” Wen Lan Sheng ran towards Fan Xia. Beside her, a young male nurse was chatting with her, saying something that made Fan Xia laugh while the nurse’s cheeks turned slightly red.

The smile of relief on Wen Lan Sheng’s face instantly froze like ice.

He had confronted his parents in the hospital room for Fan Xia’s sake, risking a rift with them, yet an unknown man had taken advantage of his absence to get close to her.

Wen Lan Sheng’s slightly red eyes, still teary from crying earlier, now held a hint of anger. That anger lurked in the watery gleam, like a massive anaconda hidden in a dark, damp swamp.

He came to Fan Xia’s side, possessively wrapping his arm around hers, glaring sinisterly at the young nurse. His mouth smiled, but his eyes were cold and churning with daggers: “Xia Xia, what are you chatting about so happily? Let me hear too.”

A flash of panic crossed the young nurse’s eyes. He dared not look at Wen Lan Sheng, much less tell him that he had been urged by his friends to come ask for her contact.

As nurses, they encounter many patients and family members daily – enthusiastic, indifferent, troublesome – all sorts of people. But rarely do they see someone like Fan Xia, who could make passing nurses excitedly squeal behind her back just by quietly leaning against a wall.

They were like fanatic fans who had spotted their idol, eagerly discussing Fan Xia, debating whether she was married or had a boyfriend.

Then he had been pushed out to ask for her WeChat contact.

Who knew he wouldn’t get her WeChat, but instead be caught red-handed by someone who seemed to be Fan Xia’s boyfriend. The young nurse was utterly embarrassed.

“It’s nothing. This little nurse brother just came over to tell me a couple things your mother should pay attention to. She’s prone to fainting when emotionally agitated, so try not to let her get upset in the future,” Fan Xia said calmly, opening WeChat to find Rong Xiu’s chat and sending a message.

“That’s right,” the young nurse immediately agreed, looking gratefully at Fan Xia.

Wen Lan Sheng smiled ambiguously: “The nurses at private hospitals are getting more and more attentive these days. Thank you very much.”

The young nurse shook his head slightly: “No need to thank me… I’ll be going now.”

Fan Xia nodded with a smile. The young nurse had come with high hopes but left in disappointment.

Wen Lan Sheng stared at the young nurse’s retreating back, his sinister gaze like a vengeful ghost claiming a life.

Fan Xia noticed his strange look but had no desire to address it. She asked, “Lan Sheng, what were you saying earlier?”

Only then did Wen Lan Sheng retract his malicious gaze, saying happily: “My mom asked me to apologize to you. Losing money was her own responsibility, and she shouldn’t have blamed it on you. She asked me to apologize on her behalf. After all, she’s getting on in years, so please don’t hold it against her, okay?”

“Did she really say that?” Fan Xia looked at him suspiciously.

Wen Lan Sheng said nervously: “Of course. After the doctor does another check this afternoon, if there are no problems, she can be discharged.”

Fan Xia nodded: “Alright then. If everything’s fine, I’ll go back to work.”

“Xia Xia.” Wen Lan Sheng suddenly grabbed her hand tightly, like a person falling off a cliff desperately clinging to the only lifeline.

“Is there something else?” Fan Xia asked.

“Xia Xia, since you’ve already taken time off to come back, why don’t we go get our marriage certificate? Friday is a workday, so there won’t be many people getting married. We won’t have to wait in line long before it’s our turn,” Wen Lan Sheng said urgently, impatient, as if he wanted to drag her into the prison of marriage the very next second, to live and die together.

“Let’s wait a bit on getting the marriage certificate,” Fan Xia said with a smile, the smile rippling at the corners of her mouth.

That ripple, in Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes, became a destructive tidal wave. He stood dumbfounded for a long moment: “Why? Xia Xia, don’t you love me anymore? You don’t love me anymore, do you? You’ve fallen for someone else!”

Wen Lan Sheng’s voice rose to almost a scream, like something scalding and boiling, steaming with an indescribable panic.

Fan Xia took his hand and placed a cool kiss on the back of it, soothing him: “Of course I love you, Lan Sheng. Ever since my parents passed away, you’ve been the only one who’s given me warmth. I’ll never forget how good you were to me when we were young. Besides you, I won’t love anyone else in this life… But-”

She changed her tone, looking towards the closed hospital room: “I know that what you just told me was all lies. I actually heard your conversation inside. I know your parents resent me, and I know you’re compromising for my sake, even willing to break ties with your parents. Lan Sheng, I really don’t want to see you like this.”

“…So, you still want to leave me, you want me to marry someone else? Impossible! Fan Xia, I’d rather die than marry another woman. I am your man! I’ve been your man since our second year of high school. No one can drive me away from you! No one!” Wen Lan Sheng’s expression was agitated, his voice nearly breaking, his body shaking uncontrollably. Though it was October, he felt as if he were in the midst of a bitter winter, his teeth chattering.

“Who said I want to drive you away?” Seeing him almost falling into a deranged state, Fan Xia immediately hugged him, her cool, indifferent words pouring into his ears: “I’m just worried about your mother. Gu Cheng Group’s stocks are still falling, the losses are more than 500,000 yuan. I can bear it because I have a high salary and a house as backup. But what about your mother? What does she have? A monthly salary of a few thousand?”

“Lan Sheng, I love you, but the burden your mother left behind is too heavy. We’re not married yet, and she’s already making a fuss about me covering her debts. If we get married, she’ll definitely latch onto me for good.”

“I really want to marry you, really want to be good to you, but your family… Even before we had a wedding, your father was always hinting that I should give Jing Jing living expenses. It was never less than tens of thousands each time. Now they’ve gotten worse, going from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, like a bottomless pit. Lan Sheng, I’m really tired.”

“…” Wen Lan Sheng stared blankly, his face ashen, unable to refute because every word she said was true.

“Sometimes I really envy other families. The husband is wholeheartedly devoted to his wife-master, and during holidays, the two of them visit their parents together. It seems no other family is like ours, with three people squeezed into our small home. And that’s not enough – I still have to use my connections to find jobs for Wen Jing, and now hundreds of thousands in debt have been inexplicably pinned on me. Even the money I use to buy you clothes and skincare products, you have to scrimp and save most of it to support your parents.”

“I used to look forward to getting married, dreaming of having a child with you soon. Now I don’t even want to go back to that noisy, cramped home. For me, staying at the company is more comfortable than being at home.” Fan Xia slowly released her arms, taking a step back, saying helplessly: “I think we should cool down for a while.”

With that, Fan Xia strode out of the hospital building.

Wen Lan Sheng stood frozen like a statue. It wasn’t until Fan Xia’s shadow was about to disappear at the entrance that he snapped out of his daze and stumbled after her.

“Xia Xia!” He ran to the entrance and grabbed her hand, like a wronged husband begging his wife-master not to abandon him: “I was wrong. I’ll make my parents move out. I know I’ve put you in a difficult position. I’ve been too selfish. Please come back? I won’t let my parents bother you again. I’ll make them leave. Don’t go.”

He was so foolish, taking all of Fan Xia’s efforts for granted, not realizing that beneath all her gentle appearances was forbearance. Like a spring that had been compressed for too long, she had endured so much for his sake at first, and now that it was bursting out, it was all the more fierce.

Fan Xia turned her head away, showing no signs of softening.

A black Maybach entered their line of sight. Rong Xiu leisurely stepped out of the car, his long, powerful legs leaning against the car door. The metal-framed golden glasses on his face gleamed with a hint of sarcasm and danger: “Why are you crying and wailing on the street? People might think Fan Xia is bullying you.”

Indeed, people around were all looking at them.

Wen Lan Sheng hurriedly wiped away his tears, not wanting to embarrass Fan Xia.

“Are you done? There are matters waiting for you at the company,” Rong Xiu said to Fan Xia.

Fan Xia nodded, and only when she saw Rong Xiu did a smile finally appear on her face: “Let’s go.”

Wen Lan Sheng’s mind instantly echoed Fan Xia’s earlier words about ‘being more comfortable at the company than at home’. Why was she willing to stay at the company? It must be because Rong Xiu was constantly tempting her there.

Wen Lan Sheng’s heart ached bitterly. If he didn’t have a family that made Fan Xia feel weary and disgusted, Rong Xiu wouldn’t have had the chance to take advantage of the situation.

His family had forcibly dragged him out of the halls of marriage, and he watched helplessly as Fan Xia got into Rong Xiu’s car, not giving him a single glance from start to finish.

Wen Lan Sheng suddenly had an ominous feeling that if he didn’t find a way soon, Fan Xia might never come back this time.

His heart felt desolate and desperate. He looked at Rong Xiu’s smug expression with hatred and grabbed Rong Xiu’s arm just as he was about to enter the car, gritting his teeth and lowering his voice: “What are you so pleased about? You’re just a homewrecker stealing another woman’s man!”

Rong Xiu lightly smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit. His narrow eyes beneath the golden-rimmed glasses were like a snake flicking out its scarlet tongue: “So you know, huh? Yes, I’m a homewrecker. So what? What right do you have to look down on me? Have you and Fan Xia gotten your marriage certificate?”

Wen Lan Sheng’s face turned as white as paper.

A hint of arrogance flashed across Rong Xiu’s contemptuous brow and eyes as he sneered: “Don’t put on airs of being the rightful husband in front of me. A man who doesn’t even have a marriage certificate isn’t much different from a homewrecker.”

Wen Lan Sheng’s teeth were almost biting blood: “I’m not like you.”

Rong Xiu gave a scornful laugh: “You’re right, we’re not the same. A homewrecker still has a chance to become legitimate, but with a family like yours, you’ll never be legitimate in this lifetime.”