Su He hadn't expected to run into Zhou Yingzi in such a secluded place. It had been quite some time since she last saw her, just once before the Lunar New Year, and they hadn't crossed paths since.
Su He's life was currently quite full, with a mountain of things to do every day. She had almost forgotten about Zhou Yingzi's existence.
Zhou Yingzi was not among the invited guests at the wedding held on the island.
Rumor had it that she had caused quite a scene at home because of it.
Unfortunately, He Yunting's attention was currently focused on another woman, and he couldn't be bothered with this stepdaughter to whom he had no blood relation. He, as the father, hadn't even had the right to go on stage to accept the newcomers' tea ceremony, let alone her, an outsider.
While Su He was lost in thought, Zhou Yingzi had already walked in.
Su He was lying behind the curtain, so Zhou Yingzi didn't see her.
The female doctor examining her looked at Zhou Yingzi with a calm, slightly impatient expression. "You should wait outside. I have other patients here."
Zhou Yingzi, however, didn't move, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"I told you long ago not to be so blinded by love. That man is clearly a seasoned player in romance; you can't win against him," the female doctor said, her hands not stopping their work. "I think it's best for you to break up with him as soon as possible, lest you fall deeper and deeper."
The female doctor was named Zhang Lan, and she had practically watched Zhou Yingzi grow up. Back then, after Zhao Yafen's husband died, she worked away from home for a long time, leaving her young child in her brother's care.
Zhou Yingzi had grown up with her cousins, and Zhang Lan felt she was quite pitiable, so she treated her equally. Whatever her own children had, Zhou Yingzi would never be shortchanged.
Zhou Yingzi had always been very close to this aunt.
Even after Zhao Yafen married Lu Yunting and took Zhou Yingzi with her, she had maintained contact with her uncle's family.
A few days ago, Zhou Yingzi discovered she was pregnant and joyfully shared the good news with her aunt, who had raised her. So, Zhang Lan invited her to bring her boyfriend over for dinner.
However, Luo Fei cited a busy work schedule and failed to keep this appointment.
From that point on, Zhang Lan felt that this man was unreliable. Later, she attended a medical exchange conference in a neighboring city and accidentally ran into Luo Fei at a restaurant, holding a pregnant woman. She discreetly took photos and sent them to her niece, once again urging her not to be too persistent and to let go when it was time.
Zhou Yingzi was quite sad at first, but under Luo Fei's honeyed words, she quickly changed her mind. Coupled with her prolonged emotional manipulation, she believed everything Luo Fei said. She even listened to him and aborted the fetus that had just begun to form.
Zhang Lan performed the surgery herself.
Zhang Lan kept lamenting the sin but also felt that the child had come at the wrong time. Perhaps, aborting it was the best choice.
As she recalled this, Zhang Lan's expression grew increasingly grim. "There are thousands of men in this world, why must it be him!"
"When I was at my lowest, it was he who cared for me and looked after me, giving me the courage to live again." When Zhou Yingzi spoke of the man named Luo Fei, her eyes shone with light.
Zhang Lan sighed helplessly and said no more. "In any case, I don't approve of you two being together. You're on your own!"
"Aunt... we truly love each other... it's just that his wife has been threatening to die, refusing to divorce us, so we..." Before she could finish, Zhang Lan interrupted her.
"No matter the reason, he's cheating while married! A man like that has character issues! You'll regret being with him!" Zhang Lan was angry at her lack of progress.
Zhou Yingzi wanted to say more but was driven out by her. "I'm still working; don't disrupt my work."
Zhou Yingzi sobbed in the room for a long time, then slowly turned and left.
Su He, who had involuntarily overheard a bit of gossip, was trying hard to control her expression.
The two of them might have thought she couldn't understand their dialect, but in reality, her three years at the Lu family hadn't been in vain; she had understood almost everything they said.
So, Zhou Yingzi was involved with a married man!
No wonder she hadn't sought her out for a long time to make her presence known!
After finishing her examination, Zhang Lan clearly informed her that her body had no issues. "The reason you haven't conceived might be a matter of timing."
"Oh, right, have you had your husband checked?" Su He's heart had just settled when Zhang Lan suddenly asked.
"He has an annual physical. If there were any problems, they would have been found by now," Su He replied after some thought. It was personal privacy, and she couldn't say too much.
"Come back with him for a check-up sometime. Don't assume all the responsibility is on your side."
"Also, you need to adjust your mindset to welcome the baby; you can't be too anxious."
As a senior gynecologist, Zhang Lan could see Su He's anxiety at a glance.
"Thank you, Doctor," Su He said sincerely.
Zhang Lan nodded and called for the next patient.
When Su He walked out, Zhou Yingzi had already disappeared.
She had almost forgotten about it, but Zhou Yingzi returned and happened to see Su He driving away in the parking lot. She unconsciously frowned, suddenly recalling the shoes she had seen in her aunt's consultation room earlier, which seemed somewhat similar to Su He's.
"Why is Su He here?" she murmured to herself.
When she returned to the consultation room, it was lunchtime. Zhang Lan had locked the door and was heading to the cafeteria. Seeing that Zhou Yingzi hadn't left, she sighed and brought her along to the cafeteria.
"Aunt, did someone named Su He come to your clinic just now? What's wrong with her?" Zhou Yingzi couldn't help but ask while they were eating.
Zhang Lan glanced at her. "That's a patient's privacy."
"I know her, so I'm just concerned," Zhou Yingzi said as if it were a matter of fact.
"How do you know her?" Zhang Lan casually asked.
"She's quite famous; she's my younger brother's ex-wife." Zhou Yingzi still couldn't hide her dislike for Su He when she mentioned her.
"It's her?" Zhang Lan finally remembered such a person.
Years ago, when she heard her sister-in-law say her son was getting married, she had planned to attend the wedding banquet. However, Lu Jingyang, that scoundrel, had taken his mistress abroad to protest the arranged marriage, and the wedding naturally didn't happen. Thus, she missed the opportunity to meet her niece-in-law.
"That woman Su He is so scheming! After failing to attach herself to my brother, she then used her proximity to seduce Lu Yanbei..." Zhou Yingzi pouted, her face filled with disdain. "Heaven is truly unfair! How could such a woman end up as the young madam of the Lu family!"
Facing her niece's complaints, Zhang Lan's expression remained calm.
She was not someone who blindly believed everything she heard.
In the brief time she had interacted with Su He, she could tell that Su He was a decent girl. She simply didn't have a destiny with Lu Jingyang, not as vile as her niece described.
"Let's eat first; it'll get cold," Zhang Lan said, picking up a piece of potato and chewing slowly.