Chapter 043: She Has Her Own Plan.

But before she could finish her words, the man standing beside her hospital bed suddenly bent down, his thin lips parting as he fiercely seized hers in a brutal kiss. In an instant, any words she had left to say were completely silenced.

She could only utter a muffled sound, unable even to resist. Lying there, she was at his mercy as he pressed her gently down and kissed her with a punishing intensity. His lips were dry and cold, tinged with anger, and the force of his kiss hurt her.

She opened her eyes and saw his handsome face so close, twisted with rage and hostility. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

He was still angry with her… But what right did he have to be angry? He was the one who never answered her calls, the one who betrayed her…

Their faces were wet with tears, hers and his, and she had no idea how much time had passed before his fierce grip finally loosened and he let her go.

Gasping for breath, every inhalation was a fresh wave of pain shooting through her body. His own breath was ragged as well, but he reached out with his large hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks, his voice low and firm: “We’re not getting divorced. Absolutely not.”

She was silent.

Bitterness and anguish welled up inside her once more. Looking at him—so calm, as if nothing had happened—she lost control and shouted, “The baby is gone! My child is gone!”

“Xiao Xuezheng! Do you even understand what that means?! The only reason we got married was because of the baby—now that the child is gone, there’s no reason for us to stay together!”

Her voice rose, trembling with pain and fury.

But it seemed her words had rattled Xuezheng too. He tugged furiously at his tie, then grabbed her chin, his features darkening as he declared, “We’re still not getting divorced! If the baby’s gone, we’ll have another! I’ll only ever marry once in my life!”

His voice was so thunderous it felt like the walls themselves were shaking.

Stunned by his outburst, tears streaming down her face, she stared at him in disbelief.

How could he speak of these things so lightly, as if having a child was the simplest thing in the world? Did he think pregnancy was something that could happen anytime, just by wishing it so?

Or perhaps it simply didn’t matter to him whether she was pregnant or not, whether the baby existed or not—it meant nothing to him at all.

She took a deep breath, her face streaked with tears, and stared at him with a cold, bitter smile. “No divorce? Then, Xiao Xuezheng, who is Zaozao?!”

He froze.

His long, dark eyes widened, staring at her, his lips pressed tight as he said nothing. He couldn’t believe she had actually said that name aloud.

Seeing his reaction, her mocking smile grew sharper. She pressed on, “You refuse to divorce me? Fine—then tell me, who is Zaozao?! Who is this woman you can’t forget, the one you cry out for in your sleep?!”

She raised her voice, summoning every ounce of her courage. She knew that if she didn’t ask now, the pain between them would only deepen.

It struck her, suddenly, that she knew nothing about this man—not a single thing.

His handsome, sculpted face was now hard and icy, his eyes filled with frost. “That’s none of your business. You just need to recover.”

At his words, the last of her resolve faded. The world blurred before her eyes; she felt as if she were going blind, unable to see him or understand him.

He kept another in his heart, yet clung to her, married her in a rush, and now, with the baby gone, refused to let her go.

She pressed her lips together and said nothing more. After that exchange, she was exhausted—her heart numb and cold. There was only one thing she was certain of now: he did not love her. Perhaps he didn’t even like her.

Whenever she mentioned Zaozao, his eyes would turn dark and terrifying, as if he might devour her.

She would never bring it up again. All her childish, naive longing ended today, in this very moment.

…

In the days that followed, she drifted in and out of consciousness. A high fever raged through her, her temperature climbing close to forty degrees. She floated, barely aware, her mind lost in a hazy fog.

She slept for days, vaguely aware of voices at her bedside, the constant coming and going of people from her hospital room, the careful ministrations of nurses and doctors, and even Xuezheng’s angry shouts at the medical staff. But above all, she just felt so tired.

Fever and coma—at least in this state, she didn’t have to wake up and face the horror of her reality.

For five days, her fever refused to break.

He grew desperate, terrified that she would lose her mind from the fever. Over and over, he stormed into the doctor’s office, demanding they come tend to her.

But the doctors explained her wounds had become infected after the accident. It should have been a minor issue; she’d received medication and antibiotics, her injuries were healing, yet the fever persisted without explanation.

Frustrated by their answers, Xuezheng was ready to tear the hospital down brick by brick.

He even considered transferring her to another facility. But then, suddenly, Grandmother Xiao called.

They hadn’t come home for a week, and his grandmother, worried something had happened, called to inquire. Xuezheng had no idea how to tell his grandparents the truth—especially now that the child was gone. He could only lie and say he’d taken Shirenrun on a trip to relax.

At last, after a week, her fever broke on its own.

Slowly, her senses returned. She could open her eyes, and even eat a little on her own, no longer dependent on IV nutrition.

Cen Huan brought her food every day, but Xuezheng always intercepted it, insisting on feeding her himself.

She didn’t resist; she ate whatever he offered, never arguing or complaining. Her only thought was to get better as quickly as possible, to stand, to walk.

She had her own plans and dreams for the future.

Born a foster child in the countryside, finally recognized by the Shi family, yet treated with indifference. She had finally married into a wealthy family, only to end up like this.

She couldn’t help but find her life almost laughable.

Perhaps this city was simply destined to clash with her fate.

Perhaps, she thought, it was time to leave.