"Really? Are you seriously planning to divorce Ke Jingchen?" You You asked over the phone.
"Yeah, after being a substitute for so many years, I'm tired," I sighed.
"When do you plan to bring it up with him?"
"As soon as possible. I really don't want to drag it out any longer." I paused for a moment. "I'll need your help with the divorce agreement."
There was a brief silence on the other end before she replied, "Alright, let me know if anything comes up."
After hanging up, I stood alone on the rooftop of the hospital, watching the sunset glow gradually fade until it completely disappeared into the twilight.
Before agreeing to be with Ke Jingchen, I had made plans with You You to travel to Xiamen. However, on the day before our departure, she was unexpectedly assigned a case and couldn't get away.
Thinking it was a rare vacation and since I had already booked the tickets and planned the itinerary, I decided to embark on the trip alone.
Upon landing in Xiamen in the afternoon, I took a taxi straight to Bai Cheng Beach. I had heard that the orange sea there was breathtaking.
As the sky and ocean were painted a deep crimson by the sunset glow, I heard someone calling my name from behind.
I turned around and saw that familiar face.
"Aren't you supposed to be in Europe for an inspection?" I exclaimed in surprise at the sudden appearance of Ke Jingchen.
He didn't say anything but took off his jacket and gently draped it over my shoulders.
He seemed a bit nervous, rubbing his hands together as he looked down. "I heard from Tang You that you came to Xiamen by yourself. I was worried, so I rushed back overnight."
"Can... can I join you?"
Ke Jingchen suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on me.
His eyes were gentle and tender, filled with burning love that enveloped my heart.
"Wan Wan, let's be together," he said.
As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, we walked hand in hand along the beach under the night sky.
The waves gently lapped at the shore, whispering sweet nothings over and over again.
At that moment, I truly believed that we would walk together like this for a lifetime.
In recent days, I have had little appetite and often felt nauseous. Considering the most likely possibility, I couldn't help but furrow my brows. Looking at the thin diagnosis slip, the words "HCG elevated, consider pregnancy" stood out starkly.
I thought about calling Ke Jingchen, but I found myself repeatedly tapping into his contact interface only to back out again. In the end, I dialed You You's number.
"What are you planning to do now?" You You asked cautiously.
"I don't know..."
"Why not give him another chance? The arrival of this child might just be a turning point."
"Maybe," I sighed softly. You You could sense my low spirits but was at a loss for how to comfort me.
For the past two years, I had been hoping to have a child with Ke Jingchen, but he seemed in no hurry. Now that I had made up my mind to get a divorce, I discovered that I was pregnant.
That evening, Ke Jingchen came home unusually early. I had just finished cooking when he walked in. The dishes on the table were steaming hot. I was contemplating how to broach the subject when mother Ke spoke first: "A Chen, since your father passed away, Xiao Wan's parents have helped us a lot."
"I heard Xiao Wan just got divorced; you should take care of her more often as a way of repaying some of that kindness."
"Don't worry, Mom, I'll pay more attention," Ke Jingchen replied without a hint of concern for my presence nearby.
I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave, losing all desire to speak.
That entire night, I slept uneasily, plagued by dreams. Since childhood, My Mom had always disliked me. She longed for a son to carry on the family line but ended up with me, a daughter. In that era of family planning, having another child not only meant facing fines but could also jeopardize one's job security.
So she could only give up.
But she placed all her resentment squarely on me.
She said, "What’s the use of a girl reading so many books? It’s better to find someone to marry early."
Since high school, she had never given me a single penny.
All my tuition and living expenses were earned through my own hard work.
After I started working, she would say, "You’re so independent as a woman; who would dare to marry you in the future?"
Every time I worked overtime, she would criticize me for neglecting the family.
Yet every month when I sent her money, she accepted it without hesitation.
It wasn’t until I married Ke Jingchen that her complaints lessened significantly as she looked at her handsome and wealthy son-in-law.
In the past, I thought that my children must have the most complete love from both their father and mother in the world.
In the next moment, the dream shifted, and my child with Ke Jingchen was born, but he didn’t even glance at him; instead, he embraced Jiang Wan and left the hospital room without a word.
No matter how much I called his name, his footsteps never faltered.
Everything in the dream felt so real that when I woke up the next day, my pillow was soaked with tears.
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