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墨書 Inktalez
Xu Wen took leave from the office yesterday afternoon, saying he would take Qinglan to the hospital for a check-up today. In reality, he planned to take Qinglan for an abortion. He thought it could be done in the morning, but after persuading her all morning, Qinglan remained steadfast in her decision and was unmoved, insisting on keeping the child.
Sure enough, the office must have sent Assistant Li to check if they had returned and to urge them to get back to work. The office had been very busy lately and needed extra hands. It was hard to come by a few interns, and they were eager to make them work tirelessly without rest.
Xu Wen glanced at Qinglan, then put his arm around Assistant Li's shoulder and walked toward the other side of the dormitory corridor, stopping in a place where Qinglan couldn't see them, pretending to hesitate.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Xu Wen's demeanor startled Assistant Li, who tilted his head back and asked in a low voice. Assistant Li wasn't short, standing around 178 centimeters tall, but in front of Xu Wen, he seemed a bit shorter; even when he looked up, he appeared nearly a head shorter than Xu Wen.
"Not gone yet," Xu Wen said, resting his chin on a fist and deliberately pausing for a moment before slowly saying, "Did you know she comes from a rural area?"
"I didn't know," Assistant Li shook his head, confused.
"From the mountainous region, near the border of Southwestern Hubei and Xiangxi, she belongs to the Tujia ethnic group."
"Ah? Oh! No wonder she doesn't seem like a Han girl; she has a bit of that minority girl vibe," Assistant Li realized.
"Her family isn't well-off. After talking for a long time, she was parched and reluctant to go for the check-up."
"No money? Afraid of spending?" Assistant Li laughed and said, "With you accompanying her, does she still need to spend money?" A mischievous smile appeared on Assistant Li's face as if he understood everything.
"It's not about money; these days who cares about a few bucks? It's about pride and beliefs. Rural girls tend to be more traditional and conservative," Xu Wen said while patting Assistant Li's shoulder like brothers.
"Oh." Assistant Li nodded with understanding and smiled. "No wonder I was wondering why they haven't returned yet. No worries, I'll just go talk to the boss."
"During the last check-up, he shouldn't have any serious illness, right?" Li Assistant asked mysteriously, leaning close to Xu Wen's ear as if suddenly remembering something.
"No, no, not at all. There's nothing serious, but it's not just what I mentioned that day about malnutrition; there are a few other reasons. The doctor specifically advised a follow-up today, but she insisted on not going, saying there's no need for a follow-up for malnutrition. Without the follow-up, there's no result, and I can't tell her the truth. What do you think I should do?" Xu Wen expressed his helplessness.
At that moment, Xu Wen also didn't know what to do next, mainly because he was unsure of Qinglan's thoughts and plans. So while he spoke these words, he chose each one carefully, considering how to leave Qinglan some room to retreat. Thus, what seemed like simple statements were actually quite ambiguous. For instance, regarding malnutrition, it wasn't severe unless it became serious, which could be life-threatening and would require long-term recovery. Moreover, there was also a suspenseful illness that the doctor hadn't mentioned yet that required a follow-up for results.
Assistant Li furrowed his brows at Xu Wen's words and thought of a way to help him. "That's true; without a follow-up, it's hard to say. Generally speaking, if the doctor recommends a follow-up, it might indicate a serious illness," he said while glancing towards Qinglan's room as if fearing she had some terminal illness.
"But the problem is she won't go for the follow-up. How can we know the results without it? Don't you think?" Xu Wen said with an anxious tone that mixed truth and falsehood.
"Exactly." Assistant Li patted Xu Wen's shoulder in reassurance and looked at him with sympathy, as if his bright future had suddenly dimmed. "You should really persuade her; if the doctor says a follow-up is necessary, it must be done. I'll go back and explain the situation to my boss. If she needs a few more days of rest, I can help with that. I was there when she went to the hospital last time; I can testify that her condition is serious. Even with your school, I can help provide evidence."
"Thank you, Li Assistant. I'm just worried she'll refuse the follow-up and insist on going home. Girls can be troublesome; when faced with difficulties, their only thought is to go home. It's quite weak," Xu Wen lamented.
"I understand, I understand." He patted Xu Wen's shoulder again in comfort.
As they descended the stairs, he turned back to wave at Xu Wen, signaling him to quickly comfort and persuade the person inside while giving him an ambiguous smile.
Just as Assistant Li disappeared from the staircase entrance, Qinglan rushed out and suspiciously looked in the direction of his disappearing figure. "What did he come for? Is there something going on?"
Xu Wen retracted his smile from earlier conversations with Assistant Li and returned to a serious expression. "It's nothing; he just came to see if we were back. Yesterday I asked him for leave to take you for a follow-up at the hospital."
Xu Wen walked into the room with Qinglan following behind him. Their world once again became silent and oppressive. Qinglan turned her back to Xu Wen and sat on the bed.
After a long time, Xu Wen spoke up: "You should take a break. Once you've made your decision, let me know."
As he reached the door, he turned back and said, "No matter what decision you make, I will support you. Although there are some choices I don't agree with, I will do my best to help you." His voice remained as deep and magnetic as before, but it seemed to have lost some of its previous lightness and indifference, replaced instead by a sense of weariness and maturity.
Yes, weariness.
It was as if his voice had transformed over just a few days and nights into that of a mature man, heavy and textured.
But he shouldn't be the one who feels weary! At that moment, Qinglan felt how thick-skinned she had become. She was the one who had experienced the transition from girlhood to womanhood; she was the one who had stepped into another world overnight, crossing mountains and rivers. It should have been her who had undergone such a transformation, yet she still wore a shameless smile on her face.
Once Xu Wen left, Qinglan collapsed onto the bed and began to cry. She didn't know whether it was due to her own sadness, An Shaojie's ruthlessness, or if she was moved by Xu Wen's earlier words—or perhaps it was deeper regret. Ever since that day in the hospital when she learned about her pregnancy and An Shaojie's trip abroad with Su Hailu, Qinglan had wanted to cry. For the first time in her life, she wanted to wail loudly, but she had held it in, telling herself that it wasn't such a big deal. She was already over eighteen; she was an adult now—not a primary school student or a middle or high school student—she wasn't an underage girl. Being pregnant wasn't so shameful; this situation could be handled well. She shouldn't take it to heart or feel like her life was ruined because of it. But deep down, she knew this was just her outward show of strength; she simply didn't want to admit that she was wrong and didn't want Xu Wen to see her vulnerability. In front of him, she had once been cherished like a proud princess who didn't need to understand the world or sorrow—she just needed to be happy. But all of that had been cast aside and abandoned.
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