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墨書 Inktalez
I made sure that Wang Xu did not appear in my sight, but I did not include my mother-in-law. The next day, she came over.
Wang Xu might have realized that this was a loophole I accidentally created yesterday, but only I knew it was intentional.
I waited for my mother-in-law to continue appearing in my life, and without Wang Xu around, I could better implement the plan I had agreed upon with Miao Miao regarding the appearance of another doctor.
As soon as my mother-in-law entered, my parents tacitly chose to sit on the sofa watching TV during their walk time. I tried to give them several hints to go out for a walk, but it was futile. I could only choose my words carefully.
Perhaps because my parents were present, my mother-in-law spoke in a calm tone, but her words were still filled with the usual subtle difficulties.
"Zhuang Jun, we are family. If something happens, we can solve it together, but we must stand together to come up with a solution. You have a habit of avoiding things, and that's not good."
My mother-in-law earnestly advised me, but mindful of my parents' presence, she softened her voice. I listened passively as her words went in one ear and out the other. However, my parents were still there, especially my dad. As soon as he heard my mother-in-law say this about me, he let out a heavy snort.
"In-law, my daughter has grown up lively and clever. We taught her to be a good person and not to always indulge her temper. If she can think of others a little bit more, she should do so. She is too obedient and understanding; does that make others think she is easy to bully?"
My dad couldn't hold back his frustration and rambled on. My mom tugged at his arm, urging him to say less, but he was too worked up to listen to her. His face turned sour and remained that way.
"In-law, what are you saying? I'm saying this because I care about Zhuang Jun; there's no other intention. Our Wang Xu also cares about Zhuang Jun and is always concerned about her well-being. You should relax; there's nothing wrong."
"Oh, thank you for your son's concern!"
"My son is also your son-in-law; there's no need for thanks among family. By the way, Zhuang Jun living here—hope it's convenient? If it's not comfortable, you can come back home anytime; we have everything at home. I'm free anyway and have plenty of time to take care of Zhuang Jun!"
Wang Xu might have reminded my mother-in-law not to say such things before; he must have been clear about this point. But regardless of what was said, it seemed that my mother-in-law did not follow through.
Hearing her say this made my mom's expression change as well. She has never liked to argue but spoke up for me: "Mother-in-law, our family is doing well now. Zhuang Jun is our daughter; she doesn't have to worry about anything at home. Her happiness is our greatest comfort."
"Of course! Isn't Zhuang Jun happy at home? If you have time, you can come over more often; then you can see Zhuang Jun—it will be the same."
My mother-in-law didn't care about my parents' feelings and kept insisting that I come home. She always wanted me to be in her line of sight so she could shape me into what she envisioned.
"Hey, Zhuang Jun, why are you wearing makeup at home? I couldn't tell until now. Are you going out or something at this late hour?" My mother-in-law suddenly blurted out, startling me.
I was indeed wearing makeup to cover up the dark circles under my eyes, not wanting my parents to worry. I had lied to them, saying it was because of work, and they didn't say much. But when it came to my mother-in-law, she clearly disapproved of my appearance.
"You’re pregnant now; you shouldn’t be running around or wearing makeup. You’re a married woman, and who are you trying to impress looking like a clown at this hour? Where are you going? Who are you meeting?"
My mother-in-law grew increasingly displeased, seemingly forgetting that she was sitting in my home and acting as she usually did toward me without any restraint.
Seeing my parents becoming more uncomfortable and fearing they would become suspicious, I quickly intervened: "Mother-in-law, I just got back from work and didn’t have time to take off my makeup before you arrived. It’s company policy, and I use good cosmetics that won’t harm my health. Don’t worry; I care about myself."
My explanation didn’t ease her worries: "Look at you! Why are you working? One of you should be at home while the other is working. You really make people anxious."
"Mother-in-law, we don’t need you to worry about Zhuang Jun anymore."
"What do you mean by that?!" My mother-in-law was about to continue complaining when my dad spoke up, startling her.
My dad maintained a stern expression: "Zhuang Jun will be living with us from now on. If you have time over there, go ahead and handle the divorce paperwork."
"What divorce?!" My mother-in-law exclaimed in agitation. "Zhuang Jun is still pregnant! In-law, how can you say such things? For the sake of our grandchild, think about it! Saying such gloomy things during the New Year is unacceptable."
"Child?" My dad's emotions flared up as he realized his words might disrupt my plans. I quickly interjected: "Mother-in-law! If you're truly concerned, then stay away from our home. As you've seen, none of us welcome you here. Do you not know the reason? Your son cheated on me first and now refuses to compensate for my losses. Think about it: what’s more harmful to me—cosmetics or my terrible mood?"
"My son has promised you; he will do it," my mother-in-law said hesitantly, avoiding eye contact with me.
I pressed on: "Then when did your son promise me? And when is that now? Until we see the property deed, there’s nothing to discuss. If you keep saying things that affect my mood, I don’t know what the outcome of the checkup will be. You heard Dr. Li back home; the aunts don’t believe it—do you not believe it either?"
After a few words, my mother-in-law was startled and dared not say much more. In the end, she left in a huff. Before she left, my dad firmly insisted on returning the items she brought. My mother-in-law tried to refuse, insisting that my dad keep them.
My dad, impatient, simply dropped the items heavily on the ground at the entrance before closing the door. I stood aside watching his series of actions, feeling quite upset myself. After he closed the door, he turned to look at me with a deep gaze.
"You, go wash your face and then come to the study to find me."
My dad angrily waved his hand and left, while I was left stunned and unsure of how to react.
Washing my face would expose my severe insomnia, but I dared not disobey my dad's words. I could only quickly wash off the powder from my cheeks and remove my mascara before heading to the study. I thought that since the light had just been turned on and wasn't too bright, my dad wouldn't notice.
However, I underestimated him. My dad observed me closely and saw through my disguise. He sternly ordered me to wash around my eyes thoroughly. I had no choice but to comply and wash it off before meeting him. Sure enough, when my dad saw me, he was furious.
"Zhuang Jun! Explain yourself! What is going on here?"
It was the first time I had seen my dad so angry. My mom, hearing the commotion from the living room, rushed over. Seeing me, she was taken aback and grabbed my hand with red eyes, asking what happened and why my eyes were so dark.
I shook my head and pretended to be calm as I replied that it was just because I hadn't slept well these past few nights and that it would be fine in a couple of days.
My mom seemed somewhat reassured by this explanation, but my dad clearly did not believe it. He said, "Zhuang Jun, I'll ask you again—what is really going on? Would you intentionally wear makeup to cover up if you just hadn't slept well? Did Wang Xu lay a hand on you?"
My mom's face turned pale with fear as she looked at me.
I hurriedly explained, "No, Dad, it's not like that."
My dark circles were indeed severe; they were almost completely black. After removing my makeup and standing in front of the mirror, I realized how terrible I looked—let alone what my parents had just seen.
I found myself at a loss for words to explain. All I could do was tell the truth: I had been feeling really down these past few days and couldn't sleep well.
"How long has it been?"
"About ten days."
"It's been over ten days. How have you managed without sleep all this time? This is such a big deal. Why didn't you tell us sooner? Have you seen a doctor? What did the doctor say?" My mom wiped her tears and looked at me with hope.
"Mom, it's not intentional. It's just ordinary emotional fluctuations that caused my insomnia. I haven't been completely sleepless, just sleeping very little. I've seen a doctor, and he prescribed some medication. It's working okay; maybe with a bit more time, I'll be fine."
I tried to downplay it, explaining that it was just a common issue, but the anxiety on my parents' faces didn't dissipate. My mom seemed to remember something in her panic: "We need to go to the hospital again tomorrow. We'll take you there. You can't keep not sleeping well at night; it's really affecting your health. A few years ago, there was a woman around here who couldn't sleep at night, and it gradually got worse until she developed depression! You absolutely cannot let this happen; this illness can become chronic!"
I was startled; I hadn't expected my mom to have heard of something similar. Hearing her say that made my dad very agitated as well, insisting that we must take me to the hospital tomorrow to ask the doctor about the real situation.
After stepping out of the study, I called Dong Lu to explain that I had some family matters to attend to and requested a half-day leave. Dong Lu didn't make it difficult for me; she said to just register and come see her tomorrow. I agreed and hung up the phone, but I had no idea what to do tomorrow.
If I went to the hospital for an examination, the doctor would definitely reveal the truth. If my parents found out that I really had tendencies in that direction, things would become very different!
In any case, I didn't want such a thing to happen, but I had no way to prevent it. I could only stare at the ceiling with wide eyes and endure another sleepless night.
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