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I was placed in a moderately sized hospital, in a private room. Lying on the bed, I could still feel the remnants of pain in my body. Doctors in white coats walked back and forth around me, but I knew that the white coats in this room were all just acting.
Wang Xu arrived shortly after. Tears from the pain still lingered in the corners of my eyes, along with despair. I wondered if, ten years from now, I would be able to form a new family. Just the expression on Wang Xu's face was enough to leave a lasting impression on me.
Panic, fear, helplessness, and tension filled the air as he stood frozen in place, hesitating to act. When our eyes met, tears suddenly welled up in Wang Xu's pupils and fell without warning from his wooden expression.
The tears continued to roll down without stopping. Wang Xu hunched over slightly as he moved closer to me, pausing with each step as if gathering strength to continue. He slowly approached me, his gaze fixed on me throughout.
It was only when he got closer that I could see through my tears the scars on Wang Xu's face that had not yet fully healed. I didn't know when more tears began to flow; they all fell down, filled with resentment towards Wang Xu. I bit my lip and glared at him. He flinched slightly before finally speaking: "Wife... what happened to you?"
Wang Xu's voice was very soft, as if afraid that speaking too loudly would take something away from him. But what he feared had already happened under premeditated circumstances; it was unavoidable.
"Are you a family member of the patient?" a doctor in a white coat suddenly asked.
Only then did Wang Xu pull his gaze away from me and nod in response: "Yes, I'm her doctor. I'm her husband and the father of her child. What has happened to my wife and child? They are okay, right? There must be nothing wrong."
The doctor replied coldly: "Your wife has already miscarried while being transferred to another hospital. We need to confirm the facts with you and choose a treatment plan. The patient's emotional and physical state is still very unstable; we hope you can help persuade and calm her for treatment."
Wang Xu looked like he was about to collapse, his pupils suddenly constricting and his eye sockets darkening further. He clenched his fists tightly, his expression a mix of emotions.
"You said my child... what happened?" A complete sentence squeezed out between his teeth; Wang Xu was on the brink of breaking down.
"We initially suspect it was caused by improper medication. We learned that the patient had been taking a certain medication before we brought her from East Village; we need further examination to determine the specific cause." The doctor tried to shift all responsibility outside the hospital; this was a predetermined approach but sounded extremely harsh to Wang Xu.
He angrily grabbed the doctor's collar and said fiercely: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could my wife casually take medication? It must be something your hospital did wrong; it has to be!"
Wang Xu had completely convinced himself that it was the hospital's fault. Before the doctor could respond, I answered him first, my voice weak yet firm.
"Wang Xu, you need to find out what exactly happened with your mother."
I finally have the opportunity to vent all my pain, my hatred for Wang Xu, and my curses for his future, without any pretense or concealment, letting him see it clearly.
He stared at me blankly, feeling heartbroken and distressed. He wanted to ask me something when the sharp sound of high heels echoed from the entrance.
Miao Miao rushed in, looking disheveled, her target set on Wang Xu. She took a few steps toward him, raised her hand, and slapped Wang Xu hard across the face. The sound was crisp and heavy.
After that slap, Miao Miao swung her hand back and gave him a second slap.
"Look at you, Wang Xu! You really have some skill; you turned a perfectly healthy person into this. Look at the person lying on the bed! Look at what you've done to them! Don't you fear retribution for your family? Your mother may not like Zhuang Jun, but can she take it out on a child? Now look, the child is gone. Are you happy? Is your mother happy? Do you need to get rid of another adult before you're satisfied?"
Wang Xu shook his head repeatedly. "You... you're talking nonsense. I don't know what you're saying."
His eyes darted away, still unwilling to admit everything.
"Fine, you say you don't know. What about your mother? Why does she hide like a turtle after doing something bad? Now that she's satisfied and happy, with the child gone, you and Zhuang Jun can't be together. Is that what she wanted—to see you like this so that the mistress can come in? All her schemes are so clever; she's willing to sacrifice even a child."
"You’re talking nonsense!" Wang Xu insisted in rebuttal against Miao Miao. "My mom really likes Zhuang Jun and the child; how could she do something to them? She cherishes this child even more than I do; it can't be as you say!"
"What a joke! A huge joke! Where is your mother? Call her out! Just because she hides away like a thief doesn’t mean this is over. I'm telling you, it's not possible!"
Miao Miao's argument with Wang Xu was interrupted by the doctor, who scolded them for not knowing that the patient needed peace and quiet. Wang Xu and Miao Miao had to temporarily cease fire. Wang Xu approached me wanting to hold my hand but I dodged away.
Seeing all this, Miao Miao let out a cold snort filled with sarcasm.
The conflict didn’t last long before my mother-in-law rushed in, breaking the temporary silence. She hurried in front of me, her eyes vacant but her voice firm: "Where is my grandson? Where is my grandson?"
Miao Miao didn't hold back her sarcasm: "Wasn't your grandson harmed by someone you found? Aren't you happy now? Aren't you satisfied?"
Wang Xu growled lowly: "Mu Miaomiao, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
Miao Miao glanced at Wang Xu dismissively and said, "How about I ask you, Ma? Did you secretly find a doctor for Zhuang Jun without telling your son, claiming that he could cure her? Then you took her to the countryside and ran away, leaving Zhuang Jun all alone to lose the child. Tell me, was this your plan all along? You just wanted Zhuang Jun to lose her baby so you could bring a mistress into the house!"
The mother-in-law's face turned ashen as she looked at Miao Miao and then at Wang Xu, panic-stricken. "No, no, that's not true! He's a miraculous doctor, well-known for curing many people. I sought him out for a long time before he agreed to treat Zhuang Jun. He said my grandson could be saved; he said so!"
Miao Miao scoffed lightly, while Wang Xu's expression grew serious. "What are you talking about, Mom? What miraculous doctor? Why didn't I know about this?"
The mother-in-law glanced around nervously, becoming increasingly hesitant. "I met this miraculous doctor on the street; he's very famous and has cured many people. When I took Zhuang Jun there, she was fine! It can't be! My grandson must still be alive! It's just those frauds at the hospital trying to swindle money by spreading lies! We won't stay here; we're leaving!"
"Mom! What miraculous doctor are you talking about? What did you do with her?"
I turned my head away, pretending not to want to watch this farce.
"He's really a miraculous doctor! The one who can cure Zhuang Jun!"
"Haha, what a joke! You really know how to spin tales. A miraculous doctor that you just happened to meet on the street? Where is this doctor now? Why isn't he here? If he's so great, why can't we see him? In the end, you just want to get rid of Zhuang Jun and do something terrible. You truly have a wicked heart!" Miao Miao spat out fiercely.
The mother-in-law panicked. "No, no! The miraculous doctor is still here; he just hasn't come yet. I'll go find him; I'll bring him back to help Zhuang Jun. She will be fine; she will recover."
Wang Xu, who had been tormented by his mother’s rambling, interrupted her with a low growl. "Mom! What miraculous doctor are you talking about? Why have you never told me anything? I know nothing! Where did you take Zhuang Jun? Do you even realize she was pregnant with my child? Do you know how long we've been waiting for this?"
"I know, I know," the mother-in-law nodded repeatedly. "That child is my grandson too! I'm doing this for his sake and yours. The hospital is just out to make money; the miraculous doctor can save my grandson! Trust me, Mom will go find him!"
As the mother-in-law continued speaking, it became clear that Wang Xu was growing more suspicious of her. He seemed to start doubting everything he had previously believed.
"Did you hear that clearly? Your mom could keep something this big from you. Think about why that is—if it were truly for the child's good, wouldn't she tell you about it? What does it mean? If you want to keep playing dumb, I won't stop you, but I can't stand seeing you like this." Miao Miao continued to fan the flames.
I worried that Wang Xu might lose his temper and hurt Miao Miao, so I quickly turned around to observe his every move. His eyes were bloodshot as if they might bleed; he looked like he was about to faint from distress.
He stared intensely at his mother-in-law, who looked back at him with hopeful eyes while continuously murmuring about the miraculous doctor, urging Wang Xu to take me away from there because everyone around was a fraud.
"Wang Xu" bit her teeth and said word by word, "Mom, my child is gone, I have no child anymore, Mom."
It seemed like a ridiculous accusation in the end, and "Wang Xu" began to sob with grievance.
Her mother-in-law softly comforted her, saying that finding the miracle doctor would be good, finding the miracle doctor would be good, as if she were whispering her self-righteous lifeline into "Wang Xu's" ear.
This was a rare moment of breakdown displayed by "Wang Xu" and her mother-in-law in front of me. I took it all in, piece by piece, as this was a gift I had waited so long for. I didn't want to miss any bit of it.
The sound of the "Pendulum" continued to convey the ticking of time but was drowned out by the noisy argument, yet time still would not stop for anyone.
I lay quietly on the bed, feeling the pain in my body gradually fading away.
"Miao Miao" crossed her arms over her chest, coldly watching the drama unfolding between the two in front of her.
In the middle, the filial son kept crying while the loving mother whispered words of comfort; the scene was bizarre.
We were crammed into a small room, sharing this complex experience of time together, like a tragic farce with a sorrowful ending. None of us could escape unscathed; we were all just trying to survive.
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