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墨書 Inktalez
Four Years Ago……
In the cold operating room, the lights blazed brightly. Jono lay on the surgical table, her gown stained red with blood, yet her lifeless eyes remained open, staring at the blinding light.
She could feel the pain of the knife piercing her chest, and she sensed Jin Chengyan's helplessness.
She knew he didn't mean to hurt her.
When both she and Ruan Shengyu were hanging by a thread, he chose to hold onto her.
But she had twisted herself into a knot, always seeking an outlet to vent her emotions in the face of misunderstanding.
"Mrs. Jin, we're about to administer anesthesia!" a nurse said in Jono's ear, following protocol.
Jono saw that the anesthesiologist was ready, about to push the anesthetic into her body!
"Wait! Mrs. Jin seems to be pregnant! The hCG levels are over ten! The surgery needs to be rescheduled, and the dosage of anesthesia must be reduced; otherwise, it could harm the fetus!"
"But Mrs. Jin has lost so much blood; whether the child can be saved is still a question!"
"Go ask Jin Shao what he wants to do."
"I..." Jono raised her hand. It was only when she heard about her pregnancy that she felt a flicker of clarity emerge from the endless darkness.
The doctors gathered around Jono, looking at her pale face, their eyes filled with endless despair.
"I want this... child." Jono clutched tightly at the nearest doctor's sterile gown, desperately wanting to hold onto this child.
If there was no love left, could she not even keep this child?
"Alright, let's reschedule the surgery!"
...
Jono and Xining were discussing events from four years ago, and as they spoke, Jono noticed that Xining's tears had not stopped flowing. The scene was heart-wrenching; even for someone like Xining, who was merely listening, it felt painful.
"In the end, I lost the baby. The doctor told me that I was basically destined to never become a mother. That's why I let Qiao Lovely call me 'Mom.' I thought maybe Qiao Lovely could be my other child. I've always treated her like my own daughter. But Xining, do you understand that feeling? After that, Jin Chengyan and I had no contact at all. The only connection we had was this child—the only proof that we were truly together."
Otherwise, as the years passed and Jono's memory faded, she would start to feel as if she and Jin Chengyan had never been together at all; those years would seem like a mere dream.
"But your health is fragile. I'm worried about you during childbirth..."
"I'll take good care of myself. I'll hire a nutritionist to help me get my body in shape. Trust me, everything will be fine." Jono was trying to convince Xining while also reassuring herself.
But ultimately, Xining couldn't make decisions for Jono or change her mind; she could only inform her of the possible outcomes. Whether or not to keep the child was entirely up to Jono.
"Are you going to tell Jin Chengyan?"
Hearing Jin Chengyan's name made Jono pause for a moment.
Should she say it or not?
Now he had a woman by his side—one he was satisfied with. What would be the point of telling him? It might only add to his troubles.
"No, in a few days, I'll be going to Switzerland with Qiao Lovely."
"If you're going to Switzerland, who's going to take care of you? I should come along! Once you give birth to the baby, I'll return. It's not easy for us to see each other again; I don't want to part ways so soon!"
"Do you really want to leave Warm Sun behind?"
Hearing the words "warm sun," Xining's cheeks flushed slightly.
Later, the doctor prescribed medication for Jono, specifically for pregnant women, and advised her to come back for a check-up on time. Her health condition was not ideal, and if she wanted to keep the baby, she had to strictly follow the doctor's instructions.
As soon as she reached the door, Jono noticed two cars parked outside the villa. The license plates looked familiar, but she couldn't recall them immediately.
Once inside the house, Jono realized who had come to visit.
Jin Mengxi's parents.
Jono quickly placed the medication into the nearest drawer and gave Xining a look, signaling her to keep quiet.
"Mr. Jin, Mrs. Jin." Jono observed that the atmosphere in the living room was not very pleasant and guessed that these two had come to discuss Jin Mengxi's situation.
"Sis, why do you look so unwell? Are you feeling sick?" Qiao Chen, not paying attention to Jin Mengxi's parents being present, rushed over to check on her sister as soon as he noticed her pale face.
Qiao Lovely, who had been sitting with Qiao Chen, also sensed the awkward atmosphere. Upon seeing Jono return, she quickly got off the sofa and ran towards her.
"Mommy, Little Daddy and the new grandpa and grandma are arguing. I'm scared," Qiao Lovely said in Italian, clearly frightened.
Jono shot a glare at Qiao Chen. Why did he leave Qiao Lovely downstairs when he had matters to discuss with Jin Mengxi's parents? The little girl had just undergone surgery; how could she handle such a scene?
"Xining, please take Little Lovely upstairs to play for me. I need to..."
"Okay, just be careful," Xining replied meaningfully before taking Qiao Lovely upstairs.
"Sis, what's going on? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Qiao Chen asked worriedly, completely ignoring Jin Mengxi's parents at this moment.
Jono was unsure what had happened between Qiao Chen and Jin Mengxi, but judging by the current situation, it didn't seem like anything good.
“Jono, we came here today to tell you that if Qiao Chen doesn’t marry our Xi Er, we have ways to make your Qiao Family completely disappear from Qin Cheng,” Jin Mengxi's father stood up and threatened.
So this was the reason.
But back then, Jono wanted them to get married, and Jin Mengxi’s parents were firmly opposed. How could their stance change so quickly?
As for Qiao Chen, he seemed indifferent to the matter.
“Mr. Jin, I initially…”
“Sister, this is my own marriage. I hope you won’t interfere. Besides, I already have a girlfriend. Jin Mengxi and I are in the past,” Qiao Chen calmly stated the fact that he had broken up with Jin Mengxi and was now with someone else.
“Qiao Chen, you—our Xi Er lost her baby because of your infidelity, and you dare to say such things!” Mrs. Jin scolded Qiao Chen, her face flushed with anger.
“A man is unmarried and a woman is unmarried; my relationship with Jin Mengxi was based on mutual consent. No one can guarantee that a man will be with only one woman for life! If feelings fade, it’s torment for both parties to remain entangled. Jin Mengxi is fine now; you’ve said there are plenty of men waiting to marry into your Jin Family. Why come looking for me?”
“Qiao Chen!” Jono truly didn’t understand where Qiao Chen’s reasoning came from. If Jono were in Jin Mengxi’s shoes, hearing such words would surely infuriate him!
“Sister, sorry to worry you. I’ll handle this myself; you should go check on the little darling. I just scared her,” Qiao Chen showed no fear of Jono’s authority. He didn’t know when it started, but that big boy had grown into a man who did things his own way.
He was cold, resolute, and merciless.
Was this still the Qiao Chen that Jono knew?
“You Qiao siblings are just the same! The sister toys with other men’s feelings while the brother plays with women’s hearts. How can you face your deceased parents? Don’t let others think you were born to parents but raised without them!”
“Please watch your words! If it weren’t for the fact that you are Jin Mengxi’s parents, do you think you could step even half a foot into our Qiao Family?” Qiao Chen coldly addressed Mr. Jin and Mrs. Jin, fiercely protecting his family from outsiders’ judgments.
“Am I wrong? Jono, we’ve all seen how you treat our Ayan! With a sister like that, it’s no wonder you raised such a brother!” Mr. Jin was furious but also realized that today’s negotiation had ended without resolution. He stormed out with his wife in anger.
In the living room, only Jono and Qiao Chen remained.
The doctor had told Jono not to get too excited or angry, or it could affect the pregnancy.
Yet in this situation, how could Jono possibly remain calm? How could she be indifferent?
She truly couldn't scold or hit Qiao Chen; the child had grown up, and she felt completely helpless.
"Qiao Chen, tell me, what are you really thinking about Jin Mengxi…"
"Sis, I have someone I like," Qiao Chen said firmly.
"Alright, bring her to me."
…
Qiao Chen said she would bring the girl for Jono to see, but honestly, Jono had no idea what kind of girl Qiao Chen would like. His thoughts were beyond her comprehension.
Moreover, given the current circumstances, if Qiao Chen went to Switzerland with her, she might truly become the kind of sister that Jin Chengyan's Second Uncle and Auntie described—one who wouldn't know how to guide her younger brother!
As she packed up a few simple items, even Qiao Chen didn't notice these changes.
Then, Jin Chengyan's call came in.
"Jono, if it weren't for Xi Er's situation, I probably would never have called you in my life," Jin Chengyan's cold voice came through the phone.
Jono was sorting through some documents when she inadvertently caught sight of the property transfer papers that had arrived earlier.
And within her was their little baby.
Because Jono knew she was unlikely to get pregnant, and during those days, Jin Chengyan either forgot or deliberately didn’t take any precautions, so when the two of them were together, it was seamless.
The Qiao Family, under Qiao Chen's management, was already secure enough for Jono and Qiao Lovely's little baby to live a worry-free life. This document seemed unnecessary to sign.
"Miss Jin..." It was inevitable that someone deeply in love would be seriously hurt.
"I'm outside your door. I'll give you three minutes to come out."
"Is there something that can't be said over the phone?" Jono didn't really want to see the father of her child.
"Come out. Just you." After saying that, Jin Chengyan hung up the phone, giving Jono no chance to refuse.
Jono stared at her phone, hearing the busy signal on the line; she was momentarily dumbfounded.
How could Jin Chengyan still be so domineering? Didn’t he realize he could no longer order her around? Why did he think he could demand she come out to see him just because he was outside her door?
However, Jono still instructed the nanny to take good care of Qiao Lovely and stepped out of the house.
At that moment, sitting in the driver's seat, Jin Chengyan had already discarded seven or eight cigarette butts outside his car. He knew that Qiao Chen wouldn’t be home around two or three in the afternoon and that Qiao Lovely would be taking a nap. It was the perfect time to get Jono to come out.
In fact, according to Jin Chengyan's standards for handling matters, he preferred not to meet in person if it could be resolved over the phone. But seeing Jono...
Jin Chengyan let out a bitter smile; it was still because he missed her.
Even just catching a glimpse of this woman was enough for him, even if they wouldn’t be discussing their issues.
Even if they never exchanged kind words when they met, he just wanted to see her!
After four years of longing, now that this person had returned, he had to go through so much trouble just to have a proper meeting.
He watched her walk out of the front door in her home clothes, a beige long sweater and a pair of leggings. Did she really think she could settle things at the door without even changing?
But he also didn’t consider that he had only given Jono five minutes to come out! Changing clothes and getting ready would take at least half an hour!
Jono walked over to Jin Chengyan's car and noticed several cigarette butts by the car door. He had been there for quite a while.
"What do you want to say?" Jono frowned slightly, still catching a hint of tobacco on him. She was pregnant and couldn’t stand that smell; it made her feel nauseous.
"Get in the car." Jin Chengyan's gaze lingered on Jono's waist, due to her position sitting in the car.
"If you want to talk about Miss Jin and Qiao Chen, actually..."
"I said, get in the car." Jin Chengyan lowered his voice, but Jono could still sense the slight anger behind it.
Well, Jono was somewhat yielding after all.
Since running out of Jin Chengyan's office that day and then discovering she was pregnant, her emotions had undergone a drastic change. Once again, she found herself conflicted about how to face Jin Chengyan.
She walked around the front of the car and got into the passenger seat.
She thought they would just chat comfortably in the car, but unexpectedly, Jin Chengyan started the engine and drove off!
"Jin Chengyan, what are you doing?" Jono turned to look at him and noticed that stubble had appeared on his chin; he seemed a bit worn out.
Why? Shouldn't he be looking his best when in love?
Seeing that Jin Chengyan didn’t intend to speak with her, Jono realized that resisting was futile. She fastened her seatbelt; her safety was the most important thing.
"Your Second Uncle and Auntie have already come looking for Qiao Chen. Honestly, we don’t need to get involved in Miss Jin’s matters; otherwise, it will turn into a feud between two families. I know it would be easy for your Jin Family to crush the Qiao Family. Qiao Chen is only suing your family to seek justice for me. I will advise him to abandon that thought, but I can’t interfere with his feelings." Jin Chengyan was there today mainly for this reason.
Jono decided it was time to have a serious talk with him.
However, Jin Chengyan continued to drive, indifferent to anything Jono had to say.
"I know Miss Jin must be feeling very sad right now, but being sad now is better than later when she’s married and Qiao Chen doesn’t love her. Being together would only bring more pain. As a woman, I don’t want Miss Jin to spend her life in suffering. Falling in love with someone who doesn’t love you back is such a tragic experience. I don’t want her to waste her entire life feeling that way."
Jono wasn’t sure if she was talking about Jin Mengxi or herself.
What was it like to fall in love with someone who didn’t love you back?
It felt like waiting for a ship at the airport.
Jono felt as if she was running out of words, yet Jin Chengyan still ignored her. What did he want?
"Jin Chengyan, what do you really want?" Jono asked, her voice tinged with helplessness.
Looking out the window at the chaotic scenery, Jono had no idea where Jin Chengyan intended to go.
"I really didn’t know anything about Qiao Chen and Jin Mengxi before you warned me. It was only later that Jin Mengxi told me. I wanted to stop it, but matters of the heart can’t be resolved by an outsider’s intervention," Jono suddenly fell silent.
An outsider's interference—her and Jin Chengyan.
Melancholy, Jin Zhongshu—there were too many external forces preventing Jono from acting, leaving her with no choice but to let go.
Was it because there wasn’t enough love?
But if Jono’s feelings for Jin Chengyan were considered insufficient love, then what kind of love could truly be called complete?
"Continue." At Jono's abrupt pause, Jin Chengyan suddenly spoke up, urging her to keep going.
Jono slumped against the back of the seat like a deflated balloon, not uttering a word.
The car continued to drive aimlessly down the road. Jono, strapped in with the seatbelt, turned his head to watch the scenery retreat outside. Suddenly, he fell silent. In a space filled with Jin Chengyan, Jono's heart gradually began to calm.
"Baby, look," he thought, "the man sitting next to your mother is your father. But you won't see him when you're born. I'm sorry. Because of the issues between your father and me, you will come into this world without a father. But I swear on my little darling that I cannot lose you, nor can I lose my little darling. You will forgive me, right?"
Jono instinctively placed his hand on his lower abdomen, feeling the vibrant life within.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jin Chengyan noticed Jono resting his hand on his belly.
He recalled the times they were together when she would suffer greatly during her menstrual days. Today, seeing her out and about with a pale complexion made him wonder if she was experiencing that again.
The car turned the steering wheel; he remembered there was a pharmacy nearby.
After turning at two intersections, he spotted a pharmacy and parked by the roadside, unbuckling his seatbelt.
Before getting out of the car, he glanced back at Jono. "If I come back and don't see you, I don't know what I'll do." Jin Chengyan genuinely had no idea where his limits lay, but if he returned and found Jono missing, he might just tear down the Qiao Family!
Jono remained silent. She hadn’t said she was leaving; his words inadvertently reminded her that perhaps she should.
Yet, Jono stayed in the passenger seat, watching as Jin Chengyan hurriedly jogged toward the pharmacy. Was his stomach acting up again?
Despite Jin Chengyan's outward success as the esteemed President of Jin Corporation, Jono knew the price he paid behind that facade. He often attended meetings late into the night and even when home, there were always tasks awaiting him.
He had some high-quality employees, but many matters required his personal attention. He had single-handedly built the Jin Family into an impregnable empire at a tremendous cost!
Minor ailments aside, Jono remembered how Jin Chengyan had once been hospitalized for gastric bleeding; his stomach was quite fragile.
Opening the glove compartment in the car revealed that indeed, all the medicine was gone.
He couldn't take care of himself, not four years ago, and still not now.
Concern surged in his heart, and Jono found it impossible to hold back.
Why not just leave? What did Jin Chengyan's harsh words earlier even mean? Had he not said similar things to himself before?
At first, he had told her not to fall in love with him, but she did anyway! Later, when he asked her not to get involved with Ruan Shengyu, she still did!
Yet in the end, Jin Chengyan hadn't really done anything to her!
So even if she got out of the car, what could Jin Chengyan really do to her?
Perhaps it was just because he liked her!
Jono let out a bitter laugh, closed the locker, and leaned back against the chair.
Before long, Jin Chengyan came out of the pharmacy holding a cup of hot water in one hand and a bag in the other.
Once inside the car, he handed Jono the cup filled with a dark red liquid.
"Ah?" Jono was somewhat confused. She wasn't thirsty, and the drink looked utterly disgusting; she had no desire to drink it at all.
"Take it and drink it," Jin Chengyan said, his voice somewhat stiff.
"I don't want to drink this. Qiao Chen and Miss Jin aren't together anymore; you wouldn't go so far as to harm me, would you? What is this stuff?" Jono frowned, feeling nauseous just from the smell, let alone drinking it.
Three black lines appeared on Jin Chengyan's forehead. Harm her?
"If I wanted to harm you, my methods wouldn't be so crude. At least I wouldn't choose to do it in my own car," he said as he took Jono's hand and placed the cup into her palm.
The hands met like this, and Jono instinctively wanted to pull back.
Unexpectedly, Jin Chengyan, just like her, quickly withdrew his hand, as if neither of them wanted to touch the other.
"Your period has been irregular. The clerk said this brand is better; you should give it a try."
"Huh?" How did he know she was on her period?
"You were just holding your stomach."
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