n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
She did not want him to leave.
Not crying on the day he left took all her strength. Gu Yushengâs heart hurt deeply every time he thought of her and the baby.
Qin Zhiâai was touched by what Gu Yusheng said. Her eyes felt warm. She pursed her lips on the camera and said, âI want you to come back in one piece.â
âYes, I will.â Gu Yusheng responded. His answers were always short on the phone, but he was always paying attention.
Qin Zhiâai casually chatted with Gu Yusheng as any couple would when spending time together. She talked so much that she got thirsty. As she got and went to get some water, her camera caught the clothes hanging up on the balcony. They were menâs clothes, including underwear and socks.
Well, Iâm not home, and there are only three women living there. How could there be menâs clothes hanging in the house?
Gu Yusheng could not help frowning. He did not suspect Qin Zhiâai of cheating on him because she was pregnant, so he considered other explanations. The most likely one he could figure out, he asked about. âIs your brother visiting you in Beijing?â
âNo.â Qin Zhiâai walked with a glass of water in her hand and took a sip. She shook her head and murmured, âI didnât dare tell my mom that Iâm married and about to deliver a baby. How could I ask Jiayan to come and make him keep the secret?â
If those clothes donât belong to Jiayan, then...
Gu Yushengâs heart jerked, making him ask directly, âThen whose clothes are those hanging on the balcony?â
Qin Zhiâai didnât understand his question right away, and then she expressed shock for a few seconds, before turning toward the balcony to take a look. She took the glass from her mouth and realized what Gu Yusheng was asking. âOh, theyâre yours.â
My clothes? But Iâm not home. Why is she washing my underwear and socks? And I wouldnât need that many if I were home...
Qin Zhiâai detected that Gu Yusheng was suspicious, so she further explained, âA few days ago, I was watching TV with the housekeeper. We saw the news that a pregnant womanâs house was broken into, and he and her baby were killed. I know our neighborhood is safe, but, you know, pregnant women worry about everything. I didnât feel completely safe, so I came up with this idea with the housekeeper. If those burglars think thereâs a man living in the house, itâll scare them away.â
Gu Yushengâs heart felt like it had been stabbed.
Sheâs seven months pregnant and only has two more to go, yet Iâm not going to be there for her.
Qin Zhiâai had no idea what Gu Yusheng was thinking. She was proud of her anti-burglary system and wanted to show it off. She put down her empty glass and walked him through her thinking. âI only wanted to wash one pair of socks, but I thought it would seem scarier to pretend to have 10 guys in the house, so thatâs why I asked the housekeeper to hang up 10 pairs of socks.â
The pain Gu Yusheng felt was overwhelming and prevented him from speaking right away. Finally, he came up with something to mirror her optimism. âSo, you took all my underwear and exhibited all of it on the balcony. Qin Zhiâai, do you think it is appropriate to hang all your husbandâs underwear out in the wind and show them to other women?â
...
As if grounding herself, Xu Wennuan had not left home since the day Jiang Qianqian had lost her baby.