With an umbrella in hand, I left the small house that had confined me for two years. The raindrops hit the umbrella, making a dull sound, like a heavy thud on my empty heart. In fact, I didn't feel any better at all. The request I made to live together with Mi Cai earlier wasn't a joke or an attempt to take advantage of her - at that moment, I was like a homeless child, having lost the last shred of warmth and comfort. My eyes burned, but I had to force myself not to let the tears fall.
But one must respect reality, right? From the moment Uncle Li sold the house, my departure had been inevitable.
I found an ATM near the community and withdrew one thousand yuan from my card as we had agreed. By some strange twist of fate, I happened to check the user information of my bank card. When the words "Mi Cai" appeared on the screen, I was stunned.
This name is so pleasant to hear. "Mi" represents sustenance and stability; "Cai" represents color and liveliness. If one's life could have both "mi" and "cai", it would be the ultimate happiness. But I have neither of them. My current life is filled only with endless hunger and monotonous black and white. The appearance of "Mi Cai" is more like a sharp satire, mocking my total lack and my desperate situation. ...
At the corner of the long street, there was a humble little inn. I rented a single room and settled in. The wind and rain outside kept blowing all night, with the howling wind mingling with the rain, making it impossible to sleep. It wasn't until nearly dawn that I finally dozed off, and when I woke up again, it was almost noon.
I picked up my phone and saw that there were more than a dozen unanswered calls on the screen, all from Su Qing. This woman was truly terrifyingly persistent. Besides the unanswered calls, there was also a text message from her: "If I had known, I would have given birth to the baby back then and used this so-called your child to punish you for the rest of your life."
I couldn't help but chuckle. She wasn't afraid of being a single mother before marriage and raising a child alone. Did I really fear being a fake and cheap father? Clearly, her threats and complaints didn't cause me the slightest psychological burden.
I simply washed up and then hurriedly headed to the City Maternity Hospital. As for why I went there, I couldn't explain it to myself - perhaps it was the last bit of kindness left in my heart, perhaps it was a little sympathy for her weak appearance after the miscarriage, or perhaps it was simply that I didn't want to be bothered by her anymore. Sometimes, people actually don't understand themselves.
After getting out of the taxi, I saw Su Qing holding an umbrella and standing at the hospital entrance. She was wearing a light-colored coat, her face was still pale, and the moment she saw me, the worried eyes in her face finally showed a hint of relief. She hurriedly walked towards me.
I was filled with anger, but thinking of the way she lay on the operating table yesterday, facing the cold scalpel, I finally managed to hold back my outburst.
Su Qing firmly clasped my arm and subconsciously looked down at her belly. That expression, as if she deeply loved me, while I ignored her completely.
I suddenly broke free from her hand and my tone finally couldn't help but worsen: "Damn it! Su Qing, tell me honestly, who did you enlarge your belly with?"
"It was you, Lin Chen." Her eyes were determined, without any evasion.
"Will you believe that I'll strangle you?" I glared at her, my tone full of threats.
"Monster, strangle me!" She narrowed her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of provocation, but her body actually pressed even closer to mine. "If it was yesterday, you could have been killed along with the body, but today you can be on the headlines, and the whole country will know that you are such a monster!"
"TM you have nothing to say?" I completely lost my patience. "I only slept with you once two months ago. How long have you been pregnant? Show me the X-ray片子!"
Su Qing completely ignored my doubts, but her tone suddenly softened, with deep regret, and she tightly clasped my arm again: "Lin Chen, if I hadn't had the surgery yesterday and given birth to this child, and let him call you father, how happy would you be?"
I suppressed my anger and pushed her aside: "Stop acting like a drama queen, okay? Go for a check-up right away, walk out of this hospital, and I'll be dead to you forever. Don't bother me anymore."
She lowered her head and was silent for a while, then softly said: "Just don't say anything about dying or not. I promise I won't bother you anymore." ...
Su Qing finished her check-up and was receiving intravenous treatment in the ward. I, as a dutiful family member, sat beside her and comforted her, but remained silent. I felt an inexplicable sense of frustration deep inside.
Not long after, the doctor called me outside the ward and said seriously, "Young man, your girlfriend has a very weak constitution and is slightly anemic. The post-abortion recovery must not be careless; otherwise, it's easy to leave a disease root when she gets older. I've prescribed some tonifying medicines and health supplements for you. You go to the pharmacy on the second floor and pick them up later."
I nodded and didn't think much about it. I just felt that the 1,000 yuan I withdrew from the Meicai bank card yesterday should be enough for the medicine.
With the doctor's prescription, I went to the pharmacy on the second floor. The staff worked for a full five minutes before carrying a full and heavy convenience bag over and placing it on the counter, saying expressionlessly, "A total of 3,016 yuan. Will you pay by card or in cash?"
"What?" I was stunned and couldn't help raising my voice, "TM this is some kind of magic pill, costing over 3,000 yuan? Are you thinking that I'm stupid but rich and want to cheat me?"
The staff didn't seem surprised. They pointed to the man who had just bought medicine at the next window and said to me, "See? He just bought 8,000 yuan worth of health supplements and medicines. You have no money? Then don't let your girlfriend get pregnant!"
"Being a fool is so willingly done, you idiot!" I shouted at the man's back, but the image of Su Qing after the miscarriage, weak and helpless, still appeared in my mind. Eventually, I suppressed my anger and took out the Meicai bank card from my wallet, gritted my teeth, and said, "Can you offer a discount? Or can you cover the 16 yuan change?"
I rolled my eyes at the staff and snatched the bank card away. "So new, have you ever seen a hospital offering drug discounts?"
With the heavy convenience bag in hand, I walked out of the pharmacy. My heart was bleeding. This 3,016 yuan was undoubtedly a huge sum for me now. ...
I helped Su Qing, who had finished her intravenous drip, walk out of the hospital. The rain was still falling gently, the air was damp and oppressive, weighing heavily on one's chest.
Su Qing leaned against me and walked for a while. Suddenly, she looked up at me and asked unexpectedly, "Lin Chen, there's a film crew inviting me to shoot in Hengduan next month. Do you think I should go?"
"Is it reliable?" I tried to make my tone softer, not wanting to provoke her. But I had no interest in whether she would go or not.
"I've already tried on the makeup. The director and the producer were very satisfied, saying that I'm quite suitable for that role." Her tone carried a faint hint of anticipation.
"Then you should go," I said casually. "You're a model, and everyone in the modeling industry is eager to enter the entertainment circle. This is a good opportunity, you have to seize it." As I said this, I handed her the convenient bag in my hand, "This is the medicine and health supplements prescribed by the doctor. Take it regularly and I'll send you the specific instructions later."
Su Qing didn't take the bag. She just stared at me quietly for a long time before speaking softly, "I'm a model for a transitional period. Actually, I graduated from the Drama Department of Shanghai Theatre Academy."
"I'm so damn!" I couldn't help but curse. Halfly it was sarcasm, halfly it was teasing. "So you acted so serious when you tricked me. It turns out you're professional! I really missed recognizing you, this outstanding graduate from Shanghai Theatre Academy."
Su Qing ignored my mockery completely and still stared at me seriously, "Lin Chen, do you think I'm pretty?"
"You're not pretty. Can I sleep with you?" I stared at her and asked back. I had to admit, she was indeed a beauty, a very down-to-earth kind of beauty, with bright eyes, red lips and white teeth, and a touch of sexiness and charm.
Su Qing nodded, her eyes filled with a hint of longing, "Lin Chen, forget about Jian Yue. When I become a female star, I'll only love you."
After saying that, she took the bag from my hand and turned around, like a gust of wind, quickly walked into the rain and gradually disappeared from my sight. ...
I stood still, stunned for a while before coming to my senses. A cold wind blew, causing me to shiver. Suddenly, I remembered our agreement with Mi Cai - we had to move out by one o'clock in the afternoon. I took out my phone and saw that it was already half past one!
I immediately panicked and reached for a taxi, urging the driver to hurry back to our former residence. On the way, I suddenly realized that I had used Mi Cai's bank card to pay 3,016 yuan for medicine, plus the 1,000 yuan I had withdrawn earlier, making a total debt of 4,016 yuan to her!
I had clearly told her that I would only use 1,000 yuan.
Just thinking of Mi Cai's unsmiling face and the overly beautiful yet cold gaze when she handed me the bank card, I was completely confused. How could I repay her all this money? Would she think that I was deliberately deceiving her?
The taxi stopped at the entrance of the old neighborhood. I paid the fare, carried my few belongings, and hurriedly walked towards the old building covered with climbing vines. I was both nervous and anxious, not knowing what kind of expression Mi Cai would have when she saw me.