Even more concerning, some people secretly wondered if Lin Shiheng had guessed that Zhang Yanming would come to this day, which is why he had been reluctant to take action, fearing some kind of entanglement.
Indeed, Lin Shiheng had anticipated this day long ago, ever since the moment Zhang Yanming lost the protection of the Zhang family. His previously arrogant and flamboyant demeanor was destined to lead him to be maliciously attacked by others.
However, he knew that those people had their own limits; after all, blood from the Zhang family still flowed through Zhang Yanming’s veins, and no one dared to act too harshly for fear of creating future troubles.
Holding a box of milk in his hand, he stood at the door of the hospital room and knocked lightly.
After a few seconds, he heard Miaoxing’s somewhat panicked but desperately calming voice from inside, “I’m coming.”
The door opened, and Miaoxing, whose appearance had significantly deteriorated in just a few days, stood before Lin Shiheng.
Upon seeing him, her expression froze for a moment.
The handsome man in military uniform seemed oblivious to her look of distress as he walked naturally into the room, placing the box of milk on the bedside table, and asked casually, “How is Lieutenant Zhang doing?”
Miaoxing hesitated before closing the door and replied, “Not well. The doctors have yet to figure out why he is in a coma.”
Lin Shiheng nodded, “I’ve seen him, so I’ll be going now.”
As he said this, he started towards the door, but Miaoxing suddenly reached out and locked it, urgently calling out, “Shiheng!”
After calling out, she realized her heart was racing anxiously, especially since her husband was lying in the bed.
But there was nothing she could do; Lin Shiheng was always with He Xuezhu, and she had no chance to approach him alone. Looking at Zhang Yanming’s current state, she knew she wouldn’t be able to extricate herself anytime soon.
The most pressing issue was that she had discovered she was pregnant.
Despite taking medication, she was still pregnant. If Zhang Yanming had been healthy, Miaoxing might have hesitated, but now that he was barely alive, her pregnancy was definitely not good news.
Thinking this, Miaoxing bit her lip and took a couple of steps forward, standing before the man who showed no visible emotional change. Before she could speak, tears streamed down her face as she choked out, “In the beginning, it was him who forced me.”
On the hospital bed, Zhang Yanming’s hands, lying on the blanket, suddenly clenched tightly, and his already pale face grew even more ashen.
Then he heard Lin Shiheng’s calm voice, which never rushed, “Miss Miaoxing, I thought I made myself very clear before.”
“Regardless of your relationship with Lieutenant Zhang, I have a wife and will never agree to this.”
Zhang Yanming’s expression turned even more displeased. At that time, Miaoxing had clearly told him that Lin Shiheng had chosen to give up because of their relationship, and she had cried uncontrollably afterward, making him feel heartbroken.
Later, when he was targeted, Zhang Yanming had always suspected Lin Shiheng because if it hadn’t been for Zhang Yanming, Lin Shiheng would have long secured a beautiful partner.
But according to what Lin Shiheng was saying now, it meant that he had never agreed to Miaoxing from the very beginning.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
“Shiheng! Don’t go!”
In a state of anxiety, Miaoxing stepped forward in an attempt to embrace Lin Shiheng, but before she could reach him, the man in the upright military uniform swiftly dodged aside, leaving her empty-handed.
Her face looked momentarily terrible, but when she raised her head again, she still looked pitiful. “Actually, I’ve never forgotten you. After marrying Zhang Yanming, even when I was with him, I would think of you.”
“Shiheng, now that Zhang Yanming can’t wake up, there is nothing in our way anymore. I know you love Xuezhu; I won’t be a hindrance between you two.”
As Miaoxing spoke, her expression became increasingly sorrowful. “Originally, I planned to divorce him, but this situation happened. I will always be Zhang Yanming’s wife, silently waiting for you, never speaking ill of you to anyone else.”
Although her words were subtle, Zhang Yanming quickly grasped their meaning from the hospital bed.
What she meant was that publicly, she would still be his wife, but secretly, she could become Lin Shiheng’s mistress, and she wouldn’t tell anyone about it.
He felt a surge of anger, his chest heaving noticeably. While Miaoxing, with her back turned, did not see this, Lin Shiheng observed everything clearly.
“Sorry, I have said before, my only wife will be Xuezhu.”
“What you’re doing…” He then glanced at Zhang Yanming on the bed, with a slight smirk at his lips, “is very disrespectful to Lieutenant Zhang.”
“If there’s nothing else, then I’ll be leaving now.”
“Shiheng!”
“Shiheng!!”
Lin Shiheng walked out, the door closing gently behind him.
Miaoxing, in a daze, turned around, preparing to sit down, but was met with a pair of ominous eyes.
“Vile woman!! I’ve been deceived by you!”
Zhang Yanming’s eyes were bloodshot, resembling a madman, as he slowly climbed out of bed, searching for something to hit Miaoxing with. “You want to divorce me, don’t you? I won’t let you!”
“In this lifetime! You can only stay by my side—”
***
Soon, the rumors in the compound changed again.
Lieutenant Zhang awakened from his coma, but it was as if he had become a different person. Witnesses reported seeing the scars on Miaoxing.
However, not long after, Lieutenant Zhang was dismissed for pushing a comrade out of the way of a knife and expelled from the military, and Miaoxing disappeared from everyone’s sight alongside him.
One morning, when there were the fewest people around, Li Chunhua was carrying the chicken soup she had prepared, about to enter the hospital, when suddenly a woman rushed out and wrapped her arms around her legs, startling the elderly woman into kicking outward, sending the person flying.
“Auntie! Auntie, it’s me, Auntie!!”
Miaoxing lifted her face, with bruises on her lips, blood on her face, and hair wild like a madwoman, as she rushed in front of Li Chunhua as if grasping a life-saving straw.