If she had to talk about love, she loved him seven years ago. It's absurd that someone as cautious and meticulous as her would fall head over heels for a man she'd only chatted with briefly in a pub. In that instant their eyes met, she almost forgot about reality, and even her boyfriend of many years.
I remember when Zhiwen broke up with him, he said that after dating for so many years, he had never been loved by her, never! He also said that constantly giving was exhausting, so he would rather use a lame excuse to get rid of her and choose a woman who loved him more.
Perhaps he was right; she really hadn't been devoted enough to him, and she had never felt anything more intense than the gentle bond of friendship or the affection between siblings. But with Pei—the "younger brother" who flashed through her mind—she was always honest, passionate, willful, mischievous, and even a little childish—completely herself.
If love was involved, she loved her younger brother, not her reunited older brother. After all, in just the chaotic ten minutes or so before, she had noticed the gleam in his eyes—a sign of happiness. Therefore, she felt unwanted; she understood. And so, after the brief heartache, she clearly felt a sense of relief, a feeling she couldn't explain—
Is it because she fell in love with Pei Zaiyu, and therefore felt a vague sense of guilt towards her son's father, or... is she simply extremely satisfied with the current situation and has gradually forgotten about him!
Chaos, complete chaos, she groaned, clutching her head.
"Ah! Ugh... Ugh..." A slightly deep groan came from the other end of the path.
She reflexively looked up and saw an elegant pregnant woman, heavily pregnant, seemingly having twisted her ankle, painfully leaning against a small tree to try and regain her balance.
She rushed over immediately, "Are you alright? Are you okay?"
"My leg is cramping."
The pregnant woman kept her head down, one hand holding onto the tree, the other instinctively protecting her lower abdomen, until the pain subsided. Only then did she look up and take Ye Zi's support, smiling gratefully, her beautiful face radiating charm.
"Thank you."
"No, you're welcome."
After a two-second pause, Ye Zi snapped out of her stunned state and quickly helped her to a bench to sit down.
"You're about to give birth, aren't you?" She had observed the woman's astonishingly large belly and estimated that she was at least nine months along.
"Yes, the due date is in eleven or twelve days."
"How could your husband let you go for a walk alone? It's too dangerous!" Ye Zi suddenly became indignant.
"I don't have a husband," the pregnant woman said calmly, her expression serene.
"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry." She stammered, a little embarrassed, but more than that, she recalled the hardships she had endured when she also had a child out of wedlock, and felt a sense of shared suffering.
"My name is Ye Zi. May I ask your name?"
"Han".
“Ms. Han, it doesn’t really matter whether you have a man or not. We women can rely on ourselves just the same! I have a son, and I raised him myself. I’m still happy and carefree. So if I can do it, you definitely can too.”
"Thank you." Han smiled lightly, a hint of worry flashing across her brows, before she quickly smiled again and said, "Yes, with his baby, I will definitely be very happy."
"You love him very much?"
Ye Zi sighed, unable to hold back her feelings: "I also love someone very much. He was the father of my child at first, but then I found out that the person I loved was actually his younger brother. But, but since I missed him, why did God have to send him to me after I fell in love with Pei, who is also his younger brother? It's not fair, God is really unfair. If love is destined to be painful, why did He arrange for us to meet in the first place? I don't understand, I really don't understand."
"If love is destined to be painful, why arrange for us to meet in the first place? Yes, when has fate ever made anyone understand it?" A bitter smile also escaped from Han's lips.
Letting out a long sigh of relief, Ye Zi was puzzled by her expression and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What about you? Why can't you be with the person you love?"
"Me?" Han chuckled, gently patting her round belly, her expression becoming dreamy. "My love, perhaps he loves me, but not enough for him to accept a flawed soul like mine. Ah, do you know about heaven, that kind of heaven where your dreams come true?"
"Isn't it the same place?"
"No, this paradise is a medicine, a path to paradise, but before that, you must walk barefoot through purgatory."
"Purgatory?!" Ye Zi was slightly startled.
“Yes. I shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant,” Han said with a wry smile. “Heaven gave me the chance, even though I went through hell before that!”
Ye Zi couldn't help but be moved by her devotion. "Miss Han, you are truly brave."
"Just call me Han, that's what my friends call me." Han's mood also eased a lot, probably because of her trust and her relaxing qualities.
“Okay! So...did you tell him you were pregnant?” Ye Zi was both deeply moved and indignant. “Perhaps if he knew, things would be better for you two.”
Han gently shook her head, a strand of her black hair breaking free and falling to the side of her neck, making her even more charming.
Yes, how could she say that? If it were her, she probably wouldn't want her loved one to stay by her side because of the child, so how could she say that?!
"..."
Ye Zi reached out and gently patted her slender shoulder to show her understanding, while using her other hand to help her brush her messy hair back behind her ear. The two smiled at each other.
"what are you doing here?!"
A sudden, loud shout came from behind the bench, its sound like thunder, startling the two of them.
Almost reflexively, Ye Zi looked up and saw a handsome man with a livid face glaring at her. Uh, no, it should be Han Cai beside her. Could it be that he...
She turned to look at Han, and sure enough, Han's face was as pale as paper, and the hand clinging to her was trembling slightly.
"You...you..." Han was speechless.
"Why did you run away?" The man roared through gritted teeth as he glanced at Ye Zi.
"None of your business!" He's not marrying that "perfect" woman, so why is he bothering with her? To ridicule or humiliate her?
"you!"
The man was so angry that veins throbbed on his forehead and his fists clenched tightly, but he quickly suppressed his anger and commanded in a deep voice, "Han, come here!"
"No!" Han screamed in panic, staggering backward as the man, his face grim, strode closer, his pace quickening. Suddenly, she stumbled and nearly fell backward—
"Ah—" Ye Zi exclaimed, only catching her breath after the man nimbly rescued Han.