89 Determination
Wen Xueyan felt a slight pang in her heart. Looking at the sincere expectation in Rao Wanyi's eyes, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Is your husband, President Xi, very familiar with him? I suspect he saved you tonight because of President Xi, right?" Rao Wanyi suddenly leaned forward. "President Cheng hasn't replied to my messages for the past two months. Once he recovers, could you help me arrange a meal with him? You and your husband can leave halfway through..."
Wen Xueyan wanted to persuade her to give up, but found that she couldn't find a suitable reason.
The window at the end of the corridor was slightly ajar, and the night breeze carried the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms.
"Actually, have you ever thought that President Cheng might have a lover..." Wen Xueyan wanted to hint at it, after all, she couldn't bear to keep Rao Wanyi waiting like this.
Just then, Secretary Qiao strode over. She was wearing a sharp black suit skirt, her gaze as sharp as ever.
"Miss Wen," Secretary Qiao led Wen Xueyan to a corner and handed her a bank card, "there's two million here. President Cheng said... you know the PIN."
Wen Xueyan recalled that star-studded night when Cheng Boyan held her in his arms: "From now on, my personal bank card and phone password will be our baby's birthday."
"Mr. Cheng said he's wanted to give this to you for a long time," Secretary Qiao lowered her voice, "first because his divorce proceedings weren't finished, and he was afraid of implicating you. Later, he was worried about some rumors about Mr. Xi's company's debts..."
Wen Xueyan gripped her bank card tightly and turned to walk towards the payment window.
After completing all the formalities, she also asked the hospital to refund the amount Rao Wanyi had paid.
After completing the formalities, Wen Xueyan saw Cheng Boyan being wheeled out of the operating room, and Rao Wanyi immediately went to greet him.
"Let me stay with him tonight. At least he's not awake yet and won't refuse me," Rao Wanyi said to Wen Xueyan, her eyes pleading. "You two go back and rest first."
Secretary Qiao stepped forward and politely stopped her: "President Rao, hello. Our President Cheng instructed that only I can accompany her during her hospitalization. Otherwise, he will blame me for dereliction of duty after he wakes up. Please understand." She turned her head and gave Wen Xueyan a subtle wink.
Wen Xueyan immediately took Rao Wanyi's arm gently: "Wanyi, let me take you home. You must be tired today."
Rao Wanyi glanced longingly at the ward one last time, then nodded.
"President Cheng is truly a respectable and good man. I am indeed wondering if he has a crush on someone? In comparison, my ex-husband cheated on me without any remorse. He secretly dated another woman for three years, only letting his guard down after we got married, and even assumed I would tolerate it for the sake of the children." Rao Wanyi said before getting into her car in the underground parking garage.
"Yes, some men always think that after marriage, the woman will be easy to control," Wen Xueyan replied, remembering that Song Tiancheng was the same way. After Rao Wanyi drove away, Wen Xueyan immediately returned to the hospital. Secretary Qiao was waiting outside the ward and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her return.
"President Cheng called me this afternoon. He emphasized the importance of protecting your and the child's safety," Secretary Qiao said softly. "The situation with President Xi is unclear right now, and he doesn't want you to get too involved."
In the hospital room, Cheng Boyan lay quietly. Wen Xueyan sat down beside the bed and gently took his hand.
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the ward, Cheng Boyan slowly opened his eyes.
"Xueyan..." His voice was very soft, but it caused Wen Xueyan's tears to burst forth instantly.
Secretary Qiao quickly stood up from the sofa: "I'll go downstairs to buy breakfast. You two chat first, call me if you need anything."
As the ward door closed gently, Wen Xueyan's carefully constructed strength crumbled at that moment.
She slowly leaned down and buried her face deeply in Cheng Boyan's palm.
Wen Xueyan could feel the warmth of his palm, the warmth that had given her strength when she was most helpless, but now it seemed so fragile.
"Don't cry..." Cheng Boyan's voice was very soft.
Wen Xueyan raised her tearful eyes to meet his weak yet still profound gaze.
"Is the baby alright?" He spoke each word slowly, but clearly.
"It's alright," Wen Xueyan replied, her voice choked with emotion, pressing his hand against her cheek. "The baby's fine. The housekeeper even texted me this morning."
The morning sunlight streamed through the blinds of the VIP ward, casting dappled shadows on the polished floor.
Ten minutes later, as Wen Xueyan was adjusting the IV drip rate for Cheng Boyan, there was a gentle knock on the ward door.
"Please come in." She turned her head and saw two police officers standing at the door. The man in the lead was about forty years old, and the rank insignia on his shoulder straps indicated his identity.
"Hello, ma'am, I'm Captain Gu from the Municipal Public Security Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division." He showed his badge, his eyes sharp yet polite. "I need to take a detailed statement from you."
The three of them took their seats in the outer reception area.
"Please describe in detail what happened last night." Captain Gu opened his notebook.
Wen Xueyan tried her best to remain calm as she recounted the events, but her voice still trembled when she mentioned the details of the kidnappers abducting the child. Captain Gu listened patiently, occasionally asking a few key questions.
"Thank you for your cooperation." Captain Gu closed his notebook, then suddenly changed the subject, "I'd also like to ask you about something else. A month before Mr. Cheng's ex-wife, Ms. Xu Junxian, suddenly had several large insurance policies signed under her name. Were you aware of this?"
Wen Xueyan's heart sank. She noticed that Captain Gu's gaze was carefully capturing her every subtle reaction.
"I don't know about this," she said calmly.
Captain Gu nodded slightly and put away his notebook. "If there are any other issues, please contact us immediately." As he stood up, his gaze swept over Cheng Boyan's hospital bed again. "I hope Mr. Cheng recovers soon. Please don't mention to him about the insurance I asked you about, so as not to affect his mood or recovery."
After seeing the police off, Wen Xueyan leaned against the doorframe, feeling a layer of confusion creep into her mind. She only knew that Xu Junxian had suddenly passed away, but Cheng Boyan had never mentioned the insurance contracts the police had discussed with her.
Back in the ward, Cheng Boyan was already awake. He weakly asked, "Was that a policeman?"
Wen Xueyan nodded gently and tucked the blanket around him: "It's just a routine questioning." Wen Xueyan vaguely felt that Cheng Boyan couldn't possibly be trying to commit insurance fraud.
Wen Xueyan's phone rang, and the words "cousin" flashed persistently on the screen. She silenced it and turned her gaze back to Cheng Boyan on the hospital bed.
The phone rang five times, but Wen Xueyan refused to answer.
A lot has happened to my cousin Wen Haijing these days, but she hasn't contacted Wen Xueyan again.
A week ago at noon, Wen Haijing had just walked out of the school building with her textbooks when her parents blocked her at the intersection from both sides.
"You brat, I've finally found you!" Her mother, Wang Suying, grabbed her wrist with such force that it hurt. "Where have you been hiding for the past month? You didn't answer the phone or reply to messages!"
"Mom, I'm preparing for an exam." Wen Haijing tried to break free, but her father, Wen Dongping, grabbed her tightly.
"Don't give me that! What important exam could a girl like you have?" Wen Dongping said, spitting as he spoke. "We've all heard! Who's that man driving the luxury car? When did you meet him?"
Wen Haijing was very surprised. She was less than three months pregnant, and her belly was not visible. Moreover, she had already moved out of the dormitory and was renting a place to live. She didn't know how her parents had found out.
"What's it to you?" Wen Haijing said coldly. "My affairs are none of your business."
Wen Haijing had originally wanted to ask about her mother's recovery after the fracture, but at this moment she didn't want to ask any more questions.
"We don't need to worry about you?" Wang Suying shrieked. "We raised you with so much care, and now you think you're all grown up? Let me tell you, your brother has his eye on a house, but he's short 200,000 yuan for the down payment. You have to pay that! Since you're so capable, why are you so heartless as to not help?"
Looking at her parents' greedy faces, Wen Haijing suddenly felt nauseous: "I just gave you 190,000 yuan last month."
"What can that little bit of money do? It's all been used to pay off the debt from the bride price. Don't you, a girl, know how to be considerate of your family?" Wen Dongping glared at her fiercely.
Wen Haijing ignored them and walked straight to the school gate. She had a prenatal checkup scheduled for this afternoon.
Just then, Xu Junheng's car slowly pulled up at the school gate, and Wen Haijing got in. Wen Dongping and his wife immediately rushed over, pounding on the car window: "Get out! You got my daughter pregnant, and now you want to deny it?"
Xu Junheng rolled down the car window, his eyes icy: "What do you want?"
Wang Suying screamed, "We need the money now! My son is waiting to buy a house and get married! Two hundred thousand for the down payment, not a penny less! He's our only son, do you understand? Do you have any conscience?"
Sitting in the passenger seat, Wen Haijing watched her parents gesticulating wildly outside the car window and suddenly said, "Drive."
Xu Junheng was not a soft-hearted person. He glanced at her calmly, then stepped on the gas. In the rearview mirror, the furious figures of Wen Haijing's parents grew smaller and smaller.
"Go to the hospital for a prenatal checkup," Wen Haijing said.
Xu Junheng said calmly, "Your parents are even more... despicable than I imagined."
After receiving 50,000 yuan from Xu Junheng, Wen Haijing was unwilling to have surgery to abort the baby. She felt reluctant to give up the baby, but as her pregnancy progressed, her roommates would gossip. So she asked Xu Junheng to rent her an apartment and move off-campus.
Five days ago.
In the reception room of the Xu Group, Mrs. Xu elegantly sipped her black tea. Today, she wore a navy blue Chanel suit, and her pearl necklace gleamed with a warm luster.
"Please have a seat, both of you. What brings you here?" She gestured for Wen Haijing's parents to sit opposite her, her tone distant.
Mrs. Xu's secretary was also sitting next to her.
Wang Suying couldn't wait to speak: "Mrs. Xu, your husband got our daughter pregnant. You think 200,000 is the minimum?"
Mrs. Xu was surprised for a moment, then gently put down her teacup, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Mrs. Wen, I think you've misunderstood. In our circle, playing along is commonplace."
Wen Dongping stood up agitatedly: "What do you mean? Are you trying to deny it?"
"Please calm down," Mrs. Xu said calmly. "Mr. Xu is indeed rather...philandering. However," she changed the subject, "your daughter's child hasn't been born yet, has it? Has a paternity test been done? You understand that words are not enough proof? If you fabricate facts, our lawyers will sue you for damages."
Mr. and Mrs. Wen were stunned. When they first saw Mrs. Xu's attitude, they thought there was hope and that Mrs. Xu would swallow her anger and give them a sum of money.
Mrs. Xu stood up, straightened her skirt, and said to her secretary, "See the guest out."
These past few days, Wen Haijing had thought about confiding in her cousin, but then she felt that her cousin was the only person she was grateful to, and she didn't want to bring any more negative emotions to her cousin.
Three days ago.
Wen Haijing lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Last night after class, someone pushed her at the bottom of the stairs.
Upon waking, Wen Haijing lay in a VIP hospital room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Morning light streamed through the blinds, and the throbbing pain in her lower abdomen served as a constant reminder of everything she had lost.
The ward door was gently pushed open, and Xu Junheng walked in, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit. He gestured for his assistant to wait outside and then closed the door behind him.
"Don't worry, the hospital has made arrangements and all visits are prohibited." He sat down in the armchair beside the bed, crossing his legs. "Do you have any requests?"
Wen Haijing slowly turned her head, her eyes calm: "I want to take a leave of absence from school."
Xu Junheng raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? You're not going to study anymore? I still hope you continue your studies; I can even pay for your tuition for the next three years."
Although Xu Junheng felt that he would never deeply love Wen Haijing or any other woman, he still felt a pang of pity when he saw her so weak. Besides, he had felt a genuine attraction to her when he first saw her working as a tutor, which was why he refrained from getting close to her at the beginning.
"The news of the miscarriage will soon spread throughout the school," she said simply. "I don't want to face the pointing fingers. More importantly, I don't want to be my parents' ATM anymore."
Wen Haijing didn't want to be a third party in the relationship for long, but she didn't say it aloud.
Wen Haijing calmly responded, "I want to study in Canada. I've been preparing for the IELTS exam for the past two months, and my score came out last week—a 7.5. I plan to take a break from my studies and start applying to schools. However, I don't have enough funds and need your help."
Before he arrived, he thought that Wen Haijing would make tearful accusations, or use them as leverage to demand a luxury house, a luxury car, luxury goods, or a "status".
But he never expected that what she wanted was a path. A path leading to a distant, unknown world that she would have to make tremendous efforts and overcome numerous obstacles to complete.
"IELTS 7.5?" He subconsciously repeated the score.
This score is quite excellent, even among students who have ample time to prepare and access to excellent educational resources.
In addition to her school courses, Wen Haijing also works part-time. How does she manage to do that?
Xu Junheng clearly remembers that in order to go abroad, he took countless expensive one-on-one tutoring classes, which took a lot of time and energy. The process was by no means easy, and he could only get a score of 7.0 in the end.
The girl in front of me, enduring demands from her family, part-time jobs, an unplanned pregnancy, and the pain of a miscarriage... In such a difficult environment, she quietly carved out a window for herself.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity or resentment, she worked hard in silence and achieved a score high enough to gain admission to world-renowned universities.
This is not about demanding; this is about planning.
A powerful surge of shock, disbelief, and then a profound admiration struck Xu Junheng's heart.
He seemed to have rediscovered Wen Haijing once again. Not the pitiful girl who needed his help, but an independent individual with an amazing resilience hidden deep within her soul, clear goals, and a willingness to do anything to achieve them.
This resilience, this willpower to maintain a clear direction and act silently even in dire circumstances, is far more awe-inspiring to Xu Junheng than any beauty or gentleness.
As for Wen Haijing herself, she felt that the cruelest side of human nature is often wrapped in the cloak of "family affection".
Those demands made in the name of blood ties, those blackmails using the debt of raising children as leverage, are more painful than harm from strangers.
She has come to understand that some shackles are imposed upon one from birth, and only by completely breaking free from them can one achieve true freedom.
In the following days, Wen Dongping and his wife could not find Wen Haijing, so they called Wen Xueyan.
"Who's calling you?" Cheng Boyan asked after seeing Wen Xueyan put her phone on silent.
Welcome all readers and fans to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
I'm determined to study abroad!
I really want to know Hai Jing's ending.
Okay, thank you for your comment.
Okay, thank you for reading and leaving a comment. The ending will be in a few days!
I love it! Reading this chapter suddenly reminded me of Angela Chang's song, "A Diao," about a girl who, despite all the hardships, remained brave.
Run away, these kinds of parents can't be changed.
Thank you for your detailed analysis. This song is very good.
Thank you for reading. Leaving may indeed be the most appropriate solution at this moment.
For my cousin, studying abroad is a viable path in life. It allows her to continue her studies, lay a foundation for her future development, and escape her family of origin and the shackles of her parents. Living in a different place can also help her heal emotional wounds, live independently, and embark on a new journey in life.
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