Chapter 51 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: "Come to the hospital with me."
Ni Zhenzhen seemed to hear Li Xiang calling her, but she couldn't care less.
She focused all her energy on suppressing the urge to vomit. Fortunately, there was a restroom not far from the conference room. Ni Zhenzhen forced herself to stay awake and stumbled into the restroom.
As she bent over, her long hair fell onto her chest. Ni Zhenzhen haphazardly gathered her hair, placed one hand on the sink and the other on her chest, and gagged twice uncontrollably.
To save money, Ni Zhenzhen usually grabs some biscuits from the break room for breakfast after arriving at the company. Today, she was first stopped by Zhang Wang to deal with his affairs, and then shocked by the evidence sent by the court. She was in a daze for a long time. Then she rushed to a meeting. The whole morning passed without her eating anything or even drinking any water.
So despite her best efforts, she couldn't vomit anything.
Ni Zhenzhen was somewhat frustrated.
She was worried that it would interfere with her work, but she was also worried that if she went back like this, she might feel nauseous again.
However, this worry was only momentary. Ni Zhenzhen quickly straightened up, tidied herself up in front of the mirror, and walked out of the bathroom.
She was so preoccupied with work that she didn't notice someone standing outside the restroom door, and almost bumped into him.
"Be careful..." Xu Tianzhou whispered.
He didn't care whether standing so blatantly in front of the women's restroom would make people misunderstand him as a pervert. Xu Tianzhou was like an insurmountable mountain, blocking Ni Zhenzhen's way, making it impossible for Ni Zhenzhen to ignore him.
She never imagined she would meet him here.
He was tall and solemn, with a hint of concern in his eyes that could melt icebergs, which made Ni Zhenzhen afraid to look at him again after an unavoidable eye contact.
The person in front of her was still the same as before, so familiar that it was as if nothing had happened, so familiar that she wanted to throw herself into his arms immediately and whine to him, "Honey, I feel so bad."
Ni Zhenzhen bit her lip tightly, her gaze moving downwards, passing over his clothes.
She recognized the suit Xu Tianzhou was wearing; it was one he had bought a long time ago when he went to a rice noodle shop with his colleagues from the bank branch. Whether intentionally or not, he hadn't removed the price tag, and Rong Xiaodan caught him red-handed.
Since the price tag was still on, Xu Tianzhou asked her if she wanted to return the clothes. She not only smiled and said no, but also secretly vowed to buy him more and better clothes in the future.
Ni Zhenzhen thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "I'm so stupid."
Looking back now, it was probably all a carefully orchestrated play by him. I just don't know if my performance satisfied him.
Ni Zhenzhen had many questions she wanted to ask, but she held back, not only because she needed to get back to work immediately, but also because she didn't want to make herself look so pathetic.
She seemed tired, or perhaps fed up, so she pointed to the side, trying to deceive herself, and said, "The men's restroom is over there."
"..." Xu Tianzhou almost laughed in anger. "Is this what you wanted to say to me?"
He would rather she question him relentlessly and hysterically insult him than treat him like an insignificant stranger.
Xu Tianzhou stepped forward, his deep, husky voice like a net, trapping her in the center and giving her no chance to escape, "I'm here to find you."
As soon as Ni Zhenzhen came out, Xu Tianzhou followed her.
He knew Ni Zhenzhen didn't want people in the company to know about their relationship, but he still couldn't resist.
There was really nothing to hold back, since his gaze hadn't left her since they entered the meeting room, and anyone could see that their relationship was unusual.
He watched every move Ni Zhenzhen made—her thoughtful look, her absent-minded look, her furrowed brows… His heart rose and fell with every subtle expression of hers.
Xu Tianzhou knew she wasn't feeling well, but he wasn't much better himself. Several times he wanted to rush over and hold her in his arms, but he had to restrain himself. When he saw that she hadn't opened her bottled water, he desperately wanted to go and help her immediately.
This time, he could no longer hold back.
Xu Tianzhou handed her the bottle of water that he had just unscrewed.
Ni Zhenzhen didn't answer. She raised her face and said in a businesslike tone, "Is there something you need, Mr. Xu?"
She deliberately emphasized the last three words, as if she were mocking something.
Xu Tianzhou said in a deep voice, "Come to the hospital with me." It was a command.
"Why?" Ni Zhenzhen looked blank for a moment, but she quickly thought of a possibility, and the blush on her face quickly spread to her ears because of this possibility.
She hurriedly lowered her head, trying to avoid his gaze, and said hastily, "It's not what you think."
Her voice was like morning mist, ethereal and unreal.
It wasn't just because the topic was embarrassing, but also because of a slight sense of guilt. Although they had been using protection, she wasn't entirely sure what might happen...
Xu Tianzhou said, "You'll know when you get there."
“No.” Ni Zhenzhen raised her head and refused decisively.
She couldn't imagine, nor could she bear, the outcome, so she absolutely could not agree to his request.
Ni Zhenzhen's attitude softened, sounding more like a reminder than a plea, "The meeting is still in progress."
"Then the meeting is adjourned," Xu Tianzhou said decisively, then took out his phone to send a message to Su Wenjin.
"No!" Ni Zhenzhen instinctively grabbed his arm. The staff from both companies had prepared for today's negotiations for so long; how could they just cancel them like that?
Ni Zhenzhen's attempts to stop her were ineffective; the more intense her reaction, the more Xu Tianzhou felt that his intuition was correct.
During the argument, Ni Zhenzhen felt another wave of nausea and vomiting.
She immediately let go of Xu Tianzhou, covered her mouth and ran back to the bathroom, where she vomited.
Ni Zhenzhen thought she would feel better after vomiting, but little did she know that this was just the beginning. She leaned against the sink, vomiting continuously, tears streaming down her face.
Xu Tianzhou was frightened by the heart-wrenching sounds. He walked straight in, stood behind Ni Zhenzhen, and gently patted her back.
This incredibly gentle gesture made Ni Zhenzhen's body tense instantly. She looked up at the person in the mirror, her eyes full of vigilance, and she also moved her body to the side.
Xu Tianzhou was stung by her movements, but he didn't force her. Instead, he asked softly, "Are you feeling better?"
Ni Zhenzhen did not answer.
Just then, someone outside called out "Flora".
A moment later, a female colleague appeared at the door. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern. "Richer said if you're not feeling well, you don't need to come. He's giving you a day off so you can rest."
Before Ni Zhenzhen could say no, her colleague turned and left, but before leaving, she glanced at Xu Tianzhou.
Xu Tianzhou nodded and politely thanked her, making no attempt to hide whether doing so would lead people to speculate about her relationship with Ni Zhenzhen.
After his colleague left, Xu Tianzhou lowered his eyes and looked at Ni Zhenzhen, as if asking her, "Let's see what other excuse you can come up with."
Ni Zhenzhen was speechless.
Xu Tianzhou supported the swaying Ni Zhenzhen and said softly, "Let's go."
She ultimately couldn't escape.
From the elevator to the parking lot and then to the car, Ni Zhenzhen thought of countless ways to escape, but unfortunately, none of them could be put into practice. What's worse, Xu Tianzhou had already seen through her.
"Don't even think about escaping."
Ni Zhenzhen bit her lip and remained silent. She placed her hands on her knees, much like a student waiting for the teacher to announce their grades.
Xu Tianzhou was also very nervous, but he did his best not to show it.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Xu Tianzhou busied himself with registering Ni Zhenzhen, getting her a medical record, and ordering tests. When drawing blood, he covered Ni Zhenzhen's eyes as if comforting a child, reassuring her not to be afraid.
Others cast envious glances, but Ni Zhenzhen only found it laughable.
After the blood draw was finished, Xu Tianzhou helped her press the blood-stained cotton swab, found a place to sit down, and neither of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.
The waiting area contained pregnant women coming for prenatal checkups and babies just a month old. A tiny baby, wearing a hat, lay in his father's arms, his little hands reaching out and grabbing at the air—utterly adorable.
Ni Zhenzhen was so engrossed in watching that she suddenly realized that having a child might not be such a terrible thing after all.
Time passed second by second until Ni Zhenzhen's phone gave a notification.
She opened the report, which showed a numerical value that she couldn't understand at first. Fortunately, there were reference values below, so she could understand it without seeing a doctor.
She is not pregnant.
Ni Zhenzhen couldn't quite describe her feelings. She wasn't happy, nor did she feel relieved as she had imagined. Instead, she felt a vague sense of loss.
Xu Tianzhou took the phone and examined it carefully. He seemed devastated by the result, staring at it for over a minute.
He had finally made up his mind to break up with her, and it was only because God took pity on him and gave him a glimmer of hope that he could accept this outcome.
Xu Tianzhou grabbed Ni Zhenzhen and said urgently, "Next week... no, come again tomorrow. Maybe it will be available tomorrow."
Xu Tianzhou begged without regard for his dignity, and Ni Zhenzhen pleaded with him in return, "I still have to go to work." Not everyone is like him; she also had to struggle to make a living and worry about the debts she owed.
"I can just take a day off."
Ni Zhenzhen asked helplessly, "Do you think doing this makes any sense?"
"What are you afraid of?" Xu Tianzhou retorted, his eyes bloodshot. "If you really want me to give up, then do it again."
Ni Zhenzhen looked at him with pity, "You know this is impossible."
Xu Tianzhou slumped to one side, muttering to himself, "If she's not pregnant, then she's sick." He reached out and touched Ni Zhenzhen's forehead, "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
"No."
Xu Tianzhou didn't care; he seemed determined to get a result before he could feel at ease. "Let's do another checkup, a gastroscopy? A CT scan? Do everything you can, okay?"
"No." Upon hearing that she was to undergo a checkup, Ni Zhenzhen instinctively tried to escape. She suddenly squatted down on the ground, curled up into a ball, and trembled uncontrollably. "I'm not sick."
"What happened?"
Ni Zhenzhen lowered her head, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but still said calmly, "I had dinner with a client last night and drank some alcohol."
"..."
Xu Tianzhou was suddenly stunned.
This was something he hadn't expected.
The image of Ni Zhenzhen drunk and unconscious that night flashed before Xu Tianzhou's eyes again, causing him immense heartache. But what right did he have to blame her?
Xu Tianzhou smiled sadly, "You don't have to do this anymore." After their divorce, she can get half of the property. Not to mention the debts, she can live a worry-free life without having to work, and she will never have to depend on others again.
Ni Zhenzhen composed herself and asked cautiously, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
"you say."
Xu Tianzhou's eyes were filled with anticipation until Ni Zhenzhen said the next thing, "Could you buy the house and... give me back my down payment?"
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:50:02 on April 11, 2022 and 22:16:58 on April 18, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: What can relieve worries? Only getting rich overnight with one bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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