Li Jinhua stood in the corridor of the People's Hospital.
The corridor seemed longer than usual.
The smell of disinfectant mixed with the cries of babies coming from the nearby maternity ward sent another wave of nausea through her.
She walked out of the hospital gate mechanically.
The sunlight was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes.
A fruit vendor was calling out his wares by the roadside.
"Fresh hawthorns, sweet and sour—"
The voice was like a hook, drawing out the acidic fluid rising deep in her throat.
Li Jinhua hurriedly bought half a jin (250 grams). When she bit into the first fruit, the sour juice burst on her tongue, which surprisingly suppressed the nausea she felt.
"All around..."
She murmured to herself.
The timing was so precise that she could clearly recall every detail of that rainy night.
Zhang Haiyang's breath reeked of alcohol, and the sensation of his fingers tracing her waist.
And what he said afterward while leaning against the headboard smoking:
"You're much more attractive than my wife, who's always looking so plain."
Once on the bus, Li Jinhua gazed out the window at the department store billboards flashing by.
The happy family of three in the picture is smiling at her.
She unconsciously touched her flat stomach, where a life that could ruin her teaching career was growing.
"We've arrived at the steel mill primary school."
The station announcement startled her from her daze.
When getting off the bus, Li Jinhua almost tripped on the steps.
Old Wang at the school gate, unusually, didn't greet her, but gave her a meaningful look at her abdomen.
Rumors always spread faster than people.
It spread in just one afternoon.
We arrived at the door of the vice principal's office.
Just as Li Jinhua raised her hand to knock on the door, a silvery laugh rang out from inside the office.
Li Jinhua's hand was suspended in mid-air.
"Principal Zhang, you're so funny!"
The young woman spoke with a deliberately coquettish tone.
"Then at the next teachers' social gathering, you'll have to teach me how to dance, okay?"
Zhang Haiyang's voice carried that familiar, greasy quality that Li Jinhua knew so well.
"Teacher Yang is so smart, she'll definitely learn it in no time. But..."
The voice suddenly lowered.
"I feel that private tutoring is more effective..."
Blood rushed to his head with a bang.
Li Jinhua recognized the voice; it belonged to the newly assigned female teacher who had just graduated.
She is very young and beautiful.
She pushed the door open abruptly, and the door frame slammed against the wall with a loud bang.
The scene in the office felt like a slap in the face.
The new music teacher, Yang Xue, practically clung to Zhang Haiyang.
Zhang Haiyang's hand was now resting on Yang Xue's bare shoulder.
"Li Jinhua?"
Zhang Haiyang was startled by the sudden sound of the door opening.
He recoiled as if electrocuted, his face instantly darkening.
"Don't you know how to knock before coming in? Have you no manners at all?"
Yang Xue stood up in a panic, noticing that two buttons on her shirt collar had been undone.
She hurriedly tidied her hair, her face still flushed.
"Teacher Li..."
Li Jinhua's gaze swept back and forth between the two like a knife.
He didn't get angry or throw a tantrum; instead, he spoke calmly.
"I need to talk to you."
Yang Xue felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and grabbed her lesson plan to head out.
As she passed by Li Jinhua, she deliberately gave Li Jinhua a disdainful glance.
"etc."
Zhang Haiyang suddenly called out to Yang Xue.
"Remember to wait for me at the cultural performance tomorrow afternoon!"
He winked meaningfully.
Yang Xue returned his smile with a charming smile.
After the door closed, the office fell silent instantly.
Zhang Haiyang slowly and methodically straightened his cuffs, the panic from before completely gone.
"What's the rush?"
Zhang Haiyang's tone was full of impatience towards Li Jinhua.
Li Jinhua suddenly realized that she had never truly known this man.
Everything he said before, all his promises, were bullshit. He's a complete scumbag.
"I am pregnant."
Li Jinhua chose to confront the situation directly.
Zhang Haiyang paused for a moment while adjusting his cuffs.
He turned and walked to his desk, took a teacup from the drawer, and poured water without the slightest sign of panic.
"I remember you and your husband aren't divorced yet? His child?"
"I've only slept with you these past few months."
Li Jinhua spoke slowly and deliberately.
The teacup made a crisp sound as it collided with the table.
Zhang Haiyang suddenly laughed.
He looked down at Li Jinhua with a pitying smile on his face.
"Teacher Li, you can't just say things like that."
He walked slowly to Li Jinhua.
"Who knows if it's your husband's? Or..."
He leaned down and whispered in her ear.
"Who else?"
Li Jinhua abruptly took a step back, staring at Zhang Haiyang in utter shock. She never expected that this guy would simply deny everything.
"You know perfectly well whose child it is."
Li Jinhua was so angry that she trembled all over.
"That night you clearly said..."
What did I say?
Zhang Haiyang suddenly raised his voice, interrupting her.
"Comrade Li Jinhua, please be mindful of your identity!"
He straightened his tie and resumed his dignified demeanor as the vice principal.
"As a leader, it's my duty to care about the lives of faculty and staff, but you can't let that lead to unrealistic fantasies."
He pulled out a stack of banknotes from his wallet, counted out ten ten-yuan bills, and slapped them on the table.
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