Undercurrent
The marriage registration process was completed with remarkable speed. There was no wedding, no ceremony, and even no notification to Lin Xueyin's parents, who lived far away in North City. On a rather ordinary afternoon, Chen Mo brought the two bright red marriage certificates to the hospital room and respectfully placed them on the bedside table.
Lin Xueyin stared at the glaring red, feeling a profound irony. This document, which should have symbolized union and joy, felt like a conviction to her, clearly declaring her incorporation into the Song family's empire.
She is still "resting" in the small building of the hospital, with her movements limited to this building and the small garden downstairs, and she is always "accompanied" by someone.
Song Zhiyuan seemed to come more often, staying longer, but there was still little conversation between them. He would usually bring her books or newspapers, occasionally asking the doctor about her health, his gaze lingering longer and longer on her slightly pregnant belly.
This silent, scrutinizing approach made Lin Xueyin feel even more oppressive than the previous force. She was like a precious piece of porcelain whose ownership had been confirmed, carefully guarded, waiting to fulfill her most important mission - giving birth to the next generation of the Song family.
However, beneath this seemingly calm surface, undercurrents never stop surging.
The first to notice something was amiss was Sister Jiang. Lin Xueyin had been on leave "for illness" for nearly two weeks, with no news at all. Worried, she'd found out about this closed-off sanatorium and wanted to visit, but was politely yet firmly turned away at the gate. Chen Mo, respectful and precise in his words, greeted her, saying simply that Lin Xueyin needed absolute rest and that visits were not permitted.
Sister Jiang was a smart woman. Seeing Chen Mo's well-trained demeanor and the heavily guarded environment, she understood a good part of what was going on. Returning to work, she could only offer vague answers to her colleagues' questions, but the worry and unspoken premonition grew stronger. Comrade Song was far more powerful than she had imagined.
At the same time, the situation inside the Song family compound was not uniform.
Song's mother was the first to officially learn that her son had "low-key" registered his marriage. Looking at the pale and gentle photo of Lin Xueyin on the marriage certificate, she felt a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, she was naturally happy that her grandson had been found and was legitimate; but on the other hand, her son's way of marrying her without prior consent, which was almost forced upon her, left her with a knot in her heart. She took advantage of Song Zhiyuan's return and couldn't help but mutter:
"Zhiyuan, isn't this... a bit too hasty? We should at least inform the Lin family's parents and make things official. If we keep doing this now, what will the girl think? It won't look good on my future in-laws either."
Song Zhiyuan was reading a document without looking up, and said indifferently, "No need. This is the simplest way to handle it."
"Simple?" Song's mother was a little annoyed. "This is a wedding! Not a business trip! I think that girl has a soft personality. Don't be too..."
"Mom," Song Zhiyuan interrupted her, looking up, his eyes calm but filled with unquestionable determination, "I know what's going on. I'll handle Lin Xueyin's situation. Lin's parents, wait until the child is more stable, then bring him to Beijing to meet him."
His word "deal with" made Song's mother's heart skip a beat. She looked at her son's cold, hard face, knowing that saying more would be futile. She could only sigh and suppress her dissatisfaction. She only hoped that the Lin family girl would come to her senses and give birth to the child safely, and perhaps her life would gradually become smoother.
However, not everyone is as open-minded as Song's mother.
That day, Song Zhiyuan had just returned to his study when the phone rang. He picked up the phone and heard a slightly shrill female voice from his cousin.
"Zhiyuan, I heard you got married? Such a big thing, why didn't you tell your family elders? Whose family is the girl from? What's her name... Lin Xueyin? I've never heard of this name. What does her family do?"
A series of questions, with undisguised probing and a subtle hint of sourness. The Song family is a flourishing and complex family with intricate relationships. As the eldest grandson of the eldest son, Song Zhiyuan's marriage is seen by many as not just a personal matter, but also a redistribution of interests.
Song Zhiyuan frowned slightly and said in a cold tone: "Cousin, it's my private matter, please don't worry about it."
"Hey, kid, how can you talk like that? I'm just concerned about you. I heard that girl is from out of town, an educated youth? This identity... I'm afraid it's a bit embarrassing, right? Your grandfather and your father..."
"Cousin," Song Zhiyuan's voice turned cold, with a clear warning, "My wife doesn't need anyone else to judge her. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."
Without waiting for the other party to respond, he hung up the phone.
He put down the receiver, his eyes cold. The news had spread faster than he had expected. It seemed that many people were watching him and his wife's position. Lin Xueyin's appearance and her ordinary family background had undoubtedly touched a nerve with some people.
He walked to the window and looked out at the dark night. Placing Lin Xueyin in a relatively isolated environment was not only for "rest," but also a form of protection. Before he had complete control of the situation and firmly took her under his wing, she would not be able to withstand the attacks from both within and outside the family.
He needed to help her adapt to her new identity as quickly as possible, and he also needed to let the outside world, especially those within the Song family, clearly understand that Lin Xueyin was the wife he, Song Zhiyuan, had chosen, and no one was allowed to question or despise her.
And this cognition often needs to be declared strongly through some means.
He pondered for a moment, picked up the internal phone and dialed a number.
"Make arrangements. I'll take her back to the compound in two days."
The person on the other end of the phone responded respectfully.
Song Zhiyuan put down the phone and looked out the window at the endless darkness again.
The wind starts from the tip of a green reed. He knew that the moment he brought Lin Xueyin into the Song family compound, he would truly push her into the center of the vortex. But this step was unavoidable.
He needed to make her understand that from the moment she signed her name on the marriage certificate, her life was destined to be accompanied by these undercurrents. And what he could give her, besides control, was perhaps only the maximum possible... shelter within the scope he had defined.
However, at this moment, Lin Xueyin had no idea of what was about to happen. She was still trapped in that quiet hospital room, stroking her growing belly, struggling to survive in fear, confusion, and a hint of forced maternal instinct.
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