Parents are coming
Song Zhiyuan's actions were as swift as ever. On the third day after his late-night conversation with Lin Xueyin, there was a gentle knock on the door of Lin Xueyin's ward.
It was already evening, and Lin Xueyin was leaning against the headboard, staring blankly at the setting sun outside the window. Compared to a few days ago, her complexion was slightly better, and she was at least willing to eat some liquid food on time. Although she was still silent, the despair she felt had faded a little.
When she heard the knock on the door, she thought it was a nurse and didn't pay attention to it. She just replied softly, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, but the person who came in was not the one wearing a white coat.
"Yinyin!"
Two trembling and unbelievable calls exploded in the silent ward like thunder.
Lin Xueyin turned her head suddenly, and when she saw the two familiar faces standing at the door that made her burst into tears instantly, she froze, and then a huge amount of bitterness and grievance surged out like a flood.
"Dad! Mom!"
Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen practically threw themselves at the bedside. Su Yuzhen hugged her daughter, tears streaming down her face. She stroked her daughter's thin face and shoulders, sobbing uncontrollably, "My Yinyin...how did you become so thin...what happened? Didn't you say you were fine in the letter?"
Lin Guodong stood aside, his eyes red, looking at his daughter's pale and haggard appearance and the obviously bulging belly. His lips trembled. He wanted to ask something, but he couldn't say a word. He could only clench his fists tightly, with veins bulging.
Without any warning, they were taken directly to Beijing by people sent by Song Zhiyuan. The anxiety along the way turned into tangible heartache and anger when he saw his daughter in this state.
"Dad, Mom... why are you here?" Lin Xueyin lay in her mother's arms, crying uncontrollably. The fear, grievance, and helplessness that had been accumulated for months finally found an outlet at this moment.
"Yes... Comrade Song sent someone to pick us up." Lin Guodong's voice was hoarse, and he looked towards the door of the ward.
Song Zhiyuan stood there without knowing when, still with that stern look, but facing the mixed looks of gratitude, worry and a hint of subtle questioning from Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen, he nodded slightly, his tone much softer than usual: "Uncle, aunt, thank you for your hard work along the way.
Xueyin has been feeling unwell recently and needs to rest. She will feel more at ease if you are around to take care of her."
His address changed from "Comrade Lin Xueyin" to "Xueyin", and he became more humble, calling Lin Guodong and his wife "uncle and aunt".
This subtle change made Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen's tense nerves relax a little, but looking at their daughter's appearance, the worry still lingered.
"Comrade Song, what...what is going on? Yinyin, she..." Su Yuzhen looked at her daughter's bulging belly and asked half a question, but she found it difficult to continue.
Song Zhiyuan glanced at Lin Xueyin, who was crying herself to the point of exhaustion, and then at Lin Guodong and his wife. His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable certainty: "Xueyin is pregnant. It's my child. We have already registered our marriage. Due to special circumstances, I was not able to inform the elders in time. It was my inconsiderateness."
Married? Pregnant?
Although they had guessed it in their minds, Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen were still shocked when they heard it confirmed by Song Zhiyuan himself. They were so shocked that they were speechless for a long time.
They looked at the young man in front of them who had an extraordinary demeanor but was obviously domineering, and then looked at the daughter crying in her mother's arms, and their emotions were extremely complicated.
Is this considered... marrying above my station? But my daughter doesn't look like she's happily getting married. It's clear she's been wronged.
"Marriage... this is a big deal, how can we..." Lin Guodong wanted to say how could it be so hasty without even notifying his parents, but when the words came to his lips, he looked at Song Zhiyuan's calm yet unfathomable eyes and swallowed them back.
The situation is stronger than the person, and he knows very well that he has no room for bargaining in front of this young man.
Song Zhiyuan seemed to see their doubts and dissatisfaction, and continued: "Please rest assured, Xueyin is my wife, and I will take good care of her and the child. I have wronged her before, but I will not do that again."
His promise sounded heavy, but Lam Kwok Tung and Su Yuzhen could not feel completely at ease.
Song Zhiyuan did not explain further. He arranged for someone to deliver Lin Guodong and his wife's luggage to the temporary accommodation arranged near the hospital, and then left the ward, leaving the space to their family.
In the ward, only the family of three who had reunited after a long separation were left.
Su Yuzhen hugged her daughter, feeling incredibly distressed. She asked over and over again, "Yinyin, tell me the truth. What happened? Is he...is he good to you? Did he bully you?"
Lin Xueyin snuggled in her mother's arms, feeling the long-lost warmth and security, and her tears flowed even harder. She spoke intermittently about her life in the countryside and the appearance of Song Zhiyuan.
All the help and coercion, that night in the warehouse, being forced to transfer jobs, until she was found out she was pregnant, being "rested", being forced to register for marriage... all the fear and humiliation suppressed in her heart poured out.
Listening to their daughter's sobbing, Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen felt their hearts pierced. They finally understood the terrifying experiences and helpless pain hidden behind the "all right" words in their daughter's letter.
"Beast!" Lin Guodong was so angry that he trembled all over and punched the wall, but he felt completely powerless. The other party had an unfathomable background. He could even transfer his daughter's file and job at will. How could an ordinary family like theirs compete with him?
"My poor daughter..." Su Yuzhen hugged Lin Xueyin, and the mother and daughter cried together.
After venting her anger, Lin Xueyin's emotions strangely calmed down. Her parents' arrival had been like a warm spark in her cold, hopeless world. She was no longer alone in facing the overwhelming pressure and unknown fear.
"Dad, Mom, don't worry." She wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Now... it's like this. He said... we'll talk about it after the baby is born."
Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen felt even more heartbroken as they watched their daughter feigning strength. They knew that resistance was pointless at this point, and the only thing they could do was to stay by their daughter's side, care for her, protect her, and ensure she could give birth safely.
From that day on, Lin Guodong and Su Yuzhen settled down in Beijing. Song Zhiyuan arranged for them to live in a good apartment not far from the hospital, and they would come to the hospital every day to accompany Lin Xueyin.
With her parents' company and careful care, Lin Xueyin's face gradually regained color and her appetite improved a lot. She began to actively cooperate with the doctor's examinations, eat on time, and go for walks in the small garden with her parents' support.
Although there was still a huge gap between her and Song Zhiyuan, the feeling of despair on the verge of collapse did gradually subside under the nourishment of family affection.
Song Zhiyuan observed all this but didn't interfere. He still showed up every day, sometimes chatting briefly with Lin Guodong about the weather or current events. His attitude wasn't exactly warm, but he maintained basic respect. Lin Xueyin no longer resisted the supplements and supplies he brought, silently accepting them.
He knew that having her parents come was the right move. Family affection was the most effective medicine to comfort her, and it could also, to a certain extent, ease the strained relationship between them.
He looked at the relaxed expression that Lin Xueyin occasionally showed in front of her parents, and her increasingly plump cheeks, and the indescribable anxiety in his heart seemed to subside a little.
A bird returning to its nest has found a temporary place to rest. All he has to do is ensure that this nest is always under his control, warm, and secure.
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