Chapter 708: 0698 Decision

Su Ran arrived at Ye Zhichen’s apartment and rang the doorbell for a long time, but no one answered the door.

Just as she was about to enter the password, the door creaked open.

Ye Zhichen, dressed in home clothes, had messy hair, looking like she had just woken up.

Her face was pale, her body thin, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her normally beautiful and elegant face now bore deep signs of exhaustion.

A faint worry lingered between her brows, and she looked to be in very poor condition.

Seeing this, Su Ran’s face turned cold.

“Xiao Ran, why are you here?”

Ye Zhichen showed a slight surprise upon seeing Su Ran.

Su Ran didn’t speak and went straight into the living room.

She sat on the couch, her gaze fixed on Ye Zhichen, making her feel uneasy.

“What’s wrong? Looking at me like that? There hasn’t been any trouble at the company these past few days, has there?”

Su Ran did not respond to Ye Zhichen’s question but looked at her pale, haggard face with an inscrutable expression.

“Are you feeling any better?”

Ye Zhichen’s eyes flickered and she nodded, “A bit better.”

“Your complexion doesn’t look like you’re better.”

Ye Zhichen’s face stiffened, and her clasped hands tightened.

“Maybe because I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Su Ran’s gaze grew heavier as she stared at her intently.

“Zhichen, you seem to have not sent me the gastroscopy report from the hospital.”

Ye Zhichen’s face turned even paler, her eyes somewhat evasive.

“It’s nothing serious…”

Suddenly, a chill emanated from Su Ran, and she stood up, pulling Ye Zhichen towards the bedroom.

“Xiao Ran, what are you doing?”

“Change clothes, we’re going to the hospital!”

Ye Zhichen tensed up inside, grabbed Su Ran’s hand, and stood still, her face filled with resistance.

Su Ran turned to look at her with a piercing gaze.

“If it really isn’t a big problem, why has there been no improvement for so long, the doctors in Yong City are not quacks.”

Ye Zhichen’s eyes flickered, but she remained silent.

Su Ran looked straight at her, peering into her eyes.

“Zhichen, have you been to the hospital?”

“…” Ye Zhichen’s hand trembled, and she leaned weakly against the wall.

Seeing her like this, Su Ran felt helpless.

“How long has it been?”

Ye Zhichen bit her lip secretly, and after a long while, she spoke, her voice raspy and dry.

“More than a month.”

With a headache, Su Ran rubbed her temples and asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

What to do?

As if the questions she had been silently bearing alone for many days were finally asked, Ye Zhichen couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, a touch of vulnerability appearing on her stubborn face.

Seeing the usually strong and independent Ye Zhichen looking so helpless and vulnerable, Su Ran couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

She had been suffering through this alone.

“Zhichen…” Su Ran suppressed the sorrow in her heart and gently called out.

Ye Zhichen shook her head and looked at Su Ran with a bitter expression.

“I have an appointment with the hospital for tomorrow.”

Su Ran fell silent for two seconds, “Do you not plan to keep it?”

“No,” Ye Zhichen shook her head, a flash of pain crossing her eyes.

Su Ran caught the look on her face and spoke again:

“You’re not planning to tell Chi Mu?”

Ye Zhichen snorted with laughter, “What do you think his reaction would be if he knew?”

Su Ran’s expression turned serious, “Zhichen, you are husband and wife.”

Ye Zhichen smiled bitterly, “Yes, we are husband and wife, but we’re not the loving kind. It’s just a marriage of family alliance. Xiao Ran, Chi Mu won’t allow me to have this child. Although it’s hard for me to let go, I can’t bear to have it be born into such a family, to come into a world where it’s not welcomed or loved by its own father.”

A child is the best gift from heaven.

It’s the beautiful result of love and should be born into a happy and fulfilling family.

Chi Mu doesn’t love her, and he certainly won’t love her child either.

How could she let her child be born without the love of its father?

Su Ran understood the complicated love and hate entanglement between Ye Zhichen and Chi Mu, and for a moment, she said nothing.

Ye Zhichen spoke slowly again: “Chi Mu… he has someone he likes. When we got married, we agreed not to interfere with each other’s lives, everything was just to satisfy our families. If he knew I was pregnant, God knows how tormented he would be for betraying his beloved.

Xiao Ran, I’m not so despicable to stoop low and to use a child to tie him down! Nor am I so noble to let him be happy just because I love him. If Chi Mu doesn’t love me, I can’t shamelessly cling to him. I have my pride, and neither my upbringing nor my self-respect will allow it, it’s just…”

Ye Zhichen placed her hand on her flat belly, feeling a sense of loss.

Yet, it’s the child that is to be pitied!

Hearing what Ye Zhichen said, Su Ran felt a sense of admiration in her heart.

Being a single mother is not as easy as it’s depicted on TV and in novels.

Even without a father’s love, a complete mother’s love will suffice!

But how can you provide a child with complete love when the family itself is incomplete?

Imperfect love is just that–imperfect!

Just like Zhichen said, she has her pride and can’t use a child to blackmail a man who doesn’t love her.

She appears to be gentle, submissive, and frail, but in reality, she is independent, strong, and has her own convictions.

But seeing her in such pain, one could easily guess the agonizing struggle she went through to make such a cruel decision.

“If you agreed not to interfere with each other, he shouldn’t have touched you.”

Su Ran suppressed the urge to punch someone, livid with anger.

In matters like these, it’s always the woman who gets hurt, while the man, well, he just pulls up his pants and doesn’t have to worry about anything.

Su Ran still felt sympathetic and asked:

“Have you really thought this through? Have you decided?”

Ye Zhichen took a deep breath and nodded, “Yeah, we agreed not to interfere, so why cling to it!”

Su Ran opened her arms, hugged Ye Zhichen, and stroked her head.

“Okay, whatever you decide, I’ll support you. I’ll go with you tomorrow.”

Ye Zhichen’s eyes were red as she reached out and hugged Su Ran, burying her face in her neck.

“Thank you, Xiao Ran!”

“What are you being polite for? If you really want to thank me, take good care of yourself.”

“…Yeah.”

–

Not feeling reassured to leave Ye Zhichen alone, especially with a hospital visit awaiting them early the next day, Su Ran did not return to Platinum Lanting but instead stayed overnight at Ye Zhichen’s apartment.

In bed.

Ye Zhichen slept in Su Ran’s arms, clinging to her waist, and remarked:

“We haven’t slept together in such a long time; it always reminds me of our school days.”

Su Ran smiled, “Indeed, the times at school are always the best.”

Ye Zhichen sighed, “Too bad those good times are always fleeting. By the way, Xiao Ran, I ran into Ling Qingan a while ago. Have you seen her?”

“I have.”

“I wonder how she’s doing. After all, she used to be our roommate.”

Thinking of Ling Qingan made Su Ran let out a sigh as well.

After all, they shared a revolutionary camaraderie as roommates; she couldn’t completely ignore Qingan.

“She’s okay, I guess…”

“Does Wen Jichen know she’s back? Are they…”