Chapter 11 Three Years of Pursuit
Early the next morning, Zhou Muyan and I went to the Hospital together.
When Mother Zhou saw me, she didn't seem surprised.
Xie Mingming, on the other hand, looked visibly happier.
He held my hand and refused to let go.
"Mom, you'll stay with me the whole time, right?"
Looking into those pure, childlike eyes, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
"Yes. I'll always stay with Mingming."
By the time Huang Yuwei arrived, Xie Mingming had already gone into the operating room.
She tugged on Zhou Muyan's sleeve and explained,
"On my way here, someone rear-ended my car. It delayed me. Did Mingming ask for me?"
Zhou Muyan didn't seem to be listening to Huang Yuwei. He kept staring at me.
"Zhou Muyan, what's wrong?"
Huang Yuwei noticed something was off and followed Zhou Muyan's gaze to me.
"Huh? Isn't this the stranger who bumped into me the other day? Why is she here?
"Zhou Muyan, say something?"
Huang Yuwei tugged his sleeve again.
"You two—she—she isn't Mingming's Mom, is she?"
"Yes. She is."
Zhou Muyan answered quickly this time.
Huang Yuwei looked at me, and her eyes suddenly turned red.
"Can we talk?"
Outside the Hospital corridor, Huang Yuwei sniffled and started telling me about her and Zhou Muyan.
"I chased Zhou Muyan for three years. Wherever he went those three years, I followed. Whatever he liked, I did. By the end, everyone thought I was his girlfriend—even I thought so.
"I like him. Like him so much it hurts. I thought as long as there was no one else beside him, I still had a chance."
Huang Yuwei suddenly grabbed my hand and pleaded,
"Can you not fight me for him? You two dated before, right? You must have broken up because you weren't a good fit?
"I'm different from all of you. I can give up everything, as long as I have Zhou Muyan. Don't worry—I'll treat your Child well. I won't let him suffer any grievance."
What Huang Yuwei said wasn't entirely without reason.
I admitted it—I had never forgotten Zhou Muyan.
But broken mirrors were hard to make whole again. What stood between us was more than just those old misunderstandings.
"Alright." I agreed almost without hesitation.
It was so fast Huang Yuwei almost couldn't believe it.
"Really?"
"Really."
The moment the word left my mouth, a loud bang sounded behind me.
I turned around and saw Zhou Muyan standing right behind me.
Given where Huang Yuwei was standing, she should have noticed him long ago.
So she had been fishing for my answer on purpose?
"Are you satisfied now?"
Zhou Muyan said nothing. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me away.
This time I didn't struggle. I knew it was useless.
Passing an empty room, Zhou Muyan dragged me inside.
In almost an instant, he had me pinned against the corner of the wall.
"Just like that, you gave me away? Xie Xinran, do you know? You make me feel like all these years of holding on were a joke."
I blinked blankly and didn't answer him.
Zhou Muyan buried his face against my neck, his voice muffled.
"Xie Xinran, why don't you ask me what I've been holding on for? Is it because you don't care anymore?
"No matter what I do, you're not interested anymore, is that it?
"Why? Why do you have to be so cold?"
A damp warmth suddenly spread against my neck.
"Zhou Muyan, you said you wouldn't force me anymore."
"Can't you just take pity on me?"
"But we already ended five years ago."
"It never ended on my side. You were the one who broke up unilaterally. I never agreed."
"Zhou Muyan, is this fun for you?"
I shoved him away hard and demanded sharply.
"Don't make it sound like I heartlessly abandoned you. Don't you know what you did? From start to finish, were you ever honest with me?
"Or from the very beginning, you only wanted to play around—otherwise you wouldn't have said those things so easily while on the phone with someone else."
"That's not it. It was because..."
Zhou Muyan stopped halfway.
"Yes. It was my fault. I even thought you were just like those gold diggers."
I smiled with full sarcasm.
"So, have I passed the Zhou Family's test now?"