Hearing that, the woman in the floral dress froze for a moment, then quickly turned around and shouted, “Hey, where’s Wenwen? Why isn’t she here? Hurry and call her in!”
The people behind her also turned to look, and a few at the back even stepped outside to search.
Shen Feng, Yangyang, and I exchanged confused looks, completely at a loss.
Before long, someone outside called out, “She’s coming, she’s coming!”
The next second, a young girl with long hair and fair, clean skin walked in with her head lowered, surrounded by the crowd.
I leaned forward slightly to get a better look at her face—and the moment I did, I exclaimed in surprise: “It’s you?!”
It turned out Wenwen was the bridesmaid I had pulled away at the wedding yesterday.
Hearing me, Wenwen lifted her head a little, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“Sister Chen Yang…”
Seeing this, the woman in the floral dress slapped her thigh again and laughed heartily.
“Just like I said! I’ve got to thank Second Brother properly later!”
Two elderly people, clearly her grandparents, stepped forward from the crowd.
Carrying a cloth bag, they handed it to me.
“Here, girl… you saved our granddaughter. Our Ma family doesn’t have much to offer, but please accept this small token of appreciation.”
Both Shen Feng and I were taken aback and quickly tried to refuse.
“Sir, ma’am, this really isn’t necessary. Helping someone in need is something anyone would do. You’re being too kind,” Shen Feng said, even though he didn’t fully understand the situation.
“Oh, it’s not that simple,” the woman in the floral dress chimed in again.
“From what Wenwen told us, the situation back then… if you hadn’t stepped in, we might not even have seen her today. Our whole family would’ve been devastated.”
The elderly couple insisted on giving me the bag.
With no other choice, I thanked them repeatedly and accepted it.
Only then did I realize everyone was still standing in the room.
Flustered, I tried to get out of bed, but Wenwen immediately stopped me.
“Sister Chen Yang… my second uncle already told me about your condition. Yesterday, if it weren’t for that last moment, I wouldn’t have even known you were pregnant. I’m really sorry—if not for me, you wouldn’t be like this. Please don’t get up, just rest.”
“Yes, yes, just lie down and rest. We only came to check on you—we’ll be leaving soon,” someone else added.
Looking at the large group, I couldn’t quite figure out who was who.
The woman in the floral dress, sharp-eyed, immediately started introducing everyone:
“These two are Wenwen’s grandparents. I’m her third aunt.” She then pointed to a shorter man. “That’s my husband.”
“And this is her fourth uncle, her fourth aunt, her fifth uncle, her fifth aunt… There’s also a second uncle who works on the fourth floor, but her second aunt is sick, so she didn’t come.”
I couldn’t help twitching slightly… this family was really enthusiastic.
After greeting everyone one by one, all except Third Aunt and Wenwen left after a bit more polite chatter and repeated thanks.
Watching them leave, the room suddenly felt empty, and I couldn’t help but smile wryly—what a big family.
Third Aunt’s name was Wang Xifeng.
Judging by her bold and lively way of speaking and acting, aside from her appearance, she really was like a real-life version of Wang Xifeng.
Ma Wenwen seemed a bit shy.
After Third Aunt sat down, she stood behind her, occasionally glancing at me.
As we chatted for a while, I realized that Wenwen’s version of events wasn’t quite the same as what I knew—she simply said that people at the wedding had been infected by a virus and everything turned chaotic.
I wasn’t sure whether someone had told her not to say too much, or if that was truly how she understood it.
“Since you’re Captain Suo’s wife, you must be living in the villa district, right?” Third Aunt asked.
“Yes, that’s right. After entering the main gate, turn right—seventh row, first house on the right.”
“Our whole family lives in the villa district too. Probably one of the earliest groups to move in,” she said, sighing slightly.
“Really? That’s great. I can come visit sometimes—staying at home all day gets pretty boring,” I replied.
Third Aunt nodded enthusiastically. “We’re on the left after entering, all the way at the back, the very last house in the last row.”
She chuckled. “With such a big family all crammed into one house, it’s a good thing we’re tucked away in a corner. Otherwise, we’d probably annoy the neighbors.”
“Oh? So you’re the only household there?”
Ma Wenwen answered for her, “Those last two or three rows haven’t had anyone move in for over a year. It’s too remote. Most people get assigned houses closer to the center.”
I nodded in understanding and smiled. “That’s not bad either—at least it’s quiet.”
…
Third Aunt and Wenwen stayed until nearly noon before leaving, repeatedly telling me to visit them once I got back.
After they left, Shen Feng, Yangyang, and I looked at each other and all smiled knowingly.
Then I opened the cloth bag Wenwen’s grandparents had given me—
It was filled with eggs. A whole bag of them.
Although eggs weren’t exactly rare in the villa district, each household only received a limited supply.
Especially recently, something seemed to have gone wrong with the supply routes—resources of all kinds had noticeably decreased.
And with such a big family to feed…
Returning them wasn’t really an option.
After lunch, I asked Yangyang to take the eggs back home first, and figured I’d find another chance later to properly thank them.
Just after Yangyang left, and while Shen Feng had gone to the cafeteria to eat, there was another knock at the door.
Before I could respond, it was pushed open.
Bruno came in first.
I was just about to ask what was going on—my IV had already been removed—when I turned and saw Dad, along with Song Jiang and Huang Jun, following behind him.
Bruno gestured to me, gave me a worried look, and then quietly stepped out.
Dad came forward and asked about my condition, his brows tightly furrowed.
Bruno must have already told him what happened, because he said with a hint of reproach,
“You really should’ve been more careful.”
Song Jiang and Huang Jun stood behind him, looking at me with faint amusement.
Before I could answer, Song Jiang spoke up:
“Didn’t expect it—Suo Tian always looks so reserved, and now he’s already going to be a dad.”
Dad glanced back at him, then turned to me again.
“Suo Tian got a mission yesterday. He left the base with a medical team. He probably won’t be back for ten days to half a month. If anything happens after you return, send someone to find me—I’ll be in my office during the day.”
It was obvious he genuinely cared.
No wonder, back when Suo Tian and Gao had that conflict, they still had to go into the bar to find him.
After hesitating for a moment, I finally asked the question that had been weighing heavily on my heart:
“…About Xiao Hu… in a few days, it’ll be time. I know this isn’t something one person can decide, but I’ve been taking care of that child every day. He’s the treasure of our whole family. I really can’t bear the thought of something happening to him. Can you tell me honestly… what will happen when he’s taken in?”
Dad waved his hand.
“What happened yesterday was too serious. Three substitute doctors died. Until new ones arrive to take over, that child’s situation can be postponed for now. I came today not just to see you, but also to tell you this.”
I was overjoyed. “Really? Xiaohu doesn’t have to be isolated for now?”
“Sooner or later he still will. It’s only a matter of time.”
I barely heard the rest of what he said.
All I knew was that, at least for now, that looming pressure suffocating me day by day didn’t have to be faced immediately.
After a moment, Dad added, “His monthly check-ups must be done on time. His case is unique—we need to monitor his condition every month.”
I nodded vigorously, unable to stop myself from thanking him.
He waved it off, looked at me for a moment longer, then turned to leave.
But just before stepping out, he hesitated, turned back, and signaled Song Jiang and Huang Jun to go ahead.
Then he looked at me again and asked:
“…Do you know about Suo Tian’s situation?”
I froze. “Situation? What situation?”
He frowned slightly. “His own situation… his identity… and his background.”
My heart sank. After a moment’s hesitation, I shook my head.
“Isn’t he just the captain of C Team? He’s never told me anything else—not even about his parents.”
“That’s not the identity I’m talking about,” Dad said.
I looked back at him, unease growing stronger. “Then… you don’t know either?”
“I don’t.” He shook his head, studied me for a moment, said nothing more, and walked out.
After he left, I forced down the strange feeling in my chest and tried to think about something else.
Sometimes, when facing certain things, I’m like an ostrich—wanting to avoid them, not daring to face them, not knowing how to.
I’ve guessed at Suo Tian’s identity countless times, but every time it led nowhere.
Not only did I fail to find answers, it also created distance between us.
Since it always ended the same way… it felt better not to think about it at all.
Shen Feng finally returned.
Seeing my expression, he asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head hard, turned to him, and forced a smile.
“Nothing. What about you? Treating this place like a hideout? What are you going to do when I go back in a couple of days?”
But as soon as I said it, I froze.
Right… what’s the point of avoiding things, even temporarily?
They’re still there, waiting.
— The end of the Chapter–
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