That same day, Li Zi took Li Zhenting to the hospital for an examination.
Everything was exactly as they had suspected; Li Zhenting was confirmed to be just over a month pregnant.
This time, with Li Zi supervising, the two of them finally took every word the doctor said to heart.
Li Zhenting’s pseudo-heat would persist throughout the entire pregnancy, only vanishing after the child was born. Therefore, Li Zi had to do her best to satisfy his special needs, treating him much like one would an Omega.
This included, but was not limited to, the provision of pheromones.
Li Zhenting’s constitution was robust, and the child’s condition was currently stable. The doctor simply instructed them to remember to come in for regular prenatal checkups.
The joy of finally getting what he wanted made a certain someone wish the whole world knew. After proudly posting a photo of the ultrasound to his Moments, Li Zhenting, ever the dedicated worker, returned to "Haochi" to share the news with his good brother, Li Qingliu.
Li Qingliu was happy for him, yet his teeth ached with envy. People are easily influenced by the happiness of those around them, often leading to a flicker of hope for themselves.
He finally made up his mind, took out his phone, and sent a message to Xie Bing: "Knock, knock. Is Dr. Xie there?"
Perhaps she happened to be on a break, because Xie Bing replied very quickly: "I'm here."
The instant reply gave Li Qingliu another boost of confidence.
He quickly typed out: "I saw you posted on your Moments very late last night. Why weren't you asleep then? Work must be very busy, right?"
Xie Bing had a solitary nature, and her Moments were usually quite sparse. So, when she posted a photo of an operating table at half-past one in the morning, Li Qingliu had wanted to message her right then, but he was worried about disturbing her.
"Mm, it's alright. That's just how hospitals are," Xie Bing replied simply.
"I heard a single surgery can take several hours. Doesn't that mean you sometimes can't even find time to eat?"
"When it's busy, yes. But I'm fine; I just assist the chief surgeon. The ones who are truly exhausted are them."
If it were anyone else receiving such a reply from Xie Bing, they might have lost the desire to keep showing concern. Her responses were so airtight and detached that it made one feel redundant.
But Li Qingliu was different. He was many years older than Xie Bing and understood her temperament; instead of being deterred, he felt even more heartache for her independence.
"Then you're still working very hard! You must make sure to eat well!"
*Cat-disapproval-face.gif*
Xie Bing hadn't even taken off her mask. She sat in the breakroom, head tilted back as she looked at the chat box on her phone.
When she saw the emoji Li Qingliu sent, her expression finally softened.
She was rarely cared for like this.
"Thanks, Brother Qing."
Last night, she had actually been so exhausted that her stomach started acting up. Usually, she could endure that kind of discomfort, but it had been so painful in that moment that it affected her mood, prompting her to make that post.
She hadn't been looking for help or concern from anyone.
She just suddenly felt like posting it.
She hadn't expected someone would actually inquire about such a boring update.
On the other end, Li Qingliu was still incessantly sending over various health tips and instructions on how to make simple, easy-to-store meals.
The phone vibrated continuously with the incoming messages. They say the ten fingers are connected to the heart; this vibration crawled along her fingers and palms, reaching deep into the center of her body.
Xie Bing didn't point out that she was a medical student and already knew all of this. She simply replied compliantly, "Mm-hmm, okay."
Li Qingliu unleashed a torrent of advice, his "nagging mother" tendencies on full display.
It wasn't until Xie Bing said she had to get back to work that he finally reined in his earnest lecturing.
Afterward, looking at the chat box, he felt a wave of regret—*Damn, will Little Xie think I'm a chatterbox?*
That evening, due to some repair issues at the shop, Li Qingliu worked until very late before closing up to head home.
He snapped the lock shut, breathed a sigh of relief, clapped the dust off his hands, and turned to leave.
A dark shadow stood behind him, cold and imposing.
"Qing-er, have you been living well lately?"
The nightmare-like voice was filled with a lingering affection, as if expressing concern for a beloved.
Li Qingliu’s hair stood on end, and his face turned pale. He watched the clearly malicious woman smile at him in a bizarre way. Terrified, he took two steps back, pressing against the shop door.
"Li Xin?! What do you want?"
It had only been a year since they last met, but the once-handsome Li Xin was now unrecognizable. Not only was she skin and bones, but her eyes held a ferocity that had never been there before.
She slowly closed in on Li Qingliu. Watching his expression turn to panic, her tone became very gentle, yet her hands already exerted force to pin him down.
"Qing-er is so heartless, unwilling to send even a cent to your former lover. Have you been living a particularly happy life lately? Have those Alphas become your little lovers? You've always been so indecent, flirting around. Besides me, who else could tolerate you?"
She pressed against Li Qingliu’s face as if caressing a lover. Everywhere she touched, goosebumps broke out from his extreme fear.
"Look, have they all abandoned you? That woman in your shop is gone, too. Tell me, who else is there to help you?"
"You've made so much money, yet you're unwilling to help me. Instead, you use it to pick up college students, don't you?"
"Qing-er, you're making me so sad."
As her tone grew cold, her grip became heavier. Her sharp nails scratched a bloody mark onto Li Qingliu’s face.
"Li Xin, are you crazy?!"
Li Qingliu never expected her to have turned into this—she didn't seem like a normal person at all.
"Yes, I'm about to go crazy. Qing-er, quickly give me some money. If I can't buy those things soon, I really will go mad."
Hearing his question, Li Xin began to laugh maniacally.
"I know Qing-er is a good person. Back when I was chasing you, you couldn't wait to give me everything. You can do that now too, right?"
She reached out to tear at Li Qingliu’s clothes, triggering a violent struggle.
"Come, let me mark you again. Then Qing-er will be able to give me all the money, won't you?"
Li Qingliu was on the verge of a breakdown. He frantically pushed at the person pinning him down, but the other party was an Alpha after all. Even if her body was wasted away, she wasn't someone he could easily resist.
He could only shout "Help" toward the empty street, feeling in despair as the woman opened her mouth toward his gland...
"Get lost!"
A young female voice pierced the silent air. A long, powerful arm hooked around Li Xin’s neck from behind, jerking her back and throwing her aside.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
She swung a furious fist, punching Li Xin—who was trying to crawl back up to resist—back down to the ground.
"Little—Little Xie!"
Li Qingliu sat on the ground, his clothes torn. He looked at the newcomer in pleasant surprise. Xie Bing had lost her usual calm; her eyes were bloodshot as she grabbed Li Xin by the collar, landing punch after merciless punch.
"You piece of trash! You dare come back to hurt Brother Qing!"
Li Qingliu ignored his own disheveled and aggrieved state, hurriedly rushing forward to grab Xie Bing’s hand. "Little Xie, stop hitting her, stop hitting her! Be careful not to hurt yourself."
A doctor's hands were very important.
Xie Bing turned to look at the wretched state Li Qingliu was in. The sudden, explosive rage in her heart burned so hot she couldn't stay calm. She pinned Li Xin’s hands and asked, "Brother Qing, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Be good, let her go first."
He glanced at Li Xin. The woman, who was all bluster and no substance, had nearly been beaten unconscious.
"You arrived just in time. She didn't have the chance to do anything."
Even though his body was still trembling from the lingering fear, he forced a smile to comfort Xie Bing.
Xie Bing wasn't blind. She knew Li Qingliu was the one who needed attention right now. She dumped all the medicine out of the plastic bag she was carrying and used the bag to tie Li Xin’s hands in place.
"Brother Qing, are you really okay? Thank goodness... thank goodness I planned to go back to the dorms today, otherwise..."
She couldn't describe the fear that had erupted in her heart the moment she saw Li Qingliu pinned down by someone with such foul intent.
"I'm fine. Look, really, nothing happened."
Li Qingliu showed his gland to Xie Bing.
Xie Bing, however, only noticed the marks on his face. Driven by an unidentifiable emotion, she reached out to touch the bloody scratch. "You're hurt here."
"Huh?"
Li Qingliu touched it himself, only to feel a sharp sting.
"It's fine, just a superficial wound."
He managed a weak smile.
"Brother Qing, let's call the police. We can't let a scumbag like this go anymore." Xie Bing’s face was extremely grim. "Otherwise, they'll only get worse."
She thought of Auntie Yun, who had raised her; that person had almost succeeded back then, too.
"Okay, let's call the police."
Li Qingliu couldn't bear it any longer either. He decided he had to cut all ties with this woman.
It would be best if they never met again in this lifetime.
By the time the two of them walked out of the police station, the night had grown even deeper.
Both Li Qingliu and Xie Bing were in low spirits, especially Li Qingliu, who felt an immense physical exhaustion.
Neither of them spoke.
This silence made Li Qingliu, who had been frightened earlier that evening, feel uneasy.
He stole a glance at Xie Bing, thinking that she had seen his shameful affairs again. He feared he had even less of a chance now.
Trying his best to find a topic, he asked, "Did you throw away your medicine just now? What kind of medicine was it? Was it important?"
"It's nothing, just stomach medicine," Xie Bing replied nonchalantly, hands in her pockets.
"Stomach medicine? Your stomach is bothering you?"
Li Qingliu’s brow furrowed instantly.
"...Mm."
Perhaps because they had shared a harrowing experience, Xie Bing didn't put her armor back on and admitted it.
"Lately I've been so busy I miss mealtimes. My stomach is probably protesting," she said.
"What about now? Is it still uncomfortable? Did you eat dinner tonight?"
Li Qingliu completely forgot his own insecurities; his mind was entirely focused on Xie Bing’s stomach issues.
"Let's find a pharmacy quickly and buy the medicine again."
He grabbed Xie Bing’s hand to lead her away.
Xie Bing was stunned for a moment, letting him pull her forward.
"It's fine, just a little bit," she said, somewhat unaccustomed to this.
She rarely showed her vulnerability to others and was even more unfamiliar with the current situation.
Li Qingliu, however, was angered by her lack of care for her own body. He uncharacteristically and firmly pulled her to buy the medicine, then brought her back to his home.
"You sit right here. I'll cook some porridge for you; it'll only take ten minutes."
Xie Bing had no say in the matter the whole way there, and she didn't know how to refuse this person who had suddenly become so assertive.
A glass of warm water was placed before her, next to the tablets Li Qingliu had popped out of the foil for her. She stared blankly for a few seconds, then picked them up and swallowed them.
"Little Xie, you can't go on like this. No matter how busy work is, can it be more important than your health?"
"Man is made of iron, but food is the steel—miss a meal and you'll feel the ordeal!"
"Does the hospital only provide meals at set times? And once the time passes, there's nothing? How about this: my place isn't far from the hospital anyway, and I won't be very busy lately. I'll cook dinner every day and bring it to you."
The man in the kitchen spoke to her continuously.
A warm current swirled in Xie Bing’s heart. She couldn't refuse such kindness. "Wouldn't that be bad? It's too much trouble for you, Brother Qing."
"What's troublesome about it? You saved me today; what's a little meal delivery compared to that?"
Li Qingliu walked out carrying a bowl of hot porridge. Under the bright lights, he gazed at Xie Bing earnestly. "Besides, I want to do it."
"Then... I'll trouble you, Brother Qing. I'll give you the money for the food."
As if possessed, Xie Bing nodded.
***
