Chapter 82: I Beg You to Keep My Secret

Zhou Weimin noticed the terror on Zhang Jun’s face and felt a surge of doubt. “Yes, someone needs to inform Li Yong about Yuan Xiangqin’s condition. If something really happens to her, there’ll be no way to explain it when Li Yong returns.”

But at that moment, Zhang Jun had only one thought in his mind: run, and run as far as possible, as fast as he could.

“Doctor Zhang…”

“Doctor Zhang, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Jun snapped back to reality as a hand waved before his eyes. “Ah… It’s nothing, I was just thinking about the treatment plan.” He tried hard to steady himself.

It would take at least two hours to contact the sentry post and head down the mountain. In two hours, if he escaped first, he could already have left the city. Then he could buy any train ticket and be gone, and Li Yong would never find him.

Seeing Zhang Jun still frozen in place, Zhou Weimin couldn’t help but urge him, “Doctor Zhang, why are you just standing there?”

“I… I just remembered I left something in my dorm. I need to go fetch it. Teacher Zhou, could you please keep watch at the ward door? I’ll be right back.” Zhang Jun made up an excuse. He couldn’t care less about Yuan Xiangqin in the ward now. As the saying goes, “Even birds that nest together fly their separate ways when disaster strikes.”

What’s more, he and Yuan Xiangqin weren’t even husband and wife. He had only meant to amuse himself at first, never expecting that one night would lead to this mess.

Without waiting for Zhou Weimin to respond, he turned and ran towards the dormitory.

Seeing the panic in his movements, Zhou Weimin thought nothing of it, assuming Zhang Jun was in a hurry. He called after him, “Doctor Zhang, come back quickly!”

Zhang Jun first made a stop at the regimental headquarters to find Jiang Weiguo, saying he had urgent business down the mountain and asking for help finding a vehicle. Jiang Weiguo saw how anxious he looked and agreed without doubt—after all, Zhu Yan had just gone down the mountain that morning. He immediately arranged it.

Zhang Jun then returned to his dormitory, grabbed a travel bag, hastily packed some clothes, took his bankbook, some cash, and a few important items, and left.

Meanwhile, Zhou Weimin paced nervously at the ward entrance, hearing Yuan Xiangqin’s cries of pain from inside.

“Why hasn’t Zhang Jun returned yet!”

Suddenly, Yuan Xiangqin let out a sharp scream from the ward. Zhou Weimin could no longer wait and rushed in, only to find her unconscious.

Zhu Yan had just arrived at the military hospital at the foot of the mountain, not yet having met Lin You, when she was told there was an emergency on the mountain—Yuan Xiangqin again—and that she should return as soon as possible. She briefly explained things to Zhu Peng and got a ride back up.

On her way back, she saw a jeep speeding down the mountain, and the man in the passenger seat looked a lot like Zhang Jun. But at that moment, her mind was focused on saving a life, so she gave it no further thought.

Yuan Xiangqin was fortunate. Had Zhu Yan returned even half an hour later, there would have been no saving her.

On the hospital bed, Yuan Xiangqin slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Zhu Yan. Weakly, she whispered, “Yan…”

“Xiangqin, you really are daring, pulling something like this at home! Whose child was it?” Zhu Yan was no fool; she’d guessed the child wasn’t Li Yong’s, otherwise Yuan Xiangqin would never have done such a thing.

“I…”

“Li Yong is right outside. Should I call him in?” Zhu Yan stood up, and Yuan Xiangqin, summoning the last of her strength, grabbed her hand. “No, he’ll kill me. Please, help me… help me think of something.”

“What could I possibly do? Do you really think I could keep this from him?”

“Just say I fell by accident… Yan, I don’t want to die…”

Looking at Yuan Xiangqin’s pale face, Zhu Yan felt conflicted, uncertain whether she should help cover up the truth. After a long silence, she sighed. “Tell me first—whose child was it?”

Yuan Xiangqin lowered her head and said nothing.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll let Li Yong know.”

“No, I’ll say it… It was… it was Zhang Jun’s.” After a moment’s hesitation, the truth came out.

“I suspected as much!” Zhu Yan’s voice was cold as she sat down. “Where is he now?”

Yuan Xiangqin glanced around. She remembered Zhang Jun had been with her when she arrived, but now he was nowhere to be seen.

“You’re still worried about him? When I came back, I saw someone who looked like Zhang Jun in a car heading down the mountain. He’s probably already fled.” Zhu Yan shot Yuan Xiangqin a look of disdain.

“What can I say about you? I’ve complained to you about Zhang Jun so many times—he’s no decent man. You even tried to talk me out of it. So how did you end up falling for him? Do you know how much harm that medicine has done to you? You may never be able to have children again.” Zhu Yan’s tone was full of regret and anger.

Yuan Xiangqin’s face, already bloodless, turned even paler. “Do you mean… I might never be a mother?”

“It’s not a certainty, but the chances are slim.” Zhu Yan sighed heavily. “Who gave you the medicine? Was it Zhang Jun?”

Numb and lifeless, Yuan Xiangqin nodded.

“That despicable scoundrel.”

Seeing her friend in such a state, Zhu Yan’s heart softened. “Let me talk to Li Yong. I hope you’ll think twice about your choices from now on.”

She got up and opened the door. The moment Li Yong, anxious and waiting outside, saw her, he tried to come in, but Zhu Yan stopped him.

“Zhu Yan, what happened to Xiangqin?”

“She… she miscarried. She had a fall at home.” Zhu Yan hesitated, then lied. It was the first time she had ever told a lie. Looking at Li Yong’s worried face, she felt a pang of guilt.

“A mi… miscarriage…” Li Yong’s bear-like frame trembled. He staggered back two steps until he hit the wall, his throat working as he swallowed hard. “And… and the child, was it lost?”

For a moment, Zhu Yan wanted to tell him the truth, but when she glanced through the door’s glass at the devastated Yuan Xiangqin, she held back.

“There will be other children in the future.”

“How is Xiangqin now?” Li Yong fought to keep his emotions in check, trembling as he walked to the doorway to look at Yuan Xiangqin.

“She’s not in a good state. Go home and cook some nourishing soup. After a miscarriage, she’ll need to recuperate. If she doesn’t recover well, it might cause long-term problems.”

“Alright. I’ll leave Xiangqin in your care, then.” Li Yong nodded firmly.

“Don’t worry, I’m here…”

Li Yong had just turned to leave when Zhu Yan couldn’t help but call after him, “Company Commander Li…”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing. Just—if you’re making fish soup, sear the fish first. The broth will be richer that way.”

“I’ll remember.” Watching his retreating figure, Zhu Yan turned back into the ward, looked at Yuan Xiangqin, and said, “Li Yong’s gone.”