Meanwhile, back at home.
When Gu Nanyan got back from work late, Sister Jiang rushed up excitedly to report to her, "Madam, the young master just called and said he'll be home later today."
Sister Jiang knew he was too embarrassed to call Gu Nanyan directly, so he called home instead.
Handing her bag to Sister Jiang, Gu Nanyan smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll go up and get ready."
However, after she had bathed from head to toe, fragrant and fresh, and put on a newly-bought pajama set, she waited and waited, but Lu Beicheng didn't come back.
As it was almost eleven o'clock and Lu Beicheng still hadn't returned, Gu Nanyan was no longer in the mood to work. She slapped the case files on her desk and picked up the phone to call Xia Cheng, "Xia Cheng, what's going on with Lu Beicheng? Didn't he say he'd be back?"
Phoning Xia Cheng was a reluctant choice for Gu Nanyan.
Because since getting married, Lu Beicheng stopped taking her calls.
Whenever there was something, it was Xia Cheng who relayed messages between them.
To have come to such a state in their marriage, Gu Nanyan felt quite self-mocking.
On the other end of the phone, Xia Cheng said, "Madam, the Boss is tied up with something."
After a pause, Xia Cheng continued, "He might not be able to come back tonight, so you'd better not wait for him."
When Xia Cheng said Lu Beicheng wouldn't be coming back, Gu Nanyan slammed the phone down.
It's fine that you're not coming back! But could you at least not call to let me know?
To give someone hope and then pour cold water over them, what kind of thing is that to do?
Slam! The phone was thrown irritably onto the desk. Gu Nanyan pushed back her long, wavy, black hair with her hand, feeling an indescribable frustration boiling inside her.
She had taken a shower, changed her clothes.
And in the end, he didn't come back.
If this kept up, she truly wouldn't be able to get pregnant.
And time was flying; what seemed like a year just recently was now merely more than ten months away.
Feeling quite unbalanced, Gu Nanyan picked up her phone to call Lu Jingyang, "Jingyang, you're back, right? Can you check for me, see what your brother is busy with tonight?"
On the other end of the phone, "No problem, give me three minutes."
Lu Jingyang was Lu Beicheng's cousin and a classmate of both Gu Nanyan and Zhou Bei.
In the relationship between Gu Nanyan and Lu Beicheng, Lu Jingyang was unconditionally and staunchly on Gu Nanyan's side.
It wasn't long before Lu Jingyang called back.
Listening to Lu Jingyang's report, Gu Nanyan's expression gradually hardened, eventually a self-mocking smile appeared on her face.
She had thought she could keep Lu Beicheng all to herself!
----
In the hospital room.
Hands in his pockets, Lu Beicheng looked at Ye Chu, who hadn't come around yet. He took out his left hand from his pocket to glance at his watch, realizing it was nearly midnight, and his expression soured.
Quietly, Xia Cheng said to him, "Boss, Madam just called."
"Hmm!"
"Why don't you go back? I'll keep an eye on Secretary Ye here."
His left hand tucked back into his pocket, Lu Beicheng let out a soft breath just as Ye Chu suddenly started to wake up, twisting and furrowing her brows.
After some struggle and adjustment, the moment she opened her eyes and saw Lu Beicheng, her already pale face reddened around the eyes.
With tears blurring her vision, she looked at Lu Beicheng and choked out his name, "Beicheng."
Ye Chu awoke, but Lu Beicheng's face was even darker than before.
Xia Cheng, upon seeing this, said sternly, "Secretary Ye, you've been really foolish. If you had been found any later today, you wouldn't have been saved."
After Xia Cheng finished speaking, Ye Chu's tears instantly flooded out of her eyes.
Propping herself up with both hands on the bed, she looked at Lu Beicheng while crying, "Beicheng I'm sorry, I didn't do it on purpose, I didn't mean to cause you trouble, it's just thinking about my family's future, I couldn't see a way out and momentarily lost myself."
Wiping her tears, she promised, "I won't be foolish again, I won't do anything stupid anymore."
Having consumed nearly half a bottle of sedatives, if it weren't for Xia Cheng's arranged hourly worker finding her in time, she really might not have made it this time.
Looking down at the tearful Ye Chu, Lu Beicheng said in a faint voice, "Your life won't be so difficult in the future, you don't need to think too much."
Ye Chu's father had died in a car accident a few years ago and her mother's mental state hadn't been very good since, plus she also had a younger brother who was only nine years old.
It was impossible to say she had no burdens in life, but her salary at Lu's Corporation was not low, and she also had this relationship with Lu Beicheng.
Lu Beicheng wouldn't ignore her, and at the very least he would have Xia Cheng help manage her life.
Grasping onto Lu Beicheng's promise, Ye Chu reached out and grabbed his arm, looking up at him, "Beicheng, you won't ignore me, right? You'll help me, won't you?"
Seeing Ye Chu clutching onto him as if he were a lifeline, Lu Beicheng's right hand moved in his pocket but ultimately did not come out, and he did not remove Ye Chu's hand from his arm.
He looked down at her and said, "If there's anything, you can go directly to Xia Cheng."
Xia Cheng quickly added from the side, "Secretary Ye, the BOSS values loyalty and righteousness the most, he won't ignore you. You can come to me directly with anything in the future."
She had once saved the BOSS's life, so he would certainly help her with her personal affairs.
She was able to stay in the secretary office because of this relationship too.
With the promises of both master and servant, Ye Chu slowly removed her hand from Lu Beicheng's arm.
She said, "Beicheng, thank you." Then she turned to Xia Cheng, "Assistant Xia, sorry to have troubled you."
After Ye Chu woke up, Lu Beicheng stayed in the hospital ward for a while before he left.
By this time, it was already one in the morning.
He had intended to go back to Yulin Bay, but considering the last time he upset her at the old city residence and she slept with her back to him all night, he expected it would be the same if he returned this time, so Lu Beicheng dismissed the idea and had Xia Cheng take him to another residence.
The doctor had told Ye Chu to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation, and Lu Beicheng still went to check on her occasionally.
After all, her current state was, to some extent, related to him.
Gu Nanyan was aware of Lu Beicheng's whereabouts these past few days.
Having seen it all before, she just laughed at herself inwardly, no longer taking Lu Beicheng's promises seriously, no longer waiting for him to come back.
Once her heart was cold, it was just that.
Qin Haiyun, however, couldn't let it go. Learning that Lu Beicheng had been visiting Ye Chu in the hospital these past few days and had not come home for several days, she began cursing at home, "That little vixen is most likely playing the martyr. She's just jealous of Beicheng and Nanyan's improving relationship."
A servant agreed, "That's for sure."
Qin Haiyun insisted, "It's not acceptable. Nanyan may let it pass, but I cannot tolerate her acting up like this."
Without further ado, she had the driver take her to Yulin Bay.
So when Gu Nanyan came home from work, the first thing she saw was Qin Haiyun sitting angrily in the living room.
Surprised, Gu Nanyan handed her bag to the young servant and looked at Qin Haiyun, asking, "Mom, what brings you here?"
Upon hearing Gu Nanyan's voice, Qin Haiyun quickly stood up from the sofa, "If I don't come here, Beicheng won't be your husband anymore."
Gu Nanyan smiled, "Mom, it's not that serious."
Despite Gu Nanyan's positive attitude, Qin Haiyun wasn't influenced by her. After berating Ye Chu, she handed Gu Nanyan a check.
Looking at the check Qin Haiyun handed over, Gu Nanyan looked puzzled and questioned, "Mom, what do you mean by this?"