Su Mu neither admitted nor denied, she simply said: 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Xiaobei, I want to go to another hospital for a check-up."

"What are you trying to prove?" Jiang Bei looked at her, not quite agreeing with her point of view, "Do you want to prove that the child is Fu Shinian’s? Susu, is there any significance in doing this? That bastard has already questioned your innocence. Whether you can prove it or not, even if you did, would you really not care in your heart? Do you still want to continue with him?"

Su Mu shook her head slightly: "It’s not for myself, it’s for the child."

"Then it’s even less necessary. Are you still thinking about letting the child acknowledge him? Can’t you be less merciful to him? After all he has done to you, don’t you have any pride? Can’t you live for yourself? If you’re not with him, can’t you support the child by yourself, or can’t you live on your own?" Jiang Bei lost control and erupted in anger: "How many times now? Can you even keep count? Giving you hope time after time, only to let you down each time, what does he take this marriage for? What does he consider you to be? Can’t you have some backbone? Can’t you live properly for yourself? Without him, can’t you support your child, or can’t you live?"

Jiang Bei’s sudden outburst took Su Mu by surprise, but she wasn’t angry at all, just worried as she gazed at Xiaobei:

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." Jiang Bei also realized she had been inappropriate and tried to calm herself down.

The heating in the ward was strong, and after a while, Jiang Bei started feeling hot. She involuntarily took off her scarf and coat, but as she turned her head, she saw Su Mu’s gaze fixed on her neck. Jiang Bei suddenly remembered Rong Shen had been shamelessly nibbling there, and it was too late to hide it.

Su Mu stopped Jiang Bei from putting her scarf back on, her eyes full of shock.

She knew Jiang Bei would never do something like that. Putting aside the fact she didn’t have a boyfriend, even if she did, she definitely wouldn’t surrender herself so casually. The only explanation was that she was forced, but Su Mu didn’t know by whom. However, the culprits couldn’t be anyone other than Rong Shen and Ji Nanfeng.

Seeing the expression on Su Mu’s face, Jiang Bei couldn’t help but laugh, clutching her hand back:

"Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Xiaobei..."

"I’m fine." Jiang Bei laughed heartlessly, "I’ll just treat it like I was bitten by a dog a few times."

Seeing Jiang Bei like this, Su Mu suddenly felt very heartbroken. She was used to bearing all burdens alone; hence, she never showed her emotions. But there’s a limit to how much one can store and Su Mu didn’t want to see the day when Jiang Bei would collapse.

"Rong Shen?"

It probably wasn’t Ji Nanfeng. Jiang Bei had some tricks up her sleeve when dealing with Ji Nanfeng—she could use his family as leverage if she couldn’t handle him directly. But Rong Shen was different; Jiang Bei had no means to strike back against him, and it was even possible for her to be threatened by him in return.

Jiang Bei didn’t speak, which was an apparent affirmation of this supposition.

Su Mu gripped her hand tightly, at a loss for comforting words. Someone who could be released from charges of smuggling arms and ammunition couldn’t be touched by a mere police report. Ridiculous. They were just ordinary people living in an ordinary world, seemingly helpless against someone like Rong Shen.

Jiang Bei didn’t want Su Mu to over-worry about her. Before long, she changed the subject:

"Since you want to go to another hospital for a check-up, I’ll accompany you. I believe the truth will come out."

Su Mu nodded:

"Thank you, Xiaobei."

It was already 2 in the morning, Su Mu and Jiang Bei lay on the bed chatting together. They spoke of the distant past, recent events, and future dreams. While lost in their boundless hopes for the future, the two, who initially didn’t feel sleepy, gradually succumbed to a new drowsiness and drifted off.

By 7 am, sporadic noises started to filter in from the hospital corridor. Su Mu and Jiang Bei opened their eyes one after another, exchanged smiles, and Jiang Bei got up first:

"We should get up early to avoid a long wait for registration at the other hospitals."

"Okay."

That day, Jiang Bei accompanied Su Mu to three hospitals, but the results were always the same—an estimated one month of pregnancy, and the gestational sac not yet visible on the ultrasound.

As they left the third hospital, Su Mu took out her phone to search for the location of a fourth hospital, but Jiang Bei snatched it from her:

"Are you still going to search?"

Su Mu looked at her:

"Why not look?"

"Because you’ll get the same result no matter how many more you visit."

"Do you also think I’ve been pregnant for a month?"

"I believe you." Jiang Bei gazed at her: "No one knows better than you when this child came along. Even if no one believes you, I will. Whatever you say, I will stand by it unfalteringly. You said you wanted to go to other hospitals for a check-up, so I accompanied you, and you’ve seen the results. We can’t change the conclusion."

Su Mu was silent for a few seconds:

"Are you saying someone wants Fu Shinian to think this way?"

"Not someone, maybe Fu Shinian himself? Besides him, who in Shen City has the power to make all the hospitals lie together?"

"Why?"

Jiang Bei shook her head:

"I don’t know. I’ve sought him out before and got nothing from him. If he wants to hide something, we have no way to find out."

Watching Su Mu deep in thought, Jiang Bei couldn’t help starting to worry:

"Don’t go soft on Fu Shinian because of what I’ve said. Even if his reasons are significant, the harm he’s done to you is already inflicted, and that’s an undeniable fact. Why should everything have to be concluded by him? Why can he do as he pleases and you cannot show any weakness?"

Su Mu smiled:

"I haven’t."

"Good, if you forgive him so easily again, I’ll definitely cut ties with you." For the first time, Jiang Bei said something so harsh to Su Mu: "I can’t stand it, nor can I bear to see my friend being bullied and feeling powerless. Susu, you’re so good, you’ll be happier without Fu Shinian."

Because the doctor had warned her of possible impending miscarriage, Su Mu didn’t dare to stay out much longer. She didn’t feel inclined to return to the hospital either. After asking Jiang Bei’s opinion, Jiang Bei thought there was no need to go back, and they didn’t even have to go through the discharge process. After all, the hospital belonged to Fu Shinian; let him handle things as he wished.

The two went straight back to Jiang Bei’s apartment. Since they hadn’t lived there for half a month, there was some dust inside. Su Mu wanted to help clean up but was strictly forbidden by Jiang Bei, leaving her with no choice but to sit still quietly.

The news of Su Mu’s discharge reached Fu Shinian’s ears near dusk. When Qiao Yu came upstairs, he passed on the news, to which he didn’t show any special reaction. Dressed in a hospital gown, propped up in bed, his demeanor detached:

"I see."