"I think so."

Ruanruan nodded. "What do you mean, ’I think so’? It is."

Qin Haize was happy again. "Alright then. Since you drew me looking even handsomer, I’ll forgive you."

Ruanruan secretly rolled her eyes.

Xue Yue watched them, looking completely at a loss. She couldn’t quite grasp what this whole act was about. The aide, in contrast, remained perfectly composed, as if nothing could possibly faze him.

That afternoon, when Zhao Yinglan came to pick up Pain, the boy didn’t want to leave.

Finally, Zhao Yinglan had to say, "We’ll come visit again when we have time."

Only then did Pain reluctantly follow his grandmother out.

A smile touched Qin Haize’s lips. "He’s finally gone." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Only the aide heard him. The corner of his mouth twitched.

That evening, Xue Yue told He Lang, "You have no idea. I was playing judge all day today."

He Lang had heard that kids had been over that day.

He laughed. "Good thing we didn’t have more."

Speaking of which, Xue Yue found it strange, too. It had been quite a few years since she’d given birth to Shiyi. She and He Lang hadn’t been using any contraception, yet she had never gotten pregnant again. It wasn’t that she truly wanted another child; she just thought it was odd.

"He Lang, do you think there’s something wrong with me?"

He Lang looked at her, confused. "Why would you say that?"

When Xue Yue explained her reasoning, He Lang frowned. "That can’t be, right?"

"Then how else would you explain it?"

He Lang thought for a moment. "Let’s go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow. We’ll find out what’s wrong."

Xue Yue hesitated. "I was just thinking out loud. We don’t really need to go to the hospital, do we?"

He Lang’s expression turned serious. "We can’t be careless when it comes to health. You have a point. We’ve been overlooking this. We’re going to the hospital tomorrow to get you checked out."

The next day, when He Lang told Mrs. He they were going to the hospital, she was startled.

"Who’s sick?"

He Lang said, "No one’s sick. We’re just going for a check-up."

Mrs. He asked, perplexed, "If no one’s sick, what’s there to check?"

Xue Yue had no choice but to explain her concerns to Mrs. He.

Mrs. He frowned, not understanding. "If you haven’t gotten pregnant, it just means you’re not fated to have another child. Besides, you already have a son and a daughter. The current policy wouldn’t allow you to have another one even if you wanted to."

Xue Yue stared blankly at He Lang. "Mom," He Lang said, exasperated, "just watch the kids for us. We’re leaving now."

Mrs. He was at a loss for words.

He Lang had already led Xue Yue out the door.

Once at the hospital, they registered with the gynecology department. Xue Yue explained her concerns to the doctor.

The doctor glanced at her and asked, "How long has it been since your last birth?"

"Almost seven years."

"And you haven’t been using any contraception?"

"No."

"Have either of you suffered any external injuries since then?"

"No."

"Do you have cramps when you get your period?"

"A little, but not severe."

The doctor wrote out an order for some tests. "Go get these done first."

Between the blood draw and the other tests, the whole process was making Xue Yue nervous.

Xue Yue said to He Lang, "You don’t think there’s really something wrong with me, do you?"

He Lang took her hand, comforting her. "We’re just here for a check-up. Even if there is a problem, it’s better to find it and treat it early. Don’t worry, I’m here for you."

Finally, the test results came back. They took them to the doctor, who looked them over for a long while before asking, "Are you planning to have more children?"

Xue Yue shook her head. "No."

"You have endometriosis. You’ll need surgery."

"What?" Xue Yue and He Lang were both shocked. How could she suddenly need surgery?

The doctor explained, "Don’t be alarmed. It’s likely something wasn’t completely cleared out during your last delivery, and some endometrial tissue attached and grew outside the uterus. Your symptoms are mild, which is why it hasn’t been obvious. But if we leave it alone, it could cause serious problems down the line. Currently, there’s no effective medication for it, so surgery is the only option. Since you don’t plan on having more children, that makes the decision even more straightforward."

He Lang asked, "Will one surgery be enough to fix it?"

"It should be. That’s mainly because her condition isn’t very severe."

"Is the surgery very risky?"

"I can’t say it’s risk-free, but I’ve performed this procedure several times, and all the patients recovered well."

Xue Yue nervously grabbed He Lang’s arm. He Lang nodded. "We’ll do it."

The doctor suggested she be admitted today. They said they would go home to pack a bag and come right back.

On the way back, Xue Yue was silent the whole time.

When they got home, Mrs. He asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Xue Yue walked straight into their room. He Lang told his mother about the surgery.

Mrs. He was aghast. "They must be trying to trick you! What kind of doctor says that? She’s perfectly fine—no pain, no discomfort. Why on earth would she need surgery?"

He Lang didn’t reply. He went into the room and found Xue Yue in tears.

He Lang sat across from her and wiped the tears from her face.

"Scared?"

Xue Yue nodded, then shook her head. "Mom has a point. What if they misdiagnosed it? I really don’t feel anything wrong at all."

He Lang hesitated for a moment. "Why don’t we go to Peace Hospital and find Uncle Wen? We can ask him to have someone else take a look."

Xue Yue shook her head. "No, let’s not. That would be too embarrassing."

"What’s there to be embarrassed about? This is a perfectly normal thing."

「That afternoon, they made another trip to Peace Hospital.」

Wen Yuanbo was a bit surprised to see them, but his expression grew serious as Xue Yue explained the situation.

"I’ll take you to the gynecology department."

Wen Yuanbo immediately got up and led them toward the gynecology department.

Xue Yue and He Lang followed him.

In the gynecology department, he took them directly to Director Guo, a woman.

After hearing Xue Yue out, Director Guo said, "Let me take you for an exam."

The results of the exam were nearly identical to what the first doctor had said that morning.

"I also recommend surgery. It’s not a major operation—you’ll be on your feet again in about two weeks. Medication is a slow route, and there’s a risk it won’t be as effective. The decision is yours."

Wen Yuanbo said to Xue Yue, "Director Guo has worked in hospitals overseas. You can rest assured about her skills."

With little room for further deliberation, Xue Yue was admitted to the hospital.

He Lang went home to get her things. When he returned, Mrs. He and the children were with him.

"So you’re really having the surgery?" Mrs. He asked.

Xue Yue nodded. "Yeah."

Mrs. He sighed. "We don’t really understand this medical stuff. It’s a good thing you got it checked. It’s for the best. We’ll all feel better once it’s treated and you’re cured."

The children clustered around Xue Yue.

"Mom, are you sick?"

Xue Yue nodded.

"Mom must be tired from work. Mom, why don’t you quit your job and just rest at home?" Shiyi said.

Xue Yue patted his head. "I can’t do that. Mom still has to work to earn money to buy you snacks and toys."

Shiyi thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Mom, I don’t want snacks and toys anymore. You should stop working." Then he added, "Just let Dad work and earn money. Dad isn’t afraid of being tired."

The corner of He Lang’s mouth twitched. ’What a good son,’ he thought wryly. Xue Yue watched him with an amused smile.