After changing her clothes, Ling Chuxia stood in front of the full-length mirror, checking to see if her appearance was dignified. She looked left and right, noticing a purplish bruise on her neck. It was a mark left by Shi Che in a moment of anger that night, and even after two days, it hadn’t faded in the slightest—a testament to how forcefully Shi Che had acted.
Ling Chuxia pursed her lips, a flicker of gloom passing through her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She turned around, opened a drawer of her dressing table, and took out a silk scarf. She carefully wrapped it around her neck, effectively concealing the bruise. After adjusting her outfit one more time in the mirror, she grabbed her purse and left the house.
Old Chen, the chauffeur of the old mansion, was already waiting at the door. Seeing Ling Chuxia coming out, he promptly bowed respectfully and said, "Young Madam."
After speaking, Old Chen walked to the rear car door and opened it. Ling Chuxia smiled and gracefully entered the car with her head held high.
As usual, Old Chen drove directly to the hospital. Upon arrival, Ling Chuxia declined Old Chen’s offer to accompany her inside, asking him to wait outside. She went in by herself.
Old Chen nodded and said, "Then I’ll drive around for a bit. Call me after your check-up, Young Madam."
Ling Chuxia gave a soft hum in acknowledgement, and Old Chen got back into the car, started the engine, and slowly drove away.
Ling Chuxia stood where she was, watching the car fade into the distance. Then she turned to look at the hospital and stared blankly for a long while without moving a step.
In fact, her health was perfectly fine; she didn’t need such routine checks. Yet, she had to comply with Mrs. Shi’s wishes, enduring the embarrassment that came with each visit.
Every year, after the check-up, the doctor would look at the results, comfort her with words that she was still young and healthy, and reassure her that she would have children someday, telling her not to worry.
But every time she heard the doctor’s words, they felt bitterly ironic.
How could she have children? Shi Che had never given her a chance to have children... No matter how young or healthy she was, it was futile.
The hand holding her purse unconsciously tightened, her nails digging fiercely into the strap, leaving several indentations. She stood there for quite a while before slowly coming back to her senses.
Eventually, she lowered her eyes and lifted her feet, step by step, walking into the hospital.
The doctor had already been booked in advance; as soon as Ling Chuxia entered, a nurse led her to her appointments. She numbly went through the motions of undergoing various tests. The whole set of examinations took about an hour, and as she needed to wait for the results, the nurse asked her to rest in the VIP lounge.
The VIP lounge was close to the obstetrics department. Ling Chuxia slightly lifted her head and could see the area where many heavily pregnant women, either sitting or walking, each wore a smile on their face, as if filled with anticipation for the new life to come.