Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The sun continued to rise and set and in a blink of an eye, the chilly winter had given way to the muggy summer. People started to wear fewer clothes and the people who walked on the streets all held umbrellas, not to shelter themselves from the rain but to keep the scorching rays of the sun at bay.
In a tall building.
He Xiyan was dressed in a blue maternity dress. She was now 35 weeks (8 months) pregnant and her belly had grown very big. Furthermore, due to her petite size, it made her belly seem even bigger. Her loose dress was unable to hide her pregnant belly.
She sat in her office signing several documents, including her maternity leave application form. After she had completed all these administrative documents, she was due to take close to five months off to care for the baby.
“Have you completed all the forms?” The director of the design department, Liang Chen, walked toward her and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
He Xiyan smiled at him and handed the documents in her hand to him.
“Thank you, Senior Liang. Please submit them on my behalf.” She stood up and put her hands on her waist for support.
“Hm…” Liang Chen reached over to take the documents from her. “Do you need a lift home?” He asked politely. Despite her pregnancy, he had noticed that she still diligently completed all the tasks that had been assigned to her, and was even more efficient than the average employee.
He Xiyan shook her head. She would hail her cab back.
After she returned to her cubicle, she tidied up her desk, then carried her tiny shoulder bag.
She headed to the office to bid goodbye to her colleagues from her department, then left this building alone. She was unaware that the moment she left the office, her gossipy female colleagues were all abuzz.
“Did you hear about He Xiyan?” A female colleague named Xiao Wang started off this topic.
Soon, several colleagues had gathered around her, clearly in the mood for gossip.
“Quick, tell us more. I heard that her boyfriend was the President of a company and is extremely rich.” Xiao Li added.
“You’re wrong…” Xiao Wang wagged her finger. “She used to be the wife of the president of a real estate company. She was kicked aside by him later on and came here to work. I heard that her ex-husband had gotten himself a mistress even before they were divorced and his mistress is about to give birth anytime soon.”
Several female colleagues immediately stiffened. They felt bad for their colleague of a few months, He Xiyan.
“This means that she was abandoned. That is so tragic. Now, she would have to raise her child alone. Her child is so pitiful.” Someone piped up sympathetically.
“Exactly, this means that she is a divorcee. No wonder we’ve never seen her husband around.”
He Xiyan’s colleagues clamored to give their opinions, all feeling bad for their colleague who did everything alone. She was even going to give birth alone.
He Xiyan entered a shop that sold mother and baby care products and carefully pushed her shopping cart down the aisle. She had already selected many items, milk bottles, clothes for her infant, socks, caps, and so on. She selected the best quality products for her child. She had also purchased many such items off the internet because she could not carry them all. She had even arranged for delivery for these items in her cart as well.
There was a slight pain in her belly and she rubbed at the spot, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
Her baby seemed very active, especially this past month. It moved about very frequently and she wondered what it had been doing within her belly.
Don’t worry, child. Although you don’t have a father, you are very much loved by your mother. You will not be loved any less than the other babies out there.