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Translator: Cheese
Meng Qingrong’s unspoken feelings for Song Yuan and Song Yuan’s unconditional trust in Meng Qingrong were still thorns in Rong Heng’s heart.
After packing, Rong Heng led Rong Ting downstairs. He didn’t get in the car, only telling the driver Sun Qiming, “Send him to my room. I still have something to do.”
Sun Qiming was surprised, but he still asked, “Is there no need for me to drive you?”
Rong Heng shook his head. “No need, I’ll take a taxi.” He looked again at Rong Ting obediently sitting in the back seat and gave a sigh in his heart. “It’s getting late. Go back to the hotel with him first; I’m going to bring over the things to your mom. I won’t be gone long. Will you wash up by yourself?”
In Rong Ting’s view, this was an insulting question.
He would be six years old soon, and he had been brushing his teeth, washing his face, and taking baths by himself this whole time.
Was it really fine for Emperor Father to be like this in front of other people? He also had self-esteem.
He straightened his waist and deliberately emphasized, “I will, I have always washed up by myself. And I wash my underpants and socks myself.”
If Song Yuan had heard this, she definitely would have lavished praise on Rong Ting, giving him a lot of face in front of strangers.
But Rong Heng was not Song Yuan. When he heard Rong Ting say this, he only gave a placid “en.” It made Rong Ting feel extremely disappointed.
Rong Heng watched the car leave before taking the paper bag with him and heading for the entrance of the community. When he got to the entrance, he stood by the intersection, hailed down a taxi, and got in.
Meanwhile, Wu Siyu’s mental state was quite good, and she even had the mind to play a game. The neighboring bed had given birth today and was transferred to the postpartum unit1 at night. At this time, there were only the two of them in this ward, and it seemed extremely peaceful.
Wu Siyu placed down her phone and, sitting up with great interest, she turned to Song Yuan and asked, “Is that cool2 guy from today pursuing you ah?”
Cool guy?
Rong Heng was indeed very cold, almost never saying a single word to Wu Siyu from beginning to end. He had always been like this, but his fate was too excellent. In the ancient era, he was the emperor high above; and now after transmigrating to the present, he was suddenly the Xie family’s crown prince. There was no need to handle worldly affairs3.
It was just that the word ‘cool man’ made Song Yuan a little absentminded, feeling as though she’d gone back to her middle school days. After all, this word really was very old.
“He’s not.” Song Yuan returned to her senses and waved a hand. “Just an ordinary friend.”
“You might think he’s an ordinary friend, but the way I see it, he wants to pursue you. He’s very interested in you ah.”
“Really?” Song Yun’s tone was light.
“Really. I think he’s very handsome ah, and he’s a good match standing together with you. And he’s pretty attentive; he was rushing in and out today. You don’t have any feelings for him?”
Feelings?
This word was also very old.
When she heard Wu Siyu asking her this, she recalled the scene of the first time she’d met him.
He had worn a light blue cheongsam4, with an upright posture and a face like jade. It was not an exaggeration to say that she felt he was like the old saying ‘an elegant gentleman, a hero in the flesh.’ Starting from her transmigration, and even before she returned, during those long years, she had always numbed herself, and more than once she had wanted to integrate into that environment and become a person from the ancient era.
If she were someone from the ancient era, then her life would have been smooth, and she could have been called a winner in life.
She had encountered the dynasty’s crown prince and had exchanged sincere affections with him, though upon thinking about it there had been no small number of lies and deceptions during that time. Later, when he ascended the throne, she had become his proper and legitimate wife, the dynasty’s empress. The most important thing was that he truly loved her and favored her alone.
But she was a person of modern times, where she knew of many couples who truly loved and respected one another. She had breathed freely and lived in an environment where everyone was equal. All the things everyone else had thought to be a supreme grace bestowed by the emperor5, unthinkable even in dreams, were instead stifling, almost suffocating.
“Things like feelings are a matter of fate.” Song Yuan smiled faintly.
Wu Siyu was startled when she heard those words. Seeming to think of something from the past, she looked down at her swollen belly and laughed. “Yes ah, this kind of thing depends on fate. Some people just aren’t destined.”
“This is a heavy topic to talk about. You need to relax right now.” Song Yuan helped pull up her quilt. “You should rest more while it’s not painful ba. Don’t worry, I’ll stay here tonight.”
Wu Siyu was a bit embarrassed, but of course she was also touched. “You should go back and rest ba. There are nurses and doctors here, and my husband should be back in the morning.”
“This doesn’t sound pleasant, but I’m afraid you’ll suddenly start hurting in the middle of the night. It wouldn’t be good to not have anyone nearby.” Song Yuan got up. “Rest soon ba. When you really start going into labor, you probably won’t be able to sleep properly. I’m going to buy some coffee from the first floor. Do you want anything to drink?”
Wu Siyu had said that, but childbirth was such a big deal; if nobody was around to keep her company, she’d be afraid. She nodded. “It’s okay ba, I won’t drink. I drank a lot of soup today, so I’m still pretty full.”
Song Yuan went out with her phone and purse. It was still very lively during this time. After all, there were many people giving birth every day.
She took the elevator to the first floor, where there was a vending machine. She’d bought from it before, and it sold canned coffee. As soon as she got out of the elevator, she spotted Meng Jingyan sitting dazedly on a bench in the corridor.
She was hesitating over whether to go over and say hello when he looked over.
“Doctor Meng.” Song Yuan could only walk over and take the initiative to greet him.
Meng Jingyan had always been gentle and refined. He was just like the image she had of doctors; the white coat fit his temperament very well. But at this moment, he was having difficulty hiding his blank and uncomfortable expression, which surprised Song Yuan a bit.
“Miss Song, hello.” Meng Jingyan wrung his hands with some helplessness, giving a bitter smile. “If you have time, could you chat with me? I’m feeling a bit troubled.”
Song Yuan made a noise of agreement and sat down beside him.
Her grandfather had been amiable when he was young, but after he grew old, he became somewhat difficult. When he went to see a doctor, eight times out of ten, he would be in an irritable mood. This time, it was different. Her grandfather didn’t make a fuss about being discharged and would often praise Dr. Meng in front of them. It was clear that Dr. Meng was indeed a good physician. He had always put his utmost effort in treating her grandfather, and for this alone, she was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart.
“What is it?” Song Yuan asked softly.
Meng Jingyan grabbed his hair with some helplessness. “Some time ago, there was a patient who was admitted. His condition was very bad, and he had been transferred to several hospitals. Later, he was brought to us, and we examined him, but the results were not ideal. I don’t know where he heard it, but he heard that if he was injected with a drug imported from overseas, he would recover. He also asked me and begged us to arrange a nurse to inject it for him. At the time, I rejected him and told him that to prescribe the right medicine, a situation like his could not be treated so casually.”
He gave a bitter laugh. “It seems that I didn’t tell him too clearly or in enough detail, and it seemed that his desire to survive was too strong. He asked his family to secretly buy it and have a person from outside give him the injection.”
Song Yuan was stunned.
“Just after I met you that evening, he was sent to the intensive care unit. Just now…” Meng Jingyan was very uncomfortable. “His family is arranging the funeral. I was thinking, if I had been more patient at that time, if I had been able to persuade his family, if I had taken the matter more seriously, would things have been different?”
At the same time, Rong Heng arrived at the entrance of the hospital.
He was holding the paper bag and feeling indecisive. He wanted to be alone with her, and he was unwilling to let go of an opportunity like this.
If Rong Ting weren’t still waiting for him at the hotel, he would have wanted to stay with her in the hospital. Perhaps they could reminisce on events from when she was pregnant. Or perhaps he could use the chance to tell her about how Rong Ting had been living over the past five years. She would definitely be willing to hear about this topic.
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but pick up his pace as he headed to the inpatient unit.
The hospital at night was far less lively than it was during the day. In contrast, it seemed empty and quiet.
He thought, when she saw him bringing over these daily necessities, perhaps she’d be a little moved.
Rong Heng, who had never been so meticulous, upon thinking of her reaction, started to smile.
He arrived at the entrance of the hall of the inpatient unit’s first floor and walked down the hall and into the lobby. When he was only a few steps away from the elevator, he inadvertently glanced over at the two people sitting on the bench in the corridor.
The man wearing a white coat was looking down, his expression unable to be seen clearly.
The woman sitting next to him was listening carefully. She lifted her head and looked at him with a worried gaze.
These two people, one wearing a white coat, the other in a light-colored outer coat. Under the illumination of the lights, they seemed exceedingly well-matched.
This made Rong Heng easily recall the matters from that time. To this day, Meng Qingrong’s unspoken feelings for Song Yuan and Song Yuan’s unconditional trust in Meng Qingrong were still thorns in Rong Heng’s heart. He knew that she only held a sibling’s affection towards Meng Qingrong. In the past, when he’d had an argument with her, he nearly couldn’t help but say something, but he had held back. He was afraid, afraid that once she knew of Meng Qingrong’s affections, she would be shaken deep in her heart.
He had admired Meng Qingrong and had held complete trust for him in government and military affairs. Meng Qingrong had been upright and broad-minded, with courage and wit6. He had indeed been a rarely-seen excellent man. Apart from background, he had to admit that Meng Qingrong was not inferior to him in any aspect. Meng Qingrong did not lose to him, but to his sibling relationship with her. If, if Meng Qingrong had realized his feelings faster than him, would he still have had a chance? If the General’s madam had not acknowledged her as her adopted daughter, would he still have had a chance?
Thinking of the past, and seeing the scene before him now, Rong Heng clenched the fist holding the paper bag. Blue veins violently throbbed, but his expression was still calm.
[1] 月子: the traditional one-month confinement period following childbirth, though I think usually mothers only stay in the hospital for 2-4 days before being discharged
[2] 酷男: 酷 is a loanword for “cool”
[3] 人情世故: worldly wisdom; to know how to get on in the world
[4] 长衫
[5] 恩宠: the emperor’s generosity towards a favorite
[6] Specifically having a mind for plans or schemes
Cheese: HMMMM i still dont think rong heng is at the level of being forgiven, but i can at least sympathize with the insecurity of another, equally qualified man being in love with his wife
Piper's Pickups 
No comments but this shows that if he really let her know, or face the fact (if she had thought of that possibility but denied it) that her brother was interested in her as a lover all of her perceptions of his behavior would just shatter because they would be other reasons for Meng Qingrong’s actions…
I appreciate that he did that but at the same time it really came at a cost. And either way it wasn’t worth their relationship going to shards
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If this situation was reversed… And meng Qingrong’s position was that of someone for the ML, aka he would be a female… I would still have these feelings.
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