Heart-Warming Youth - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: This Is An Advice For You

Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations

Lil’ Wen had yet to arrive when Xu Ai got to the hospital, so she found a place near the front door and waited for her.

There was an old grandpa selling roasted sweet potatoes not far from the front door. Xu Ai couldn’t resist the delicious aroma, so she walked towards where the scent was coming from.

The old grandpa was a typical Northerner; he was very talkative and friendly. He chatted with Xu Ai while roasting sweet potatoes at the same time. 

Lil’ Wen was still not here after the potatoes were ready. Xu Ai had all the time to herself and didn’t mind waiting for Lil’ Wen a little longer, so she started chatting with the old grandpa while munching on her sweet potato. 

A fast car drove past her, barely scraping the edge of her clothes and almost making her fall to the ground.

“Careful, girl!” The scared old grandpa grabbed Xu Ai and pulled her back.

Xu Ai went back on her feet, still badly shaken. She looked at the car that just drove by, catching the sight of its rear as it entered the hospital. 

“Rich people nowadays; they don’t care about human lives!” the old grandpa grunted angrily.

Xu Ai stomped her foot and resented, “Thank God I wasn’t hurt, or else, I don’t care who’s inside that car, I’d make them take responsibility and take care of me forever.”

The old grandpa laughed at her comment. “Girls like you are pretty and likable. People like that are rich but have no conscience. You won’t do yourself any good if you make them responsible.”

“True!” Xu Ai nodded. Her anger quickly vanished. 

“Ai-Ai!” It was Lil’ Wen.

Xu Ai looked towards the direction of the sound and saw Lil’ Wen stepping out of a taxi. She waved goodbye to the grandpa and ran towards her. 

Lil’ Wen came here alone. She saw the roasted sweet potato in Xu Ai’s hands and asked, “You didn’t have breakfast this morning?”

“I did! You weren’t here, and I couldn’t resist how good it smells.” Xu Ai passed the roasted sweet potato to Lil’ Wen and asked, “Do you want a bite?”

Lil’ Wen shook her head and grabbed Xu Ai’s hand. “Ai-Ai, I’m a little nervous.”

Xu Ai remembered why they were here in the first place and lost her appetite to finish the roasted sweet potato. She wrapped the sweet potato in a bag and whispered, “Do you want to give it more thought?”

“I can’t wait anymore.” Lil’ Wen glanced at her belly. 

Xu Ai also looked at Lil’ Wen’s belly. It was flat, which was hard for her to imagine that a life was resting in there. She felt a little bad. “Lil’ Wen, if you get an abortion, then…”

“I can’t regret it, and I can’t look back. I know that.” Lil’ Wen shook her head. “I’ve made up my mind.”

Xu Ai didn’t talk anymore. She felt the hand that held hers tightening, enough to hurt her hand.

They entered the hospital together. 

Obviously, Lil’ Wen had been here before, so she went straight to pre-surgery checkup after registration. 

The checkup went well. Lil’ Wen waited outside the surgery room after the checkup.

It was Xu Ai’s first time here with Lil’ Wen. She, too, felt a little nervous. She saw people waiting in line beside them and wondered, I can’t believe you need to wait in line for this.

Finally, it was Lil’ Wen’s turn, and she was shaking. 

Xu Ai whispered, “Don’t do this!”

“No!” Lil’ Wen shook her head. 

“Do you want He Tao to come here?” Xu Ai looked at her. It wasn’t her turn yet, but her face was pale as a sheet of paper, and her body couldn’t stop trembling. She’d probably faint after the procedure. 

“Heck no!” The mentioning of He Tao made Lil’ Wen eerily calm. She turned her head and stepped inside. 

Xu Ai watched the door close, then she sat on the bench outside to wait. 

Love versus dignity. She never would have associated these two words together in the past. If you love someone, you have to devote yourself wholeheartedly and let the other person know how amazing you are to him. After what happened yesterday, and what was happening right now today, she somehow had an epiphany.

It’s okay if you can’t find love, but you can’t lose your dignity.

After an hour or so, the door to the operation room opened, and Lil’ Wen stepped outside. 

Xu Ai rose to her feet instantly and proceeded to support her. “How are you feeling?”

Lil’ Wen smiled at her. “It’s not as scary as I imagined. I slept through the whole thing after my anesthetics shot. When I woke up, they told me it had been done and let me out.”

Xu Ai was stunned. “Just like that?’

“Yeah, it’s marketed as a painless abortion. If it’s not like that, then what will it be?” Lil’ Wen turned her head and looked back, then she murmured, “Too bad, I didn’t get to see the little thing that came out of me.”

Xu Ai saw the smile on her face but had the feeling that she was about to cry. She didn’t do a great job at masking her sadness with her careless tone. Xu Ai didn’t know what to say for a moment there, so she asked, “So is everything all set? Can we leave the hospital now?”

“We can. I can’t walk now. Ai-Ai, please get the drugs for me! They told me I need to rest after the procedure and take medication for a few days.” Lil’ Wen gave Xu Ai a few prescriptions. “I’ll just stay here.”

Xu Ai nodded her head and took the prescriptions. Lil’ Wen sat at the seat where she was sitting, and Xu Ai went to grab the medications. 

Xu Ai’s feet felt weak as she walked down the stairs. She didn’t know if it was because of Lil’ Wen or because she was taking the stairs. She looked at her reflection when she passed by a mirror and saw her ghastly pale complexion, no better than what Lil’ Wen’s face looked like right now. 

She finally reached the pharmacy and waited in line to pick up those drugs. When she was done, she headed back to find Lil’ Wen with her head looking down on the ground. 

Someone walked by and bumped into her. Her body stumbled, and the drugs she had in her hand dropped, making a sound as it hit the floor. She reoriented herself and looked up; that person seemed to be in a rush, and he said “sorry” without looking back as he headed out. 

Xu Ai rubbed her side that was hurting from the bump-in but didn’t really mind it. Then, she bent down to pick up the drugs. 

Just as she was about to pick it up, the person who bumped into her came back, and he beat her in picking up the drugs that fell on the floor. 

Xu Ai saw a nice-looking hand with a luxury watch on its wrist. She slowly straightened her body and looked up. 

She saw a young man standing in front of her. He wore an expensive hand-made suit, obviously luxurious even to those who weren’t familiar with fashion. He was tall and poised, and the well-tailored suit fit like a glove on his body, flattering his figure. Or his figure flattered the suit vice versa.

Handsome, elegant, and outstanding. 

Of course, if one ignored the post-abortion medication in his hand and how he lowered his head and scrutinized the box of medication with his beautiful eyes, then he’d be even more handsome. 

Xu Ai thought to herself. 

The man looked at the box of medication for a while. Suddenly, he looked up and peered at Xu Ai. “Is this yours?” He kept his voice low. 

Xu Ai felt uncomfortable by the look he gave her. “Of course it’s mine. Is it yours if it’s not mine?” She yanked the box of medication from his hands and gave him an angry glare.

The man narrowed his eyes and looked at her up and down. His gaze suddenly stopped at her lower stomach. 

It hit Xu Ai all of a sudden what he meant by that. She blushed and said, “Who… who are you? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The man’s lips curled up all of a sudden and gave her a slight lukewarm smile. “No wonder…”

Xu Ai thought this man was being ridiculous, so she glowered at him, despite the fact that her face was still blushing.

“You’re not doing yourself any good and wasting other people’s time. You better not go on blind dates anymore. This is advice for you.” The man reached out and took the box of medication from her hands, then he stuffed it back into her hands. Afterward, he turned around and walked away.

For a second, Xu Ai didn’t comprehend his actions. When she looked up again, the man had already left. She became furious all of a sudden and decided to chase after him.

“Ai-Ai!” Lil’ Wen shouted her name. 

Xu Ai turned around and saw Lil’ Wen walking down from upstairs. She stopped and asked, “How did you get down here?”

“I thought it was about your turn to pick up the prescriptions. I didn’t want you to bother coming upstairs again, so I came down here.” Lil’ Wen walked closer to Xu Ai and asked, “Who was that man?”

“I don’t know him!” Xu Ai said begrudgingly; her expression was monstrous. 

“Don’t know him?” Lil’ Wen looked at her. “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…”

“You’ve seen him from somewhere?” Xu Ai grabbed her and grunted, “Think quickly; who is that man? You have to tell me now. When I find him, I’ll rip him to pieces.” 

Lil’ Wen snickered, “You’re being so bitter and vindictive. Did he offend you?”

“He very much offended me!” Xu Ai was angry. What did ‘this is advice for you’ mean? What kind of advice do I need? What a freak. His handsome face is a waste on him.

“Let’s go! If I can remember who he is, I’d definitely tell you. I’m sure I’ve seen him before.” Lil’ Wen took the box of medication from Xu Ai’s hands.

Xu Ai nodded and hoped that Lil’ Wen could remember him soon. 

They left the hospital together and took a taxi at the front door to go back to school. 

As they were halfway to their final destination, Xu Ai suddenly recalled something; she told Violet she’d be back on Monday, so if she went back today… 

She turned to look at Lil’ Wen. Lil’ Wen leaned against the car seat as silent tears fell from her eyes. Xu Ai was hurting as well. She realized that being interrogated by Violet and Autumn was nothing compared to what Lil’ Wen was going through. She couldn’t leave her alone right now. 

Lil’ Wen had finally calmed down when the taxi reached the school. They walked towards their dorm after they stepped outside the vehicle. 

People kept looking at Xu Ai along the way.

Even though she had gotten used to all the eyes on her since she followed Lin Shen for all these years from the beginning of university, today was different. There was something odd about every pair of eyes that looked at her. It felt as if they were questioning, or suspecting, how did she become Empyrean’s Su Xuan’s girlfriend? What exactly did Su Xuan see in her? 

Xu Ai wanted to cover her face with a cloth. She regretted using Su Xuan as her shield for her own pride. But who knew she would ever have to face it being published on the school’s forum?

“Who the heck posted it on our forum?” Xu Ai gritted her teeth as she cursed that bastard to death. 

“Aren’t you good with computers? Investigate it!” Lil’ Wen gave her an idea. “There’s no smoke without fire.”

Xu Ai carefully reminisced about what happened yesterday. Only Lin Shen, Cheng Yanyan, and Zhao Yang were present when she claimed Su Xuan as her boyfriend. But there was no guarantee other students who walked by them didn’t hear their conversation. There was no possible way for Lin Shen to do such a thing. She nodded her head. “Mhm, I’ll investigate it when we get back!”

They reached the dormitory entrance as they chatted. 

“Lil’ Wen! I finally see you again; where did you go?” He Tao was waiting at the dorm entrance. He stopped Lil’ Wen when he saw her and asked, “You wouldn’t pick my calls, and I haven’t seen you for days; where did you…”

“He Tao, let’s break up!” Lil’ Wen interrupted. 

He Tao was shocked and looked at her in disbelief. “What did you just say, Lil’ Wen?”

“I said we should break up!” Lil’ Wen pushed him away and ran upstairs.

Lil’ Wen disappeared when He Tao came back to his senses. His face changed as he immediately began following her inside. 

The gatekeeper lady came out to stop him immediately when she saw a guy entering the female dormitory building. 

As if He Tao didn’t hear what she just said, he rushed towards Lil’ Wen as she was about to go up the stairs and grabbed her. 

“Are you kidding me?” His face was pale as he looked at her. 

“He Tao, I’m not kidding you! I’m serious and can’t be more serious; let’s break up!” Lil’ Wen looked at him and told him seriously.

He Tao knew Lil’ Wen’s temperament after all. He saw the never-before-seen seriousness on her face and asked, “Why?”

“Do you need to ask me why?” Lil’ Wen sneered, “He Tao, you knew for a fact I can’t study abroad with you. Now, I don’t have to wait for you to break up with me because I’m breaking up with you. You don’t have to come here and put on a show!” She beat his hand away and ran upstairs while reminding the gatekeeper lady, “You’re trespassing in the female dormitory; the gatekeeper lady can call security if you don’t leave!”

He Tao’s body trembled. 

When Xu Ai entered the dormitory building, she saw two gatekeeper ladies pushing the awful-looking He Tao out of the entrance. He Tao didn’t leave right away, but instead, he stood in front of the building as if he lost his soul. Xu Ai looked at him for a moment before heading upstairs. 

Sure enough, she found Lil’ Wen crying when she entered their dorm room. 

Xu Ai closed the door and looked at Lil’ Wen. “I heard some old people say, abortion or miscarriage takes a big toll on your body too. If you don’t nurture your body during this period, you might suffer from lingering health problems in the future. Don’t cry. If you keep crying, your eyes might hurt.”

Lil’ Wen shook her head and cried even harder. 

Xu Ai sighed and reached out to give her a hug. She thought, Lil’ Wen looks mellow and soft on the outside, but she has nerves of steel on the inside. Had it been someone else, they probably would have chosen to study abroad with He Tao. She is rational enough to not do anything for love, so she wouldn’t have to obliterate herself. She did preserve the pure, innocent love for her and He Tao. Or else, if He Tao’s parents also paid for her tuition to study abroad, that would probably grind away the love between them due to family issues. 

After crying for a while, Lil’ Wen wiped away her tears. “You’re right; I can’t cry anymore. He is going to study abroad and marry someone with a higher education degree than me and richer than me. I’ve already put my body through so much; I can’t hurt my eyes any further, or else I can’t find a better man.”

Xu Ai didn’t know how to reply for a second. “That’s true. Now that you’ve made your decision, you gotta stop being upset. Go to bed and get some rest.”

Lil’ Wen nodded. She climbed to her bed and covered herself with her blanket before closing her eyes. She didn’t get much sleep yesterday because she was preparing for the abortion surgery. Everything that happened today had her on her nerves the entire time. Right now, she was exhausted, and it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. 

Xu Ai sat by herself for a while. She remembered the post on the school’s forum, so she pulled out her laptop and signed in on the school’s forum. 

The most eye-catching spot on the site was the headline in red: [Business School Scholar Dates Foreign Language School Beauty Queen, Ex-Girlfriend Now With the Prince of the Empyrean Corporation.] Tens of thousands of comments followed-up on that article. 

Xu Ai felt dizzy and almost spat out blood. 

She stared at the title for a long time but didn’t find the courage to click on it to see the content or the comments. She quickly operated the computer and traced the IP address of the author. She hacked that person’s computer out of her own vendetta, and she also deleted the article at the same time.

She felt delighted after all that work. She turned off her computer and lied back down on her bed. 

Shortly after, her cell phone rang. She took her phone and saw that the caller was Sun Pinting. She picked it up. “Hello?”

“Tonight at eight, same old place. Be there or be square.” Sun Pinting sounded like she was eating something as her words mumbled and slurred. 

“No! I have class tomorrow morning. I don’t want to move tonight.” Xu Ai shook her head.

“Fine. Then you can also tell me when did Su Xuan become your boyfriend?” Sun Pinting asked.

“Where did you hear that from?” Xu Ai was startled. 

“Your school’s online forum is blowing up because of this! My school’s forum shared that article from your school’s forum, and it blew up here too,” Sun Pinting said it straight up. “It went viral at my school; how the heck could I not know?”

Xu Ai had a dreadful attack of vertigo. “Your school’s forum shared that article as well?”

“Not just my school. From what I know, several schools’ official forums have shared that article.” Sun Pinting dropped a bomb once again. “Good for you, girl. You’re famous now.”

Xu Ai almost dropped her phone.

“Hey, tell me!” Sun Pinting was waiting on her. 

“Tell your *ss!” Xu Ai was outraged. “Why are there so many ridiculous people on this planet!”

“There ain’t no smoke without fire!” Sun Pinting laughed all of a sudden, “Girl, now that you’ve finally made me proud! Lin Shen got nothing on Su Xuan! In consideration of your image, I’ll let go of you missing the blind date, and I won’t post your pictures of your bare bottoms everywhere.”

“Sun Pinting!” The veins on Xu Ai’s temples were throbbing.

“Empyrian’s Su Xuan as your boyfriend, tsk tsk…” Sun Pinting probably had no clue how close to Xu Ai was to having a breakdown, so she kept on talking carelessly, “If this article continues to get shared like that, you will definitely be trending online and be featured on the news. You know, people are still buzzing about Su Xuan coming back to China; anything that involves him is a hot topic. Just wait for it and be prepared, and don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”