Chapter 7_1

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Autumn weather can sometimes be quite displeasing. It might be sunny in the morning, but by afternoon a fierce wind is blowing, bringing with it a chill that usually only winter has.

Class had ended, and the students had all dispersed.

Qiao Qianning stared at the dark clouds in the sky, uncertain whether she should leave now or wait until the rain stopped. She couldn't run anymore, because the tiny seed in her belly had already started to grow. Moreover, she had told Uncle Zhang who drove her to school that she would be home in half an hour. She had originally planned to go to the library, but with the weather like this, it was better to stay put.

A gust of wind swept by, making Qianning shiver involuntarily. She quickly retreated back into the classroom. The last thing she needed right now was to get sick. But the classroom was hardly any warmer than outside. After all, the sudden drop in temperature was something her clothes were ill-equipped to handle.

Her cell phone rang, and Qianning hurriedly took it out, wondering who would call her at such a time. When she saw the caller ID, she was even more surprised and grew tense.

It was Beigong Cang! She had been staying at the Beigong family's villa for several days, and most of the people she saw daily were Aunt Hu and Uncle Zhang. Not to mention Beigong Cang, even Lady Beigong had only shown her face once or twice. It seemed like they were always away from home.

Qianning answered the call and said quietly into the phone, "Hello!"

"Where are you? I'm at your school's main entrance. It has started to rain; I'm coming in to pick you up." There was not a hint of greeting in his voice, everything was just so indifferent.

Has it started to rain? Qianning looked out the window as large raindrops began to fall. "Oh, I'm over here by Building C."

"Hmm." And with that, the call ended.

Qianning glanced at her phone before putting it away and turned her gaze back to the window, puzzled as to why he was coming to pick her up.

A black Porsche pulled up in front of the building, stopping neatly under the eaves where no rain fell. Qianning hurried over, got into the car, and was instantly enveloped in warmth. The heating was on in the car.

Qianing took a look at Beigong Cang sitting beside her. His face was expressionless, and not even a smile or a greeting could be coaxed out of him for her, making their relationship seem even less familiar than that of strangers. If it weren't for the fact that she was carrying his child, she might have been left to freeze to death here, and he probably wouldn't have spared her a glance, Qianning thought.

The car drove slowly out of the school as the rain against the windows grew heavier.

A sneeze broke the silence in the car, and Beigong Cang glanced sideways at Qianning before slowing down and eventually pulling over by the roadside.

"Wait here," he said, then took an umbrella from the car's storage compartment and got out.

Qianning watched as he struggled with the umbrella, running into a shop amidst the wind and rain. What was he doing? The rain was pouring down.

Before long, he was back in the car, stuffing something into her arms with one hand and folding the umbrella with the other.

"Ah?! This..." Qianning looked confusedly at the cup of hot milk in her arms and then at Beigong Cang beside her.

"Drink something hot, it'll warm you up in no time. You can't catch a cold," he said, restarting the car.

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So he had stopped the car just to buy her a cup of hot milk, venturing out into such heavy rain without a second thought. Qianning watched Beigong Cang beside her in disbelief. Even with an umbrella, his suit jacket was still somewhat dampened by the rain, and his slightly curled, longer hair was covered with droplets of water. His gaze remained fixed on the road ahead, driving carefully, and he did not notice Qianning's eyes on him.

No matter whether he cared about her as a person or just the child in her womb, up until now no one had ever braved such a storm to buy something for her. Qianning smiled, lowered her head, and began to slowly sip the hot milk through the straw while tears gradually filled her eyes.

A spell of rain had passed, and the weather had cooled down. The feel of late autumn set in, and people on the streets were now wearing thick coats.

At that moment, Qiao Qianning was wearing a white rabbit fur sweater paired with maternity jeans and a dark-colored little jacket. Her belly barely showed and she did not actually need maternity pants, but Lady Beigong insisted she wear them from that day on. She had said it was important not to restrict the growth of her grandson.

Moreover, Qianning, who hadn't worn earrings for many years, now wore a pair of jade earrings, and also a piece of jade covered by her sweater on her chest. Lady Beigong had heard from someone that wearing jade during pregnancy could bless the child with good nature and good looks.

In the hospital lobby, Qianning saw her foster mother and sister. Qiao Fantian was not present, and Qianning did not wish to see him like this, so she did not ask.

"Mom, Sister," she called out.

Qianxue was taken aback by the sight of Qianning in those beautiful new clothes, but her surprise quickly turned into a smile. "Qianning, you really look beautiful," she said.

No one paid attention to her remark. Qianning looked at her foster mother and asked, "Mom, has Dad's surgery been scheduled?"

Mother Qiao could not care less what Qianning was wearing, she was unprecedentedly happy. She answered Qianning with a big smile, "It's been scheduled, it's been scheduled. Qianxue will be hospitalized tomorrow to prepare for the surgery. Her bone marrow will definitely save your dad, and they will be able to operate the day after tomorrow."

Turning to her sister, Qianning said, "Sister, you've suffered."

Qianxue just smiled, but her gaze inadvertently lingered on the jade earrings worn by Qianning. After the family had fallen from grace, she hadn't dressed up like this in over a decade.

"Ah?!" Qianxue was pulled back from her reverie by Qianning's words and replied with a smile, "It's nothing, I am Dad's daughter after all."

Mother Qiao took Qianning's hand and said, "Qianning, go see your dad."

Qianning's feet did not move, and she asked softly, "Is my brother there?"

"He's with Dad," answered Qianxue.

Upon hearing that, Qianning pulled her hand from Mother Qiao's, "Then I won't go up. I'll visit him after the surgery. The Beigong family is waiting for me outside. I can't be away for long."

The truth was, she wanted to leave. In this place, she could only see the hypocrisy of the mother and daughter before her, and Qiao Fantian was someone she wanted to avoid even more. Ever since the last incident, she had been somewhat scared to meet him.

Mother Qiao did not try to keep Qianning any longer, walking her to the entrance: "Go on then! Go! With your condition, you shouldn't be running around the hospital so much."