Today was Saturday, and also Si Si's wedding day. The white wedding dress, the bright red roses, and the bride's smile, more radiant than any flower, made Lin Wan think that seeing these things might stir up emotions in her. However, in reality, she had no time to spare. Being a bridesmaid was no easy task, and on top of that, her mind had long been occupied with something else.
After a series of ceremonies, the wedding banquet officially began. The bridesmaids and groomsmen went around, toasting the guests. Si Si couldn't drink much, and Lin Wan couldn't either, but luckily the other bridesmaid could hold her liquor, so they didn't make the bride drink too much. It was enough to just go through the motions.
By the time they reached the third table, Lin Wan started feeling something wasn't right. The smells of fish and meat from the table became unbearable, and her stomach churned violently. She felt a wave of nausea rise in her throat. While everyone's attention was on the bride, she discreetly took a few steps back, covering her mouth, and hurriedly exited the banquet hall. She ran without caring about her image. As soon as she pushed open the restroom door, she couldn't hold it back any longer and threw up uncontrollably. Her stomach seemed to rebel, emptying everything inside her until there was nothing left.
Lin Wan's body felt weak from vomiting, and she had no strength to even leave the restroom. She collapsed onto the toilet seat to rest for a moment, wiping her mouth carelessly with the back of her hand. Yes, she had won the lottery. Despite taking emergency contraception, she had still been hit by that one percent chance. Her period hadn't arrived this month, and at first, she thought it was just the side effects of the medication. But a week ago, doubts started creeping in, and she bought a pregnancy test...
The next day, she went to the obstetrics and gynecology hospital for a test. The result confirmed that she was already five weeks pregnant, which was eerily similar to the last time. She was stunned. The doctor asked if she had considered her options, and she hesitated before saying she needed to think about it. The entire journey home, and for the hours after she arrived, she kept pondering the decision. She still remembered the nightmares she had after her last miscarriage, and she really didn't want to be the one to make that call again.
Once you start hesitating about something, it means you've already made up your mind in your heart. She didn't sleep that night. The first half of the night, she lay in bed wide awake, deliberating. The second half, she searched online to see if taking contraceptive pills affected the fetus. The next day, she visited another large hospital and consulted an expert, getting an answer that alleviated most of her doubts.
However, the decision still carried risks. She knew this was a gamble.
She just thought, after being overlooked by fate for so long, maybe it was finally time for it to show her some favor.
Lin Wan sat in the restroom for a while, and after her body regained some strength, she stood up and left. She washed her mouth in the sink and, after drying her hands with a tissue, gently placed her hand on her still-flat abdomen, whispering softly, "Baby, please be okay. Mommy loves you." When she lifted her head, she saw herself in the mirror—her face a little pale, her hair a bit messy, but her expression calm and peaceful. There was a faint sense of contentment that she hadn't felt in a long time. She wet her fingers and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, speaking to herself softly, "Lin Wan, you can do this. Everything will be okay."
On her way back to the banquet hall, Lin Wan happened to see a group of people walking down the stairs. It was said that only certain VIPs had access to the top floor of this hotel, and perhaps because the group exuded such a powerful aura, or maybe it was out of sheer curiosity, Lin Wan glanced up.
That glance was all it took to make her heart skip a beat. Among the group of seven or eight people, tall and short, fat and thin, she spotted him immediately. Just like that winter two years ago when she saw him outside the KTV, no matter how unfamiliar or distant they had become, she could always pick him out from a crowd.
What shocked her was that he was looking at her too. He was still walking down the stairs, people around him were talking, and he was nodding in response, but his gaze never left her. Then she noticed something different about him—his eyes seemed brighter, more intense, and impossible to ignore. Her heart gave a sharp jolt.
Some things can only be felt after a certain distance. And right now, through his eyes, she saw an emotion quietly flowing like a stream, until it reached her heart.
In the span of a few seconds, the group had already reached her floor and turned to head downstairs. Yet, he lingered behind, walking slowly as if he were about to stop or even walk towards her. Lin Wan struggled to break free from his gaze, biting her lip and decisively turning away, walking quickly in the opposite direction.
Back in the banquet hall, although Lin Wan was still helping Si Si greet the guests, her thoughts had long since wandered. She finally realized what was different about him—he had lost weight. She had seen online that his company's loan had been approved, although the amount was only half of what it had been before. At least he had gotten out of trouble. Was he looking like this because of all the recent socializing, or was it due to poor health? Or perhaps it was because of her leaving...
Lin Wan quickly stopped herself. Ever since she left, she had been constantly reminding herself to start a new life. That dark chapter, everything related to that person, had to be severed. She thought she had done well, especially after learning about the baby—her focus had completely shifted to it. But just now, that brief encounter brought back the tide of emotions, crashing against her heart again, wave after wave. She couldn't help but lower her head and look at her stomach. This child also had a part of him in it.
Fortunately, after that incident, Lin Wan didn't feel any more discomfort. When the wedding banquet ended, Si Si noticed the fatigue on her face and asked her to leave early. Lin Wan walked out of the hotel, and as she did, she caught the eyes of many people. It wasn't because she was so eye-catching, but because the bouquet of roses she was holding was so striking.
Milan had risked her own safety and braved the disapproving glares from others to snatch it away with a group of unmarried girls. Lin Wan was deeply touched, but she felt that this bouquet was a waste in her hands. So, when she saw a young couple casting envious glances, she handed the bouquet to them. The girl beamed, repeatedly thanking her, while the boy blushed and tugged at his girlfriend's sleeve. Lin Wan smiled and said it was nothing, thinking to herself, "The best things only find their value when they're in the right hands."
Not far from the hotel was a flower shop. Lin Wan walked in and picked out a bouquet of lilies, then took a taxi to a place. The smile of that big boy was still as beautiful as ever. She stared at it for a while, placed the flowers under the gravestone, and then took out a tissue from her bag, gently wiping the photo of him. His name... The afternoon was bright and warm, and Lin Wan sat on the soft grass, hugging her legs, thinking about all the memories between them, as if she could smell the grass from her past.
Then, she had a dream. The handsome boy came in front of her, gently rubbed her hair, patted her shoulder, and lovingly said, "Wanwan, I never blamed you."
"I never did."
"As long as you're happy."
When Lin Wan woke up, she found tears streaming down her face. The sun was already setting, and the grass was still warm. Her legs were a little numb. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and stood up, leaning over to kiss his photo. The crystal-clear photo seemed to carry the scent of sunshine, and it felt like the warmth from memories. Tears fell again as she whispered, "Wang Xiao, I'm sorry."
He smiled gently, as if to say, "It's okay."
"I love you."
Maybe someday, she will fall in love with someone else, or maybe she won't. But no other love could ever be as pure as the one she had with him. Because it was pure, it was brief, and because it was brief, it was eternal. Thank you for walking into my life.
At six in the evening, Chen Jin sat in the grand hall of the International Conference Center, where the National Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs Award ceremony was taking place. The leader giving the speech on stage was none other than Zhang Yunyi's father. Chen Jin sat below, listening to the speech, but his mind was on the inside information he had heard from Xiang Yang. Apparently, during the evaluation process, his name had been changed several times.
Had it not been for the political storm having subsided and both the Yuan and Chen families being unscathed, he wouldn't have had the chance to sit here. Although he was never enthusiastic about such honorary titles, during this special time, this honor would certainly help improve the company's image.