Chapter 592 Alone

• After the event, Xia Yanxi rushed home as fast as she could. There was still a patient at home who needed her care. But when she walked in, the place was pitch-black, which threw her. “A-Chen?” She flicked on the light and glanced around—no one. Weird. She was just about to call Lu Tingchen when her phone rang first. His voice came quick, like he was on the move. “Honey, something came up at the branch in the States. I need to go deal with it.” Her mood dropped in a heartbeat. “That’s so sudden. How long will you be gone?” He hated leaving her, especially now that she was pregnant. “About half a month. While I’m gone, take care of yourself, okay? Don’t push it.” She answered softly, “Mm. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. But you’ve still got that cold—remember to take your meds on time. Don’t work too late. I’m gonna check up on you.” “Alright, I’ll listen. The plane’s about to take off, I gotta go. I’ll call you when I land.” He had no choice but to hang up. Xia Yanxi sat alone in the living room, staring at the empty, big house, and felt the gloom creep in. Normally it was just her and Lu Tingchen here. Even in silence, the place felt warm. Now it was nothing but emptiness. Being alone like this sucked. She tried to find something to do—maybe clean a bit. But every corner of the house was spotless, not a speck of dust. No need for her to lift a finger. Right, the housekeeping company comes by when no one’s home. So what else could she do? Watch some TV… She watched for a while, and when she hit a funny scene and wanted to share it, she realized—no one was beside her. Suddenly she lost interest, turned off the TV, and went back to the bedroom to wash up and sleep. Without someone holding her, she felt off. She sat on the bed, dazed, then got up again and went to Lu Tingchen’s closet. She grabbed his pajamas and pulled them over his pillow. It looked like a human-shaped plush. It didn’t feel like him, but the scent was the one she knew best. Holding her makeshift pillow, she drifted off. The next morning, she opened her eyes and instinctively reached to the side, touching only a soft pillow—nothing else. Reality hit, and she sighed long and hard. Great. Don’t tell me she had a “can’t survive without Lu Tingchen” problem. Nope. She had to distract herself. After a simple breakfast, she called Lanxin. “Xin, whatcha up to?” “What do you think? Sitting out recovery,” Lanxin said, munching on an apple Xu Enjun had handed her. Xia Yanxi didn’t want to sit alone in that echoing house. “Oh. I’ll come visit you.” Lanxin lit up. “Yes, please. I’m bored out of my mind. I eat, sleep, and feed the baby—rinse and repeat.” “Okay, I’m coming now,” Xia Yanxi said, and headed out. At the postpartum center, she ran into Lanxin feeding little Orange. The glow of a mother lit her up—bright and whole. Honestly, if you didn’t see it yourself, you couldn’t imagine the always-proud little princess having such a gentle side. “Xin.” Xia Yanxi walked in quietly. Lanxin’s eyes brightened. “Yan, you’re here! Sit down—I’ll be done feeding in a sec.” Xia Yanxi sat. “Take your time. I’m not in a rush.” Lanxin couldn’t help poking for gossip. “So why are you free to come see me? Your man actually let you out?” “He’s on a work trip in the States. I don’t have many gigs lately, and being home alone is boring. So I came to see you—and my goddaughter. She’s getting prettier by the day.” Xia Yanxi couldn’t resist touching little Orange’s tiny foot. Babies are just ridiculously cute. Little Orange seemed to sense the attention, kicked her legs happily, and stopped drinking. Seeing she’d had enough, Lanxin handed the baby to Xia Yanxi. “Here, hold her for a bit. This little girl eats like a champ. Just a few days and she’s plumped up. I’m wiped.” “She’s way chubbier than last time. So fun…” Xia Yanxi cradled the baby and gently teased her. Little Orange grabbed her finger and swung it back and forth, adorably cooperative. Lanxin leaned back and snacked on fruit. “I told you, your guy guards against me like I’m a thief. How’d he allow you out? Ah, he’s away—how long is he gone?” “About half a month.” “That long? You’ll be so bored alone. Why don’t you stay here with me? I can’t go anywhere. I’m stuck walking in circles downstairs. I’m about to sprout mushrooms.” “This isn’t a hotel—where would I sleep? And isn’t Xu Enjun staying here with you? Not cool to crash.” “What’s not cool? When he gets here, I’ll tell him to clean up and head home for a couple days. He’s not eating great or sleeping great here anyway.” These days at the center, Xu Enjun had been running himself ragged. Aside from feeding—which he couldn’t do—he didn’t let Lanxin lift a finger. When the baby cried at night, he got up to hold and soothe her. After several nights, he’d sprouted dark circles. Lanxin said she wanted to help at night, and he always agreed quickly—then never woke her once. She felt bad watching him. Right then Xu Enjun came back and heard what Lanxin said. “Babe, I’m not leaving. I’m staying here with you.” Lanxin looked at him, heart aching. “I’m not kicking you out. I just want you to go home and rest for a couple days. Yan can stay with me.” Xu Enjun shook his head. “Nope. You’re already exhausted nursing and recovering—everything else is on me. If Yanxi wants to stay, I’ll get them to open another room.” Xia Yanxi wanted to stay, sure, but she didn’t want to mess with their couple time. “Forget it, Xin. I won’t stay over. I don’t know how to take care of a baby—what if I mess up and make her sick? You just focus on recovery. I’m free anyway, I’ll come keep you company in the daytime.” “…Okay. With you around, I won’t feel so suffocated.” Xia Yanxi stayed until dark before heading home. Lu Tingchen had just landed and called to check in. “Honey, miss me?” Xia Yanxi didn’t hide it. “Mm. Yeah.” If the flight hadn’t been so long and hard on her, he would’ve taken her with him before. “Me too. I’ll wrap things up fast and come back to be with you.” “It’s fine. Work comes first. I’m good here.” “Alright, I’ve gotta get to it. It’s like nine-something back home. Go to bed early.” “Okay. You too—don’t overwork.” She hung up, sighed, and there it was again—just her. But as she reached for the door, she heard a puppy barking. Weird. This was a gated neighborhood with strict management. How could there be a puppy? Curiosity pricked, and she followed the sound bit by bit. In a shrub in the back garden, she found a little white puppy whimpering weakly. It looked newborn, with traces of blood on its fur. Was it hurt? She picked it up and checked—no visible wounds. But its cry was fading, like it was running out of time. She was about to rush it to the pet hospital when a dark shape burst out and latched onto her pant leg. She yelped, almost dropping the puppy. She squinted—an adult white dog, but injured, limping on one leg. The big white dog’s bite was gentle—like it didn’t want to hurt her—only keep her from leaving. Then it barked at the puppy in her arms. That’s when it clicked: the puppy was the big dog’s baby, and the blood on the little one came from the mother. Seeing the big dog wasn’t hostile and just wanted its child back, she crouched and spoke softly, “Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt your baby. I’m trying to save it. And you’re hurt too—let me take you to the hospital, okay?” She reached a hand out to touch the big dog’s head. The dog watched her, wary, then let her stroke it. It whined twice, then collapsed. Something felt wrong. Xia Yanxi scooped up the big dog too and rushed them both to the pet hospital. After the vet worked on them, the puppy pulled through. The big white dog had been hit by a car—its injuries were too severe. Its organs were wrecked. The fact it had held on this long was a miracle. Xia Yanxi’s chest tightened with a sour ache. It was that helplessness—wanting to save them and being unable to. She set the puppy beside the big dog so mother and child could be close. The big dog seemed to know its time was short. It looked at Xia Yanxi and licked her hand over and over, then licked the puppy. Like it was entrusting its child to her. Xia Yanxi had loved animals since she was little but never had the chance to keep one. Now fate handed her this—so pitiful—and she couldn’t say no. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your baby.” The big dog rubbed its head against her hand with the last of its strength, then closed its eyes. The puppy seemed to sense its mother was gone and let out a few fragile, grieving cries. Xia Yanxi cradled the little one close. “Hey, sweetie. I’ll be your stand-in mom, okay? I’ll take care of you.” After having the big dog cremated, she brought the puppy home. At least now she had a companion to keep her company.