Chapter 17 A Bastard In Her At Eighteen

• Zong Jinghao nodded, his strong jawline tensed, and he softly said, “Tell me.”
• “Eight years ago, Lin Guoan and Zhuang Zijin divorced. He sent the mother and daughter to Country A. They never returned until recently, when Lin Guoan brought them back.”
• Zong Jinghao frowned. So was that why she knew how to speak Country A's language? It was because she once lived there?
• “That's all?” Evidently, these would not satisfy him.
• Guan Jing hesitated, and continued, “After Zhuang Zijin was sent to Country A, she gave birth to a boy who was autistic. They lived a difficult life there. Before they came back here, the boy died from a car accident.”
• Zong Jinghao frowned, and the look on his face became more serious. So the last time he saw the sadness in her eyes, it was because of her brother?”
• The baby in her... “Nothing else? No other men in her life?”
• “No. Just a psychiatrist who was close to her.” Guan Jing looked at the information the investigators sent him. “No one else. She never had a relationship in school, and no boys or men were close to her.”
• This meant that it was likely that the baby in her was the psychiatrist's.
• The reason she was brought back by Lin Guoan was because of their engagement.
• And as to why she loved money was because she had a difficult life in Country A. That was why she worked as a translator for him, and also worked in a restaurant.
• Now that he thought about this, Lin Xinyan's actions were no longer a mystery to him.
• And he now understood what He Ruize's words meant.
• He felt conflicted. He turned around and looked at the hospital for another time, before walking down the stairs, and leaving the hospital in his car.
• In the hospital.
• Lin Xinyan had not had lunch, and now she was hungry.
• “Mom, I want to eat Eight-Treasure Rice.” Lin Xinyan had the sudden urge for sweet food.
• Zhuang Zijin had been through pregnancy. She knew that pregnant women had cravings and were picky with their food.
• The old saying was that sour cravings were for baby boys and spicy cravings were for baby girls. Will she be having a granddaughter or a grandson?
• “I'll make it at home.” Zhuang Zijin stood up, but she was worried that no one would take care of her daughter in hospital.
• Lin Xinyan seemed to know what her mother was thinking about. She said while smiling, “I'm fine. The doctor just said to rest.”
• If it was not worrying about her baby, she would not even be in the hospital.
• Zhuang Zijin nodded and reminded her to rest well before leaving the room.
• As Zhuang Zijin walked into the neighborhood, she was suddenly stopped by a few women.
• They were all from this neighborhood.
• Although they had not been staying here for long, they had no qualms with the neighbors. Zhuang Zijin frowned and asked, “What are you doing here?”
• “Your daughter is pregnant before marrying? She has a bastard in her, is that right?” The one who spoke first was a fat, middle-aged woman.
• She lived beside Zhuang Zijin's house.
• “The both of you always looked like decent people. I can't believe your daughter is this type of person. Didn't you say the last time that your daughter was just eighteen?” The fat woman aggressively said as she placed her hands on her waist.
• The colors on Zhuang Zijin's face flickered between red and white. Her voice trembled as she said, “Where— Where did you hear this nonsense from?”
• “Did we make a mistake? Is your daughter not pregnant?”
• Zhuang Zijin's hand trembled. Her daughter was indeed pregnant.
• “A disgrace!”
• “That's right! Seducing men at such a young age. I thought she looked like a naïve girl but turns out she's a whore!”
• “Hear, hear! Her naïve looks are to show the world. Secretly she has been doing filthy things—”
• “Shut up! You have no rights to say this!” Zhuang Zijin was furious, her usually gentle face was twisted into a mask of anger.
• “If you did it, you shouldn't be afraid of gossips!”
• Zhuang Zijin held onto her chest, and sternly said, “My daughter isn't the type of person you say she is!”
• She felt like her heart was about to be torn apart by others. Her daughter was not that kind of person.
• Why did they wanted to hurt her like this?
• “No? Then why does she have a bastard in her at eighteen?”
• Zhuang Zijin could not find words to rebuke that. It was a fact that Lin Xinyan was pregnant.
• She knew that getting pregnant before marriage would invite judgment, but she had not expected this onslaught of fault-finding.
• “Move aside!” Zhuang Zijin pushed them aside and hurriedly walked into the neighborhood.
• Although her heart was filled with frustration, but when she thought about her daughter in the hospital, she pushed it aside to focus on making the dessert for her daughter.
• She thought she had her emotions well when she went back to the hospital with the food. Yet her daughter had seen through her façade.
• “Mom, you—”
• “I'm alright.” Zhuang Zijin did not want her daughter to know the words that she had heard today.
• Lin Xinyan stared at Zhuang Zijin, who was looking away. She could not make lies; when she lied, she could not look into other people's eyes.
• So, obviously, she lied.
• Lin Xinyan said nothing about it and took the Eight-Treasure Rice.
• It was so sweet, yet she could not taste the sweetness, only the bitterness.
• With lowered eyelids, she said, “Mom, I'll be discharged tomorrow. I'll come home and accompany you for a few days.”
• She had thought that the reason for the paleness on Zhuang Zijin's face was because her mother missed her son.
• That had been her mother's trauma.
• Zhuang Zijin was shocked and rejected her in an instant. “No.”
• How bad would she feel if she were to hear those words?
• “Mom—” Lin Xinyan frowned.
• “Listen to me.” “It doesn't matter if it's a deal or something else. Now that you're married to the Zongs, you should be staying there.” Zhuang Zijin pretended to be stern.
• Zhuang Zijin's actions were too unusual for her, Lin Xinyan could not help but overthink.
• She remained silent. The food in her mouth was tasteless; she only ate for the baby in her.
• She was restless throughout the night.
• Only when the sun was about to rise then did she fall asleep. Though, it was only for a while before she woke up.
• In the morning, He Ruize came, and Zhuang Zijin went home to cook for Lin Xinyan.
• When Zhuang Zijin left the room, Lin Xinyan came down from the bed. He Ruize moved over to support her.
• She raised her head and looked at He Ruize. “I think my mom is hiding something from me.”
• “What is it?” He Ruize asked.
• “I don't know, so I want to find out.” She hesitated a while before she asked, “I was hoping that you can do me a favor.”
• “Tell me.”
• “I want to follow her.”
• And find out why her mother did not want her to go home.
• Earlier, Zhuang Zijin had said that she hoped her daughter would come home, so she could take better care of her.
• Yet she reacted so heatedly yesterday.
• It was obvious that something was going on.
• The only family she now had was her mother. She was not going to let her mother take on burdens by herself.
• He Ruize made sure that she could walk before agreeing to help her.
• The road there was smooth. Zhuang Zijin alighted the car when she reached the area and entered the building.
• Lin Xinyan followed closely.
• Coming down the stairs, Lin Xinyan saw the state of their house. The door and walls were written with criticizing words like “disgrace” and “non-marital pregnancy” and was covered in paint.
• Zhuang Zijin stood in front of the door, trembling in fury. She swayed and collapsed.
• “Mom—”
• He Ruize ran over and caught the collapsing Zhuang Zijin. “Let's send her to the hospital first.”
• Evidently she was provoked by the words on the wall.
• Lin Xinyan choked back a sob and nodded.
• Ever since the accident where her brother died and her mother was injured, she had been physically weak.
• She would have been furious to have seen these.
• To collapse so suddenly... Lin Xinyan was worried.
• Zhuang Zijin was sent to the emergency room.
• Lin Xinyan stood in front of the door, still, as if her soul had left her body. He Ruize hugged her shoulders and consoled, “Don't be too worried.”
• When Zong Jinghao reached home and realized that Lin Xinyan was still in the hospital, he started his car and went there.
• Perhaps it was because he knew Lin Xinyan had an unfortunate life, or perhaps it was because she was his wife, he now felt a little compassion for her.
• He did not see her in the room. On the way out, he saw Lin Xinyan hugging He Ruize at the corridor.
• A ball of fire started growing in his heart.