Ginny Deng was itching for something to do. Her days consisted of eating, drinking, and sleeping, and she often lamented that her brain was turning to mush. Hearing my story, she immediately volunteered to handle the task of confirming whether Zhao Sufang was pregnant.
"Great. I'll continue investigating Zhao Sufang these next few days and try to find a breakthrough to get the negatives back," I said, gratefully squeezing Ginny Deng's hand. "Jing'er, thank you!"
"What's there to thank me for between us? Come on, I'll go with you to the hospital to see your auntie first," Ginny Deng said, quickly grabbing a coat and pulling me back towards the hospital.
On the way, Ginny Deng even made a special stop to buy some nutritional supplements.
As we passed Victor Wei's room, we saw Lila Wei standing inside. Her slim-fitting, sky-blue down jacket complemented her perfectly, and she exuded her usual pure and beautiful aura.
Ginny Deng, being the sharp person she was, recognized Lila Wei from just a side profile. She stopped in her tracks. "Whoa, isn't that the little homewrecker?"
She didn't care about Lila Wei's true nature; anyone who got involved with a married man was a homewrecker in her book.
Lila Wei heard our voices and immediately turned to look. She forced a smile and went back into the room.
It seemed she had been watching the entrance to my mother's room. Could Hugh Pei have arrived?
"Come, let me tell you something." I pulled Ginny Deng to the other end of the corridor and briefly explained what had happened over the past few days. Then I instructed her, "You absolutely must not fight for me. I know everything that's going on, and I don't care. I'm just waiting for Hugh Pei to divorce me."
Ginny Deng's mouth dropped open, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. It took her a while to digest my words, and her tone became tinged with excitement and admiration. "Zoe, you mean to say that Hugh Pei is the one who won't agree to the divorce?"
I nodded.
"Yes! That's my girl! No wonder you're so calm now!" Ginny Deng looked as happy as if she had won the lottery.
When I was first reborn, I told them I wanted to divorce Hugh Pei, but it still hadn't happened.
Based on my previous "simp" personality, Hugh Pei would have been the one to propose the divorce, and I would have refused to agree no matter what, dragging things out. They certainly wouldn't have guessed that I was the one who initiated the divorce, and that Hugh Pei had refused.
With my prior instructions, Ginny Deng paid less attention to Lila Wei. When we passed Victor Wei's room, she just rolled her eyes at the inside.
I slowed my steps and glanced inside the room. Lila Wei was staring at us as we passed.
When I entered my mother's room, Hugh Pei was indeed there.
For the first time ever, Hugh Pei was peeling an apple for my mother. The room was warm, and his coat was draped over the back of a chair. He was wearing an elegant and gentlemanly suit vest, the fabric exuding a sense of quality.
Seeing me and Ginny Deng arrive, he handed the peeled apple to my mother, his tone gentle. "Mom, I'm heading to the office now."
"Alright. You're so busy, yet you still came to see me. That's very thoughtful of you," my mother said, taking the apple with a smile.
"It's what I should do," Hugh Pei said, getting up to take his coat. He glanced at me, his dark eyes holding a deep meaning. He added, "Call me if you need anything."
I knew he was talking to me. I didn't answer, but avoided his gaze and arranged the nutritional supplements Ginny Deng had brought.
Hugh Pei wasn't the type to dwell on things, nor would he care about my deliberate ignorance. After he left the room, Ginny Deng immediately followed him out to see if he would say hello to Lila Wei.
I had reminded Ginny Deng not to let anything about Lila Wei slip in front of my mother. My mom was already at a low point, and if she found out about Lila Wei, she would probably faint from anger again.
With Hugh Pei's resources, it would be very easy to move Victor Wei to another hospital or room. He would probably find a way to get the Victor Wei family out of here in the next couple of days.
Otherwise, it would be awkward for his soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law and future father-in-law to be in adjacent rooms, and for his soon-to-be ex-wife and future wife to be seeing each other all the time.
"Mom, how about I hire a caregiver for you? That way, Jing'er and I will have time to investigate Zhao Sufang," I said, sitting by the bed and holding my mother's hand.
"Alright, Zoe. I've thought about it. I still believe your father," my mother said with a deep sigh. "Sigh, a thirty-year marriage can't be so easily broken by someone else."
Ginny Deng also chimed in with a righteous guarantee, "Auntie, don't worry. I'll help Zoe. We'll definitely drive that vixen away!"
My mother didn't blame me for telling Ginny Deng, but looked at her with relief. "Thank you, Jing'er."
Ginny Deng smiled brightly. "What's there to thank me for? I love taking down homewreckers with precision!"
As soon as she finished speaking, I saw Lila Wei's figure quickly disappear from the doorway. I wasn't sure if she had heard Ginny Deng's words clearly.
After a while, Ginny Deng left, leaving just me and my mother in the room. We chatted for a bit before she drifted off to sleep. She probably hadn't slept well these past two nights. It was only after my father's visit today, when the couple had resolved their issues, that she could finally sleep peacefully.
The room was stuffy. I went to the window and opened it just a crack.
The cold wind rushed into the warm room, cooling my slightly flushed face. The next second, my gaze froze on the man and woman in the snow below.
Hugh Pei hadn't gone back to the office; he was talking to Lila Wei.
So, from the time he said goodbye to my mother until now, a whole hour had passed, and he hadn't left the hospital. Was he waiting for Lila Wei?
My expression was blank, as if I were looking at two complete strangers. But an uncontrollable wave of emotion churned inside me. It felt ironic, tinged with the anger of being played.
If he loved Lila Wei so much, why was he dragging his feet on the divorce? Why did he still do things he shouldn't with me and say things he shouldn't?
As if sensing my gaze, Hugh Pei suddenly looked up towards the window.
I turned away from the window. Just then, a caregiver came in, saying she was referred by Evan Yu.
"If anything happens to my mom, call me right away," I said, leaving the caregiver my phone number before quickly departing.
Afterward, I hired a private investigator to thoroughly look into Zhao Sufang.
Although the personnel file from my father's office was detailed, it didn't have any useful leads. Since Zhao Sufang was from City C, married, and had a child, I would send someone to investigate there.
By the time I had arranged everything, it was evening. The streets were ablaze with neon lights, their reflections shimmering on the wet ground and casting a cold glow on the snow. The city was bustling yet chilly.
I stood by the side of the road as couples walked past, arm in arm, laughing and talking happily.
In a daze, my phone rang. It was Evan Yu. His voice was low. "Where are you?"
"On the street," I answered absentmindedly.
My mindless reply was met with a brief silence from Evan Yu. Then he spoke again, "Send me your location."