Chapter 44: Scalded Part 1

The sky outside was overcast, and even with the air conditioning running, the air felt oppressively stuffy.

Rain was on the way.

Cheng Zhanya thought as she gazed out the window.

She thoughtfully straightened the papers on her desk. Glancing up without thinking, she spotted Lin Hanbing coming out of the restroom.

Their eyes met.

The memory of the hurt in Lin Hanbing’s gaze sent a sharp pang through Cheng Zhanya’s chest, the pain spreading relentlessly.

No matter what, Lin Hanbing could still dictate her emotions.

Cheng Zhanya thought helplessly.

She turned her face away and focused on her phone.

The screen lit up right then.

It was a message from her friend—the one whose profile picture was Fan Jiujiu’s enormous face.

—Ya’er.

—Got sent to Haishi City on short notice. Four days. Can’t pick you up tonight.

—Don’t rush home. Grab a bite nearby first. Wait out rush hour and stay safe.

—Okay.

Her friend’s concern warmed Cheng Zhanya’s heart. She let out a heavy sigh and shoved her tangled feelings aside.

She was afraid of Lin Hanbing finding out about the pregnancy.

Even more afraid of hearing words she didn’t want to hear…

But the pregnancy was practically an open secret throughout the company.

How much longer could she keep hiding it?

She had just thrown up once, leaving her stomach empty and sour.

A glance at the time showed lunch break approaching.

What to eat had become her daily conundrum.

Cheng Zhanya felt hungry yet had zero appetite, mirroring the sullen weather outside.

She could skip meals, but a little baby was growing in her belly. Her earlier carelessness had already made the baby suffer enough. Now that she had decided to have it, Cheng Zhanya’s attitude had done a complete one-eighty.

The water in her thermos had gone lukewarm.

She took a shallow sip and set it down.

Lost in a daze at her desk, she heard Xiao Xiao—who had an impeccable sense of timing—slide her chair over. “What are you planning for lunch, Sister Zhanya?”

“Looks like rain’s coming,” Xiao Xiao added. “Want to order takeout?”

Cheng Zhanya glanced out the window.

The sky had darkened even more since earlier. Rain could start any second.

Cheng Zhanya pondered, her eyes downcast.

“No idea.”

“I think I’ll head out anyway.”

She didn’t want to stay here.

With a glance at Lin Hanbing’s tightly shut office door, a wave of suffocation hit her out of nowhere. All she wanted was to escape.

“Then… I’ll come too.”

Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment before saying, “Let me keep you company, Sister Zhanya.”

“Sure.” Cheng Zhanya let out a dry chuckle.

Lunchtime crowds reached unprecedented levels. Every shop was jammed, buzzing with energy.

The air carried the irresistible aroma of home-cooked meals.

After a hectic morning, hunger now asserted itself with brutal force.

Xiao Xiao scanned the options, eyeing her top picks.

When you’re starving, everything looks delicious.

She weighed each spot they passed, but Cheng Zhanya showed no sign of stopping.

After walking a ways, the throng thinned out.

Cheng Zhanya paused in front of a modest little diner. It was packed inside too, with the owner rushing back and forth.

After placing their order, the two waited off to the side.

Xiao Xiao spotted a chair and pulled it over for Cheng Zhanya. “Here, Sister Zhanya, have a seat.”

Cheng Zhanya gave her a grateful smile. “You take it.”

“No, you.” Xiao Xiao insisted, “I’m just a single gal—I don’t need it.”

“You’re the one with a baby on board. You have to take it easy.”

“…”

Cheng Zhanya laughed softly and accepted the gesture.

She felt truly fortunate.

Everyone around her was so kind.

Autumn rains didn’t mess around—they came the moment they were due.

A light drizzle began pattering outside. Pedestrians took their time ducking for cover, lending splashes of color to the street.

A few people gathered under the eaves, peering inside as they debated whether to eat there or brave the wet in search of something else.

The rain wasn’t heavy, but it had that biting chill of late autumn.

Getting soaked would make for a miserable afternoon.

Staying put was obviously the smart move.

The tiny shop filled up fast, growing noisy and chaotic.

More people meant a mishmash of smells.

Suddenly, the overpowering stench of cheap perfume assaulted Cheng Zhanya’s nose—thick and cloying. She frowned faintly as a familiar wave of nausea rose in her throat.

She glanced at Xiao Xiao and pointed toward the door with her pale fingertips, saying in a voice they could both hear clearly, “I’ll wait outside.”

Cheng Zhanya’s face had gone white.

Xiao Xiao could tell she felt off and nodded right away. “Okay, I’ll handle it out here with you.”

“Mm.”

The crowd was too much, especially given Cheng Zhanya’s condition, so Xiao Xiao asked the owner to pack everything to go.

Back at the office, not everyone had returned yet. With the lights off and rain falling, the gray day made the vast space feel dim and shadowy.

Lin Hanbing’s office light shone steadily.

It stood out like a sore thumb.

She hadn’t gone out to eat.

Was she swamped?

Cheng Zhanya lowered her gaze, unable to stop herself from wondering.

She had never truly entered Lin Hanbing’s world. How insanely busy did work have to be to keep her from coming home at night?

Was she the one who didn’t get it?

The one who wasn’t considerate enough?

Cheng Zhanya sighed. Lin Hanbing hadn’t even done anything, and here she was, completely rattled.

Was this the postpartum overthinking kicking in now that morning sickness had passed?

She gave a wry smile and shook her head.

“Sister Zhanya, what’s got you smiling?”

Xiao Xiao opened the takeout containers for her. Baffled by the odd grin, she asked curiously, “Did something funny pop into your head?”

“I do that all the time.”

“Didn’t think it was hilarious back then, but ages later, it cracks me up out of nowhere.”

Cheng Zhanya smiled. “Exactly like that.”

“So what was it? Come on, share—I could use a laugh.”

“Oh, nothing much.”

Looking into the girl’s bright, curious eyes, Cheng Zhanya paused before saying, “I remembered crying my eyes out the day I got my hair cut. Hits different now—it’s hilarious.”

Xiao Xiao bought it hook, line, and sinker.

She nodded emphatically. “Totally. Your hair’s in such great shape—you must’ve put so much work into it over the years. Growing it that long, then chopping it short all at once… I felt bad just looking at it.”

“Why’d you go so short, Sister Zhanya?” Xiao Xiao slurped a mouthful of noodles, her eyes brimming with regret and confusion.

“Oh, nothing big. Just wanted a change of style—easier to deal with too.”

“Short hair’s super cute anyway…”

Xiao Xiao’s voice trailed off abruptly. Panic flickered in her mischievous eyes.

The tea room was separate, and Cheng Zhanya sat with her back to the door.

Following Xiao Xiao’s gaze, she twisted around and locked eyes with the person who had just walked in. She froze.

Lin Hanbing was stunning, but she carried an air that kept people at arm’s length.

Right now, her face was a touch pale, her brows lightly furrowed. She held a water cup in hand. Her always ramrod posture was a real asset—sleeves rolled up to reveal half a slender white wrist that looked delicate yet strong. Her white shirt was tucked in neatly, accentuating a waist so narrow it begged to be spanned by two hands.

Was her stomach acting up again?

Cheng Zhanya had no time for admiring the view—every inch of Lin Hanbing’s skin was etched into her memory.

All she felt was worry.

She still couldn’t look away.

She loved Lin Hanbing, even if they had gone their separate ways.

The atmosphere turned rigid.

Anyone could feel the tension.

Lin Hanbing let out a soft sigh, breaking the silence first. “I’m just here to get some water.”

“…”

Xiao Xiao forced a grin that didn’t reach her eyes, her little heart hammering away.

Up close, she was even more breathtaking!

That signature cool aura was like a rose—gorgeous and exquisite.

Perfection.

Xiao Xiao gave her a silent score in her head.

Straight hundred. Lin Hanbing was flawless.

“You two keep going.”

Lin Hanbing pressed the hot water button, her gaze hardly leaving her wife for a second.

After that fleeting eye contact, she could still sense Cheng Zhanya’s concern.

She hadn’t eaten or slept properly in days just to stick around Anwo and set her mind at ease. Her dormant stomach issues had roared back to life.

But the pain was worth it.

Lin Hanbing felt a quiet joy.

The cup filled slowly. The moment the boiling water touched her skin, her reflexes fired at lightning speed.

Crack.

The cup slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor. Only then did the searing pain bloom.

She glanced down. Her fingertips and the back of her hand were already red.

Cheng Zhanya’s heart lurched. Before she knew it, she had rushed to Lin Hanbing’s side and grabbed her hand to inspect the burn.

Lin Hanbing’s skin was so fair that the small scald stood out starkly, shocking to the eye.

It had been ages since she’d been this close to her wife.

That familiar scent washed over her, dulling the pain on her hand.

Her eyes fixed intently on that face that haunted her dreams, and she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curving up.

Cheng Zhanya was entirely focused on the injury and missed the look in her eyes.

Staring at the reddened skin, Cheng Zhanya felt a pang of heartache. Her throat had gone dry for what felt like forever.

“Let’s go to the hospital.”

She said.

“Will you come with me?”

The words were barely out before Lin Hanbing’s heart clenched in fear of rejection.

These past days of separation had brought too many refusals and cold shoulders from Cheng Zhanya. She no longer trusted what the answer might be.

Back then, she never would have worried.

Even a tiny scratch would have Cheng Zhanya fussing for ages, reminding her over and over to be careful next time.

Does it hurt bad? Let me blow on it.

You’re too pretty for scars.

Can’t you be more careful?

Still stinging?

…

For one little wound, Cheng Zhanya would nag while tenderly applying a bandage, blowing on it like she was soothing a child.