Chapter 43

Chapter 43

After dinner, Tao Youming, in high spirits, planned to leave directly. Before he left, he wanted to share a loving embrace, but Su Su refused, put off by the lingering taste on his lips.

Tao Youming was initially a little annoyed. *I didn't even mind you earlier, and now you're rejecting me?* he thought. But remembering that their relationship had just improved, he decided not to push it—after all, one shouldn't poke the bear. So he simply waved and departed.

Su Su slowly tidied her belongings and returned to the office. The memory of that kiss made her face flush uncontrollably, and soon her ears were burning too, as if she had just engaged in something rather inappropriate.

For the rest of the afternoon, she was in a daze.

She felt a little flustered. Now that they were officially together, would things progress further? Like deeper kisses? Or even taking their relationship to the next level—like ending up in bed?

Su Su had been in a relationship before, but back then, they were still in school, and their feelings were shallow. Nothing substantial had happened between them.

But after transmigrating into this book, this man had once brought up the idea of sleeping together when they were watching a movie.

If he brought it up again, what would she do…?

Just thinking about it made her face burn again. She felt like she was overthinking things—just from a kiss and a bowl of hot and sour noodles, her mind had already wandered into such "lewd thoughts."

When she was distracted, she tended to make mistakes. Her colleague, also an assistant, had to remind her several times, and in the end, she was too embarrassed and simply left work early.

When Su Su got home, Zhang Liqi was taking a stroll in the living room.

Seeing her daughter return with a smile and head straight to her room, Zhang Liqi instructed the maid, “Pour a glass of cold drink for Miss Su. I’ll take it up to her later.”

“Madam, let me do it,” the maid said, eyeing her large belly.

Zhang Liqi smiled faintly. “No need. I have something to talk to Susu about.”

The maid poured the juice, and Zhang Liqi took it upstairs. She knocked on the door for a while before Su Su finally opened it.

“What were you doing that took so long to answer?” She handed over the juice.

“Mom, why did you come up yourself?” Su Su took the juice and invited her in. “You could’ve just called me downstairs if you needed something.”

Zhang Liqi noticed the faint blush on her daughter’s face and couldn’t help but ask directly, “You look so happy. Did something good happen?”

Su Su was slightly surprised. Was her joy really that obvious? Obvious enough for Zhang Liqi to know at a glance that she had good news?

When she didn’t answer, Zhang Liqi chuckled. “Is it about Youming?”

“How...how did you know?” Su Su looked up, her eyes flickering with a faint light, like a passing star.

“Didn’t you go buy a tie this morning? Of course I’d know.” Zhang Liqi let out a soft laugh. “So, what’s going on between you two now? Tell me.”

“With your dad still in the hospital, you should at least share some good news to cheer me up.”

Su Su’s heart tightened. Since transmigrating into the book, she seemed to have overlooked the Su couple’s attitude toward her relationship with Tao Youming. Most of the time, she had been doing things her own way, and she had never formally asked for their opinions.

“Mom, what kind of good news do you want to hear?” She blinked playfully, a hint of mischief in her smile.

“Of course, that you and Youming have reconciled.” Zhang Liqi gently stroked her long hair. “Your dad is sick, and now I’m pregnant. Soon, I’ll have to take care of your little brother too. I just hope Youming can look after you a bit.”

“But what if Tao Youming doesn’t like me?” Su Su asked from the depths of her soul. “If he doesn’t like me, why would he want to take care of me?”

Zhang Liqi pressed her lips together. “As long as you control your temper, Youming will like you. Your father and I wouldn’t misjudge someone.”

“The Tao family has been close to ours for generations. Your Uncle Tao and Aunt Tao treat you like their own daughter. Even if you marry into their family, they’ll treat you well.”

Hearing her mention marriage, Su Su suddenly laughed. “Mom, I’m only nineteen, just about to start my sophomore year of college.”

“I’m talking about the future.” Zhang Liqi’s expression turned serious. “I just want you to seriously rein in your temper and treat Youming well. He’ll like you.”

Zhang Liqi knew her daughter had been pampered since childhood—if she couldn’t get something, she’d stop at nothing to obtain it. Though they regretted spoiling her, by the time they realized it, it was already too late.

“I understand.” Seeing her mother’s earnest expression, Su Su decided not to hide it anymore. “We’ve already reconciled.”

Zhang Liqi’s expression froze for a second before her brows lifted, her voice filled with joy. “He accepted your tie?”

Su Su nodded with a beaming smile, then said seriously, “Yes, he accepted it. We’ve reconciled. I’ll treat him better from now on—no more complaints, and I won’t let him get his accounts frozen again.”

Though Zhang Liqi still had some doubts, hearing her daughter’s sincere tone, she finally relaxed. “I hope your father recovers soon so he can hear this news.”

Zhang Liqi knew Su Yaobo had some reservations about Tao Youming, but if it really came to marriage, Tao Youming would still be his first choice.

*

Su Yaobo’s condition had stabilized—at least his tremors had lessened when eating. So, just before Su Su’s semester started, the doctor allowed him to be discharged. The physical therapy team, originally consisting of six people, was reduced to three, and they moved into the Su residence with Su Yaobo.

After officially getting back together, Tao Youming became extremely attentive. Every day after work, he followed Su Su around, escorting her everywhere, and his visits to the Su household became even more frequent than before. He claimed it was to prevent Su Su from being tempted by the well-mannered doctors and cheating on him.

Su Su was angered by this suggestion. Did she really seem like the type to easily fall for someone else?

Just as she was about to retort, she hesitated.

Well… she *had* been somewhat interested in Qi Rui before.

But that was only because, at the time, she didn’t know much about him while reading the original story. She decided to be gracious and not dwell on the topic.

With the doctors now living at the Su residence, Su Su felt more at ease about Zhang Liqi. Having medical professionals around was reassuring for a pregnancy at her age, though she still had to accompany her mother for regular checkups.

Today was the scheduled day for the prenatal exam, and Tao Youming arrived on time. Su Su hadn’t intended to trouble him with this, but since he was here, she let him come along.

After the tests, the doctor raised an eyebrow. Zhang Liqi grew nervous. “Is there another problem?”

The doctor smiled. “Don’t worry. We just need to do another 4D ultrasound.”

Though the doctor spoke casually, Zhang Liqi was still concerned. “Didn’t we already do one last time? Why another?”

“There’s an unclear area. We’ll schedule another one.” The doctor said calmly. “You’re an older expectant mother, so you’ll naturally need more tests than usual. It’s nothing serious.”

“Don’t stress yourself out.”

Zhang Liqi thought it made sense. When she was pregnant with Su Su, her body was in great shape, and she passed all the standard tests without issue. But now, the examinations were slower, and she had to undergo more procedures than the average pregnant woman—like the amniocentesis she’d done earlier.

Su Su leaned in to comfort her. “Mom, relax. If the doctor says it’s fine, then it is.”

“Besides, we have doctors at home now. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Her words were light but reassuring, like a calming pill slowly dissolving. Zhang Liqi slowly composed herself. With so much happening at home lately, she—someone who wasn't strong-willed—tended to panic at the smallest thing.

After the checkup, the group left the maternity ward. When they went downstairs to collect the reports, Su Su spotted Qi Rui standing not far from the self-service kiosk.

He was wearing a lab coat, tilting his head as he spoke to a woman beside him. She was holding his arm, seemingly urgently discussing something.

Clearly, Tao Youming and Zhang Liqi noticed too. Sensing their gaze, Qi Rui turned toward them.

“Dr. Qi,” Zhang Liqi waved her hand.

“What a coincidence,” Tao Youming said, frowning slightly as he looked at the woman beside Qi Rui. “She even chased him all the way back to China?”

“What are you talking about?” Su Su turned to him. “Who followed who back to China?”

Tao Youming raised his eyes, a teasing glint in them as he lowered his voice, feigning mystery. “You know who that woman is?”

Su Su lifted her eyelids slightly—this man was still holding a grudge, remembering she might have had a bit of a thing for Qi Rui. She averted her gaze and said lazily, “How should I know? You didn’t introduce us.”

Just then, Qi Rui walked over to greet them.

The man was the same as before—his refined face, his faint smile. His presence was like stepping into a field of blossoms—soothing, uplifting.

“Just finished my appointment—was about to leave,” Zhang Liqi said, her eyes warm as she studied Qi Rui, then glanced at the woman beside him. “And this is…?”

“A friend from overseas,” Qi Rui replied, his voice slightly hoarse, as if he had spoken too much. “She dropped by to see me after I got back.”

As soon as he finished the introduction, the woman’s expression froze for a moment—a flash of hurt and irritation, as if dissatisfied with his description.

But the subtle expression vanished almost instantly, and she quickly plastered on a smile and introduced herself.

“Qi Rui, aren’t you gonna introduce me?” the woman said, eyeing the two women in front of her.

She recognized Tao Youming but not the other two women, and wasn’t sure if they were Qi family relatives.

Qi Rui didn’t exactly want to introduce this woman to the Su family, but now that they had run into each other, there was no avoiding it. So he smiled at Zhang Liqi and said, “This is Mrs. Su, an old family friend of the Taos. And this is Mrs. Su’s…”

“My girlfriend, Su Su,” Tao Youming interjected, his lips curving slightly, his charming eyes glinting playfully as he finished the sentence for him.