Chapter 46 She’ll Be Fine

Chapter 46: She Will Be Okay

"Are you crazy, doing it this way? Was it worth it?"

The scent of Song Xianghan's clothes and hands calmed Gao Mengying a little. Her tears soaked Song Xianghan's palms, making it hard for her to get a full sentence out.

"But, but I just hate it, you know? I, I was raped and then taken to the office restroom. I was, was shoved into the bathtub, washed over and over again, the showerhead—pointed at me, leaving nothing but the wounds on my hands. When I, when I found out I was pregnant, I felt like I was going, going crazy."

Shen Shiyan handed over tissues. Song Xianghan wiped her tears, her thumb brushing across her cheek.

"I didn't want to report it at first, because it was too dirty, too dirty. I couldn't face it. You were, were investigating his casino at the time. I kept this child because I was afraid the Shen family would step in. Why should I? I'm not okay with this, Xianghan, I'm not okay! I have to send him away, the longer the better!..."

Her emotions flared up, and Song Xianghan held her close, gently patting her back to soothe her.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm here. You're going into surgery soon, right?"

"It's okay, you're not dirty, Mengying, you're not dirty. You're the purest."

"I'll stay with you, don't be afraid."

"..."

Shen Shiyan felt like a long time had passed, so long that he didn't even notice when the police officer left to handle some matters at the testing department.

Gao Mengying signed the consent form herself. Before entering the operating room, her emotions had stabilized, and Shen Shiyan, who had been silent all along, called out to her.

In his dark eyes, there was guilt, regret, and hatred. He bent down to meet Gao Mengying's gaze, his voice warm and firm: "I'll handle the evidence chain. Rest assured, I promise you this won't end here. The pain you've suffered, he will pay for it."

"Mm." Gao Mengying smiled faintly, her eyes downcast. "You're a good person, I know."

From the day Shen Siwen was arrested, Gao Mengying had prepared for an abortion. She only ate one meal at night, fasting during the day, determined to get rid of the vile seed that had been tormenting her for months as soon as possible.

Before the surgery, she looked at her still-flat belly and asked the doctor if she could switch from a painless abortion to a regular one.

Song Xianghan asked her why.

She said she wanted to remember that pain, remember that humiliation. She could never forget it, forget the harm others had done to her.

The anesthesiologist came over with a syringe, talking to her, but she didn't hear a word, responding mechanically.

The cool liquid flowed through her veins, quickly spreading from her arm to her chest, shoulders, and head. The medical staff's voices faded away, and the operating room lights blurred into a halo, growing fainter and fainter until she could no longer keep her eyes open.

In the second before the anesthesia took effect, her hazy mind wondered why she had still opted for the painless abortion.

"Don't switch." She heard Song Xianghan's voice again, echoing in her ears. "This kind of pain isn't worth remembering."

Outside the operating room, Song Xianghan was fiddling with the New Year nail art on her index finger, her expression slightly vacant.

"What about Shen Wenzhou..."

"I'll handle it." Shen Shiyan cut in directly.

"Mm." Song Xianghan nodded, draping her fur coat over her shoulder. "Go ahead. I'll stay with Mengying."

Shen Shiyan acknowledged with a sound and first went to retrieve Gao Mengying's previous medical records and surveillance footage from the hospital. He handed over the usable surveillance footage from Chonghe to Qi Zizhu to investigate.

He also found the doctor who had previously tried to help Gao Mengying report the assault as a potential witness.

Finally, he returned to the private hospital where Shen Wenzhou was staying.

"How's the deep-sea oil and gas project going?" Shen Wenzhou's condition was much better than yesterday, his voice clearer.

Shen Shiyan sat down and said calmly, "The project is going smoothly."

He looked into Shen Wenzhou's somewhat cloudy eyes, no longer hesitating as before, and said bluntly, "But there's been another development with my eldest brother. He's now suspected of raping his former secretary. The trial will probably start in about ten days."

The beeping of the nearby instruments quickened, and the curves on the screen formed new waves.

"Useless!" Shen Wenzhou coughed violently a few times, his face turning red.

Shen Shiyan watched him calmly, unable to utter a single word of concern. "Dad, my eldest brother's crimes are serious. Is it really worth using your connections to get him out?"

His tone was too flat, leaving Shen Wenzhou stunned for a long time.

Shen Shiyan took an apple and a fruit knife from the cabinet. The knife blade cut into the rosy peel, releasing a faint apple scent.

"Dad." Shen Shiyan didn't look at the man in the bed, focusing instead on the lengthening apple peel in his hand. "No matter how good the PR has been these past few days, all companies under the Shen Group have suffered losses to some degree. Spending money, pulling strings, calling in favors—none of that matters. What matters is the Shen family's future and prospects."

A complete strip of peel was tossed into the trash can by Shen Shiyan, who then handed the peeled apple to Shen Wenzhou.

He didn't take it, so Shen Shiyan placed the apple on the cabinet.

Shen Wenzhou's gaze followed Shen Shiyan's hand, finally resting on the apple.

The white flesh quickly oxidized and turned yellow.

Shen Wenzhou sighed. He knew well that Shen Shiyan was right. Even if they managed to get the man out, there was no guarantee Shen Siwen wouldn't cause more trouble.

Shen Siwen was an apple with a shiny exterior but a rotten, worm-infested core inside.

Such a person would only corrode the Shen family.

Shen Wenzhou still didn't respond to Shen Shiyan. Without asking anyone to leave, he pulled out his phone in front of Shen Shiyan and dialed Assistant Li: "Don't bother getting Shen Siwen out. Let him reflect in there for a few years."

Without a moment's hesitation, the voice on the other end replied, "Understood."

The call ended.

"Handle anything related to Shen Siwen yourself from now on. No need to report to me." Shen Wenzhou tossed his phone back to the bedside. "I'll have someone keep an eye on Shen Siyu. You just focus on managing the Shen family and the company's projects."

A faint smile appeared on Shen Shiyan's face, and he nodded with a deferential attitude: "Understood, Dad."

"Help me lie down. If you're not going to eat that apple, throw it away. I have no appetite." Shen Wenzhou extended an arm toward Shen Shiyan.

He wiped his hands, helped the man lie down, and then tossed the pitiful apple directly into the trash can, watching as the peel and flesh reunited in the black garbage bag.

On the way back to the Shen residence, Shen Shiyan looked at his phone and sneered inwardly.

Reflect for a few years, huh?

Shen Siwen would never come out again. Never.

On the screen was a WeChat message from Song Xianghan sent two hours ago: Mengying's surgery is over. Nothing serious. She just needs some rest.

Below it was a photo.

Song Xianghan leaned close to Gao Mengying's pillow, taking a selfie of the two of them. Soft sunlight gently fell on their faces. Gao Mengying seemed still under anesthesia, pale and sleeping peacefully.

Beneath the photo were two short sentences, eight characters.

[Song Xianghan: "She's reborn. She will be okay."]