"Yes…" Hou Zhenzhen sounded hesitant. "I saw him stepping into the gynecology department with her so I wondered…"
She froze.
"Don't misunderstand, Lanying! You said that he is at the office, right? So of course he would be. I think I saw the wrong person. He looked really similar to him. I thought that if he is Jiang Li, then you should know this... But I am relieved to hear that he is not."
Jiang Lanying smiled. "En. He cannot be Li, Zhenzhen. You are definitely mistaken."
Hou Zhenzhen twitched her brow.
Is she stupid to understand what I am implying here? How can she still sound so calm?
"That's good then. Oh, it's time for my checkup. Bye."
"Bye."
Jiang Lanying slightly clutched her phone as a painful smile appeared on her lips.
She thought for a moment and dialed his number. "Li."
"Lanying. Are you okay?"
"E-En. I just called to ask if um...when will you return tonight?"
There was a brief pause.
"I might be a bit late."
She stiffened.
"Why? Is it too busy at work?"
"En. There are meetings piled up."
"Doctor Zhen! Patient in room-"
From the background, she clearly heard a nurse's voice calling for a doctor.
Jiang Li quickly covered the speaker and said, "Is there any problem at home? I will immediately come back."
"No, no! Everything is fine here," she faintly smiled. "I just thought you looked a little stressed out last night so…"
"Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself first," his voice was stern.
"En."
She slowly put the phone down in silence and tiredly rested her head back on the bed.
When Lihua came to check on her, she was stunned to see tears in her eyes. "Jiang Lanying," she hurriedly rushed to her side. "Are you okay? Is your bruise hurting too much?" She asked, concerned.
She shook her head. "My ankle is okay."
"Then why are you crying?" She anxiously asked. "Did you fight with Jiang Li?"
"No…"
She fumed. "Tell me if he has hurt you. Don't lie to protect him! If he has hurt you, I am not going to let him go!"
Jiang Lanying trembled and quickly wiped her tears. "I-It's not a fight."
"Then?"
She clasped her hands together and slowly said what happened. Lihua was dumbstruck as she heard everything. She gulped.
Jiang Li was with a woman in the hospital? Is she thinking that he is cheating on her?
But it doesn't make sense! Doesn't he love her so much?
Was she the same woman we saw that day in the restaurant?
She quickly held her hand in hers. "Jiang Lanying. Don't misunderstand him, okay? I know that he really-" she coughed hard.
She was about to say that he loved her but she stopped in time.
Idiot. It is something that Jiang Li should confess to her, not me!
"I mean that I know that he really cares about you. He would never cheat on you!"
Jiang Lanying was surprised. "I know he would never cheat on me. Li is not that sort of a man. Even though we have been distant in these two years, I know that will never betray me. If he really has some other woman in his heart, he wouldn't hide it from me. He would tell me upfront instead of having an affair behind my back."
Phew.
Lihua sighed in relief. She grimaced thinking of Hou Zhenzhen.
That woman was definitely trying to sow discord!
Jiang Lanying lowered her head. "I don't know how to explain. I am not affected to know that he was with a woman in the hospital. He might have his own reasons and I trust him. But…" tears rimmed in her eyes, "I just don't want him to lie to me because it…it makes me feel as if I am not trustworthy enough for him to even say a simple thing as to where he is going."
Lihua nodded her head in understanding.
"I know that Jiang Li is having a hard time about something. I can feel it in his expressions and demeanor. But he doesn't want to share it with me. Am I not…capable enough to support him in his troubles?" Her lips trembled as a tear slid down.
"Of course you are capable! That Jiang Li is blind! He doesn't know what he is doing! Let him come back. I will beat him up! Lihua will also help me in scratching his face!"
Jiang Lanying burst into a soft chuckle. "Thank you, Lixue…"
Lihua said, "Take rest now and don't stress about it, okay?"
She nodded.
---
After dinner, as Jiang Li was about to step into his room, Lihua blocked his way and put her hands on her waist as she furiously faced him. "Come with me, idiot brother-in-law!"
Jiang Li widened his eyes seeing her behave so differently.
Idiot brother-in-law?
Lihua grabbed his arm and dragged him into her room. Wei was calmly sipping on his coffee as he saw them enter.
Jiang Li said, "Bro…"
Wei didn't acknowledge him at all.
She shut the door behind with a bang. Lihua, the cat tilted her head as she narrowed her green eyes.
*Meow*
Dumb humans always have some or the other shit going on. Why can't their lives be as simple as mine?
She silently went back to complete her beauty sleep.
Lihua, the human, pointed her finger at his face. "You! How dare you make Jiang Lanying cry?"
He stiffened.
"Cry? She cried?" The shock was visible on his face.
"Yes! And all because of you! She knows that you lied to her. You weren't at the office today, right? Instead, you were in the hospital with some woman."
Jiang Li froze. Suddenly, the realization dawned upon him. "She is misunderstanding me-"
Lihua smiled. "Rest assured, she is not misunderstanding your relationship with that woman, whatever that might be. More than that, the fact that you lied to her has hurt her! Why didn't you just say that you are going to the hospital?"