“She doesn’t want you to see Yuelin?” Meilei didn’t know why this shocked her as it did because if she had ever logically thought about it, it made perfect sense. She hadn’t been good enough back then, so why would her child be good enough now?
Mrs. Xuchen had forced her onto birth control as soon as she found out they had spent nights together, warning that if she ever fell pregnant, they would disown it. Ironically, that obviously had not worked.
It looked like her threat back then held weight.
Meilei fell silent, drying her face on her sleeve as a strange sensation of numb and twisting pain intermingled through her stomach and chest at his words, and she swallowed down the residual tears lingering.
“I wouldn’t let that happen.” Kai stopped as they reached the first bank of elevators and checked his watch. It was after four thirty, and they should have someone showing up soon.
Kai took in her pale complexion, swollen red eyes, and tear-stained and blotchy pallor. Her hair was in disarray, coming out of her ponytail, and some strands still stuck to her damp cheeks and forehead. She looked like a pitiful and heartbroken girl who had been crying for hours. The unnatural fast breathing and obvious stiffness in her posture, highlighting how stressed she was, made him feel guilty. He turned his gaze away with the rising wave of discomfort it gave him.
All that mattered to him now was his relationship with Yue. Meilei and he were a different matter, and it didn’t take away from the fact that she was a good mom.
“I don’t believe you.” Meilei sniffed again, using her sleeve to wipe her nose, and they both flicked a glance as the elevator pinged with the arrival of it coming to the ground floor.
Kai dismissed her statement.
As the doors opened, Kai stepped in front of her and was met with a nurse and doctor, smiling brightly their way. Shielding her while she sorted herself rapidly.
As soon as she saw Yuelin, she was picking her up and taking her home. She didn’t trust them anymore. Suying would help care for her and would be livid when she woke them to tell them what had happened.
Meilei slumped into the corner behind Kai and stared at the piece of flimsy plastic in her hand as the door finally shut, and they began to move. Such a nothing thing that held so much power for these people. The rich were another breed, and their money was like a magic wand over others.
She was calming herself and believing Kai wasn’t here to stop her anymore when seeing how he was handling this, and she could breathe a little lighter. Relaxing that his presence gave her protection, even if that was ironic.
Kai was facing the doctor and staring him down like he was pinning him with a laser beam while she used his shadow to compose herself fully. She wondered if Yue was awake. Her mind was never free of the constant worry over her child.
Again, it churned up so much anger at the thought of her sitting in some fancy room alone and crying for her. She had no idea how long it had been since they took her, and she swallowed down the sudden lump in her throat, impatient to be reunited.
There was a long, tense silence as they covered the last floors, and it seemed like both the doctor and nurse sighed with relief as they slid open on the twentieth floor. Quickly leading the way out and, Kai turned to her.
His eyes grazed over her as he took in her more composed appearance, and he automatically lifted his hand and brushed the hair from her forehead that was caught on her eyelashes and made her flinch.
The attentive mannerism made them both react in mildly stunned awkwardness as Kai cleared his throat and Meilei straightened to escape him. Kai had no idea why he even did that and cursed himself internally.
Meilei followed, rubbing her forehead to remove the lingering warmth of his touch, and they silently walked to the main wide doors. The doctor lifted his lanyard from his neck and used his ID to scan open at the panel.
“What room? We don’t need an escort?” Kai leaned in, pulling the door open for them before the other man could, displaying his impatience and the doctor nodded and got out of the way.
Meilei pushed past them, almost shoving Kai out of the way with a hand to his abdomen, and darted ahead, not waiting. She took the first corridor and raced until she saw the room four sign and rushed inside without any other thoughts. She didn’t care if he followed her or not. She only wanted to see Yue. Frantic maternal love taking control.
Yuelin was sound asleep in the same bed they had wheeled from downstairs, still attached to the saline bag hanging above it, and had not even changed position as Meilei had tucked her in before sleeping.
Yue was unaware of anything amiss because she looked like she had never woken, giving Meilei more rage about the blatant lie that they had examined her. She was on her side, curled into a fetal position with one thumb in her mouth and her other hand tangled in her long hair right by her ear. This was how she had slept since she was a baby, and Meilei could now breathe as she hovered over her bedside and gently tucked her in. In a way, relieved, Yuelin had no idea what even happened.
She wouldn’t wake her to take her away now she had seen her peacefully like this. She would let her sleep until morning and leave as soon as possible. She didn’t want to risk making her sicker by waking her at this hour. It was cold out, and she was in no distress.
Stroking back her hair, leaning in, and gently kissing her cheek, she could feel her temperature was normal, and Yue sighed a little in her sleep but didn’t rouse at the contact.