newbobooks Chapter 270 Gu Cheng'an's apology was a bit too much...
Chapter 270 Gu Cheng'an's apology was a bit too much...
Gu Cheng'an, who was standing to the side, was also stunned when he heard the word "pregnant".
He stared blankly at Chu Ruohan, then subconsciously looked at her lower abdomen, his expression complex and unreadable, and for a moment he forgot to react.
Seeing his "silly" look, his mother-in-law couldn't help but gently nudge him with her elbow.
"Hey, silly boy, what are you standing there for?"
The mother-in-law beamed with joy, clearly having misunderstood him.
"You must be overjoyed! You're going to be a dad!"
"Look at this young couple, they have such a good relationship."
The mother-in-law turned to her husband and waved with a smile.
"Oh, old woman, I think we should go out first, and not disturb the young couple's private conversation."
“Alright, alright,” the old man readily agreed. “Perfect timing, I’ll go up the mountain and gather some herbs to help with her pregnancy…”
As the elderly couple spoke, they smiled and walked out together, closing the door behind them, leaving Chu Ruohan, who was lost in thought on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Gu Cheng'an, who was still standing stiffly at the door.
The air inside the room seemed to freeze, with only Chu Ruohan's slightly rising and falling breathing on the kang and Gu Cheng'an's stiff shadow at the door.
Gu Cheng'an's Adam's apple bobbed as he broke the suffocating silence.
"Congratulations."
His voice was somewhat hoarse, and his gaze fell on Chu Ruohan's still pale face.
Chu Ruohan slowly raised her eyelashes, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice as soft as a feather.
"Junze will be very happy to know."
She paused, a bitter smile creeping onto her lips.
"But I've had a miscarriage, so my return to the capital... will probably have to be postponed."
"The matter in the capital can wait."
Gu Cheng'an interrupted her almost immediately, his tone firm and unwavering.
"The most important thing right now is your safety and the safety of your child."
Chu Ruohan nodded gently.
Yes, Gu Cheng'an is right.
She is no longer just Chu Ruohan.
The tiny life inside her is the most precious treasure she needs to protect right now.
Her hand touched her lower abdomen again; it was still flat, yet it held all her hopes and worries.
Seeing her silence, Gu Cheng'an continued, "Settle down here for now."
"Once you've recovered a bit and the pregnancy is more stable, then we can consider returning to Beijing."
Chu Ruohan frowned slightly, revealing a hint of worry.
"But wouldn't this be too much trouble for my mother-in-law and the others?"
We were just strangers who met by chance, and I was already very fortunate to have been rescued. They said they didn't want to…
"will not."
Gu Cheng'an shook his head, his tone resolute.
“I’ve helped the old couple with a lot of chores these past few days, like carrying water and chopping wood. They’re very kind and like us a lot.”
He paused, then added, "Besides, the town at the foot of the mountain isn't far away. I can do some odd jobs and earn some money to supplement my family's income."
Chu Ruohan looked up at him.
The dim light streaming in from the window outlined the tired yet resolute profile of his face; his jaw was taut, and there was no hesitation in his eyes.
From the rescue when she fell off the cliff to the meticulous care and thoughtful arrangements she has made at this moment...
A warm current flowed silently through my heart, dispelling some of the chill.
"Thank you, Gu Cheng'an," Chu Ruohan said frankly.
Gu Cheng'an's gaze was deep, avoiding her eyes, and his voice was low.
"No need to say thank you."
"I owe you this."
owe!
This word was like a needle, piercing Chu Ruohan's heart unexpectedly.
indeed.
She suddenly looked up and carefully examined Gu Cheng'an.
He appeared calm, as if he were simply stating a fact.
Could it be... that he also remembered his past life?
This thought made Chu Ruohan's heart skip a beat.
She remained calm, her tone slightly probing: "Why would you say that?"
Gu Cheng'an remained silent for a moment, a complex and indescribable expression appearing on his face, seemingly both regretful and helpless.
"If I hadn't had the idea of faking my death to escape the marriage back then, if I had been more resolute and disagreed with the marriage to you, perhaps you wouldn't have been dragged into the Gu family's mess, and there wouldn't have been all the subsequent turmoil."
He looked at Chu Ruohan with guilt in his eyes.
"In the end, it was my selfishness at the time that caused you..."
His words stopped there; he didn't continue.
Chu Ruohan's heart sank slowly.
It turns out he was referring to matters of this life.
It seems that Gu Cheng'an has not regained his memories of his past life.
She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, but a deeper sense of sorrow welled up inside her.
He's right.
All the suffering she endured in her past life was due to Gu Cheng'an and Du Ruoling.
It was their so-called "deep affection and loyalty," their selfishness, that pushed her into an abyss of no return.
She became the stepping stone and sacrifice for their extraordinary love!
Just as I was pondering this, the door creaked open, and the old woman and the old man walked in with smiles on their faces, carrying freshly picked herbs with dew still clinging to their leaves.
Gu Cheng'an immediately stepped forward to take the herbs and thanked the elderly couple in a low voice.
The old woman handed the herbs to Gu Cheng'an, then looked at Chu Ruohan with affection: "Young lady, your body is weak, so these herbs for preventing miscarriage should be drunk while they are hot."
Gu Cheng'an nodded, took the herbs to the kitchen, and soon the bubbling sound of the herbs being boiled in the earthenware pot and the faint aroma of the herbs wafted over.
Not long after, Gu Cheng'an walked in carrying a rough porcelain bowl, the brown medicine still steaming.
He carefully handed the bowl to Chu Ruohan.
“My mother-in-law said that pregnant women in the village all drink this medicine to prevent miscarriage, and it’s very effective.”
His gaze fell on the medicine bowl, and he added another sentence.
"Try it first. If it doesn't work, I'll go to the city and get you a doctor."
Chu Ruohan silently took the medicine bowl, feeling the warmth emanating from her fingertips.
She lowered her eyes and drank the slightly bitter medicine little by little.
Just as she put down her bowl, Gu Cheng'an pulled out two small, unripe fruits from somewhere and stuffed them into her hand without saying a word.
Chu Ruohan was slightly taken aback and looked at him with confusion.
Gu Cheng'an explained, "Medicine is always bitter."
“There are no candied fruits in the village, so I asked my mother-in-law for two sour fruits from the mountains. Try them; they can help relieve the bitterness in your mouth.”
Chu Ruohan picked one up and put it in her mouth. An intense sour taste instantly filled her mouth, making her furrow her brows involuntarily.
But after that sourness, there is a faint sweetness that quietly melts on the tip of the tongue.
The medicine seems to be quite effective; less than half an hour after drinking it, the pain in my lower abdomen had lessened considerably.
As evening fell, the old woman specially killed one of her own old hens and stewed a large pot of chicken soup, which smelled delicious.
"A young lady like you is pregnant, you must take good care of yourself!" the old woman said warmly.
Looking at the golden chicken soup and tender chicken meat in the bowl, Chu Ruohan felt grateful and comforted. She thanked him repeatedly and promised to repay him in the future.