Lin Qinghe looked up at You Rong, silent, waiting for him to continue.
A flicker of struggle crossed You Rong's rugged face. Finally, as if conceding, he gave a bitter smile and said, "...Alright, let's talk."
Talk?
Lin Qinghe found it strange, but nodded and waited for You Rong to say more.
You Rong spoke with difficulty, "Whose child is it?"
Lin Qinghe froze, completely bewildered. "What child is whose? You Rong, what are you talking about?"
You Rong gazed at Lin Qinghe for a long moment before forcing himself to speak. "If you want to go find that person... go. I won't stop you. But if he doesn't want you and the child, come back. I... I can treat the child as my own. When you've forgotten him, we can live a good life together."
Lin Qinghe was utterly confused. "???"
What was You Rong even saying? Why couldn't she understand a single word?
What person? Who was that person? And what child?
What was going on?
Lin Qinghe shivered, suddenly remembering her nausea and loss of appetite yesterday. Could it be that You Rong suspected she was pregnant!
The original body had never shared a bed with You Rong. If Lin Qinghe were pregnant, it was obvious the child wouldn't be You Rong's!
But You Rong didn't know that while the original body had been somewhat reckless, consorting with young gentlemen, she had never actually done anything outrageous. The original body was still a pure, unmarried maiden!
Lin Qinghe anxiously tried to explain, "You Rong, listen to me, I'm not pregnant..."
You Rong's face was a little pale, as if lost in his own world. He interrupted Lin Qinghe. "You don't need to worry. Mother and others... I'll keep it from them, saying it's my own child. We won't let you and the child be gossiped about. I can also guarantee that even if I have my own flesh and blood later, I won't treat them differently. I..."
You Rong's words suddenly stopped. He felt ridiculous.
Lin Qinghe hadn't said she intended to stay. She knew she was pregnant and might find that person and end up with them. He had perhaps considered things too far ahead; perhaps none of this would happen.
Seeing You Rong's dejected look, Lin Qinghe was incredibly annoyed, but she knew she couldn't entirely blame You Rong for his suspicion. It was all the original body's fault.
Lin Qinghe understood that explaining a thousand or ten thousand times now was not as convincing as actual evidence.
She took a deep breath and, without another word, pulled You Rong out.
You Rong was stunned. "Qinghe, where are you taking me?"
Lin Qinghe remembered a pharmacy not far away. The shopkeeper was a doctor. She would have the doctor examine her pulse, and the truth would become clear.
Seeing Lin Qinghe not answer, You Rong frowned deeply. "Qinghe, are you taking me to see... that person?"
Lin Qinghe was speechless. She turned back and threw a retorted sentence, "Don't ask. You'll know when we get there."
You Rong couldn't ask anymore and was pulled forward by Lin Qinghe until they stopped in front of a pharmacy. Lin Qinghe walked straight in, found the shopkeeper, rolled up her sleeve, and said, "Doctor, please examine my pulse. See if my pulse indicates pregnancy."
The pharmacy shopkeeper was taken aback and looked at You Rong and Lin Qinghe with a strange expression. But he finally took her wrist and felt her pulse.
The pharmacy shopkeeper frowned. After carefully examining Lin Qinghe's pulse, he said, "Madam, are you mistaken? You are not pregnant. From your pulse, it seems you have been fatigued lately, leading to spleen and kidney issues, along with some exposure to wind, which caused the nausea and dry retching."
Lin Qinghe turned to look at You Rong.
You Rong was directly stunned, then his pupils widened. His expression was one of joy.
It seemed he believed the doctor.
Lin Qinghe withdrew her gaze and smiled faintly at the doctor. "I understand. Doctor, please prescribe a few doses of medicine for me."
"Certainly. Please wait a moment, madam."
Emerging from the pharmacy, You Rong had recovered from his joy. Seeing Lin Qinghe still silent, her small face expressionless, he inexplicably felt a pang of anxiety.
You Rong attempted to block Lin Qinghe's path, but she shook him off.
You Rong called out nervously, "...Qinghe."
Lin Qinghe ignored him, even quickening her pace.
You Rong followed closely, reaching out to grab Lin Qinghe's hand, then remembering how she had angrily shaken him off earlier. He was afraid that if he held her, she would become even angrier, so he pulled his hand back. His thin lips parted several times, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only follow her anxiously.
Lin Qinghe saw all of this clearly.
She deliberately pretended not to notice, wanting to teach You Rong a lesson, so that in the future, if someone the original body had provoked appeared, he wouldn't be suspicious of her all day.
When they returned to the small inn, Lin Qinghe continued to look at You Rong with feigned anger.
You Rong, a rough man, was anxious but clumsy with words. He didn't know what to say to make Lin Qinghe happy. He stammered for a long time before finally squeezing out, "...It was my fault. I misunderstood you. Please don't be angry. If you want to vent, you can hit me or scold me!"
Lin Qinghe pursed her lips, suppressing a smile that almost broke free. "You say you were wrong. Do you know where you were wrong? Will you dare to do it again in the future?"
You Rong: "I... I was wrong. I definitely won't do it again! Please don't be angry!"
Lin Qinghe sighed. She didn't expect You Rong to say anything particularly eloquent. She glared at him and said playfully, "You know you were wrong? Didn't you just say you wanted me to go find someone else? Those words were so casually spoken, as if you cared nothing for me..."
You Rong looked flustered and quietly took Lin Qinghe's hand. "It was my fault..."
He had told her to go find that person, but only he knew how miserable he had felt.
Seeing that she had made her point, Lin Qinghe sighed, cupped You Rong's cheeks, and said word for word, "You Rong, I know I wasn't good before. But this time, I truly want to live a good life with you. The person I like now is... you! Do you know that?"
As Lin Qinghe finished speaking, You Rong's heart suddenly beat so fast it skipped a beat. He swallowed and asked disbelievingly, "What you just said is true? You really like... like me?"
Lin Qinghe didn't waste any more words with You Rong. She used actions to prove her words.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed You Rong's thin lips.
You Rong was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darkened. His strong arms wrapped around Lin Qinghe's slender waist. One hand cupped her chin, and he took the initiative, his kiss deepening.
After the kiss, Lin Qinghe leaned against You Rong's chest, feeling weak. He held her and said in a deep voice, "Qinghe, what happened before is in the past. Let's not mention it. Let's live a good life together."
Lin Qinghe smiled sweetly and nodded. "...Yes."
At the same time, the system's prompt sounded: "Progress bar increased by thirty percent. Total progress bar at fifty-one percent."