Bo Junyi glanced at his watch. His taut jawline betrayed the fact that his patience had run out.
He had an impromptu multinational meeting at 3:30 p.m. Although he still had enough time, he saw no reason to continue wasting it on someone irrelevant.
"I’m not heading your way. I’ll have the driver take you later."
His voice was as cold as if it had been soaked in snowmelt. Li Susu instinctively pressed her lips together, her eyes involuntarily reddening. She could feel that he was even colder to her than before—verging, in fact, on loathing.
"It’s alright. I’ll take the bus back to campus later. The stop is right across from the hospital; it’s only a short walk." Li Susu forced a smile, her gaze resting on Bo Junyi with wary caution. "Mr. Bo, you should go attend to your work."
"Attend to what work?" Wen Nianshu stood up, strode over to Bo Junyi in two quick steps, and pulled him down into the chair beside the hospital bed. "Put all your work aside. Today, just focus on keeping Susu company. When she gets back from school later, have the servants tidy up a room properly and take her out to buy some daily necessities."
"Auntie, there’s really no need. I can handle such small things myself," Li Susu interjected hurriedly. She was genuinely anxious, fearing that Mr. Bo would miss his work because of her.
"Susu, don’t be nervous. This is what he should be doing. You’ve had it hard enough being pregnant. He is the child’s father; why shouldn't he have to contribute?"
Bo Junyi, already weary of his mother’s nagging, was seconds away from raising his hands in surrender. "Can I just drive her, then?"
Wen Nianshu glared at him. "Don’t pull that reluctant face. Finding a good girl like Susu is your good fortune."
Bo Junyi gave a flat "Mm." "If there’s nothing else, you can head back now."
Though Wen Nianshu was loath to leave Li Susu, she hoped more than anything that the two would spend time together and foster feelings for each other soon. She gently took Li Susu’s arm, cautioning her repeatedly to be careful with everything and to contact Bo Junyi promptly if anything came up—not to be shy about it.
Before leaving, she tucked a bank card into Li Susu’s purse. "Susu, this card has no PIN. You can set one later. Use whatever money is in there; don’t ever let yourself suffer by scrimping."
"Auntie, I can't take this money—" Li Susu wanted to refuse, but she was still hooked up to an IV and couldn't move.
Wen Nianshu walked over and gave her a light hug. "Susu, don’t be polite with me. You’re a great benefactor to our Bo family now. Take good care of yourself. Honestly, what I want most is to see you and Junyi together happily. But as you said, feelings need to be cultivated, so I won't force you two to marry just yet. Let’s wait until the baby is born. If he’s still not doing what he’s supposed to by then, Auntie will help you find a better boyfriend—"
Bo Junyi, listening from the side, frowned deeply. "Are you really that eager to find a stepfather for your grandson?"
Wen Nianshu curled her lip. "At least you remember you’re the child's actual father. If I hadn't arrived in time, my precious grandson would likely be gone."
Bo Junyi was left speechless. Seeing his face darken, Li Susu whispered, "Auntie, it was actually my choice to have the surgery. At first, I was only thinking about my studies; I didn’t think it through."
"Susu, Auntie understands. Get some rest. Once the IV is finished, let Junyi take you out for something good to eat." After saying this, Wen Nianshu patted Li Susu’s hair, shot a meaningful glance at Bo Junyi, and finally left the room with obvious reluctance.
Bo Junyi followed her out. From the hallway, the faint sounds of their conversation drifted back.
"Bo Junyi, I’m warning you: if you ever think about getting rid of this child again, I’ll show you exactly how I die!"
"Mm."
"What 'mm'? Give me your word, right now."
"Can’t I just promise to take good care of her?"
"That’s more like it." Wen Nianshu’s taut nerves relaxed slightly, a gratified smile appearing on her face. "I was thinking of having Susu stay at the old family home, but it feels a bit crowded. You two young people need your private space. Why don't you have Susu move in with you? It’s closer to school and easier for you to pick her up."
The conversation filtered through the ajar door into Li Susu’s ears. Hearing that Wen Nianshu wanted her to live alone with Bo Junyi made her heart tighten. She and Mr. Bo were from two different worlds; now, they were merely bound together by the child. She knew very well that he resented her proximity to him, let alone the prospect of living under the same roof.
She pricked up her ears, only to hear the man give a faint "Mm."
Did he agree?
Li Susu mused to herself. He had agreed so readily—could he be planning to take his revenge once she moved in?
Just as her mind was wandering, the door was pushed open. Bo Junyi stepped in and pulled the door shut behind him.
Li Susu felt the room's temperature plummet instantly, the very air growing thin. She turned her head slightly, keeping her gaze fixed on the stark white wall. Her hearing was hyper-sensitive; she heard the man sit back down in the chair by her bed. In a heartbeat, her senses were overwhelmed by the suffocating scent of sandalwood and a hint of tobacco clinging to him.
She instinctively swallowed and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
The room was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard. Time stretched infinitely; every second felt like a year.
Just then, she heard the man stand up. A shadow fell over her. Li Susu’s eyes snapped open, colliding directly with a pair of ink-black eyes. Sensing an unprecedented sense of aggression and danger, she instinctively pulled the quilt up. "Mr. Bo, you—"
Her eyes were filled with fear; her guard was up to the absolute limit.
An awkward silence hung in the air. He didn't speak, just looked at her quietly. After a long while, he asked lazily, "Afraid of me?"
Li Susu shook her head slightly, her clear eyes filled with trepidation. "I’m afraid you’ll hit me."
Bo Junyi curled his lips, a flicker of amusement crossing his eyes. "Don't worry, I generally don't hit women."
Li Susu: "..."
She felt no comfort from his words; if anything, she felt threatened.
As the man suddenly leaned down, she squeezed her eyes shut. "Mr. Bo, I’ll listen to whatever you arrange regarding the child. As long as it doesn't affect your life, I’ll do whatever you say—"
In the next second, the man’s cool, magnetic voice drifted into her ear: "Nurse, please come to Room 306 to remove the needle."
Li Susu slowly opened one eye. "Is... is the medicine gone?"
"Mm."
Li Susu let out a sigh. So he had been pressing the call button. She had thought he was about to do something inappropriate—how embarrassing.
She stole a glance at Bo Junyi. The man was sitting quietly in the chair, hands folded across his chest. His gaze, fixed upon her, was deep and sharp, as if he were trying to see right through her.
Li Susu felt her scalp tingle under his stare. Fortunately, the nurse arrived, breaking the awkward atmosphere in the room. The nurse removed the needle and gave them a few instructions before leaving.
"Mr. Bo, if you’re busy, I can head back to campus on my own. It’s quite convenient."
"Give me your phone."
The man completely ignored her words, holding his hand out toward her with an tone that brooked no argument.
Li Susu’s eyes fell on his hands. They were large, with long, powerful, well-defined bones. By comparison, her own hands felt much rougher, calloused from hard work—she even found them ugly herself.
She bit her lip and handed him her phone.
"Unlock it," the man commanded.
Li Susu let out an "Oh" and obediently did as she was told. But she regretted it the moment she handed it over. She remembered that he was the only contact in her address book, and she had saved him under the name "Husband." She had done it at the time just in case of an emergency.
Just as Li Susu was sitting on pins and needles, the man suddenly thrust the phone screen in front of her face. "Li Susu, you swore just moments ago that you’d never had a boyfriend. How do you explain this?"
Seeing the glaring word "Husband," Li Susu felt her chest tighten. After a long pause, she stammered, "I... I just saved it randomly."
"Miss Li is certainly very casual, then." Bo Junyi’s face darkened, the air pressure around him dropping significantly as his words turned sharp and ruthless. "However, since you intend to give birth to this child, you must cut ties with all other men completely."
"Mr. Bo, I really haven't! You can investigate me all you want, but please give me my phone back—"
Just as Li Susu tried to snatch the phone back, Bo Junyi stood up abruptly and dialed the number. Since she wouldn't do it, he would cut those ties for her himself!