MGASC -Chapter 226 Pressed Into His Chest with One Hand

“Xu Liang, what’s done is done. You should look forward. Blaming fate won’t solve anything, don’t you think?”

Zhang Ling squeezed the twenty yuan in her hand and stuffed it back to him. “I’m still busy, I’ll head in first. Qiaoqiao definitely won’t accept your money. Take it back. The thought is what counts.”

“It’s cold. You should head back too.”

She hurried away, but her stomach suddenly felt uneasy.

In truth, the discomfort had been there for a while. The weather was cold, and at noon she had been busy serving customers, swallowing a few rushed bites. She’d eaten too quickly, and all afternoon her stomach had been aching.

Clutching her stomach, she couldn’t help but retch.

Seeing this, Xu Liang stepped forward anxiously. “Zhang Ling, are you okay?”

Covering her mouth, she felt like she might throw up.

“Where does it hurt? Should I take you to the hospital?” Xu Liang rushed over, reaching out to steady her.

But suddenly, his body was shoved aside. Zhang Ling’s lower back fell into a warm, broad palm.

A shadow loomed in front of her. Without even looking, she knew it was Jin Quan.

No one else carried such an overbearing presence.

“It’s cold. Get inside!”

Jin Quan draped a coat over her shoulders and signaled her with his eyes.

Zhang Ling felt too awful to explain anything. Wrapping the coat around herself, she covered her mouth and ran into the restaurant.

Still worried, Xu Liang took two steps forward, but a dark, chilling gaze fixed on him from the side. He looked up at the tall figure of Jin Quan.

In both height and build, the man utterly crushed him.

Xu Liang found him somewhat familiar, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t recall where he had seen him.

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked worriedly. “She looked like she was about to vomit. Is her stomach upset?”

Jin Quan narrowed his eyes, still staring at him coldly.

Damn it, pretty boy. You’re already divorced and still trying to show concern? What the hell are you playing at?

Jin Quan raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Zhang Ling’s retreating figure. “Ah… probably morning sickness.”

“What?” Xu Liang’s heart clenched violently.

He glared at the man before him, but Jin Quan remained casual. “Never seen a woman pregnant before? Don’t make a fuss.”

With long strides, Jin Quan followed after her, leaving Xu Liang frozen in place.

Zhang Ling is pregnant?

How could that be? They’d only been divorced for four months.

And besides, wasn’t she unable to have children?

Xu Liang wanted to chase after them and ask, but what right did he have?

…

Zhang Ling couldn’t hold it in and went to the restroom to throw up.

Everything she had eaten at noon came back up.

Clutching her stomach, she leaned weakly over the sink.

Suddenly, a large hand gently patted her back. Without lifting her head, she caught the smell of alcohol on Jin Quan.

He had drunk quite a bit today, blocking drinks for Lin Tianyue.

She hadn’t spoken to him, but she had seen it all.

Jin Quan continued patting her back. “Feeling better? Did the cold wind get to you?”

He glanced down at the qipao she was wearing. “It’s pretty, but not warm. What was Zhang Qiao thinking, letting you wear this? Done throwing up? Have some hot water.”

Zhang Ling smelled ginger and noticed the enamel mug in his hand, filled with brown sugar ginger tea, steam still rising.

“It’s not Qiaoqiao’s fault. I kept running outside.”

She felt awful, but still took it and drank a few hurried mouthfuls.

The hot, spicy sweetness slid down her throat, and her stomach felt a bit better.

She let out a breath, feeling somewhat revived. But she was still breaking out in a cold sweat, so she leaned against the wall behind her, hand braced at her waist.

Seeing Jin Quan still studying her with those leopard-like eyes, Zhang Ling took another sip to ease the awkwardness.

She handed the mug back to him. “I’m fine. You can go.”

“You really use people when you need them and toss them aside when you don’t.”

“There’s still work outside.”

“A few minutes won’t make a difference.”

Zhang Ling bit her lip and said nothing.

Jin Quan grabbed her arm. “Come on. I’ll help you sit over there.”

She felt too unwell to argue.

Once she was seated, Jin Quan didn’t leave. Standing there, he took two sips from the mug himself.

“What did that pretty boy want with you?” he asked, smacking his lips at the ginger taste.

“He… came to give a gift.”

Zhang Ling’s eyes sharpened suddenly as she looked at the man’s back, his smile not entirely innocent. “What did you say to him?”

“I’m telling you, don’t mess around. I have nothing to do with him now—”

Jin Quan cut her off. “Relax. I don’t bully the weak. He was concerned, asked what was wrong with you. I said you had morning sickness. What else could I say? Just brushing him off.”

Zhang Ling: “…”

He sure knew how to “brush things off.”

“Are you insane?!”

Angry, she suddenly punched him hard in the waist.

Jin Quan turned back, his eyes dark. “What, you still want to get back with him?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Zhang Ling felt suffocated. He could have made up any excuse—any excuse at all—but he had chosen that one.

She let out a self-mocking laugh. “If you say that, he won’t believe it. He might even laugh at me…”

“Laugh at what?” Jin Quan’s eyes widened. “He’s got the nerve to laugh at you?”

“I can’t explain it to you…”

She thought that after she had told him before, Jin Quan must not have looked into it. If he had, he’d know she couldn’t bear children. How could she possibly be pregnant?

By saying that, Xu Liang would only look down on her more, thinking she was using such a clumsy lie to disgust him.

Jin Quan set down the mug and hauled her up from the chair. “What do you mean you can’t explain it? Come on, tell me—what gives him the right to laugh at you?”

His unreasonable stubbornness gave her a headache.

“Explain what? You don’t even know why we divorced. Is getting pregnant that easy? If it were, things would’ve been fine. I was with him for years and never once got pregnant, and now suddenly I am? Who would believe that?”

Furious and dizzy, the truths she had buried and never spoken aloud tumbled out with her emotions.

The moment she said it, she felt even more humiliated and wronged.

Pushing his hand away, she sniffed and tried to leave, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back again.

“Let go of me! Can you stop being unreasonable—”

“So that pretty boy really can’t do it.”

Jin Quan tugged her back with one hand, stroking his chin in sudden realization. “Makes sense. He looks weak as hell.”

Zhang Ling: …

She was going crazy. Had he not understood? She had already said it so plainly, and he was still joking!

“Jin Quan—”

“I get it. He’s the one who couldn’t perform, but to save face, he told everyone you couldn’t have children. Am I wrong?” Jin Quan said in a low voice, delivering his conclusion.

Zhang Ling froze, her eyes reddening.

Afraid she might cry, she quickly sniffed hard.

Jin Quan gave a cold laugh. “If I’d known he was that kind of trash, I should’ve punched him twice just now!”

He had instantly seen through the crux of the matter, his knuckles cracking.

Seeing Zhang Ling looking so pitiful, even crying, he couldn’t stand it.

His large, calloused hand brushed across the corners of her red eyes. “You’re such a coward. Let someone bully you like that and still defend the pretty boy.”

“I didn’t…”

“Didn’t my ass!”

She couldn’t help but sob again.

Her eyes red like a rabbit’s, Jin Quan couldn’t bear it. He stepped forward, pulled her in, and pressed her into his chest with one hand.