Zhou Wenbin’s method wasn’t honorable, but it worked.

Guan Hui’e coldly “invited” the Yuan family out of the hospital room, saying too many laypeople weren’t needed – Zhou Yi’s room had professional care, essentially giving Zhou Yi the same treatment Zhou Wenbin received.

Even Yuan Han was asked to wait outside.

Nobody should enter – there were nurses taking care.

Yuan Han’s face was swollen, and he had to be extra cautious around Zhou Wenbin and Jiang Hong.

It was over two hours before Zhou Yi woke up. Before she could open her eyes, she hazily heard people talking:

“Poor thing, almost couldn’t save her.”

“Shh, her family must be well-off, getting the hospital’s experts for emergency treatment…”

“Must be her natal family? Only parents truly care for their daughters. Good thing they arrived in time!”

“This mother-in-law didn’t care about her daughter-in-law’s life. Why not agree to the C-section? How could they delay in that situation?”

“Who knows why they didn’t agree? She showed displeasure when it wasn’t a son. The mother-in-law, well, she’s not her real mother, can’t expect too much. But she didn’t choose a good man either… His wife needed lifesaving surgery, and he wouldn’t sign the consent form. What use is good looks if he’s unreliable!”

Two nurses chatted while organizing their carts.

Zhou Yi’s eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.

She felt exhausted and could hear the surrounding sounds, but couldn’t open her eyes.

Her consciousness was unclear at first, but gradually, others’ words became increasingly clear in her ears.

Normally, Zhou Yi wouldn’t have much thinking capacity at this point, but before going into shock, her mind was full of what the two nurses were discussing – why didn’t they agree to the C-section? Why did she endure such pain for so long?

It hurt!

Women who haven’t experienced that pain can’t understand how excruciating it is just from others’ descriptions.

Zhou Yi was in such pain she wanted to die. She had requested the switch to C-section herself when she was still fairly lucid.

But the Yuan family refused!

Who refused?

Yuan Han’s mother, eldest sister, second sister, or Yuan Han himself?

Zhou Yi felt murderous.

After she had no strength left, the doctor went out again to tell them about switching to a C-section, but the Yuan family still didn’t agree.

Zhou Yi felt she was dying. When the doctor returned, her consciousness was fuzzy: “Doctor, I want a C-section. My father is Zhou Wenbing, my grandfather is Zhou… I want a C-section, I’m dying, call my parents, give me a C-section…”

Having Yuan Han’s child was good, of course.

But was the child more important than herself?

In late pregnancy, Zhou Yi had gained weight, didn’t look good, had swollen feet, and found movement difficult. She had developed limited maternal love for the child in her belly. A selfish person doesn’t suddenly become selfless – between the child and herself, she was definitely more important.

Even comparing Yuan Han and herself, she was more important.

She had fought to be with Yuan Han, but would she die for him? No, she primarily wanted to satisfy herself.

Being with Yuan Han made her happy, and when others opposed her having this intense and moving love, Zhou Yi naturally became anxious and fought against those who opposed her.

The doctor was startled by her shouting.

Outside, Yuan Han hadn’t signed yet, but the surgery was already being prepared, and Zhou Yi had been given anesthesia.

In her daze, Zhou Yi heard the baby cry and then lost consciousness.

When consciousness returned to her body, she heard the nurses’ conversation.

Finally, she regained control of her body and struggled to open her eyes.

A nurse exclaimed happily: “Ah, she’s awake! I’ll go tell her parents. Her mother’s eyes were swollen from crying, now she can relax!”

The other nurse bent down, asking Zhou Yi if she felt uncomfortable anywhere.

Zhou Yi didn’t have the strength to speak. The hospital room door opened, and Jiang Hong rushed in, her eyes indeed swollen to slits, looking like she’d been stung by bees.

“You troublemaker!”

Jiang Hong sat by the bed, reaching out to feel Zhou Yi’s forehead.

Zhou Yi didn’t want to argue at all right now. She moved her lips: “Mom, I hurt.”

So tired, so painful, like she’d died and come back to life, with half her soul still left at death’s door. Her mind couldn’t think of anything else.

This brought tears to Jiang Hong’s eyes.

The pain served her right.

Why didn’t she listen to her parents and insist on marrying that Yuan man?

Zhou Wenbin also came in. Zhou Yi weakly called “Dad,” and Zhou Wenbin, surprisingly, didn’t show his usual dark face. “If anything feels wrong, you must say so, tell the doctor.”

Zhou Yi was shocked by this kindness.

Since she first brought Yuan Han home, her father hadn’t shown her a single smile.

Previously strict, then angry.

Zhou Yi felt both joy and grievance, wanting to cry – did they have to wait until she nearly died to care about her? Why didn’t they pay attention to her earlier?

Her parents’ sudden change in attitude filled Zhou Yi with dread – she must have almost died!

The door creaked open, and Yuan Han entered with their daughter in his arms, a handprint still visible on his face.

“Xiaoyi, I’m sorry you suffered. It’s all my fault.”

Yuan Han knelt on one knee by the hospital bed. Zhou Yi stared at him, then looked at the child.

While Jiang Hong could see Zhou Yi’s features in the infant, Zhou Yi only saw ugliness.

So ugly!

She almost lost her life to give birth to such an ugly thing.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s blank stare, Yuan Han felt very regretful. Heaven knows, he really hadn’t meant to endanger Zhou Yi’s life – he had just hesitated due to lack of medical knowledge, who knew the situation would become so serious?

He lowered and raised his head, tears streaming down his face, voice choked: “Xiaoyi, you suffered so much to give birth to our child. I can’t live without you. We won’t have any more children, just this once, just this one daughter is enough!”

Jiang Hong wanted to kick him.

Under the one-child policy, they could only have one child anyway.

What, did Yuan Han think he was being generous by not complaining about having a daughter?

What right did he have to complain?

A man with no real abilities, daring to complain about Zhou Yi having a daughter… Zhou Wenbin never complained about her only having one daughter. It’s not like the Yuan family had an imperial throne to inherit!

Zhou Wenbin gave her a look, signaling her not to react.

“You should go out now. Zhou Yi needs rest. Take the baby too, let the nurses feed her some formula.”

Yuan Han was still tearfully promising never to let Zhou Yi suffer like this again. “Once you’re discharged, I’ll get a vasectomy, Xiaoyi—”

Zhou Yi closed her eyes.

She was so tired and didn’t want to say anything.

She didn’t even have the energy to argue with Yuan Han.

There was also a sense of shame and anger – if she argued with Yuan Han now, wouldn’t that be admitting she had chosen wrong?

In front of Zhou Wenbin and Jiang Hong, Zhou Yi couldn’t lose face.

Yuan Han had no choice but to get up after kneeling for a while, holding their daughter tightly.

A nurse directly took the baby from his arms, “You can’t hold her like that…”

…

Finally, Guan Hui’e asked Zhou Cheng:

“Do you think Zhou Yi regrets it now?”

Zhou Cheng wasn’t so optimistic. “She might be very angry now, but after some time, Yuan Han will probably coax her back. After all, this mistake can be blamed on the other Yuan family members.”