Chapter 85 He Doesn't Want Me Anymore.

Jiang Zao lowered her eyes in thought and said, "Give it to me, let me see what it is that made our young lady come all this way."

Then, Zhou Jiayan took a book out of her bag.

"'Anne of Green Gables,' a novel for young girls."

Jiang Zao took the book from Zhou Jiayan’s hands. She gently opened it—it wasn’t the same one she had read at the Pavilion Hill Villa; her own had a crease from an accidental fold.

Zhou Jiayan cleared her throat. "Ahem, she said it’s for you to pass the time with. I don't get why this would help, and I didn't dare ask."

Jiang Zao smiled and shared the story of reading this book to Zhou Lichuan, which made the young lady frown deeply.

"Eh~ Zhou Lichuan's so old and still needs bedtime stories? He's really regressing."

Jiang Zao said nothing, quietly flipping through a few pages, lost in her thoughts.

Du Bin looked at Jiang Zao and said, "Miss Jiang, a few days ago Mr. Zhou kept the pregnant manager from the marketing department behind and asked a lot of questions about pregnancy... He must know about you and the baby now."

Jiang Zao looked up and asked, "Has he recovered?"

Du Bin closed his mouth, unsure how to respond.

Seeing his awkwardness, Jiang Zao smiled lightly. "You don’t need to be like this, I know. Zhou Lichuan doesn't really have amnesia, just difficulty retrieving memories. He still remembers what happened, just without the emotional experience."

Zhou Jiayan crossed her arms in annoyance. "It's a beautiful afternoon, let’s not talk about him—such bad luck! Jiang Zao, can you eat seafood? Should we go for Japanese food for lunch?"

Jiang Zao thought for a moment. "I can't eat much raw, but I’d love some sukiyaki."

"Great, great! Du Bin, book us a table—you’re treating."

Watching Du Bin dutifully pull out his phone to make reservations, Jiang Zao felt a pang of envy.

Zhou Jiayan had good taste—much better than her own.

...

The sudden rise in temperature caught Jiang Zao off guard. After lunch and a movie with Zhou Jiayan, she wandered through the community garden, watching the stray cats play. Time slipped away, and she stood in the melting snow for over an hour. That night, her nose ran nonstop.

"Achoo!"

After countless sneezes, Jiang Zao had come down with a glorious cold.

"Sister Hui... I feel so awful—please save me—"

Sister Hui fussed beside her. "How could you catch a cold? Are you running a fever? Let me check."

She reached out and realized Jiang Zao's forehead was burning hot. "You're definitely feverish, no wonder you feel bad. Sigh, pregnant women can't take medicine. I’ll make you some ginger cola to ward off the chill. Go lie down in your room, okay?"

Jiang Zao murmured an assent, struggling to her feet and heading to her room.

She lay in bed, not knowing how much time had passed when Sister Hui brought in steaming ginger cola. The moment she took a sip, her pretty nose wrinkled into a frown.

"Ugh~ this tastes awful..."

Sister Hui tucked a thermometer under Jiang Zao’s arm, watching her with concern. "Drink it all—it’s sweet, not bad."

Jiang Zao pinched her nose and forced down a few more sips, but half remained; she refused to drink any more.

"Ugh~ I don’t want it, it tastes too strong, so disgusting. Worse than morning sickness."

Sister Hui sighed, holding the ginger cola. "This won’t do. We’ll check your temperature again soon, and if it’s still high, we’re going to the hospital."

Jiang Zao burrowed back under the covers and shook her head. "I'm pregnant; I can't take medicine. Going to the hospital won't help. I'll just rest, drink some water, and sweat it out."

Sister Hui remained uneasy. "That won’t do. A fever isn’t a small matter—never mind the baby, you’re uncomfortable yourself. I’ll get you some water, and we’ll check your temperature again."

Before Jiang Zao could protest, Sister Hui took the half-finished ginger cola and left.

A few minutes later, the ginger cola was replaced by plain water, placed in Jiang Zao’s hands.

When Sister Hui checked the thermometer, she jumped in shock. "38.9°C! No, we must go to the hospital right now!"

Jiang Zao grew more dizzy after drinking the water, weakly waving her hand. "It’s fine, no need to go..."

Sister Hui hurried out of the room, quickly dressed herself, and dug out Jiang Zao’s down jacket from the closet. "No, you’re in too much danger. We must go to the hospital today."

Jiang Zao didn’t move. "But I feel so terrible, I don’t want to move. We don’t have a car, and waiting for a taxi outside... I’m so tired, Sister Hui, let me sleep a bit; I’ll be better when I wake up..."

Sister Hui was helpless; she could drive, but Jiang Zao hadn’t bought a car, and Sister Hui didn’t have one either.

Waiting for a taxi outside on a freezing night would only make the fever worse. What to do?

Maybe... call an ambulance?

Suddenly, Sister Hui remembered something she had seen passing the bathroom.

"Right! There’s that person!"

She threw on her coat, grabbed the keys, and rushed to the community gate.

Zhou Lichuan sat in his car, staring blankly at a certain window on the third floor.

He’d been waiting here for a long time, not daring to show himself, even less to knock on the door.

Apart from hours of driving each day, he didn’t know what else to do.

Every day since Jiang Zao left, he had regretted it. The hurtful words—he regretted them the moment they left his mouth.

He had thought that with Lin Rui still at large and Zhou Kuan unwilling to give up, Jiang Zao would only grow more dangerous in Jingzhou. It would be better to send her away and bring her back after eliminating the threats from Zhou Kuan and Lin Rui.

He never imagined that a moment's decision would lead them to this point.

Jiang Zao had said she would never forgive him...

Bang bang bang!

The well-sealed car window was knocked on. Zhou Lichuan pressed the door open. "Sister Hui? What... Has something happened to Zao Zao?"

Sister Hui replied urgently, "Yes, since coming back, Miss Jiang has been sneezing and has a runny nose. Now her fever is up to 38.9°C!"

Zhou Lichuan leapt out of the car and followed Sister Hui upstairs at a run.

At the door, his hand hovered for two seconds before he resolutely opened it.

If she won’t forgive, so be it—as long as she is healthy and happy, nothing else matters.

The bedroom door opened, and Jiang Zao, curled up in bed, came into view. Zhou Lichuan’s heart clenched painfully.

"Zao Zao... How are you?"

His voice was dry and hoarse, and the longing and guilt he had suppressed for so long finally burst forth.

In her fevered haze, Jiang Zao heard someone calling her. It was a voice so familiar, so cherished.

"...It hurts."

Zhou Lichuan knelt by the window, his eyes red, staring at her flushed face.

"I’m here now, it’s okay, I’ll take you to the hospital."

"I don’t want to go!" In her haze, Jiang Zao heard the word "hospital" and instinctively recoiled. "If I go to the hospital, he won’t want me anymore..."

Zhou Lichuan pressed his forehead to Jiang Zao’s hand, his brows knitted tightly. "I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Zao Zao... I was wrong... I would never abandon you, how could I bear to let you go?"