Chapter 130: First Love?

Chapter 130: First Love?

Later, Cheng Xi sent Lu Chenzhou another text message. “If two lovers truly have intense feelings for each other, then there’s no reason for them to stick together from dawn to dusk. No matter how long they are separated, their feelings for each other will be reaffirmed through their gazes the moment they meet. The same is true for dates. Regular dates aren’t always at a fixed time. Two people deeply in love are still independent people, with their own responsibilities and hobbies. They’ll work when they’re busy, and they’ll meet when they’re not. That’s a normal relationship.”

She was almost blatantly telling him, ‘Dear, don’t be so fixated on having pre-scheduled dates. Love isn’t a computer program, and if you’re busy, then we can just have fewer dates during that period, ok?’

This time, Lu Chenzhou responded very quickly, but with only five words, though that was two more than before. “You’re trying to dupe me.”

She spat out a mouthful of tea.

Cheng Xi had been cradling her phone and accidentally choked herself wide awake.

Because it was really too late, and because she still had to work tomorrow, Cheng Xi didn’t reply. But in her heart, she thought that, if she had time, that she definitely had to properly discuss this with him. She also couldn’t handle having a date every two days over the long term.

Since it was around the time for classes to start back up again, Cheng Xi would have to start working and preparing lectures. It would be impossible for her to not work overtime.

The next day, at noon, Cheng Xi went out to get lunch with Su Feng. Somehow, they even picked up a patient along the way.

Su Feng had originally invited Cheng Xi out to lunch yesterday, but Cheng Xi hadn’t been free as Shen Wei had already made an appointment with her. Thus, she could only push the lunch with Su Feng back a day, to noon today.

As soon as Cheng Xi got off work, she went to the gynecology department to look for Su Feng. Coincidentally, she also ran into one of her middle school classmates there.

He was the husband; his wife had just given birth a month ago, and the two of them were here for a checkup.

When Cheng Xi came over, Su Feng was currently scolding the two of them, but mainly Cheng Xi’s classmate. “Do you live in a forest? Do you have to cross a mountain to get to the hospital? If there’s any discomfort, then you have to go to the hospital. This is common knowledge! And as for you, just because you married him, it doesn’t mean that you sold yourself to him. Your body’s irrevocably yours. If you don’t take good care of it, then who will?”

When Cheng Xi poked her head in, Su Feng stopped shouting, and the man getting scolded immediately recognized her. “Cheng Xi?”

Once the two started reminiscing, Su Feng stopped scolding them, and the wife even stopped crying.

Cheng Xi’s former classmate lived somewhat close to her parents’ home, but after they had graduated from middle school, the two of them had gone to different high schools. And since Cheng Xi spent very little time at home, they almost never ran into each other.

It was already surprising that he had recognized her at first glance.

And then all four of them went out for food; they had to, after all, from Cheng Xi’s classmate’s point of view. One of them was an old classmate he hadn’t seen in a long time, and the other was the doctor taking care of his wife; he couldn’t neglect either of them.

Afterwards, Su Feng laughed at her. “You’re really even busier than a CEO. I can’t even get a private lunch with you even with an advance appointment.”

Cheng Xi was also helpless. After all, what could she do about this situation? When the classmate and his wife went to their car, she quietly asked, “What happened to them?”

Su Feng massaged her forehead as she explained, “Her womb prolapsed, and because they didn’t see a doctor in time, it wasn’t treated properly. Now, it’s all a big mess. I gave her a device to help her recover, but she was so afraid of it that she started crying. My god, what's the matter with these people?” She shot another glare at Cheng Xi. “If not for you, then I wouldn’t be having lunch with patients like these. They only give me headaches!”

Cheng Xi clasped her wrists reassuringly. “Alright, I’m sorry. I’ll treat you to a big feast some other time.”

Su Feng lightly harrumphed.

But Cheng Xi’s classmate was actually quite witty as he had been working in business for quite a while, and his words flowed naturally, almost like a comedy routine.

The wife, on the other hand, seldomly spoke, and her gaze always ended up landing on Cheng Xi’s body. It contained a sense of examination and wariness, and also a confused mix of envy and admiration.

Cheng Xi could understand her behavior, as it was the almost instinctive nature of a female to prevent their mate from going after fresher meat. Thus Cheng Xi remained very self-aware throughout the entire lunch, making sure not to proactively start up a conversation with the husband. She felt that her behavior clearly showed that she wasn’t interested in him, but halfway through the lunch, the wife started crying out of nowhere.

The other three were all startled, and Cheng Xi’s classmate turned angry after he recovered from his initial shock. As he looked at Cheng Xi and Su Feng awkwardly, he ground his teeth and reprimanded, “What’s the problem with you?”

But that only made his wife start crying more violently. She didn’t make any noises, and just laid down on the table looking particularly upset, completely unresponsive to her husband.

Her condition didn’t improve even after everyone tried to pacify her, and Cheng Xi’s classmate became extremely infuriated. He even hoisted her up and said, “It looks like we can’t continue this lunch, so we’ll be leaving first. Cheng Xi, I’m sorry about this. Let’s catch up next time.”

He was right about to leave right after speaking, but Cheng Xi’s heart felt unwell when she got a glimpse at the wife’s face. She stopped him. “Wait. Give us a moment, as she might not be feeling well. Let’s let Dr. Su talk with her alone first.”

And then she forced him to let go of her, pulling him outside.

Cheng Xi’s classmate was spinning in circles outside. “I really don’t know what’s up with her, always going crazy like that!”

Cheng Xi glanced at him from the side. “Was she always like this?”

She received a glare back from her classmate. “Of course not! If she acted like this in the past, then I wouldn’t have married her! However, after she got pregnant, I don’t know what happened. She just keeps crying. Even when I tell her that crying too much will hurt the baby’s development, she continues to cry! If I tell her that it’ll hurt her to sit for too long, she cries! If the baby messes around at night, then even before the baby starts bawling, she cries! I really can’t stand it anymore!”

“Besides crying, has she exhibited any other abnormal behavior? For example, suicidal thoughts.”

Cheng Xi’s classmate casually responded, “No. She did mention it a few times when she got upset, but those were just words spoken out of anger.”

Cheng Xi was speechless by his callousness.

She turned around and reentered the restaurant again. Su Feng was still trying to calm down the new mother, and when she saw Cheng Xi enter, she discreetly shook her head.

Cheng Xi kneeled down by the mother’s side. “Shall I have someone pour you some water and help you wash your face? It’s all dirty from crying. You won’t look nice like this.”

And then she called a waitress over to do just that, helping her clean up. The mother cooperated this time, but she obstinately did everything herself, refusing any of Cheng Xi’s help. When she finished, she started tearing up again upon seeing her swollen eyes in the mirror. Then, she looked at Cheng Xi and said, “I know you. He always talks about you. He even has your photos at home, and always says that you were his first love.”

Cheng Xi and Su Feng were both shocked by this revelation, with both of them left dazed and open-mouthed.

When she regained her senses, Su Feng started laughing at Cheng Xi. As for Cheng Xi, she continued to look earnestly at her classmate’s wife as she consoled, “One’s first love never lasts. You’re the lucky one who ended up marrying him in the end.”

“Ha!” Upon hearing this, the wife started laughing mirthlessly, her face revealing an ashen expression that Cheng Xi was all too familiar with. “Lucky? But why do I feel that I’m pitiful?” She looked at Cheng Xi forlornly. “I used to be just like you, wearing beautiful clothes, smiling easily and naturally……”

And then she broke down into tears again.

This time, even Su Feng stopped smiling, her face quickly turning severe.

Cheng Xi went out and told her classmate, “Your wife might be suffering from postnatal depression. I recommend that you take her back to the hospital.”

Common people like her classmate, however, were largely unaware that such mental problems even existed. As soon as she said this, her charming and witty classmate even replied, “What? She’s depressed despite having such a good life? Is she crazy?”

Su Feng said from the side, “From your words, with a husband like you, it’d be abnormal if she weren’t depressed.”

Without any further ado, Cheng Xi brought both of them back to the hospital and added the wife to her list of patients.

After the check-up and interview, she conclusively identified it as a somewhat more severe case of postnatal depression. Her classmate’s wife was mired in very heavy thoughts, and had even tried to kill herself a couple of times before.