Lord, give up! Madam has too many vests

Chapter 328

The morning sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves, casting dappled shadows in front of the small clinic.

When Yan Lan arrived at the entrance of the small clinic, she saw a familiar figure standing there.

"You've arrived? Uncle Tao."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing the morning tranquility.

The middle-aged man standing at the clinic entrance turned around upon hearing the sound.

Uncle Tao was wearing a faded navy blue work uniform today, and he was clearly taken aback when he saw Yan Lan.

"Dr. Yan..."

A flicker of heartache crossed his weathered eyes. "I heard about your family... I was thinking you wouldn't come today, but still..."

He was a little worried about the other party, and without realizing it, he had the driver bring the car here.

Since meeting Dr. Yan, this period at the small clinic has been the most relaxing time for him.

Yan Lan pushed open the glass door of the clinic, and the smell of disinfectant hit her.

"My family all want me to rest."

Her voice was unusually calm, "But I think... it's better to have something to do."

When she said the last word, her voice suddenly choked up.

These past few days at Yunhu Villa, she always kept her back straight, putting on a brave face in front of Madam Qin and Sheng Sheng.

But at this moment, in this simple little clinic, in front of this patient she had just met, all that pretense suddenly crumbled.

Uncle Tao gently patted her shoulder with his rough, large hand, as carefully as if he were treating his own daughter.

He helped her sit down on the examination chair, and sunlight streamed through the glass, casting dappled light and shadow on her pale face.

"I'm really fine..."

Yan Lan lowered her head, adjusting the hem of her white coat, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "We've only been married for less than a year, our feelings...aren't that deep."

This statement seemed to be addressed to Uncle Tao, yet also to offer a form of self-consolation.

Uncle Tao's gaze fell on her protruding belly, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

Although he had only known Dr. Yan for a short time, he knew she was a strong-willed woman at heart. The stronger her character, the more unspeakable her inner suffering...

"child..."

Uncle Tao sighed, pulled his old smartphone out of his pocket, and clumsily swiped the screen.

"If you're feeling down, just say it."

Yan Lan looked up and saw the old man staring intently at his phone screen, and a bitter smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

Uncle Tao was clearly searching online for "how to comfort people," and this discovery warmed her heart.

"When I was young..."

Uncle Tao suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a gentleness he rarely displayed, "I also had a deeply unforgettable relationship."

He looked out the window at the sycamore trees, his gaze becoming distant.

Sunlight shone on his wrinkled face, and the deep lines of time seemed to hold countless stories.

"We almost got married."

Uncle Tao sighed.

"Later, due to some misunderstandings... when I figured things out and went to find her again..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and his Adam's apple bobbed a few times.

The clinic was so quiet you could hear the ticking of the wall clock.

"I understand the pain of losing a loved one."

These words were like a key, suddenly unlocking Yan Lan's tightly closed heart.

She lowered her head, a tear silently falling onto her hand. She stared at her hand in a daze; the last time she cried was when her mother passed away.

"Have you ever regretted it?" she asked softly.

Uncle Tao paused upon hearing this.

"I've asked myself this question countless times."

He turned around, his gaze calm and resolute.

"I've given the same answer every time, and I won't regret it."

His voice was deep and steady, like a rock that has been polished by time, impervious to wind and rain.

Yan Lan looked up at him and found that this man, who was usually taciturn, had exceptionally bright eyes at this moment.

"The interests of the nation come before personal interests," Uncle Tao continued. "Our pursuits are different. If we had been forced to be together back then, we would probably be separated now."

When he said this, there was no resentment in his tone, only a sense of relief after experiencing many hardships.

Sunlight shone on his profile, and the wrinkles seemed to hold countless stories.

"Right now, what you need to do is take care of yourself."

He walked to Yan Lan's side and gently patted her shoulder, his touch gentle and restrained. "And the child in your belly."

Yan Lan subconsciously touched her swollen belly, where her last connection with Qin Shi was conceived.

She suddenly realized something, looked up and asked, "Uncle Tao? You don't have children?"

Uncle Tao paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

His rough fingers unconsciously twirled the simple wedding ring on the ring finger of his left hand. The ring face was already worn smooth. Uncle Tao paused for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

He unconsciously turned the simple wedding ring on the ring finger of his left hand; the ring face was worn shiny, clearly indicating that he had worn it for many years.

“My wife and I don’t have children,” his voice was a little hoarse, “I should have had a daughter.”

As he said this, his gaze dimmed slightly, as if he were lost in some distant memory.

“It’s a pity we can’t acknowledge each other,” he said softly, a barely perceptible bitterness in his voice. “She must hate me, her father, too… I can only watch her from afar.”

Sunlight shone on his back, casting a lonely shadow. Yan Lan suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. What kind of story did this seemingly ordinary man carry?

"And you?"

Uncle Tao suddenly changed the subject, as if trying to break the heavy atmosphere, "You've had such a big thing happen to you, where are your parents?"

Yan Lan's gaze suddenly turned cold, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

"Dead." She answered crisply and decisively, her voice devoid of any emotion.

Uncle Tao was speechless for a moment.

He had met Yan Lan's sister-in-law and knew that she had a good relationship with her husband's family, but he had never heard her mention her parents.

Looking at her tense profile and slightly pale knuckles, he suddenly understood something.

This child... is so pitiful.

boom!

A loud bang suddenly rang out, and the clinic's glass windows shook violently, as if they had been hit by a heavy object.

Spiderweb-like cracks instantly spread across the glass surface, shards flew everywhere, and the glass reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.

Yan Lan suddenly looked up, her pupils contracted sharply, and her fingers instinctively tightened their grip on the medicine bottle.

Uncle Tao reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind him, his sharp gaze sweeping out the window.

"Get out of the way!" he hissed, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

Outside the window, a dark shadow flashed by quickly, and the sound of hurried footsteps could be faintly heard fading away.

Yan Lan looked at Uncle Tao with some surprise. Just a moment ago, Uncle Tao's movements were incredibly fast, completely unlike those of a gardener.

A fist-sized stone remained on the glass window, its rough surface still covered in dirt, clearly indicating that it had been thrown forcefully.

Yan Lan's breathing became slightly labored, and her chest heaved violently. She forced herself to calm down and scanned the street outside the window—it was deserted, without a single person in sight.