CHAPTER 670: CHAPTER 665: DESPAIR

Xu He quickly nodded, opened her mouth to speak, but before she could start, Shuanzi looked at her with a mischievous smile and continued, "But those words were what I said before, when you were still clean and tidy, with a graceful figure. But now you look like this, what can you do, and what use would it be having you by my side."

Upon hearing this, Xu He opened her mouth to speak, "You..."

But Shuanzi suddenly turned solemn, staring at Xu He with a rather serious tone, "Although I, Shuanzi, am not a good person, I have no interest in pregnant women. Even for the sake of my son, I do not want to commit such sins."

As soon as Shuanzi finished speaking, his few followers started talking all at once, "Big brother, you finally have a son?"

"Not now, but eventually I will."

"Exactly, big brother is powerful and strong, are you afraid there won’t be someone to bear a son for big brother?"

"Big guy, want a son? It’s simple. Just find a few girls at that place tonight, sow more seeds, and guarantee that sons will follow one after another in ten months."

"Don’t talk nonsense, brother’s wife doesn’t like those kinds of girls from that place, she prefers decent married women."

Although the followers of Shuanzi were jesting and it was hard to tell if they were serious, Xu He picked up on a piece of information.

It seemed that Shuanzi was really in need of a son. If that was the case, wasn’t it just perfect.

The child in Xu He’s belly, she could confirm was a son. Back in the countryside, when it was just over four months, she and Duan Fenghua had gone to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor confirmed it was a son.

However, since Xu He had other plans in mind, she did not definitively tell Zhou Yunmei and Luo Zhiming that the child in her belly was a son. Therefore, Luo Zhiming and Zhou Yunmei didn’t know yet.

But now, she felt that this son might bring her hope. She glanced at Shuanzi and pointed to the side, "Shuanzi, can I have a word with you privately, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Hearing Xu He say this, Shuanzi slightly hooked his lips and looked at her, but he found this rural woman quite interesting.

In fact, for people like Shuanzi, though they aren’t desperadoes, they are not far from it—extorting protection fees, helping with usurious loan collections, these things were essentially living on the edge.

Such people, they themselves do not even know if they have a tomorrow.

So regarding women, he never thought of giving a woman a status or spending a lifetime with her. Most of the time it was a spur of the moment, seeing someone beautiful or pleasing to the eye, he would think of keeping her by his side for a while, pampering her with food and drink, but as soon as the novelty wore off, they would immediately abandon her.

Moreover, their mood at certain times may also affect their attitude towards women.

Previously, the reason Shuanzi had taken a special interest in Xu He was because he thought Xu He was quite attractive and was open to the affairs between men and women.

Despite their interactions being forced by Shuanzi twice, Xu He’s instinctive reactions surprised and moved Shuanzi greatly.

Of course, Shuanzi had seen many open-minded women in matters between men and women, but mostly in pleasure quarters—women who frequently served men could reach that extent. It was Shuanzi’s first time encountering a virtuous woman who could intoxicate a man so.

Therefore, at that time, Shuanzi did indeed have the intention of keeping Xu He by his side. However, observing Xu He now, her belly had grown so large she couldn’t see her own toes, and her hands and feet were swollen like radishes. Looking at her face, which had pallid as wax due to neglecting her appearance during pregnancy, it was enough to turn one’s stomach.

Naturally, Shuanzi lost any remaining interest in Xu He, and he was even unwilling to get involved with a pregnant woman. As he said himself, even if he was bad, he had his limits. Maintaining blessings for his descendants, he wouldn’t harm a pregnant woman.

Therefore, he thought Xu He merely wished to talk to him, he didn’t meet with her privately. Instead, he sarcastically, with a smirk, said, "Miss, in consideration that you and I were once husband and wife for a night, I’ll give you a piece of advice. If you truly like me, Shuanzi, then wait until the child in your belly is born. Make yourself pretty and come find me. I, Shuanzi, like beautiful women the most. It’s prestigious to be seen with them."

The moment Shuanzi’s words fell, his subordinates immediately began laughing loudly, pointing at Xu He, "Yes, seduce a man after having the child."

"Haha."

After Shuanzi spoke, the crowd burst into laughter and left. Xu He stood rooted to the spot, her face turning the color of liver. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally shouted towards Shuanzi, "Shuanzi, the child in my belly is yours. You can’t be so heartless."

When Xu He yelled these words, she clearly saw Shuanzi pause in his steps for a moment. A faint smile crossed her face filled with concealed joy, feeling as though she had released pent-up breath, thinking how Shuanzi could feel proud now.

However, contrary to Xu He’s expectation, Shuanzi only briefly paused, didn’t turn around, but spoke a few words to one of his subordinates. The subordinate glanced at Xu He, and then everyone continued walking in their original direction, completely ignoring Xu He.

It seemed, whether the child in Xu He’s belly was his or not, he had no interest in knowing, or perhaps even if it was his, he did not care.

Watching this scene, Xu He’s faint joy gradually faded, and her last sliver of hope collapsed in that instant. She felt as though she had nowhere to go, filled with utter despair, possibly facing Luo Zhiming’s imminent questioning about the child upon her return, while on this end, Shuanzi had completely dashed her hopes.

In that moment, she felt as though someone had drained all her strength, her legs weakened, and she knelt on the floor of the marketplace, bursting into loud uncontrollable tears.

While Xu He spoke with Shuanzi, naturally there were many shopkeepers and passersby pretending to mind their own business but watching the spectacle, as no one dared to offend Shuanzi openly.

Now watching Shuanzi leave and Xu He collapsed like this, several shop owners, seeing Xu He crying on the ground with her large belly, truly pitied her, immediately helped her up, and set her on a stool, persuading her with various consolations,

"Miss, go back. Shuanzi is not a good man. It’s a blessing he doesn’t want you. If you followed him, you wouldn’t have good days ahead."

"That’s right."

At this point, Xu He knew that even if she cried to death, no one would care. What she could do now was to go back, carefully think about how to stabilize the situations with Luo Zhiming and Fang Pingying, and see if she could keep this secret forever.

But what Xu He couldn’t possibly imagine was that at that moment, not far away, there stood someone completely unexpected.