2 The Stranger’s Bastard

"I’ll tell you the truth right now! That night you drank wine which I spiked. You were so lustful and unsatisfied that I found two good men for you. Who knew that you wouldn’t appreciate my kindness? You even barged into a stranger’s room and took advantage of that man…" Ning Xueluo said disgustedly. "Brother Yan is far too gentle and kind for his own good because when you woke up, he was afraid you wouldn’t be able to accept the truth, so he told you that it was him that night!"

"You…" Ning Xi had started trembling as she heard this. She finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and grabbed Ning Xueluo by her arm. "Why do you treat me this way? Why?! Haven’t you screwed me over enough?"

Ning Xueluo furrowed her brow, and just as she was about to push Ning Xi away, she noticed Su Yan approaching them behind Ning Xi. Her voice immediately softened and her expression turned pitiful, "Older Sister, I know I’m wrong. If you want to hit or yell, do it to me, please don’t blame Brother Yan…"

Ning Xi paused, and in the next second, Ning Xueluo fell to the ground as if Ning Xi had pushed her.

"Ning Xi! What are you —" Someone said accusingly behind her.

Ning Xi turned around and saw an unfriendly-looking Su Yan.

Su Yan brushed past her and helped Ning Xueluo up. "Xueluo, are you alright?"

Ning Xueluo pressed nearly her entire body against Su Yan. "Brother Yan, I didn’t mean it, I really know I’m wrong… this only happened because I wronged Older Sister…"

"That’s enough! Don’t blame yourself. No matter what happens, you have me!" Su Yan patted her shoulder and helped her into the car. "I’ll explain everything to Ning Xi."

Ning Xi’s mind was blank as she watched Su Yan stride towards her and open his mouth.

He spoke for a long time.

He spoke of the past and their happy childhood. He spoke of the struggle he went through when he fell in love with Ning Xueluo. He spoke of his fury and anger when he found out Ning Xueluo had schemed against Ning Xi. He spoke of the fright and regret he felt when he found out about Ning Xi’s pregnancy. He spoke about how he accepted Ning Xueluo’s apology…

In the end, he said, "Ning Xi, I’m sorry. I can’t marry you — not because of that night nor because of the child that I don’t want — but because I cannot wrong Xueluo and because I can’t lie to myself about my feelings."

He and Ning Xueluo had been travelling outside the country in the past few months, and having been with her morning and night, it was harder to separate from her now more than ever. Although he had initially wanted to ease Ning Xi’s pain by pretending that he did indeed have intercourse with her, in his heart, he had already chosen Ning Xueluo.

"You mean… Su Yan… from the start, you knew that it was Ning Xueluo who drugged me and ruined my innocence? Just because you wanted to protect her, you told me the person that night was you?" Ning Xi finally found her voice, but could only look numbly at Su Yan.

"Ning Xi, Xueluo didn’t mean it. She’s still young so she might be impulsive…"

"Then what about me?" Ning Xi looked up at Su Yan hopelessly. "Did you never once consider what it would be like for me?"

Su Yan did not speak, and there was a long moment of silence before he reached out for Ning Xi’s hand. "The sun is too hot, let’s return home…"

"Don’t touch me —" Ning Xi immediately slapped his hand away and laughed aloud.

Ning Xi felt that her whole life until now had been a joke.

For Su Yan, she had worked hard to get into B University to come to the city where he lived.

For Su Yan, she had abandoned her dream to become an actress.

So that their family statuses would match, she had pushed aside her adoptive parents in order to return to the Ning family, and she had stupidly tried to please those so-called upper-class families.

And as a result of all her efforts, she only received: "I cannot wrong Xueluo."

Ning Xueluo had not only stolen her identity and her birth parents, but today… she had even stolen the person she loved most. Ning Xueluo was young… but even so, how could she be forgiven? If she really did forgive her, then who could she blame for her life's misfortune? She didn't even know who the man from that night was!

Ning Xi covered her face, her body quivering, for she had reached the limit of her despair.

Su Yan watched as Ning Xi mindlessly started to cross the road, and was about to chase after her when from behind, Ning Xueluo tugged on his sleeve. "Brother Yan, where are you going?"

In Su Yan's moment of hesitation, there was a loud bang; Ning Xi was thrown back on the road and she hit the ground hard.

"Help! Help! A pregnant lady has been hit!"

In the piercing light, Ning Xi could make out two silhouettes and faces which made her want to throw up. She felt her stomach cramp, and she slowly started to lose consciousness from the intense pain. She blinked, and the blood trickling down her forehead flowed into her eyes… she entered a world of darkness.