ATPnovel Chapter 205: Never Able to Hold One’s Head High
Chapter 205: Never Able to Hold One’s Head High
Just imagining how chaotic the scene would be, Cao Jiajia couldn’t help but smirk.
But when Yuan Zhihe saw it, the expression took on a completely different meaning in her eyes.
The moment she saw Cao Jiajia smiling, her mind instantly jumped to Shanshan, and she became convinced Jiajia was deliberately mocking her pregnancy.
She thought Cao Jiajia was laughing at her—at how clumsy she was with her pregnant belly, at her slow reactions. She was laughing at the fact that Yuan Zhihe had to pretend everything was fine even after being abandoned by her husband.
"You’re still smiling? Do you think my pregnancy is some kind of joke? Believe me, I can have my husband cut off your allowance right now!"
She shot up from the sofa, one hand on her lower back, the other pointing right at Cao Jiajia’s face.
"I wasn’t smiling..."
Cao Jiajia quickly shook her head and waved her hands, but her explanations were useless. Yuan Zhihe wasn’t listening.
She turned to call Cao Daqiang, and Cao Jiajia rushed over to stop her.
In a panic, she reached out and yanked the phone cord from the wall with a sharp SNAP.
The two immediately turned on each other, and their dispute quickly escalated into a shouting match.
In the end, Yuan Zhihe kicked Cao Jiajia hard in the side, sending her stumbling into the doorframe before shoving her out the door.
With no money and nowhere to go, Cao Jiajia could only run to her boyfriend to pour out her sorrows.
In a small, shabby room, the two of them held each other tightly.
"You have no idea how vicious she is. They’re not even married yet, and she already wants my dad to cut me off completely."
"Don’t be afraid. If he won’t take care of you, I will."
Curled up in her boyfriend’s arms, Cao Jiajia cried so hard she could barely breathe. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice was thick with congestion as she spoke in fits and starts.
Yu Yeping held her, gently patting her back. His brows were tightly furrowed, his heart aching for her so much it felt like it would break.
"Baby, don’t cry. I’ll figure something out. I’ll make them regret what they did today."
"SOB... How? What are you going to do, kill those two bitches?"
Cao Jiajia sobbed, her voice hoarse.
’My life is completely over.’
Images of Yuan Zhihe’s cold smile as she forced Jiajia to bow her head kept flashing through her mind, along with Ling Xueshan’s condescending gaze.
’What’s the point of living if I have to spend the rest of my life in their shadows, trampled on by Yuan Zhihe and never able to hold my head high in front of Ling Xueshan?’
Waves of sobbing and crying came from the room.
The neighbors next door heard the commotion and peered out their windows or doorways.
"What’s that kid Yu gotten himself into now? Why’s she crying like that? Doesn’t sound like she’s faking it."
"Should we call the police? What if he’s hurting that girl?"
"Don’t be a busybody. I saw. The girl ran over here herself and started crying the second she got in the door. Yu didn’t lay a hand on her; he’s just in there comforting her."
The few of them muttered a bit more at their doors, but ultimately didn’t look further into it and went back inside.
"Come on, let’s go. Those students from the medical university are holding a free clinic in the square. Let’s hurry and get a spot."
"That’s great news! My knee’s been hurting so bad I can’t even turn over at night. I should go get it checked out while it’s free."
Meanwhile, Shanshan was bustling back and forth through the lines of people, a registration form in hand, asking residents about their symptoms one by one.
Her professor was intentionally training her, letting her take part in all sorts of tasks.
One moment she was helping take blood pressure, the next she was recording information, sweat soaking the hair at her temples.
After a busy morning, she had just picked up her lunchbox when she suddenly spotted a familiar figure across the street.
’What’s wrong with Jiajia?’
"Um... I-I suddenly don’t feel like eating. I’m a little sleepy, I think I’ll go back and lie down for a bit."
"Alright, you go back and rest. I’ll grab some food and be right back, and we can eat together."
The two figures, one following the other, quickly disappeared around a corner.
Shanshan stood where she was, watching quietly for a few seconds with no intention of following.
She knew Cao Jiajia had been having a rough time lately, but she also knew Jiajia had a long road ahead of her. There was no need for Shanshan to worry about her.
Back at the rented room, Cao Jiajia threw herself onto the bed, her entire body sinking into the pillows and blankets.
She rolled over to face the wall, her fingers unconsciously clutching the bedsheet.
Her mind was filled with the image of Ling Xueshan being so respected by everyone.
’And look at me now. I can’t even keep a job, and I have to rely on Yu Yeping to help with the rent.’
Her eyes grew hot, and tears began to silently stream down her face again.
When they were children, it was she, Cao Jiajia, who had been the most adored. Whenever relatives came to visit, they would always praise her, calling her their little princess.
Ling Xueshan had been the naughty, grimy-faced girl who ran wild outside all day, getting scolded by her mother for dirtying her clothes. That never happened to Jiajia.
She was the one her parents had cherished and doted on.
How had it all been turned upside down in the blink of an eye?
Now, everyone praised Ling Xueshan. She had a stable career, a harmonious family, and people would go out of their way to greet her on the street.
And then there was her. She could barely even afford a decent meal.
When Yu Yeping came in carrying a takeout container, he heard the sound of sniffling from the room.
He frowned, placed the food on the table, and gently pushed open the bedroom door.
The sight of Cao Jiajia huddled in the corner of the bed, wiping away tears with her shoulders shaking, made his heart ache.
"Please stop crying, Jiajia. I can’t stand to see you like this!"
He walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to pat her back.
He watched as her sobs continued, growing quieter, but she never looked up.
He gritted his teeth as if making a hard decision, then sat down firmly on the bed, leaned close to her ear, and said, "I have a plan!"
He assumed Cao Jiajia was upset about Yuan Zhihe’s pregnancy.
So he decided to give her an idea:
"That woman’s only acting so high and mighty in front of your dad because of the baby in her belly, right? While you’re ’taking care of her,’ just have a little ’accident.’ Make her fall, lose the baby—and just like that, she loses her bargaining chip. What’s she going to use to get in your face then?"
"What?"
Cao Jiajia’s head shot up. Her face was deathly pale, and her lips trembled slightly. "You... Isn’t that illegal?"
She stared at Yu Yeping, her voice weak, her eyes filled with terror.
"What’s there to be afraid of? As long as you’re clever about it, who’s going to trace it back to you?"
Yu Yeping cupped her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
He stared at her intently and said, word by word:
"A little water spilled on the floor, a ’trip’ at the top of the stairs, an ’unsteady’ step while walking... Any of those would be a plausible excuse. No one would suspect you did it."
At first, Cao Jiajia was still trembling, her fingers digging into the corner of the blanket.
But as she listened, her expression slowly changed—from panic, to hesitation, and finally, to a look of ruthless determination.
They shut the door and plotted for the entire afternoon, going over every possible method and rehearsing the details again and again.
As dusk fell, Cao Jiajia finally forced herself to walk home.
She knew how dangerous her plan was, but her mind kept replaying Ling Xueshan’s smile and the triumphant tone in Yuan Zhihe’s voice from that morning.
She had just stepped through the door, before she could even say a word, when Yuan Zhihe’s cold, sarcastic remarks hit her head-on:
"Well, well, look who’s back. Our Miss has returned. Storming out after just a few words, anyone would think I, the stepmother, had bullied you terribly. Who can put up with a temper like that?"
Cao Daqiang, who was standing nearby, frowned as he listened.
Cao Jiajia kept her head down and said nothing, her nails digging into her palms.
’Just endure it a little longer. You’ll get what’s coming to you sooner or later.’