PDGUT - 48

Because her mother had not yet been discharged, there was no one else in the studio. By the time Yu Tian realized it, Yan Ming’s car had already entered the residential complex where his house was located.

Yu Tian couldn’t help but protest: “I’m supposed to stay at the studio!”

Yan Ming immediately apologized: “Sorry, I’m so used to driving home that I didn’t even realize it. I subconsciously drove here.”

However, despite his seemingly sincere apology, Yu Tian felt that Yan Ming wasn’t genuinely sorry. He didn’t look the least bit embarrassed or ashamed as someone who had made a mistake. On the contrary, he appeared rather self-assured. His apology lacked sincerity and even made Yu Tian suspect it was deliberate.

Still, Yan Ming’s house was indeed quite far from the studio, and the light drizzle had now turned into a thunderstorm. The pitch-black sky was illuminated by lightning, drowning out all human and industrial sounds beneath the pounding rain. The only sound left was the relentless downpour against the car windows, creating an almost apocalyptic atmosphere.

Yu Tian and Yan Ming seemed like the last two survivors of humanity, trapped in the confined space of the car, relying on each other for survival.

“Would you really have me take you back to the studio on such a terrible night, with this kind of weather?”

Yan Ming clearly understood Yu Tian’s psychology well. Faced with such a question, she really couldn’t bring herself to nod and say yes.

Reluctantly but obediently, she followed Yan Ming into the guest room of his house.

That earlier kiss had thrown everything into disarray.

Yu Tian was no longer herself; her heartbeat fluctuated wildly—calmer when she stayed away from Yan Ming, but whenever he approached her, she lost control.

Yan Ming didn’t seem much better off than Yu Tian, but he still managed to heat up some milk for her, bid her an awkward goodnight, and then retreated to his own room.

Outside, the rain continued to pour. Occasionally, the dark sky was split by flashes of lightning. The guest room where Yu Tian stayed remained exactly as she had left it, except for a vase of sunflowers that now sat on the table. Their orange petals glowed warmly in the dim light of the night.

Yu Tian alternated between burrowing under the covers and coming out again, messing up her hair until it was a tangled mess, yet sleep eluded her entirely.

No matter how much she tried to think about something else, Yan Ming always came to mind.

Damn, infuriating Yan Ming.

Yu Tian refused to admit defeat, but she also didn’t want to appear weak. She decided that if she couldn’t sleep, neither should he.

Earlier, after Yan Ming kissed her, Yu Tian had intended to confront him. But his phone rang at an inopportune moment—it seemed to be something from the hospital. By the time he finished the call, the topic had naturally shifted, and they were already walking toward the parked car.

The conversation had drifted away, and Yu Tian didn’t want to seem overly aggressive or too concerned about the matter.

But now, tossing and turning, she still couldn’t get past her own feelings.

How could she possibly not care?

But she couldn’t let herself be the only one agonizing over it.

She put on her clothes, quickly smoothed her hair, and with a burst of boldness and determination, marched to Yan Ming’s door. Relying on the lingering impulse and courage, she knocked without hesitation.

Compared to her restless tossing and turning, Yan Ming was predictably much calmer. This guy had already turned off the lights and gone to bed.

Yu Tian turned on the floor lamp, and only then did he groggily sit up, looking toward the door.

“Yu Tian?”

Before Yan Ming could react or resist, Yu Tian climbed onto his bed, cupped his face, and kissed him.

At first, Yan Ming was clearly stunned, but soon, he responded to Yu Tian’s kiss.

Compared to this kiss, all their previous ones felt like mere childish pecks.

This was their first deep kiss.

Yu Tian didn’t know how things had escalated to this point. She had resolved not to lose to Yan Ming, but when the kiss actually happened, she found herself wanting to flee.

Outside, the rain continued to drown out every other sound. Inside, under the dim yellow light, the shadows on the wall depicted two blurred figures embracing and kissing passionately.

Yu Tian could feel Yan Ming’s complete engagement.

Although she had initiated the kiss, Yan Ming ultimately took control, cradling her face in his hands.

Yu Tian could hear his deliberately restrained breathing, laced with suppressed sensuality and a hint of unleashed hormones.

The thin blanket that had covered Yan Ming had long since slipped off. He wore only a silk sleep shirt, which clung to his body comfortably but also revealed every curve and change due to its delicate fabric.

Yan Ming was aroused.

Always cold and composed, his eyes now bore a faint red hue, exuding an indescribable sensuality and loss of control. His gaze was filled with heat and desire.

In this atmosphere, charged with both beauty and ambiguity, Yu Tian steadied her breathing and calmly pushed Yan Ming away before climbing off his bed.

“It was just a goodnight kiss.”

Her eyes swept over the outline visible under Yan Ming’s silk pajamas: “It’s been hot lately. If you’re feeling overheated, drink more water and go to bed early. You still have work tomorrow.”

After saying that, she gave him a sweet smile, leaned closer to his ear, and whispered in a coquettish voice: “Goodnight, Brother Yan Ming.”

Under Yan Ming’s astonished and somewhat gritted expression, Yu Tian bolted away like a rabbit.

Back in the guest room, Yu Tian’s heart was still racing. She truly felt like a lucky rabbit that had escaped from the hunter’s grasp, relieved yet somewhat smug.

If Yan Ming had disrupted her peace and kept her awake, why should he get to sleep peacefully?

He must stay awake too!

That night, Yu Tian didn’t know whether Yan Ming slept well or not, but she certainly didn’t.

The next morning, Yan Ming had already gone to the hospital, but he still managed to prepare breakfast for Yu Tian.

Feeling slightly better, Yu Tian finished her breakfast and headed to the First Affiliated Hospital to pick up her mother for discharge.

However, her good mood didn’t last long. While waiting in line to process her mother’s discharge, she heard a commotion nearby.

An older woman ahead of her clicked her tongue and shook her head, discussing with her husband: “These days, some young male doctors are really despicable. As soon as their wives get pregnant, they start affairs. And now the mistress has come to the hospital to make a scene.”

“Haven’t you seen? That girl is quite young. She started handing out flyers in the hospital this morning, exposing that heartless man. Poor thing. Look, I still have one of those flyers. The mistress is pretty…”

“Hey? Doesn’t she look a lot like the girl behind you?”

The old couple glanced at Yu Tian and whispered: “They look exactly alike.”

Yu Tian had no interest in such gossip and ignored the curious stares from the elderly couple. After finishing the discharge procedures, she helped Ms. Song Chunxiang into a taxi and prepared to return to talk to Qi Sihao about content for a science video. However, just as she re-entered the hospital outpatient hall, a young girl grabbed her.

“Xinxin! Is that her? I’ve found that wretched woman!”

Before Yu Tian could react, the girl who grabbed her quickly summoned several others. A group of young women surrounded Yu Tian.

Yu Tian was bewildered: “Are you sure you haven’t mistaken me for someone else?”

The leader of the group, a young girl, sneered with disdain and contempt: “You’re Yu Tian, right? I just heard an auntie say she saw you in the hospital. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“You shameless bitch, daring to cause trouble in the hospital. Don’t you feel humiliated being a mistress?”

This situation caught Yu Tian completely off guard.

What on earth was happening?

Since they had mentioned her name specifically, it didn’t seem like a case of mistaken identity.

But when had she ever become the “other woman”?

Yu Tian was bewildered for a moment, a sinking feeling rising in her chest—

Could it be... could it be that Yan Ming already has an official girlfriend or even a wife?!

In that split second of hesitation, the women surrounding her took her reaction as a guilty conscience.

“Xinxin! Come quickly! Confront this shameless woman face-to-face and shut her up!”

The hospital lobby was always bustling with people, and now, because of this commotion, more and more onlookers began to turn their heads. Yu Tian felt trapped and speechless, her mind filled with doubts. Just then, a familiar face pushed through the crowd.

Zhao Xinxin.

The girlfriend of Zheng Tingfu.

Her expression was still as arrogant as ever, but there was a noticeable weariness and haggardness about her. She wore a loose-fitting designer dress, though her slightly protruding belly was still quite obvious.

At that moment, she was holding a stack of flyers, clearly having been distributing them earlier.

She probably hadn’t expected to run into Yu Tian here, and after her initial shock, her eyes filled with even deeper hatred.

“You shameless slut, Tingfu broke up with you ages ago and dumped you! He and I are the perfect match. We were deeply in love, I’m already pregnant, and we’re engaged. We planned to get married and register next month. But then you, in the middle of the night, threw yourself at my man and lured him into a hotel room, ruining my family and causing me to almost miscarry!”

This was utterly absurd!

Yu Tian finally understood who the main parties involved in this mess were.

She didn’t care about Zheng Tingfu’s fate; she was just relieved that it wasn’t Yan Ming.

But before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, Zhao Xinxin went berserk.

Zhao Xinxin’s gaze had always carried a tinge of paranoia. Upon seeing Yu Tian, she became hysterical, grabbing her and shouting to the crowd: “Everyone, please judge this for me! This woman is the mistress who ruined my family! Not only does she constantly seduce my husband, but she also lured him into betraying me during my pregnancy! Look at me—I’m heavily pregnant, suffering from morning sickness, and yet someone took advantage of my vulnerability!”

As she ranted furiously, tears streamed down her face: “The hospital leadership must step in and give me justice! They need to talk to our Zheng Tingfu and make him take responsibility for me and our child...”

After much thought, Yu Tian realized that her so-called “mistress behavior” was actually about intruding on Zhao Xinxin and Zheng Tingfu’s relationship.

It was preposterous—she wouldn’t take Zheng Tingfu even if he paid her to do so!

But before Yu Tian could even gather herself, Zhao Xinxin went completely ballistic.

Zhao Xinxin glared at Yu Tian, her eyes wild with rage: “You look! At midnight last night, you messaged my husband and asked him to meet you at a hotel room! You’re the one who ruined my marriage!”

As she spoke, Zhao Xinxin shoved printed flyers into Yu Tian’s face.

Yu Tian, forcing herself to stay calm, grabbed the flyer and examined it. The entire sheet was filled with screenshots of chat records, accompanied by brief captions written by Zhao Xinxin accusing Yu Tian of seducing her husband. At the end of the flyer, Zhao Xinxin included a photo of Yu Tian, but the article deliberately downplayed Zheng Tingfu’s role, portraying him as an innocent scholar lured by a cunning fox spirit.

According to Zhao Xinxin, all the blame lay with the deceitful “other woman,” not with Zheng Tingfu.

However, in those chat screenshots, it was clear that Zheng Tingfu had responded to the other party’s blatant advances with equally explicit replies.

This was clearly a story of two willing participants—a fly drawn to rotten eggs.

Yu Tian, a complete stranger dragged into this stinking “love affair,” couldn’t understand why she was being implicated.

“This isn’t my WeChat account, and this person isn’t me. Stop falsely accusing me,” Yu Tian said, trying to remain calm and rational. “I sympathize that you were betrayed during your pregnancy, but who told you that this account belongs to me? Look, my WeChat ID and this person’s are completely different!”

“Do you think I’m stupid?! Of course you use your main account regularly, but you created a secondary account specifically to seduce my husband! Just because there’s no chat history between your main account and my husband doesn’t mean your secondary account is clean! You used a secondary account to avoid being caught by me!”

Zhao Xinxin glared at Yu Tian, her eyes bloodshot: “Look at this secondary account—it has the username ‘FishSwimmingInTheWater.’ Tingfu always calls her ‘Xiao Yu.’ Who else could it be but you? All your friends call you Xiao Yu! Around Tingfu, you’re the only one with the surname Yu who shamelessly clings to him!”

Yu Tian now understood everything clearly.

Zhao Xinxin had always viewed Yu Tian as an imaginary rival, and the mention of “Xiao Yu” in the flirtatious messages of the secondary account had sealed the deal in her mind. After all, where there’s a will to accuse, there’s never a lack of evidence. Besides, Yu Tian’s appearance did indeed fit the stereotype of a cunning seductress.

“She’s so pretty—how can she be a mistress?”

“Ah, that pregnant girl looks so pitiful.”

“These days, male doctors are highly sought after, and there are plenty of unscrupulous young women throwing themselves at them. It’s disgusting—they have no shame. What kind of parents raised her?”

Human nature loves drama, and the crowd often doesn’t care about the truth—they’re more interested in the emotional spectacle.

Zhao Xinxin played the role of the pitiable pregnant woman betrayed by her partner perfectly. The natural sympathy for the underdog caused the onlookers to side emotionally with Zhao Xinxin, pointing fingers at Yu Tian.

Zhao Xinxin, with her slightly protruding belly, cried and screamed uncontrollably. Her group of friends held Yu Tian tightly, parading her around like a public humiliation. They practically wanted to hang a sign around her neck labeling her as a “shameless mistress,” ensuring her eternal disgrace.

Meanwhile, someone in the crowd had already started filming the scene.

Yu Tian had seen videos of mistresses being publicly shamed before, but she never imagined she’d find herself in such a situation, trapped by false accusations.

She tried to explain, but Zhao Xinxin coldly ignored her every word.

No matter how calm and guilt-free Yu Tian had been at first, she now found herself overwhelmed by the collective outrage and Zhao Xinxin’s hysteria. She felt a suffocating sense of helplessness, unable to prove her innocence. Zhao Xinxin’s accusations were relentless, and she even publicly exposed Yu Tian’s deepest wound—

“Look at her hand! That injured hand is disabled—it’s her own fault. But she used it to gain my husband’s sympathy. If she weren’t disabled, would my husband have even given her a second glance? Yet she shamelessly took advantage of his pity and climbed into his bed! Every day during my pregnancy, she flaunted herself in front of my husband, leading him astray and making him cheat on me!”

“And now that she’s managed to hook a promising young doctor like my husband—with a stable job and a bright future—how could she possibly let go? With her disability, her modest background, and her dead father, she comes from a single-parent family. Do you think someone like her could find a better match than my husband?”

Whether it was hormonal imbalance from pregnancy or the anger of betrayal twisting her features, Zhao Xinxin looked like a deranged fighting chicken, her emotions unnaturally heightened as she hurled insults at Yu Tian. Yet she made no mention of the other invisible man involved in this affair, as if the betrayal had been entirely orchestrated by the female side.

It’s impossible to reason with a madman.

Yu Tian tried to break free, but Zhao Xinxin’s friends, emboldened by their numbers, held her tightly. One of them deliberately pulled back Yu Tian’s hair, trying to capture her face—and later her hand—with a phone camera.

They aimed to humiliate Yu Tian further by focusing on her injured hand.

From initially hoping to resolve the misunderstanding through communication, Yu Tian now found herself isolated, helpless, and despairing. She felt like she was sinking into quicksand, surrounded by onlookers who refused to extend a helping hand. Instead, they wore masks of judgment, eager to witness a sacrificial spectacle at her expense.

False accusations and insults were bearable, but exposing her face and broadcasting images of her injured and deformed hand was unbearable. Yu Tian trembled with anger.

It was akin to trampling her dignity into the ground.

And Zhao Xinxin wasn’t done yet. With her friends restraining Yu Tian, she assumed the posture of a victorious wife, raising her hand toward Yu Tian—

“I’ll slap you good and hard, you shameless wretch!”

Yu Tian’s heart was a storm of anger, confusion, and helplessness.

She didn’t know what she had done wrong.

Why had she crossed paths with Zheng Tingfu? Why had she been the unlucky one to suffer medical disputes? Why had she injured her hand? And now, why was she still being implicated, forced to bear the brunt of Zheng Tingfu’s infidelity scandal?

Negative emotions that she had deliberately suppressed came crashing down on her like a tsunami. Resentment, frustration, anger, and now humiliation and helplessness overwhelmed her completely.

Yu Tian’s bravery and strength thrived in orderly environments, but she had never anticipated facing something like this.

She realized that in the face of mob violence, she was powerless to protect herself.

Once labeled as a mistress or part of a love triangle, no one stepped forward to stop the one-sided humiliation and abuse.

Unable to break free, Yu Tian resigned herself to her fate. She closed her eyes, waiting for Zhao Xinxin’s hand to strike, praying for her soul to detach so she could numb herself against the endless torment and shield her fragile self-respect.

“Stay away from her!”

But the anticipated pain never came. At the last moment, a deep, icy voice laced with fury cut through the chaos, halting Zhao Xinxin’s assault.

Yu Tian opened her eyes and saw Yan Ming’s enraged face.

He was gripping Zhao Xinxin’s wrist, showing no mercy despite her pregnancy. Ignoring her cries of pain and pleas for mercy, he flung her aside with such force that she stumbled back several steps.

Then, his face dark with anger, he strode toward Yu Tian, glaring at Zhao Xinxin’s friends who were restraining her: “Are you leaving on your own, or do I need to make you leave?”

Yan Ming’s towering frame and imposing demeanor were enough to intimidate anyone. Zhao Xinxin’s so-called friends, who were nothing more than bullies relying on numbers, instinctively released Yu Tian upon seeing Yan Ming.

Almost instantly, Yu Tian felt Yan Ming’s hand pulling her close, drawing her firmly back to his side.

Yan Ming was always calm and composed, and Yu Tian had hated his ocean-like serenity and stability. She resented how he never lost control over others’ emotions, standing aloof like an untouchable deity.

But now, Yan Ming’s face was filled with barely concealed fury and an almost uncontrollable ferocity.

He stared at Zhao Xinxin and her group: “If any of you dare touch her again...”

As he spoke, Yan Ming removed his white coat and draped it over Yu Tian’s head, covering her face and shielding her from the prying lenses of countless phones.

Yu Tian’s vision was obscured, the world reduced to a pure white expanse. Her sense of smell seemed muted too, replaced solely by the scent of disinfectant on Yan Ming’s coat. But in that moment, she had never felt safer.

Then she was pulled tightly into his embrace.

Into Yan Ming’s arms.