To My Dear Mr. Huo

Su Qingsang looked at the two youngsters in front of her and sighed.

“You are sure about this? That is a life.”

“Yes.” The two answered together and Su Qingsang had no choice but to consent. There was an empty operating room open anyway.

She sat back to her seat and wrote the prescription.

“Take her to do an examination and pay the fee. Do you have money?”

“Yes. I do.” Su Yuxin nodded, took the prescription, and looked at Su Qingsang. For the first time, he very sincerely smiled at sister to whom he had never been so friendly before.

“Sister, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” She looked at the little girl. “You are young; rest for a few days after the surgery.”

“I have to go to school-”

“I will write a note for you for an excused absence. If you don’t recover well, it will be difficult for you to have a child later. You don’t want that, do you?”

The girl didn’t answer. Su Qingsang sighed and asked someone to arrange the operating room.

The girl followed Su Yuxin out.

Su Qingsang felt a headache when she stood up. She suddenly stopped. Huo Jinyao didn’t seem to use any protection when he was with her. But she-

Calculating the date in her mind, she realized she was safe now, but what about later? Was she ready to be a mother so soon? Was she ready to have a child? No, what she should be asking herself was: was she confident that she could bear the responsibility of being a mother, of bringing life into the world?

Lips pursed in a straight line, Su Qingsang struggled for only a few seconds before she prescribed herself a bottle of long-acting contraceptives.

After the operation, Su Qingsang knew the girl’s name. It was Bai Zhihan, a very beautiful name. Su Qingsang prescribed her some medicine, arranged the ward for her, also gave her the note for school.

“You help her ask off from school, for one week, at least,” She said to her brother. She turned her face to Bai Zhihan, “Have a good rest. I will ask the nurses to check the wards here often. You can call me if you have any problem.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Su Qingsang went out of the ward, followed by Su Yuxin. He used to dislike Su Qingsang; no one would like his father’s illegitimate daughter after all.

Now, standing in front of Su Qingsang, he looked rather bashful, as if he didn’t know what to say.

“Sister.”

“Is there something else?” Su Qingsang seemed to remember something. “Uh, you’re supposed to be at school now, aren’t you? Are you going back to school today?”

“I—”Su Yuxin was a little embarrassed. “Can you write a note for sick leave for me, too? I want to take care of her here tomorrow.”

The expression in Su Qingsang’s eyes changed a bit. She didn’t expect her brother to be this responsible. “Is a day enough?”

“Yes thank you. And, don’t tell dad about it.”

“Don’t worry. I know.”

Su Qingsang was about to leave, but she couldn’t help but say something. “Hey, I know that you’ve grown up and you probably already understand some things. I don’t object to you having a relationship and having a girlfriend. Next time, remember to protect the girl. Abortions and pregnancy are not something a young girl should have to do with.”

Su Yuxin’s face was full of embarrassment, but he did not refute. “I got it. I will be careful next time.”

“Off you go.”

Su Qingsang kept busy until it was almost time to go home. Before she left, she went to the ward again, where Bai Zhihan was already sleeping. Su Yuxin was keeping her company. Su Qingsang sent them a packed meal and asked the restaurant to send a pot of soup. She told Su Yuxin to make Bai Zhihan eat it.

As she left the hospital, she saw Huo Jinyao was there to pick her up. Su Qingsang suddenly tightened her fingers around the handle of her bag, where there she had the contraceptive pills she prescribed for herself.