My 26-Year-Old Female Tenant

Chapter 003: I Only Love You

Holding an umbrella, I walked away from the small apartment where I had lived for two years. In truth, I felt terrible inside. My proposal to that woman to live together wasn’t a joke or an attempt to take advantage of her. At this moment, I felt like a homeless child, deprived of warmth, with no one knowing that I wanted to cry.

But people must learn to respect reality, right? Once Old Li sold the apartment, my departure became inevitable.

I found an ATM nearby and withdrew 1,000 yuan as agreed. Out of curiosity, I checked the account information and learned that the woman who was almost too beautiful was named Mi Cai.

I really liked her name. "Mi" symbolized food and warmth, while "Cai" represented colors and vibrancy. A life with both food and color was undoubtedly a happy one. But I had neither. My current life was filled only with hunger and monotony. So, Mi Cai’s appearance felt more like a cruel irony—mocking my destitution and my dead-end situation!

...

At the corner of a long street, there was a motel. That’s where I stayed. The relentless wind and rain raged through the night, and I only managed to fall into a hazy sleep in the early morning. By the time I woke up, it was nearly noon.

I checked my phone and found over ten missed calls—all from Le Yao. She was indeed persistent. Since I didn’t answer, she had sent me a text: I should have kept the baby and used this so-called child of yours to punish you for a lifetime.

I found it amusing. If she wasn’t afraid of being an unwed mother, why would I be scared of being a father in name only? Clearly, her resentment did nothing to burden my conscience.

After a quick wash-up, I rushed to the hospital. Why was I going? Maybe out of the last bit of kindness left in me. Or maybe it was just sympathy between former lovers. I couldn’t say for sure. Many times, people don’t even understand themselves.

When I arrived at the maternity hospital and got out of the taxi, I saw Le Yao standing at the entrance with an umbrella, waiting for me.

She spotted me immediately. Her anxious expression eased a little as she walked toward me.

I was filled with anger, but when I thought about how she had lain on the operating table yesterday, facing the cold scalpel, I held back my frustration.

With a solemn look, Le Yao clung to my arm and glanced at her stomach, appearing as if she deeply loved me while I was the heartless one.

I pulled away from her grip, finally losing patience. "Cut the crap! Be honest with me—who knocked you up?"

"You, Zhao Yang!"

"Do you believe I’ll strangle you right now?" I glared at her.

"You beast, go ahead! If you had strangled me yesterday, it would’ve been a double homicide. Today, you’d be on the front page, and the whole country would know about a scumbag like you!" Le Yao squinted at me, but instead of moving away, she pressed herself closer.

"Are you done messing around? We slept together two months ago—how long were you pregnant? Show me the ultrasound!"

Ignoring my doubts, Le Yao suddenly softened her tone. With a deep sense of regret, she clung to my arm tightly and whispered, "Zhao Yang, if I had kept the baby yesterday and let him call you ‘Dad,’ wouldn’t that have been wonderful?"

Suppressing my anger, I pushed her aside and said, "Can we stop playing games? Go get your post-op checkup. Once you walk out of this hospital, consider me dead. Don’t ever bother me again!"

Le Yao lowered her head and, after a long silence, said, "Fine, I won’t bother you anymore."

...

After her checkup, Le Yao lay in a hospital bed, hooked to an IV. I sat beside her, playing the role of a responsible companion but unwilling to say a word. I couldn’t shake the feeling of frustration in my chest.

The doctor pulled me aside and told me, "Young man, your girlfriend is very weak, and she also has mild anemia. She needs proper care after the abortion, or she might suffer long-term health issues. I’ll prescribe some medication and supplements for her—go pick them up at the pharmacy on the second floor."

I nodded, not thinking much of it. The 1,000 yuan I used from Mi Cai’s card should be enough to cover the cost.

With the prescription in hand, I went to the second floor. It took the staff five minutes to gather everything—one whole plastic bag filled to the brim with medicine and supplements. Then, they casually said, "That’ll be 3,016 yuan. Will you be paying by card or cash?"

I was stunned. Then I blurted out, "What the hell kind of miracle drug costs over three thousand?! You think I’m made of money? Trying to scam me?!"

The staff remained indifferent and pointed to a man who had just left another counter. "See that guy? He just spent 8,000 on post-op care. If you don’t have money, maybe don’t get your girlfriend pregnant."

"Taking a hit to the wallet and still acting smug—what an i***t!" I cursed at the man’s retreating figure. But when I remembered Le Yao’s frail, helpless look after the abortion, I swallowed my anger. Taking out Mi Cai’s bank card, I said, "Can you at least round down the 16 yuan?"

The staff snatched the card from my hand, rolled their eyes, and said, "Since when do hospitals give discounts?"

Walking out with the bag of medicine, my heart bled. Being a lover sure was expensive!

...

Supporting a weak and exhausted Le Yao, we stepped out of the hospital. The drizzle continued, making the air heavy and oppressive.

Le Yao leaned against me as we walked. Suddenly, she asked, "Zhao Yang, a film crew invited me to Hengdian next month for a shoot. Should I go?"

"Is it legit?" I asked gently, though I had no interest in her acting career.

"I’ve already done a makeup test. The director and producer are very satisfied—they think I fit the role well."

"Alright then. You models are always trying to break into acting. If it’s an opportunity, grab it… Oh, here, the doctor prescribed these for your recovery. Take them on time. I’ll text you how to use them later." I handed her the plastic bag.

Le Yao didn’t take the bag immediately. She stared at me for a long time before softly saying, "I only modeled temporarily. Actually, I graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy with a major in acting."

"Damn! No wonder you’re so convincing when scamming me. You’re a professional! I must be blind not to have recognized a top drama school graduate!" I half-mocked, half-teased.

Ignoring my sarcasm, Le Yao looked at me and asked, "Zhao Yang, do you think I’m beautiful?"

"If you weren’t, do you think I would’ve slept with you?" I smirked. She was undeniably gorgeous, with bright eyes, red lips, and a hint of seductive charm.

Le Yao nodded. "Forget Jian Wei. When I become a famous actress, I’ll only love you!" With that, she took the bag and disappeared into the rain.

...

I stood there for a while before coming to my senses. A cold wind blew past, and I suddenly remembered my agreement with Mi Cai to move out before one o’clock. It was already half-past one! I quickly hailed a taxi back to my old place, my mind in chaos. I had just spent 3,016 yuan on medicine using Mi Cai’s card—way over the 1,000 I had promised. Now I owed her 4,016 yuan. How the hell was I going to pay her back?

Thinking of Mi Cai’s beautiful but icy face, I felt completely lost!