No one cared what happened to Feng Xue afterwards. Cheng You never saw her again.
In the blink of an eye, it was November, and Cheng You was already eight months pregnant. Snow began to fall in Yan City, and the weather grew colder. With her due date next month, she had already applied to the school to take her final exams early. Just after the winter break, she would have finished her postpartum confinement and could smoothly begin her senior year thesis and defense.
Her belly grew larger and larger, and Song Qinglan was hesitant to let her attend school. The school was crowded, and an accident would be disastrous. But Cheng You felt that with only this little time left, taking the bus to school wouldn't cause any trouble. Once she finished her final exams, she wouldn't come to school anymore.
Compared to Cheng You's happy life, Cai Xiaoyu's was much more bleak. She had dated several men in succession, hoping to find someone like Qi Chengyan to settle down with. However, she discovered that within the entire military region, Qi Chengyan was the only one who was good-looking and had reached a regiment-level position at such a young age. If she wanted to find someone better than Qi Chengyan, she would have to marry his father. The problem was, even his father wouldn't look favorably upon her.
Seeing Cheng You travel to school regardless of the weather, Cai Xiaoyu's heart twisted with envy. She had originally thought of creating some small obstacles to make things difficult for Cheng You, but she was just a teacher in the academic affairs office, and her influence didn't extend that far.
That day, snow fell in Yan City, covering the ground with a thin layer of white. Cai Xiaoyu woke up early and took the bus to school. As she reached the school gate, she happened to see Cheng You's car drive past. She glanced at it and saw that Cheng You could still nap in the car. Comparing oneself to others truly made one furious. Cai Xiaoyu pouted, her face full of displeasure as she walked into the school, her feet already frozen. Before she even entered, she saw a woman, carrying large bags, lingering at the entrance. The woman was wearing a patched plaid shirt, black cloth shoes, had a sun-tanned complexion, and her face was speckled with age spots. Cai Xiaoyu, also from the countryside, immediately recognized her as a countrywoman. A trace of disgust flickered in her eyes as she walked over.
"This is a school, you can't just come in. Hurry and leave."
"This teacher..."
"I'm a teacher."
"Oh... oh, teacher, can you help me find someone? I won't go in, just call her out."
Cai Xiaoyu asked impatiently, "Who are you looking for?"
"Cheng You."
Cai Xiaoyu's eyes widened. "Cheng You? What's your relationship with her?" She sized up the woman in front of her, guessing she was a poor relative from the countryside trying to freeload.
"I'm her stepmother. Her father is dead, and I'm alone in the countryside. I've come to depend on her."
The person was none other than Widow Lin. She could no longer bear the hardship of toiling in the fields in the countryside, so she left Song Yulian's child with her own family and came to Yan City alone. She believed she was Cheng You's mother in name and that Cheng You should naturally provide for her old age.
"Is that so? Then come with me, I'll take you to find her." Widow Lin was overjoyed that things were going so smoothly and followed her in without hesitation. Cai Xiaoyu brought her in but had no intention of getting involved in their affairs. She pointed to Cheng You's classroom and said, "That's her classroom. You can go there yourself." Widow Lin nodded and thanked her. She was actually a little afraid of Cheng You, but for the sake of money, her greed overcame her fear, and she felt there was nothing she couldn't do. She hesitated at the classroom door for a moment, which quickly attracted everyone's attention. It wasn't until someone asked her that she said she was looking for Cheng You.
Cheng You looked out, her gaze chilling. "What a capability to be able to find her here."
Fang Yunbao looked worried. "Cheng You, maybe you shouldn't go out. She doesn't look like a good person."
Cheng You patted her hand. "It's okay, I'll go out and send her away." Otherwise, Widow Lin would keep coming. Fang Yunbao and Cao Yanyan, both worried, got up and followed her out.
Widow Lin knew she was there to ask for money, and with a fawning smile, she said in a low, pleading voice, "Cheng You, I came to see you."
"Just to see me?"
Widow Lin chuckled awkwardly. "Not entirely. I really can't make a living in the countryside anymore. Can you give me some money?"
Cheng You raised an eyebrow. "You're asking me for money?"
Widow Lin's face felt hot under Cheng You's gaze. Even after all the mental preparation on the way, she knew Cheng You had no obligation to support her. But if one wasn't thick-skinned, how could they get money?
"I at least took care of your father for a while. Considering that..."
Cheng You interrupted her. "Considering that, I will get back all the money you sent to your own family before. Cheng Tianhua also left some money and a house before he died. Wen Yu and I didn't take any of it; it was all left to you. Is that not enough, and you still dare to come to me asking for money?"
Widow Lin picked at her hands, saying nervously, "I really can't go on living."
"You have a place to live and things left by Cheng Tianhua. How can you not go on living? If that doesn't work, find someone else to marry. Whatever you do, you shouldn't come to me. I have no obligation to support you."
Seeing her so heartless, Widow Lin's heart sank to the bottom. "I'm your stepmother, after all. How can you be so cruel? I don't need much, just give me a thousand, and I'll never bother you again!"
Cheng You scoffed. "You wouldn't even believe yourself if you said that. If you get a thousand this time, after you spend it, you'll ask me for five thousand. You didn't give birth to me, nor did you raise me. Why should I give you money? If you're not satisfied, report me to the police, sue me. I'll see if there's any logic to your claim."
Cheng You didn't want to deal with her any further and turned to go inside, only to hear Cai Xiaoyu's righteous scolding, "Cheng You, she's your mother. What kind of attitude is that?"
"If you like having a mother so much, take her as your mother and take her home. I don't have this kind of hobby," Cheng You said, glancing at her.
Cai Xiaoyu scoffed. "A stepmother is still a mother. If you treat your stepmother like this, it shows what kind of character you have. It's a shame your classmates trust you so much."
Fang Yunbao rolled her eyes so hard they almost popped out. "If your father had married a stepmother at this age, would you support her too? You set the moral standards for others but not for yourself, right?"
Cheng You couldn't be bothered to argue with her about her family affairs. Oh, no, Widow Lin wasn't her family, so it wasn't a family matter. "As I said, if you want a mother, feel free to take her home and support her well. As a teacher in the academic affairs office, allowing unrelated people into the campus and disrupting students' studies is enough for me to file a complaint against you."
Fang Yunbao chimed in, "If you don't leave, I'll call the security guards!"
Widow Lin lowered her head in embarrassment. She had seen these condescending looks many times before. But today, they felt like needles, piercing her heart. The more she thought about it, the more hatred she felt. Cheng You was so rich; a thousand yuan was nothing to her. Driven by hatred, she could only see Cheng You at that moment and lunged at her fiercely. Fortunately, Cao Yanyan was prepared and instinctively blocked her midway. Despite the impact being cushioned, it still affected Cheng You. She was in her late months of pregnancy and was as fragile as a porcelain doll. She couldn't withstand Widow Lin's shove, and immediately clutched her stomach, her body uncontrollably sliding down.