Lovesickness: You're My Medicine

It was pitch black at night and the air was still.

Tonight felt muggy to Selina.

'Why is it so hot in early summer?' she complained in her mind. The heat was making her sweat. She tossed and turned uneasily, but there seemed to be some mysterious weight pressing down on her body.

A sense of anxiety took over her mind. Sure enough, she felt the warm breath of a man on her neck. The feel of his skin on hers made her dodge him involuntarily. "No," she murmured firmly.

Her fiance always liked to play this game with her. She had told him many times that she would not give her body to him before marriage but that didn't stop him from trying.

The man chuckled, and his actions became more aggressive, with no intention of letting her go.

Selina wanted to push him away, but all her strength seemed to have vanished. Her eyelids felt so heavy that she failed to open her eyes.

She raised her hands and shoved his head away to discourage him.

His hair felt soft and smooth in her fingers.

But her fiance had a crew cut. The man on top of her was not her fiance!

Shocked, she woke up with a jolt.

"Who are you? Ah!" She shrieked in terror. A strange man was lying on top of her in the middle of the night! Who was he? ...

The man raised his head and his eyes met Selina's in the dim moonlight.

His eyebrows were thick, his eyes were big and bright, and his nose was long and straight. The faint smile lines on the corners of his eyes indicated that he must laugh often. Selina couldn't take her eyes off him. She was sure that she didn't know this man. And if she did, how could she have forgotten such a beautiful face? He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, just like a TV star. But he was on top of her. Seeing her surprised expression, the man smiled suddenly.

Strangely, his smile made Selina feel warm inside at that moment. "What's wrong?" asked the man kindly, raising his eyebrows.

"You...! Who are you?" Selina asked softly. What she really wanted to know was why he was in her bed in the middle of the night.

The man blinked innocently and stated matter-of-factly, "Selina, I'm Aron." He reached out and gently caressed her face. "What's the matter?" The man's voice was deep and magnetic. His voice stirred something in Selina's soul.

Aron? Selina's mind went blank. Did she know this man? Why was her memory blurred about him?

Worse than that, she let out a moan, unable to control herself. "Oh, Aron!" Why would she act like this?

She wanted to tell him to leave as she didn't know him and turn away, but her words and actions weren't in sync.

The man grabbed her hands, and her eyes widened. Her body reacted in a way that was beyond her expectations.

She should have felt sick or scared, or both.

She shouldn't be enjoying this!

The man's hands and mouth were like magic. Selina couldn't help mewling like a kitten and rubbing against his lithe body.

She was a bad woman. After all, she had a fiance!

How could she give her first night to a stranger?

Her mind was telling her one thing but her body was telling her another. She couldn't help calling out his name, "Aron!"

Suddenly, her eyes shot open.

The breeze was blowing against the curtains and dawn was breaking outside. Selina sat up bed, clutching her chest as her heart pounded violently.

There was no one else in bed with her.

She patted her chest, hips, and legs in a panic. Thankfully, her clothes were still intact on her body.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Touching her forehead, she found that it was drenched in perspiration.

She must have been sweating last night.

Fortunately, it was all just a dream.

But that dream was so real that she was afraid it might just be true.

She was still catching her breath when the harsh ringtone of her phone startled her. She quickly turned to grab the phone. However, in her haste, she knocked it off the bed and onto the ground. It fell with a clang and instantly dismembered into three pieces. At least, it stopped the incessant ringing.

With a cry of frustration, Selina leaned over the bed to retrieve her broken phone. She couldn't reach it despite making several attempts, so she leaned out further until the tips of her fingers brushed the scattered parts of the phone. "Thud!" Her head hit the pillar of the bed. She blinked several times, feeling dizzy before coming to her senses.

Such bad luck! She hissed in pain.

At the thought of the appointment she had this morning, she came to her senses suddenly. She would be late if she didn't hurry. Rubbing her face, she quickly turned off the alarm clock, jumped out of bed, and opened the door of her bedroom.

The house was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop.

She padded to the door of her father's room. It was open and the quilt was neatly folded. He must have gone out.

Taking a deep breath, she ambled out to the kitchen, where she washed some rice and put it in the pot to cook it. Then she went to wash herself.

While she was brushing her teeth, a new message popped up on her broken phone. With toothpaste bubbles all over her mouth, Selina made a comical sight. She put down the gargle cup and swiped her phone, "Don't forget about today's party. I had an operation this morning. You can go to my office and get the test results." The sender of the message was Jay Cheng.

As she brushed her teeth, Selina thought irritably, 'Wasn't it just a test report? Why does he have to remind me repeatedly? Hadn't he already asked me to make a memo about this? No matter how careless I am, I wouldn't forget this task.'

She bent down to rinse her mouth and then unbuttoned her collar to reveal her neck and collarbones, taking her back to last night's dream.

Would there be a mark on her neck if the dream was real?

She inspected herself in the mirror carefully.

Her fair skin was smooth and clear. There was no sign of any love bites.

"Well, perfect!" She snapped her fingers triumphantly.

It was indeed a dream.

She buttoned up her collar absent-mindedly. 'Am I crazy? I really thought that I had lost my precious virginity to a stranger.

I must be insane!' She shook her head vigorously, trying to erase all the bad memories. The porridge was boiling and bubbling over on the stove. It was splashing out, making a sizzling sound. She screamed and ran out of the bathroom. Once again, her haste proved to be her undoing this morning. She sprained her ankle hard as she raced down the stairs.

She howled in pain. Hopping over to the stove, she finally turned it off but the porridge had already spilled over. She rubbed her ankle and the corner of her mouth twitched. Rebuking herself mentally, she thought, 'Selina, could you be more distracted?'

As she put on her clothes, she dialed a number.

"Beep, beep, beep." There was a busy tone on the other end of the line. Who could her fiance be talking to? She had been trying to reach him for the last half an hour but his phone was constantly engaged.

Why was he so busy this early in the morning? She didn't have the time to dwell on it. It was almost time for her appointment with Jay Cheng.

She ended the call, put on her high heels, grabbed her key and bag, and ran out of the house.

"Oh, wait!" She stopped abruptly and instantly felt a sharp pain in her sprained ankle. Hobbling back home, she rushed into the living room.

Having no time to take off her shoes, she quickly lit three incense sticks and bowed respectfully a few times before she placed them in front of a memorial tablet. She muttered, "I'm sorry, Mom. I almost forgot. Good morning. I'm going out."

She bowed two times with her hands clasped together before dashing out of the house again, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Meanwhile, her phone lay in front of the memorial tablet. The battery signal light flashed once and then went out.

As she drove out of the parking lot, she touched her pocket and found that it was empty. Her expression soured. She chuckled and blinked cutely. "Uncle John, I forgot to bring my card. Could you let me pass, please?"

The security guard glanced at her and shook his head. "Miss Selina, this is the third access card you have lost this month!"

Staring at him with her big eyes, Selina explained, "No, no! I just forgot to bring it with me."

The security guard pressed a button and the barricade slowly swung up, allowing her to leave. Selina stuck out her tongue and thanked the security guard. She drove off, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

"This careless little girl," said the security guard, shaking his head. Selina was too adorable for anyone to reprimand her.

Even though it was Saturday morning, there were lots of patients in the First Hospital.

"Where is my phone?" Selina murmured as she rummaged through her bag frantically. How could she be so unlucky today? Now how would she find out which department Jay Cheng was in? How would she get the report from him? Did she lose her phone? Or did she forget to bring it?

She had no choice but to go to the reception desk and inquire about Jay Cheng's whereabouts. It was so embarrassing.

As she was making her way to the reception desk, Selina was almost run over by a gurney. She quickly moved aside. The woman on the bed curled up in pain, holding her big belly.

Several people were pushing the gurney and sweating nervously. They were on a rampage. Selina would have been knocked down to the ground if she had not been fast enough.

She knew how dangerous it was for a woman to give birth to a baby, and even though the woman's attendants and relatives almost knocked her over, she would have made way for her.

The nurse shouted, "Hello, are you having a baby? Go to the delivery room."

One of the family members responded anxiously, "I'm sorry. The doctor said that it is premature so the baby might be aborted. She can't give birth to it!"

A doctor from the emergency ward had arrived. "Hurry up! Get her to the emergency room. How can you say she cannot deliver the child now? The baby is about to be born. Do you want us to push it back? Huh?"

They hurriedly wheeled the sobbing pregnant woman into the emergency operating room. Selina couldn't help but follow them.

Did she hear it wrong?

The man's voice was very familiar.

It sounded just like the voice on the phone last night, "Good night, my Selina."

She must have misheard.

Selina followed them into the emergency ward.

As the gurney was wheeled along the corridor, it left a trail of blood in its wake. The nurses quickly mopped up the blood, as if nothing had happened.

The door of the operating room was ajar but Selina didn't dare to look inside. The people sitting around her had pained expressions on their faces. Someone had bloodstains on their body, while another was holding a crying child, and another had a drip bottle attached to their body.

This ghastly sight sent a shiver down Selina's spine.

The emergency room was a place she hated the most. It was filled with pain and despair, and the possibility of instant separation from life hung in the air. When she thought of the scene a few years ago, it brought back heartbreaking memories, making her tremble all over.

"Francis! It hurts so much!" The woman in the operating room was in agony. She cried loudly, "Am I going to deliver now? Francis?"

Selina's heart skipped a beat. Why was she calling out that name over and over again? Could it be the same guy?

Selina's suspicion was confirmed when she heard a familiar voice say soothingly, "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here! Don't worry. Our baby will be fine, and so will you."

There was a burst of rapid footsteps, and Selina, who was standing at the door of the operating room, was shoved to the side. She quivered anxiously as she saw the woman running to the operating room.

"Francis! Has she delivered already?" Came another panicked cry. The voice exploded in Selina's ears like a bolt of thunder.

She slowly turned around and stared at the woman. Her eyes were full of confusion. Feeling uneasy, she called, "Aunt?"

In two months, she would have been calling the same woman "mother". Today, however, it was difficult for Selina to even call her aunt.

The woman took a step back. She was bewildered and at a loss for words. "Ah, it's you, Selina," she spluttered. "What are you doing here?" asked the woman hastily. Feeling flustered and worried about the situation in the operating room, she couldn't help straining her neck to see what was going on inside.

"Is he inside?" asked Selina immediately. She was desperate to know.

Just then, the door of the operating room was pushed open, and a man was shoved out. "She is about to give birth. Your family should not come in. We need to operate immediately!"

The man held on to the handle of the door and begged, "Please, doctor! We've seen the B-Ultrasonography. It's definitely a boy. Please save my son!"

The woman inside cried sadly, "Francis, Francis..."

However, the door closed, drowning out her cries.

The man sighed and turned around. He ran a hand through his hair in dismay. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Selina standing in front of him!

"Selina? Why are you here?" The other woman signaled to him and hurriedly tried to mediate.

"Oh, that is one of his friend's wife. We just brought her to the hospital for her delivery as it's so dangerous. You know that my son has many friends. His friend was going out of town, so he asked Francis to take care of his wife. She went into labor all of a sudden, so he brought her to the hospital..."

Francis interrupted, "Mom, stop it." He was still in his underwear and vest, as if he had jumped out of bed in a hurry. He didn't look like he was fully awake yet. "I don't want to hide it anymore. I have promised her that if she gives birth to a son this time, I will marry her..."

Selina interrupted, "I'm not interested in listening to your discussion with your mother. The baby... Is it yours?" She was staring at him nervously.

"Yes," he admitted. "I have been with her for a long time," he explained.

"And what about me?" Selina asked, feeling crushed. She clenched her fists in anger. If the woman in the operating room was the mother of his child, then what position did Selina hold in his life anymore? From the first time that they met at a party to their whirlwind romance, his incessant wooing, to meeting her father, and finally her acceptance of his proposal-everything replayed in her mind. Their wedding date was set and they had even taken the pre-wedding photos! How could he say that he was with this other woman for a long time? And now she was even giving birth to his baby!

Still reeling from the shock of the news she had just received, Selina tried to compose herself.

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" She asked the man who was supposed to become her husband in two months. Selina was trembling in anger.

"I don't think you deserve an explanation!" Francis glared at her with disdain. "Just because you're a teacher, you don't have to pretend to be pure and innocent. I can't stand you! I want to throw up whenever I see you! If it hadn't been for the fact that you can support me in the future, thanks to your fixed income, I would have never thought of marrying you! But now I have had enough!" He spat on the ground. The mere sight of her disgusted him. "How many chances did I give you? But you kept refusing me over and over again! I know you don't want to give yourself to me because you don't like me! Do you think I'm a man or not? Forget that! You have never even thought of me as your man. But that woman in there? She is willing to do so much for me! She wanted to give me a son without even having the legal status of being my wife! As for you... You can just hold on to your virginity for the rest of your life!"

Aron Yang, who was passing by at that moment, heard Francis's explicit words. He wanted to get to the door, which was blocked by Francis and Selina. They were so agitated that they didn't notice him at all.

"You have hopes of me supporting you for the rest of your life. And you call yourself a man?"

"Oh! If I'm not man enough, how can that woman inside be pregnant?"

Taking off the ring on her hand, Selina said, "Okay, since she is, we'll break up! I'm calling off the engagement!" She threw the ring on the ground, as if it was diseased.

Francis didn't seem affected by this at all. He picked up the ring casually and blew the dust off it. "I don't want to marry you anyway. You can pay me back for the engagement fees, the gold, and the gift. And if you don't, I'll go to your school and create a scene there until you give it to me!" he yelled petulantly.

Aron Yang was flabbergasted at the man in front of him. 'How could a man be so shameless?' Not wanting to witness the fight any longer, Aron Yang finally said, "Can I go through? You're blocking my way!"

Francis roared, "Can't you go the other way? My woman is giving birth inside. Will you take responsibility if it is not a son? Huh?" He saw Aron Yang's white gown and growled, "What's your number? Better behave yourself or else I'll make a complaint!"

The woman inside let out a gut-wrenching cry of pain. The doctors sounded relieved. "Yes, yes!"

"Doctor, is it a boy? Is it? Please tell me! I'm dying to know!" asked Francis hysterically.

The baby wasn't crying.

The doctor lifted up the baby and patted it a few times before it finally squealed. However, its voice was as soft as a mosquito's. "The baby's weight is very low-4.2 pounds, premature birth, and birth suffocation," stated the doctor clinically. "Well, inform Aron from the pediatric department to come and take the child."

Selina grabbed Francis's wrist and turned him around, not knowing where she got the strength from. "Francis! Enough! You got engaged to me while you were having this affair on the side! And now you're threatening to come to my school? Shame on you!" she screeched.

"I have nothing left to say to you. Except for this, Selina: It's all your fault! I have the same wants and desires as any other man! Don't think that just because you are beautiful and a little educated, you are great. You are difficult to be with. I don't want to marry a woman like you. Humph! You don't have to be so conceited just because you are a teacher! You should consider yourself lucky that someone like me chased you!"

Aron Yang couldn't stand it anymore. He pushed Francis away rudely and said, "If you don't let me go, you will be responsible for the consequences!"

"Who the hell are you?" Francis demanded angrily.

Just then, the door opened. Francis couldn't wait to rush in, but the doctor stopped him and said, "You can't take the child home yet. The mother has to be hospitalized, and the child has to be sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I'm sorry." The doctor handed the baby to Aron, who took the infant and smiled coldly at Francis.

"I'm sorry. Were you asking who I am? Well, I'm the attending doctor for your son."

Embarrassed and annoyed, Francis stamped his feet hard and vented his anger on Selina. Pointing his finger at her, he snapped, "This is all your fault! If she hadn't seen your call this morning, she wouldn't have got upset and fallen down. It is all because of you that she went into labor prematurely and the baby is in this condition!"

Selina couldn't bear it anymore. She slapped him hard.

The sound of the slap was so loud that Aron Yang was shocked. 'That must be so hurt! But her hand must also hurt after hitting this guy so hard.

Will wonders ever cease? How could they fight so fiercely at the door of the emergency room?'

Aron Yang thought to himself as he stared incredulously at the petite girl.

"Francis, I was so blind in love that I wanted to marry you in two months! Fortunately, I've seen your true colors today. I was spared a lifetime of deceit. Anyway, I hope you live happily with your son and wife for the rest of your life!" With that, Selina straightened her back and walked away with dignity. "You are lucky to get rid of this bastard, Selina!" she muttered. The tears were threatening to spill from her eyes but she took a deep breath and held them back.

A crowd had gathered near the emergency room. They had witnessed the entire drama. Aron Yang was surprised to see the proud woman limping past him with her head held high. She was in a mess, but still so graceful and poised. The bystanders whispered among themselves and pointed at her receding figure, and the man behind her even spat at her, but she just marched onward without turning around to glare at him.