Chapter 75: Zhou Xinyue Attempts Suicide?

Wang Yuxiang rushed forward protectively to shield her son, glaring back angrily, “Why should my son marry some tainted woman with a child? It was just one night—at most, give Zhou Xinyue some money and send her away with the kid!”

“Now you’re saying to send her away?” Lu Jianshe took a deep breath, his face turning pale with rage. “When Zhizhi brought Zhou Xinyue home, I said from the start that any debt of gratitude could be settled with money. What did you all say back then? That she was pitiful, and should stay so we could take care of her!”

“This is what you call taking care of her? Divorcing your own wife and then taking care of her in bed?”

Lu Jianshe’s lips were trembling. Even though he never really liked Xie Yunshu, at least she came from a proper working-class family. No one would laugh at him, a deputy bureau chief, for that. But now? His reputation was nearly ruined!

Lu Zhizhi knelt on the ground, blood streaking down from his bowed face. He spoke hoarsely, “I only divorced Yunshu to calm her down. What happened with Zhou Xinyue… it was an accident.”

There had been something wrong with that bottle of wine, but he couldn’t find any proof. The impulse that overtook his body was long gone; even going to the hospital showed no abnormalities. When he confronted Zhang Qingshan, the man looked confused and claimed all the wine his wife gave him was unopened.

Thinking back carefully to the events of that day, Lu Zhizhi began to suspect Chen Xue—but even more so, Zhou Xinyue. Why had she come to drink with him out of nowhere? Why had she timed it so precisely with Lin Cuiping’s arrival? Wasn’t all of it aimed at producing exactly this outcome?

The woman he once believed to be kind and innocent—was she actually cunning and manipulative? And now, because of her, he had divorced Yunshu. Wasn’t that the biggest joke of all?

But Zhou Xinyue would never admit to it. All she would do was cry and wail, threatening suicide in the family compound, making it impossible for him to explain himself. Even the hospital director had suspended his appointments, telling him to go home and sort out his personal affairs first.

But he couldn’t marry Zhou Xinyue!

Lu Jianshe looked down at his son in disappointment. “If you don’t marry her, what will people at the hospital think? There’s no way to cover this up.”

Lu Zhizhi bowed his head, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly. “I know the impact is huge, but I can’t marry her. I don’t love her at all! Dad, I’ll handle this. I’ll arrange for her to be transferred out of Haicheng, give her money and a job—anything. But I cannot marry her…”

Lu Jianshe sighed deeply, weighing the possibility. He didn’t want Zhou Xinyue in the Lu family either. Not long ago, he had dinner with the deputy director of the Grain Bureau, and they had casually mentioned Lu Zhizhi’s divorce. The deputy joked that his daughter had always had a crush on Lu Zhizhi and was still unmarried.

Lu Jianshe had seriously considered it at the time. But now—would they still want to marry into the Lu family?

Wang Yuxiang interjected impatiently, “Just give her a thousand yuan and be done with it. It’s not like she’s some chaste maiden. What’s the big deal about sleeping with her?”

When Zhou Xinyue wasn’t threatening the Lu family’s reputation or her son’s future, Wang Yuxiang was happy to spoil her to present herself as a generous and grateful woman. But the moment their name or future was on the line, Zhou Xinyue meant nothing to her.

The room fell into silence. Just as Lu Jianshe was about to nod, Lu Xueting burst in from outside, panic written all over her face. “Mom! Something happened to Zhizhi! Sister Xinyue tried to kill herself—she’s in the hospital now, getting emergency treatment!”

“What?!”

Lu Jianshe jumped to his feet in shock. Lu Zhizhi, still kneeling, suddenly turned his head, eyes bloodshot and full of despair.

If Zhou Xinyue died, he would bear the weight of her life. But if she lived—how was he supposed to say he didn’t want to marry her?

At Haicheng Hospital, even Director Lin was alarmed. Normally, a minor nurse wouldn’t have warranted his attention. But this time was different—Zhou Xinyue was the center of a recent scandal with Lu Zhizhi, and now she had attempted suicide…

He had always seen great potential in Lu Zhizhi—a medical graduate from overseas, skilled and experienced. Since getting married, Lu Zhizhi had dedicated even more time to the hospital. He was the very model of a doctor. Who would’ve thought that a simple act of kindness—saving a life—would create such a mess and cost him everything?

Director Lin sighed. “Zhizhi, everything was set for you to be promoted to deputy director after the New Year. But now—how can I report that up the chain? Even just within the hospital, this won’t pass!”

Personal misconduct might not affect a doctor’s skills, but it absolutely affected promotions!

Lu Zhizhi looked completely defeated, his fists clenched at his sides. “I understand, Director Lin.”

Director Lin felt bitter. Lu Zhizhi had once been his student. After returning to China, he personally recommended him for a senior position. He had always believed that despite his aloof personality, Lu Zhizhi had integrity.

But now, all of this was a slap in the face…

“What do you plan to do? Zhou Xinyue’s life was saved, but this incident has exploded—leadership from above even called me about it just now.” Director Lin hesitated before advising, “At this point, not marrying her is no longer an option. What if she tries to kill herself again?”

Zhou Xinyue was a rescued trafficking victim. And now, she had been “taken advantage of” by her rescuer, then attempted suicide. Even if the facts weren’t exactly like that, rumors would run wild—and colorful.

And not just Lu Zhizhi—Haicheng Hospital’s reputation would be destroyed.

On the way to the hospital, Lu Jianshe had already laid down the law to his son. “It doesn’t matter what started all this. What matters now is the result. If you don’t take responsibility, the entire Lu family will suffer!”

Even Wang Yuxiang didn’t dare object anymore. She could only advise her son, “Zhizhi, just marry Zhou Xinyue for now. You’ve already been divorced once—if it doesn’t work out, just divorce again later! You’re a great catch—finding a better girl won’t be hard!”

Lu Jianshe furrowed his brows but didn’t object. Whether they divorced later or not was irrelevant—what mattered now was marrying her, to show that the Lu family could take responsibility. Otherwise, people would criticize them for the rest of their lives.

Only Lu Xueting shrank back and kept her mouth shut. She had never thought things through—what seemed like innocence was actually just foolishness. How could she have guessed that her suggestion for Sister Xinyue to fake a suicide attempt to force a marriage would terrify her parents and brother like this?

What scared Lu Xueting the most was that it had been her idea for Zhou Xinyue to take the pills and force the marriage…