Chapter 86 - Bruise

....

While they were in the car, Tian Le murmured to himself, "She's cooking curry... All for herself?" 

Han Ye was driving, and he glanced at the rearview mirror to see Tian Le who was sitting at the backseat. He heard what Tian Le was murmuring about and said, "Maybe she's only cooking a small portion..."

Tian Le glanced at him and said, "But curry is meant for sharing..."

"Well, based on breakfast today," Han Ye chuckled and said, "we have established that she can eat quite a lot..." 

Han Ye did a small calculation earlier, and for the breakfast earlier, Xiao Lei order 25 dishes, which amounted to almost $200. The money was nothing to him, but he wondered how did she manage to feed herself until now, given that he knew about her destitute situation.

"Still... It must be lonely for her to stay by herself..." Tian Le murmured. He then leaned forward and grabbed the passenger seat's headrest. With a curious tone, he asked, "Brother Han Ye, Brother Ziyan... Did you guys know that her husband disappeared?" 

Han Ye nodded. 

Lu Ziyan, who knew nothing, shook his head. He then stared at Han Ye and asked, "How did you know?" 

"We talked before. Well, I somehow questioned her before..." Han Ye answered honestly. Since both of them knew what Callum and Luo Guangying was doing, Han Ye was fine telling them about it. He glanced at Lu Ziyan briefly before he said, "She's the surrogate mother for Director... I mean, Callum and Guangying." 

Lu Ziyan and Tian Le gasped at the revelation. 

"They finally found someone!" Tian Le said with a happy expression and a clap. He was glad that the two could finally "procreate". 

"When?" Lu Ziyan asked curiously. 

"Just a few days ago... That was when I met Xiao Lei," Han Ye said. He then explained everything to the other two. By the time he was done, the other two was quiet for a while. 

"But what if her husband returns and finds her pregnant?" Tian Le asked with a worried tone. Some men would find it hard to accept, even if it was only a surrogacy. He was worried that if her husband were to return, it might cause some struggle between the parties involved. 

Han Ye shrugged. "She needs the money... I think her life's pretty hard, so this would be good for her. She could earn some money, and those two could get the baby that they want..." 

"Poor Sister Xiao Lei... Her parents passed away, and now her husband disappeared as well..." Tian Le sighed. He might be an orphan, but at least, he had a good life at the orphanage that he stayed in previously. Since he had never had any parents, he never experienced what it was like to lose them.

"What?" Han Ye frowned. "She didn't tell me that. She only told me that she grew up on the street and that her husband practically raised her..." 

Before this, he thought that she was just a street orphan.

"Well, we were talking earlier, and she said that her parents passed away when she was 10. So, that's probably when she was kicked to the street? I didn't ask too much about it because she seemed sad when we talked about her parents... Though I wonder why she didn't just go to an orphanage."

Han Ye nodded. Before this, he did not ask much because he felt that there would only be so much information that he could get out from her voluntarily.

But that did not mean that he had not thought about it as well. Even though life at an orphanage might not be that good, but at least she would be able to have a proper identity. And she would have been able to get a proper job... Unlike now, where her lack of identification doc.u.ments caused her to be unable to do anything. 

Han Ye thought to himself, "Was she bullied by someone at her first orphanage? Or... Is she hiding from someone?"

He decided to look into it more when he had more time to spare. He then asked Tian Le, "What else did you guys talk about?" 

"Some things..." Tian Le said. He leaned back against his chair and crossed his leg. As he massaged his calf, he suddenly said, "Oh, oddly enough, she seemed to be slightly affected when I told her about your wife..." 

"Oh? Yuexue?"

Tian Le nodded. He placed his leg down and said, "I know that expression... Mama Zhen and my girlfriend had it as well... It's the expression of someone who tried to bottle their emotions up. Like they are trying to hide something."

His girlfriend often had that expression, especially after he bullied her. Fortunately, he could always tell, and he would always comfort her later.

"Maybe she knows someone with the same name?" Lu Ziyan said. Wu was a common surname, and Yuexue was quite a popular name for girls as well. 

Han Ye nodded. "Probably... I know most of Yuexue's friends. If she's one of her friends, then I'd have met her for sure..."

"Oh," Lu Ziyan suddenly said, "by the way, Han Ye, buy her an ointment later."

"What for?" Han Ye asked in a curious tone. 

"Bruise. I noticed earlier that she has quite a big bruise at the back of her left thigh." 

"Why are you looking at her thighs?" Han Ye asked with a chuckle. 

Lu Ziyan gave him a "are you joking now" gaze before he said, "I'm always looking at people's thighs. It comes with the moving chair."

Han Ye smiled unapologetically as he said, "Oh right... Sorry..."

Everyone knew that he was joking earlier, and Lu Ziyan did not take it to heart since he often joked by using his disability as well. 

"Anyway, in case I forget, remind me to get her one later." 

Han Ye nodded. He then thought, "That was probably caused by the fall I heard last night..."