The snow was not heavy, only dampening a thin layer of the road surface.
Scattered snowflakes landed on the window and quickly melted into water.
Nan Yu stretched out her hand and tried to touch the snowflakes through the window.
It was ice - cold, taking away some of the warmth from her fingertips. She quickly withdrew her hand.
Tan Linyuan remained focused throughout. The fog was affecting the driving visibility, so he had to be extra vigilant.
The car was moving very slowly, driving at the minimum speed limit.
At first, Nan Yu seemed calm, but as time passed, her complexion became increasingly strange.
It had been less than two hours since they got on the highway.
Nan Yu endured it again and again until cold sweat broke out on her forehead and her face turned alternately red and pale.
Finally, she softly said, "Tan Linyuan... I'm not feeling well."
Hearing this, Tan Linyuan's heart skipped a beat.
But he remained calm. Given the current driving situation, he couldn't afford to be distracted: "Where do you feel unwell?"
Nan Yu swallowed hard. Knowing that he couldn't be distracted at this moment, she calmly replied, "It seems my water has broken."
Her due date was originally a month later. She had even gone to the hospital for a check - up before coming to Jingbei.
The doctor said she wouldn't give birth anytime soon and the delivery would most likely be postponed.
But the feeling at the moment was very real.
Hearing this, Tan Linyuan frowned slightly. He was truly shocked inside, but remained calm on the surface.
He tightly grasped the steering wheel and said in a calm tone, "I'll turn around at the next junction. We'll go back to Jingbei right away."
He tried his best to soothe Nan Yu's nerves, even though his own palms were starting to sweat slightly.
He tried not to think about the worst - case scenarios.
Why did it have to be this moment?
Fine, if it had to be this moment, why did it have to be on the highway?
Moreover, in such bad weather?
He closed his eyes for a moment. "Take a deep breath. We still have time."
Nan Yu knew this was the best solution. "Yeah, it's okay. I don't feel any pain yet."
Nan Yu had done some research before. Even if the water broke, there was still some time before the baby was born.
If they could get back to the hospital in Jingbei, everything would be okay.
Before Tan Linyuan could drive the car off the highway, Nan Yu began to feel contractions.
Her face turned deathly pale and her hands involuntarily clenched.
Tan Linyuan noticed the change out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "Yu Yu, are you okay?"
Nan Yu shook her head. The pain was so unfamiliar. She felt the dampness between her legs getting more intense.
She started to panic. "Tan Linyuan, we might need to drive faster."
The meaning behind this sentence was self - evident.
Tan Linyuan's expression turned solemn as he looked at the thick fog in front of the car.
The snow had gotten heavier than before. The fog and snow almost made the road invisible.
He hesitated for two seconds and then increased the speed of the car slightly.
Nan Yu felt the pain in her body increasing exponentially every second. It was almost suffocating.
She gritted her teeth. The hair on her forehead was soaked with cold sweat from the pain, but she didn't let out a single cry.
She couldn't let Tan Linyuan lose his composure.
Tan Linyuan still drove the car steadily. He calmly gave instructions, asking Nan Yu to call the hospital and have them meet them at the highway exit.
The earlier the medical staff could intervene, the greater the chance of ensuring her and the baby's safety.
After hearing this, Nan Yu quickly reached for her phone and lowered her head to dial the number.
The moment the call was connected, Nan Yu said in a panicked voice, "Hello, I'm a pregnant woman. My husband and I are on the highway. It seems my water has broken. Could you please..."
Before she could finish her sentence, a huge crashing sound echoed, so sharp that it seemed to pierce one's eardrums -
A giant freight truck was heading straight towards them!
The fog and snow had made Tan Linyuan react two seconds slower. He immediately turned the steering wheel to avoid the collision.
But it was already too late. Their car was still hit and careened out of control into the guardrail...
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Tan Linyuan opened his eyes amidst the sirens and shouts.
He didn't even notice the pain in his body. Instinctively, he turned his head to look at the person in the passenger seat.
The sight of all the blood almost made his nerves snap.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his throat.
He lost all his hearing.
All his senses seemed to fade away at that moment, and all his reactions became slow and dull.
He watched as Nan Yu shed tears, her mouth opening and closing. The shape of her lips formed two words: "Baby".
Tan Linyuan struggled to grab her hand.
Their fingers intertwined tightly, as if nothing could separate them.
Countless images flashed before his eyes, and finally, they all settled on one sentence -
"You are fated to be a lone star. You will have no wife or children in this life and will spend it alone. If you insist on going against fate, you will only bring disaster to others."
He closed his eyes weakly, resigned.
He deserved it.
...
The driver of the freight truck that rammed into them died on the spot. Fortunately, Tan Linyuan had reacted quickly and turned the car in time.
The road was slippery due to the thin layer of snow, and the car hit the highway guardrail.
Although both of them were injured, compared to being crushed by the freight truck, it was really a stroke of luck.
At least, both of them were still alive.
When Tan Linyuan woke up, he saw Liang Yi.
Due to the bad weather, the plane couldn't take off. Liang Yi had just returned to the hotel cursing when he heard the news and rushed to the hospital immediately.
"Awake?" Liang Yi crossed his arms and looked down at Tan Linyuan lying on the bed. "You're really lucky. You just twisted your neck."
Tan Linyuan's neck was fixed with a brace, and there was pain in other parts of his body.
But he didn't care about that. His first words were, "Where's Nan Yu?"
Liang Yi was taken aback and replied slowly, " ... She's still in the emergency room."
These four words made Tan Linyuan's heart sink. His vision went dark.
He didn't ask any more questions. He struggled to get up. "I'll go and have a look."
"What good will it do if you go? Can you perform the surgery or give birth for her?"
Liang Yi interrupted him. He wanted to mock him at first, but he held back. " ... Wait until the result of the emergency treatment comes out. I'm in good shape. I'll inform you as soon as there's any news."
Tan Linyuan was silent for a moment.
He thought for a long time. After making up his mind, he softly said, "The baby..."
Even with Liang Yi's carefree personality, he was silent for a few seconds and didn't answer directly. "You two are still young. After you've recovered, you'll surely have two kids in three years..."
"Stop talking." Tan Linyuan turned his head, took a deep breath, and said in a calm voice, "I'm sorry to her."
Before he lost consciousness, he was still touching her pregnant belly.
That was their baby.
At that moment, he had prayed sincerely, begging the Buddha to show mercy and at least protect her and the baby...
But the Buddha didn't hear his prayer.