Chapter 150: An Explosion Occurs at Guangzheng Group!

The deep roar of the engines echoed as the aircraft slowly lifted off the ground.

Sitting in the economy cabin, Shi Runrun leaned back against her seat and gently placed a hand over her lower abdomen.

As the sensation of weightlessness gradually washed over her, she whispered inwardly to herself, and to the little ones nestled inside her belly.

"You must be strong. You must hold on. From now on, I have to walk this path alone. No one will help you. You must live well and survive."

"My babies, even if you have no father, it doesn't matter. Mommy will give you even more love. Mommy will protect and cherish you for the rest of my life."

Forty minutes after takeoff, the plane leveled off and entered cruising mode.

The flight attendant began pushing the meal cart down the aisle to serve refreshments.

The economy class meal was very simple: a small roll, a small packet of peanuts, and a bottle of water.

However, when it was Shi Runrun's turn, the flight attendant handed her an exquisite and luxurious meal instead.

It wasn't served in the usual simple paper box; it was presented on a proper dining tray, carefully and artfully arranged.

On top was a pan-seared and sliced steak, alongside a portion of fresh fruit and a cup of yogurt.

Shi Runrun was startled. Why was her meal so extravagant, differing so vastly from those of the other economy passengers?

The flight attendant smiled as she answered her unspoken question: "A first-class passenger specifically requested this for you. He said you don't need to thank him, and if it's not enough, you can ask for more."

A first-class passenger?!

Shi Runrun felt a slight jolt in her heart, a sudden tightening in her chest.

Could there be someone on this plane who knew her?

Could it be... him?

For a fleeting second, Shi Runrun's breathing turned ragged!

No, it couldn't be him, nor anyone from his circle!

From the airport to boarding, she had been extremely careful. No one was tailing her, so it couldn't possibly be him.

Besides, he had already told her that they would never meet again, not even in life or death. It wouldn't be him...

Shi Runrun forced herself to calm down. She thanked the flight attendant and accepted the delicate meal, her mind swirling with a thousand questions.

Along with the food, the flight attendant also handed her a soft woolen blanket.

Amidst her bewilderment, Shi Runrun felt a sudden warmth blooming in her chest. So even at a time like this, there was still someone, in some place unknown to her, silently watching over her and helping her...

Whoever this person might be, she was truly grateful...

...

Three hours later, the aircraft touched down smoothly at S City International Airport.

...

Shi Runrun dragged her suitcase off the plane and emerged from the airport exit amidst the steady stream of passengers.

The weather in S City was quite different from that of Beijing. At the end of July, it wasn't nearly as scorching as she had imagined.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the ocean, the temperature here was just right. A gentle breeze was blowing, carrying a comforting coolness that made her feel instantly relaxed.

Dragging her luggage, she paused at the exit and glanced back.

For a fraction of a second, she thought she caught sight of a familiar figure.

That familiar person, clad in a white short-sleeved shirt and black casual trousers, possessed a quiet elegance that flashed before her eyes.

Yet, it was gone in a blink. When she closed her eyes and reopened them to look closer, he had vanished...

Shi Runrun stood in a daze, telling herself it couldn't possibly be such a coincidence. She had chosen this city at random; surely she wouldn't encounter him here...

Then who was it? Who had followed her all the way to S City?

...

Two months later, Shi Runrun was nearly five months pregnant.

Her belly grew larger by the day. Because she was carrying triplets, her five-month bump was vastly larger than that of a typical pregnancy at the same stage.

Her mobility was becoming severely limited.

Early that morning, she set out from a cheap rented apartment in the suburbs of S City to visit the hospital.

She had been here for two months now. The apartment lease had required three months' rent plus a security deposit, costing nearly ten thousand yuan. Combined with her living expenses over the past two months, she had unknowingly spent over ten thousand yuan.

She budgeted meticulously and was extremely frugal with herself, thinking that if she saved a little now, her babies would have a better life once they were born.

She had found a job a few kilometers away from her apartment, working as a supermarket cashier.

Aside from the drawback of having to stand for long hours, she was quite satisfied with everything else: the salary, the working hours, and the workload.

Finally, step by step, she was beginning to find her footing in this city.

Today's trip to the hospital was for her very first prenatal checkup.

She should have gone much earlier, but she had begrunced the expense, convincing herself that her babies must be strong and healthy, striving alongside her inside her belly.

There were quite a few tests scheduled for today, including the Down syndrome screening she had missed earlier, as well as a structural anomaly scan.

Although Shi Runrun trusted that her babies wouldn't be so fragile as to encounter any unexpected issues, as she sat in the hospital hallway waiting for the results after the examinations were over, her heart still contracted nervously.

To say she wasn't worried would be a lie.

As a mother, how could she not fret over whether her little ones were entirely healthy?!

She prayed silently in her heart, pleading with the heavens not to be so cruel to her anymore.

...

She had already lost everything; the only things she had left were the three precious babies in her womb, and she needed every single one of them to be safe and sound.

At last, the test results came out. Unable to decipher the medical jargon, she took the stack of report sheets into the consultation room to ask the doctor.

Listening to the physician rattle off various technical terms, she stood there in a daze, until the doctor finally said, "Miss Shi, the condition of all your children is completely healthy." Only then did she finally let out a breath of relief.

However, the doctor also pointed out that she was currently much too thin. Given that she was carrying triplets, if she didn't boost her nutritional intake and continued to overexert herself, there could be considerable risks during delivery.

Stepping out of the hospital, Shi Runrun replayed the doctor's words in her mind over and over until she finally made a firm decision.

She decided to work for just two more months before resigning from her job at the supermarket.

She would rely on her savings to tide her through until her babies safely entered the world, and only then would she look for a new job.

...

Life returned to a calm routine, and time flew by exceptionally fast.

In the blink of an eye, another three months slipped away.

The weather grew chilly, transitioning rapidly from late autumn into deep winter.

Shi Runrun was now over eight months pregnant. Her belly had grown to an exaggerated size, her weight had skyrocketed, and her feet were so swollen that she could no longer stand on them.

The moment her feet touched the floor, sharp pain shot through her.

All day long, she was confined to the bed. Whenever she forced herself to get up and cook, she did so through sheer willpower, keeping a stool right beside the stove so she could collapse onto it and rest the moment fatigue overtook her.

Moreover, she couldn't sleep well at night.

Between her massive belly, the frequent fetal movements, and the lingering shadow of past events, she found it impossible to toss and turn into a peaceful slumber. Whenever she closed her eyes, she inevitably found herself thinking of him...

Thinking of him, far away in Beijing...

The haunting nightmare of longing tortured her day after day, night after night!

This was the first time she truly experienced the profound hardship and bitter toil of motherhood.

Yet, hard as it was, difficult as it was, she had believed that if she just endured and held on with all her might, she could peacefully make it to her due date.

Then, that afternoon, a news broadcast on television instantly captured her attention.

"We interrupt with a breaking news flash: Guangzheng Group, a leading enterprise in Beijing, has suffered a sudden explosion, resulting in numerous fatalities and dozens of missing persons. The specific cause of the blast is still under investigation..."

These words pierced her ears, causing Shi Runrun—who was holding a teacup of hot water—to freeze completely!

Clatter!

With a violent shudder, her hand shook, and the glass cup slipped from her grasp, shattering into pieces all over the floor.