Yang Chen nodded and smiled at Wang Ma, then turned to Xu Zhihong and said, "Mr. Xu is indeed thoughtful, coming to visit earlier than even me, her husband."
Xu Zhihong maintained his composure and smiled humbly, saying, "Mr. Yang is joking. I have been close with Ruoxi for many years, so when I heard she was sick, I hurried over."
"Oh..." Yang Chen feigned realization and approached with a mischievous smile. "Since Mr. Xu came to visit, I assume you brought some gifts, right?"
Xu Zhihong inwardly cursed him for being shameless and replied, "I only brought some fruits." He pointed to the fruit basket by the bedside. "I know Ruoxi doesn't like extravagance, so I kept it simple as a gesture of goodwill."
Yang Chen walked over to the basket and picked up a bright red apple, weighing it in his hand. Disappointed, he said, "It's a real apple, huh?"
Perplexed, Xu Zhihong asked, "Of course, it's a real apple. What do you mean, Mr. Yang?"
"Hehe," Yang Chen sighed in regret. "I thought someone as wealthy as Mr. Xu would send golden apples or something. Turns out, they're just ordinary apples, no special meaning."
Xu Zhihong felt his lungs tightening. What kind of thoughts does this man have? Golden apples!?
Rebel! Scoundrel! Rascal!
"Mr. Yang, you have quite a sense of humor, hehe," Xu Zhihong forced a smile.
Lin Ruoxi, sitting on the bed, hadn't looked back at the two men. But at this moment, she glanced slightly and caught a glimpse of Xu Zhihong's strained smile. A faint twitch appeared at the corner of her mouth.
If it weren't for the Xu family's influence and business cooperation, Lin Ruoxi would even wish for Xu Zhihong to disappear from this world. After all, if it weren't for his manipulations, Lin Kun wouldn't have caused so much trouble, leaving her exhausted and lying in a hospital bed.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything out of line with Xu Zhihong. So, in a way, Yang Chen's actions were also what Lin Ruoxi hoped to see.
Clearly, Yang Chen wasn't so easily appeased. He waved his hand and said, "I know Mr. Xu's capabilities. Something like a golden apple is certainly nothing to him. It all comes down to whether he is willing to give it. Of course, such a precious item, though it might mean nothing to Mr. Xu, wouldn't be appropriate to casually give to someone unfamiliar. So, my wife and I aren't insisting. If Mr. Xu can give us a real apple, we would be grateful and appreciative."
After finishing his remark, Yang Chen grabbed a tissue and casually wiped the apple in his hand. He opened his mouth wide and took a bite, savoring it. "Not bad, it's very sweet. Mr. Xu has a knack for choosing apples. Maybe he should consider a career change and become a fruit farmer."
Xu Zhihong was about to pass out from exasperation. He had seen shameless people before, but never someone this shameless! With just a few words from this scoundrel, he was now labeled as stingy, a miser, materialistic, and even... a fruit farmer! He came to visit, not to be insulted!
And what's more, damn those sweet apples! There's no way I picked them!
Of course, Xu Zhihong wasn't foolish enough to say, "Someone else bought the apples for me." That would only imply that his sincerity was lacking.
Realizing that he would go crazy if he stayed any longer, Xu Zhihong forced a smile and said, "I have a meeting in the afternoon, so I won't disturb your recuperation, Ruoxi. I'll come to see you when I have time." With that, he quickly left the hospital room.
Wang Ma, who had been holding back her laughter, couldn't help but burst out giggling. "Young master, you really know how to speak. Mr. Xu from the Xu family will probably be furious for days after this."
Yang Chen took big bites of the apple and replied, "No, if he can get so worked up over such a trivial matter, then he should have given up on Ruoxi a long time ago."
"Ah..." Wang Ma glanced at Lin Ruoxi, who remained silent and seemingly absent from the room. "I'll step outside for a moment to chat with Miss."
Once Wang Ma, who had been well-intentioned, left the room, Yang Chen finished eating the apple in his hand and sat down at the bedside, smiling. "My dear Ruoxi, this apple is good. Would you like me to peel one for you?"
Lin Ruoxi continued to stare blankly outside the window, as if she hadn't heard anything.
Satisfied, Yang Chen nodded. "This time, you didn't stop me from calling you like that. That's progress. And you even implied that you wanted to eat the apple. That's even bigger progress. I'll reward you for that and personally peel the apple for you."
Although Lin Ruoxi had witnessed her contract husband's shamelessness many times in the past few days, she still underestimated this guy. Without even saying half a word, she had become the one throwing a tantrum!?
"Can you speak seriously, please?" Lin Ruoxi sighed and turned her head, wanting to have a serious conversation with Yang Chen.
"I've always been serious. What's not serious about a husband peeling an apple for his wife?" Yang Chen laughed and took a fruit knife, the glistening silver blade spinning in his palm with a beautiful 360-degree rotation, as if it were glued to his hand.
Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but be curious and carefully observe Yang Chen's skillful display.
Yang Chen took a well-presented apple and held the fruit knife in his other hand. After a brief pause, the fruit knife swiftly began to work on the apple's skin.
Yang Chen's speed was so fast that Lin Ruoxi, at such a close distance, couldn't discern the precise movements. She could only see the small fruit knife transforming into countless flashes of light, continuously circling around the apple for a while.
Peeling the apple seemed like creating a work of art, similar to sculpting or wood carving. Until the very last moment, you couldn't know what the final result would be.
In less than half a minute, Yang Chen stopped his actions and handed the peeled apple to Lin Ruoxi. "Here, it's the reward from husband to wife."
Lin Ruoxi stared at the peeled apple in front of her, momentarily stunned. Soon after, an inexplicable feeling surged in her heart, and she couldn't help but be captivated...
The once rosy apple had been stripped of most of its skin, but a few delicate strips of peel remained, forming a beautiful red cursive phrase on the apple — "Wishing Baby Good Health."
Realizing that her eyes were a little moist, Lin Ruoxi quickly regained control of her emotions and said, "You always come up with these frivolous and boring things. Peeling an apple and being so cheesy."
"Hehe." Yang Chen blushed, "Actually, I also think it's a bit cheesy, so my lovely wife, please eat it quickly. Or should I feed you?" He brought the apple close to Lin Ruoxi's lips, which were as delicate as porcelain.
"I'll do it myself." Lin Ruoxi hastily snatched the apple from Yang Chen's hand. But when she looked at the vibrant red phrase on the apple, she hesitated for a moment, reluctant to break the silence.
Yang Chen pretended, "Are you reluctant to bite into this beautiful apple? It's okay, I can peel another one for our Ruoxi. But what else should I say..."
"Don't overthink it." Lin Ruoxi immediately took a bite, "I just want to know if you washed your hands."
Seeing Lin Ruoxi start to eat the apple in small bites, Yang Chen stopped teasing her. He couldn't help but find her appearance, with her icy demeanor holding the apple in her hands and silently chewing, somewhat adorable.
"Thank you," Lin Ruoxi suddenly said softly.
Yang Chen doubted whether he had misheard, "What?"
"I said, thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me," Lin Ruoxi raised her head, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters. "I've realized that I don't dislike you as much as I used to."
Yang Chen forced a bitter smile, "No need to thank me. When you eventually fall in love with me and I transition from temporary husband to official, I'll be grateful beyond words."
Lin Ruoxi wasn't angered by such a remark. After pondering for a while, she replied earnestly,
"That's unlikely."
"..."