Huo Beiting clutched his cheek, fuming, "He did it on purpose! Humiliating me like that."
Huo Jianjun gritted his teeth in anger. "Idiot! Even the experts couldn't tell. How could he have known? Do you still think he's that untouchable golden boy?"
Huo Jianjun sneered coldly. "All of Huo Xingzhou's influence in the Huo Corporation has been uprooted by me. I've paved the road for you. He's nothing but a useless cripple now."
"Dad, what about today's incident? How should I handle it?"
"Donate 50 million yuan to charity tomorrow. I'll arrange for the media to publicize it. You need to act generous, as if money means nothing to you. Don't let people think you're petty."
"Understood."
Huo Beiting felt much more at ease.
"That Su Weiwei... she's just for fun. She's not worthy of you. And her ridiculous excuse for a stepmother? She's delusional."
"I know. I was never serious about her," Huo Beiting smirked. "She's just still useful for now."
Huo Jianjun's anger subsided, his tone indifferent. "Tell Zhuo Feng to increase the dosage. Make sure Huo Xingzhou doesn't live too long."
"Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I was already planning on it," Huo Beiting replied darkly.
That cripple was always a hidden threat, no matter how broken. Years of being overshadowed had left a lingering wariness in him.
The next day, Zhuo Feng made his routine house call for acupuncture.
Aunt Qian eagerly took his medical kit, smiling warmly. "Dr. Zhuo, thank you for your hard work, coming all this way every time."
"Just doing my duty."
"You're so kind," Aunt Qian hesitated before asking, "Dr. Zhuo, do you think our young master can fully recover... in that area? You know, he's so young and just married… And now he's even resorted to taking those pills."
Aunt Qian muttered, clearly distressed.
Zhuo Feng laughed internally—more pills meant a quicker death, which was ideal. Outwardly, however, he maintained his gentle demeanor. "Once his legs are healed, everything else will follow naturally."
Relieved, Aunt Qian sighed, "That's good to hear." She cast a sidelong glance at Zhuo Feng, puzzled as to why the young master had insisted on revealing the pills' situation to him.
She led Zhuo Feng to the master bedroom, where Qiao Xi and Huo Xingzhou were already prepared.
After the acupuncture session, Zhuo Feng commented, "The second young master's condition has improved significantly. We'll need to update the prescription."
He took out several sachets of herbal bath powder from his kit. "This is a new formulation. It's much more effective." Having received instructions from the eldest master the previous night, he'd secretly added some "extra ingredients."
A week of soaking in this, and the man wouldn't survive.
Qiao Xi stepped forward to take the sachets, but Zhuo Feng pulled them back. "I'll need Madam to prepare the bath. I'll stay and observe its effects today."
He wasn't leaving!
Qiao Xi glanced uneasily at Huo Xingzhou, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.
She and Aunt Qian set up the bath and filled it with steaming water while Zhuo Feng poured in the herbal powder. The pungent smell wafted through the air, making Qiao Xi increasingly anxious.
"Help me in," Huo Xingzhou tugged at her sleeve. "What are you standing there for?"
Reluctantly, Qiao Xi helped him into the bath while Zhuo Feng casually flipped through a medical journal nearby, occasionally casting sharp glances at Huo Xingzhou.
Leaning closer, Qiao Xi whispered into Huo Xingzhou's ear, "Mr. Huo, today's herbal powder is toxic!"
"Can you neutralize it?" he murmured, his voice so close it brushed against her cheek.
"Yes."
"Then I'll trust you."
"But if you soak for too long, it'll severely damage your body. Everything you've worked so hard for will be ruined!"
Tears welled up in Qiao Xi's almond-shaped eyes, turning misty with frustration.
Ever since she'd discovered Huo Xingzhou was the founder of the Star Moon Foundation, her admiration for him had only grown. She couldn't bear to see him suffer.
"Don't worry. I'll limit the time," he reassured her.
Choked with emotion, Qiao Xi whispered, "I have an idea."
"What is it?"
Before he could finish, he felt the soft warmth of her lips against his. The kiss was clumsy, rushed, and filled with nervous, uneven breaths, like a wild little animal's.
"This isn't how you kiss," he murmured, his voice low and teasing. "Let me show you."
His hands encircled her neck, pulling her closer into a deep, lingering kiss, one that ignited a fire neither of them could ignore.
The intensity was almost too much, the kind of passion that could burn through any pretense and lay everything bare.
"Hmm!"
Zhuo Feng cleared his throat loudly, breaking the moment. This country girl sure knew how to seduce.
Probably afraid Huo Xingzhou would abandon her once he recovered. Too bad for her—he wouldn't live long enough for that.
"Apologies, Dr. Zhuo," Huo Xingzhou released a blushing Qiao Xi, his tone unbothered. "Newlyweds, you know. Hard to hold back sometimes."
"Carry on, Second Young Master," Zhuo Feng replied icily. "I'll excuse myself."
"Allow Aunt Qian to see you out," Huo Xingzhou offered.
"No need. I know the way."
Carrying his kit, Zhuo Feng walked out, satisfied. With the toxic bath and the added torment of suppressed desires, Huo Xingzhou wouldn't last long.
Why interfere with someone so eager to dig his own grave?
Once the door closed, Huo Xingzhou remarked, "Little physician, your strategy worked brilliantly."
"Let's get you out of the bath first," Qiao Xi replied, helping him to his feet and back to the bed.
She fetched a clean towel, gently wiping away the toxic residue from his back. Moving to his chest, her fingers occasionally brushed against his firm muscles.
The atmosphere grew charged, and Huo Xingzhou's smile faded. The situation reminded him of their first encounter—when she had accidentally "woken" him with her nervous ministrations.
"I'll handle the rest myself," he said abruptly, gripping her wrist firmly as their eyes met.
"All right. I'll prepare the golden needles."
Qiao Xi retrieved her prized needles, sterilized them with alcohol, and began inserting them into his acupuncture points one by one.
Her hands were steady, but her heart ached with every insertion. Unbidden tears slipped from her eyes, landing on his skin like tiny droplets of fire.
Huo Xingzhou felt the sting—not from the needles, but from her tears.
"What are you crying for?"
Qiao Xi hastily wiped her tears away and shook her head. "I'm just so angry. Doctors are supposed to save lives, yet he's using his skills to harm people! And you—"
"So that's what made you cry," he interrupted, his icy gaze softening into something warmer.
"Mr. Huo, why is it that good people don't get good endings?"
Her lashes, glistening with tears, framed her bright, sorrowful eyes, making her look impossibly delicate.
Huo Xingzhou chuckled softly. "Qiao Xi, aren't you my happy ending?"
He reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "You're too soft-hearted. Someone's going to take advantage of that someday."
Qiao Xi stared at him, her heart filling with warmth.
She could feel the unspoken affection and the connection that words couldn't describe, a bond of trust and yearning.
Just as she was about to speak, a loud commotion erupted outside the door.