"What kind of junk did you send? It almost got my brother killed!" Huo Sijiao's voice rang out, sharp and piercing. "Last night, my brother was almost scolded to death by my parents!"
"That's a great thing! You girls just don't understand!"
Zhou Yu defended himself, his tone filled with indignation.
"Great thing, my foot! Don't think I don't know what it is." Huo Sijiao sneered disdainfully, holding a steaming pot of chicken soup.
"I can't explain it to you," Zhou Yu huffed, clearly frustrated. He felt as though he must have owed these siblings something in a past life.
Inside the Room
Qiao Xi carefully removed the gold needles from Huo Xingzhou's body and swiftly helped him put on his clothes.
"Zhou Yu knows about your medical skills, so there's no need to hide them from him. But Sijiao and my parents are still in the dark," Huo Xingzhou said softly.
"Got it," Qiao Xi responded quietly. She glanced toward the door. "I'll go open it."
Before her words were fully spoken, the door was pushed open. Huo Sijiao and Zhou Yu barged in together.
"Sis-in-law! I'm here to see you again. This is chicken soup my mom made herself, to help you both recover!" Huo Sijiao held up the thermal container with a triumphant grin.
"Huo Er, you blocked me over some tiny pills. Was that really necessary?"
The two bickered like a pair of noisy ducks.
"Sijiao, take your sister-in-law out for a stroll," Huo Xingzhou interrupted with a pained expression, separating the two.
"Okay!"
Huo Sijiao immediately hooked her arm around Qiao Xi's. "Sis-in-law, the weather's great today. Let's get out for some fresh air. Don't stay cooped up with these stinky men—they'll just corrupt your mind."
Her pointed comment made Zhou Yu bristle with anger. "I'm not going to argue with you."
"Hmph."
"Sijiao, let's hurry up and go." Qiao Xi urged, and the two women quickly left. The room finally quieted down.
"Seriously, Huo Er, you're so petty," Zhou Yu said casually as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at Huo Xingzhou with a sly grin. "Why are your clothes so messy in broad daylight? Doing something shady?"
"Can you speak like a normal human being?" Huo Xingzhou calmly smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes.
"Fine." Zhou Yu threw a folder onto the bed. "Huo Beiting is cozying up to Lao Jin, the project manager at Tianyuan Group. He's arranged a dinner meeting tonight. Lao Jin asked for your instructions."
"Let him go. Bring a few heavy drinkers with him and drink Huo Beiting under the table."
Huo Xingzhou's tone was indifferent.
"Got it," Zhou Yu replied lazily. "Need me to hire someone to ambush him?"
"Getting him to drink until he has a gastric bleed will suffice. After that, dangle a tempting proposal in front of him and coax him into signing a performance-based agreement."
Zhou Yu smirked. "Understood."
Huo Xingzhou's heart was as dark as ink. His ultimate goal was to seize all the shares held by the main branch of the Huo family.
"Zhou Yu, arrange for a few trustworthy doctors for me," Huo Xingzhou instructed. "Discreet ones who'll do the job for money."
"What do you need doctors for?"
"You'll find out in a couple of days."
Zhou Yu nodded. "One more thing—I need to report to you."
Huo Xingzhou tilted his chin slightly, signaling him to continue.
"Your dad called me today. He said he really likes those pills… So I sent him the rest. Just remind him not to overdo it." Zhou Yu's voice grew weaker with every word.
Huo Xingzhou's gaze turned icy in an instant.
Zhou Yu panicked. "Oh, I just remembered—I've got something to take care of at the office. I'll see myself out!"
In the Villa Area
Qiao Xi and Huo Sijiao strolled hand in hand down a quiet path. This was a wealthy neighborhood, with expansive grounds and opulent villas lining the streets.
"Sis-in-law, are you really starting your hospital internship tomorrow? Want me to come along and back you up?" Huo Sijiao asked, looking at her fragile and delicate figure, worried she might be taken advantage of.
Qiao Xi chuckled. "I'm not going to a fight."
"Let's take another path."
Huo Sijiao tugged her in the opposite direction. "That area feels unlucky."
Noticing the flash of disgust in her eyes, Qiao Xi asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing—just my brother's car accident. Sis-in-law, you don't know, back then—"
Before she could finish, they saw a man approaching.
Dressed in a meticulously tailored suit, the man exuded discipline and refined manners. He appeared even more serious than Huo Xingzhou but lacked the inherent coldness.
"Hmph."
Huo Sijiao snorted. "Can't seem to avoid their family, no matter what."
The man stopped when he saw them, hesitated for a moment, then walked closer.
"How's your brother doing?" Xu Xiuyuan asked, his voice cool and polished.
With sharp features and calm eyes, he carried a faint sense of familiarity.
"We don't need your concern. My brother's being treated by a student of Chinese medicine and will recover soon. Your Xu family should stay far away from him."
"That's good to hear," Xu Xiuyuan replied calmly. His gaze lingered briefly on Qiao Xi, a hint of surprise flashing through his eyes.
"Why are you staring at my sister-in-law?" Huo Sijiao stepped protectively in front of Qiao Xi, nervous and on edge, worried Xu Xiuyuan might say something inappropriate.
"Nothing. Just impressed by your brother's dedication," Xu Xiuyuan said lightly before turning to leave.
Qiao Xi asked curiously, "Who is that?"
"Xu Xiuyuan—a detestable guy. His family is in the pharmaceutical business. The Xu family and the Liu family are in-laws. His mother is a Liu, and that Liu matriarch, who took her husband's surname, is a tough one to deal with."
Apparently, Xu Xiuyuan was also the honorary director of the city hospital, mainly handling administrative work rather than medical practice.
"Then she really must love her husband to take his surname," Qiao Xi mused, finding it unusual.
"Exactly. Sis-in-law, don't ever mention the Xu family in front of my brother," Huo Sijiao warned.
"Okay," Qiao Xi agreed, assuming there must be some bad blood between the families.
"Let's hurry back for some chicken soup," Huo Sijiao said, pulling her along.
As they walked away, Qiao Xi glanced back and noticed Xu Xiuyuan watching her from a distance, stirring a strange feeling in her heart.
The next morning.
Qiao Xi packed up her things and turned to the man sitting at the dining table. "Mr. Huo, I'll be busy with my hospital internship for a while, so I won't have as much time to take care of you."
"That's fine. You'll have more time in a few days," Huo Xingzhou replied gracefully as he continued his breakfast. "Do you need me to have the driver take you there?"
Qiao Xi shook her head, walked over to him, and spoke softly. "Mr. Huo, can we not let my colleagues at the hospital know about our relationship?"
If she ended up working there permanently, it would be hard to explain later.
Huo Xingzhou raised an eyebrow at her, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. "Am I that shameful?"
"No, it's just... because of our arrangement... I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."
After all, they were destined to divorce in the end.
His expression turned cold. "Fine."
Aunt Qian came out of the kitchen holding a lunchbox and handed it to Qiao Xi. "Young Madam, I heard the hospital food isn't great. I made you a lunchbox. Don't overwork yourself, and if you ever feel mistreated, just quit. We have plenty of money."
Qiao Xi smiled and accepted the lunchbox. "Thank you, Aunt Qian. I'll head out now."
She tucked the lunchbox into her canvas bag and left with light steps.
Watching her leave, Huo Xingzhou felt a strange mix of emotions. She seemed genuinely happy—after all, saving lives was her dream. Keeping her by his side was a selfish act.
Once he recovered, there would be no need for her to hide her true abilities. At that point, she'd surely shine brightly.
After leaving the house, Qiao Xi took the bus to the medical department of the city hospital. She went through the formalities, collected her uniform, and stored her belongings in the locker room.
When she entered, the locker room was bustling with chatter.
"Look, that's the famous top student from Haicheng Medical School," Ye Manman said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she gestured toward Qiao Xi.
Several people exchanged glances, their expressions filled with mixed emotions.