At a quarter to eight, Qiao Xi arrived at the hospital entrance.
A figure suddenly rushed out and blocked her way. It was Chen Xu, holding onto her hand and not letting go.
"Qiao Xi, please forgive me."
"Chen Xu, let go!"
Qiao Xi never expected he would cause a scene at the hospital. The crowd in the hospital was large, and now everyone was staring at them.
Chen Xu's eyes were red, and he kneeled as he spoke. "I don't care if you were a mistress. I just want you back. I can give you money."
"I know you got into the city hospital through the back door. Otherwise, with no power or connections, how could a country girl like you...?"
Passersby started whispering and pointing at Qiao Xi: "Shameless, being someone's mistress."
"These young pretty girls nowadays just want to take shortcuts."
The crowd buzzed, gossiping about her.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Qiao Xi said coldly. "If you don't let go, I'll call the police!"
"Everyone, help me convince her! Her name is Qiao Xi, an intern in the acupuncture rehabilitation department, and she's my girlfriend. She's been repeatedly cheating on rich older men. I don't want her to go down the wrong path!"
Chen Xu's eyes flashed with malice as he intentionally revealed Qiao Xi's personal information. Ye Manman had said Qiao Xi was abandoned by her sugar daddy to ruin her reputation and push her into a corner.
Recalling the misfortune in his life—everything he invested in was losing money—he felt nothing but resentment.
"Miss, you should be grateful for such a good boyfriend!"
Qiao Xi was speechless.
In today's world, it's so easy to tarnish a pretty girl's reputation with false rumors. No one would bother to verify the truth.
She pulled out her phone to call the police, but a bystander accidentally knocked it out of her hand.
"Make way! Don't crowd at the hospital entrance!" Several security guards shouted, clearing the bystanders away.
"Everyone, disperse!"
"Good morning, Director Xu!"
Xu Xiuyuan walked over, bent down to pick up Qiao Xi's phone, and gave Chen Xu a cold look.
"Causing a scene at the hospital entrance could get you detained," he warned.
Chen Xu arrogantly retorted, "Is it illegal to talk to my girlfriend?"
"You've disrupted my employee's work," Xu Xiuyuan said impatiently. "Security, take him to the security office and blacklist him."
"Let go! Qiao Xi, you really are something. You found a new lover so quickly!"
Chen Xu cursed loudly as security dragged him away.
Qiao Xi took a deep breath, her fingers trembling with fury.
Xu Xiuyuan extended his hand and handed her the phone.
Qiao Xi took it, steadying her voice as she said, "Thank you, Director Xu."
"I don't know what your relationship with that man is," Xu Xiuyuan said, furrowing his brows, "but next time, don't bring personal issues into the hospital."
Qiao Xi felt her throat tighten.
"Huo Xingzhou would be uncomfortable if he knew about this," Xu Xiuyuan added, the unspoken implication clear.
"Mm."
Qiao Xi felt a lump in her throat.
"Go to work," Xu Xiuyuan said, feeling irritated seeing her so upset.
"Yes."
Qiao Xi walked into the hospital, and Ye Manman was waiting for her in the corridor.
"Qiao Xi, did you enjoy the little drama this morning?" Ye Manman teased with a sly smile. "Chen Xu really is infatuated with you. Too bad his family is going bankrupt."
"You're the one who incited him," Qiao Xi said coldly. "What did I ever do to you?"
Ye Manman's face darkened as she sneered, "Your very existence offends me. You're pretty, capable, and well-liked. You're just a country bumpkin who should stay in the mud, not shine."
"Qiao Xi, I'll see how you handle the internship assessment next Monday." She smirked. "You don't have a teaching doctor, so you'll probably get eliminated."
Qiao Xi ignored her, her cold gaze unwavering. The lack of reaction only made Ye Manman more uncomfortable.
"Qiao Xi, let's make a bet!" Ye Manman's anger flared. "Whoever scores lower on the assessment, the loser has to leave! Are you up for it?"
Qiao Xi lifted her chin slightly, standing tall and speaking softly but firmly.
"Okay, the loser leaves."
With a snort, Ye Manman walked away. Theoretical courses were all they had at school, but the internship assessment was practical.
Qiao Xi was sure she would lose.
She returned to the locker room to gather her things and, as usual, went to the 2103 ward.
"Today, I'll be giving you a massage to help with your meridians," she said as she helped the elderly lady settle into a lying position.
The elderly lady watched her intently before coldly remarking, "A girl should have self-respect." She had heard about the scene at the hospital entrance and quickly learned the details.
"Being a doctor, character is the most important thing."
She scolded her with distaste. "Why do you have to be a mistress? There are so many better ways you could live."
Qiao Xi pressed her fingers down on the acupoints, showing no reaction.
The elderly lady became more forceful. "You must not try to get close to me or provoke my family's Xu Yuan. The Liu family has high moral standards. We don't associate with women like that."
Qiao Xi paused and raised her head, her black-and-white eyes glaring at her with defiance.
The elderly lady was taken aback and muttered, "I... didn't mean anything by it."
Her heart softened.
A silence filled the room.
After half an hour, Qiao Xi's hands ached.
The elderly lady broke the silence, awkwardly praising her. "Your technique is even better than Dr. Yan's. You must have worked hard."
"Would you like some fruit?"
Qiao Xi quietly asked.
The elderly lady was about to reply that she had eaten everything, but instead said, "Yes, but I only eat the expensive kind, the top-grade ones. I won't touch those pesticide-laden, street-market fruits."
"Alright."
Qiao Xi softly replied. She went to the locker room to grab some glass storage containers and quickly returned.
Each box contained top-quality blueberries, cherries, soft pears, and Hailigen pineapples.
The elderly lady recognized the quality and gave her a surprised glance. "Does the intern salary at the city hospital pay this well? Or...?"
She saw that Qiao Xi's clear eyes and solid work ethic didn't seem like the type to seek out a sugar daddy.
"It's from my family," Qiao Xi replied.
She didn't want to share with her colleagues and didn't want to waste the fruit, so she gave it to the elderly lady with the difficult temperament.
The elderly lady nodded and started eating. "Women should eat more fruit for healthy skin and good health. When I was young…"
Qiao Xi sat quietly beside her, listening to her talk, her thoughts drifting.
A blueberry was popped into her mouth, and she instinctively chewed, the sweetness filling her mouth.
"Don't overthink things, little girl. My granddaughter has no worries at all." The elderly lady set down her fork. "I'll stop making things difficult for you."
The elderly lady had softened.
Qiao Xi looked at her and slowly smiled.
The elderly lady kept her word, and that day, she didn't make things hard for her. Qiao Xi's work was much easier, and she even had some free time.
At six in the evening, when her shift was over, she received a phone call.
It was from Aunt Qian, who was frantic. "Madam, the young master has had an accident! He's in critical condition!"
Qiao Xi felt as though a thunderclap had exploded in her ears, her body going cold, and her heart clenched in pain.