After changing out of her surgical scrubs, Qiao Xi was called into Dr. Yan's office.
"Dr. Yan," she knocked lightly on the door before stepping inside.
"Xiao Qiao, sit down," Dr. Yan, always stern, greeted her with patience this time. "I've heard about the situation in the obstetrics and gynecology department. Your skills have been underestimated."
"Those were just basic symptoms," Qiao Xi humbly replied.
"Clinical work tests a doctor's mental resilience. You've got that—you're calm and composed," Dr. Yan praised her. "Xiao Qiao, I hope you'll take charge soon."
Qiao Xi hesitated, her voice quiet. "But I haven't passed the medical certification exam yet."
"As long as your supervising doctor is there to guide you, it's not considered an illegal practice. I'll be keeping an eye on things, so no worries," Dr. Yan reassured her, clearly wanting her to gain more hands-on experience.
"Thank you!" Qiao Xi understood that he was trying to mentor her.
"It's nothing. I want to see more good doctors in this field. Now, go on and do your work," he said, giving her a nod.
"Yes." Qiao Xi left his office with a heart full of excitement, eager to tackle the rest of her day.
As she neared the end of her shift, however, she saw someone she wasn't eager to meet at the entrance of the hospital. She quickly turned and tried to head out through the back door.
But the woman called out, running toward her with a large gift box in hand. "Xi Xi!"
Qiao Xi stopped in her tracks, turning back with a cold gaze. "What do you want?"
Zhao Yuzhen, with a weak, almost pleading expression, said softly, "I went to the Huo family to find you, but Aunt Qian said you were at work. I've been waiting here outside the hospital all day, afraid of disturbing you."
"What do you want with me?"
"I'm your mother. What could a mother possibly want from her daughter?" Zhao Yuzhen's voice softened as she gently handed over the box. "I heard from your grandmother that you love apples. I specially picked out a box of candy heart apples."
Her tender tone was almost enough to make Qiao Xi falter, but the feeling quickly turned to disbelief.
"I don't love apples," Qiao Xi said, her voice firm as she met her gaze. "They're just cheap, and when I was young, we couldn't afford expensive fruit."
Zhao Yuzhen's face turned pale with a mix of embarrassment and guilt. "I was wrong. I'll make it up to you in the future."
"You brought me back from the countryside with the promise of compensation," Qiao Xi continued flatly. "And yet you wanted me to marry Su Weiwei."
Zhao Yuzhen, frustrated and angry, hissed, "Huo Xingzhou is the president of Tianyuan Group. What a blessing for you! I made sure you married a good man, even if by accident."
"Do you want me to thank you for this 'blessing'?" Qiao Xi's eyes were cold as she cut through her mother's words. "Should I remind you of what you said at last night's birthday banquet?"
"Xi Xi..."
"You came here to find me because of Huo Xingzhou, didn't you? Now that you see the benefits, you're all too eager to latch on."
Qiao Xi's heart grew heavy. "Give up. It's not going to happen."
"Xi Xi!"
Without another word, Qiao Xi turned and walked away quickly.
"Xi Xi! Wait for me! Ah!" Zhao Yuzhen twisted her ankle and fell to the ground.
Qiao Xi paused for a brief moment but hardened her heart and kept walking forward.
"Qiao Xi! Without me, you'd be dead by now! I did so much for you, and you don't even know what happened back then..." Zhao Yuzhen shouted, her voice wild with desperation.
Qiao Xi's eyes burned with unshed tears as a car suddenly stopped in front of her.
The window rolled down halfway, revealing a cold, calm face. "Qiao Xi, get in."
"Okay."
She opened the door and slid into the passenger seat, trying to calm the turbulence inside her.
"Huo Xingzhou, aren't you busy lately? How do you have time to pick me up from work?" Qiao Xi asked, glancing at him.
Huo Xingzhou replied casually, "Zhuo Feng ran away. He's petty and will probably look for a chance to get back at us. Qiao Xi, I'm a little worried about you."
"I'm careful. I'll avoid going to places with few people in the future. You don't need to waste your time picking me up."
He turned his body slightly to look at her. "Can't it just be because I want to pick you up?"
"Mm." She couldn't suppress the slight upward curve at the corners of her lips.
She bit her lip slightly, then spoke with a soft voice, "About the medicinal wine last night... It really wasn't me who switched it."
"Mm."
Huo Xingzhou responded indifferently, his long fingers tapping on a thin laptop.
Was he working? Qiao Xi's eyes flickered, and a professional term caught her attention: "Post-traumatic stress disorder after a car accident."
Qiao Xi felt a pang of concern. Could the car accident have caused Huo Xingzhou some irreversible psychological trauma? But since he didn't speak about it, she chose to pretend she didn't notice.
She turned her gaze to the window, her thoughts drifting as the car passed through the busiest square in Haicheng. The massive screen in the square showed an interview with the international rising ballet star, Xu Xingluo, who would soon return to China for a tour.
Her ears pricked up at the name. Xu Xingluo was the younger sister of Director Xu, a very famous ballet dancer.
"What are you looking at?" Huo Xingzhou closed his laptop, his voice low.
"Nothing," Qiao Xi answered, blinking her clear, pale eyes.
Before long, the car arrived at the villa.
As soon as she stepped inside, she was taken aback by the decor in the living room.
"Madam, do you like what you see?" Aunt Qian asked playfully.
Qiao Xi's face flushed bright red.
The entire living room was covered in wedding photos of her and Huo Xingzhou. Large and small, there were at least a dozen frames on the walls. On the coffee table was a crystal display, and even the dining table had photos.
The TV wall was dominated by a massive photo of them in wedding attire—a passionate kiss where she was held tightly in Huo Xingzhou's arms. Their faces were flushed, and her eyes were hazy, as though they were caught in a moment of intense connection.
It looked... almost like they were enjoying it.
"Aunt Qian, this..." Qiao Xi's voice trembled slightly.
Aunt Qian smiled, "The wedding album and frames were delivered today, all professionally retouched. There are more on the floor."
Qiao Xi's head spun as she took in the photos of their intimate moments.
Huo Xingzhou, clearly indifferent, said, "Let's change the TV wall photo to something normal, just a regular couple's photo."
Aunt Qian nodded eagerly, "Got it. I'll put the kiss photo in your room. The rest will go to the third floor for now."
She had already made up her mind.
Qiao Xi, desperate to escape the awkward living room, said, "Aunt Qian, let me help you move them."
She grabbed a few frames and hurried toward the stairs.
Aunt Qian followed her up, pushing open the door to the third-floor art room. "Let's put them here."
Qiao Xi put down the frames and looked around. The room was filled with painting supplies, and there was a messy box in the corner.
She bent down to pick up some scattered papers and found a half-finished sketch.
When she saw it, her face turned bright red. In a flurry, she stuffed it into the box, her fingertips trembling.
Aunt Qian noticed her discomfort and asked curiously, "Madam, what's wrong?"