"Oh, you're finally awake. I was so worried. Hurry and drink some soup and eat some porridge to fill your stomach. Don't make me worry anymore. You're a mother now, so take better care of yourself."
Qin Xue hurried into the bedroom, followed by Aunt Tong, who was carrying a tray. On the tray were the soup and nutritious porridge Qin Xue had personally prepared. They had been simmered for a long time, and Qin Xue had cooked them herself in the hotel kitchen.
As the saying goes, surviving a great disaster brings good fortune.
Su Qi had gone through this ordeal, and her grandson was indeed blessed.
Qin Xue, holding a string of prayer beads, quickly went to Su Qi's side, grasped Su Qi's cold little hand, and then slipped the prayer beads onto Su Qi's wrist.
"These are prayer beads I got from the temple. Wear them for blessings and protection, for peace and safety."
The prayer beads were heavy, weighing down her slender wrist. They had been warm from Qin Xue's hand for a while.
Su Qi touched the prayer beads on her wrist. She could tell they were exquisitely made, strung with red thread. Each bead was perfectly round and smooth, of excellent quality. In the center was a golden Buddha statue.
Su Qi was taken aback. "Thank you, Mom."
"No need to thank me. It's good that you're safe. We have to thank Lin Chuan for this. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Su Qi lowered her gaze, staring at the prayer beads on her wrist for a long time before slowly drinking the soup and eating the porridge.
This was not a natural disaster at all; it was clearly man-made.
Su Qi finished the porridge and drank more than half a bowl of soup. Her stomach was full. After eating, she got up. "I'm going for a walk."
What she called a walk actually led her to the hospital. Su Qi directly asked for Xu Lin Chuan's room number and went up to the intensive care unit floor.
Standing at the entrance of the ICU, Su Qi saw the man lying on the hospital bed through the transparent glass. A mix of emotions churned within her, her heart a tangled mess.
Xu Lin Chuan had not yet recovered, so he could not have visitors inside.
Su Qi stood there for a long time, until her legs went numb, before she shifted her position.
Just as she was about to leave, a person walked from the end of the corridor. The sound of high heels on the floor was crisp and jarring.
"Su Qi?! How dare you show your face here?! If it weren't for you, our family wouldn't have been ruined like this, and Lin Chuan wouldn't be in this state! It's all your fault that he's like this! Get out!"
The corridor was empty, with hardly anyone around. The woman's hysterical screams were almost deafening, making Su Qi's heart tremble.
Su Qi turned her head and saw Xu Ruyun approaching from the other end.
She hadn't seen Xu Ruyun in a long time. She was no longer as radiant as before. The recent events had left Xu Ruyun in a state of turmoil. After a period of frantic activity, things had finally settled down, only to fall apart in an instant.
Her daughter had been driven to madness, and her son had been harmed to this extent by this woman.
Xu Ruyun, furious, strode forward and raised her hand, intending to slap Su Qi.
Su Qi caught Xu Ruyun's hand. "I'm sorry. I know you're angry, and I didn't want this to happen. If I could, I would gladly lie in that hospital bed in Lin Chuan's place. But you know how Lin Chuan feels about me. Lin Chuan saved me. I owe Lin Chuan my life, so we're even!"
Even?!
Xu Ruyun's chest heaved with anger, but then, as if struck by a thought, she burst into laughter, which quickly turned into tears.
If there had been anyone else around, they would have looked at Xu Ruyun as if she were mad.
She no longer had any trace of her former elegance. Dressed in plain clothes, her face was unadorned. No matter how well she maintained herself, the recent hardships had taken their toll, leaving her visibly gaunt.
"Su Qi, meeting you was our family's misfortune. But I warn you, you'd better stay away from Lin Chuan. You've achieved your wish and become Mrs. Huo. Sit firmly on your throne, and don't be replaced later and come crawling back to Lin Chuan. Our Xu family will not accept children from the Huo family."
Xu Ruyun's gaze fell upon Su Qi's belly.
Five months along, it was already quite noticeable.
Xu Ruyun hadn't realized Su Qi was already pregnant, nor had she expected that Lin Yun's child was not Huo Tingyun's.
The Xu family had been thrown into chaos by Su Qi, and she was the only one holding it together.
She would definitely have her revenge!
Su Qi left the hospital. Qin Xue rolled down the car window and waved. "Child, go home and rest."
Su Qi rested at the Huo residence for a few days. The kidnapping incident did not make the news, but she learned from Qin Xue and Lin Te that the escaped kidnappers had been apprehended. As for their fate, Su Qi did not know. The cash had been recovered, and the perpetrators had likely vanished into thin air, their deaths a mystery.
Huo Tingyun visited home a few times, but Su Qi's attitude was cold, and she never met his gaze. A week later, she appeared at Shengshi Group with a document.
The top floor, the office.
Li Caiyi was overjoyed to see Su Qi. She hurried forward. "Sister Su Qi, it's so good to see you! I heard you were alright, I was so worried about you. Seeing that you and the baby are safe, I'm truly happy!"
The girl's reaction was genuine and endearing, not something that could be faked.
Ever since the kidnapping, Li Caiyi had developed an inexplicable closeness and affection for Su Qi.
"Are you alright?" Su Qi looked Li Caiyi up and down.
It seemed Li Caiyi had recovered well, and Huo Tingyun was treating her well. Indeed, wealth and money could nurture a person. In just half a month, Li Caiyi had transformed from the village girl she was when they first met into a luxurious young lady.
"I'm fine, Sister Su Qi, and you?"
Li Caiyi's almond-shaped eyes widened as she looked at Su Qi. The nervousness and concern in her eyes were not feigned.
She didn't love Huo Tingyun. She had come to Huo Tingyun's side only for that man.
Since the kidnapping, Li Caiyi had been captivated by Su Qi's personality and charm.
Over the years, Li Caiyi had met many people in society, both good and bad, of all kinds.
But Su Qi was a unique woman, unlike anyone Li Caiyi had ever encountered.
Despite being kidnapped, she remained so calm.
Despite being abandoned by her husband, she showed no sadness.
Although she was only in her early twenties, not much older than Li Caiyi, she seemed to have experienced a great deal.
"I'm fine too. Please, sit down."
"Sister Su Qi, you sit down too. You're pregnant, you need to rest."
Li Caiyi took Su Qi's hand and sat down, then glanced around the office.
"You're here to see Mr. Huo, aren't you? He's in a meeting, but it will be over soon. I'll go to the restroom first. You two can chat if there's anything."
Li Caiyi, being very intelligent and perceptive, got up and said she was going to the restroom, but in reality, she left the company directly.
Su Qi waited for no more than five or six minutes before the office door was pushed open.