"Mm."
Huo Tingyun responded faintly.
He didn't want to attract any romantic entanglements.
"Then please wait a moment. He'll wake up soon. If not, you can call the school clinic." The girl said, then stood up to leave.
"Wait."
Huo Tingyun frowned.
"Is something wrong?" The girl stopped.
Huo Tingyun took off his jacket and draped it over her. "Be careful of exposure."
Reminded by him, the girl finally looked down at herself.
He had expected her to be shy.
To his surprise, she merely nodded. "Thank you."
He raised an eyebrow.
She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I trust you're a gentleman. It doesn't matter if you've had a fleeting glance."
She pulled the jacket he gave her tighter and turned to leave.
His large jacket was very loose on her.
She didn't look short; her legs were long, straight, and fair. Water stains marked her path.
She truly resembled a mermaid emerging from the water.
Just as Su Qi left, the bald principal, with his receding hairline, arrived.
"Mr. Huo, Mr. Xu, are you alright? I heard someone fell into the water..."
Huo Tingyun lit a cigarette. "What's that student's name?"
"Su Qi. She's our university's campus belle, wins scholarships every year, and is an excellent swimmer."
He could tell.
Su Qi...
Huo Tingyun took a deep drag from his cigarette.
He tossed the butt on the ground and crushed it with his leather shoe.
Xu Linchuan coughed out water and regained consciousness.
The first question Xu Linchuan asked upon opening his eyes was, "Who was that girl?"
He looked at Xu Linchuan. "Didn't notice."
"Didn't you ask her name? I want to know who saved me..."
Xu Linchuan got up to search, but the girl was nowhere to be seen.
For the next few years, Xu Linchuan searched for Su Qi.
Huo Tingyun never expected that one day at the hotel, he got drunk. He knew his grandfather had spiked his drink. He sent his subordinate to get the antidote and returned alone to his residence in Juyuan. To his surprise, as soon as he entered the bedroom and lay on the bed, he felt someone there.
He angrily lifted the woman's face.
Moonlight shone down, revealing her. Su Qi.
The girl from the school lake that day.
Even though his consciousness was blurred by the drugs,
He clearly saw it was her.
"Hot..."
She murmured.
It must have been the strong effect of the drug.
As if bewitched, he kissed her lips. What followed was a blaze of passion.
Hiss—
The sting of the iodine being applied to the broken skin on his arm brought Huo Tingyun back to his senses. Qin Xue rushed over and saw the chaos outside the VIP emergency room.
Qin Xue dared not approach rashly.
Pointing at Su Qi's nose, she accused, "Su Qi! You haven't even divorced Huo Tingyun yet, and you're already hooking up with our Linchuan! Is the Su family that desperate for money? You love seducing rich young men so much?!"
She stepped forward. "What's going on, daughter-in-law? Why is your face injured? Who did this?"
After all, Su Qi was still Huo Tingyun's wife, the daughter-in-law of the Huo family. Xu Ruyun scolding Su Qi like this was tantamount to insulting the Huo family.
Seeing Qin Xue, Xu Ruyun's anger subsided by half. "Sister-in-law, it's nothing serious. Two young boys were foolish and got into a fight. They'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Qin Xue was stunned and looked towards the ward.
The last time Huo Qingrang was critically ill, she had witnessed the unusual atmosphere between Huo Qingrang and Xu Linchuan at the hospital. She had thought they were both adults.
No matter how much they competed, it wouldn't reach a certain level.
She hadn't expected it to escalate to this point, resulting in such a fight. Huo Tingyun was her only son.
She cherished him dearly.
Seeing Huo Tingyun in this state, Qin Xue couldn't help but feel indignant. She suppressed her emotions and went to Huo Tingyun's side, too heartbroken to speak. "What happened to you? Linchuan didn't stop you from marrying Xu Linyun. Why go to such lengths?"
Xu Linchuan went to check Su Qi's facial injuries.
Five scratches marred her fair complexion,
Still oozing blood.
"I'm fine," Su Qi said, her lips pressed together. Her face was completely devoid of color.
She had endured too many shocks throughout the day.
How could she be fine?
"Xiao Hong, come and apply medicine to Su Qi,"
Xu Linchuan instructed the nurse who had just applied medicine to him.
"Oh... alright! Dr. Xu, what about your injuries?"
"You apply medicine to her first. I'm fine."
Su Qi was taken aback for a moment, then her nose suddenly felt sore, and she almost burst into tears.
It had been so long since the old man passed away, and she hadn't received anyone's care for a long time.
Especially from someone she didn't know at all.
The iodine landed on her cheek, causing a slight sting.
Su Qi flinched and couldn't help but gasp.
"I'll do it."
Xu Linchuan frowned at the nurse's rough movements.
He took the iodine from the nurse, dipped a cotton ball, and carefully applied it to Su Qi's cheek.
Xu Linchuan's movements were incredibly gentle; she felt no pain at all.
After disinfection, he applied a layer of Yunnan Baiyao and then a bandage.
Xu Linchuan completed this without regard for anyone else, as if completely oblivious to the shocked expressions of Xu Ruyun and Xu Linyun.
"Thank you, I'm fine now... Your injuries."
"It's nothing. You go back and rest first. I'm a doctor, can't I treat myself?"
Xu Linchuan smiled gently.
It was as if with him around, even the sky falling wouldn't be a problem.
Su Qi certainly couldn't leave. Xu Linchuan had gotten into a fight with Huo Tingyun because he was protecting her.
"I'm not leaving. I'll stay with you."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xue's eyes widened. "Su Qi!"
With many people around, it was inconvenient to make a scene, so she could only force a smile.
"I'm hungry. Will you accompany me downstairs for a meal?"
Su Qi was still nominally the Huo family's daughter-in-law. If others saw this, it would lead to gossip!
Su Qi looked at Xu Linchuan. "I'll come back to see you after I've eaten."
With Su Qi's promise, Xu Linchuan felt no pain, only smiling. "Okay, eat more, fill yourself up."
His tone was as if he were coaxing a child.
Su Qi left the hospital with Qin Xue.
As soon as they were outside the hospital entrance, Qin Xue bombarded her with questions.
"What exactly is your relationship with Linchuan? Do you two know what you're doing?"
Su Qi stared at Qin Xue strangely.
"Aunt Qin, he could kiss and hug Xu Linyun before we were even divorced. Can't I be close to Xu Linchuan? We didn't do anything, and you're already saying this. Why don't you manage your own son? He's constantly surrounded by scandals even after marriage."
Qin Xue hadn't expected Su Qi to be so sharp-tongued, and her face turned extremely unpleasant. "Do you know what you're saying?!"
Su Qi ignored Qin Xue and turned to leave.
Su Qi bought food and soup from a nearby restaurant downstairs and carried them up.
"It's already afternoon. You haven't had lunch."
Xu Ruyun sat beside Xu Linchuan. Hearing Su Qi say this, she was startled, her expression still not very pleasant. However, with Xu Linchuan present, she said nothing.
Xu Linyun glanced over. "Tingyun, my brother seems to have fallen for Sister Su Qi..."