Han Haoming's eyes were filled with sadness as he gently patted her shoulder. "Qin Si Yue, you don't need to do this. We grew up in vastly different environments, and our values are bound to differ. Even if we were together, many disagreements would arise in the future."
Upon hearing this, Qin Si Yue suddenly pushed him away and stepped back. "Han Haoming, is this your reason for rejecting me? To be with you, I've already changed so much, even willing to sever ties with the Qin family. Yet, you still refuse to change your mindset. Alright, from today onwards, I choose to let go and will never contact you again. I apologize for the trouble I've caused you during this time, Officer Han, please forgive me."
With that, Qin Si Yue stifled the tears in her eyes and walked towards her car, her heart full of despair.
"Wait." Han Haoming suddenly grabbed her arm. "Can I invite you for a cup of coffee to express my gratitude for saving my mother that day and for your special care for her during this period?"
Qin Si Yue did not turn back, her voice calm as she pulled away. "No need. Saving Auntie Lu was my instinctive reaction as a doctor. Taking care of her these past few days was because I felt Auntie was a very kind person, it was between her and me, it has nothing to do with you. You don't need to thank me."
After speaking, she strode into her car. Han Haoming stood in place, watching her car drive slowly towards the exit, unable to look away for a long time.
Five minutes later, as he returned to the ward in low spirits, Shen Xi had already left after performing acupuncture. Seeing his mother lying flat on the bed, Han Haoming asked, "Mom, did someone come by just now?"
"Yes. Shen Xi came to give me acupuncture."
"Did she say anything?"
"No." Lu Ying asked Han Haoming to raise the bed and then asked with concern, "Where is Si Yue? Is she alright?"
"She's gone. Said she'll never contact me again." A subtle hint of melancholy flashed in Han Haoming's eyes.
"Are you satisfied now?" Lu Ying glared at him sharply.
"Mom, how can you say that? I..." Han Haoming's brow furrowed, unsure how to express his emotions at the moment. "You... you can't really expect me to date Qin Xiu Zhi's daughter, can you? Do you want to become in-laws with him?"
"I..." Lu Ying was speechless for a moment, then looked up at her son again. "Haoming, tell me, do you actually like Si Yue?"
Han Haoming was taken aback by her question but did not answer directly. "What's the point of asking this now? Whether I like her or not, we can never be together."
Lu Ying sighed deeply. "Alas, what a cruel fate. Si Yue, why does she have to be Qin family's daughter."
In the afternoon, Jian Fan was called by Xie Yi Fei to help with something, and Shen Xi stayed in the ward with Mei Yun. After dinner, Mei Yun said to her, "Xi Xi, you should go back. You have children at home. I'm not having an IV drip tonight, and I'll be fine alone here."
"That won't do. I've already arranged for the children, so you don't need to worry. I'm staying to keep you company tonight." Shen Xi smiled and took her hand. She recalled that five years ago, during her own childbirth, her aunt had stayed by her side day and night in the hospital, taking care of her three children. Now that her aunt was hospitalized, how could she let her stay alone in this cold hospital room?
"Xi Xi, I'm really fine. It's just a minor injury, and I don't have a fever. I can take care of myself without any problems, so why do you need someone to stay with you?" Mei Yun still tried to persuade her to leave.
Just then, Shen Xi's phone rang. She took it out and saw it was Qin Si Ye. Her expression remained unchanged as she stood up. "Auntie, I'm going out for a moment." She quickly went to the window in the corridor, then tapped the answer button. "Hello?"
"Hello? Shen Xi, hurry down. I'm waiting for you in the basement," Qin Si Ye's gentle and pleasant voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Why are you here again?" Shen Xi frowned.
Qin Si Ye's voice remained the same. "I'm here to pick you up."
Shen Xi said, "I'm not going back tonight. I'm staying at the hospital to accompany my aunt."
"Then won't Grandma need her acupuncture today? How many days has it been for this session? It seems like you didn't do it yesterday," Qin Si Ye said deliberately on the phone.
Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she found herself in a dilemma. "Oh, right. How could I forget about this? What should I do?"
"If you're worried about your aunt being lonely in the hospital, there's no need. Your uncle has already gone up."
"What? You sent him?"