Lin Qiutong didn't understand what Shen Chi Yan meant, but since Song Qi Nian had come, there was no reason to let her leave so easily.
"Chun'er, our guest must be treated with courtesy. Quickly let Miss Song in."
Zhou Xiaochun glared at Song Qi Nian, grudgingly moving aside with caution. "I'm warning you, this is a hospital. You'd better not cause trouble, or Mr. Shen will definitely not let you off."
Song Qi Nian ignored Zhou Xiaochun and walked over, placing the thermal container on the table.
"Oh... Ah Yan is really something. I have someone to take care of me in the hospital, but he's still worried. It's one thing for people to send me meals every day, but why bother you!"
Hearing Lin Qiutong address Shen Chi Yan with such an intimate tone made Song Qi Nian's chest feel quite uncomfortable.
Although Lin Qiutong was complaining about Shen Chi Yan, she was actually showing off in front of Song Qi Nian.
The subtext was: "See? Even though Shen Chi Yan is your husband, it's me he cares for and protects!"
Song Qi Nian turned to leave, but Lin Qiutong called out to her, "Miss Song, it's so hot today. You've gone to such great lengths to bring me food. Please sit down and have a drink."
Lin Qiutong emphasized the word "great lengths." Song Qi Nian looked at Lin Qiutong, her brow slightly furrowed. When this person first saw her, she acted as if she had seen a ghost. Why was she so polite now?
Logically, if her father had really kidnapped her and left her in a coma for three years, shouldn't she hate her to death?
Perhaps sensing Song Qi Nian's thoughts, Lin Qiutong lowered her gaze slightly, looking wronged and sad. "I know it was your father who hurt me, and you are innocent. I shouldn't have projected my hatred for your father onto you."
What a saintly person.
Beside her, Zhou Xiaochun was so moved she was almost crying.
Song Qi Nian had been waiting for Lin Qiutong to invite her to stay, so she went along with it.
Song Qi Nian took out her phone and began typing. Lin Qiutong saw this and a smug curve appeared on her lips.
What if Song Qi Nian married Shen Chi Yan? She was mute, after all. How could she possibly compete with her?
Thinking of something, Lin Qiutong handed Song Qi Nian a pen and a notebook. "Miss Song, I see typing must be tiring for you. If you have anything you want to tell me, it would be better to write it down."
Song Qi Nian's clear eyes swept over the paper and pen, then she shook her head slightly. After typing, she handed her phone to Lin Qiutong.
Lin Qiutong reached out to take Song Qi Nian's phone, but Song Qi Nian gently dodged her. She gestured with her eyes, signaling to Lin Qiutong, "You can look, but you can't touch."
Lin Qiutong's face turned somewhat green. She hadn't expected Song Qi Nian to be so rude.
Her father had run her over. Shouldn't she be humbly begging for forgiveness in front of her?
Lin Qiutong was now faced with a choice: either look at Song Qi Nian's phone, or haughtily refuse. But she was too curious about what Song Qi Nian had written. She leaned in to take a look.
"I am Shen Chi Yan's assistant. It is currently my working hours, and it is my duty to deliver meals as instructed by Shen Chi Yan. Miss Lin, you don't need to be so polite... Also, I prefer typing to handwriting."
While typing just now, Song Qi Nian had really wanted to ask Lin Qiutong how, as a young woman, she had managed to break free from the ropes and escape the warehouse when her father kidnapped her.
If her father had truly wanted money from the Lin family, he wouldn't have let her escape so easily!
But she feared that asking this would alert Lin Qiutong and tip her off. So, she deleted it and started again.
No rushing! No rushing!
Haste makes waste. If she made Lin Qiutong wary, it would be even harder for her to uncover the truth.
"I heard this meal was personally made by Miss Song? Then I must try it carefully. Xiaochun..."
Zhou Xiaochun snorted and took out all the dishes from the thermal container.
Lin Qiutong glanced at the three dishes and one soup and smiled brightly. "The colors look very good, and I'm sure it tastes delicious. Xiaochun, get me a pair of chopsticks."
"Miss, this dish tastes strange. Did she poison you?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Apologize to Miss Song quickly. How could she possibly poison me?"
"I..."
"Apologize!"
Zhou Xiaochun glared fiercely at Song Qi Nian and grudgingly said, "I'm sorry."
Song Qi Nian ignored her and simply looked at Lin Qiutong, "Miss Lin, my cooking isn't good. If you don't like it, don't force yourself."
"Miss Song, you're too modest. If your cooking wasn't good, Ah Yan wouldn't have asked you to make me meals."
Song Qi Nian said nothing further, watching as Lin Qiutong put a piece of braised pork into her mouth.
The moment she tasted it, Lin Qiutong's face turned visibly dark.
Was this... edible?
She had clearly put all her energy into the "appearance" of the dish, neglecting the taste.
Lin Qiutong glanced at Song Qi Nian and saw her looking at her innocently, a faint smile on her lips, as if waiting for praise.
She even took out her phone and typed three words: "Does it taste good?"
Lin Qiutong didn't know if Song Qi Nian was deliberately messing with her, but the pork was already in her mouth. If she spat it out, what if Song Qi Nian ran to Shen Chi Yan and told him she was deliberately being difficult?
She was unsure of Shen Chi Yan's true feelings for Song Qi Nian and didn't dare to give him any ammunition over such a small matter.
So, she forced herself to swallow the meat.
Song Qi Nian knew how terrible her cooking was. Seeing Lin Qiutong enduring it despite not liking it, she pushed the other dishes towards her, gesturing for her to eat more.
Lin Qiutong: "..."
Meanwhile, Shen Chi Yan had gone on a business trip to a neighboring province early that morning. After handling matters, on his way back, he asked about Gao Kunlun.
"Did Song Qi Nian go to deliver food?"
"Yes."
Shen Chi Yan frowned, his mood complex and agitated.
His phone rang. It was Lin Lan Xing calling from Lin Qiutong's phone.
"Brother Chi Yan, something's happened. My sister had an accident after eating the food Song Qi Nian made."
...
The moment Shen Chi Yan entered Lin Qiutong's ward, he saw her pale and sickly, looking extremely weak.
Seeing Shen Chi Yan enter, Lin Qiutong reached out a hand to him. "Ah Yan..."
Shen Chi Yan walked over and supported her. "What happened?"
Lin Lan Xing said angrily, "The dishes on the table were sent by Song Qi Nian. After my sister ate them, she started having stomach pains and vomiting... Song Qi Nian is malicious. Who knows what she put in them!"
"Did you have the doctor test them?"
"We did, but the results aren't out yet!"
Lin Qiutong leaned into Shen Chi Yan's embrace, saying understandingly, "Ah Yan, it's not Miss Song's fault. She meant well. It must be that my body is too weak and I can't handle Miss Song's lunch."
At this moment, the test results came back. The food was normal; there was no poison.
Lin Lan Xing refused to believe it. "That's impossible. If there's nothing in it, why would my sister react so strongly after eating it?"
Shen Chi Yan glanced at Gao Kunlun. Gao Kunlun picked up a chopstick, took a couple of bites, and his face contorted as if he were constipated, his expression beyond words.