The next morning just after dawn.
The sky had just lightened, and Qiao En was still curled up on the sofa, not yet awake.
After washing up, Qiao's mother came out of the bathroom and bumped into Mrs. Qiu, her face bruised and swollen.
Bent over with two boxes of high-end nutritional supplements in hand, she was peering into the hospital room from the doorway.
"What are you doing here? Get out—"
Qiao's mother yanked open the hospital room door and chased Mrs. Qiu away with the towel in her hand.
A mother's fierceness arose; after hearing about the incidents from Qiao En the day before, her heart ached unbearably.
It seemed as if her lifelong timidity had vanished overnight.
"I... I came to apologize to Miss Qiao."
Mrs. Qiu refused to leave, dodging Qiao's mother's towel, her eyes sneakily glancing into the room.
Qiao En was awakened by the noise.
Qiao's father on the hospital bed also made grunting noises upon hearing the commotion.
"Dad, it's nothing, I'll handle it."