Men Care About This

With a warm smile on her lips, Qiao Xi glanced gratefully at Huo Xingzhou.

Turning to the mother and son, she said, "Mr. Sun, I have a wellness remedy. I'm not sure how effective it is, but would you like to give it a try?"

"Yes, I'll try it!" Sun Wei Meng responded firmly.

Mrs. Sun, however, sighed in exasperation. "Another wellness remedy? You've tried so many of those already."

"We can exchange contact information, and I'll send it to you," Qiao Xi offered, pulling out her phone. Sun Wei Meng eagerly scanned her QR code and saved her contact as Fairy.

Qiao Xi quickly sent him the detailed remedy along with instructions. Sun Wei Meng treated it like a treasure, nearly offering to transfer her a million yuan if not for Mrs. Sun stopping him.

"Thank you! If it works, I'll send you a banner of gratitude!"

"This is just a remedy I found in a book. I can't guarantee results, so give it a try first," Qiao Xi replied modestly, unwilling to make exaggerated promises.

Sun Wei Meng nodded enthusiastically as he left, looking hopeful.

Once outside, Mrs. Sun gave him a stern knock on the head. "Foolish boy. Believing something straight out of a book? Don't blame me when you land in the hospital for taking the wrong medicine!"

"I don't care, Mom. At least it gives me some hope!" he muttered, more to himself than her.

Inside the living room, Huo Xingzhou's deep, amused eyes trailed after Qiao Xi, as if he were trying to see right through her.

Under his piercing gaze, Qiao Xi quickly explained, "That remedy works slowly and requires long-term use. I didn't reveal too much about my skills, and you agreed to let me treat him."

The two words he had written in her palm earlier were Go ahead.

By the time Sun Wei Meng showed any results, Huo Xingzhou would already be walking. Once their marriage ended, there would be no need to keep things secret.

"I'm just curious," Huo Xingzhou said, his voice calm. "How do you even know how to treat a condition like his?"

Qiao Xi's fingers nervously twisted the hem of her dress. Her hesitation only made him more intrigued. Adjusting his wheelchair, he moved closer.

Flustered, Qiao Xi stepped back, her ears turning red. "Mr. Huo, you don't need to worry. The medicine I've been giving you recently includes supplements to nourish your kidneys. I understand… men care about this sort of thing."

Her face turned crimson as she added in a rush, "Don't mind what Mr. Sun said. The accident didn't affect you that badly. With time, your energy and circulation will recover."

Huo Xingzhou let out a sharp laugh, realizing what she meant.

So the medicine wasn't for his injuries—it was for that!

With a swift motion, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, his tone sharp yet teasing. "Have you had many conversations about men's health? Who taught you to add those supplements to my medicine? And do you even know what happens when a man's energy surges?"

He had thought his earlier reaction was from losing control due to his injuries—only to find out it was her "special recipe."

Qiao Xi struggled against his grip, her chest heaving with nervous breaths. Her cheeks were flushed, and she stammered, "I-I'm a doctor! This is completely normal for me!"

Breaking free, she hurriedly added, "I'll go make your medicine," and fled to the kitchen.

Huo Xingzhou took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed.

Why was he letting a naive girl like her get under his skin?

Yet, her words gnawed at him. If she found such matters normal, who else had she treated?

In the kitchen, Qiao Xi carefully added the ingredients to the pot, deliberating for a moment before tossing in an extra handful. She sat on a chair, propping her chin on her hands as she watched the medicine simmer.

She consoled herself: Huo Xingzhou was just prideful, embarrassed about the suggestion that his health needed help. Her mentor, Grandpa Cheng, had once told her that men with such conditions often reacted defensively.

Her phone buzzed with notifications from her classmates' group chat. Someone had mentioned her name.

"Class reunion at Mountain Sea Feast! It's on me. Don't disappoint me!" Chen Xu, a wealthy classmate, had tagged everyone in the chat.

"Wow! That's the hardest place to book in Haicheng. Chen Xu, you're so generous!"

"Qiao Xi, you're coming, right?"

Her college roommate, Ye Manman, sent her a private message: "You can't miss this. After this semester, everyone will go their separate ways. Please come!"

After a moment of hesitation, Qiao Xi replied, "I'll be there."

When the medicine was ready, she poured it into a bowl and brought it to the terrace, where Huo Xingzhou sat reading. The late afternoon sun highlighted his sharp features, making him appear even more refined.

"The medicine is ready," she announced softly, holding the bowl out to him.

He glanced at her before setting his book aside. "Did you add anything extra?"

"Yes," she admitted with a small nod, her head hanging low like a guilty child.

Huo Xingzhou chuckled, taking the bowl from her hands and downing it in one gulp.

"Apologies for earlier," he said suddenly. "I shouldn't have lost my temper. If the doctor says I'm weak, then I'm weak."

Qiao Xi blinked at him in surprise before breaking into a smile. "Mr. Huo, you're the most cooperative patient I've ever had. As a reward, can you help me donate this?"

She handed him the 500,000 yuan check from the Suns.

"I know it's you, Mr. Huo," she said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

He froze, then gave a faint nod, his deep voice laced with amusement. "Then how will you repay me?"

"By making sure you can walk again," she answered earnestly, oblivious to the hidden meaning in his words.

He smirked, leaning back. "Fair enough. But one more thing—why does Sun Wei Meng get to save your contact and I don't?"

"Oh," Qiao Xi said simply, holding out her phone. "Scan this. I'll be going to a class reunion soon, so you can reach me anytime if you need anything."

After adding her, he glanced at her screen filled with unread messages, his interest piqued by how popular she seemed.

"Got it," he said, his tone unreadable, as he saved her number.