Newlyweds, Deeply Enamored

Qiao Xi added the contact and put away her phone, only to find herself locking eyes with Huo Xingzhou's cool, penetrating gaze. She froze.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking broke the silence, pulling them both back to reality.

"Master, Dr. Zhuo is here," Aunt Qian called from outside the room.

"Hmm, let him come up."

Hearing Zhuo Feng's name made Qiao Xi instantly wary. He was a quack who used medicine to harm rather than heal, and she knew he would bring nothing but trouble for Huo Xingzhou.

Sensing her unease, Huo Xingzhou gently patted the back of her hand. "Don't worry. Just act normal, as always."

Qiao Xi took a deep breath and nodded.

Meanwhile, Zhuo Feng followed Aunt Qian up to the second floor. As he glanced around the sparse and quiet villa, his disdain grew. The second branch of the Huo family truly had fallen from grace—it was nothing compared to the grandeur of the main house.

"Master, Dr. Zhuo has arrived."

"Second Young Master," Zhuo greeted coldly, his voice devoid of warmth. When he spotted Qiao Xi, a flicker of annoyance crossed his face. "I don't like having outsiders around while I'm treating a patient. Especially meddling, self-important medical students who haven't even graduated. Madam, please leave."

His disdain was obvious.

Learning that Qiao Xi studied medicine only fueled his contempt. How much could a student possibly know? In his eyes, she was arrogant and clueless, dabbling in a field far beyond her grasp.

"I won't interfere," Qiao Xi replied evenly.

"Are you planning to steal my techniques? Let me remind you, I am a disciple of the renowned physician Cheng Han. You'll never see skills as extraordinary as mine in your lifetime. No wonder you're reluctant to leave," Zhuo sneered.

Huo Xingzhou remained unbothered. Taking Qiao Xi's hand, he said, "We're newlyweds, deeply enamored. Please excuse us, Dr. Zhuo. I can't bear to be apart from her for even a moment."

Aunt Qian stifled a laugh, her heart swelling with joy. Marriage had certainly brought out the best in her master.

Zhuo scoffed. "Fine. Let her stay, though I doubt she has the aptitude to learn anything."

His arrogance made Huo Xingzhou want to laugh. Of all people, Zhuo Feng had no right to belittle anyone. Huo Xingzhou knew better than anyone how gifted Qiao Xi truly was.

"Thank you for your generosity, Dr. Zhuo," Huo Xingzhou said, his tone laced with irony.

"Have the madam undress you," Zhuo ordered curtly. "I need to perform acupuncture."

Acupuncture was a two-step process involving both needle insertion and moxibustion.

Looking like a resigned, dutiful wife, Qiao Xi helped Huo Xingzhou lie down and began to unbutton his shirt. Though she had done this many times, her face still flushed when she caught glimpses of his well-toned body.

Zhuo opened his luxurious medical kit, laying out an array of gold needles that looked impressively extravagant.

He meticulously inserted the needles into specific points: Zusanli, Chengfu, and Yinlingquan.

Qiao Xi watched his every move, silently reciting the names of the acupuncture points. The technique Zhuo used, though seemingly intricate, was ultimately mediocre. It might stimulate the legs but offered no substantial benefit.

Once the needling was done, Zhuo proceeded with moxibustion, burning a small cone of mugwort to warm the targeted areas.

To Qiao Xi, warm needling would have been more effective. Wrapping the needle ends in mugwort and igniting them could channel warmth directly through the needle into the acupuncture points, promoting blood circulation and qi flow.

After finishing, Zhuo handed over a packet of herbs. "This is for medicinal baths. Use it once daily. I'll return in three days for another acupuncture session."

He then left with his kit, but not before Qiao Xi inspected the herbal packet. Her nose crinkled as she sniffed it, picking out two tampered ingredients—Bai Fuzi and Duhuo.

"The acupuncture is fine, but the medicine is poisonous," Qiao Xi said, her face hardening. "He's vile! He even ground the herbs into powder and dyed them to cover his tracks."

"With a little miracle doctor like you, no amount of scheming can hurt me," Huo Xingzhou replied, leaning against the bed. His loosely draped shirt revealed tantalizing glimpses of his toned torso and defined abs.

"Don't call me that," Qiao Xi protested softly. "I'm just an ordinary medical student with average skills and no diploma."

Huo Xingzhou leaned closer, lowering his voice. "You really don't know your own worth, do you?"

"Hmm?" Qiao Xi looked at him, puzzled.

"Never mind. Go ahead and prepare the herbal bath according to your formula," he said, leaving the matter unresolved. He was confident that Qiao Xi would one day make a name for herself in Haicheng.

"Let me start with acupuncture first," Qiao Xi said, retrieving an old, worn medical kit from under the bed. The needles inside were silver and well-used, clearly cherished despite their modest appearance.

Huo Xingzhou couldn't help but feel it was a shame.

Zhuo Feng didn't deserve the gold needles.

Qiao Xi, on the other hand, was the only one worthy of them.

She skillfully twisted the silver needles, gently inserting them into his skin. Softly packed mugwort burned at the needle tips, filling the air with a soothing aroma.

As she worked, Huo Xingzhou quietly admired her. Her almond-shaped eyes and delicate features radiated a natural elegance, and her focused expression was captivating.

"Where's your phone?" he asked suddenly.

"In my pocket," she replied distractedly.

"Let me see it."

Without a second thought, Qiao Xi handed him the phone and continued her work.

Sliding through her contacts, Huo Xingzhou found her nickname for him: Mr. Huo. As expected, it was bland and formal.

He smirked, changed the nickname, and noticed a few messages. His eyes darkened slightly.

When Qiao Xi glanced over, her ears turned bright red.

She was mortified.

He'd changed his nickname to Husband.

"I made it less formal," Huo Xingzhou said nonchalantly. "If someone saw it, they might start asking questions."

"And what nickname did you give me?" Qiao Xi pouted.

"Oh, my legs hurt a little," he deflected smoothly, cutting off the conversation.

Easily distracted, Qiao Xi bent down to examine his legs.

She was far too easy to fool.

"Where's your class reunion being held? Do you need me to drive you there?" he asked casually, though he'd already seen her messages earlier.

"Shanhai Banquet Hall. I'll just take a taxi," she replied, brushing off his offer.

So, she didn't want anyone to see them together?

As Qiao Xi cleaned up and left the room, Huo Xingzhou pulled a tablet from the bedside drawer and connected to the villa's security cameras.

The screen displayed Zhuo Feng making a phone call.

"Second Young Master didn't suspect a thing, and he's even grateful to me," Zhuo said with a sycophantic grin. "Those herbs I gave him? In a month, they'll poison him to death."

"I trust you'll send me abroad after this, Young Master Huo Beiting. I'll never breathe a word," he promised.

"Qiao Xi has no real skill. She doesn't even recognize the herbs. There's no way she'll figure it out."

Huo Xingzhou chuckled coldly. "Fool."

A car accident hadn't killed him, and now the main family wanted to poison him?

Fine. He'd play along. Let them revel in their schemes—they wouldn't see what was coming.