Sharing a Bed

"What?" Qiao Xi hadn't caught what the elderly Mrs. Liu said.

Mrs. Liu froze for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind. Go ahead and make the arrangements."

"Alright, I'll consult with the doctor," Qiao Xi replied calmly. "If you need anything, just press the call button."

After Qiao Xi left, Mrs. Liu rubbed her temples, feeling a faint headache.

That angle just now… Did her eyes deceive her? This young woman, Qiao Xi, bore a faint resemblance—perhaps three or four parts—to her daughter in her youth.

The thought momentarily robbed Mrs. Liu of her usual sharp temper.

But upon closer inspection, the likeness seemed to vanish.

The world is full of coincidences, she thought.

Picking up her phone, she dialed her eldest son. "Zongquan, I saw a young woman at the hospital today who bears a slight resemblance to Huimin. The hospital really knows how to pick people."

The Liu family had always doted on their daughter.

"They're probably trying to manipulate me into cooperating with treatment," Mrs. Liu continued with a cold laugh. "This must be Xiu Yuan's doing."

If Dr. Xu Xiu Yuan had known about Mrs. Liu's suspicions, he would have vehemently denied it. It was purely coincidental that Director Wu had made this arrangement.

"Mom, just stay in the hospital. Paralysis can be treated," Liu Zongquan tried to reassure her.

"Don't try to coax me. I hate hospitals."

Determined to recover and return home as soon as possible, Mrs. Liu resolved to steel herself.

When Qiao Xi returned later, she escorted Mrs. Liu through her scheduled checkups and fetched her meal.

Back in the ward, Mrs. Liu angrily knocked the hospital meal tray onto the floor, spilling the scalding soup onto Qiao Xi's hand.

"Is this supposed to be edible? I told you I wanted a meal from Jinling Courtyard!"

"You told me to arrange it as I saw fit," Qiao Xi replied, standing straight despite the pain.

"I never said that. You must have misheard."

Feigning confidence to hide her guilt, Mrs. Liu demanded, "Clean this up! The oily mess is disgusting to look at."

Qiao Xi glanced at her but said nothing, silently cleaning the room.

"I want to take a nap. Don't disturb me."

"Dr. Yan is scheduled to perform acupuncture at 1 o'clock."

"He can wait."

As a patient, Mrs. Liu was undeniably one of the most challenging Qiao Xi had ever encountered.

By the end of the day, Qiao Xi was utterly drained, both physically and emotionally.

On her way out, she noticed that Ye Manman and Wu Yapure were still full of energy, planning dinner together.

Seeing Qiao Xi's exhausted state, Ye Manman couldn't help but sneer. "How's our top student doing with all the odd jobs?"

Wu Yapure chimed in mockingly, "I heard she was mopping floors earlier. Even my housekeeper doesn't do that kind of work. Truly fitting for someone from the countryside."

Ignoring their taunts, Qiao Xi changed out of her uniform and boarded a bus home.

"Manman, do you think her sponsor dumped her? She's actually taking public transport!" Wu Yapure said, clinging affectionately to Ye Manman.

"Serves her right," Ye Manman chuckled.

Qiao Xi sat on the bus, the faint smell of disinfectant clinging to her as if it had seeped into her very pores. After getting off, she walked another ten minutes to the villa district.

"Mrs. Qian," she greeted upon arriving.

"Oh, dear, it's so late! You must be starving. I'll heat something up for you," Mrs. Qian fussed.

"I'll just head upstairs to shower first," Qiao Xi replied.

After cleaning up and changing into fresh clothes, she knocked on Huo Xingzhou's door.

"Come in."

"Mr. Huo, I'm here for your acupuncture treatment," she said, her voice hoarse and her fatigue evident.

Huo Xingzhou observed her carefully as she began the session. Her hands, pale and delicate, were visibly dry and reddened. She looked like a wilted flower, utterly drained.

"Remove the needles in thirty minutes," he instructed.

Qiao Xi tidied up the medical tools and sat down to wait, but before long, her head nodded as she fell asleep in her chair.

Huo Xingzhou silently moved his wheelchair closer, took out a hand cream from the drawer, and gently applied it to her reddened hands.

Her exhaustion was evident. She must have endured a lot of grievances at the hospital.

Thirty minutes passed, and she was still asleep.

Rather than disturb her, Huo Xingzhou removed the needles himself. When Mrs. Qian came upstairs with dinner, she asked softly, "The young lady is asleep?"

"Yes."

"Poor thing must be exhausted," Mrs. Qian murmured sympathetically. "Why does she insist on being an intern?"

Huo Xingzhou knew it was because she wanted to earn her graduation certificate and eventually stay at the city hospital. A year later, she could take the licensing exam to officially practice medicine.

She didn't have to work so hard—especially if Cheng Han would acknowledge her as a disciple.

But Cheng Han likely didn't want to reveal his whereabouts.

"Mrs. Qian, tomorrow, find out if she's being unfairly treated at the hospital," Huo Xingzhou instructed.

"Will do. I'll leave this meal here for her to eat when she wakes up."

When Qiao Xi finally woke up the next morning, it was hunger that roused her. Her stomach growled loudly as she opened her eyes, feeling refreshed.

But something felt off. The warmth beside her was unmistakable. She slowly turned her head to see Huo Xingzhou's face mere inches from her own.

Gasping, she froze.

Sensing her movement, Huo Xingzhou shifted slightly.

Panicked, Qiao Xi quickly shut her eyes and pretended to sleep, her heart pounding like a drum.

"Still sleepy? If you don't get up soon, you'll be late for work," his deep morning voice teased.

Realizing she couldn't keep pretending, Qiao Xi opened her eyes and greeted him awkwardly. "Good morning, Mr. Huo."

"You don't seem to remember much about last night," he said, leaning back lazily, clearly enjoying her embarrassment.

Blushing furiously, Qiao Xi mumbled, "Excuse me, I need to wash up."

Behind her, Huo Xingzhou chuckled.

Her face now bright red, Qiao Xi nearly tripped over herself as she left.

At breakfast, Mrs. Qian cheerfully announced, "Breakfast is ready, young master, young mistress!"

When the two finally came down, the table was laid with a spread of nutritious dishes.

"Mrs. Qian, yesterday's lunchbox was delicious. I made another for you today," Qiao Xi said with an awkward smile, masking her unease.

"That's good to hear!" Mrs. Qian beamed.

She also handed Qiao Xi a bag of premium fruits. "Take these to share with your colleagues."

"Alright."

As Qiao Xi prepared to leave for work, Huo Xingzhou called out, "Qiao Xi, after work tonight..."

"Hmm?" She turned to him in curiosity.

"Never mind. It's nothing."

He left her with an air of mystery.