Whose Child is Qiao Xi?

The next day.

At the city hospital, in a VIP ward.

Old Master Huo had passed the critical period. He lay weakly against the headboard of the bed, his face ashen, and the sharp light in his eyes had dimmed considerably.

Huo Beiting and Huo Jianjun exchanged glances. With some reluctance, Huo Beiting poured a glass of warm water for the old man. "Grandfather, drink some water."

Huo Weiguo shook his head feebly, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't want to drink."

Suppressing the resentment in his heart, Huo Beiting spoke again. "Grandfather, now that you're sick, there's no backbone in the Huo family. Huo Xingzhou is coming at us fiercely. It's only a matter of time before he takes over our family business."

Huo Jianjun chimed in, "Dad, what you said at the birthday banquet yesterday, you weren't serious, were you?"

Father and son played their roles perfectly, one supporting the other.

Huo Weiguo felt a deep sense of loss. Slowly, he closed his eyes. "I know what you're both thinking. As chairman, I've signed the appointment letter. Jianjun will be the CEO of the Huo family, and Beiting, you will be the vice president."

Huo Beiting could hardly contain his impatience. "And what about the chairman position? What about the 30% shares?"

No more?

He wanted real power!

Looking at the old man's attitude, it seemed clear that he wasn't ready to relinquish control.

"Let's wait a bit longer, until I'm feeling better," Huo Weiguo said, his heart sinking. He had always been strong-willed, but in his twilight years, he was finding it difficult to hold on.

"Grandfather!"

Huo Beiting never expected the old man to go back on his word.

"Dad, Beiting is the most suitable choice. Huo Xingzhou doesn't share our interests," Huo Jianjun said, holding back his anger.

Huo Weiguo tightly shut his eyes and spoke, "I want to sleep. You two, leave me alone."

"Grandfather! You really…"

"Beiting, let's go. Let your grandfather rest," Huo Jianjun said, pulling Huo Beiting out of the room.

Once they were outside, Huo Beiting's face darkened.

"What's going through grandfather's mind? How could he go back on his word? Is he really going to give everything to that cripple?"

Huo Jianjun's expression was grim as he responded, "As long as nothing is set in stone, we still have hope. Huo Xingzhou's a cripple, a short-lived fool, and your second uncle is weak and foolish. Maybe, in the end, we can even benefit from the Tianyuan Group."

Huo Beiting clenched his teeth. "But with Huo Xingzhou's assets, could he still find Cheng Han?"

His voice was dripping with hatred as he asked the question.

"There's no chance," Huo Jianjun said firmly. "Cheng Han is no ordinary person. Don't forget the Liu family still has a living corpse among them. They've spent a lot of time and effort trying to find Cheng Han."

He paused, then added with patience, "You go to the Su family and keep them steady. They're the source of our family's wealth, providing us with continuous funding."

Huo Beiting nodded. "Alright, I'll head there right now."

His face was cold and filled with malice as he strode down the hospital hallway, giving off an aura that discouraged anyone from approaching.

As he neared the hospital entrance, he ran into Qiao Xi, who had just returned from her leave.

What a coincidence.

A malicious smile crept onto Huo Beiting's face as he blocked her path. "So, the wife of Tianyuan Group's CEO has to work for a few thousand yuan a month, serving patients?"

Qiao Xi pursed her lips and tried to walk around him.

Huo Beiting refused to let her go, grabbing her arm. "You had quite a bit of courage yesterday, humiliating me. A country girl—what do you think you're worth?"

Qiao Xi wrenched her arm free, her face cold as she said, "The invitation letter was entirely truthful. I just read it aloud."

"Heh."

Huo Beiting sneered, his gaze sharp. "You think you're relying on that cripple, Huo Xingzhou, for protection? Too bad he's a short-lived fool."

He warned her, "I advise you to stop interfering in things that don't concern you. Do you think you mean anything to Huo Xingzhou? It won't be long before he abandons you, a mere country girl."

His contemptuous gaze made Qiao Xi feel something strange stir inside her, but she remained composed.

"Yuanren Hall was reported and shut down. Zhuo Feng poisoned people and fled to avoid arrest. Do you think, if the police catch him, he'll confess who was behind it?" she asked calmly.

"You…"

Huo Beiting's face turned pale with rage.

Qiao Xi stood tall and turned to leave.

"You little bitch!" Huo Beiting spat, his voice low and venomous as he glared at her retreating figure.

Qiao Xi heard the cold tone and paused for a moment. Turning the corner of the hallway, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the screen. It was the drug supervision bureau's report page.

She had previously gathered the herbs from Yuanren Hall, conducted tests and comparisons, and handed the evidence to the drug supervision bureau.

The bureau had issued an announcement earlier that day. Unfortunately, Zhuo Feng had already fled.

A tinge of regret flickered in her heart.

"Qiao Xi! Emergency!"

Shu Xue appeared, her face a mix of relief and urgency. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"What's wrong?" Qiao Xi put her phone away.

"A special pregnant woman came to the obstetrics and gynecology department. She's exhausted from labor, and has an allergic reaction to oxytocin! Dr. Yan is on his day off, but he said you have solid basics, so you need to stabilize the situation first!"

Shu Xue hurriedly pulled Qiao Xi along.

"What's the situation with the pregnant woman?" Qiao Xi asked, her expression serious.

"She's unconscious and in a critical condition," Shu Xue replied, her voice tinged with anxiety.

"Why not perform a cesarean section?"

Shu Xue's voice shook with worry. "She's allergic to anesthesia! And she's a high-risk mother at forty-six years old! Why would she even want a second child at this age? I heard she insisted on having a baby girl before she fainted."

The two of them quickly arrived outside the obstetrics operating room, where a crowd had gathered. Qiao Xi disinfected and changed into surgical attire before entering.

"Acupuncture specialist, Qiao Xi."

She calmed her mind, assessed the situation, and took out her golden needles.

"Doctor Qiao, please try to wake the mother. Dr. Yan is on his way!" the obstetrics doctor said. "She's had so many allergies to medications, this could be fatal."

The patient was unconscious, and they had rushed her in.

"Okay."

Qiao Xi skillfully placed the needles into the mother's three yin intersection, Hegu, and Zhiyin points. The mother was weak, so she also applied pressure to the Sanzhuli point.

The needles hit their mark.

Soon, the mother woke up, and everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Push! Deep breath!"

"Madam Liu, think of your baby! You've always wanted a daughter, haven't you?"

The woman on the bed clenched her teeth, her face flushed, and she screamed in pain.

One final push.

Half an hour later, the sound of a baby crying echoed through the room. The woman had fainted from exhaustion.

"Well, it's a boy."

The nurse, holding the baby, chuckled. "Madam Liu is probably going to regret it. She only wanted a daughter."

"Doctor Qiao, you're amazing! No wonder Dr. Yan said he'd be training you for the future. Come see, this baby is so beautiful."

Qiao Xi smiled softly, leaning in to take a quick look.

The baby was fair and plump.

She never imagined that her connection to this child would grow deeper as time went on.

After cleaning her hands and packing her needle kit, she left the operating room. Taking off her mask, she breathed in the fresh air deeply.

"Doctor, how is my wife?"

"Doctor, how's my mom…"

She was immediately surrounded by people.

"Mother and child are both safe," Qiao Xi reassured them. "The baby is being cleaned up, don't worry."

"Mother and child? Oh no, my mom is going to get angry again." A young man, looking about seventeen or eighteen, with an elegant and lively demeanor, spoke up.

Liu Zongquan gave him a stern look. "What are you talking about? Your mother is gentle and virtuous."

He turned back to Qiao Xi, his gaze suddenly filled with surprise.

He hadn't expected to run into her here. He remembered seeing her at last night's banquet.

"Dr. Qiao… thank you." He had remembered her name.

Qiao Xi smiled, her eyes gentle. "You're welcome. I'll get going now."

"Dad, why do I feel like she looks a bit familiar?" Liu Yi furrowed his brows, feeling puzzled.

Liu Zongquan looked at him and said, "It's probably just fate."

There was no way she could be their child. They had never lost a child.