Dr. Qiao, Your Husband’s Here to Pick You Up

Inside the hospital room, the air was heavy with a mixture of regret and longing.

Old Master Huo, rarely seen with such a gentle expression, looked at his youngest son, Huo Jiancheng.

"Jiancheng, I've owed you for so long. I shouldn't have blamed you for your mother's death when you were born," he said, his voice trembling with age and sorrow. His weathered face was streaked with tears, his gray hair a stark reminder of the years that had passed.

Huo Jiancheng's throat tightened, his eyes reddened with unshed tears.

The old man reached out with a frail hand to touch his face. "In the blink of an eye, you're nearly fifty, and I… I don't have many days left. I've wronged you all these years."

"Dad!"

Jiancheng clasped his father's hand tightly. "You're not going to die!"

The grievances and bitterness he had harbored for so long seemed to dissipate with those heartfelt words. For the first time, he felt the warmth of the fatherly love he had yearned for.

He never imagined that one day the old master would speak to him so sincerely. Jiancheng broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

"If we don't find Cheng Han soon, I'm afraid… I won't make it through the year," the old man said, his face ashen and weary. "Before I die, I hope Xingzhou can forgive me. The things in my hands must go to the most capable descendant."

Jiancheng wrestled with his emotions for a long time, but in the end, filial piety won.

"There might be someone who can save you!"

Gritting his teeth, Jiancheng hesitated before blurting out, "Xingzhou's health has improved significantly. Dujuan suspects it's related to Qiao Xi. She might be one of Cheng Han's protégés, though we're not sure yet."

Jiancheng, always naive and sincere, was moved by his father's remorse. Without much thought, he revealed his suspicions, hoping to save the man who had given him life, ensuring he wouldn't die in pain.

"Qiao Xi?"

Old Master Huo had initially intended to use this emotional reconciliation to win over Xingzhou, aiming to merge Tianyuan Group with the Huo family enterprise.

But this unexpected revelation was a pleasant surprise.

"Are you certain?" A sharp gleam appeared in the old man's eyes.

"I'm not sure, but I can ask Qiao Xi to take a look at you," Jiancheng replied cautiously.

"No, let's wait," Old Master Huo said, clutching his son's hand. "Wait until I can confirm her identity. Don't mention this to anyone else."

Jiancheng nodded obediently. "Alright. I'll come to visit you every day from now on."

Outside the Hospital Room

Unbeknownst to them, Huo Beiting had overheard their entire conversation!

Qiao Xi!

How could that countryside woman possibly have anything to do with Cheng Han, a master of traditional medicine? And Huo Xingzhou? Still a cripple!

But it didn't matter who she was—Huo Beiting couldn't tolerate that arrogant villager any longer.

Better to eliminate her than to let her slip through the cracks!

Clenching his fists, he tossed the food he had brought into the trash and stormed out of the hospital. At the entrance, he dialed Su Weiwei's number.

The call connected quickly.

"Weiwei, do you want to get back at Qiao Xi? I've heard she doesn't even have a medical license."

A sinister smile played on his lips as he spoke.

On the other end of the line, Su Weiwei perked up with interest. "Beiting, what do you have in mind?"

Huo Beiting let out a low chuckle and revealed his plan. Su Weiwei's eyes sparkled with excitement as she listened.

"Great. I'll take care of it right away," she replied eagerly.

Huo Beiting then used a public phone to call Zhuo Feng, who was still in hiding.

The Next Day

In the clinic, Qiao Xi was busy with consultations while Dr. Yan observed from the side, clearly impressed.

"Very good."

Dr. Yan nodded approvingly. "Your acupuncture technique is better than mine." By now, he was certain her skills were rooted in Cheng's Acupuncture, though her connection to it remained a mystery.

Qiao Xi smiled softly. "It's all thanks to your guidance. Next patient, Wang Dafu!"

Patients flocked to the city hospital every day, drawn by Dr. Yan's reputation as a master of traditional medicine. His workload was often overwhelming, but with Qiao Xi's help, things had become more manageable.

In walked a simple, honest-looking couple.

"My husband hasn't had much of an appetite lately. He feels nauseous after eating and has this dull stomach pain," the woman said anxiously.

"Don't worry," Qiao Xi reassured her gently. "Let me see his right hand."

After taking his pulse, Qiao Xi diagnosed him. "Erosive gastritis. It's not serious." She turned to Dr. Yan. "Would you like to double-check?"

Dr. Yan felt the patient's pulse and nodded. "It's gastritis, indeed. A three-month course of medication, along with dietary restrictions, should suffice. Acupuncture would speed up recovery."

"We'll do acupuncture!" Wang Dafu exclaimed nervously, his hand instinctively covering the small hidden camera on his chest.

"Alright, Qiao, prepare for the procedure," Dr. Yan instructed.

"Alright."

Yan Shian watched as Qiao Xi completed the necessary preparations, then handed him the prescription for review and signature before proceeding with acupuncture on Wang Dafu.

Just as she was finishing, the phone in the consultation room rang. It was the nurse's station calling.

Yan Shian set the prescription aside and walked over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Dr. Yan, your family called. They said your son was in a car accident! Your phone was off, and they couldn't reach you!"

"What? Is he in the emergency room? I'm on my way!"

Yan Shian's heart raced. His thoughts were in turmoil as he hurriedly exited the Chinese medicine consultation room.

Qiao Xi finished the acupuncture for Wang Dafu and told him to wait in the room. "I'll go get Dr. Yan to sign the prescription. Please wait here for a moment."

As soon as she left, Wang Dafu and his wife quickly gathered their things and snatched the prescription from the desk, making their exit in a hurry.

Qiao Xi was halfway down the hallway when she ran into Yan Shian, who had just returned. She asked, "Dr. Yan, how's your family?"

Yan Shian was visibly frustrated. "It was a prank call. They said they dialed the wrong number."

"Good thing it's nothing serious."

They returned to the consultation room together, only to find that Wang Dafu and his wife had already disappeared.

Qiao Xi scanned the room, looking for the prescription, but couldn't find it. "That prescription still hasn't been signed."

Yan Shian shrugged, unfazed. "No signature, no medication. It's not a big deal. The pharmacy won't fill it without the signature anyway."

He had been a doctor for many years and had seen similar situations countless times. Usually, patients were easy to handle, and with something like a mild case of gastritis, there was little risk.

Qiao Xi nodded, but for some reason, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

Later that evening…

As Qiao Xi was preparing to leave, the nurse at the station, Shu Xue, handed her a form.

"Dr. Qiao, your permanent employment application will be approved next month, and you'll be starting night shifts. Please fill this out. Don't forget to fill in the emergency contact section."

Shu Xue leaned casually against the counter as she watched Qiao Xi fill out the form. "Oh, filling in your husband's name, huh?"

Qiao Xi awkwardly blocked the form with her hand. "My family isn't in Haicheng, so I had to put him down."

Shu Xue clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk. Showing off your love. Don't forget to set up your phone for night shifts and be careful when you head home." She then glanced outside and added, "By the way, I saw your husband picking you up again. You should go before he waits too long!"

Qiao Xi's lips curved into a subtle smile. "I'm heading out now."

She packed her things and walked toward the hospital entrance. Sure enough, she saw the familiar car parked outside, and Old Chen opened the door for her.

Upon seeing the man inside, she greeted him, "Mr. Huo."

She pulled out her phone, went to the settings page, and immediately filled in the emergency contact. That way, she could easily call him if needed. As she pressed the power button a few times, the phone next to him vibrated in response.

The screen displayed: "Wife."

Qiao Xi's heart fluttered with a sweetness she hadn't expected.

The man glanced at her with slight confusion. "What are you doing?"

"Setting up my emergency contact," Qiao Xi replied with a playful smile. "Mr. Huo, who's your emergency contact?"

She was curious to see who he would think of first.