Love Between a Man and Woman, Beyond Control

"Hello."

Qiao Xi slightly gasped, speaking into the phone, "May I ask who is calling?"

Ho Xingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly, gently biting her earlobe. Qiao Xi let out a startled gasp.

"Mr. Ho!"

Qiao Xi chastised softly, "Don't…"

On the other end of the phone, the person was breathing heavily, and immediately hung up.

Ho Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and distanced himself from her.

"Recently, have you been receiving many such calls?" Ho Xingzhou asked thoughtfully.

Qiao Xi nodded. "Some are silent when answered, and some are people coming to seek medical help. But with my fingers injured like this, I can't take patients right now. The hospital has been pushing me to return, and Dr. Yan wants me to come back as a mascot, collecting my salary."

"They all really like you," Ho Xingzhou said, gently pushing her hair behind her ear. "I'll take you home first, then go to the police station to handle Ho Jianjun's situation."

"No need, I can go back by myself." Qiao Xi didn't want to take up his time.

"Then I'll have Old Chen drive you back," Ho Xingzhou insisted.

"Mm."

In such a special time, Qiao Xi didn't dare to go out alone.

Ho Xingzhou's gaze fell on her shoulder, his finger lightly tugging at her strap. His voice was low and playful. "Your strap is showing."

In a moment of confusion and desire, it was impossible to control.

Qiao Xi's ears flushed red.

She bit her lip and adjusted her clothes.

"Old Chen's car is at the building entrance."

"I know. Mr. Ho, goodbye!"

Qiao Xi walked briskly to the door, then turned back.

She tiptoed, giving him a quick kiss on the corner of his lips. "This is a return gift."

With that, she ran out.

Ho Xingzhou's eyes darkened. Love between a man and a woman could sometimes be uncontrollable.

His patience and restraint were reaching their limits.

But she was still unconsciously teasing him.

Qiao Xi descended the stairs, in a good mood, and returned to the small villa of the Ho family.

Ho Jiancheng was pacing uneasily in the living room.

When he saw her, he quickly stood up to greet her, "Qiao Xi!"

Qiao Xi stopped in her tracks and politely called out, "Father-in-law."

"Qiao Xi, can I ask you to go somewhere with me? It's urgent," Ho Jiancheng said, his face full of worry, his forehead glistening with sweat.

"I…"

"It's not dangerous, I'm begging you," he interrupted.

Qiao Xi frowned, but eventually nodded. Ho Jiancheng and Du Juan had always been very kind to her, even more so than her own parents.

"I knew you were a good child. Come on, my car is waiting outside."

Ho Jiancheng grabbed her and led her out.

The two of them got into the car and drove for a while. Qiao Xi looked out at the familiar scenery and asked, "Are we going to the Ho family's old house?"

Ho Jiancheng's face grew tense, and he stuttered as he explained, "There's a situation with the old man. I don't have anyone I can trust, so I have no choice but to ask you for help. Qiao Xi, I'm not trying to trouble you, just… help me, please."

Qiao Xi's expression darkened.

She recalled what Ho Xingzhou had said to her at the Ho Corporation.

He had mentioned that tonight, there might be a big move.

She looked out the window, the sun setting, the sky ablaze with golden light.

It would soon be dark.

The car drove for about an hour before it finally stopped at the grand and solemn old house.

"Qiao Xi, hurry!" Ho Jiancheng urged.

Qiao Xi followed him, quickly walking inside.

The butler, Ah Zhong, sighed in relief when he saw them, "You're finally here. The old master and the eldest young master are still in the room. This is a real disaster!"

He led the way.

Qiao Xi noticed the servants at the Ho family's old house looked flustered, panic written on their faces.

Even the usually domineering Wang Fengxian was nowhere to be seen.

Her intuition told her that something big had happened.

"Is Dad inside?" she asked.

Ho Jiancheng sighed. He knew that Ho Jianjun had been arrested and that Ho Beiting had done something outrageous.

The Ho family was in turmoil!

He felt even more sympathy for the old master.

"Yes, he's inside. But the old master said, if Miss Qiao Xi arrives, she should go in alone," the butler, Ah Zhong, reminded.

Ho Jiancheng pointed to his own nose. "Can't I go in? But Qiao Xi..."

Qiao Xi pressed her lips together tightly, looking at the redwood door before her. "I'll go in by myself."

Her hand rested on the doorknob, gently turning it.

Through the gap, she couldn't see the scene in the bedroom clearly.

This was her second time entering the old master's bedroom.

The door behind her was closed by Ah Zhong.

Qiao Xi took a step inside.

She saw Ho Beiting, his expression twisted, being pinned to the ground by a burly bodyguard. Ho Wei Guo, the old master, was sitting with his eyes closed in a recliner. A bamboo tea table next to him held a bowl of dark, cold medicine.

"You've come," Ho Wei Guo's voice was hoarse. He opened his eyes slightly to look at Qiao Xi, but his eyes had lost their former brightness.

"Did you specifically ask for me?" Qiao Xi asked, looking at Ho Beiting, who was being held down in a humiliating position on the floor, then her gaze turned back to the old master.

"Yes."

Ho Wei Guo's attitude toward her had softened considerably.

He waved his hand. "Please help me take a look at what's been added to this medicine."

Qiao Xi walked over carefully, picking up the bowl to sniff the contents.

A familiar scent.

"Poisoned Bai Fuzhi, and Du Huo… Taking this directly could lead to poisoning and death. This is the medicine that Zuo Feng used to deal with Mr. Ho," Qiao Xi said calmly.

Hearing this, Ho Wei Guo took a deep breath. "A wicked thing!"

He threw the glass cup he had been holding at Ho Beiting, hitting his forehead and causing it to swell.

"Grandfather!" Ho Beiting cried bitterly, tears streaming down his face. "It's all Ho Xingzhou's doing! He sent my father to jail, and next, he'll come for me! I have to get the 30% shares to stand up to him!"

Ho Wei Guo coughed violently in anger.

"You think getting those shares will let you stand against him?"

"Why? Even you are on Ho Xingzhou's side! Since your seventieth birthday, you've been planning to give the shares to him, haven't you?" Ho Beiting shouted, lifting his head with malice, glaring at the old master.

Ho Wei Guo's voice was quiet. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have been biased. I cleaned up the mess after the car accident for you, but never wanted to lose two grandsons at once. I didn't expect you to worsen things. Have I not been good enough to the main branch?"

"Good enough? It's because we're easy to control. We listen to whatever you say, unlike Ho Xingzhou, who has his own opinions!" Ho Beiting sneered, his eyes red with anger.

Ho Wei Guo waved his hand, disappointed. "Poisoning today, I won't pursue it. Get him out of here. I don't want to see him."

Who would have thought that at seventy, he would become a lonely old man?

The bodyguards escorted Ho Beiting out of the room, leaving only Qiao Xi and the old master.

"Sorry to make you witness this," Ho Wei Guo said, his voice frail.

Qiao Xi kept her expression calm, looking at him. "You didn't just call me here to identify the poison, did you?"

Ho Wei Guo's voice was soft. "Go open the bedside drawer, the first one."

Qiao Xi furrowed her brows, walking over to open the drawer.

Inside, she found something unusual...