Returning - Chapter 64
Chapter 64: Visiting the Sick
Although the company allowed employees to eat at their desks, Xue Zhan disliked the smell of food permeating the air outside his office.
So during lunch, Wang Qi once again sought refuge with Xia Nan, eating takeout together with Xia Nan and Qin Yi, and discussing their plans to visit Zhao Yu at the hospital after work.
"I wonder if she can be discharged the day after tomorrow. If not, wouldn't she have to spend New Year's in the hospital?" Xia Nan mumbled around a mouthful of rice. "Spending New Year's alone in a hospital, that's just too miserable."
"Everyone in the company keeps saying Sister Zhao Yu is an orphan. If that's true, then perhaps... she's gotten used to it, so it wouldn't be so bad," Qin Yi looked up at Wang Qi. "Sister Wang Qi, is the rumor true? I didn't want to ask directly, afraid of touching a sore spot."
Wang Qi nodded. "Strictly speaking, she's not exactly an orphan. Her mother passed away after she reached adulthood. But right now, she truly has no family or close ties left. Whether she's discharged or not, she's alone. I remember her mentioning to me once that she hasn't celebrated the Spring Festival in several years."
Seeing the sympathetic expressions on Xia Nan and Qin Yi's faces, Wang Qi waved a hand in front of them. "Hey, don't wear that face in front of Zhao Yu. She doesn't want others pitying her. So tonight at the hospital, don't bring up anything about the New Year at all."
"Oh." Qin Yi nodded, biting her spoon. "I was originally going to say, if she didn't mind, she could come to my house for the New Year. But never mind, it really isn't appropriate."
Looking at the two young women just entering the workforce, so pure-hearted and kind, Wang Qi smiled, feeling oddly wistful.
It was only when she tilted her head back to drink that she noticed Xue Zhan standing near the elevator, watching them. She didn't even know if he'd been there for a while.
"Director Xue." Wang Qi instinctively stood up to greet him, startling Qin Yi and Xia Nan into quickly putting down their chopsticks.
Xue Zhan gave a faint nod, gesturing for them to continue eating, and walked into Xue Zi'ang's office.
The documents he needed were right on the desk. A couple of flips was all it took to find them. As he was heading back with the file in hand, he noticed a new picture hanging on the wall.
He still remembered. This was the sketch Zhao Yu had drawn for Xue Zi'ang, one Xue Zi'ang had boasted about to him endlessly back then.
It was just that, ever since he'd accidentally walked in on those two having sex in the office, he had avoided this office unless absolutely necessary. He hadn't expected Xue Zi'ang to actually have the drawing framed and hung on the wall.
He couldn't help but pause, staring at the picture a few moments longer. Though he wasn't well-versed in art, he could tell this was drawn with great care. The strokes were extremely meticulous. Even through those dense, intricate lines, he could imagine the look of utter concentration on Zhao Yu's face as she drew.
His fingers unconsciously brushed over the lips she had once kissed. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if Zhao Yu were to draw a picture for him, what would it be like?
But he quickly sobered up from this absurd notion, shook his head, and strode out of the office.
The three outside had continued their lunch. But with the boss inside, they had consciously toned things down, lowering their voices for the occasional exchange.
As he passed by them, Xue Zhan suddenly stopped and looked at Wang Qi. "Going to the hospital to see Zhao Yu after work?"
Wang Qi nodded.
"Buy more gifts for her." He paused for two seconds, then added, "In the company's name."
It wasn't until she was certain Xue Zhan had left that Qin Yi started gushing. "Isn't our big boss just too kind? Being this concerned about an employee, it's honestly so touching."
Two seconds later, she asked, puzzled, "The rumors couldn't actually be true, could they? That Sister Zhao Yu was harmed by that Yu Fei? And because of Director Xue? Is that why Director Xue cares so much?"
Xia Nan and Wang Qi exchanged a knowing glance, each seeing the same answer reflected in the other's eyes: Director Xue was clearly showing concern for his future niece-in-law.
Considering that Xue Zi'ang was surely also at the hospital, Wang Qi and Xia Nan had privately agreed and filled Qin Yi in on the matter between Xue Zi'ang and Zhao Yu. Qin Yi was shocked the entire way there. However, upon arriving at the hospital, the three were startled to find that Xue Zi'ang wasn't there.
In the desolately quiet ward, only Zhao Yu sat there in a daze. Although her condition had improved greatly since the previous night, her complexion was still haggard, and she still looked terribly weak.
Wang Qi and Xia Nan could more or less guess that she and Xue Zi'ang were still giving each other the silent treatment, so they didn't dare bring up Xue Zi'ang on their own. They just tried their best to find cheerful topics to discuss with her, like how at the annual meeting last night, Qin Yi had been lucky enough to win a prize, drawing a phone worth ten thousand yuan.
Xia Nan sighed, "Qin Yi, have you been on a lucky streak lately? How come all the good things are landing on you?"
Qin Yi shrugged. "You call this lucky? If I were truly lucky, what I drew last night wouldn't have been a phone, but that Mercedes. God, I'm so envious I could die."
"And that doesn't count as lucky? Even your idol took the initiative to follow you on Weibo and reply to your private messages." As she said this, Xia Nan suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Do you think there's a possibility that your idol has a secret crush on you? Otherwise, why would he be so cold to everyone else, yet answer all your questions? And the moment you posted on Weibo that you were going to the hospital, you immediately ran into him there. Could it really be that much of a coincidence?"
Zhao Yu, who was drinking soup, paused her movements. Feigning nonchalance, she asked, "What, did you guys just run into Qin Yi's idol at the hospital? Which idol?"
"Just that one... that, uh... oh, right, Ling Jianwei. Qin Yi's senior. She always calls him the ice-cold type. But for this ice king to actively follow her on Weibo and reply to her private messages—Sister Zhao Yu, don't you think that's suspicious?"
Qin Yi laughed drily. "He is my senior, after all. Replying to me is just basic courtesy, okay? I wouldn't dare have such fantasies."
Gazing out the ward window, Zhao Yu gradually fell into thought.
After the three visitors left, she wrapped a coat over her hospital gown and took the elevator down to the garden for a walk.
The weather was bitterly cold, the wind piercing. Naturally, there was hardly anyone outside. She strolled around twice on her own, then sat on a bench for several minutes. As she stood up, she accidentally stepped on a loose pebble. Her body lurched violently to one side, and she crouched down completely, clutching her ankle tightly, unable to get up for a long while.
Just as she was thinking she might have been overthinking things, footsteps finally approached from behind. A man bent down beside her, grabbing her arm and carefully helping her to her feet.
Looking at the man whose face remained as impassive as ever, Zhao Yu gave a meaningful smile.
"Young Master Ling just had a coincidental meeting with Qin Yi, and now here he is having a coincidental meeting with me?"
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