Qin Ningyi's words stopped before they were spoken. Huo Rou turned back in confusion, only to see Shen Wuyou holding An'an in one arm and catching Qin Ningyi's sliding body with the other.
"Wuyou, you..." Huo Rou looked at Qin Ningyi, who had been knocked unconscious by a hand chop, and realized for the first time that Shen Wuyou was capable of such a thing.
"You should get some rest," Shen Wuyou smiled gently at Huo Rou. "His words can wait until another day."
Huo Rou took An'an and glanced at Qin Ningyi again. He truly was a divine physician; that palm strike had knocked him out soundly.
She felt a little helpless but was indeed tired, so she followed Shen Wuyou's arrangement.
A residential building with two units per floor.
Huo Rou used her fingerprint to open the door opposite Shen Wuyou's apartment. Holding An'an, she hesitated as she looked at Qin Ningyi in Shen Wuyou's arms.
Before she could speak, Shen Wuyou preempted her, "He can sleep in my second bedroom."
With that, he smiled faintly at Huo Rou and bid her goodnight, supporting Qin Ningyi as he entered his own apartment.
Huo Rou watched Shen Wuyou's door close and stood there, finding the scene somewhat peculiar.
Shen Wuyou didn't care if the scene was peculiar. A drunken Qin Ningyi would never be allowed into Huo Rou's home.
He removed Qin Ningyi's jacket and tossed him onto the bed in the second bedroom.
His control over the acupoints was good this time; he hadn't woken up even when tossed like that.
He found rubber gloves from the house, put them on, and performed a ritualistic disinfection as if performing surgery. Then, he removed Qin Ningyi's shoes. As he was about to leave, his medical ethics got the better of him. He frowned, returned, and covered Qin Ningyi with a quilt.
After completing all that, Shen Wuyou went to the bathroom and meticulously washed his hands using the seven-step method. Only then did the awkward feeling in his heart subside.
Outside, lightning and thunder gave way to a raging storm. He looked up, and the man in the mirror frowned. In the past, Huo Rou would not have slept soundly in weather like this. In Daolin Village, he had seen her get up to watch the rain more than once.
Thinking of this, he found a sleep-aid medication in his room and, carrying a small nightlight, waited by the window in the corridor.
Amidst the furious storm and the pitch-black night, the sound of branches snapping was heard, followed by footsteps from Huo Rou's apartment.
Creak—
Huo Rou pushed open her door and saw the small pool of light in the corridor, her heart understanding immediately.
"Divine physician, what trick are you playing this time?" Huo Rou chuckled softly and walked to the window.
Shen Wuyou's handsome features relaxed. "A sleep aid. You need to rest immediately."
Huo Rou tilted her head back, watching a flash of lightning streak across the dark sky. She took a deep breath. "Wuyou, in weather like this, I don't want to sleep."
In weather like this, she had lost too much.
"I would have stayed up with you before, but your body has just recovered, and you've been through so much. Not sleeping is bad for your health."
The faint nightlight cast a gentle glow in the dark night, and Shen Wuyou's gaze was focused and tender.
"Listen to the doctor," Shen Wuyou handed her the bottle.
Huo Rou shook her head, smiled, took it, and ate one pill.
"He..."
As Huo Rou handed the bottle back, she asked.
The light in Shen Wuyou's eyes dimmed slightly. He smiled. "Can a doctor's care be worse than yours?"
Seeing Qin Ningyi did indeed bother her now. Huo Rou calmed down, allowing her eyelids to grow heavy.
"Then I'm going back to sleep." Huo Rou rubbed her eyes, looking very obedient.
Shen Wuyou suppressed the urge to step forward and smiled tenderly. "Remember to come for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Can I sleep in?"
"You won't," Shen Wuyou wished she could sleep in, but with the habits she had cultivated over so many years, how late could she possibly sleep?
Not getting up early to run a few laps was already a significant improvement for her.
The next day, Shen Wuyou woke up on time and went into the kitchen.
Qin Ningyi woke up to a delicious aroma. His head throbbed from the hangover. He rubbed his forehead and opened his eyes.
Before him were a white ceiling, white walls, and a faint light filtering through pale blue curtains.
A completely unfamiliar place.
He remembered Huo Rou's cold face when he was last conscious. He had been knocked out just as he was about to pursue her?
Qin Ningyi felt a moment of panic. Huo Rou hadn't even looked back at him, so was it Yang Luhua who knocked him out?
He still remembered the beating Huo Rou had given him yesterday. If he was tricked again, what would he do?
Qin Ningyi, anxious, immediately called Xiao Konglin. "Go and investigate Yang Luhua thoroughly. Find a reason to fire her."
He hadn't noticed any particular interest from her before. He only remembered her business acumen was good. How could she be so dangerous?
He needed to be more careful and stay away from all dangerous women.
Qin Ningyi, rarely feeling fear in his life, smelled the aroma wafting into the room and added, "Today."
After hanging up, he quickly put on his shoes and opened the door.
The scent hit him, making him even more flustered.
Huo Rou couldn't cook, so who had brought him back...
"Awake?" A deep voice, tinged with coldness, came from the kitchen.
Qin Ningyi's panicked heart felt like it had been on a roller coaster. He looked at Shen Wuyou, who was standing by the kitchen doorway wearing an apron, and for a moment, he didn't understand the situation.
"I didn't prepare any for you. Make something for yourself." Shen Wuyou's gentleness seemed to be reserved only for Huo Rou. Now, though his tone was calm, he was exceptionally cold.
Qin Ningyi carefully recalled everything from yesterday. "You knocked me out?"
"Yes."
Shen Wuyou walked back into the kitchen and continued his work.
Qin Ningyi certainly had no intention of eating on Shen Wuyou's territory. He found the washbasin, washed his face briefly, and prepared to leave.
Shen Wuyou heard him from the kitchen and inwardly wished he would leave quickly, before A'rou and the others arrived.
Huo Rou didn't hear his inner thoughts, but the doorbell rang.
Shen Wuyou made no move to open the door. Qin Ningyi pondered for a moment, then quickly walked to the door to open it.
"Come in!" Shen Wuyou called out before Qin Ningyi reached the door.
The sound of fingerprint recognition echoed, and the door opened from the outside.
"Uncle Shen!" An'an poked his head in from outside.
"Come in quickly, we're about to eat." Shen Wuyou's tone was gentle, and his mood was clearly good.
Huo Rou followed closely behind. She noticed the bruise on Qin Ningyi's chin, blinked, and looked away.
"Dad." An'an greeted in a muffled voice and went into the kitchen to help.
Huo Rou, a kitchen disaster, was kept out and could only sit obediently at the dining table.
Freshly made sauce was poured over the noodles, fragrant, sour, and spicy. The smell alone was enough to whet one's appetite.
Shen Wuyou had indeed not prepared a portion for Qin Ningyi. He brought out three bowls. Qin Ningyi sat opposite Huo Rou, watching her eat so heartily. He couldn't help but recall what Old Wang had said: Shen Wuyou could cook.
Judging by the situation, he cooked quite well.
That familiar feeling of being stifled rose again in his heart.
Huo Rou saw him looking at her eat with longing and hesitated for a moment.
Was he starving?
"Dad, are you very hungry?" An'an was more considerate. Seeing Qin Ningyi staring intently at Huo Rou, he thought his father wanted to eat and pushed his small bowl towards him, fearing he would snatch Huo Rou's food.
Qin Ningyi was touched by his son's thoughtfulness. Despite the misunderstanding, his son still cared about him. With the idea of "know yourself and your enemy to win a hundred battles," Qin Ningyi took a bite with An'an's chopsticks.
Hmm, he should, perhaps, still be able to compare.
Qin Ningyi fell into a cycle of "comparing himself to Shen Wuyou."
Fortunately, his phone's ringtone pulled him back.