He had specifically accepted Yang Luhua's invitation to come over today for a collaboration, with the intention of meeting Huo Rou at noon and having lunch with her.
Who would have thought that after concluding the business negotiation, he rushed to the main entrance, only to find that she didn't answer his two calls.
The phone in his hand emitted a "du, du, du" busy signal, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."
The person who should have been on the other end of the line was currently being carried out of the building by a man.
Qin Ningyi's face turned ashen as he got out of the car.
Yang Luhua, sitting in the passenger seat, saw him get out and reached for the door handle to follow, but Old Zhang stopped her.
"Miss Yang, President Qin has his own matters to attend to. It would be best not to disturb him." Old Zhang, looking at the heavily made-up Yang Luhua beside him, hid his disdain and spoke in a cordial tone.
"And who is that?" Yang Luhua had of course seen Huo Rou, the woman who had been specially attended to by President Qin and had entered his office several times. She was reportedly An'an's mother.
"It's President Qin's private business. You shouldn't pry," Old Zhang didn't answer her question, his grip on Yang Luhua's arm not weakening, keeping her in the car.
Qin Ningyi strode quickly towards Xiao Yuda.
He finally stopped in front of him, blocking his path.
"She is mine," Qin Ningyi stated, his gaze fixed on Xiao Yuda's eyes, each word spoken deliberately.
He knew, of course, that the man before him was the CEO of Yuda Artificial Intelligence Company, and Huo Rou's boss, Xiao Yuda.
A significant figure, but...
Just a figure.
Qin Ningyi refused to back down. Xiao Yuda grew increasingly anxious. Huo Rou had already rested her head on his shoulder, her weight increasing, indicating she was slowly losing consciousness.
"Get out of the way!" Xiao Yuda carefully pulled Huo Rou closer, shouting at Qin Ningyi.
"Mine." Qin Ningyi had never been so persistent about anything. The little girl he met in his childhood had faded from his memory because he couldn't find her.
But now, seeing Huo Rou in someone else's arms, he felt an indescribable vexation. This was his person, his!
Xiao Yuda had never met such an obtuse person. He certainly knew this was Qin Ningyi, and he knew he was An'an's father.
However, it was obvious to anyone that Huo Rou was not well. She didn't even have the strength to pretend anymore.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Xiao Yuda dodged to the side, "Stop him for me!"
As his voice rang out, four security guards standing by the entrance quickly moved forward, blocking Qin Ningyi.
Xiao Yuda used his back to shield Qin Ningyi and carried Huo Rou towards the car.
Facing the four security guards, Qin Ningyi unleashed all his pent-up frustration. Within three moves, all four were lying on the ground.
He then sprinted after Xiao Yuda, appearing before him at a strange angle with extreme speed. With a precise maneuver, Huo Rou was in his arms.
In that instant, it was as if he had grabbed a fireball. Huo Rou was burning hot, scorching his very core.
Qin Ningyi, who had been forcefully snatching her just a moment ago with a cold expression, instantly changed his demeanor. "Rou? Rou?"
"What happened to her?" The usually rational and aloof man had lost his composure.
The last time he pulled Huo Rou out of the water, he hadn't seemed this frantic.
"She has a cold! She's feeling very unwell. Get in my car quickly, we need to take her to the hospital." Xiao Yuda had no interest in arguing with him here. Huo Rou's condition was not optimistic; he had never seen her have such a severe cold.
The two men, who were confronting each other fiercely a moment ago, could now set aside their differences for the sake of the same woman.
Qin Ningyi immediately made a U-turn and, holding Huo Rou, got into Xiao Yuda's car.
Yuxi Hospital.
"Please provide your ID card," a nurse with a pleasant demeanor at the outpatient registration desk extended her hand, waiting for them to provide their identification.
"Is an ID number acceptable?" Xiao Yuda couldn't find Huo Rou's physical ID card.
"Yes, it is." The nurse glanced at the handsome but grim-faced man standing behind him. Being stared at like that sent a shiver down her spine, so she quickly agreed.
Qin Ningyi listened as Xiao Yuda fluently recited Huo Rou's ID number. His eyes narrowed, and the muscles in his arm tensed.
After the nurse entered Huo Rou's ID number into the system, the resulting interface made her eyes widen. She reconfirmed it and quickly called for doctors and nurses.
"VIP!" The nurse, unsure how to explain, just excitedly repeated the words, "VIP!"
The doctor immediately understood. Glancing at the registration information on the computer, he quickly instructed the nurse to push a portable stretcher for Qin Ningyi to place Huo Rou on.
The two men followed the doctor to a very quiet floor. The stretcher was pushed into a luxurious private room.
The doctor had already learned about Huo Rou's condition on the way, which was just a common cold. He had expected some critical illness upon seeing a VIP patient and was startled by the two men's anxious demeanor, as if she were terminally ill.
As the nurse approached Huo Rou to administer an IV drip, Huo Rou suddenly opened her scarlet eyes and simultaneously swung her right hand, accurately blocking the needle the nurse was extending.
"Xiao Rou, this is the hospital nurse. She's here to give you an IV." Xiao Yuda gently soothed her.
Huo Rou scanned her surroundings. The room was spacious and bright, the sheets were a light blue, and there was a fruity scent in the air instead of the smell of medicine.
She then looked at the nurses in front of her and the name tags on their chests. Seeing that it was Yuxi Hospital, she finally released the nurse's hand.
Huo Rou watched the needle penetrate her skin without blinking. After a moment of regaining her senses, she looked up at the two men whose atmosphere was somewhat strange. She recalled that before she lost consciousness, Xiao Yuda had encountered Qin Ningyi while holding her.
"Let me introduce them," Huo Rou said, getting up to lean against the headboard. Both men simultaneously stepped forward to adjust her pillow.
The nurse closest to her, with her hand still extended, was squeezed aside by Qin Ningyi.
The two men, one on each side, adjusted the pillows simultaneously. They exchanged a look of dissatisfaction and spoke at the same time, "No need for introductions."
With surprising synchronicity, Huo Rou looked left and right, nodded, and asked, "Then why are you both making that face?"
Qin Ningyi's face was stern; he didn't know how to explain his childish possessiveness.
Xiao Yuda, with a half-smile, glanced at Qin Ningyi and remained silent.
Huo Rou looked at Qin Ningyi's awkward expression, unsure of his situation. She assumed there might have been a misunderstanding.
She cleared her throat and said in a hoarse voice, "Still, let me introduce them..."
"Don't speak!" The two men said in unison again.
Xiao Yuda was so annoyed he snorted coldly, mimicking his every word!
Qin Ningyi placed his hand on Huo Rou's forehead. "You shouldn't talk for now. Your voice is so hoarse, you must be uncomfortable. Do you want some water?"
Huo Rou could only close her mouth and nod. After drinking some water, with no one else in the room, she fell into a deep sleep again, leaving the two men looking at each other in bewilderment.