"She's going back to Yu Chang City," Old Master Qin said, looking at Qin Ningyi. Huo Rou had shown them the message earlier and spoken of her plan. He truly couldn't dissuade her.
"Yu Chang City?"
Sun Zhiyuan tucked his hands into his pockets and seemed to realize. "On the way here, I heard the news about Qin's Group. Young Qin does need to return."
"Taichuan City has been a bit unstable lately. I'll send someone to escort..." He smiled, about to offer to send Qin Ningyi back, but Chen Long interrupted him.
"No need." He didn't mind chatting with them about the children, but he didn't want to owe Sun Zhiyuan any favors when it came to serious matters.
Sun Zhiyuan chuckled. He knew very well Chen Long's slight regard for him. Although he had been transferred to Taichuan City, he was still barely at the same level as Chen Long.
After all these years, neither he nor Chen Long had managed to surpass the other.
"Doctor Shen, you can't stand for too long." Shen Sitong spoke softly. "The doctor said you need to rest."
As she spoke, Huo Rou's smiling eyes swept over her, then playfully landed on Shen Wuyou with a teasing glint.
Shen Sitong had been staying by Shen Wuyou's side every day during this time, taking excellent care of him. Huo Rou always saw her as bright and cheerful.
With such a "sunshine" to brighten his days, she was very happy for Shen Wuyou.
"Hurry back now, esteemed doctor," Huo Rou urged with a smile.
Shen Wuyou opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but under her gaze, he couldn't bring himself to. He smiled, feigning casualness, "Then I won't be here to see you off when you leave."
He smiled warmly and bid everyone goodbye, finally patting An An's head.
The moment he stepped out the door, the warm winter sunlight fell upon him. A sudden burst of light through the clouds stung his eyes, and he squinted.
"Miss Shen," he said, lowering his gaze to avoid the dazzling sun. His voice was soft and gentle, yet carried a hint of cool detachment. "I'm sorry."
During their time together, he had rejected her advances. But Shen Sitong's concern had been so perfectly timed. Even though he had sensed something, he couldn't be blunt about it.
However, even though the sun was warm, he didn't yearn for it.
He already had his own moonlight, and though it was cold, he had long grown accustomed to such lonely, desolate nights.
Shen Sitong reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her already fair wrist seemed to emit a faint shimmer in the setting sun.
She smiled naturally. "Doctor Shen has nothing to apologize for to me."
Shen Wuyou leaned against the doorframe, his smile still gentle, but the refusal in his eyes was clear. "I..."
"Doctor Shen, you just don't like me," Shen Sitong said, lowering her head. Her voice was calm. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"Sister Huo is a remarkable person. It's only natural to like her."
Hearing this, Shen Wuyou became flustered and glanced back at the hospital room door.
"Similarly, Doctor Shen, you are also very outstanding," Shen Sitong said. Seeing his panicked look as he turned back, her heart ached slightly, but she still smiled and looked into his eyes.
"But," Shen Wuyou said, sitting down on the hospital bed, looking somewhat dejected. "Miss Shen, I can't reciprocate your feelings."
From the moment Huo Rou had walked into the medical room covered in blood, his gaze had been unable to leave her.
Shen Sitong stepped forward and adjusted his blanket. "There's no need. Doctor Shen, I'm going back to work tomorrow. You won't even have the chance to respond."
Shen Wuyou was truly a gentle person. Since she liked him, how could she truly make him uncomfortable?
His condition had stabilized, he no longer had fevers in the middle of the night, and his face was starting to fill out again. It was time for her to return to the company and fulfill her promise.
She said this playfully, and Shen Wuyou let out a soft laugh, finding himself unable to think of a suitable retort.
The bright sun shone, seemingly undiminished by anything.
Only Shen Sitong knew her own helplessness. This was the first time she had liked someone so much, yet her affections were like moonlight shining on a ditch.
She shook her head, her ponytail swaying gently, and changed the subject. "Sister Huo is only going back to Yu Chang City. Are you really worried about danger with all these medicines you've prepared?"
After years of practicing medicine in the military, encountering so many perverted geniuses, coupled with the way Huo Rou spoke about her trip to Yu Chang City in front of him...
She only had that kind of expression when she was on a mission: facing death with equanimity, yet brimming with fighting spirit.
"Better safe than sorry," Shen Wuyou sighed.
He thought for a moment, then looked at her seriously. "Don't mention their trip to Yu Chang City to anyone else."
Shen Sitong tilted her head, her ponytail swaying again. "I have many friends, but I'm not someone who tells everything to everyone."
"Thank you." Shen Wuyou, afraid she might overthink things, added, "I'm saying this not because I don't trust you. It's a habit from years of caution."
"Many things about A Rou are complicated. Since you often appear around her, someone might indeed approach you," Shen Wuyou said, thinking of his own experiences and the recent messages on his phone.
With BDD having arrived in Taichuan City, he had to be careful about everything.
Hearing him say this, Shen Sitong smiled and lowered her gaze, concealing the deep thought in her eyes.
When Qin's Group's hot search had climbed to first place this morning, she had indeed received a call from her distant cousin who also worked in Taichuan City.
During the call, after chatting briefly about the hot search, her cousin had nervously asked if she had encountered President Qin at the hospital. Her words implied she wanted to know if President Qin was returning to Yu Chang City so she could decide how to handle the skincare products she had on hand.
At the time, she had comforted her cousin, "Qin's Group is such a large enterprise; they'll surely provide an explanation to everyone."
Thinking back to that morning's call, a hint of suspicion began to form in her mind.
"Miss Shen?" Shen Wuyou's voice pulled her back to reality.
Shen Sitong flashed him a sunlit smile.
Seeing her carefree smile, Shen Wuyou couldn't help but add, "Your not knowing is also a form of protection for you."
Shen Sitong could feel his concern, and her smile became even brighter. She nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your concern, Doctor Shen."
Since this matter was so serious, she decided not to return her cousin's call later. After all, she was heading to the airport soon, so she could just pretend to have forgotten in her busyness.
After chatting for a while longer, as she stood up to leave, there was a stir outside the door.
An An pushed open their hospital room door.
"Mommy sent me to say goodbye. Uncle Shen, take care of yourself and get well soon!" His little head peeked through the gap in the door, looking exceptionally cute.
"Mm," Shen Wuyou nodded seriously. "Be careful on your journey and take good care of your mother."
An An patted his chest. "Of course I will!"
It had taken him considerable effort to get Huo Rou to agree to take him along.
Shenfeng's head suddenly appeared in the doorway. It whimpered twice at Chen Wuyou before nudging An An with its paws.
"Mommy's waiting for me! Goodbye, Uncle Shen, goodbye, Sister Shen!" An An said his farewells in a hurry, closed the door, and ran off quickly.
Shen Sitong pursed her lips and smiled. An An was truly an endearing child. Even though his address for her and Shen Wuyou placed them in different generations, she couldn't help but chuckle.
"Then Uncle Shen... am I leaving too?" Shen Sitong, following An An's address, tried to sound lighthearted and cheerful, suppressing a smile as she bid him farewell.
To prevent herself from being blinded by love, she needed to stay away from Shen Wuyou and focus on work for a while.