“Boyan, we’ll talk about your mother later. I still have a patient here.”
Interrupted in the middle of his consultation, Elder Huo frowned somewhat displeased and spoke flatly.
However, it was as if his nephew had not heard a word of it. His body remained motionless, his eyes staring blankly at Qiao Shu.
It was as though in his world, only Qiao Shu remained, and he could no longer see anyone else.
Being stared at so intensely by a strange man made Qiao Shu feel a bit uncomfortable.
Although that man was handsome and elegant, with an extraordinary bearing, whether in terms of appearance or temperament, he did not seem like an ordinary person, exuding an air of nobility from head to toe.
Yet, it was precisely because of this that Qiao Shu felt uneasy.
The man’s gaze carried the predatory intensity of one in a superior position, full of oppressive force, which made her very unadapted to it.
Elder Huo sensed the discomfort emanating from Qiao Shu and spoke coldly.
“Ji Boyan, get out.”
After this voice, laced with rebuke, was directed heavily at Ji Boyan, the man who had been staring dazedly at Qiao Shu finally snapped back to his senses.
He was not some green youth in his early twenties, but a mature man approaching thirty, who had rolled around in the business world for many years. How could he fail to notice that Qiao Shu had become uncomfortable under his gaze?
“Sorry, I’ll leave right now.”
Ji Boyan took a deep breath, frowned in some annoyance, reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Qiao Shu’s body, then turned and left Elder Huo’s office.
Once the man’s somewhat oppressive gaze disappeared, Qiao Shu finally relaxed again.
“Doctor Huo, how is my daughter’s health?”
Seeing Elder Huo taking Qiao Shu’s pulse, asking her to stick out her tongue, and inquiring about various issues, He Meijun was truly anxious with worry.
She feared that her precious little daughter might really have some illness.
After all, her daughter had never been very strong since childhood. Though not a sickly child, she was much frailer than the robust village kids who were like little calves.
It was because of this that, although her little daughter was born in the countryside, she had pampered her into a ‘Lazy Girl’ whose fingers had never touched spring water.
“Don’t worry, your daughter is very healthy.”
Elder Huo wiped his hands with a cloth and said flatly.
Although as he spoke these words, he was quite shocked in his heart. Clearly, from her outward appearance, the girl before him should have had a constitution as delicate as a willow swaying in the wind.
Even without any major issues, her body should still be somewhat frailer than a normal person’s.
But when he took the pulse of this girl who looked as fragile as a sickly beauty reminiscent of Xi Shi, he discovered that her body was extraordinarily healthy.
Elder Huo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: one really could not judge by appearances.
Hearing Elder Huo’s words, He Meijun asked again somewhat disbelievingly.
“Ah? Doctor Huo, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? My daughter’s little hands are so cold—how could she be fine…”
Elder Huo glanced at He Meijun and said somewhat helplessly, “Madam, your daughter is indeed healthy, with no problems in her body at all. Do you hope that she has some issue?”
“Ah, of course not. I just thought that on such a hot day, the child’s hands are too cold…”
Seeing Elder Huo say so, He Meijun, this doting mother, naturally shook her head hurriedly and denied it.
“Madam, there is an idiom in our China—ice-like skin and jade-like bones. I think your daughter possesses such skin.”
Elder Huo rarely said a few extra words and sincerely praised Qiao Shu’s beauty.
This was not surprising, for the girl before him was truly beautiful.
Although He Meijun looked like a village woman, she was actually a junior high school graduate who had gone to the countryside as an educated youth.
So, she had some level of education. Though not extensive, it was enough for her to understand Elder Huo’s words.
Hearing that phrase about ice-like skin and jade-like bones, He Meijun couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated.
“Mom, I told you, I’m very healthy, right?”
Qiao Shu gently tugged at her mother’s somewhat rough palms and said very obediently.
Looking at her daughter’s stunningly beautiful, fair little face, He Meijun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly that she had truly given birth to a little fairy.
He Meijun stroked her daughter’s head, then thanked Elder Huo gratefully.
“Thank you, Doctor Huo.”
“Thank you, Doctor Huo. Goodbye, Doctor Huo~!”
Qiao Shu also thanked Elder Huo along with her mother, and then the mother and daughter left Elder Huo’s office.
No sooner had they left than Ji Boyan, whom Elder Huo had just driven out, walked back in.
“Uncle, who are they…”
Seeing his nephew ask about the girl’s information the moment he entered, how could Elder Huo not see through his nephew’s intentions?
He snorted coldly and said in a cold tone, “Don’t know them, and don’t get any ideas about that girl. You two aren’t from the same world.”
Considering his nephew’s family background, how could the Ji Family agree to him marrying a Mainland girl, and one from the countryside with no family background at that?
“Uncle…”
Hearing Elder Huo say this, Ji Boyan’s brows immediately furrowed.
He wanted to say more, but Elder Huo interrupted him.
“Enough. Didn’t you say your mother plans to come to the Mainland personally to pick me up? Let’s go then. I’ll head to the telephone bureau now to call her, so she doesn’t really come over.”
Thinking of his younger sister, Elder Huo felt a bit of a headache. He had always doted on this sister who was nearly twenty years younger than him as if she were his own daughter.
Because of those turbulent ten years, he had lost contact with his sister who had married far away to Hong Kong for over a decade.
It was only in recent years, as the nation relaxed policies on overseas relations, encouraged foreign investment, and welcomed Hong Kong businessmen, that he had reconnected with her.
But once reconnected, she insisted on bringing him to Hong Kong to enjoy his later years, disregarding his wishes out of heartache for his past sufferings.
“Alright, I’ll go with you to the telephone bureau.”
Although Ji Boyan still thought of that beautiful and lively girl who had stirred his heart, he also knew what his current priority was.
However, he who had originally planned to leave the Mainland that day suddenly changed his mind.
He suddenly felt that the Mainland was pretty good; perhaps he should stay a bit longer and take a look around…
…
After leaving the hospital, He Meijun’s steps were noticeably lighter, and a smile appeared on her face.
“Let’s go to the department store and buy you some new clothes!”
Seeing that her mother was finally no longer worried about her, Qiao Shu’s face also bloomed with a brilliant smile.
“Mm~! Mom should buy some too!”
“Silly girl, what would I buy new clothes for? I have to go work in the fields every day and have no chance to wear them.”
“There are always times when you don’t work!”
“You this child…”
…
The mother and daughter chatted and laughed as they headed toward the county department store. However, neither knew that at that moment, a figure was stealthily following behind them.
Qiao Hui carefully trailed after Qiao Shu and her mother while pondering inwardly: what was the background of that man who had appeared in the hospital, dressed in a proper suit, extraordinary in both appearance and temperament, so out of place with those around him?
“He doesn’t look like a Mainlander… More like someone from Hong Kong…”
After all, in this era, people on the Mainland still dressed simply and plainly.
But soon, Qiao Hui cast aside thoughts of that obviously extraordinary suited man.
After all, her goal since rebirth was—
“Doctor Huo… Huo Qinming…”
Were these two somehow related?
Otherwise, why would Qiao Shu inexplicably end up at this Doctor Huo’s after arriving in the county town…
Qiao Hui mulled it over in her mind: perhaps this Doctor Huo was connected to Huo Qinming, and maybe it was because of this Doctor Huo that Qiao Shu had a clear intersection with Huo Qinming…
The more she thought, the more she felt her guess was correct.
So she began considering that if she didn’t encounter Huo Qinming today, she might be able to find an entry point through Doctor Huo…
As Qiao Hui racked her brains on how to ‘bump into’ a certain future bigshot, He Meijun and Qiao Shu had already happily arrived at the department store, ready to start shopping.
And what Qiao Hui hadn’t expected was that she didn’t need to go to such lengths to find an entry point through Elder Huo at all—she spotted the man she had been thinking of…