——

A day has passed, and in the hospital ward...

The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the entire ward.

Shen Zhao, dressed in a blue and white checkered hospital gown, leaned against the bed. Her pale, delicate face was pale and radiant, her eyes were red-rimmed and she looked listless. Her gaze kept circling towards the door.

Why hasn't the baby come to see him yet?

Just as I was thinking this, a slender, fair hand pushed open the door, and a pretty, expressionless face came into view.

It's a baby!

A flicker of joy crossed Shen Zhao's dark eyes. Because of his illness, his beautiful face was deathly pale, and even his lips were very pale.

At this moment, she frantically suppressed the upward curve of her lips and asked him with a hint of grievance, "Why did you take so long to arrive?"

Yu Qiao entered the ward, her gaze lingering for a moment on his still bloodshot eyes, his eyelashes drooping, looking somewhat sullen.

She was extremely worried when Shen Zhao fainted yesterday.

They found the hospital director, who then gathered seven or eight doctors and led Shen Zhao into the emergency room.

Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong.

only……

Yu Qiao sighed softly, looking worried.

The young master's health is far too weak.

"What's wrong?" Shen Zhao raised an eyebrow, straightened his back and leaned closer to her, his stunningly beautiful face obediently and softly asking her in a low voice.

"Young Master, it's time for your medicine." Yu Qiao gently shook her head and handed the medicine tray hidden behind her back to Shen Zhao.

On the medicine tray, a dozen or so colorful pills were piled together.

Shen Zhao took the medicine tray and casually placed it on the bedside table. He held Yu Qiao's hand, pulled her into his arms, and buried his face in her shoulder, slightly arching his back: "Baby, I don't want to eat."

His drooping peach blossom eyes were filled with disgust; he had been taking these medicines since he was a child.

After eating this for so many years, his body is still so weak.

“Being cute won’t work.” Yu Qiao pushed Shen Zhao away, picked up the medicine tray and handed it to him again, her little face cold and stern: “Take your medicine.”

Shen Zhao leaned against the headboard like a boneless woman, her beautiful face sickly, her eyes staring at Yu Qiao with a slightly resentful look, exuding an air of pampered elegance, like a spoiled concubine.

"Yu Qiao! You've changed!"

"You've never been this mean to me before!"

Yu Qiao was stunned. Her long, slender white fingers held the medicine tray. She blinked her eyelashes and her gaze quietly rested on Shen Zhao's shoulder.

Several buttons on the hospital gown were undone, revealing a large expanse of pale skin, delicate collarbones, and faintly visible pectoral muscles...

She swallowed hard, looked up and stared into Shen Zhao's eyes, and said stiffly, "Take your medicine."

"Yu! Qiao!" Shen Zhao glared at him with her peach blossom eyes, coughed twice in a coquettish tone, her eyes rimmed with red, her peach blossom eyes like flower buds holding water, she was coquettish and reproachful, her fair skin glowing red.

Not fierce.

It sounds more like she's being coquettish.

Yu Qiao remained calm and pushed the medicine tray forward a little further, urging, "Take your medicine!"

Shen Zhao turned his head away and ignored her.

Yu Qiao didn't speak, she just held the medicine tray without moving.

After a long while, Shen Zhaoxian finally gave in, her shoulders slumped, and her beautiful face looked dejected.

My icy fingers pinched the pill, and I put it in my mouth, the bitter taste filling my mouth.

She had a thin frame, with her collarbones protruding very prominently, and a noticeable red mole on her left collarbone.

Yu Qiao took a look.

After he finished taking all the pills, Yu Qiao's tense face relaxed. She took out a piece of candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and fed it to his lips: "Young Master, taste if it's sweet."

Shen Zhao's lips parted slightly.

She accidentally touched her fingertip, and Yu Qiao's scalp tingled, her exposed earlobe turning red.

"Baby." Shen Zhao looked up, his body radiating a sickly air, his skin pale and translucent, his cheeks even redder, his peach blossom eyes seemingly brimming with moisture, and he drawled in a tinged tone, "So sweet..."

Suddenly, Yu Qiao's face also turned red.

His gaze was intense, and he muttered again and again, "Give me a kiss."

As soon as he finished speaking, he delicately grabbed Yu Qiao's wrist, tilted his head up to kiss her, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes sparkling with desire.

In the past, at this time, Yu Qiao would purse her lips and smile secretly, then lower her head to respond to him.

But today—

Shen Zhao was stunned.

Instead of kissing her sweet, soft lips, he felt... Yu Qiao's palm.

Yu Qiao looked serious and used her hand to block Shen Zhao's lips from approaching. The kiss landed on her palm, which felt a little ticklish, like a feather tickling her palm.

“Baby…” Shen Zhao’s eyes were glazed over.

Before Yu Qiao could remove her hand, Shen Zhao pouted and kissed her palm heavily again. His peach blossom eyes gazed at her, seemingly drunk, as if they held a pool of spring water, glistening and bright. His low, husky voice was like a hook with bait on it: "Baby, you smell so good."

Boom!

Yu Qiao's mind went blank, her face burned even hotter, she abruptly withdrew her hand, her legs went weak and she stumbled, her body swaying, she only managed to steady herself by bracing herself against the edge of the bed.

With the hand that Shen Zhaoqin was holding up, her breathing became rapid: "You, you..."

"What's wrong with me?" Shen Zhao subconsciously licked his lips. At this distance, he could still smell the baby's fragrance.

Suppressing the raging beast within him, his Adam's apple bobbed slowly as his burning gaze lingered on Yu Qiao's dazed face.

His long, peach-blossom-like eyes, framed by a faint blush around his brows, made him look like a male fox spirit.

She coughed twice, pretending to press her chest, and said, "Baby, don't you care about me? Don't you love me anymore?"

"No, no, don't talk nonsense." Yu Qiao hadn't fully reacted yet. Her cheeks were flushed, and she was very thirsty. She picked up the water from the bedside table and drank several mouthfuls.

Only after calming down the anger rising within her did she say with a serious expression, "Young Master, please don't do this again."

"Huh?" Shen Zhao's brows furrowed, his eyelashes drooping as he looked utterly lost. "You definitely don't love me anymore."

"You used to love kissing me."

"Are you seeing another man outside?"

Yu Qiao believed that Shen Zhao was being unreasonable.

Just as she was about to speak, Shen Zhao slowly raised his eyes and looked at her with a pitiful expression.

I can't stand it.

Yu Qiao blushed, stepped forward, bent down and kissed his forehead, saying in a reassuring tone, "Young Master, I only love you."

"Then why won't you let me kiss you?" The unreasonable young master pressed his advantage.

Yu Qiao started fuming again, clenching her fingers tightly, her eyes darting around as she remained silent.

The young master stared at her blood-red earlobes, his smile deepening as he took her trembling hand in his.

Her hands were very white, but not particularly pretty.

It was covered with scars of all sizes, and had many calluses. There was a red mole on the palm of his hand.

Shen Zhao stroked the red mole on her palm, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed her palm again.

As expected, Yu Qiao suddenly tensed up, her hand that had been kissed stiffened and remained motionless, only her fingertips trembling wildly.

It turns out that this is where the baby's most sensitive spot is.

Shen Zhao's lips curved wider and wider, afraid that she would get angry and that her hand would get tired. He looked like he was mercifully letting her go, and said in a drawn-out tone, "Baby, you're so good. I really want to take a bite."

Throughout their relationship, Yu Qiao has always been the one to initiate intimate interactions.

This was the first time Shen Zhao had taken the initiative, and he found it strange and novel.

He forcefully grabbed her hem and pulled her closer.

Yu Qiao stared blankly at him, her fingers curled up, revealing a section of her fair neck flushed with a thin layer of red. Her beautiful phoenix eyes were wide open.

"Are you really stupid?" Shen Zhao squeezed her fingers.

As if electrocuted, half of Yu Qiao's body went numb: "No."

"Why won't you kiss me?" Shen Zhao persisted.

"I have something to do later, I'm afraid..." Yu Qiao hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"What are you afraid of?" he pressed on deliberately.

It always takes them a long time.

In the end, their lips were so swollen from kissing.

Yu Qiao shamelessly looked away. She had never been able to resist the young master. She replied in a low, hoarse voice, "I'm afraid it will be too embarrassing to see people if it gets swollen."

"I'm going to visit Madam Jiang."

Shen Zhao felt a pang of jealousy: "You certainly care about others."

Yu Qiao remained silent, her dark eyes gleaming with a deep, unfathomable light.

"Are you angry?" Shen Zhao raised an eyebrow, finally realizing that he might have gone a bit too far and made someone angry.

"No," Yu Qiao said dejectedly, "I've been watching over you the whole time. I only thought of visiting her when you were almost better."

Why do you say that?

Yesterday, when Shen Zhao fainted, Yu Qiao panicked terribly. Her heart ached as if it were being squeezed, which was even more painful than having her spleen removed without anesthesia. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She thought, if only she were the one who was sick, she wouldn't be afraid of pain at all.

Having kept watch all night, Shen Zhao finally had the energy to go see Jiang Zhujun.

Shen Zhao was stunned for a moment, staring at Yu Qiao's distressed face, before realizing that he had gone astray. He hurriedly apologized, "Baby, I'm sorry, I was being stubborn."

"Don't be sad."

Yu Qiao blinked, the tightness in her chest vanishing instantly. She shook her head, grasped Shen Zhao's hand in return, and looked at him seriously: "You are the most important."

These words, spoken by Yu Qiao, sounded like a vow.

This was the first time in Shen Zhaosheng's life that he apologized to someone, and he was even flirted with again. He awkwardly lowered his eyes and said "Oh".

The tips of her ears were reddish.

"Are you going to see Madam Jiang now?"

“Yes, I will.” Yu Qiao picked up the fruit basket next to her and walked out of the ward. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

"Then hurry up." Shen Zhao leaned casually against the headboard, emphasizing the word "hurry up."

The ward door slammed shut with a "bang".

A faint, clear voice came from outside the door: "Okay."

Shen Zhao's lips twitched slightly.

Why does it seem like the baby is good at flirting with him, but is actually quite straight?

Don't they know that couples should have a goodbye kiss when they part ways?!

————

Yu Qiao stood at the elevator entrance, carrying a fruit basket in her left hand. She frowned and thought seriously for a moment before remembering that Jiang Zhujun was in ward V325 on the 21st floor.

The elevator doors opened with a "beep".

She walked in, stood on the left, pressed the key with her long, fair fingers, and the elevator doors slowly closed.

Suddenly, a dark, rough hand with bulging veins blocked the way. The elevator door sensor beeped, and the elevator door, which was about to close, slowly opened again.

Yu Qiao raised her eyes and glanced at it.

He was a tall, thin man wearing a baseball cap and a mask, dressed in all black, and emanating a faint, unpleasant odor. He stood on the far right, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed, silently and warily.

They didn't even go by floor number.

Yu Qiao glanced at it out of the corner of her eye, her lips suddenly pursed tightly, and the scent wafting from her nose seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had smelled it somewhere before.

She gripped the fruit basket tightly, her eyes fixed on the rising floors.

Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one.

arrive.

With a "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened.

Yu Qiao took a step out, and a gust of wind carrying a foul smell swept past her, and she was hit hard on the right shoulder.

Her dark eyes instantly turned fierce as she stared intently at the man's back.

The man strode forward, bumping into Yu Qiao hard without even turning his head, and furtively lowered the brim of his hat.

Yu Qiao didn't say anything, gripped the fruit basket tightly, and quickened her pace to catch up.

As the road twisted and turned, the man frequently looked around warily, his face mostly covered by a mask, making it impossible to discern his features.

Yu Qiao pressed her tongue against her back molars and scanned the area. It was covered in monitors, so it didn't seem suitable for hitting anyone.

We need to drag him outside and beat him up.

Suddenly, the man stopped, pushed open the ward door with his dark, rough hands, and disappeared from sight.

Yu Qiao didn't stop walking, glancing at the ward number where the man had stopped: V325.

This is Jiang Zhujun's hospital room.

Yu Qiao's eyelids twitched suddenly, and a strong sense of unease rose in her heart.

Walking over and staring at the tightly closed ward door, Yu Qiao's dark eyes flashed with an eerie darkness.

She doesn't have a habit of eavesdropping.

But this man felt strangely familiar.

Where have I seen this before?

Yu Qiao's breathing became erratic, her eyelashes trembled, and her ear tips twitched as she heard a noisy commotion coming from inside.

She pushed the door open slightly and clearly heard the man's voice.

It sounds like a saw cutting wood, harsh and grating, or like phlegm stuck in your throat, rough and unpleasant.

"Your daughter's name is Yuan Jiang. She was five years old when she went missing."

"Your husband, Yuan Zhiling, has been missing for almost a year, hasn't he?"

"They're in my hands now. Don't even think about calling the police. If anything happens to me, they'll be dead immediately."

Jiang Zhujun's breathing was rapid, and she pleaded with a sob in her voice, "No, don't hurt my daughter! What do you want? I'll give you anything!"

A man's grating laughter rang out, arrogant and vicious: "The Jiang family, the Yuan family, ten billion is not much. It will be transferred to this card tomorrow."

"Money is not an issue, but I need to see them first."

"You have no right to negotiate with me."

"You're quite handsome, it's amazing that that bastard Yuan Zhiling managed to sleep with such a good woman..." The man let out a sinister laugh and reached out his ugly hand to touch Jiang Zhujun's cheek.

"What do you want to do? This is a hospital!" Jiang Zhujun shrank back in fear, her eyes filled with tears of terror.

Yu Qiao's dark eyes darkened, and she raised her foot and kicked the door open hard.

"Who?!" The man turned around warily, saw who it was, quickly lowered his hat brim, threw the bank card at Jiang Zhujun, and strode out.

Yu Qiao clenched her fist and swung it sharply at the man's jaw.

The man cried out in pain.

The baseball cap was knocked off.

She revealed a pair of small, narrow eyes. On her left eyelid was a palm-sized red birthmark that extended to the end of her eyebrow, where there was a finger-sized black bump.

Yu Qiao's pupils contracted.