"What a lovely name." Mrs. Qiao ate her apple with relish. "Mmm, so sweet!"
It seemed that even her mother didn't recognize Lu Zheng; the feeling that he looked familiar was just her imagination. Qiao Zhen rubbed the ice cube in her palm and glared fiercely at Lu Zheng.
She's here to curry favor with her mother.
Lu Zheng smiled innocently at her.
This face is so beautiful when it smiles that it's breathtaking. Who could resist a handsome guy who can outshine even the top idols?
But in Qiao Zhen's eyes, it was becoming more and more hateful!
Don't think that just because you're rich and good-looking, you can do whatever you want.
Afraid that her mother would notice something was wrong, she quickly looked away, dried her hands, and began to tidy up the large pile of things at the foot of the bed.
This is a three-person ward, which is not very large to begin with. The other two beds are also occupied, so the storage space left for each person is extremely limited.
Qiao's mother is in poor health and gets dizzy when she squats down and stands up, so Qiao Zhen first took all the autumn and winter clothes out of the closet, leaving two thin coats in case she gets cold at night, and folded the rest neatly and put them into vacuum compression bags.
The bag needed to be manually evacuated with a tool, and when Qiao Zhen went to get the hand pump, she found that it was already in Lu Zheng's hand.
"Leave the physical labor to me." Before Qiao Zhen could speak, Lu Zheng began to evacuate the air from the vacuum compression bag.
Qiao Zhen knew she couldn't persuade him, so she didn't bother. Besides, if her mother overheard, she would worry that they would quarrel.
She finally understood Lu Zheng's purpose in coming to the sanatorium.
That scoundrel is so cunning.
She gave a soft hum, put her spring and summer clothes and blankets into the wardrobe, and then checked the items on the shelves, quickly replacing some old or near-expiration food.
He kept his head down and worked hard the whole time, but didn't look at Lu Zheng or talk to him.
Lu Zheng was quite well-behaved at this moment, not making small talk. After degassing each vacuum compression bag, he sorted and stacked them in the storage box, and wrote small notes on the storage box, indicating what was inside, so that it would be more convenient to take them out later.
Watching the two busy at work, although they didn't exchange a single word or touch each other, there was an unspoken understanding and harmonious atmosphere that made Mrs. Qiao smile broadly and nod with satisfaction.
The two patients in the next bed came back from their walks and saw how diligently they were working, so they couldn't help but praise them.
"Oh my, is this your son-in-law?"
"This young man is really hardworking."
When are you going to invite us to your wedding?
The aunties surrounded the charming Lu Zheng, bombarding him with questions. Qiao's mother was a reserved person and was too embarrassed to ask Lu Zheng directly, so the aunties asked her all of them at once.
"Young man, what do you do for a living? How old are you? What does your family do?"
How long have you known Zhenzhen?
How did you and Zhenzhen meet?
It's like they've come to check your household registration.
While busy organizing, Qiao Zhen secretly pricked up her ears to listen to the last two questions.
Lu Zheng showed no annoyance whatsoever, “...If you ask how long I’ve known Qiao Zhen, I feel like it’s been a very, very long time.”
"As for how we met... it was fate that brought us together."
Such a vague answer would sound greasy and hypocritical to anyone else.
Lu Zheng's serious attitude immediately won over the hearts of the aunties, who felt as if pink bubbles were floating around them, and they kept giving him thumbs up and praising him.
"Zhenzhen, you've really found a great boyfriend!"
"Wishing you a speedy marriage and a baby soon!"
Qiao Zhen felt a little desperate about this world where looks mattered.
What kind of expression would they have if they knew that he was a shameless scumbag and a mistress?
Qiao Zhen didn't dare to think any further, so she used the excuse of going to the doctor to ask about the situation as usual, and escaped from the ward.
Surrounded by the aunties, Lu Zheng did not follow them out.
Qiao Zhen hung her head and walked heavily, taking an extra ten minutes to reach the doctor's office.
The doctor said, "Although your mother's condition is complicated, it is currently stable. Continue with the original treatment plan, including medication and rest."
Qiao Zhen quickly thanked her.
The doctor waved his hand. "However, my suggestion is to find a better nursing home as soon as possible and transfer her there. As you know, we are short-staffed and cannot provide comprehensive care. If your mother suddenly has a relapse and behaves abnormally, the consequences could be unimaginable if we do not notice it in time."
A heavy sadness welled up in Qiao Zhen's heart.
The Qiao family went bankrupt, and their fortunes plummeted. Facing countless debt collectors every day was already a huge blow to the mother. What was even more painful was the sudden death of the father, which caused the mother unbearable grief. She had suicidal thoughts several times, wanting to follow her father in death.
After years of treatment, his condition has stabilized considerably, but he has not fully recovered.
The doctor said that even a single withered leaf falling from a branch could trigger pessimism in Qiao's mother, potentially leading to suicidal thoughts.
She carefully protected her mother, but Lu Zheng took it upon himself to break the peace. Fearing that it would upset her mother, she had no choice but to cooperate with Lu Zheng and put on a harmonious act.
Lu Zheng wanted to impress her by being a "filial son" and to get Qiao's mother to approve him as her "son-in-law," forcing her to obediently throw herself into his arms, but she only felt deep hatred in her heart.
Qiao Zhen slowly returned to the ward. The first thing she saw was that her mother was laughing heartily, and she was stunned. She didn't know what Lu Zheng had said.
In my memory, how long has it been since my mother smiled so happily?
She stared blankly, wishing so much that her mother could forget all her pain and keep smiling like that forever.
She was jolted back to her senses when a figure flickered in front of her, and found Lu Zheng standing in front of her.
"Auntie, Qiao Zhen and I are going out to buy some dinner." Lu Zheng waved to the people in the ward and gestured for Qiao Zhen to follow him.
Qiao Zhen suddenly realized that the restlessness and unease in her heart had completely dissipated in her mother's laughter, and she unconsciously followed Lu Zheng's steps.
When they left the ward, they walked one after the other, but by the time they went down the stairs, they were walking side by side.
Qiao Zhen looked down at Lu Zheng's long legs and deliberately shortened strides, bit her lip, wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.
Once outside the sanatorium, she finally couldn't help but ask, "How did you know I was in a sanatorium, and how did you know she's my mother? Did you investigate me?"
The sanatorium is located halfway up a mountain in the suburbs, and there are no pedestrians on the dilapidated roads.
Lu Zheng raised his eyes, and the sharp glint in them startled Qiao Zhen.
The next second, Lu Zheng grabbed her shoulders, and the two of them disappeared into the woods by the roadside.
Qiao Zhen slammed her back against the tree trunk and kicked Lu Zheng between the legs.
Lu Zheng dodged to the side, then pressed down forcefully, clinging to Qiao Zhen and rendering her immobile. "Checking your information is a piece of cake for me. So, if you dare to disappear suddenly again, there won't be just this little surprise."
"Shameless!" Qiao Zhen shouted angrily.
Lu Zheng cupped her face in one hand, his lips gliding over her soft cheeks, reaching her ear, inhaling the delicate fragrance that captivated him, and then gently biting her earlobe.
Hearing her trembling scream, he laughed like a devil, "Do you dare to try?"
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