But……
Qiao Zhen picked up the mosquito repellent product and the mugwort ointment, and checked them. There were no signs of them being opened.
Lu Zheng is the powerful head of the Lu family. Would he rather blush like a clown and suffer pain and itching just to show the demeanor of a "good man" in front of Qiao's mother?
He already won people's hearts enough yesterday; this deal wasn't worth it at all.
As a businessman, Lu Zheng couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
So it's possible that the mosquito repellent product was obtained after being bitten?
Qiao Zhen shook her head, wondering why she was making excuses for that jerk.
To achieve his goal, he truly resorted to any means necessary; this was Lu Zheng's true nature.
She strode to the bedside, which was covered with soft bedding and looked very comfortable.
But she didn't want to sleep.
She yanked off the blanket, crumpled it into a ball, and turned to leave.
There was an orchard nearby, and Qiao Zhen bought some cherries before returning to the sanatorium.
In the distance, the wisteria flowers are in full bloom, a vast expanse of shades of purple resembling a gentle cloud, swaying softly in the breeze.
She took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
When I opened my eyes, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing past under the flower stand.
Qiao Zhen rubbed her eyes and looked again, but there was no one around the flower stand.
They must have been brainwashed by "Lu Zheng" and it's so deeply ingrained in their minds that they're hallucinating his image.
Qiao Zhen held her head and shook it back and forth, wishing she could really shake Lu Zheng out of her mind.
Standing outside the ward, she heard Aunt Wang and the others comforting Qiao's mother.
“These days, young people date for several years before getting married. Don’t rush it. The longer you’re together, the deeper your feelings will become. I don’t think that young man is a fickle person.”
"Yes, who says Cinderella can't marry into a wealthy family? I see how much he cares for Zhenzhen, so even if his parents aren't easy to get along with, there's nothing to be afraid of!"
Mrs. Qiao continued to sigh, "The thought of not being able to save my and Zhenzhen's father's wedding rings to give to her as part of her dowry makes me unhappy. I so wish I could see the groom put that ring of eternal blessing on Zhenzhen's finger at her wedding."
Qiao Zhen's heart was struck hard by something, cold and heavy.
Aunt Wang said, "Don't think too much about it. The groom will buy her a beautiful new diamond ring!"
“It’s different…” Mrs. Qiao fell silent, her dignified features gradually contorting as she was immersed in the pain of past memories.
Aunt Wang knew about her condition and realized something was wrong, so she hurriedly went to persuade her.
Qiao Zhen saw that her mother's face was pale, tears welled up in her eyes, she was clutching her clothes tightly at her chest, and she was bending over in pain. Something was wrong.
She hurriedly went to call the doctor, watching the medical staff examine Qiao's mother with cold sweat dripping down her back, trying to comfort her.
But whenever the topic of Eternal Heart and her beloved husband came up, Mrs. Joe became increasingly distressed and couldn't listen to anything they said.
The monitoring equipment emitted a sharp "beep" alarm, and the situation was getting worse.
Qiao Zhen couldn't care less about anything else and quickly called Lu Zheng, "Give me the photo of Eternal Heart, immediately!"
She hung up the phone before Lu Zheng could agree.
Ten seconds later, the photo arrived.
It's a photo of the organizers handing the ring to Lu Zheng after the charity auction.
It wasn't just him, it was him and her, both of them in the same frame.
He was imposing and dignified. Although his hand was receiving the ring box, his gaze was on her, while she wore a gentle and generous smile. The scene resembled some kind of sacred handover ceremony.
Qiao Zhen gripped her phone tightly, rushed into the ward, and showed the photos to her mother, who was almost out of breath. "Mom, we've found the Eternal Heart!"
Mrs. Qiao opened her eyes, and it took her a while to focus her dazed gaze before she saw the sparkling Heart of Eternity lying in the ring box.
The diamond's unparalleled brilliance illuminated the ashen depths of his eyes.
Instantly, tears streamed down her face. Her trembling fingers gripped the phone, and she stared intently at the screen. "It really is...it really is the Heart of Eternity..."
“Yes, Mom.” Qiao Zhen held her arm. “Don’t worry, the Heart of Eternity is in our hands. We will definitely use it when we get married.”
"Zhenzhen!" Qiao's mother hugged her daughter and burst into tears. "Your father is watching over you from heaven. You must be happy!"
"I will." Qiao Zhen swallowed the bitterness in her mouth and gently patted her mother's back.
A dozen minutes later, Qiao's mother finally calmed down, and all the indicators displayed by the instrument returned to normal. She fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.
Qiao Zhen helped her cover herself with the blanket and thanked the medical staff and Aunt Wang repeatedly.
After everyone had left, she collapsed against the wall, feeling utterly exhausted, and sat down on the ground outside the ward, staring blankly at the two people in the photo.
I never expected that Lu Zheng would have kept such a photo.
I was able to send it to her so quickly.
That's it. Now it'll be even harder to sever ties with Lu Zheng.
Qiao Zhen couldn't help but wonder if Lu Zheng's arrival was intended to trigger her mother's illness, forcing her to declare that the eternal heart was in her hands, and thus solidify their romantic relationship.
She gasped.
She's never been one to think the worst, but when she met Lu Zheng, negative emotions started to overwhelm her.
Qiao Zhen scratched her hair in frustration.
What else can we do but take it one step at a time?
She composed herself, returned to the hospital bedside, and stayed by her mother's side.
Before long, it got dark. After a simple meal of white porridge and meat floss, Qiao's mother went to sleep.
Qiao Zhen had no appetite and was preparing to tidy up and rest early when Lu Zheng arrived.
She couldn't help but turn a stern face, glaring menacingly.
Lu Zheng stood at the door, waved to her, but didn't say anything.
Qiao Zhen walked over reluctantly.
"Have you eaten?" Lu Zheng asked, holding a lunchbox in his hand.
Qiao Zhen replied evasively, "I've already eaten, I'm getting ready to sleep."
Lu Zheng glanced at the simple folding bed in the ward. "Sleep at my place tonight. I won't touch you."
"No." Qiao Zhen's tone was firm, but then softened wearily. "There's an unexpected situation today. My mother isn't feeling well, so someone has to stay with her."
She looked up at Lu Zheng, trying to find the smugness of his successful scheme on his face.
Perhaps his acting was so good that no trace of it could be found.
"What's wrong?" His tone was also surprised. "I found it strange when you asked me for a photo of the Eternal Heart this afternoon."
Qiao Zhen laughed coldly, "My mother thought we would get married, but the thought of not being able to wear the Heart of Eternity at the wedding, and the thought of my father's passing, made her too heartbroken." She looked up at Lu Zheng, "So, Mr. Lu, could you give me the Heart of Eternity?"
Lu Zheng looked at her quietly.
Compared to before, she was eerily calm.
Three seconds later, he pulled a ring box from the inside pocket of his suit.
It only contains women's rings.
Lu Zheng said, "The men's version is in my hands."
"Oh." Qiao Zhen accepted the ring box expressionlessly.
Lu Zheng gazed at her face, which was shrouded in weariness. He noticed people talking outside other wards not far away, and he restrained the urge to go up and kiss her, and then comfort her.
Qiao Zhen gently stroked the ring box. "Mr. Lu, are you satisfied now?"
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