Chapter 55: Best Not to Move Too Much

Ye Zehong lowered his head and saw the shimmering tears in her eyes, and his heart softened. His warm, large hand gently stroked her back as he comforted her in a tender voice, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll always be by your side.”

Lu Yao recalled the scene in the car, so close to death, and her stomach churned violently as a wave of nausea surged to her throat. Her body could not stop trembling.

Ye Zehong crouched down and wrapped her completely in his embrace, transferring his warmth to her shivering body.

She closed her eyes, trying hard not to let her mind wander back to that terrifying moment.

It was a long while before she managed to calm herself.

He leaned close to her ear and asked softly, “Do you want to eat something? Or maybe have something warm to drink?”

She nodded lightly against his chest.

He released his hold on her and brought over a bowl of plain porridge he had prepared in advance.

Lu Yao was surprised, not expecting that he had thought of everything ahead of time.

She reached out to take the bowl, but before she could, he scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it, and offered it to her lips.

Embarrassed, she shrank back a little and muttered, “I can do it myself.”

Ye Zehong gazed at her and said, “The doctor said you need to rest in bed, and you shouldn’t move too much.”

Lu Yao was taken aback for a second, then exposed his pretense without mercy. “You’re the doctor, aren’t you?”

Ye Zehong chuckled softly and once again brought the spoon to her lips, signaling for her to open her mouth.

Lu Yao hesitated for three seconds, then slowly parted her lips and took a bite of the porridge.

Though it was unseasoned, she tasted a subtle sweetness, and her uneasy heart found a measure of comfort.

Suddenly, a phone on the table buzzed at the worst possible moment. The caller ID read: “Wan’er Darling.”

Lu Yao’s heart instantly went cold.

Ye Zehong acted as if he hadn’t heard the phone and continued feeding her spoonfuls of porridge.

A wave of emotion swept over Lu Yao. She lay back down and pressed her lips shut, refusing to eat another bite.

The ringtone kept ringing, grating on her nerves and making her increasingly irritable.

Her voice turned cold as she spoke, “Your fiancée is calling. Shouldn’t you answer? Otherwise, it makes me feel like I’m some shameful mistress, especially since we’ve already…”

Ye Zehong reached out and pressed his hand against her lips, stopping her from uttering the word “breakup,” a heaviness welling in his chest.

He stared at her for a long moment before asking quietly, “Do you really want to push me toward another woman?”

Lu Yao met his gaze, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately fell silent.

They had already broken up.

She had no right to say anything.

She lowered the hospital bed and closed her eyes, giving him her answer through her actions.

Silence—the most voiceless cry of all.

Ye Zehong stood at her bedside, looking down at her face, fully aware that she was only pretending to sleep.

She wanted to rest, so he chose not to disturb her.

He tucked her in carefully and tiptoed out of the ward.

The moment the door closed behind him, Lu Yao’s eyes flew open. She stared blankly at the tightly shut door, her breathing ragged, a faint ache blooming in her chest.

...

Ye Zehong left the hospital and went straight home.

He sealed three sets of documents, then instructed his subordinates to deliver them to three different people.

Two of them, upon receiving the documents, immediately set out for the Qiao family residence.

Qiao Wanliang looked at the two men, who arrived in the dead of night, visibly agitated, and snapped impatiently, “What’s so important that you have to disturb me at this hour?”

Fu Yunshan glanced down at the file in his trembling hands, about to hand it over, when Qiao Wan’er entered with a package, her voice bright and clear, “Daddy, there’s a delivery for you.”

At her words, Fu Yunshan and Huo Hongsheng exchanged an anxious glance, fear written across their faces.

Qiao Wanliang took the package without much interest, tore it open, and pulled out the documents. After reading only a few pages, his expression grew dark.

Qiao Wan’er, noticing the wound on his forehead and sensing a strange tension in the room, asked curiously, “Dad, what are those documents? Why do you look so upset…”