The night couldn't be avoided after all.
As the moon rose, she fell into a deep sleep on Qin Ningyi's chest.
Bathed in the rare moonlight from outside the window, Qin Ningyi looked at Huo Rou's flushed face and a satisfied smile appeared.
He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead, only to receive a weak punch from Huo Rou. She mumbled, "Didn't avoid it..."
Qin Ningyi chuckled softly, his chest vibrating.
His voice was like mellow wine, "Mm, you didn't avoid it."
He couldn't explain his clinginess these past few days. With lingering affection, he kissed the person on him.
The incident was over, but he was still terrified. Until the antidote was developed, he would always fear seeing Huo Rou's pale face.
Therefore, he wanted to hold her close, to the point of merging into her bones and blood.
Winter had arrived.
His heart was warmer than ever before.
The next morning, Huo Rou walked into the project team under their reluctant gazes.
"Teacher Huo Rou!" Everyone had received the news yesterday that Huo Rou would return to the project team to continue working, and they were all exceptionally happy to see her. "Teacher Huo Rou, how is your health?"
They only knew that Huo Rou had health issues and was resting at home, so they all expressed their concern.
Zou Xiaoxiao stood amidst the crowd, looking at Huo Rou's rosy complexion, so different from her previous fatigue.
She murmured, "This Qin Ningyi is quite reliable."
After thanking everyone one by one, Huo Rou quickly got back to work.
The project team, which had been lacking morale, completely shook off its颓态 (tuítài - decadence, decline) with Huo Rou's return.
From afar, the Professor watched Huo Rou, surrounded by everyone, feeling both gratified and guilty.
When Huo Rou first arrived, everyone had doubted her, and he hadn't been able to help. It was entirely due to Huo Rou's own abilities that she had convinced everyone. After seeing her capabilities, he hadn't considered things thoroughly and had failed to implement adequate protective measures, which led to this incident.
A few days ago, there was also the matter with Wei Shikang. He felt ashamed to face Huo Rou now.
As it approached noon, Huo Rou finally had some free time.
The Professor tidied his expression and walked over with a smile.
"Little Teacher Huo!"
He sat down beside Huo Rou. "There's really no need to rush. I told you yesterday to rest for a few more days, but you really..."
Huo Rou tidied the draft paper in front of her. She smiled upon hearing him, "My body is fine, really. Please don't worry."
"I'm sorry," the Professor said, looking down with a hint of embarrassment. "I didn't consider many aspects, didn't make arrangements beforehand, and didn't request security personnel to follow you. After the gathering that day..."
Huo Rou interrupted him, "Professor, please don't blame yourself. It's really not your fault."
Was she short of people around her?
Besides the people from the Jiang family protecting her discreetly, there were also Qin Ningyi's people.
Qin Ningyi had said it casually, and she didn't know how skilled his people were.
But even just mentioning the Jiang family's people, they shouldn't have been so easily caught off guard. Yet, that day, they were still incapacitated by Shen Yuanshu's medicine.
So, it really couldn't be blamed on the Professor.
The Professor, however, felt she was just trying to comfort him and was deeply touched.
Such a delicate person, after experiencing such a terrifying event, could still return to work and now comfort him, an old man.
The Professor's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He patted his chest and assured Huo Rou, "Don't worry, Little Teacher Huo. I've already requested personnel from higher up. Key personnel in our project team will receive one-on-one protection."
His gaze was fervent. "This kind of thing will never happen again!"
Huo Rou thought of the subtle movements she had sensed around her after getting out of the car today, and now the Professor had arranged for protection...
She asked with a hint of amusement, "How many people?"
"Ah?" The Professor was a little slow to react.
He replayed the sentence in his mind and understood that Huo Rou was likely asking how many people were assigned to protect her.
She was still a young girl, probably scared.
He smiled kindly. "I've requested three people to protect you, and they're all from the military, very capable! They'll rotate shifts themselves, ensuring three people are guarding you twenty-four hours a day."
This was the best arrangement he could secure. The Professor had also met some of them. They exuded an aura of lethal efficiency and righteousness, making one feel reassured at a glance.
"Little Teacher Huo?" Seeing Huo Rou in a daze, the Professor thought she was overwhelmed by the arrangements and softly said, "You don't need to be too scared. Would you like to meet the three people protecting you today?"