"Fainted from an injury?" Qin Ningyi grabbed An An's arm. "When? The time you went to Taichuan City?"
He hadn't found out the details. Langyan was currently in contact with the prisoners who had been brought back suddenly. Because Zhao Wen was personally overseeing the matter, it was difficult to gather information.
An An had promised Huo Rou not to tell Qin Ningyi, but he accidentally let it slip. He took a step back, closing his mouth like a sealed jar.
"This relates to A Rou's current physical condition, you have to tell me." Qin Ningyi squatted down, looking at An An with earnest eyes.
Since it concerned Huo Rou's health, An An hesitated but still told Qin Ningyi the truth.
"So when you answered your father's call, your mother was unconscious?" Qin Ningyi's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
An An couldn't explain the complexities surrounding Huo Rou, but he could sense that it was beyond the scope of an ordinary person.
Even if she was the captain of Fenghuo, it wouldn't necessitate someone like Zhao Wen to escort her.
An An's distrust had made him miss an opportunity to face it together.
He didn't know what to feel. An An's distrust stemmed from Zou Xiaoxiao's words that day. He had made efforts and helped An An resolve his inner conflict.
But Huo Rou...
He had heard a saying: wolves always hunt in packs, but there's one wolf that leaves the pack, facing everything alone, never entrusting its back.
Huo Rou was exactly like such a lone wolf.
Even if he accepted everything about her, didn't care about her ties to the Jiang family, and wanted to give his all for her...
She seemed to never need him to do anything.
Huo Rou had always been the lone wolf, licking her wounds and guarding against everything.
But he had made up his mind about her.
Qin Ningyi's eyes were bloodshot. An An was about to ask with concern when he heard Huo Rou's voice from the bed.
"Who are you?"
She sat up instantly and rolled to the side away from the doctor.
Her eyes were full of caution, and her hands were in a defensive posture.
Facing her clear, fierce gaze, the doctor trembled inwardly.
How could such a frail woman possess such quick reflexes and such a fierce look?
Being stared at by her, it felt as if any move he made would result in a fatal strike.
"I... I... I'm a doctor." The doctor stammered, unable to control his voice.
"Doctor?" Huo Rou looked at his attire with confusion. He was indeed wearing a white coat.
She looked around and saw Qin Ningyi and An An at the door.
An An ran over and hugged Huo Rou. "Mom, it was Dad and I who called the doctor. You've been too tired lately, and we were worried about you!"
Qin Ningyi snapped out of his emotions from before and walked over, holding her hand.
His grip was firm.
"We wanted to give you a physical examination. I was worried when I couldn't wake you, so I asked the doctor to check on you."
Qin Ningyi reached out and brushed her cheek, his index finger touching her forehead.
He gently traced her eyebrows.
The guard in these eyes had never faded.
Frustrated and heartbroken, he held her tightly, as if wanting to meld her into his very bones.
Huo Rou thought he was extremely worried. Being held so tightly by him, she felt a sense of security and also a pang of guilt. "I'm fine, I just slept too deeply."
"Even if you oversleep, you need a doctor? Are you treating me like a porcelain doll?" Huo Rou joked, refusing the doctor's examination.
After dinner, Qin Ningyi, as usual, saw her off to the project team.
"The materials have arrived, but don't overwork yourself." His handsome eyes looked at Huo Rou, a trace of stubbornness in them.
Huo Rou responded with a smile and walked into the project team without further comment.
Seeing Huo Rou arrive, Zou Xiaoxiao eagerly rushed forward, stopping abruptly in front of her.
"Ahem." She coughed unnaturally. "Thank you."
When they arrived at the project team early in the morning, several cars were parked outside, and people were gathered around them.
They all thought something major had happened, but the bodyguards at the perimeter informed them that these were materials Huo Rou had procured.
The professor, who had been unable to contact the materials all day, had Huo Rou find a whole truckload overnight.
This was enough to make them excited and astonished.
The professor wanted to step forward to settle the bill, but the bodyguards said that Huo Rou had gifted them to the project team and payment was not required.
Not only did they find it, but it was free!
This was such great news for a project group that relied on concepts to secure funding and was constantly short on cash!
Everyone wanted to thank the person responsible and had been holding it in until now.
After listening to what they said and looking at the materials neatly stacked in the corner of the operation room, Huo Rou felt an incredible warmth.
"Actually, Qin Ningyi found them. I didn't help much." Huo Rou had no intention of concealing Qin Ningyi's contribution. "He said he's already arranged for subsequent material supply, so after this batch is used up, the next ones can also be supplied."
The professor's eyes lit up. "That would be a great help to us! If not for you, President Qin wouldn't have known about this matter. We still have to thank you."
"That's right, it's because of Teacher Huo Rou that Mr. Qin would help us." Wei Shikang laughed heartily. "We still have to thank Teacher Huo Rou!"
"Yes, yes, Teacher Huo Rou is our lucky star. Since you came, the project has progressed smoothly, and we've learned a lot. Now that the material issue is resolved, you must attend the celebration banquet when the project is successful!" someone chimed in.
"What do you mean 'must attend'? Of course, you should! We all see Teacher Huo Rou's contributions!"
They all praised her incessantly, making Huo Rou's skin crawl.
"Now that the materials have arrived, let's get to work," Huo Rou said, shaking her head and smiling, dispersing the enthusiastic crowd.
As everyone left, Zou Xiaoxiao did not.
She took a thermos from a paper bag and handed it to Huo Rou.
"What?" Huo Rou looked somewhat bewildered.
"Just take it!" Zou Xiaoxiao looked at the dark circles under Huo Rou's eyes and then somewhat disdainfully at her slightly heavy makeup.
"You're already beautiful enough, wear less makeup!" The words were a bit sharp. After speaking, she didn't care how Huo Rou took it and thrust the thermos into her hand before going back to her work.
Her assistant, who was working with her, smiled and asked, "Xiaoxiao, what good stuff did you make today? Why is there none for us?"
"She's been working her heart out for our project and is exhausted. And you, who can eat two cows in one go, want the same treatment?" Zou Xiaoxiao poked at the materials in her hands and said indifferently, "Dream on."
Her assistant laughed at her teasing.
Wei Shikang also came over. "What is it? I'm just curious, I'm not greedy."