Remembering Gu Heping's instructions before they arrived, Xu Jin didn't dare to delay. After a few polite words, she and Zhou Qishen left the table. The moment Zhou Qishen stood up, his steps visibly faltered, but his expression remained relatively calm. Secretary Xu subtly supported his arm.
He released his grip in a second, and Zhou Qishen walked steadily.
As they exited the conference room, murmurs arose inside. At the elevator, Zhou Qishen gripped Secretary Xu's shoulders tightly, leaning half his weight on her. The elevator doors closed, and Secretary Xu abruptly steadied him. "President Zhou?"
Zhou Qishen was covered in sweat, and his hand, which was covering his abdomen, trembled slightly.
Secretary Xu looked down and saw a small damp patch on his dark suit, with bright red blood seeping from between his fingers. A chill ran through her; the wound must have reopened.
Upon returning to the hospital, Gu Heping and Lao Cheng nearly fainted. "We knew it would be like this. Congratulations, Boss Zhou! You're going into the operating room again."
Zhou Qishen's mouth could pull at his surgical wound, but he looked quite happy. What a weirdo.
——
The assessment was over, and the group training temporarily came to an end. During the two days of waiting for the results, the training wasn't heavy, and the teachers didn't come often. A group of girls huddled together chatting, occasionally guessing who would get the lead dancer position. Cen Yue inquired around and said to Zhao Xiyin, "It seems like Lin Lang is the most likely candidate."
To be fair, it's normal to choose her.
Zhao Xiyin's reaction was lukewarm. She bent over and pressed her legs, and the curve of her waist stretch was soft and beautiful.
"When the results come out, how many days off will the group get? What are your plans?"
"No plans. I'll just stay home, sleep, and keep my husband, Teacher Zhao, company."
"I have to go home. Why don't you come back with me and visit my great Shanxi?" Cen Yue invited warmly, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
"Going to visit your gold mine?" Zhao Xiyin teased.
“I won’t go down into the mine, I’m afraid it will scare you,” Cen Yueman said earnestly. “But I can show you our gold bricks and bars, all 99.99% of the gold, which meet national standards. Each gold brick weighs four kilograms, and we have all kinds of gold bars.”
Zhao Xiyin pinched her cheek, thinking she was joking, and said, "Okay, little rich girl."
Cen Yue rolled her eyes twice, then suddenly asked, "Xiao west, tell me, how much money would it take to keep a man as a mistress?"
Zhao Xiyin was drinking water when she suddenly spat it all out.
Cen Yue held up her slender fingers, indicating four fingers, "Are four gold bricks enough?"
Four gold bricks, worth over seven million, what man could be so expensive?
"Zhao Xiyin, someone's looking for you." A fellow member of the group called out from the doorway. Zhao Xiyin turned around and saw Gu Heping standing at the door with a slight smile on his face.
"Brother Heping, what brings you here?" Zhao Xiyin walked over and wiped the sweat from her neck with a towel.
Gu Heping's eyes darted away, avoiding Cen Yue's round, clear eyes. He was also feeling frustrated, wondering what was wrong with him and why he was feeling so guilty.
Zhao Xiyin's gaze swept between him and Cen Yue twice. "You...you're looking for her?"
Gu Heping cleared his throat and coughed twice. "Xiao west, I have something to tell you."
To make a long story short and to the point, after finishing, Gu Heping sighed with a worried expression, "Brother Zhou was stabbed twice with a dagger. One stab was in his abdomen, just two centimeters away from his kidney, and the other was in his palm, which was a bloody mess. Even in this condition, he still went to the company to speak up for you, not daring to let anyone see. He wore leather gloves and only lasted for half an hour before collapsing."
Zhao Xiyin was completely stunned.
Gu Heping said earnestly, "Xiao west, Zhou Qishen really protects you."
She was still dazed. "Then, then he... he is now..."
"He's not in any danger, he's in the hospital."
The girl rushed off to change her clothes, and Gu Heping called out to her retreating figure, "Xiao west, I'll be waiting for you at the door."
He turned around and bumped right into Cen Yue.
The pretty girl was pleasing to the eye, and Gu Heping immediately smiled. "What, you want me to buy you strawberry milk tea again?"
Cen Yue tilted her head, her eyelashes fluttering like little stars, "I have a question for you."
How much does it cost to support a boyfriend each month?
Gu Heping was overjoyed, and asked in a serious tone, "How many do you have?"
Cen Yue rode her donkey downhill and asked him in return, "And you, how many do you want?"
Gu Heping's usually eloquent tongue fell silent. Under the girl's straightforward and innocent gaze, he felt a pang of unease. Only then did he realize that he had been charmed by a mere young girl.
Later, Zhao Xiyin was taken to the hospital. Gu Heping was afraid of being beaten and did not dare to show his face.
Zhou Qishen is asleep.
When Zhao Xiyin pushed open the door, she saw him sleeping soundly on his side. His hand was wrapped in thick gauze and secured with a splint. He was wearing a hospital gown, so nothing was visible on his abdomen.
Zhao Xiyin moved quietly to his bedside and turned to reach for a chair.
Her head tilted to the right, her body leaned forward, and before she could even reach the chair, her waist was tightly gripped, and she was pulled towards the bed with a force that made her scream in fright! Her upper body was already on the bed.
Zhou Qishen's eyes were still closed, pretending to be asleep, but the slight curve of his lips clearly showed his satisfaction.
His uninjured left hand encircled Zhao Xiyin's waist, his slightly stubbled chin gently brushing against her cheek as he said in a deep voice, "You feel sorry for me, don't you?"
Zhao Xiyin was both angry and anxious, yet dared not move. "Let go, let go!"
Zhou Qishen was mischievous, so he simply pressed down with one of his thighs, wrapping it tightly around her calf. Taking advantage of his injury, he played the victim openly, saying, "Admit it, admit it and I'll let go."
Zhao Xiyin remained defiant to the death, her struggles showing remarkable restraint.
“You can deny it if you want,” Zhou Qishen said casually. “Then tell me what your son’s nickname is.”