The three of them arrived at the hospital room, and Ji Lingye performed a series of routine checks on Su Ailian. After finishing, Cen Fei happened to bring over Su Ailian’s medical records.

After flipping through them and confirming there were no major issues, Ji Lingye finally raised his head and looked at Su Mo.

“The elderly have weaker constitutions, so a fever after surgery is a normal occurrence. Recovery might be slow, but don’t worry. Just be patient and cooperate with the hospital’s treatment plan, and regular rehabilitation afterward will do the trick.”

“Alright, thank you.” At this, Su Mo let out a sigh of relief and thanked Ji Lingye several times before sending him out of the room.

Lu Qingze didn’t stay much longer, saying goodnight to Su Mo before leaving the room with Ji Lingye.

In fact, Lu Qingze had stayed behind tonight because he had something to discuss with Ji Lingye. Running into Su Mo was a bit of a surprise.

However, this unexpected turn of events gave Ji Lingye a new insight.

“Professor Lu?”

Ji Lingye squinted his eyes, a playful smile appearing on his face as he looked at Lu Qingze.

“Why does that title feel so… beastly?”

Lu Qingze gave him a cold glance, his eyes sharp, “Better than someone who looks like a beast.”

Ji Lingye: “…”

Ji Lingye shot Lu Qingze an angry glare. Though he admitted he wasn’t as handsome as Lu Qingze, even if he wasn’t a “stunning beauty,” he should at least be considered a handsome, refined man.

Ji Lingye suddenly laughed. After all, Lu Qingze’s sharp words were probably just a result of him teasing that beautiful girl, Su Mo, a little.

“So, what’s your relationship with that beauty? Is it just because she saved Ning Ning?”

Lu Qingze didn’t respond, simply heading into the office.

Ji Lingye followed him in eagerly, but to his surprise, Lu Qingze had already placed the project materials on the desk, clearly signaling that he didn’t want to continue discussing the previous topic.

Despite the obvious rejection, Ji Lingye wasn’t the type to give up easily.

“So, how did you two meet?”

“How long have you known each other?”

“Do you really like her?”

“Do you like her or not?”

No matter how many questions Ji Lingye asked, Lu Qingze only discussed work, not saying a word more about the other matters. Until Ji Lingye suddenly asked, “Can I pursue this beautiful girl?”

At this, Lu Qingze finally lifted his gaze and glanced at him—just a glance—before his eyes returned to the materials on the desk.

Just as Ji Lingye thought he wouldn’t get an answer, Lu Qingze spoke five words: “You can give it a try.”

Those five words were plain and simple, without a hint of emotion, but they left Ji Lingye momentarily speechless. His throat tightened, and his expression became serious.

“Bro, are you serious?”

Lu Qingze remained silent, not saying anything.

Just as Ji Lingye was about to ask again, Lu Qingze suddenly looked up and glanced at him. “Looks like Aunt Ji’s blind date squad wasn’t strong enough for you.”

Ji Lingye: “…”

“Fine, I won’t ask anymore.”

Although he said he wouldn’t ask, Ji Lingye couldn’t easily let it go in his mind. He just stopped speaking, but inside, he kept pondering.

Although Lu Qingze usually hung out with them, no one really understood him fully.

To summarize in Wen Jun’s words: Lu Qingze had gone through too much.

Having experienced a lot and gone through many changes, it was no surprise that his personality often left people feeling unsure about him.

In truth, Lu Qingze used to be a very gentle person, but after a major event at the age of eleven, his gentleness vanished overnight. He became sharp as a blade, his edge fully revealed. This transformation eventually made him the highly successful Major General Lu in the military.

Then, four years ago, he once again donned a gentle exterior, sheathing his blade, and left the military, stepping into the business world with a mature and steady presence, ruling over everything with ease.

Now, he appeared so composed that there was no hint of the rebellious young master of a wealthy family, but the downside was that he was too composed, never getting close to women.

Even someone like Ye Qingqiu couldn’t enter his heart, and Ji Lingye sometimes wondered if he had spent too long in the military, causing him to be a little… bent.

Actually, Lu Qingze was still very gentle in his dealings with others.

But this gentleness was always distant, never truly close. He kept people at arm’s length, polite to the point where it seemed he lacked warmth.

It made him appear gentle, yet cold and distant.

But today, he acted so specially toward this girl named Su Mo. Ji Lingye’s instincts told him that something was off.

Not only did he actively take her out to eat, but he also became upset with him for teasing her a little.

Was it just because she saved Ning Ning, and now he felt obligated to return the favor?

But there were many ways to repay such a favor—give money, send gifts, whatever. Did he really need to get involved in every little detail?

Although he had walked ahead, he could still hear the conversation between the two of them just now.

It was clear that Lu Qingze had been the one who actively pursued the conversation.

But since Ji Lingye was a man himself, he understood men well. When Lu Qingze looked at Su Mo, his gaze showed no possessiveness, only pure concern. It felt more like the care one would show to a friend.

But when had Lu Qingze’s care ever become so casually given? He barely showed any care for his own siblings, let alone a girl he just met?

It wasn’t the kind of love that came with possessiveness, but it was still a kind of care he had never shown before.

He really didn’t understand what Lu Qingze was thinking.

“Qingze, is it because that beauty already has a boyfriend? Are you too shy to be the third wheel?”

Lu Qingze didn’t answer for a long time. He simply stared at Ji Lingye silently. After a moment, he suddenly spoke, “Done talking? If you’re done, get out!”

Ji Lingye: “…” Whose office is this?!

Su Mo hardly slept that night. After Ji Lingye gave her antipyretics and made sure Su Ailian took them, she stayed up, waiting for Su Ailian’s fever to subside, before finally lying down.

As soon as she fell asleep, the door was knocked open again.

It was Qiao Yue’an, who had stayed downstairs all night. After hearing about the situation, he rushed upstairs.

After checking on Su Mo’s condition and performing another examination on Su Ailian, he left.

On the cold winter morning, the city of Beijing was enveloped in a layer of gray mist. Su Mo stood by the window, stretching, unable to sleep anymore, so she decided to stay awake.

After washing up and massaging her aching temples, she left the hospital room.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Lu Qingze walking towards her from the hallway.

Unlike Su Mo, Lu Qingze walked through the soft morning light, impeccably neat from head to toe. His whole appearance was clean and sharp. His handsome face, under the morning light, appeared even softer, as if with just one look, he could clear away all the heavy, oppressive fog in the heart.