The next day, Xia Liyang still hadn’t received any response from Lu Huaicheng.

But while she was sitting at her computer writing an outline, she suddenly received a call from Lin Shen, asking her if she had landed the waitress position at the restaurant.

What restaurant?

Xia Liyang was taken aback for a moment, and after a brief pause, she remembered the lie she had told Lu Huaicheng the day before.

She thought that since he hadn’t brought it up yesterday, the matter was settled.

She didn’t expect him to still be concerned enough to have his assistant inquire about it.

Unsure of his underlying intentions, Xia Liyang hesitated and rubbed her phone case, saying vaguely, “I haven’t received any feedback from the restaurant yet.”

“Then are you interested in a part-time job at a hospital? You can set your own hours, but you have to come at least twice a week, working 1-2 hours each time. The hourly wage is negotiable, and it won’t be less than what you’re currently earning as a housekeeper,” Lin Shen continued to ask.

Xia Liyang was slightly taken aback, thinking that such a windfall was too good to be true.

She couldn’t help but hesitate and ask, “What exactly would this part-time job entail?”

“Reading to patients,” Lin Shen paused, then added, “It’s mostly Agatha Christie’s detective novels.”

“…” Xia Liyang frowned in confusion, suddenly remembering the collection of classic Agatha Christie detective novels in Lu Huaicheng’s study.

When she had asked him if he was a fan of Agatha, his response was that he just had a need for them.

So this part-time job was arranged by… Lu Huaicheng?

Thinking of this, Xia Liyang asked with interest, “When is the interview?”

“If you’re free tonight, we can arrange it,” Lin Shen replied.

Although her plan for the day was to write an outline, she thought that perhaps if she went, she could see Lu Huaicheng again and gain some new inspiration.

So she nodded and agreed.

She tentatively said, “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for introducing me to this part-time job; it really helps me in a time of need!”

“It’s nothing. Just come and try reading first,” Lin Shen smiled, not mentioning whether it was arranged by Lu Huaicheng.

Xia Liyang hung up thoughtfully, still feeling that this matter was undoubtedly connected to Lu Huaicheng.

Soon, Lin Shen sent her the time and location for the interview that night.

It was at Qingjiang Hospital in the suburbs of Jiangcheng.

That was the only private third-class hospital in Jiangcheng, known for its elegant environment and professional medical staff, who were also friendly.

Since they didn’t accept insurance, there weren’t as many patients as in public hospitals.

Moreover, since it was in the VIP ward area, when Xia Liyang arrived, there was hardly anyone in the hospital corridor.

Only the bright white light was shining on the clean and tidy floor, giving off an unreal feeling.

As she walked, Xia Liyang paid attention to the room numbers on the ward doors and finally stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor. Nervously, she raised her hand and lightly knocked twice.

“You’re quite early,” Lin Shen said as he opened the door with a warm smile.

“I’ve never been here before, and I was worried about getting lost and being late, so I left early,” Xia Liyang said, feeling a bit embarrassed as she curiously peeked into the ward.

However, aside from a person quietly lying on the hospital bed, she didn’t see Lu Huaicheng.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed, but she still wore an obedient smile as she followed Lin Shen into the ward.

“You’ll read this book today,” Lin Shen said as he took a copy of Murder on the Orient Express from the bookshelf beside the bed.

“Oh, okay.” Xia Liyang took the book from him, her eyes glancing at the woman on the bed.

The woman looked to be in her forties, dressed in a clean hospital gown, covered with a thin blanket, her eyes peacefully closed.

Her fair face was rosy, not at all looking like she was seriously ill.

It seemed she was just resting her eyes.

Although Xia Liyang was a bit curious about her identity and situation, she felt that since Lin Shen hadn’t introduced her, it was best not to ask.

So she averted her gaze and, following Lin Shen’s instructions, sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed and opened the book in her hands.

“Should I start reading from this chapter marked by the bookmark?” she looked up at Lin Shen.

“Yes,” Lin Shen paused before saying, “You read first; I’ll step outside to make a call.”

“Okay.” Xia Liyang nodded and, after watching him leave, couldn’t help but take another careful look at the woman on the bed.

Although her eyes were closed, her long, thick eyelashes and elegantly arched eyes suggested that she must look very beautiful when she opened them.

Her other features were also quite delicate; she had a straight nose and thin, beautiful lips.

The more Xia Liyang looked, the more she felt that the proportions of the woman’s features seemed somewhat familiar.

Had she seen her somewhere in the past?

Xia Liyang furrowed her brows in confusion, vaguely hearing footsteps coming from the quiet corridor outside. Thinking it was Lin Shen returning, she hurriedly lowered her gaze and began reading the book in her hands: “At eight forty-five that evening, the Orient Express arrived in Belgrade…”

However, the person who walked in was a young nurse.

She must have been informed that someone would be visiting tonight, so when she saw Xia Liyang sitting on the bedside reading a book, she didn’t show any surprise, merely smiling politely before starting to perform daily care for the woman in bed.

As she rolled up the woman’s sleeves and pants for a hot compress before the massage,

Xia Liyang couldn’t help but peek up from behind the book.

Then she caught sight of the woman’s unusually slender limbs.

There were signs of muscle atrophy.

It seemed she had been lying in bed for at least a year, resulting in unavoidable symptoms of muscle weakness despite such meticulous care.

At this rate, she was most likely a patient with impaired consciousness.

In other words, a so-called vegetative person.

Moreover, during the nurse’s massage, there was no subtle expression or movement feedback from the woman.

So, she was likely the most severe type, that is, an unconscious patient.

Xia Liyang knew this because her father had always researched related topics.

When he pressured her to take the exam for molecular biology, it was also to prepare for entering the research institute where he worked, to continue studying the causes and treatments of consciousness disorders, Alzheimer’s, and other neurological diseases at the molecular level.

In fact, for unconscious patients who have been in a coma for more than a year, the chances of waking up are minimal.

External stimuli, like reading to them, produce nearly zero effects.

Rather than being a therapeutic technique, it serves more as psychological comfort for the patient’s family.

It’s as if by persevering, a miracle might occur.

Xia Liyang wondered if there was any relationship between the woman in bed and Lu Huaicheng.

She lowered her gaze, her emotions becoming somewhat complicated.

If Lu Huaicheng had no relation to her, he certainly wouldn’t come to the ward; then this part-time job would be completely meaningless and would only waste her time writing.

But if he had some connection to her, she inexplicably felt a bit upset inside.

When she was studying, Xia Yanxu was often too busy with work to take care of her, so she frequently had to go to his research institute or the hospital for meals.

Thus, she had seen the despair and pain that many families of vegetative patients face.

At first, there might still be some hope, but over time, many families can no longer bear the physical and financial pressures and ultimately have to choose to give up treatment.

And those families that continue to endure can hardly return to a happy life.

As her thoughts spiraled, Lin Shen pushed open the door and returned to the ward.

Xia Liyang quickly pulled her thoughts back and pretended to read seriously.

“How does it feel? Is it boring?” Lin Shen walked up to her.

“Not really; I actually like reading Agatha’s novels,” Xia Liyang replied, raising her face obediently.

“That’s perfect,” Lin Shen smiled and sat in the chair opposite her, signaling for her to continue.

Estimating that the interview was about to start in earnest, Xia Liyang forced herself not to think about Lu Huaicheng anymore.

She needed to secure this part-time job first so that she would have the option to choose in the future.

So she cleared her throat slightly and began to read expressively.

She even added some interesting dramatic elements to the gripping parts.

She continued reading until the nurse finished her care and left when Lin Shen suddenly interrupted her, asking if she was thirsty and if she wanted some water.

“A little…” Xia Liyang said, biting her lip a bit awkwardly.

“Then finish this chapter; I’ll go downstairs to buy you some water.” Lin Shen stood up.

“Okay, thank you, Mr. Lin.” Xia Liyang nodded with a smile.

In fact, after setting aside those messy thoughts, she found joy in this part-time job and was becoming quite absorbed in her reading.

So, after Lin Shen left, she didn’t slack off and continued reading the story with rhythm and expression.

Outside the VIP ward,

Lu Huaicheng’s tall and upright figure walked out of the elevator. He was dressed in an expensive black suit, his dark red tie impeccably knotted, his handsome face showing a hint of fatigue, as if he had just come from an important meeting.

He walked lightly, his long fingers, encased in black leather gloves, holding an unopened bottle of mineral water.

When he reached the door of the last room in the corridor, he stopped and stood quietly for a moment.

Hearing the crisp and melodious female voice from inside the room, as if she were performing a radio drama reading Murder on the Orient Express,

He couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes, and pushed open the door to the ward.

Xia Liyang, sitting with her back to him in front of the hospital bed, thought it was Lin Shen returning and didn’t stop reading, continuing reading, using a vivid tone to build tension during the revelation of the body.

It wasn’t until his distinctly knuckled hand reached around her head, offering the mineral water that he held, that she realized it was Lu Huaicheng.

“Ah, thank you, Mr. Lin…” Xia Liyang paused slightly, raising her eyes to take the mineral water when she noticed the hand pulling back in front of her was wearing a pair of black leather gloves.

That was… Lu Huaicheng’s gloves?

Xia Liyang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned her head, meeting Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes, which held a hint of a smile.

“Lu, Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang’s nerves tightened, and she hurriedly put down the book and stood up from her chair. “What brings you here?”

“Isn’t it normal for me to check on the job my assistant recommended to you?” Lu Huaicheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Of course, it’s just… I was a bit surprised because Lin Shen didn’t mention that you would come,” Xia Liyang replied with an awkward smile, thinking that indeed this part-time job was related to him.

Lu Huaicheng gave a noncommittal smile, loosened his tie with his long fingers, and took off his suit jacket, reminding her, “You should drink some water first; your voice sounds a bit hoarse.”

“Oh.” Xia Liyang bit her lip and lowered her head to twist the cap off the mineral water bottle.

However, due to her nervousness, her palms were sweaty and slipped, making it difficult to open the cap.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she glanced at Lu Huaicheng, who was sitting across from her. His narrow eyes arched slightly, and his thin lips quirked up as he teased, “You can open my door knob but can’t open a bottle cap?”

“My hands are a bit slippery…” Xia Liyang said, feeling a little flustered as she averted her gaze from his playful stare, starting to look around for some tissues.

Seeing her flustered state, Lu Huaicheng chuckled lightly and stretched out his long arm toward her. “Give it to me.”

“Oh, thank you.” Xia Liyang hesitated for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she handed the water to him.

His large hand covered the bottle cap, his lips pressed together, and his eyes lowered slightly.

The thick long lashes cast delicate shadows on either side of his high nose bridge.

In an instant, Xia Liyang suddenly realized why the woman in the hospital bed looked somewhat familiar to her.

Because Lu Huaicheng’s face was very similar to hers.

Could she be his mother?

But she seemed a bit too young for that.

Xia Liyang was momentarily stunned and hadn’t fully processed her thoughts when Lu Huaicheng handed the opened bottle of mineral water back to her.

“Why are you staring at me blankly?” Lu Huaicheng’s gaze was deep as he looked at her.

“I wasn’t…I wasn’t staring blankly,” Xia Liyang quickly came to her senses and hurriedly took the water bottle from his hand.

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng responded casually, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, “Then you admit you’ve been staring at me.”