Chapter 23: Listen to Advice and Eat Well

Huo Beiqing paused mid-step. “Hungry?”

Xia Ruanruan shook her head and got up to open the package she had brought. “Mom asked me to bring you some tonic medicine. She told me to cook it for you,” she said while subtly eyeing Huo Beiqing up and down.

Huo Beiqing ignored the mischievous smile in her gaze and simply said, “Throw it away.”

Xia Ruanruan immediately grinned. “How could I?”

“This is Mom’s thoughtful gift, specially prepared to nourish you. You can’t let her down.”

Huo Beiqing met her eyes with an unreadable smile. “Are you sure?”

Xia Ruanruan felt something was off with his tone but insisted, “This really is from Mom. She specifically reminded me that you’ve been working overtime and told me to make sure you drink it!”

Huo Beiqing still had that ambiguous smile. “Do you know what this medicine is supposed to help with?”

Xia Ruanruan shook her head—she really had no idea.

Huo Beiqing leaned in slightly, his breath brushing against her ear as he whispered, “Drinking this will help with fertility.”

Xia Ruanruan: “…”

Huo Beiqing patted her shoulder. “Comrade Xia, listen to advice and eat well.”

Xia Ruanruan: “…”

Huo Beiqing headed off to take a shower. Xia Ruanruan immediately dropped the idea of making the tonic. She took out the medicine packets from the pot, found some old newspapers in the room, wrapped them up, and placed them near the door.

She had no idea where the trash room was, and it was pretty dark outside—she was scared. So, for now, the medicine would just stay by the door.

Just as she finished dealing with the medicine, Huo Beiqing came out of the shower.

Xia Ruanruan asked, “Where’s the blanket?”

“In the cabinet inside the room,” he said, pointing to the room on his left.

Xia Ruanruan got up to fetch the blanket.

Huo Beiqing hadn’t lied—there really was a thick quilt inside.

Xia Ruanruan thought, Sleeping under this thick quilt for a night is definitely going to make me sweat a lot.

But there was no better option at the moment—she would just have to make do!

Tomorrow, she’d find a way to get a new quilt and a new bed.

Yes, everything was a fresh start.

Struggling a little, Xia Ruanruan carried the thick quilt to the sofa, then grabbed her clothes. “I’m going to take a shower!”

Humming a tune, she dashed off to the bathroom.

Huo Beiqing, towel-drying his hair, smiled and shook his head.

By the time Xia Ruanruan came back, the thick quilt on the sofa was gone. In its place was a thin quilt—the one from the bed inside.

Seeing the switch, she immediately rushed to Huo Beiqing’s room and knocked.

“Dr. Huo.”

“Dr. Huo, are you asleep?”

“Sleeping,” Huo Beiqing replied lazily, lying on his back in bed.

“Dr. Huo, about the quilt outside…”

“I switched it with mine. Letting you sleep on the sofa while covering yourself with a thick quilt—if word got out, people would say I’m heartless.”

“You use the thick one, I’ll take the bed and the thin quilt. Fair deal.”

“Alright, it’s late. Go to sleep.”

“Then… good night.”

Standing at the door, Xia Ruanruan even waved sillyly before realizing that Huo Beiqing couldn’t see her. She quickly put her hand down.

After saying good night, Huo Beiqing didn’t respond. She paused for a moment before turning to head back to the sofa.

Just as she turned around, a voice suddenly came from inside the room.

“Good night.”

Xia Ruanruan froze, then responded quickly, “Ah, good night, good night. Dr. Huo, rest well.”

Her mood instantly brightened.

She treated others with courtesy, and others should treat her the same way!

Turning off the light, she curled up on the sofa. It wasn’t as comfortable as her floor bed back at the Huo family’s house, but… everything was improving, step by step!

If she had stayed at the Huo family’s house, she wouldn’t know how long she’d have to sleep on the floor.

But now, at least she was on a sofa. And tomorrow, she could buy a bed. Soon, she’d have a proper place to sleep!

Embracing her hopeful thoughts, Xia Ruanruan quickly drifted off to sleep.

Inside the room, Huo Beiqing, wrapped in the thick quilt, soon felt unbearably hot and couldn’t fall asleep. He got up, opened the door, and walked around.

Looking at Xia Ruanruan sleeping soundly on the sofa, he couldn’t help but feel envious.

She can sleep anywhere—on a sofa, in a new place—without a problem.

After standing there for a while, Huo Beiqing returned to his room. He opened the window, stretched out his arms and legs, and tossed and turned for half the night before finally falling asleep.

The next morning, both Huo Beiqing and Xia Ruanruan woke up.

After getting ready, Huo Beiqing asked, “Are you coming with me to the hospital for breakfast, or are you cooking yourself?”

“If you want to cook, I can have someone send over some groceries.”

“I’ll cook for myself.”

“Alright, I’m off then.”

“Mm, take care, Dr. Huo.” Xia Ruanruan grinned as she sent him to the door.

Huo Beiqing picked up the bundle of herbs wrapped in newspaper by the door and took it with him. He felt that something was off about Xia Ruanruan’s words and wanted to say something, but in the end, he just let it go.

Half an hour after he left, someone knocked on the door.

“Coming!” Xia Ruanruan ran over to open it.

A young man stood at the door with a simple smile, holding several bags of groceries—rice, flour, oil, salt, eggs, a piece of lean meat, and some vegetables.

There was also a bag of noodles.

Handing the groceries to Xia Ruanruan, the young man shyly said, “Dr. Huo asked me to deliver these.”

Xia Ruanruan took the items and politely thanked him. “Thank you!”

The young man scratched the back of his head, looking flustered. “No need, no need, it’s my job.”

Then he added, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

Xia Ruanruan nodded, then suddenly thought of something. “Want a glass of water?”

The young man quickly waved his hands. “No, no,” and ran off.

Xia Ruanruan chuckled to herself. If he had really wanted water, he would’ve had to wait because I haven’t even boiled any yet!

With the groceries in hand, she cooked herself a simple meal—an egg noodle soup—and boiled a pot of water. After eating, she rushed to school.

At noon, she took leave from her teachers and went shopping for a new bed and quilt, having them delivered to the apartment.

After the bed was set up, she saw that there was still time, so she went to the market to buy some household essentials.

Carrying several bags back, she arrived downstairs just as Huo Beiqing did.

Seeing him, her first reaction was surprise. “You’re home early?”

“Oh, there were no surgeries this afternoon, so I got off early.” Huo Beiqing reached out to take the bags from her arms.

Rubbing her sore arms, Xia Ruanruan explained, “I bought some household items.”

Huo Beiqing nodded, not particularly interested in such matters.

As they walked upstairs, someone was coming down.

Seeing Huo Beiqing, they greeted him warmly, “Dr. Huo, off work?”

Huo Beiqing nodded. “Mm.”

The person glanced at Xia Ruanruan, then gave her a slight nod. She smiled and nodded back.

After they passed each other, Xia Ruanruan asked, “Who was that?”

Huo Beiqing glanced back and thought for a moment before replying, “A family member.”

Xia Ruanruan: “…”

Of course, she knew it was a family member. This was the hospital’s family housing—everyone here was either a doctor or a doctor’s family member. She didn’t need him to tell her that!