The warmth and strength emanating from his grip on her wrist made Su Tang slightly uneasy.  

She tried to pull away but couldn’t break free, so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “Really, it’s nothing. I just had a headache from all her noise.”  

Su Tang paused, then added, “She even tried to rally everyone to pressure me, saying I was heartless for not forgiving her.”  

“But Sister-in-law Zhang Cui stood up for me.”  

Lu Xiao’s eyes instantly turned cold, his grip tightening slightly as his entire demeanor darkened. “She dared?”  

“It’s fine now. Director Li handled it.”  

Su Tang could sense the restrained anger in him and quickly said, “I have to go. The hospital director is waiting.”  

Only then did Lu Xiao release her hand, but his gaze remained heavy on her face, filled with scrutiny and an emotion Su Tang couldn’t quite decipher.  

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only said, “Be careful on your way.”  

“Mm.”  

Su Tang responded and practically fled, walking away briskly.  

Lu Xiao stood where he was, watching her slightly hurried figure disappear around the corner before finally withdrawing his gaze.  

He turned his head toward the direction of their courtyard, his previously gentle eyes instantly turning icy.  

The few neighbors who had been peeking out to see the aftermath at the gate shrank back in fear under his cold stare.  

So terrifying. This Lu Xiao was like an icicle—cold enough to freeze someone to death.  

He strode into the courtyard with long, purposeful steps.  

Zhang Cui was just about to leave when she saw Lu Xiao and greeted him, “Oh, Brother Lu, you’re back? That Hu Lili just now—ugh, she made me so mad!”  

Lu Xiao listened expressionlessly as Zhang Cui indignantly recounted the earlier commotion.  

When she finished, the corners of his tightly pressed lips twitched slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of… admiration? passed through the depths of his eyes.  

“I see. Thank you for standing up for Su Tang, Sister-in-law.”  

Lu Xiao’s voice didn’t betray much emotion, but the gravity in his tone made Zhang Cui feel appreciated.  

“Of course, of course! Sister Su is a good person. You should go inside now!”  

With that, Zhang Cui left. She and Su Tang had become friends by now, so of course she’d speak up for her.  

But it was also because Su Tang was in the right—Hu Lili had no leg to stand on yet still acted entitled. Since they were the ones with reason on their side, they couldn’t afford to lose.  

Lu Xiao nodded and pushed the door open to enter the house.  

The faint, lingering scent of Su Tang still seemed to hang in the air inside.  

He walked to the window, staring in the direction she had left, his gaze complicated.  

He hated how she always had “thank you” and distance on her lips, hated how she treated him like a temporary partner.  

But just now, hearing that she had faced Hu Lili’s provocation and the crowd’s judgment alone—  

Calmly defusing the crisis, even cleverly leveraging the rules—  

That inexplicable restlessness and ache in his heart had actually outweighed the dislike.  

This woman was tougher and smarter than he’d thought.  

She didn’t need his protection. She might not even… need him?  

That realization made Lu Xiao’s chest feel uncomfortably tight.  

Irritated, he undid the collar button of his uniform, his gaze dark.  

How could she not need him?  

…

Meanwhile, Su Tang arrived at the hospital, her heart still racing a little.  

Half from hurrying, half from the earlier drama at her doorstep.  

And also… the burning sensation of Lu Xiao’s grip on her wrist and the intensity of his gaze.  

She took a few deep breaths to steady herself before knocking on the hospital director’s office door.  

The director’s attitude was even warmer than yesterday. “Comrade Su Tang, welcome! Please, have a seat. We’ve discussed it and found your professional knowledge and theoretical foundation exceptionally solid—far exceeding our expectations.”  

“Especially your understanding of certain Western emergency medical techniques, which is particularly rare. So, we’ve decided to make an exception and hire you as a trainee doctor.”  

Su Tang’s heart leaped with joy, the weight in her chest finally lifting. “Trainee doctor?”

The director nodded, then shifted the topic with a smile as he looked at Su Tang.  

“However… considering your lack of prior practical work experience and the current special circumstances… we’ve decided to give you a three-month probationary period.”  

“You’ll mainly be assigned to the pharmacy and assist in outpatient clinics to familiarize yourself with the workflow. It’ll also give us a chance to assess your practical skills. Your salary will be based on the probationary standard. How does that sound?”  

A probationary period? That wasn’t a problem—she wasn’t short on money anyway.  

Being able to do the work she loved was more than enough for Su Tang.  

“No problem, Director. I accept.”  

Su Tang agreed readily. “I’ll cherish this opportunity and familiarize myself with the work as soon as possible.”  

“Good, then it’s settled. Report here tomorrow.”  

The director was clearly even more pleased. Su Tang’s professional knowledge and insights were a rare treasure.  

This Su Tang—he had a feeling she would bring him some pleasant surprises.  

Walking out of the director’s office, Su Tang felt like even the sunlight had brightened.  

With her job secured, she now had a foundation to establish herself in the Northwest.  

When she returned home that evening, dinner was already set on the table—clearly brought back from the cafeteria.  

The atmosphere in the house was subtly quiet.  

Su Tang broke the silence first, speaking as casually as usual. “The director said they’ve hired me, but there’s a three-month probationary period. I’ll be helping in the pharmacy and outpatient clinics.”  

Lu Xiao’s hand, which had been scooping rice, paused. He looked up at her, his gaze deep. “Mm. That’s good.”  

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words. “You handled today’s matter well.”  

Su Tang was taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to praise her, and her face warmed slightly. “It was nothing. I just didn’t want to engage with her.”  

Lu Xiao set the bowl of rice in front of her, his voice low. “Kneeling to force forgiveness was her mistake. You stuck to your principles—that wasn’t wrong.”  

It was rare for him to say so much. “Some people just don’t distinguish right from wrong. There’s no need to pay them any mind.”  

His words flowed like a warm current, quietly soothing Su Tang’s heart.  

He didn’t think she was heartless. He was a man who understood reason.  

She lowered her head, taking small bites of rice, and softly murmured, “Mm.”  

The table fell quiet again, but the earlier awkwardness seemed to have dissipated somewhat.  

In its place was an indescribable… peace.  

After dinner, Lu Xiao took the initiative to wash the dishes. Before long, the lights outside went out, and he returned to the room after washing up.  

A kerosene lamp glowed faintly by the bed in the inner room. Su Tang held a book but found it hard to focus.  

She stole a glance at Lu Xiao, who was already lying down beside her.  

His eyes were closed, his breathing steady. The sharp lines of his profile looked especially defined in the dim light.  

“Lu Xiao…”  

Su Tang spoke softly.  

“Mm?”  

Lu Xiao responded without opening his eyes.  

“Thank you.”  

Her voice was as light as a mosquito’s hum.  

She wasn’t even sure what she was thanking him for—his words at dinner?  

Or for not pressing her about last night’s awkwardness?  

In the darkness, the corner of Lu Xiao’s mouth seemed to curve up almost imperceptibly.  

“Sleep.”  

His voice carried a hint of warmth.  

Su Tang set the book aside, turned off the lamp, and lay down in the dark.  

This time, she didn’t deliberately turn her back to him.  

The room was quiet, filled only with the soft sound of their breathing.  

A long time passed. Just as Su Tang was drifting into a drowsy haze, she seemed to hear an extremely soft, almost amused whisper from beside her.  

“Underestimated you. A paper tiger, huh? Seems pretty fierce to me.”  

Su Tang’s eyelashes fluttered. She pretended not to hear and buried her face deeper into the blanket.  

What was that? Since when did he give people nicknames behind their backs!  

Calling her a paper tiger—then what did that make him? A wolf in sheep’s clothing?