Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Whoever Loses, Get Lost

    At a quarter to eight, Qiao Xi arrived at the entrance of the hospital.

    A figure darted out and Chen Xu blocked her way, grasping her hand without letting go.

    “Qiao Xi, I beg you to forgive me.”

    “Chen Xu, let go of me!”

    Qiao Xi never expected him to make a scene at the hospital. The hospital was crowded with people, and now all eyes were on them.

    Chen Xu’s eyes were red as he knelt down and said, “I don’t care that you became the other woman. I just beg you to come back to me, I can give you money.”

    ...

    “I know you got into City Hospital through the back door. Otherwise, with no power or status, how could someone from the countryside get in...”

    Passersby pointed and gossiped about Qiao Xi: “Shameless, being someone else’s mistress.”

    “Morals are declining. Nowadays, pretty young girls all want to take shortcuts.”

    Everyone was speaking as if they were veritable experts, surrounding Qiao Xi and sizing her up.

    “He is not my boyfriend!” Qiao Xi said coldly, “If you keep holding onto me, I’m calling the police!”@@@@

    “Everyone, please persuade her! Her name is Qiao Xi, she’s an intern in the Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Department, and she is my girlfriend. She has cheated multiple times with rich old men, and I don’t want her to go down the wrong path!”

    Malice flashed in Chen Xu’s eyes as he deliberately disclosed Qiao Xi’s personal information. Ye Manman had said that Qiao Xi was dumped by her sugar daddy and was ruining Qiao Xi’s reputation, leaving her with nowhere to turn.

    Thinking back on his recent misfortunes, his heart was filled with resentment. Whatever his family invested in, they lost money, and he was even more unlucky, running into trouble at every turn.

    “Miss, you should be grateful for such a devoted boyfriend!”

    Qiao Xi was speechless.

    In this day and age, spreading a sensual rumor about a pretty girl was too easy. No one would waste time verifying the truth.

    She took out her phone to call the police but someone in the crowd knocked it out of her hand.

    “Make way! Don’t crowd around the entrance of the hospital, move aside!” A few security guards shouted as they maintained order, separating the onlookers from the hospital visitors.

    “Clear out, everyone!”

    “Good morning, Director Xu!”

    Xu Xiuyuan approached and bent down to pick up Qiao Xi’s phone, his cold gaze sweeping toward Chen Xu.

    “Causing trouble in front of the hospital can lead to detention,” he warned.

    Stubbornly, Chen Xu said, “Is it illegal to talk to my girlfriend?”

    “You’re disrupting my employees from working normally,” Director Xu replied impatiently, “Security, take him to the security office and add him to the blacklist.”

    Mrs. Liu grew more intense, “Flies don’t sting seamless eggs. Don’t you deliberately come near me, trying to attract Xiuyuan. Our Liu Family has a noble reputation; we wouldn’t want a woman who can’t be presented publicly.”

    Qiao Xi’s hands paused, and she lifted her head, her eyes defiantly staring at her.

    Mrs. Liu was taken aback, guiltily saying, “I didn’t... say anything.”

    She might die from this—her heart couldn’t harden against Qiao Xi, feeling a bit of pity for her.

    Silence spread through the ward.

    Qiao Xi massaged her for half an hour, her hands growing sore.

    Breaking the silence, Mrs. Liu awkwardly praised, “Your technique is even better than Dr. Yan’s, you must have put in a lot of hard work.”

    “Would you like some fruit?”

    Qiao Xi asked softly.

    Mrs. Liu was about to say she had eaten every kind of fruit, but instead, she said, “I do eat, but only the expensive, top-grade ones. I don’t touch those pesticide-laden street-market goods.”

    “Alright.”

    Qiao Xi’s voice was velvety; she went to the changing room for a few glass storage containers and quickly returned to the hospital.

    Opening the containers one by one, they were full of top-grade blueberries, cherries, soft pears, and Honeycrisp apples.

    Mrs. Liu, who knew her stuff, cast a surprised glance at her, “Is the salary for an intern at City Hospital so high, or is it that...”

    She looked at the young woman whose eyes were clear and actions were solid, not someone who seemed like she’d seek a sugar daddy.

    “My family prepared it,” Qiao Xi said.

    She didn’t want to give it to her colleagues, and she didn’t want it to go to waste, so let this cantankerous old lady have it.

    Mrs. Liu nodded, picked up a fork, and started to eat, “Women should eat more fruit for nice skin and good health. When I was young...”

    Qiao Xi sat quietly beside her, listening to her speak, her thoughts drifting away.

    A blueberry was popped into her mouth; she chewed subconsciously, savoring the sweetness.

    “Don’t be so melancholic, young lady. My granddaughter is carefree and thoughtless,” Mrs. Liu said, putting down her fork, “Eating from someone’s hand softens the heart, I won’t make things difficult for you anymore.”

    The old lady’s heart had softened, after all.

    Qiao Xi looked at her and slowly smiled.

    True to her word, Mrs. Liu didn’t give Qiao Xi a hard time that day. Qiao Xi’s job was much simpler, even somewhat tranquil.

    At six in the evening, it was time to get off work.

    A phone call reached Qiao Xi, Aunt Qian crying out in panic, “Young Madam, the young master has had an accident! He’s in resuscitation!”

    Qiao Xi felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded beside her ear, her body turning to ice, her heart aching sharply.