CHAPTER 828: CHAPTER 828: BORROWING MONEY

The next day, at six o’clock in the early morning.

Li Qiao tiptoed out of the master bedroom.

After she left, the man on the bed opened his eyes, staring at the door she gently closed, his eyes were a deep black ink.

They had purposely avoided the topic of pregnancy the night before, each busy with their own matters before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

It seemed no different than before, yet an invisible barrier appeared to stand between them.

In the living room, Luoyu was on the phone. Suddenly seeing Li Qiao, he covered the receiver in surprise, "Madam, you’re up so early?"

Laden with a faint tiredness in her eyes, Li Qiao tugged at the corner of her mouth and headed straight for the door.

She was leaving the house.

Luoyu hung up the phone and hurried to follow Li Qiao’s steps, "I’ll go start the car."

Without looking back, Li Qiao descended the stairs, "I’m going to take care of something, no need to follow me."

"I could accompany you," Luoyu hesitated, his face showing difficulty.

Li Qiao waved her hand from over her shoulder and, in the blink of an eye, got into the Mercedes G and left the mansion.

...

Before seven o’clock, Li Qiao appeared downstairs at the South Sea Affiliated Hospital.

Fu Lvting had arrived earlier than her. Seeing Li Qiao, he came forward with a smile to greet her, "Xiao Li, the dean’s wife will be here soon. Let’s go to the consultation room to wait for her."

Li Qiao nodded indifferently, "Thank you for the trouble."

"What trouble could that possibly be?" Fu Lvting scrutinized her eyes and brows, "The dean’s wife is the head physician in obstetrics and gynecology. Her appointments are all booked today, otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked you to come early."

Fu Lvting’s dean’s wife had a very good reputation at the Affiliated Hospital. The lady, in her sixties, had been rehired to continue her practice after her retirement.

Around half-past seven, the elderly lady appeared in the consultation room.

After Fu Lvting made a brief introduction, he promptly left the room to give them privacy.

At eight o’clock, it was time for the elderly lady to start her clinic, and Li Qiao bid her farewell casually.

Just before leaving, she cheerfully said at the treatment desk, "My dear, relax your mind, don’t be too tense. Try what I’ve suggested when you go back. If the severe vomiting doesn’t ease up, come back to see me."

"Okay, thank you."

Outside in the corridor, Fu Lvting had already donned his white coat, occasionally flipping through a surgical outpatient record book in his hands.

"Brother Fu,"

Fu Lvting looked up and glanced at the consultation room, "How did it go? Did the dean’s wife have any good advice?"

Li Qiao bent her lips slightly, "She did, and I will try it out when I get back."

"Then you..." Fu Lvting trailed off, thought about his words, then continued, "Master Yan didn’t come with you?"

Such a big matter as Li Qiao’s pregnancy, and she came to the hospital alone, what was Shang Shaoyan doing?!

"Yes," Li Qiao turned her head and responded briefly, "Please erase my consultation record for today."

Understanding that she didn’t want to elaborate, Fu Lvting nodded towards the direction of the elevator, "Okay, I didn’t register you, and I’ll talk to the dean’s wife about it. Come on, I’ll take you downstairs."

...

At nine o’clock, Li Qiao, with a bag of food, went to the Tangxi Garden villa in the eastern suburbs.

She was agitated, her face and eyes filled with frustration.

Two bags of food contained freshly bought steamed buns and soy milk, along with fresh vegetables and eggs.

Without Shang Yu around, she did as she pleased.

Opening the bag of steamed buns, she sniffed at it. Although she was not very hungry, she still stuffed one in her mouth.

Feeling nauseous, but not as violently as last night.

Li Qiao chewed on the bun skin slowly, looking down at her stomach, her eyes cold.

Is this little rascal doing this on purpose to go against Shang Yu?

Li Qiao dumped the ground meat, took small bites of a bun’s skin till she finished it, and despite feeling nauseous, did not throw up.

After a while, she drank some soy milk and went to the kitchen with a bag of ingredients.

She hoped the old lady’s method would be effective.

All morning, Li Qiao bustled about the villa in Tangxi Garden, and as noon approached, her phone by the Glazed Pavilion chimed with several WeChat messages.

Li Qiao wiped her hands and opened the chat window; there were seven consecutive emoticon packs from Tang Yiting.

Before she could reply, her phone rang.

Li Qiao pressed to answer and activated the speakerphone.

Tang Yiting’s loud voice instantly filled the kitchen, "Qiaoqiao! Where are you? Do you still remember Tang Family’s Xiaoting from South Sea Medical University?"

Li Qiao speared a piece of pineapple and bit a small chunk, "I remember."

"Do you have time to meet with Tang Family’s Xiaoting?"

Li Qiao swallowed the pineapple, smacked her lips, "Tangxi Garden, come over."

Tang Yiting howled, "Ao, send me your location; I’ll be there soon."

After ending the call, Li Qiao flipped through her WeChat history; the last time she had contacted Tang Yiting was before she went to British Imperial, and she heard that Tang had already started working in her family business.

Li Qiao pursed her lips and put down her phone, then looked at the porridge and egg soup beside her, tentatively took a small sip.

Hmm, the taste was nothing great, but she didn’t throw up.

The old lady’s remedy seemed quite effective.

...

At twelve noon, Tang Yiting drove her pink sports car to Tangxi Garden. She walked in and stared at Li Qiao in the kitchen, utterly dumbfounded, "You, are, cooking?"

Li Qiao held a bowl of hawthorn tea and unflappably took a sip, "Yeah, just casually."

Then Tang Yiting’s expression changed from shock to sympathy. She moved closer to Li Qiao, took her hand with genuine concern, "Qiaoqiao, are you in trouble? If you have any difficulties, tell me, don’t be so hard on yourself, I have a card..."

Li Qiao, who was merely cooking to alleviate morning sickness: "..."

She put down the hawthorn tea, paused for two seconds, and pushed Tang Yiting’s card back to her, "You’re overthinking it. What did you want to see me for?"

Tang Yiting was doubtful, glancing over the plain chicken egg soup and millet porridge on the table, which were so bare that not even a hint of oil shimmered on the surface.

"Qiaoqiao, don’t be formal with me..."

Li Qiao leaned against the Glazed Pavilion, looking at her impassively.

After three seconds, Tang Yiting put away her bank card, her next words startling, "Then can you lend me some money?"

What a twist.

Li Qiao rubbed her forehead, lifting her eyelids to look at her, "How much?"

Tang Yiting hesitated, extending three fingers. She wanted to say, would three million suffice?

Li Qiao raised her eyebrows a bit, "Thirty million?"

In her memory, Tang Yiting was not short of money; as Tang family’s little heiress, she would receive a minimum of five million from the family trust fund every month.

This was the first time she had heard her asking to borrow money.

Tang Yiting cleared her throat, "Is that, convenient for you?"

Li Qiao glanced at her and accessed online banking on her phone.

Tang Yiting, who hadn’t noticed her actions, explained softly, "I’ll pay you back in half a year, the annual interest will be according to..."

"No need." Li Qiao transferred the money into Tang Yiting’s private account and interrupted her, "If it’s not enough, let me know."

Once the transaction was complete, Tang Yiting also received a bank notification on her phone.

She stared at the thirty million figure, opened her mouth, but then swallowed the words she was about to say.