The chicken soup was still very hot. Xu Linchuan smiled, ladled a bowl, and without minding the heat, brought it directly to his lips.
Before Su Qi could remind him, Xu Linchuan had already taken a sip.
From the way Xu Linchuan winced, it was evident that the soup was indeed very hot.
But Xu Linchuan still finished it.
He gave a thumbs-up, showering her with a thousand praises.
"It's delicious, I've never had such delicious soup."
"Really?"
Their laughter drifted into the adjacent hospital room.
Huo Tingyun's room was directly opposite Xu Linchuan's.
Huo Tingyun pushed aside the thin blanket on him, walked to the balcony, leaned against the doorframe, and lit a cigarette.
It seemed he had never tasted soup made by Su Qi.
When he had accidentally broken his leg before, Su Qi had rushed to the hospital. After being severely scolded by Qin Xue, she had humbly taken care of his physical needs.
Every day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Su Qi personally prepared meals and sent them to the hospital, always piping hot.
Because he didn't want to eat Su Qi's cooking, he would always eat before she sent the food over.
Even if his stomach was empty, he would just say he wasn't hungry.
Anything Su Qi made and sent was always pushed aside by him. By the time it cooled down, the nurses would clear it away and throw it into the trash.
In their year of marriage, he hadn't eaten anything Su Qi had made.
Even the soup she sent every morning ultimately ended up in the trash.
When Su Qi was around, he could never find his cigarettes.
He had barely smoked or touched alcohol that year.
After his eye surgery, as his vision recovered, though it would often blur, he could always find eye drops in his pocket.
He didn't know when they were placed in his clothes, but he could always feel them when he needed them.
All of this seemed to have completely disappeared after Su Qi signed the divorce papers.
Knock, knock—
The door was knocked open.
As Xu Linyun entered, she immediately smelled the strong scent of smoke.
"Tingyun, you haven't smoked in a long time. What's going on today?"
Xu Linyun hadn't seen Huo Tingyun smoke for almost a full year.
When he visited the film set last year, he had hardly ever taken cigarettes out of his pockets.
Since last month, Huo Tingyun had started drinking heavily.
Every time she got close, she could smell the smoke.
Today, it was even more so.
Xu Linyun placed the stewed soup she was holding on Huo Tingyun's bedside table.
"This is soup that Sister Wu asked me to bring. She said you were sick, and Aunt Qin is worried about you."
"Mm," the man replied indifferently, tossed the cigarette butt at his feet, and crushed it out.
Xu Linyun turned on the fresh air system, wanting to say something, but her lips moved, yet no words came out.
When she entered, she hadn't closed the door tightly. The wind blew, and the ajar door swung open.
The door to the opposite room was also open.
The sounds of laughter from that room became clearer.
Xu Linyun glanced at the opposite room. "My brother seems to really like Sister Su Qi. It looks like after Sister Su Qi divorces you, she'll be with my brother..."
Xu Linyun murmured, completely oblivious to the change in expression on the man beside her.
The man held a cup in his hand, intending to drink water. Upon hearing Xu Linyun's words, he unconsciously tightened his grip.
With a crisp shattering sound, the glass broke.
Xu Linyun looked at Huo Tingyun in surprise. "Tingyun! You're bleeding!"
She quickly pressed the call bell, summoning a nurse.
Xu Linchuan didn't have a large appetite, so he only ate half of the soup and dishes before stopping.
After the meal, Su Qi accompanied Xu Linchuan for a walk in the garden. When she returned, she saw that the soup was gone. It had been half full before she went downstairs. Had she remembered incorrectly? They say pregnancy makes you forgetful for three years, and she was already forgetful before giving birth.
Su Qi raised her hand and tapped her forehead.
Xu Linchuan was discharged from the hospital after a few days, his injuries having improved considerably.
Su Qi could finally relax.
She took a few days off and was ready to return to work today.
Su Qi took out her phone, about to text Huang Ying to inform her of her return to work.
Qin Xue's call came into her phone.
Su Qi's heart skipped a beat.
Although she had Qin Xue's phone number saved, Qin Xue rarely called her throughout the year.
It was so sudden for her to call now.
"Aunt Qin?"
"Su Qi, if you have time, hurry back and finalize the divorce procedures with Tingyun!"
"I understand."
Su Qi hung up, took a day off from Huang Ying, and sent Huo Tingyun a text message.
"Do you have time today to finalize the divorce procedures?"
Meanwhile, Xu Linyun saw Huo Tingyun's phone vibrate.
She picked up his phone and saw Su Qi's message.
When the man came out of the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, Xu Linyun's face flushed slightly.
"Tingyun, Sister Su Qi sent you a message. Don't you have time today? Go and finalize the divorce."
Huo Tingyun took his phone. Hearing Xu Linyun's words, he frowned, then said in a low voice, "I have a meeting today. Another day." Another day? It was always another day. How many days had it been?
Xu Linyun stood up, biting her lower lip. "But our wedding date is approaching, it's in the next two months..."
"There's still time."
The man simply said.
After speaking, he no longer looked at Xu Linyun and entered the walk-in closet.
When he emerged again, he was impeccably dressed in a suit, exuding elegance.
"Tingyun, do you know, I'm really scared. I'm afraid you..."
Xu Linyun stood up and hugged Huo Tingyun from behind, preventing him from leaving.
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that... you'll fall in love with Su Qi."
Xu Linyun's voice was on the verge of tears.
All she received was the man's silent response.
"You're a movie queen, do you need to worry about a homeless orphan?"
Huo Tingyun said indifferently.
"Stop fooling around, I'm going to my meeting."
As he reached the door, he paused. "Don't come here so often in the future."
With that, he pushed the door open and left.
Xu Linyun watched the door close tightly, her vision blurring, almost causing her to fall.
Huo Tingyun had changed, she didn't know when.
He was no longer the little prince whose eyes were only for her.
In the story of the little prince, the little prince eventually abandoned the rose.
No, she absolutely would not allow it...
"Su Qi, if you have time, go to Xu Linyun's place. She has something to tell you."
Su Qi was waiting for Huo Tingyun's reply, but after an hour, there was still no response from him.
Instead, she received a text message from Huang Ying.
Since being assigned as Xu Linyun's assistant last time, Su Qi hadn't heard from Xu Linyun.
"Okay, Ying Jie."
Su Qi saw the address sent by the phone and followed the GPS.
It was a club.
Su Qi didn't think much of it, got out of the car, and went straight into the club.
A waiter led her to a secluded private room. Su Qi stopped, knocked on the door, and found it ajar.
Pushing the door open, Xu Linyun was not inside the room.
There was a strange scent in the room.
Su Qi frowned and instinctively held her breath.
"Miss Xu?"
She called out, but there was no response.