Meng Yao's eyes widened as she looked at him, but it felt as though she wasn't truly seeing him, but rather lost in thought.
She murmured weakly, "I remember now, that flower only blooms on the battlefield... because it needs decaying corpses for nourishment, and its fragrance carries the stench of rot..."
Huangfu Shaohua couldn't quite hear what she was saying. As he leaned closer, she fainted again.
"Doctor, why did she faint again? Come quickly, is she alright?" Huangfu Shaohua anxiously called for the doctor.
The emergency doctor opened her eyelids to examine her and said, "She's fine. The patient is very weak and needs to be hospitalized for observation. You're family, go handle the admission procedures."
"Okay."
Huangfu Shaohua completed the admission procedures and assisted the medical staff in transferring Meng Yao to a VIP room.
By then, his parents and elder sister had arrived. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Meng Yao was out of danger.
"How could this child be so foolish, so devoted to Song Jiaping," Wu Xiufang sighed, sitting by the bedside.
Huangfu Si Song, relieved, said, "That Song Jiaping looked like he had ulterior motives. I wonder what he did and said to Meng Yao when they were living together?"
He then looked at Huangfu Shaohua, "Isn't that fellow in your department now? You teach him a good lesson and find a way to kick him out of the group."
"Dad, I understand."
Huangfu Si Song also had something to ask him. "I heard from HR that you made him a permanent employee? Have you been brainwashed by him too!"
"No," Huangfu Shaohua explained. "It was for Meng Yao's sake. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to accept it if she knew Song Jiaping was working as a driver."
Huangfu Si Song was about to say more, but Wu Xiufang interrupted, "If you have to discuss company matters, go outside. Don't disturb Meng Yao in the ward."
Huangfu Shaohua nodded, not wanting to discuss the matter with his father. He stood up and said, "Dad, Mom, Elder Sister, since Meng Yao is alright, I'll be going now. I'll come to see her tomorrow."
Without waiting for Huangfu Si Song to say anything further, he left.
Huangfu Si Song pointed at his retreating figure and said, "This child is becoming more disobedient, his wings have grown strong."
"The older ones, the younger ones, which one of them is obedient? Just say a few less words," Wu Xiufang advised.
Their eldest daughter, Huangfu Mengqi, smiled and said, "Dad, Mom, don't include me when you talk about my second brother and third sister. I haven't caused you any worry."
Huangfu Si Song looked at his eldest daughter with admiration. "Entrusting the finance department to you now truly puts my mind at ease. Even those few old timers in the group praise you highly. You are my good daughter."
Wu Xiufang disagreed, saying, "You say you don't want me to worry, but look at you, you're over thirty and only busy with company affairs. When will you resolve your own lifelong commitment? Why didn't you go on that blind date I arranged for you last time?"
"Mom, I beg you, no more blind dates. I know what I'm doing regarding my own matters," Huangfu Mengqi said, almost clasping her hands in supplication.
"You know what you're doing..."
"Dad, Mom, I just remembered there's a financial report I need to approve tomorrow. I'll be going now. You two stay and keep Third Sister company." With that, she picked up her briefcase and left.
"One by one, they're all like this, always giving us something to worry about," Wu Xiufang said helplessly, looking at Meng Yao, who had not yet woken up.
Huangfu Si Song patted her shoulder and said, "I'll stay and keep Yao Yao company. You go back and rest."
"Let's stay together. We can take turns sleeping later. I don't feel at ease with just the caregiver," Wu Xiufang said, feeling much better with Huangfu Si Song's considerate attitude.
Children were debts that were never fully repaid; in old age, only one's spouse could offer companionship.
...
The next morning, Song Jiaping sat at his desk, staring at the computer screen, unsure of what to do.
Although Huangfu Shaohua had made him a permanent employee and given him his own desk, he hadn't assigned him any specific tasks.
No one in the Financial Information Department paid him any mind. When he tried to ask his colleagues for work, no one was willing to talk to him.
Ultimately, he couldn't integrate into the department and didn't understand why he was ostracized by everyone.
As he was idly sitting there, Huangfu Shaohua, who arrived later than usual today, suddenly rushed to his desk.
"Second Young Master..."
Before he could react, Huangfu Shaohua yanked him out of his seat and landed a solid punch. "You've done good work!"
Song Jiaping, bewildered by the attack, quickly retaliated with a punch of his own.
As the two were about to fight, colleagues nearby stepped in to restrain Song Jiaping.
While they claimed to be breaking up a fight, they were actually helping Huangfu Shaohua, preventing Song Jiaping from landing any more blows.
Song Jiaping forcefully broke free from the male colleagues trying to hold him and used his trained, professional movements to tackle Huangfu Shaohua to the ground, completely subduing him.
In a real fight, Huangfu Shaohua was no match for him!
Huangfu Shaohua was also stunned by Song Jiaping's explosive power and fighting skills, never expecting the seemingly refined Song Jiaping to be so formidable in a fight.
Just as he thought he was about to be beaten severely by Song Jiaping, a male colleague suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground in great pain.
A female colleague exclaimed, "Ah, what happened to him? Could it be a heart attack?"
Song Jiaping released Huangfu Shaohua, stood up, took off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and instructed those nearby, "Quickly lay him flat and call an ambulance immediately!"
But no one was willing to listen to him; they stood frozen. Someone went to help Huangfu Shaohua up, asking, "Second Young Master, are you alright..."
Huangfu Shaohua pushed the person away and said, "All of you listen to Song Jiaping's instructions. He was a doctor and knows how to perform first aid!"
Only then did some people begin to assist Song Jiaping.
Without delay, Song Jiaping began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the colleague who had fallen.
He pressed down forcefully on the man's chest with professional rhythm, and the man's complexion finally began to improve.
By the time the ambulance arrived to take the man away, Song Jiaping was drenched in sweat, so exhausted he was almost collapsing.
Professional medical personnel on the ambulance took over and continued to perform CPR on the man.
A doctor examining the man's vital signs said, "He's very lucky to have a colleague who knows how to perform professional CPR. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to save him in this situation."
Everyone couldn't help but look at Song Jiaping, surprised to learn he had been a doctor, and secretly admired him.
Only Huangfu Shaohua's secretary, Sheng Zhuzhu, remained displeased with him and still disliked him.
The reason everyone had been ostracizing Song Jiaping was actually due to Sheng Zhuzhu spreading a lot of negative gossip about him.
After the colleague was taken away by the ambulance, Sheng Zhuzhu immediately rushed to Huangfu Shaohua's side and said, "Shaohua, he hit you just now, you should call the police..."
"Address me as Manager Huangfu when you're in the company," Huangfu Shaohua reminded her. "You don't need to say anything more. I was the one who made the first move. If anyone is at fault, it's me."
Sheng Zhuzhu was momentarily speechless.