At this moment, Qin Xuelan and Su Yixin, who had arrived later, also reached the ward door.
Qin Xuelan raised her hand, about to push the door open, but suddenly stopped. She cast a cold glance at Shen Xi and let out a cold snort before opening the door and entering.
The mockery and triumphant undertones within were utterly undisguised.
Shen Xi slowly leaned against the wall, letting out a foolish chuckle.
Although she was standing there in the guise of Dr. Xu Zhilan, she still felt a pang of hurt from Qin Xuelan's treatment.
What truly bothered her the most, however, wasn't others, but Qin Siye's hesitant steps just now.
She had deliberately not entered, considering that the person inside would not want to see her and fearing it might affect their mood.
But was Qin Siye's hesitation the same as her thought, or was there something else entirely?
Inside the ward, as everyone entered, Qin Xiuzhi opened his eyes.
Xu Zhilan wheeled herself to his side, her eyes brimming with tears, and grasped his hand. "Xiuzhi, you're awake? How do you feel?"
"Mom. I'm fine." Qin Xiuzhi's face was haggard, but his gaze was gentle.
"That's good. Don't think about anything now, just focus on recovering, understand?" Xu Zhilan took the facial tissue handed to her by Qin Siyue and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"I understand. Mom, you also need to take care of yourself." Qin Xiuzhi's voice was a little weak.
After waking up at the hospital, he had learned from Jiang Jie that Xu Zhilan had also fainted at the same time he had collapsed.
"I'm fine. It's an old ailment. But you're different. You must never get so agitated again." Xu Zhilan sniffled, leaving it at that.
On the way, she had learned from Qin Xiuyu that Qin Xiuzhi's condition was caused by extreme emotional agitation, leading to a sudden surge in blood pressure and a cerebral hemorrhage.
This illness was terrifying, swift, and could be fatal if not treated promptly.
"Mm." Qin Xiuzhi looked at her feebly, a smile gracing his lips.
The warm and harmonious scene at this moment starkly contrasted with the tense confrontation at the dining table earlier that day.
The two of them understood each other unspokenly, both concerned about the other's health, neither bringing up the unpleasant matter.
At this point, as if seeking to assert her presence, Qin Xuelan walked forward with a smile. "Brother, you must recover quickly. The Qin family is waiting for you to take charge of the overall situation."
Everyone present understood the unspoken implications of her words.
The expressions of the others in the room couldn't help but change, their gazes fixed on Qin Xiuzhi, fearing he might lose control of his emotions again and erupt.
As expected, after sweeping his gaze across the room, it landed on Qin Siye with a glare full of anger.
Qin Siye stood tall at the back of the crowd. Although he felt a trace of apology in his heart, his face remained composed.
His deep, sea-like eyes held a glint of determination.
After meeting his gaze for a few seconds, Qin Xiuzhi didn't speak but turned his face away.
Xu Zhilan, who was holding his hand, clearly felt him trembling slightly, knowing he was trying his best to restrain himself.
Outside the door, a nurse passing by recognized Shen Xi and was startled. She approached and greeted her.
"Dr. Shen, why are you standing here?"
Shen Xi quickly straightened up and replied, "Oh. I'm here to see a patient."
"A patient? In this room?" the nurse asked, pointing at the door to Qin Xiuzhi's ward.
"Mm," Shen Xi replied with a single word.
The nurse was puzzled. The patient in this room was the Qin family patriarch. What was her relationship with him? Why had she stopped at the door and not gone in?
She was very curious and was about to ask but swallowed her words.
Qin Siye was currently a major shareholder of An Kang. She thought it best to inquire less about the affairs of wealthy families like theirs.
She nodded slightly at Shen Xi and walked past her.
Returning to the nurses' station, she still couldn't shake off her curiosity.
She pulled another nurse aside and began to whisper.
"Did you see Dr. Shen standing in the hallway?"
"I did. What's wrong?"
"She said she was here to see the patient in that room. The Qin family patriarch is staying in there, and I saw Mr. Qin arrive just now."
"What's so surprising about that? Don't you know that Dr. Shen was specifically invited by Mr. Qin to treat the Qin family's old madam?"
"I really didn't know that. Did Dr. Shen resign from An Kang to become the Qin family's private doctor?"
"Who knows. Mr. Qin has plenty of money, so it's not impossible for him to hire a private doctor."
"I somehow feel that Mr. Qin and Dr. Shen have an unusual relationship. I saw them entering and exiting the hospital together several times a while ago."