"My sister-in-law's child wasn't lost because of you, but because of my mother..." Nan Xiao struggled to finish his sentence. After a long pause, he continued, "Sister-in-law said she hated the wrong person, and she feels indebted to you."
Lan Yuxi's mood immediately soured as she recalled her adoptive mother. Although the woman hadn't troubled her further after forcing her to jump into the lake, under Nan Xiao's pressure, her hateful gaze often haunted her dreams.
Yet, the mastermind behind all this was that old witch, An Lanshu.
Lan Yuxi asked nervously, "You haven't told her about the children, have you?"
"No, I haven't," Nan Xiao replied. Seeing her tension, he quickly took her hand. "Don't be afraid, I won't let her harm you and the children."
"I'm not afraid of her, but people have their moments of inattention. I fear that if I'm not watching, she might do something to the children."
"They are her own grandchildren, her own grandchildren. No matter what, she wouldn't do anything to them."
Lan Yuxi indifferently withdrew her hand. "I hope so! But let's be clear upfront, if she dares to harm the children, then don't blame me."
Nan Xiao's eyes darkened slightly. "Neither I nor the old man will give her that opportunity."
The car soon arrived at Huo's Hospital, and Nan Xiao led Lan Yuxi directly to Huo Ding's office.
As soon as Huo Ding saw them, he launched into conversation, "Damn, boss, you're finally here for a check-up. This must be Little Tail's request, right?"
"Little Tail, besides the head CT, do we need to arrange a urologist for the boss? He's been neglecting that area for years. If there's a problem, we can treat it early and not let it affect your future happiness..."
"Get lost!" Nan Xiao's fierce roar cut him off. "Hurry up, I have very important things to do."
Huo Ding raised his hands in surrender. "Don't be angry, I'm going now."
Five minutes later, the three arrived at the radiology department. Nan Xiao entered the X-ray room, while Lan Yuxi and Huo Ding went to the computer room.
Lan Yuxi stared at the computer and asked, "How has the old lady been these past few days?"
Huo Ding paused for a moment, surprised that she would proactively ask about the old madam's condition.
"She can eat, drink, and sleep. She's basically treating our ICU like a reception room."
Lan Yuxi frowned slightly. "She's met many people recently?"
"Yes, people come every day. Not many from the Nan family, mostly from the An family, as well as patriarchs and socialites from various prominent families. Little Tail, you need to be careful, don't let anyone snatch the boss away again."
Lan Yuxi raised an eyebrow, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye twitched. She knew this old witch wouldn't be so well-behaved.
Seeing her silence, Huo Ding thought she was upset and tried to comfort her, "But you don't need to be afraid, the boss only has you in his heart..."
Lan Yuxi looked at the computer screen and said, "Please pause, scroll down, yes, right here, zoom in... Huo Ding, come and take a look. Compared to the previous scan, has this blood clot gotten larger or smaller?"
Huo Ding took out his glasses from his breast pocket and put them on. After a careful examination, he said, "It hasn't gotten smaller or larger, but it has shifted downwards in position."
"It's precisely because it has shifted downwards and is pressing on the nerves that he occasionally has headaches and suffers from frequent insomnia... Doctor, please continue." Lan Yuxi turned her head to look at Huo Ding. "Has he not been taking his medication recently?"
Huo Ding took off his glasses and nodded. "I prescribed medication for him, but he threw it all in the trash when he left. I'll prescribe some more later. You supervise him when you get back. Right now, you're the only one he'll listen to."
"Don't give him Western medicine. I'll write a prescription later and get Chinese medicine from the Chinese pharmacy. Then, we'll see if acupuncture can help dissolve this blood clot," Lan Yuxi frowned slightly. "If that doesn't work, surgery will be necessary. Once the film is out, let my sixth brother take a look. He's an expert in this field."
"Alright. I'll do as you say. After all, anyone in this world might harm the boss, but you wouldn't."
Lan Yuxi gave him a half-smile. "Are you so sure?"
"Absolutely!"
Lan Yuxi curved her lips into a smile. "Why are you still so naive? People change."
Huo Ding patted his chest, full of confidence. "I trust my eyes. Although you're even more beautiful than when you were little, and you've become a bit colder, your eyes are still the same as before, clear enough to see right through."
Lan Yuxi gave him an amused look. "Alright, we've seen the lesion. Let Nan Xiao get up."
Huo Ding smiled and patted the doctor's shoulder. The doctor understood and turned on the microphone.
As soon as Nan Xiao came out, he saw Huo Ding and Lan Yuxi waiting outside the door. He looked at Lan Yuxi and felt a slight easing of his worry when he saw her less somber expression.
"Is it serious?" he asked Huo Ding.
"It's neither light nor heavy, but with a descendant of Lan Ling's Golden Needles guarding you, there's no danger," Huo Ding said with a serious expression. "But if you continue to be uncooperative with treatment as you have in the past, even Hua Tuo couldn't cure you."
"I will definitely cooperate," Nan Xiao said, looking at Lan Yuxi. "Can we go back now?"
"Wait a moment, we need to get some medicine to take back," Lan Yuxi said, walking towards the elevator.
Nan Xiao and Huo Ding followed.
With a 'ding', the elevator doors slowly opened, and two women, one older and one younger, walked out hand in hand.
Nan Xiao frowned with clear displeasure as he looked at the two women emerging from the elevator.
When Zhou Ruotong saw Nan Xiao, her eyes lit up instantly. However, upon seeing Lan Yuxi standing beside him, her eyes immediately turned red with jealousy.
If she had known that revealing Lan Yuxi's identity would not break them up but instead fulfill this woman, she would never have leaked the information, even if it meant dying.
"Nan Xiao, are you here to see Madam Nan?" Zhou Ruotong concealed her jealousy and said with a smile, "I just came from her place. I didn't expect to run into you here while picking up an X-ray."
Lan Yuxi raised an eyebrow and looked at Nan Xiao.
Nan Xiao put his arm around her and said coldly, "I'm not here to see my mother, but to see if Nan Ying is still breathing."
Zhou Ruotong's pupils constricted sharply. Did he know that Nan Ying had revealed Lan Yuxi's background to her? Did that mean he knew she was the one who leaked that news?
If he knew, why hadn't he come to settle the score with her?
Did he have feelings for her? And was his public announcement just to silence the gossip?
Thinking this, Zhou Ruotong's mood immediately brightened.
However, the smile had barely appeared on her face when, in the next second, she received a heavy kick to her lower abdomen.
This kick not only sent Zhou Ruotong stumbling back several steps but also caused Madam Zhou, who was holding her arm, to stagger backward with the sudden force.