Song Qiao listened to Ye Zhiwei's situation and became concerned.
He wondered what had happened to her in the past few days.
He called Ye Zhiwei, and the call connected, but no one answered.
This situation made him even more worried.
He called his assistant and asked if he knew anything about Ye Zhiwei's situation.
To his surprise, the assistant did know, as the news had spread quickly within the company, and many people were aware of it.
He told Song Qiao that he heard Ye Zhiwei's housekeeper had been injured a few days ago, and she had to take care of him.
"Oh?" This was new information.
He hadn't expected that Uncle Qiang had been injured.
"However, President Song, many people don't understand. Is there some hidden agenda or other reason for Ye Zhiwei to do this? After all, he's just a housekeeper; it shouldn't require her to do this, right?"
Song Qiao smiled, "Mm, I understand. You can go back to work now."
He didn't want to hear any more of the assistant's words.
It would be nothing more than people's lack of understanding and even some unpleasant remarks.
But Song Qiao had known for a long time that Ye Zhiwei and her housekeeper, Uncle Qiang, had a deep affection for each other.
He had taken care of Ye Zhiwei for a long time, and she treated the elder as family.
The bond between Ye Zhiwei and Uncle Qiang was even stronger than that with her blood relatives.
Those relatives were only interested in the assets of the Zhou Corporation, hoping to get a share.
Only Uncle Qiang genuinely cared for Ye Zhiwei, without any ulterior motives.
Ye Zhiwei naturally understood this.
At this moment, Song Qiao was somewhat worried about Ye Zhiwei.
After all, she hadn't been to the company for several consecutive days; Uncle Qiang's injuries were likely quite severe.
If that were the case, he wondered if she could handle the emotional toll.
With this thought, he stood up directly, informed his assistant, and drove out.
He found a mall, bought some tonics and fruits, and then went directly to her house.
Arriving at her doorstep, he waited for a long time before a maid opened the door and led him into the living room.
Seeing Song Qiao, Ye Zhiwei's face was cold.
Song Qiao, in turn, saw her slightly haggard face and knew she hadn't rested well for the past few days, his expression showing a hint of pity.
Of course, given her current attitude, he couldn't directly express his concern.
It wouldn't align with their usual interactions, and she wouldn't listen.
So, he curved his lips and began his teasing: "I say, Miss Ye, tearing down a bridge after crossing the river isn't usually done like this, is it?"
"How am I tearing down a bridge?" Ye Zhiwei asked, sounding helpless.
"Heh, as soon as I finished the matter for you, you stopped coming to the company. Do I really need to come here in person to invite you?"
"I had something..."
"Oh, you had something! Then why are you giving me a cold shoulder when you see me? Come on, tell me, what exactly did I do wrong to offend you? Let me be a confused ghost!"
"Hmph, you can forget it! I won't tell you!" Ye Zhiwei stomped her foot and turned away, looking as if she didn't want to talk to Song Qiao anymore.
"Alright, I know the reason for your actions; I'm not here to interrogate you." With that, he ignored Ye Zhiwei and went directly to Uncle Qiang's room.
Entering the room, he saw Uncle Qiang lying in bed.
Beside him, a doctor was changing the IV drip bag for Uncle Qiang.
Seeing Song Qiao, Uncle Qiang raised his hand to greet him: "Mr. Song, you're here. Are you here to see the young lady?"
"Mm, Zhiwei hasn't been to the company these past few days, and I heard you were ill, so I came to check on you."
"Heh, I'm just an old man; there's nothing much to see. I just fell by accident; it's nothing serious. It's that girl Zhiwei who's too sensitive."
"Is that so?" Song Qiao sounded skeptical.
"Of course, otherwise, ask the doctor; he's a professional!" Saying this, Uncle Qiang glanced at the doctor.
The doctor looked at Uncle Qiang and then turned to Song Qiao, "Yes, it is exactly as the old gentleman says."
Song Qiao looked full of doubt, "Really?"
The doctor felt a bit awkward and embarrassed. "Of course, it's true. How could I possibly say something so carelessly?"
Just then, Ye Zhiwei entered. She said to Song Qiao with a hint of displeasure, "What's wrong with you? Do you really think Uncle Qiang is seriously ill?"
"Yes, Mr. Song, I just fell by accident; I'm really fine." Uncle Qiang's eyes showed a bit of worry at Ye Zhiwei's sudden entrance.
The doctor also seemed to be trying to maintain a composed demeanor.
"Zhiwei, go and check if my medicine is almost ready?" Uncle Qiang said, trying to get her to leave.
Ye Zhiwei shot Song Qiao a glare and then went out.
Hearing Ye Zhiwei's receding footsteps and confirming she was gone, Song Qiao finally spoke, "Uncle Qiang, tell me, why did you get the doctor to cooperate with your lie!"
Uncle Qiang was startled: "You, you figured it out..."
As he spoke, he almost tried to sit up in his haste.
Song Qiao quickly reached out and pressed his shoulder, helping him lie back down.
"Don't get agitated! To be honest, the moment I saw you, I knew that the fall was just a minor injury for you. The real problem isn't here."
It turned out that the moment Song Qiao saw Uncle Qiang, he had sensed through his qi that his internal organs were diseased; it was cancer.
Unfortunately, he was unable to deal with such illnesses himself.
The panic on Uncle Qiang's face disappeared, and he quickly calmed down.
He looked at Song Qiao deeply.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke.
"Mr. Song, I implore you to keep this a secret."
Song Qiao felt that this was not a good idea when he heard this. "How can you hide this from her? What you need now is proper treatment. If you don't let her know, treatment will be inconvenient and detrimental to your recovery."
Uncle Qiang sighed, "I know my illness is incurable. Therefore, I plan to undergo conservative treatment."
Hearing this, Song Qiao felt a pang of emotion. He understood what Uncle Qiang meant; this choice was equivalent to giving up on active treatment.
In other words, he wanted to pretend to be a normal person.
After a moment of silence, Uncle Qiang continued, "I've taken care of Zhiwei for over a decade, and I know she has deep feelings for me. So, I don't want her to worry about my condition or be heartbroken over me. After all, you know her personality..."
Song Qiao nodded silently.
Indeed, he knew Ye Zhiwei's personality; she appeared strong but was actually soft-hearted inside.
Uncle Qiang was like her true family, her only support.
If she knew Uncle Qiang had an incurable disease, she wouldn't be able to bear such a blow.
Therefore, he could only nod in agreement.
"However, I still hope you won't give up on yourself and will actively seek treatment, so you can stay with Zhiwei for a few more years." Song Qiao felt a sense of reluctance.
Uncle Qiang smiled, "Alas, life is full of disappointments. Besides, even if I live a few more years, won't she eventually have to walk the rest of her life alone? I can't accompany her forever."
He said this with a sense of melancholy.
"By the way, Mr. Song, can I ask you for one more thing?"
"What is it? Please tell me, as long as I can do it!"
"I hope that after I'm gone, you will take care of Zhiwei for me." Uncle Qiang said this, looking intently at Song Qiao.
Song Qiao immediately understood his intention; he wanted the two of them to become a couple.