Chapter 27: The Money She Paid

After much persuasion, Wu Bei finally convinced Wang Shun to leave, leaving him alone in the room to ponder.

Truth be told, his friendship with Qi Jinlong and Luo Hou had not reached the point where he would risk his life for them. To put it bluntly, they were merely business partners, and that relationship had effectively dissolved once they had finished splitting the profits.

Yet, human hearts are not made of stone. Putting aside that spoiled rich brat Luo Hou, Qi Jinlong had helped him quite a bit during his lowest moments. He had found ways to secure loans and open various doors for him; even though his motivations were self-serving, he had indeed resolved many of Wu Bei’s genuine troubles.

Still, for Wu Bei to reach into his own pocket to settle this mess was out of the question. Even if he had an extra million in his account and two million sitting in the hospital’s coffers, he would never do such a thing.

Should he step up for his friend? Or should he act as if nothing had happened? Two voices battled incessantly within his heart.

***

Meanwhile, Su Qing returned to the hospital, beaming, having arrived in a taxi that Wu Bei had paid for. The image of his sharp, defined features and his somewhat naive expression played over and over in her mind.

In truth, she had noticed this taciturn man, who always seemed burdened by heavy thoughts, six months ago. She had been drawn to his deep, star-like eyes. Though the man had little money—often even begging the doctors for extensions on his father’s medical bills—his back remained perpetually straight. She did not know when it started, but she had grown to look forward to seeing him at the hospital, even if it was just a passing glance without a word spoken. She had begun to inquire about his situation and even took the initiative to chat with his father. When she opened the ward door that morning and saw his lost, helpless figure, she had truly longed to hold him.

***

After changing into her uniform, she entered the office. The head nurse immediately teased, "Qingqing, you're here quite early today! When I arrived, I saw your car already in the lot. Tell me, is it because of him...?"

Su Qing’s cheeks flushed to the roots of her hair, and she hurriedly defended herself, "No way, I just grabbed some breakfast."

"Oh, I didn't even say who, and you're already denying it? Something is definitely fishy!"

"Exactly, exactly! Did you finally land that handsome young man?" The other nurses chimed in with their teasing.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The door was suddenly rapped. A sunny-looking girl, dressed in a grey suit and white pencil pants, pushed the door open and walked in: "Excuse me, has the elderly Mr. Wu from bed number 9 been moved? Where is he now?"

Su Qing looked up at the girl instantly. The girl was delicate and pretty, and although her attire was simple, she carried an innate air of nobility.

"I am the nurse in charge of Mr. Wu. May I ask who you are?" Su Qing stood up and walked to the other side of the room, feeling an inexplicable sense of wariness.

The girl extended a slender hand with poise: "My name is Zhao Nianxia. I am... well, let's call me a friend of Mr. Wu's son! I just went to Mr. Wu’s room and found him gone. Could you tell me which room he was moved to?"

Su Qing hesitated for a few seconds before telling her the truth: Mr. Wu had left the hospital yesterday, and they did not know where he was currently.

"Ah? Has the police been notified?" A look of genuine concern immediately surfaced on the face of the girl who called herself Zhao Nianxia.

Seeing her care for Mr. Wu, Su Qing felt an inexplicable wave of resentment, and her tone turned cold: "The situation is complicated to explain. You should probably just contact Wu directly."

"Do his close friends call him 'Little Wu'?"

Zhao Nianxia muttered the words in a very low voice, then waved at Su Qing in farewell: "Alright, thank you for your trouble, Nurse Zhang!"

"My surname is Su!" Su Qing, usually elegant and gentle, raised her voice sharply.

Zhao Nianxia acted as if she hadn't heard, turned around, and walked straight out the door.

The head nurse leaned over to Su Qing and whispered, "Qingqing, I think that was the person who paid the fees for bed number 9 yesterday. I happened to be at the billing office submitting paperwork at the time!"

"Hmph, what kind of 'friend' pays two million?" Su Qing’s pretty face flushed, and she bit her lip.

At the elevator entrance, several stern-faced young men in suits stood in a neat row, frightening passing patients and doctors into giving them a wide berth. Seeing Zhao Nianxia emerge from the nurse’s office, one of the men immediately spoke up: "Miss, Luo Xue of the Aoxue Group invites you to..."

"Tell her I’ve returned to discuss investment matters with my father and that I am not to be contacted for the time being!" Zhao Nianxia interrupted impatiently.

Stepping into the elevator, she scanned the bodyguards and said softly: "You all head back. Tell my father I intend to stay in Chong City for a few days. Oh, and notify Uncle Bai that the person I am looking for has been found; he doesn't need to stay in the capital anymore."

The young man bowed and asked: "Miss, what about the cooperation with the Aoxue Group..."

Zhao Nianxia’s face turned cold, and she scolded him with an air of seasoned authority: "No wonder my father always says the Chamber of Commerce is lacking in new talent. Use your head—we are the investors. Who should be looking to whom for approval? If it weren't for the Chamber’s desire to return to the country, would a role like Luo Xue’s even be worth our time?"