Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Huo Jinyao had just hung up the call with Su Qingsang when he met the teasing gazes of the group of people in the private room.
âTsk. Youâre indeed different after getting married.â
Tang Mohan put one hand on Huo Jinyaoâs shoulder and poured him a glass of wine with the other. âYou still have to report when you come out to play. Itâs just that you two didnât have a meal together, yet you guys have to be so clingy on the phone for so long. Jinyao, youâve really opened my eyes.â
âIsnât that so?â Cheng Xianyun also chimed in. âLook at your blushing face. Tsk, things really are different when youâre nourished by love.â
âGet lost.â Huo Jinyao smiled as he picked up the wine in front of him. âAre you jealous? Then get married too.â
âWeâre not like you. Weâre unwilling to give up a forest for a tree.â
âBe careful that there wonât be a forest or a tree when the time comes.â
Huo Jinyaoâs words caused the others to jeer. Only Wan Xianyang looked rather dejected. âBrother Huo, why are you so lucky? Sister-in-law got together with you so easily. Tell me, why is it so hard to pursue sister-in-lawâs friend?â
He was obviously talking about Shi Mengwan. He had traveled thousands of miles to chase her, and had even gone to France, but Shi Mengwan was unmoved.
âBrother, let me give you a piece of advice. Forget about Shi Mengwan. There are many good girls in Rong City. Donât obsess over her.â
Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang were together every day. Su Qingsang would video call Shi Mengwan from time to time.
He more or less knew that there was someone else in Shi Mengwanâs heart.
âAm I bad?â Wan Xianyang stood up as he spoke and made Schwarzeneggerâs signature gesture. âTell me, I have nice figure, a distinguished family background, and good looks. Which part of me isnât good enough for her?â
Last month, he casually gambled on a few stones and earned tens of millions. He looked frivolous, but everyone in the industry knew that was only on the surface.
âIt has nothing to do with whether youâre good enough or not,â Huo Jinyao advised him earnestly, âI heard from Qingsang that she has someone in her heart, so donât even think about it.â
âWhat kind of person is he? Is he better than me?â Wan Xianyang wasnât convinced. âLet him come out and compete against me one-on-one.â
âForget it.â Li Junsheng, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. âDo you really like her? Itâs all because of your sense of competitiveness. If she really agrees to let you pursue her, you might immediately lose interest.â
âJunsheng, thatâs not very kind of you.âWan Xianyang didnât deny it. It was indeed very difficult to woo Shi Mengwan. âWho says that I wonât cherish her after I get her? Perhaps I would be even more interested in her beecause of the difficulty of the romantic pursuit?â
âWho would believe you?â Li Junsheng scolded with a smile. âBut now that you mention it, Iâm interested in knowing which woman our Young Master Wan is so smitten with.â
âArenât you in Lin City? Youâve probably met her before, havenât you?â
âNo.â
He was very busy, and he loved his plumage. He rarely went out to socialize. He had met Su Qingsang many times, but he had never met Su Qingsangâs friend.
âIf you meet her, maybe youâll like her too.â
âYouâre overthinking things.â Huo Jinyao answered for Li Junsheng. âIf youâre a playboy, then Junsheng is a cold robot. His only love is his future.â
Everyone in the room laughed. Who would say otherwise? Li Junsheng was already the mayor of a city at such a young age. His achievements in Lin City had been pretty good during the past year. He was probably going to move up the ladder after his next term.
âWomen,â Li Junsheng smiled. He didnât deny it. However, the incident with Huo Jinyao reminded him of something else.
Halfway through their round of drinks, the others ran over to join in the fun. Li Junsheng sat next to Huo Jinyao.
âJinyao, youâll find out about this sooner or later. I think your uncleâs family should have heard about it already, but I still want to let you know.â
âWhat?â
âI went to A City on a business trip last time. Thereâs a large-scale investment project there. Many local companies want to take it, but the plates are too big and they canât do it. I think your company can give it a try.â
âA City?â
âYes.â Li Junsheng explained the situation briefly. âAccording to preliminary estimates, the profit is more than one billion. What do you think? Are you going to do it? If you want to do it, Iâll get someone to send you the information later.â
âYes.â Huo Jinyao picked up the wine and poured it for Li Junsheng and himself. âThanks, bro.â
âThe bidding is all internal. I have some connections with the mayor of A City, and I have a good relationship with your uncle. If you run it, this project will be a done deal.â
Huo Jinyao raised his glass and clinked it with Li Junsheng. âThank you.â
âYouâre welcome.â
The two of them had drunk enough. Huo Jinyao took a look at the time and was about to leave. This time, it was Li Junshengâs turn to quit.
âJinyao, thatâs not very kind of you.â Li Junsheng asked someone to serve a few more bottles of wine. âLetâs not talk about the fact that itâs rare for me to come back and youâve gotten the news, but youâre leaving already. Youâll reap the benefits soon, yet youâre leaving just like that?â
He raised his voice at the end of his sentence. Behind him, Tang Mohan, Cheng Xianyun, and the others immediately started to jeer and scoff.
âBrother Li.â Xu Changlongâs face was filled with disdain as he dissed him, âYou donât know Jinyao at all. Ever since they got married, itâs already bad enough that he never stays out overnight, but every time we have a gathering, he would leave after a short period of time and say that he had to go back to accompany his wife. Donât you think itâs too much?â
âItâs too much.â
âOf course itâs too much. isnât it obvious that theyâre bullying us single people who donât have wives? Do you think we should tolerate it?â
âNo, âeveryone answered in unison this time. Huo Jinyao had drunk quite a lot today. Upon hearing this, he felt helpless. âWhat do you guys want?â
âItâs simple.â
Wan Xianyang had an mischevious smile on his face. He clapped his hands and pushed the two bottles of XO and red wine in the middle of the table towards Huo Jinyao. âIâll let you go after you finish these. Otherwise, youâll have to stay until the end.â
âAre you crazy?â He would have to lie down here today if he drank all four bottles.
âJinyao, if youâre a coward, donât leave today,â he said with a provocative tone and a look of contempt.
Li Junsheng watched the lively scene with a faint smile on his face. He used to have Huo Jinyao as a friend in Lin City, so he could get together with him if he had nothing to do.
Ever since Huo Jinyao went back to Rong City, he became bored there all alone. It was rare for him to come back and enjoy a lively scene with them.
Huo Jinyao had already gone to get the car keys, so he had no choice but to sit down again.
However, he didnât forget to send a message to Yang Wenchang to pick him up later.
When Huo Jinyao returned home, it was already midnight. Su Qingsang was half-asleep when she heard the sound of the door opening.
She quickly got up, casually put on a coat, and went outside. She took a few glances and saw that the living room was brightly lit.
Huo Jinyao was carried into the house by Yang Wenchang and another person she didnât know.
Before she even got close, she smelled alcohol. Su Qingsang felt uncomfortable. âWhy is he so drunk?â
âI donât know.â Yang Wenchang had no idea that Huo Jinyao was drunk when he went to pick him up.
âAssistant Yang, do me a favor and send him inside.â
Yang Wenchang helped put Huo Jinyao on the bed. Su Qingsang felt even more uncomfortable when she smelled the alcohol.
However, Yang Wenchang was still there, so she forced herself not to lose her temper. âAssistant Yang, youâve worked hard. You can go back first. Iâm here.â
âOkay then. Mrs. Huo, take care. Weâll leave now.â
âOkay, thank you.â
After sending the two away, Su Qingsang closed the door again and returned to her room. Huo Jinyao was very drunk.
The person who was sleeping soundly just a moment ago was now reeking of alcohol. She went to look at Huo Jinyao and resisted the urge to beat him up.
What was this guy doing? He became so drunk after she didnât go?
âJinyao? Huo Jinyao?â
She called out a few words, but Huo Jinyao didnât respond at all.
She helplessly went up and took off his shoes. Just as she was about to take off his clothes, Huo Jinyao suddenly opened his eyes.
He was so drunk that he lost his sense of direction, and he couldnât see clearly who was in front of him.
âDrink. Who said I canât drink anymore? Bring me the wine. Iâll drink it for you to see.â
âDrink, drink, drink. Drink until you die.â
It was rare for Su Qingsang to lose her temper. She slapped away Huo Jinyaoâs outstretched hand, and there was a hint of worry on her face.
The voice sounded very familiar. Huo Jinyao stared at the person in front of him with his eyes wide open.
âQingsang? W... wife.â
âHoney.â She reached out and wrapped her arms around Su Qingsangâs waist. Su Qingsang fell on Huo Jinyaoâs body just like that.
As she got closer, she could smell the overwhelmingly suffocating reek of alcohol on his body. It was worse than the smell just now.
âHuo Jinyao, let go of me.â She wanted to throw up.
âHoney, honey. Come here, give me a kiss.â
Huo Jinyao was drunk. He looked up and was about to come over. The reek of alcohol was even stronger now.
Su Qingsang couldnât stand it anymore, and she felt a wave of nausea. Without thinking, she pushed Huo Jinyao away and ran to the bathroom to throw up.
Before she could rinse her mouth, Huo Jinyao followed her in. He stumbled forward, and when he saw the sink, he leaned forward and vomited as well.
The pungent smell came again. Su Qingsang couldnât take it anymore and vomited again.
It was as if the two of them were competing to see who would vomit the most. Huo Jinyao finished vomiting and looked at Su Qingsang, who was still vomiting, and laughed.
âEh? Honey, youâre also... drunk?â
As he spoke, he tried his best to glare in Su Qingsangâs direction.
âHoney, you... didnât you say you donât drink?â
Drink your foot. His drunken words made Su Qingsang extremely angry. She managed to regain her composure with great difficulty, but only to see Huo Jinyao slip and fall to the ground. She was fuming with anger.
âHuo Jinyao, get up.â
She wanted to pull him up, but the man reeked of alcohol. Not only did he reek of alcohol, but he also smelled like vomit.
Su Qingsang was furious. She had been married to Huo Jinyao for more than a year, and it wasnât like he never drinked, but he had never been this drunk before.
She couldnât pull him up, and the smell of alcohol on his body made her even more upset. She was so angry that she didnât want to bother with this guy anymore.
She glared at Huo Jinyao, who had sobered up a little, for a long time. She couldnât bear to do that. She went forward to help him up and tried to make him stand up.
As soon as Su Qingsang got close to Huo Jinyao, she actually wanted to throw up again. The smell on this guy was too unpleasant. She wanted to throw up just from smelling it.
She resisted the urge to throw up. Half-pushing and half-pulling, she dragged Huo Jinyao into the bathtub. She turned on the water and started to turn it on without testing the temperature.
If itâs cold, itâs cold. Heâll just die of cold. Letâs see if he dares to get so drunk again next time.
She thought so, but her heart softened in the end. She took off Huo Jinyaoâs clothes and started to test the temperature of the water.
Huo Jinyao cooperated with her. He raised his hand whenever he was asked to, and raised his foot whenever he was asked to. Su Qingsang spent a long time and finally finished washing Huo Jinyaoâs clothes.
She brought him a towel to wake him up, but he seemed to have fallen asleep.
Su Qingsang almost laughed out of anger. She let go of the water and ignored him. She tidied up the bathroom. After tidying it up, she turned back to look at Huo Jinyao.
âHuo Jinyao, if you want to sleep in this bathtub, Iâm leaving. If you want to go back to bed, then get up.â
There was no response, so Su Qingsang had no choice but to pull him back. Fortunately, he was much more cooperative this time. She casually dried his body and wrapped him in a towel.
After Su Qingsang finished this strenuous process, she was so tired that she was on the verge of collapse. She didnât care that her body was still wet. She casually took off her clothes and went straight to sleep.
..
Su Qingsang was almost late when she went to the hospital. After being tormented by Huo Jinyao in the middle of the night, she was extremely sleepy.
It was difficult for her to wake up, but she realized that she was going to be late, so she didnât even have time to eat breakfast.
She rushed to the department and saw that Director Sun Huiya was already there. She had an outpatient clinic today, and there was a meeting in the department later.
After the outpatient clinic ended, Su Qingsang only heard about one thing during the meeting. Sun Huiya had reached the age of retirement. Although the hospital would rehire her, if she retired, the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department might be deputy director Shen Lingyun, or it might be deputy director Yang Lu.
During mealtime, Ling Fei pulled Su Qingsang and started gossiping.
âTell me, if this director Sun retired, will deputy director Shen go up or deputy director Yang go up?â
Su Qingsang looked at her gossipy face and couldnât help but laugh. âNo matter who goes up, it wonât be us.â
âThat might not be the case.â Ling Fei came closer and said in a low voice, âHavenât you thought about it? No matter which one goes up, the position of deputy director will be vacant. Then, wouldnât everyone have a chance?â
Su Qingsang froze for a moment and quickly shook her head. âI wonât think about it. After all, my seniority isnât high enough.â
âIf youâre not old enough, then use your capabilities to make up for it.â Ling Fei blinked her eyes. âDid you forget about your surgery last month? It was so difficult, but you managed to do it. I think that even though youâre not old enough, you can still compete for it.â
Su Qingsang smiled and looked at Ling Fei. âThen you can do it too. Do you want to give it a try?â
âI really want to compete for it.â Ling Fei didnât hide her ambition. âBut I admit that in terms of talent, Iâm not as good as you. Director Sun said that.â
Ling Fei had a good relationship with Su Qingsang, and this was a very serious advice.
âQingsang. Iâm serious. Youâve been in this hospital for more than half a year now. Your seniority indeed isnât high enough, but even if itâs not enough this year, it doesnât mean that itâs not going to be enough next year. Your achievements are there. I think you can compete for it. At least take the position of associate chief physician within three years. Itâs not impossible.â
Su Qingsang was about to eat a piece of fish, but the fishy smell made her a little nauseated. She put down her chopsticks.
âI wouldnât dare to think about doing that in three years, so perhaps five years. Iâll give myself a deadline of five years.â
âI knew it.â Ling Fei smiled and winked at Su Qingsang. âGood luck. I have high hopes for you.â
Su Qingsang threw the feeling of wanting to throw up to the side because of her words. She began to think seriously.
Perhaps, three years wasnât impossible. Her seniority indeed wasnât enough, but she could improve her achievements. It wasnât impossible.
Taking this matter to heart, Su Qingsang was very grateful for Ling Feiâs encouragement.
âThank you for your kind words.â
Su Qingsang had forgotten that she wasnât feeling well.
After becoming a doctor, she would go from assistant doctor to attending physician, to associate chief physician, then to chief physician. She would advance step by step.
Su Qingsang didnât have much ambition, but this promotion process represented an affirmation of her abilities. It was worth a gamble.
..
Huo Jinyao went home early that morning and found Su Qingsang huddled in the study. Auntie Yu was cooking in the kitchen, but Su Qingsang didnât run to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could do to help.
When he woke up this morning, he realized that he had gone overboard yesterday. He had drunk too much and was really drunk.
He had some recollection of what happened after that. Before he got drunk, he had asked Yang Wenchang to send him home. What happened after that was just a blur.
He knocked on the door of the study, but there was no movement. He gently pushed the door open. Su Qingsang was sitting behind the desk. Aside from the laptop in front of her, there was a pile of documents and books beside her.
âWife?â
He took a few steps forward and called out again, but Su Qingsang didnât respond.
Was she angry?
Huo Jinyao continued to walk forward, but Su Qingsang didnât notice him at all.
She stared at the documents in front of her and said softly, âThe initial stage of cervical cancer and ââ
âHoney?â Was she really ignoring him? Was she mad?
Su Qingsang looked at the two papers in her hands. Some of them had the same perspective and some didnât.
âHoney.â
A pair of big hands suddenly appeared on her waist. Su Qingsang was shocked and turned around to glare at Huo Jinyao.
âWhat are you doing?â
âHoney, donât be angry anymore.â Huo Jinyao took the initiative to admit his mistake. âIt was my fault yesterday. I shouldnât have been so drunk.â
âLet go of me.â
She had just thought of a key point and was about to record it down. She went to pull his hand, but Huo Jinyao tightened his grip.
âHoney, donât be angry anymore. I promise, there wonât be a next time.â
Huo Jinyaoâs hand was on her waist, and now it was tightening again. Su Qingsangâs stomach felt a little nauseated.
âHuo Jinyao, let go.â
Did he know that he had interrupted her train of thought?
âNo.â Huo Jinyao was thick-skinned enough not to forget how drunk he was yesterday. âHoney, donât be angry anymore.â
He tightened his arms, and Su Qingsang felt even more nauseated. She couldnât help but push Huo Jinyao away because of the nauseating feeling and quickly headed towards the bathroom.
Huo Jinyao stood there in a daze. What was going on? Why was she so angry?
He chased Su Qingsang to the bathroom. She hadnât had dinner yet, so she wasnât able to throw up anything at the moment.
âHoney?â
It canât be that bad, right? She was so angry that she wanted to throw up as soon as he got close to her?
Su Qingsang was really nauseated. The feeling of wanting to throw up made her very nauseated, but she couldnât throw up anything.
She finally recovered and patted her chest. Huo Jinyao came closer again.
Su Qingsang couldnât take it anymore as soon as he raised his hand.
âDonât, donât come any closer.â
If it werenât for his cuddling earlier, she wouldnât have felt like throwing up.
âWife?â It was the first time Huo Jinyao had seen Su Qingsang look at him with such an ugly expression in such a long time. âI really know I was wrong. Donât be angry anymore.â
As he spoke, his hands once again wrapped around her waist. Afraid that she would ignore him, he was very nervous. âSpeaking of which, it wasnât my fault yesterday. It was that rascal Li Junshengâs fault. He was the one who urged others to force me to drink. Iâm telling you, the next time he does this, Iâll beat him up.â
Before Su Qingsang could respond to his words, his hand grabbed her, and her stomach started to feel nauseated again.
She pushed Huo Jinyao away and threw up again. Huo Jinyao was hit hard by this reaction. He looked at Su Qingsang with a mournful expression.
âHoney, you donât have to be like this, right?â
Didnât he just drink a little? Why did Su Qingsang have such a strong reaction?
If he remembered correctly, she seemed to have vomited when she smelled the alcohol on his body yesterday.
Su Qingsang didnât have the time to pay attention to him. The feeling of nausea had been suppressed with great difficulty just now, and now it was even more nauseating.
Feeling like she was going to vomit bile, she simply laid there. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was in pain.
âHoney.â
âShut up.â She was already nauseated to begin with, and hearing him made her even more annoyed. Huo Jinyao, who had never received such cold treatment before, immediately became listless.
This time, Su Qingsang felt nauseated for a long time. It wasnât until ten minutes later that she finally felt better. After rinsing her mouth, she recovered and stood up.
She looked at Huo Jinyao, who was behind her, and felt extremely annoyed. This was the first time she felt this way.
âCan you stay away from me?â
âHoney?â
âI feel like throwing up whenever youâre near me.â Su Qingsang had already thrown up two or three times. She really didnât want to go through any more torture.
Huo Jinyao looked at her and took a step forward. Su Qingsang quickly raised her hand.
âDonât come any closer.â
It wasnât easy for her to not feel like throwing up now. Patting her chest, Su Qingsang heard Auntie Yu calling for her to eat.
âWash your hands and eat.â After saying that, she walked past him to the dining room. She even deliberately turned her body to the side when she walked past him.
âHoney...â
Huo Jinyao was hurt by Su Qingsangâs actions. He now resented Li Junsheng and the others.
He felt wronged after he was done resenting them. He was only drunk once. Was there a need to be so exaggerated?
He had showered yesterday, and he no longer smelled like alcohol today, okay?
Su Qingsang went to the dining room. Auntie Yu had already served the dishes on the table, and she even served them a bowl of soup.
Huo Jinyao sat down next to Su Qingsang. Su Qingsang, who was about to drink the soup, suddenly couldnât sit still when she smelled the chicken soup.
She stood up and rushed to the bathroom again.
This time, Huo Jinyao couldnât supress the grievance on his face. He reflexively sniffed his own body. He didnât stink, did he? He did not smell like alcohol either, did he?
Why was Qingsang treating him like this? Was she doing it on purpose? Was it because he was drunk once? Why did he feel more wronged than ever?
This time, Su Qingsang didnât vomit for that long. When she returned to the dining room, she found that Auntie Yu had already left. Huo Jinyao was sitting in his seat and looking at her with a conflicted expression.