"Hu Si has just arrived at the psychiatric hospital, and her condition is critical. Without timely medication and psychological treatment, her mental faculties will deteriorate, making future treatment even more challenging. Su Zuo, who had just returned from studying abroad, happened to become Hu Si's attending physician.
Su Zuo learned that Hu Si's family spared no expense to ensure her recovery. At that moment, Su Zuo felt fortunate that this beautiful girl had such loving family members.
With increasing medical expenses, Hu Si's condition began to improve. In psychotherapy, there was a guided exercise to encourage patients to express their feelings, with the doctor serving as a qualified listener. Su Zuo excelled in this aspect, and after several sessions, Hu Si went from speaking single words to complete sentences, showing clear trains of thought.
At this point, Hu Si's condition had stabilized, and her periods of lucidity grew longer. Su Zuo also discovered that Hu Si had been raised to be a protector since childhood. She never had dolls or visited amusement parks, missing out on many joys of childhood.
All of this made Su Zuo, who grew up in a wealthy, warm family environment where his parents cherished him for decades, feel compassion for Hu Si.
As they spent more time together, Su Zuo eventually found himself falling in love with Hu Si. When he heard Hu Si confessing her love for his employer, and her employer's reluctance to accept her love, he didn't mock her inability to see his identity clearly. Instead, he admired her courage in pursuing her love and challenging the rigid social hierarchy.
During therapy, Hu Si pleaded with him not to tell anyone about her improving condition and to assist her in pretending to be ill. She said she didn't want to return to her previous life. This was exactly what Su Zuo desired, as it meant he could be with her every day.
Everything went smoothly until the arrival of Reid, a German doctor. He showed particular concern for Hu Si's condition, and over time, it seemed like he had discovered something.
In the end, Hu Si came up with a plan. She wanted Su Zuo to inject her with a temporary mind-altering drug and let her loose. Let her have a wild night. Su Zuo used his connections to locate Hu Si's employer, Hu Li, who would pass by the square after leaving the entertainment city, hence the scene earlier at the square.
The bruises on Hu Si's body were self-inflicted, and the kiss marks were made by Su Zuo. Su Zuo would pick up Hu Si and return her to the psychiatric hospital tomorrow. For a long time afterward, no one would suspect Hu Si's condition again. Then he could live happily with his beloved.
That night, Reid arrived at Hu Li's villa. They briefly discussed Hu Si's condition. "I thought Hu Si's illness had already improved, and she had been feigning illness. But tonight's events made me realize I was wrong. I suppose you also suspected that's why you sent me there?"
"How capable is her attending physician?" Hu Li didn't answer Reid's question but inquired about something else.
"Dr. Su Zuo is highly professional. Hu Si's sudden relapse is due to the unique nature of mental illness, which can change in the blink of an eye. So, continuing her treatment under him is appropriate."
"You don't need to go tomorrow."
"Really? That's good. With Dr. Su Zuo treating Hu Si, I have no business there. Besides, Dr. Su Zuo is an idealist, and I, a realist, wouldn't see eye to eye with him."
Reid must have been tormented by Su Zuo, or else he wouldn't have been so pleased to hear he wasn't needed. Hu Li chuckled, then reluctantly brewed him a pot of tea before seeing him off.
In the study, Hu Li called for Hu Er and instructed, "Dig up all the information about Hu Si's attending physician for me. Handle it personally, and don't mention it to anyone, especially not in front of Hu Si."
"Yes, master."
The next day at noon, Hu Li personally drove to pick up Hua Yan. Cheng Yunqi, who hadn't been seen for a long time, happened to be in a beverage shop across from the school gate, watching them. But this time, she didn't do anything other than observe. After the last time she suffered heavy losses due to her blind trust in others, she realized that love was not worth as much as bread.
To have love, one must first have bread to stave off hunger. The Cheng family's energy was not to be underestimated, as Cheng Fu had guessed. This time, Cheng Cheng returned with an invisible air of dignity and steadiness. Whatever the reason, she needed to stay by Cheng Cheng's side, gathering strength and working with her brother to restore the former glory of the Cheng family.
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After a few minutes, Cheng Yunqi raised her coat collar, put on sunglasses, lowered her hat, and quietly left. Hu Da had been observing Cheng Yunqi's side without moving, and only when she left did he retract his attention.
"Hu Li, your complexion seems a bit pale. Didn't you drink too much last night?"
Hu Li recalled the events of last night, feeling embarrassed. Hua Yan noticed his expression and teasingly said, "Could it be... you were drugged by someone?"
"I hope you're not a jinx. And rest assured, I'm still a virgin." With only him and Hua Yan in the car, Hu Li felt relaxed enough to joke around. This prompted Hua Yan to playfully hit him several times.
Annoyed by Hu Li's jests, Hua Yan picked a moment when he couldn't avoid her wrath. From the back seat of the car, Hu Da watched as Hu Li's car suddenly veered slightly, then returned to a stable position. The first thought that crossed Hu Da's mind was that there was something wrong with Hu Li's car. Then he remembered the last time when his master personally drove to pick up Miss Hua Yan, a similar incident occurred.
The conclusion drawn was that it was just a minor incident between lovers, something he shouldn't interfere with.
As they watched the car head towards the Mu Yun Pavilion, Hua Yan asked puzzledly, "Hu Li, are you taking me home?"
"Yes, we're going home for dinner," Hu Li replied with a smile.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell my dad that you were coming to pick me up," she realized suddenly. She hadn't informed her father about her plans, so her father must have prepared lunch for her. Apologetically, she glanced at Hu Li, realizing that since Hu Li had come to pick her up, he must have had somewhere in mind to go. She was about to disappoint him.
"It's okay, I've already called Mr. Hua and told him we're coming for a meal. Let's go, stop pouting," Hu Li said, opening the car door. Just as Hua Yan was feeling sorry for herself, Hu Li succeeded in teasing her again. Hua Yan chased after Hu Li playfully, and even Mr. and Mrs. Hua, watching from the second floor, couldn't help but laugh along.
During dinner, when Mr. Hua's bowl was empty, Hu Li quickly refilled it. Hu Li's diligence allowed Mrs. Hua to eat without worrying about empty bowls for the first time. Mr. Hua, eating the rice Hu Li had served, didn't say much, but his face couldn't hide his smile.
"Xiao Yan, when will the jade you've solved be delivered to Mr. Gao? This time there's a lot, so it'll take longer to process, and it needs to be sent over early," Mr. Hua asked.
Chewing on fragrant rice, Hua Yan replied, "I'll handle it this afternoon since I don't have classes. Mr. Gao's career is smooth now, but his home life is in turmoil. His family has learned about the existence of Mr. Secretary's illegitimate child, and he even intends to leave the Feast of Fei Color to Mr. Secretary. His current wife and children are very unhappy and have had several big fights with him."
Mr. Secretary, since returning to the Feast of Fei Color, has not had a good time either. Every now and then, his brothers and sisters, who share the same father but different mothers, would ambush him. Knives, bullets, and other weapons were not uncommonly sent to his home.
"From Mr. Gao's family's perspective, it's normal for his wife and children at home to disagree. What originally belonged to them suddenly has to be given to someone else. And it's an illegitimate child, making it even more unacceptable. If Mr. Gao were now penniless and heavily in debt, his children would definitely welcome the appearance of this filial illegitimate child." Mr. Hua's analysis was sharp and thorough, even earning Hu Li's admiration.
"Dad, you're absolutely right. That's exactly what happened. People, they're really strange creatures," Hua Yan said, admiring her father as she helped him with the dishes.
Relaxed and cheerful, like a happy child, Hua Yan's playfulness caught Hu Li's attention. Mr. Hua noticed Hu Li's gaze fixed on Hua Yan and felt a pang of anger, as if his precious daughter was being spied on. He cleared his throat heavily and said, "Hu Li, serve me some more rice."
"Sure." Hu Li noticed Mr. Hua's murderous look and understood his irritation. Without hesitation, he filled Mr. Hua's bowl with rice. Accustomed to being waited on since childhood, Hu Li had become increasingly adept at such tasks.
Hu Li's performance made Mr. Hua hesitate to scold him, but he still solemnly said something, "Hu Li, in the future, you must never have extramarital affairs or illegitimate children after marriage. You must remain faithful to Xiao Yan."
Hu Li didn't expect Mr. Hua to shift the focus onto him and was momentarily stunned. He quickly assured him earnestly.
"Dad, fidelity should be for wives, shouldn't it? You're mistaken," Hua Yan interjected, seemingly defending Hu Li. But her underlying smirk betrayed her true, mischievous thoughts. If they were in a female-dominated world, what would Hu Li be like?
Both men at the table noticed her wickedness and gave her a simultaneous disapproving look. Hu Li had a look that said, "Just wait and see how I'll deal with you." Mr. Hua suddenly stood up to discipline Hua Yan, but someone disagreed. Mr. Hua had just gotten up when Hu Li scooped up a bowl of soup and handed it to Mr. Hua, inviting him to taste it.
"Oh, I'm really unappreciated!" Mr. Hua joked to himself, making the meal enjoyable and warm.
In the afternoon, Hu Li had something to do, so he dropped Hua Yan off at the Feast of Fei Color and then left. As Hua Yan walked through the lobby, she overheard people discussing the Feast of Fei Color.
"This time Mr. Secretary is done for. The boss's son and daughter are taking all the jade materials from several major warehouses. Without jade, how can the company continue its operations?" Person A said helplessly.
"Rather than talking about the long term, we have an immediate problem now," Person B said gloomily. If the company goes bankrupt, she'll have to find another job. But which company's salary, bonuses, and benefits could compare to those of the Feast of Fei Color?