In the hospital
Jiang Jinsang and Huo Qinqi had stayed in the ward for over an hour until Tang Wan finished work and ca over before they left. The old lady actually wanted Huo Qinqi to stay and chat for a while longer, but the head of the Shen Family issued an order for them to leave.
"You see, it's getting dark..."
The implication was clear, it was ti for them to go.
"Grandma, then I'll co to see you tomorrow," Tang Wan said with a smile.
"It's just a check-up, no need to co every day. Let's go, I'll walk you out," the old man said with a smile. "Xiaohuo, thank you for taking the ti to co today. You must be a busy person too. It's the thought that counts, no need to trouble yourself to make a special trip."
When the old man spoke to him, he had to tilt his head up slightly, which was really uncomfortable!
Once the three left, Old Madam Shen sighed deeply, "Young Huo is a good person, why do you always target him?"
"I really don't, don't overthink it. It's getting late, and they really should be heading back for dinner."
"You did that on purpose."
...
Old Madam Shen knew well, Huo Qinqi was indeed good, but the Huo family from Hexi was no ordinary family. Compared to him, the old man preferred her to find an ordinary person and live a stable life.
Besides, marrying him, she wouldn't even know how many tis a year she could see him. Could her days be pleasant?
Which parent doesn't wish their child great wealth, but for Old Madam Shen, her child's health and happiness were far more important.
**
After Jiang Jinsang and the others left, it was already quite dark. Tang Wan courteously invited Huo Qinqi to have dinner at her ho, knowing well that Huo's parents were not around and he would be dining alone if he went back.
Huo Qinqi was not one to bother others; during his stay in Beijing, the old lady had invited him countless tis to dine at their ho, and he had declined each ti.
So Tang Wan's invitation was just a polite gesture.
Unexpectedly, he nodded and really accepted.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Tang Wan was stunned for a mont, wondering how he had agreed so readily when he usually declined?
They hadn't expected that when the three of them reached the old house, Jiang Zhenhuan and his wife were there today, and aside from them, there was also an acquaintance.
"Uncle Liang." Both Jiang Jinsang and Tang Wan had t him before, and although it was Huo Qinqi's first ti eting him, he had researched him and seen photos, just not expecting to see him in person at the Jiang residence.
After greeting, he prepared to leave.
He clearly had more to say but felt it inappropriate to continue the conversation deeply since Jiang Jinsang and the others had returned.
Probably there were things inconvenient to discuss in front of the younger generation.
When Huo Qinqi briefly t him, he felt that Huo Qinqi's gaze, though usually cold and indifferent, carried a certain chill, even though it was their first eting and the two families usually had no interaction. Huo Qinqi shouldn't have any hostility towards him, but that glance was indeed a bit odd.
"Director Liang, stay for dinner before you leave," Fan Mingyu politely said.
"Yes, it's quite late already, have dinner before you go," the old lady also said with a laugh.
"The dinner at ho is ready, and having been entertaining these past few days, I haven't dined at ho. If I don't go back today, my wife might get upset," he said with a smile as he declined.
After he left, Jiang Jinsang looked at the gift box on the table. Although not opened, he could tell from the packaging that it was no ordinary item. "This Uncle Liang is quite generous."
Jiang Zhenhuan laughed and shook his head, "He's eyeing a project of our family and wants to collaborate. Compared to the potential profits, these gifts are worthless."
"You don't want to collaborate with him?"
"Last ti when Old Mr. Liang ca visiting with his family, I considered collaborating with them due to your grandfather's presence and deliberately had his company evaluated. The evaluation result isn't out yet, but so old friends in the industry don't speak highly of his family's reputation."
Jiang Zhenhuan, in business, wasn't running a charity, and clearly needed to evaluate profit and risk.
"He probably knows it himself, that's why he's sending such expensive gifts, trying to foster relations privately," Jiang Jinsang chuckled.
"He's pulled quite a few strings, even having soone deliver ssages to ," Jiang Zhenhuan spoke lightly of it, as such things were common, "He's putting a lot of effort into this collaboration, feeling like he's staking his entire fortune on this one project."
"The Liang Family..." Jiang Jinsang scoffed lightly, "They shouldn't be in such a situation, should they?"
But after all, he was not a businessman and wasn't very clear about these matters.
"When Mr. Liang was in charge, there was no question about it, but his son just isn't cut out for business. Even during the financial crisis of '08, they barely scraped by. These past few years, they've only seed impressive from the outside..."
Jiang Zhenhuan wasn't usually a talkative person, but when it ca to business, it was hard not to get a bit chatty.
"Let's not talk about work after we get ho. Today, since Qinqi is here, I'll go cook a few dishes," Fan Mingyu interrupted him.
Huo Qinqi slightly frowned; he actually wanted to hear Jiang Zhenhuan gossip a bit more...
"See, Qinqi doesn't even like this stuff. Why bring it up at ho!"
Huo Qinqi: "..."
Capitalists and the financial markets are always sensitive, and it was clear from this that the Liang Family wasn't really up to par.
...
Since Huo Qinqi rarely ca over, Fan Mingyu even picked up so wine, but since he was always on the go and couldn't drink, it ended up being just a few drinks among the Jiang Family mbers. Tang Wan was preparing to go to the hospital the next day to accompany her grandmother for a check-up, so she didn't drink, but Jiang Jinsang did.
His tolerance was just average, and when Huo Qinqi left, it was Tang Wan who saw him out.
"I didn't expect you to make a trip just for grandma's check-up."
"It just happened that Xiaowu was going out, and visiting was the right thing to do. I didn't expect Ms. Shen to have such a good relationship with her parents, to take leave specifically to accompany them."
Shen Shuci was an adopted daughter, and that wasn't a secret hidden away. Huo Qinqi's remark simply ant he thought their relationship was exceptionally good.
"Auntie really treats my grandparents well; after all, to her, they are her closest kin."
"Doesn't she have any other relatives?"
"If she had relatives, would she have been sent to an orphanage? With such relatives, even if she does have them, I'm afraid the relationship wouldn't be very good."
"Is she an orphan?"
Tang Wan nodded.
Their conversation seed casual as Tang Wan watched him get into the car, not thinking too much about it, like...
if soone was deliberately trying to extract information from her.
Huo Qinqi wasn't a bad person, so naturally, Tang Wan didn't think too much of it. Moreover, if it was about Shen Shuci's overly private matters, she wouldn't discuss them with others.
It felt just like casual family chatter, and Tang Wan felt quite good after returning...
She had known Huo Qinqi for so long, and tonight might have been the most they'd ever spoken.
Even when Jiang Jinsang was hospitalized and they were in the sa hospital room, their usual conversations were like, "Brother Huo, you're here;" "Have so water;" "You're leaving? Goodbye."
She hadn't expected to talk so much today, and deep down, she was quite happy, feeling that Huo Qinqi was no longer so distant with her.
And when he left, Huo Qinqi looked at her, even telling her to rest early and saying goodnight?
Far gentler than usual!
Once back in her room, she even ntioned to Jiang Jinsang, "I feel like Brother Huo has changed a bit recently; he's more expressive. When I saw him out today, he even said goodnight to . He doesn't usually say such things, does he?"
"Do you think sothing happened to Brother Huo recently?"
"They say a change in routine is a sign of sothing brewing. What do you think he's plotting?"
...
Tang Wan used to see him so infrequently, she thought he was mysterious. Recently, as he appeared more often, she could sense sothing was off, maybe so kind of a woman's sixth sense.
But after babbling on for a long while, Jiang Jinsang, who had drunk quite a bit, had already fallen asleep.
Seeing him sleeping so soundly, Tang Wan tucked him in, got up to wash up, and had just squeezed so toothpaste, not even brought it to her mouth, when she felt nauseous.
She furrowed her brow. Just earlier, the old lady made braised pork, and she had gagged once. Lately, when she woke up in the morning to brush her teeth, she often felt this way; she thought it might be a throat issue, but it had been happening a bit frequently these past couple of days, her brow lightly furrowing...
Gagging?
She subconsciously touched her stomach; surely all the recent effort hadn't been fruitful? But she had just had her period not long ago.
After washing up and getting into bed, Tang Wan pulled out her phone and started searching on Baidu. The more she read, the more her heart fluttered...
She had always been trying hard, but to be honest, she wasn't quite fully prepared.
They say effort always pays off, but it couldn't be this soon.
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