C45 With Delicacies in front of You You Don't Have to Endure!

"Thank you..." Xiong Miao murmured.

"What? I didn't catch that," Zhan Yeling said, curling his lips slightly.

"Thank you!" Xiong Miao bellowed, her voice raspy from her cold. Even as she strained her voice, it wasn't very loud.

"That's better."

"Mud coal..."

"What did you say!?" Zhan Yeling's face darkened.

"Nothing, nothing..." Xiong Miao averted her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes.

Truth be told, she had quite the temper. But over the years, as she struggled to raise six children, she had learned to bite back her fiery nature.

The adult world was never easy.

The days when one could act on every whim were long gone, a part of childhood that couldn't be reclaimed.

"What would you like to eat? I'll have someone go get it for you," he offered, not wanting to pick a fight given her illness.

"I'd like some candied haws, seafood noodles, and mutton skewers," Xiong Miao responded without thinking.

She wouldn't turn down food, especially when it was an offer.

"Are you sure?" Zhan Yeling raised an eyebrow.

Xiong Miao nodded vigorously.

They say when you're sick, you crave your favorite foods the most.

And right now, Xiong Miao was craving just that.

Zhan Yeling made a call: "Candied haws, seafood noodles."

With that, he ended the call.

Xiong Miao blinked her luminous eyes. "Director Zhan, did you forget something?"

"No."

"You really do forget things easily," she teased. "I also asked for a mutton skewer, thank you." After all, if you're going to help someone, you might as well go all the way.

"You're willing to risk your sore throat for some barbecue?" Zhan Yeling gave her a look that was all too parental.

He found great pleasure in her animated expressions before him.

Her sparkling eyes were both adorable and beautiful, lifting his spirits considerably.

"Uh..." Xiong Miao found herself at a loss for words.

Soon enough, Gu Yi arrived with the candied haws and the seafood noodles.

Xiong Miao savored her meal with gusto, while Zhan Yeling observed her with a look of appreciation in his eyes. Gu Yi was astonished to discover that Director Zhan, despite his face blindness, was so captivated by someone simply eating noodles. Could it be that he had recognized a face?

"Director Zhan..." Gu Yi approached Zhan Yeling and called out to remind him.

Zhan Yeling turned to face him.

"Should we call Dr. Cheng Jiuyuan?" Gu Yi asked.

Cheng Jiuyuan was Zhan Yeling's psychiatrist, who had been treating his face blindness all this time.

"There's no need for a doctor. I'm doing well. As soon as this IV is finished, I'll be discharged," Xiong Miao interjected, lifting her head from the brink of her noodle bowl to address Gu Yi.

"Please step outside," Zhan Yeling instructed.

With a nod, Gu Yi exited the hospital room.

Zhan Yeling resumed his enjoyment of Xiong Miao's delightful eating.

His phone buzzed in his pocket; it was Zhan Junyi calling. He pressed the answer button.

"Yeling, come home for dinner tonight. The family isn't complete without you."

"No!" He responded icily and ended the call.

Looking up once more, the woman's face before him became indistinct again. The pleasant mood he had just experienced soured in an instant.

Xiong Miao glanced up to see Zhan Yeling striding away. He must have had business to attend to. That was probably for the best; she preferred the solitude.

After finishing her noodles and candied hawthorns, Xiong Miao felt significantly better. The IV had brought down her fever, and her body was more comfortable. A full meal had replenished her energy, and she felt completely rejuvenated.

Once the IV was done, she checked out of the hospital. Stepping outside, she realized night had fallen. She wondered how Su Mumu and the little ones were faring at home. Without time to stop by the office, Xiong Miao headed straight home.

"Ah, Miaomiao, we've struck it rich!" Su Mumu shrieked, throwing her arms around Xiong Miao the moment she walked in the door. Xiong Miao stood there, utterly bewildered.

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