C17 She Was Not a Person Who Fell in Love at First Sight

Huo Chengzhou's eyebrows quirked upward. "No?"

Qin Jingzhi's men wrapped up their work with efficiency, and he chuckled softly. "You're not someone who falls in love at first sight."

"Oh? Then what kind of person am I?"

Qin Jingzhi pondered for a moment. "You're the type who doesn't make a move unless the enemy does. And if they do, you counteract with stillness."

That comment abruptly brought back memories of the previous night's frenzy to Huo Chengzhou.

After a pause, he lashed out with a kick. "Beat it! Who are you calling a dead fish?!"

As Qin Jingzhi prepared to hang an IV bag, he dodged with a laugh. "Oh, please. I was complimenting your strategic patience, and you misinterpret it as a dirty joke. It reminds me of a saying."

"What saying?"

"If there's a Buddha in your heart, you see Buddha everywhere..."

Huo Chengzhou aimed another kick at him, which Qin Jingzhi deflected with his arm. "These days, you can't even speak the truth... Rest up. I'm going to prepare some medication for the inflammation and pain, so you won't accuse me of being heavy-handed."

"Scram."

Qin Jingzhi left with a grin, soon returning with an IV drip. After making sure Huo Chengzhou was comfortable, he turned off the bright light and drew the curtain's privacy layer. "There, I'll light the aromatherapy for you. You can sleep for a bit. I'll check on you in an hour."

"I don't want the aromatherapy." Huo Chengzhou scowled. "It's completely useless."

"You just haven't stuck with it," Qin Jingzhi replied with a hint of exasperation. "For someone with severe insomnia like you, it's essential to keep at it."

Huo Chengzhou couldn't be bothered to argue and simply closed his eyes to rest.

After lighting the aromatherapy, Qin Jingzhi stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Qiao An's hand wound up blistering after all, but thankfully, they were small. The doctor treated her burns, prescribed some ointment, and offered a few care instructions.

Exiting the burn unit, Huo Feng was already there with an ice pack, guiding her to a seat in the resting area. "Miss Qiao, please apply this ice pack to your face for now. I'll go fetch your medication."

"Okay, thank you."

Qiao An pressed the ice pack against her face, feeling the swelling and burning sensation gradually subside. Before descending the stairs, Qin Jingzhi had called Huo Feng and learned that the other half named on the marriage certificate Huo Chengzhou referred to was Qiao An, and that she was blind. It all made sense to him now.

Indeed, how could a blind person possibly keep watch over someone else?

Qin Jingzhi's entrance into the lounge area immediately drew the attention of everyone present. The man was tall and slender, exuding an elegant aura. His long legs were encased in grey suit pants, and his white doctor's coat only accentuated his refined demeanor.

His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on a woman. Beneath her camel coat, the white turtleneck sweater accentuated her slender neck. Her face was bare, her demeanor calm and composed.

At that moment, she was looking down slightly, holding an ice pack to her face, her black hair cascading down and partially obscuring her features. Yet, even that brief glimpse sent a sharp pang through Qin Jingzhi's heart.

His expression shifted, and he quickly approached Qiao An, his voice a low whisper tinged with an unexplained tremor, "Qiao An..."

Instinctively, Qiao An tilted her head up slightly and greeted, "Hello."

Now, Qiao An's face was fully in Qin Jingzhi's view. He studied her intently, a mix of emotions stirring within him—sourness, bitterness, but above all, disappointment.

"I'm Huo Chengzhou's friend, Qin Jingzhi." He took a seat beside her, his gaze never leaving her face. "He's tied up at the moment, so I'll keep you company for now."

Qiao An offered a polite smile. "Okay, thank you."

Qin Jingzhi lifted his finger and gently waved it before her eyes, asking softly, "Can you see anything at all, or is your vision completely blurred?"

Caught off guard, Qiao An drew in a breath, the man's scent—a familiar peony fragrance—reaching her. It was subtle.

It was strikingly similar to the scent she had detected on someone else the day before.