C19 An Ugly Wife Always Needs to Meet Her Husband and Wife
Qin Jingzhi paused for a moment, his face betraying a flicker of emotion. He tidied up the IV bag and tossed it into the trash, saying nonchalantly, "No."
Huo Chengzhou had been ready to rib him a bit, but seeing Qin Jingzhi's expression, he thought better of it and simply clapped him on the shoulder, "A true man never frets over the lack of a wife."
Qin Jingzhi chuckled, "Except for her, there is no one else."
Huo Chengzhou gave him a look, disbelief still lingering in his gaze. "I just can't wrap my head around your kind of love."
"When you fall in love, you'll get it," Qin Jingzhi replied.
Huo Chengzhou shrugged. "Tough chance. I'd rather spend my time analyzing stock market trends."
Qin Jingzhi just smiled, letting the conversation drop.
Before escorting him downstairs, he handed over Qiao An's medicine and a packet of aromatherapy incense. "This medicine is for Qiao An. I've also included a tube of ointment from the lab that's good for facial and hand wounds. And this medicine and incense are for you—make sure to use them as prescribed!"
Huo Chengzhou took the items. "Aren't you coming down?"
"No," Qin Jingzhi replied. "I've got surgery soon and need to prep."
"Okay then," Huo Chengzhou said, settling into his wheelchair. "I'm off."
Qin Jingzhi waved goodbye, thinking to remind him to take care of Qiao An but ultimately deciding against it. He left it unsaid.
On the return trip, Huo Chengzhou was visibly out of sorts, reclining in his seat with his eyes closed, resting. As the car approached the main road, Huo Feng inquired about Qiao An's address and realized it was conveniently on the way. He asked, "Mr. Cheng, shall we drop off Miss Qiao first? It's right along our route."
Huo Chengzhou nodded in agreement. "Yes."
Qiao An could distinctly detect the scent of peonies emanating from the man, more intense than ever before. She tried not to overthink it, but the more she did, the more peculiar everything seemed.
It wasn't until they reached the entrance to her alley that Huo Chengzhou spoke again, handing her the medicine. "Visit the Civil Affairs Bureau in three days."
"Okay." Qiao An nodded and waved goodbye to the two of them. Grasping her guide staff firmly, she walked into the alley with measured steps.
In the deep autumn, the ginkgo leaves had turned yellow. A gentle breeze stirred, sending leaves fluttering down. Qiao An stood tall, her every step as if she were traversing a richly painted oil canvas.
This image unexpectedly etched itself into Huo Chengzhou's memory.
Long after, whenever he recalled their first encounter, it wasn't the image of her emerging from the shadows at night that filled his thoughts, but rather this one of her walking away into the distance.
Three days later.
Qiao An and Huo Chengzhou had just picked up their marriage certificate. As they left the Civil Affairs Bureau, Huo Chengzhou sent Huo Feng back to the mansion and turned to Qiao An, "We're going to see my father first."
Qiao An felt a surge of nervousness, "Should we bring a gift?"
"Don't worry, I've already taken care of it," Huo Chengzhou reassured her. "It's just a brief meeting. Don't overthink it; we might not even stay for lunch."
Just as Qiao An's anxiety began to ease, Huo Chengzhou mentioned, "There's a family banquet tomorrow evening. I'll introduce you to the Huo family then."
"Family banquet?" Qiao An's nervousness returned, and she blurted out, "Marrying you sure comes with its challenges..."
Huo Chengzhou's gaze settled on Qiao An's face, where the redness from a palm print had faded. Her skin was fair, her ponytail revealing a small, palm-sized face. Her eyes sparkled, her nose was pert, and a subtle dimple graced one side of her rosy lips. Her smile was captivating.
With a slight lift of his eyebrows, Huo Chengzhou found it hard to imagine the allure she would possess if she could see. Smiling, he said casually, "Even an ugly wife must meet her in-laws eventually. What's there to fear?"
