Zhao Nige leaned against the corridor wall, arms crossed, and smoked a whole cigarette in a fit of frustration.
After stubbing it out, she couldn’t resist checking the system panel one last time.
To her surprise, the Heartbeat Value—which had been stuck at zero—now displayed a sparkling 30 points.
What?
She checked again.
30 points. Definitely 30.
A smirk touched her red lips. Alright then.
So, he’s immune to the direct approach and the active pursuit, but he’ll fall for the slow burn?
He likes the thrill of longing and the ache of desire, does he?
Zhao Nige’s mood shifted instantly. She had finally found his weakness. Now she knew exactly how to handle him.
***
Zhao Nige composed herself and returned to Zhao Guanghui’s room.
Tao Rong was gone. Zhao Guanghui lay in bed on an IV drip while Zhao Lanxin peeled fruit for him—a picture-perfect scene of filial piety.
“Sister, what took you so long?” Zhao Lanxin asked, her voice dripping with faux sweetness.
Zhao Nige ignored her. She was only here to make a cursory appearance, after all. It wasn’t as if Zhao Guanghui were missing a limb; why make such a fuss?
She pulled a chair out and sat down, popping a grape into her mouth. “Traffic.”
The harsh scent of the cigarette she’d just smoked still lingered. Using the grape as a makeshift mint, she chewed it a few times before spitting it into a tissue and tossing it into the trash.
Zhao Lanxin watched her with a curl of her lip. Turning back to her father, she sliced the fruit into bite-sized pieces and offered them to him with a tender smile. “Dad, have some fruit.”
Zhao Guanghui grunted in acknowledgment. Comparing his daughters’ behavior, he couldn’t help but feel Lanxin was the more sensible one.
The doubt that Zhao Nige was even his biological daughter deepened.
Zhao Nige didn’t care what the Zhao couple thought. Her target had always been the male lead—the Eldest Young Master Lu.
She recalled seeing the young man outside the VIP room in the hallway, chatting with someone at the door. The patient inside must be a senior relative or family friend.
Perfect, Zhao Nige thought, an idea already forming.
Before long, Tao Rong returned. Her expression was strained as she addressed Zhao Guanghui. “The test results are in. There’s no head injury. After one more day of IV drip, you can be discharged.”
In truth, the IV alone didn’t justify another day in the hospital. The couple was merely using it as an excuse to stay until the DNA results arrived.
Zhao Nige, too preoccupied with her own scheme, remained oblivious to the Zhaos’ secret agenda.
Her gaze fell on the water pitcher on the bedside table. Got it.
She stood up and grabbed the handle. “I’ll go refill the water.”
After leaving the room, she walked past the long hallway to a water station on the other side. She filled the pitcher halfway, then turned back.
As she passed the VIP room, she pushed the door open without hesitation.
Inside, four people looked up in surprise.
Zhao Nige’s eyes swept the room. On the bed lay an elderly man with snow-white hair—the occupant of this VIP suite.
A middle-aged woman sat on the sofa facing the door, while two young men stood by the bed. One of them was the same man who had tried to flirt with Zhao Nige in the hallway just ten minutes earlier.
Zhao Nige’s gaze didn’t linger on him for even a second. Instead, she looked straight past him to the other man, whose features had a distinct Eurasian quality. Despite only a brief glimpse before, she was certain this was the person the man named Lu had been talking to in the corridor.
Once her target was confirmed, Zhao Nige feigned a look of confusion. She glanced up at the room number, then seemed to realize her mistake. “Oh! I’m so sorry, I’ve gone into the wrong room!” she exclaimed, her voice laced with genuine-sounding embarrassment.
After a quick, polite apology, she backed out of the room with a smile.
Lu Shaoyu stared blankly at her retreating figure. Guan Chu was equally stunned, struggling to process what had just happened.
Mrs. Lu, however, recovered quickly. She turned to the elderly man on the bed and asked softly, “Old Master, did she disturb you?”
The Old Master weakly but kindly waved a hand, signaling that he was fine.
Suddenly, Lu Shaoyu stood up. “I’ll be right back,” he announced, before quickly leaving the room.
But by the time he reached the hallway, the woman was gone.
***
In another ward.
Tao Rong had just returned with the test results and was preparing to go home, change, and then come back to the hospital.
Zhao Nige, who had just returned from filling the water basin, suddenly spoke up.
“I’ll stay tonight to help out.”
Her words caused Tao Rong and Zhao Guanghui to exchange a surprised glance.
“You and Zhao Lanxin still have work at the Art Troupe tomorrow. Let me take care of things,” Tao Rong insisted.
She was worried that Zhao Nige would find out about the paternity test if she stayed, so she kept urging her to go home and rest.
Zhao Lanxin, listening from the side, felt a wave of resentment. She assumed Tao Rong was simply unwilling to let her biological daughter, Zhao Nige, endure the burden.
Hmph, that Zhao Nige, she thought. She puts on a casual act, but the moment she sees a chance to impress Mom and Dad, she jumps at it faster than anyone else.
She couldn’t let her get away with it. Zhao Lanxin immediately wrapped her arm around Tao Rong’s. “Mom, you should go home and rest. Zhao Nige and I will stay tonight to look after Dad.”
As Tao Rong hesitated, Zhao Guanghui gave her a supportive glance. “Alright, go on back. We have our two daughters here.”
Zhao Nige had successfully found her excuse to stay. She knew Zhao Lanxin was just trying to show off her filial piety in front of the Zhao couple, but she was happy to let her take the lead.
As soon as Tao Rong left, Zhao Nige turned to Zhao Lanxin. “Watch him for a bit. I’m going out for some fresh air.”
***
Lu Shaoyu had been determined to find the woman who had just captivated him. At the very least, he wanted to ask her name and get her contact information.
But as he searched the hospital corridor, checking each ward one by one, she was nowhere to be found.
Lu Yanling, that living Yama, had ordered him back to the unit by six o’clock. His time was running out.
Just as he was bowing his head in frustration, the woman his mother had tried to set him up with appeared in the hallway. She still had that same vain, superficial air about her, a sight that immediately soured his mood.
Lu Shaoyu scoffed in disgust and turned back toward the ward.
Seeing him finally returnMadam Lu rose and grabbed her bag.
“Uncle Guan, please focus on your recovery,” she said to Old Master Guan. “Shaoyu has to get back to the unit, so we’ll be going now. We’ll visit you again soon.”
Seeing them prepare to leave, Guan Chu quickly stood up. “Let me see you out.”
He walked them to the elevator at the end of the hallway. As they waited, he overheard Madam Lu quietly scolding Lu Shaoyu, demanding to know where he had just been.
Lu Shaoyu stood there, the picture of a rebellious young heir. With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, he deliberately ignored his mother’s questions.
Guan Chu watched the scene and chuckled. He remembered the expression Lu Yanling wore whenever he mentioned his nephew—a look of utter exasperation. It seemed the entire Lu family was powerless against the young master.
Just then, the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.
Zhao Nige stood inside, her slender figure framed by the opening. She looked up at the three people in the hallway and offered a gentle smile.
Lu Shaoyu’s eyes lit up instantly.
After all his fruitless searching, the beauty he had been seeking was right here, waiting for him. This kind of roundabout fate—this chance encounter—was enough to make the inexperienced young master’s heart race with excitement.
He cleared his throat, desperately trying to think of a perfect, suave opening line. Before he could speak, his mother pinched his arm hard from behind.
“What are you just standing there for?” she hissed. “Look at the time!”
Lu Shaoyu wasn’t the only one intimidated by his youngest uncle; his mother feared the man too.
Youngest Uncle had fully inherited Old Master Lu’s battlefield demeanor—stern, ruthless, and absolutely uncompromising. If he ordered Shaoyu to report back by six o’clock, not a single second’s delay would be tolerated. The consequences would be severe.
And so Madam Lu—who had always hoped her son would amount to something—gave him a sharp cuff on the back and seized his arm.
Lu Shaoyu was ignominiously dragged into the elevator like a big, clumsy puppy, his pride left lying on the hallway floor.
Mom, let go of me! he screamed internally. That’s your future daughter-in-law! You’re making me lose all my face!
As the mother and son stepped inside, Zhao Nige stepped out, without even a glance at Lu Shaoyu’s silent, desperate plea.
The elevator doors lingered for a few seconds before sliding shut.
Desperate, Lu Shaoyu reached out a hand to pry the doors open.
Madam Lu, her finger adorned with a single gemstone ring, impassively pressed the Close Door button.
The doors chimed and sealed shut, completely hiding Lu Shaoyu’s handsome, distorted face, now twisted with resentment.
***
The hallway fell quiet.
Zhao Nige looked at the mixed-race man opposite her and smiled. “I’m sorry, sir. I went to the wrong room. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Guan Chu was momentarily taken aback, then returned her smile. “No problem.”
Taking in his attire and subtle mannerisms, Zhao Nige deduced he had likely lived abroad for many years. He lacked the rigid bearing of a soldier and spoke with a faint, natural British lilt.
Since he’s half-Chinese, I should just be direct and friendly, she decided.
“Hello, I’m Zhao Nige,” she said, extending her hand with effortless grace. “Would you like to be friends?”
Guan Chu’s gaze dropped to her hand before lifting back to her face. His light hazel eyes reflected her brilliant smile. Even after years of seeing countless beauties abroad, he had to admit this woman possessed an exceptional, classical Eastern beauty. Her elegance was subtle, woven into her every gesture, a charm that defied simple description.
Guan Chu smiled and accepted her hand with a gentleman’s flourish. “The honor is mine. Hello, Miss Zhao. I’m Guan Chu.”
With the introductions complete, Zhao Nige kept the conversation flowing, asking him who the patient in the room was.
They strolled and chatted casually, covering everything from their elders’ health to personal interests over the short walk down the hospital corridor. By the time they reached Old Master Guan’s room, Guan Chu found himself wishing the conversation could continue.
“My father’s room is just there,” Zhao Nige said. “He was in a rear-end collision while on a business trip a few days ago. Fortunately, he’s fine and will be discharged tomorrow.”
Guan Chu glanced at the room and said sincerely, “I hope your father makes a full and speedy recovery.”
Zhao Nige smiled back. “And I hope Grandpa Guan’s surgery is a success.”
Guan Chu looked at the beautiful, poised young woman, his heart stirring. He wanted to invite her to dinner, but the setting felt wrong. After all, his grandfather was about to undergo surgery, and her father was still hospitalized.
As if reading his mind, Zhao Nige asked before taking her leave, “May I come visit Grandpa Guan after his surgery?”
Delighted by her thoughtfulness and kindness, Guan Chu readily agreed. “Of course.”
Zhao Nige turned away.
Got him.
A faint smile touched her lips.
So, Mr. Lu, you can’t handle a direct approach? she thought. Let’s see how you fare against this feint.