Outside the hospital.
It was early winter, and the cold wind in Shanghai carried a damp chill that seeped straight into the bones, making it even harder to endure than the dry, biting wind and snow of northern Mocheng.
Orderly Xiao Cheng tightened the military overcoat around himself and leaned against the military jeep, once again rising onto his toes to look toward the hospital entrance. He still could not see Commander Huo anywhere.
He could not help sighing, growing even more anxious in his heart.
It seemed there was trouble inside again.
Although he had only recently been transferred to Commander Huo’s side, he had already heard plenty of rumors. The commander’s wife was notoriously spoiled and difficult to deal with.
He truly felt sorry for Commander Huo. A tough man who had fought his way through countless battles and gunfire was now being held hostage by a woman using divorce as leverage.
While he was thinking about this, Xiao Cheng looked up and saw Huo Qiang walking out of the hospital entrance.
Unexpectedly, the commander’s expression was not as dark and terrifying as he had imagined, and a young woman he did not recognize was following behind him.
Before he could take a closer look, he remembered the urgent message he had just received and hurried forward to salute.
“Commander! The Military District General Hospital just called. The old man has had another attack. His condition is very dangerous. You should go back and see him!”
Huo Qiang stopped in his tracks, his brows instantly knitting together.
He glanced at Ruan Yingying behind him and immediately made a decision.
“Xiao Cheng, take her back first and…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Cheng urgently interrupted him, his eyes searching around for someone.
“Commander, where is Miss Xue’er? Let Miss Xue’er come back with us!”
As he spoke, Huang Xue’er came out of the hospital.
Hearing Xiao Cheng’s words, the gloom in her eyes immediately disappeared. She quickly moved to Huo Qiang’s side.
“Big Brother Huo, I’ll go back with you. I can at least help out once we get there.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept casually over Ruan Yingying, filled with undisguised superiority.
So what if Big Brother Huo had softened for a moment and agreed to let Ruan Yingying live with the troops?
At a critical moment, who else could actually be useful besides her, a properly trained nursing school graduate?
What could that delicate young lady possibly do besides cause trouble?
Ruan Yingying noticed her attitude and felt a faint sense of unease rising in her heart.
This Huang Xue’er had even dared to deceive Huo Qiang about his leg injury. If she were really allowed to take care of her father in law while his condition was critical, then perhaps…
She took half a step forward and gently caught the edge of Huo Qiang’s sleeve with her fingertips, tugging at it tentatively.
“Can I go over and take a look?”
Huo Qiang’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and the scene of the old man clutching his chest and collapsing after being angered by her that day surfaced in his mind.
Thinking of this, he calmly pulled his sleeve from her grasp, his expression distant and cold.
“The hospital is already chaotic enough. Don’t go there and make things worse.”
Hearing this, Ruan Yingying composed her embarrassed expression but continued to insist.
“I promise I won’t cause you any trouble.”
It was precisely because she knew that Huo Jianguo had collapsed after being angered by the original owner that she felt even more compelled to go personally, whether to make amends for the past or to prevent Huang Xue’er from harming him through improper medical treatment.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Zhou Xiulan gently tugged at Huo Qiang’s sleeve, her reddened eyes filled with pleading.
“Qiang, just let Yingying come along. Perhaps your father will feel better when he sees the child in Yingying’s belly, and his condition might improve.”
In truth, Zhou Xiulan was deeply conflicted as she said this.
She was afraid that seeing the daughter in law who had angered him into illness would cause her husband’s emotions to become even more unstable.
But then she thought, what if her husband truly could not survive this ordeal?
She could not let him leave this world without even seeing his grandchild.
This thought pierced her heart like a needle, leaving her unable to worry about anything else.
Huo Qiang lowered his head and looked at his mother’s tearful eyes filled with expectation, and his expression finally softened considerably.
After remaining silent for a moment, he finally forced two words through his teeth.
“Come along.”
The car sped all the way from Shanghai back to northern Mocheng before finally coming to a stop at the Military District General Hospital.
The hospital room was already crowded with flustered military doctors and nurses.
When Huo Qiang returned, Dean Ji Shaohui, who had been waiting beside the hospital bed, glanced at the rapidly rising readings on the electrocardiogram monitor and spoke with a grave expression.
“Xiao Huo, the old commander’s condition is extremely serious. Even if we operate immediately, the chances of success are probably less than thirty percent. Your family needs to prepare yourselves mentally.”
On the hospital bed, Huo Jianguo’s face was ashen, his chest rising and falling violently with every heavy breath.
Huo Qiang only glanced toward his father before abruptly turning his gaze away, his fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his knuckles turned white.
Zhou Xiulan had already cried so hard that she could no longer speak, leaving only quiet sobs escaping her lips.
Seeing this, Huang Xue’er immediately stepped forward and spoke urgently.
“Dean, even if there is only the slightest hope, we have to perform the surgery! We can’t just stand by and watch Godfather suffer like this.”
“Dean, could you let me assist you as a nurse during the surgery? Please, just let me do my part for Godfather.”
She spoke with such decisiveness that she seemed like the backbone of the entire family, but she had already calculated everything carefully in her heart.
The Military District Health Clinic’s professional nursing qualification competition was coming up soon, and Dean Ji was one of the main evaluators.
This surgery was a rare opportunity.
If she could use this operation to help cure Godfather and leave a good impression on Dean Ji, then with Godfather’s relationship with the dean, becoming head nurse would surely be within reach.
Zhou Xiulan was already completely lost in panic. Hearing that even her medically trained goddaughter was saying this, she seemed to have grabbed onto the last lifeline and nodded through her tears.
“Yes, yes. Listen to Xue’er. Let’s do the surgery.”
Ji Shaohui knew that there was no point trying to persuade them further, so he could only nod helplessly.
“Since you have made your decision, I’ll go arrange the surgery now.”
Just as Ji Shaohui was about to turn around and prepare for the operation, a clear and resolute voice rang out.
“No, this surgery cannot be done!”
The moment those words fell, everyone’s eyes immediately turned toward Ruan Yingying.
Huo Qiang abruptly turned his head and glared at her, his expression so dark that it seemed capable of dripping water.
Sure enough, this woman was still just as vicious.
Otherwise, why would she jump out to cause trouble when his father’s life was hanging by a thread?
Hearing this, Ji Shaohui, who had already reached the doorway, stopped and turned around. He looked at the young woman who had suddenly spoken, his brows slightly furrowed.
“Comrade, tell me why you think the surgery cannot be performed.”
Ruan Yingying tried her best to avoid Huo Qiang’s burning gaze. She took a breath and was just about to explain when Huang Xue’er hurriedly interrupted her, pretending to be considerate.
“Sister in law, I know you’re worried about Godfather, but Dean Ji is the most authoritative expert in cardiology in our military district. There won’t be any problem.”
Her words seemed to smooth things over, but every word subtly implied that Ruan Yingying was being disrespectful toward Dean Ji.
The moment everyone heard her call Ruan Yingying “Sister in law,” their expressions became subtly different, and they began whispering among themselves as they looked her over.
So this unfamiliar young woman was Commander Huo’s wife.
The woman before them had bright eyes and delicate features, with skin as fair as the finest white jade. Her simple clothes only emphasized her slender figure. Not only did she lack the arrogance described in the rumors, she instead carried an indescribable sense of calm and gentleness.
Several young nurses had only heard that Commander Huo’s wife was an arrogant and unreasonable shrew. This was their first time seeing her in person, so they could not help discussing her among themselves.
“I didn’t expect the commander’s wife to be so beautiful. She looks like someone from a picture in a magazine.”
“Beautiful? So what? She’s the one who angered the old commander into falling ill, and she still has the nerve to come here!”
“Shh, stop talking. What if she hears you?”
“Why be afraid? Commander Huo has already submitted the divorce application!”