Carrying the medicine box downstairs, Qin Chaoyu had just reached the stairwell when the sharp-eyed Xiong Rongming spotted her.
He sprang to his feet and dashed over to her, asking nervously, “Sister, how’s my mom?”
The child’s eyes were wide and bright, filled with unmistakable tension. His face was flushed red from anxiety.
Qin Chaoyu felt an indescribable tenderness toward this child. At such a young age, he should have been carefree and lively, showered with love, yet he was introverted and withdrawn, even cautious when speaking—far too mature for his years.
She patted his head, crouched down, and reassured him softly, “Don’t worry. I’ve given your mother acupuncture, and she’s resting now. You can go see her in a little while.”
“R-really?” The boy’s eyes widened in excitement, and he bounced on the spot. Despite his joy, he didn’t forget to thank her. “Sister, thank you so much!”
Then, as if realizing mere words weren’t enough, he tilted his head thoughtfully before exclaiming, “Ah!” and declared earnestly, “Sister, I want to give you a gift as thanks!”
Qin Chaoyu, charmed by his thoughtfulness, teased him gently, “Your father will thank me for saving your mother, so you don’t have to.”
Xiong Rongming shook his head seriously, his expression oddly solemn for a child. “Sister, what Dad gives is from him. What I give is from me. I like you and want to give you a gift—isn’t that okay?”
His earnestness on such a young face was irresistibly adorable.
Qin Chaoyu couldn’t help but relent. “Alright then, I’ll accept your gift.”
“Yay! Wait here, I’ll go get it!” He dashed off to his room.
The rest of the Xiong family had remained quiet during their exchange, smiling at the child’s innocent words.
Xiong Lunbing, as the head of the household, stepped forward to inquire further, though his son had already asked. “Dr. Qin, my wife’s condition…?”
Descending the stairs, Qin Chaoyu replied, “I stabilized her with acupuncture. She’s out of danger now. You can visit her shortly, but keep it brief. I’ll return weekly for further treatment. In the meantime, continue her medication. If all goes well, she should be able to walk again in two or three months.”
Xiong Lunbing’s eyes stung with emotion. He had waited ten long years for this moment. But now, his wife could recover—she could grow old with him!
Suppressing his excitement, he nodded solemnly, committing every instruction to memory.
Xiong Zewei watched his brother with curiosity. In all these years, he had never seen him so emotional—not even a decade ago when his wife had nearly died.
What Xiong Zewei didn’t know was that back then, Xiong Lunbing had still held hope. But after years of failed treatments, despair had set in—until Qin Chaoyu’s words pulled him back from the brink.
Qin Chaoyu, for her part, never worried whether families followed her advice. If they didn’t, the consequences were theirs to bear. She was a doctor, not a miracle worker.
“Oh, one more thing—stick to mild tonics for now. Avoid anything too potent. Over-supplementing could harm her. And keep her diet light.”
“Understood, Dr. Qin.”
Xiong Zewei, baffled by his brother’s deference to such a young woman, couldn’t contain his curiosity. “Big brother?”
Xiong Lunbing, realizing he’d forgotten introductions, chuckled sheepishly. “Ah, Dr. Qin, this is my younger brother and his family. They came to see my wife after hearing about her treatment.”
He tactfully omitted that they’d come to check if he was being scammed.
Xiong Zewei’s thoughts were plain on his face. His wife, Tao Ruifang, subtly tugged his sleeve, worried his bluntness might offend Qin Chaoyu.
Taking the hint, Xiong Zewei bowed slightly. “Dr. Qin, I’m Xiong Zewei. Thank you for saving my sister-in-law.”
Qin Chaoyu waved it off. “No need for thanks. It’s my duty.”
But Xiong Zewei insisted, “Regardless, we’re grateful.”
Tao Ruifang added softly, “Yes, we all are.”
Qin Chaoyu barely noticed her—until she did. And something about the woman set off alarms.
Just then, Xiong Rongming came barreling down the stairs with a large box.
“Slow down!” Qin Chaoyu called, worried he’d fall.
Panting, the boy proudly presented the box. “For you, sister!”
Inside were hundreds of meticulously folded paper cranes.
“Did you make these?” she asked, touched.
He nodded eagerly. “Every one! My classmate taught me, but mine are better.”
“And why give them to me?”
“Because each crane carries a wish. I made them for Mom when she was sick. But now she’s getting better, so I want you to have the wishes instead!”
The childish logic was profoundly moving.
Xiong Lunbing watched with pride. His son, once so solemn, had a heart of gold.
Qin Chaoyu hugged the boy tightly. “I love this gift.”
Later, as she left in the car arranged by Xiong Bochang, she held the box close, her heart full.
—
“Chairman Xiong, the mayor’s daughter is here again,” Secretary Lin reported, bracing himself. The woman just wouldn’t take a hint—and he’d be the one facing his boss’s irritation.
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