Volume 1, Chapter 53: Let Younger Sister Su Wan Feed Him

Newly out of anesthesia, Huo Xiaohan was wheeled back to the cadre ward.

Su Xiaohui glanced at Old Mrs. Huo, who was sitting on the sofa, and dropped a remark with a feigned casual air.

She had deliberately kept the timing of Huo Xiaohan's surgery from Su Wan, and moreover, the surgery had been moved forward. By the time Su Wan arrived, Old Mrs. Huo and the others would probably have already left.

By then, Old Mrs. Huo and her family would surely view Su Wan as an ungrateful ingrate, and Uncle Huo would be deeply disappointed in her as well.

"There are only three people in Principal Song's family, and all they have to do is cook everyday. What could possibly keep her busy?" Old Mrs. Huo let out a cold snort. "A few days ago, her test scores were printed in the newspaper, and fearing she wouldn't be able to attend university, she rushed straight to the Huo family. Now that Xiaohan is having surgery, she can't spare a moment. From start to finish, she hasn't even shown her face or bothered to ask a single question."

Su Xiaohui was, after all, much more sensible than Su Wan. Ever since she learned that Xiaohan needed surgery, she had shown immense concern, running around busily and even getting up at four o'clock this morning to brew chicken soup.

Comparing this to Su Wan's selfish and independent behavior, Old Mrs. Huo felt extremely displeased.

"Grandmother, Doctor Song is getting married soon, so the Song family must be quite busy right now," Huo Xiaohan said, looking somewhat weak just after coming out of surgery, an IV drip in his arm, as he spoke indifferently.

"No matter how busy she is, she should still carve out time to come over," Old Mrs. Huo said, casting a sidelong glance as she continued, "No matter how well someone puts on a facade, their true nature can never be changed. Your father didn't believe what you told him on the phone, so he specifically sent his old subordinate to Qiantang Village to verify things. As it turns out, she is nothing more than a lazy, selfish, and overbearing menace. The malicious acts she has committed from childhood to adulthood are far worse than what you described over the phone.

Coming to Beiping was simply a scheme to climb the social ladder, treating our Huo family as her stepping stone. Who would have their test scores published in the newspaper for no reason? It's obvious she provoked someone over at the Song family's end and kept it hidden from us all along."

"I want to see just how much longer she can keep up the act." There had indeed been a moment when Old Mrs. Huo's impression of Su Wan had softened, but ever since Huo Jianguo verified the details of Su Wan's background, she had become convinced that Su Wan was deceitful and harbored malicious intentions.

Didn't her daughter-in-law, Xie Bailing, worry precisely that having such a person live in the Huo family would corrupt and harm Xinyi? That was why she had taken Xinyi to stay at her maternal home. Now that she was away on advanced studies, she would probably be hurrying back soon.

Just then, Meng Xinhao's voice echoed from outside the ward: "Little sister Su Wan, you're here? Why aren't you going inside?"

Su Wan had not expected Huo Xiaohan's surgery to be moved up and that he would already be awake.

As she reached the doorway of the ward, she happened to overhear the words spoken by Old Mrs. Huo. Just as she was hesitating whether to step inside, she was spotted by Meng Xinhao.

Composing herself with a poised and natural expression, Su Wan walked openly into the ward and greeted them, "Grandmother Huo, Commander Huo."

"Sister, why are you only arriving now? Big Brother Huo's surgery is already finished," Su Xiaohui said pointedly.

Old Mrs. Huo also cast a cold gaze at her, resenting the fact that she had been eavesdropping outside the door.

"Grandmother Huo, the weather is quite hot, and I was afraid the crucian carp soup would spoil if left in the thermos for too long. That's why I timed the cooking to coincide with Commander Huo's surgery, hoping that as soon as he woke from the anesthesia, he could drink a fresh bowl of soup. I honestly didn't expect the surgery time to be brought forward."

Su Wan spoke calmly and unhurriedly as she retrieved the thermos from behind her.

Old Mrs. Huo looked at the thermos in Su Wan's hand with a trace of surprise; she hadn't expected Su Wan to be attentive to such details. Even if it was all an act, a considerable amount of thought had clearly gone into it.

As for the chicken soup Su Xiaohui had brewed at dawn, it had already turned sour within a few hours simply because of the heat.

"Isn't the timing just right then? Hurry up and give it to Cousin to drink. Who knows when my mom will be able to get here," Meng Xinhao chimed in.

Su Xiaohui clenched her hands tightly, her eyes filled with bitter resentment.

She couldn't figure out how Su Wan had managed to time it so precisely. Just as Aunt Hong went back to fetch the soup brewed by Nurse Wu, Su Wan had arrived right on her heels carrying the freshly brewed fish soup.

Meanwhile, the chicken soup she had risen at four in the morning to prepare had been completely wasted.

Determined to undermine her, Su Xiaohui deliberately remarked, "Sister, I actually wanted to make fish soup for Big Brother Huo as well, but crucian carp has so many bones. What would happen if Big Brother Huo accidentally got choked by a fish bone?"

"Not at all. I picked out all the fish bones beforehand and strained the soup twice through a fine mesh filter, which is why it took me a little longer," Su Wan said with a slight curve of her lips. "Crucian carp is the best food for promoting wound healing, even if picking out the bones is a bit troublesome."

This last sentence was a thinly veiled jab implying that Su Xiaohui was afraid of trouble and unwilling to put in the effort.

Su Xiaohui's expression stiffened, but she still put on a docile look, scurrying over to Su Wan's side and reaching for the thermos. "Sister, it was silly of me not to think of that. Let me feed Big Brother Huo the fish soup. You must be tired from the walk, sit down and rest for a while."

"No need. Let Xinhao do it," Huo Xiaohan said coldly, shifting his gaze to Meng Xinhao.

Su Wan had no wish to let Su Xiaohui borrow flowers to present to the Buddha—using soup brewed by Su Wan to curry favor with Huo Xiaohan—but at the moment, there seemed to be no other suitable candidate.

She was currently trying hard to avoid Huo Xiaohan and certainly didn't dare have any close physical contact with him.

Hearing Huo Xiaohan's words, she immediately handed the thermos to Meng Xinhao.

Su Xiaohui's hand hung suspended in mid-air, her face deeply mortified as she realized Big Brother Huo was still angry with her over the incident that morning.

Meng Xinhao scratched his head awkwardly. Clumsy as he was, he could never be as meticulous as a girl. Besides, he hadn't forgotten that his cousin seemed to harbor feelings for Little Sister Su Wan; this was a prime opportunity to help their relationship progress.

Waving his hands, he declined, "Cousin, I can't do this. If I spill the fish soup on you, my mom will definitely tear into me. Just let Little Sister Su Wan do it."

As those words fell, the ward fell completely silent.

Su Wan had assumed Huo Xiaohan would refuse, but to her surprise, he remained silent.

"Go ahead, Little Sister Su Wan," Meng Xinhao urged.

With no other choice, Su Wan braced herself and walked toward the bed with the thermos, inwardly terrified of being recognized by Huo Xiaohan.

After all, yesterday she had worn both a straw hat and a face mask, yet Huo Xiaohan had still managed to recognize her solely from her exposed eyes.

Nevertheless, she maintained a composed and natural demeanor on the surface, paying particular attention to the way she walked on her left foot. Even if Huo Xiaohan recognized her, as long as she stubbornly denied it, there was nothing he could do. But if he noticed that her left foot was injured, she wouldn't be able to shake off the suspicion.

Standing to one side, Su Xiaohui watched with a burning gaze of intense resentment and bitter injustice.

Huo Xiaohan's attitude toward her and Su Wan had completely reversed.

Having just undergone surgery, Huo Xiaohan was still unable to move and had an IV line in his arm. His handsome, sharply defined face was slightly pale, blunting his usual fierce edge and lending him a softer, more gentle aura.

Yet his dark eyes remained cold and sharp as he lifted his gaze to cast a cool, detached look at Su Wan as she approached.