Chapter 21: A Narrow Encounter

Jiang Li's mouth hung open wide enough to swallow an egg. "You mean... Niannian?!"

Niannian could swim? How did he not know?

Ye Wangchuan had taken off his coat and given it to Qiao Nian. He was only wearing a black low-cut sweater underneath, which revealed a patch of snow-white skin at the neckline. His collarbones were sexy, making him stand out enough in a crowd.

"Qiao Nian's neck was scratched by Chenchen. I plan to take her to the hospital."

Looking at the wound on Qiao Nian's neck, Jiang Li's face was full of heartache. Without a second thought, he said, "I'll go with you! I'll go get the car in a moment!"

Qiao Nian, who originally had no intention of going to the hospital: "..."

So, no one was going to ask for her opinion?

...

The city hospital was, as always, overcrowded. The line for registration in the emergency department stretched from inside the hospital all the way out into the corridor. Ye Wangchuan seemed to know someone at the city hospital; instead of going to the outpatient department, he led Qiao Nian directly to the South Wing.

The South Wing was the VIP area. In the past, when Qiao Chen went for medical treatment, she often came to the South Wing. The fees here were more expensive, but it meant you didn't have to worry about not being able to book a doctor.

They arrived on the first floor.

Jiang Li went out to make a phone call.

A hospital staff member hurried over and said something to Ye Wangchuan. Ye Wangchuan turned back to her and said, "Wait for me here for a moment. I'll be right back."

Qiao Nian didn't mind. She nodded, found a corner with few people, and picked up a medical science promotional brochure from a rack to pass the time.

She didn't notice Fu Ge, Qiao Chen, Zhao Jingwei, and their group coming down the stairs.

Zhao Jingwei was sharp-eyed. Seeing Qiao Nian standing in the corner of the lobby from a distance, she pointed and said in surprise, "Chenchen, isn't that Qiao Nian?"

Qiao Chen had just been brought by Fu Ge to see her regular attending physician. The doctor had symbolically prescribed her some calming medication and had just come down.

Her complexion had been rosy, but upon seeing Qiao Nian, her expression turned sour. She unconsciously gripped Fu Ge's arm and whispered, "Why is Sister here too?"

Fu Ge also saw the girl in the corner looking down at the brochure. The sunlight was so bright that the fine peach fuzz on her face was visible. Her wrist holding the booklet was slender and white, and her long neck was slightly bowed. Even from this distance, one could see her eyelashes drooping like small fans...

Qiao Nian's beauty was bright, dazzling, and aggressive!

It was different from Qiao Chen's fragility that required protection.

That kind of beauty was too wild and untamable!

He always felt as though he couldn't quite master her, and that she remained perpetually out of reach.

How could Qiao Chen not notice that he had noticed Qiao Nian again? Biting her lip, her complexion, which had finally regained some color, turned pale again. She pinched her fingers and said worriedly, "Could it be that the child couldn't be resuscitated?"

Zhao Jingwei chimed in from the side, "I think it's most likely that the child's condition worsened after we left. If you ask me, Qiao Nian shouldn't have acted so recklessly! I've been to your house to play so many times; how could she know anything about acupuncture? Before, it was just a fluke—the child was already about to wake up, and she just happened to prick them with a needle at the right moment, making it look like she was the one who saved them."

Qiao Chen thought the same thing, but she was smarter than Zhao Jingwei and maintained a facade of defending Qiao Nian: "...Maybe Sister really did save that child."

"Her?"

Zhao Jingwei snorted with disdain.

She advised her earnestly, "Chenchen, don't be too kind; it's easy to get taken advantage of!"

"Today was just Qiao Nian being overconfident. So many people on the road saw the child fall into the water; everyone called 120 and waited for the police. She just wanted to show off her abilities and jumped in. The river current was so fast—if something had happened, would the news praise her for her bravery? The child's parents might even try to blame her!"

(End of Chapter)