Chapter 1001: Chapter 1001: Wait for My Return

Li Qiao lowered her head and remained silent, her eyelids drooping as if she could fall asleep at any moment.

Shang Yu tilted his head down to kiss her nose tip, his gaze stiffly directed at the tray in Luoyu’s hand, seemingly indicating that she should bring it over.

He Chen immediately understood what the man had in mind, and he pressed his cheek, saying coldly, “It’s not for her, you eat it. After eating, come back to the hospital with me.”

Li Qiao forcibly opened her sleepy eyes and asked in a daze, “You haven’t eaten?”

“Just three days and nights without eating.” He Chen sat in the single sofa with a half-smile, resting his ankle on his knee, “Shang Shaoyan, if you continue to act recklessly, I won’t stop you. I happened to pass by the Harmony Hall yesterday, and they have new goods on display.”

Li Qiao turned her head in confusion, fighting off the overwhelming sleepiness while pondering what kind of place Harmony Hall was.

He Chen looked at Luoyu expressionlessly, “You tell her.”

Seeing this, Luoyu cleared her throat, “Madam, Harmony Hall is… the mortuary supplies procurement office.”

Li Qiao’s mind cleared, and she waved her hand in slow motion, “Food.”

He Chen kept a stern face, but a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

These two people, when in love to the extreme, would cling to each other for warmth even if covered in bruises.

What kind of feelings would make Li Qiao go to such lengths, allowing Shaoyan to disregard his own life just to wait for her forgiveness?

He Chen had never experienced it and couldn’t empathize.

Shang Yu had not drunk a drop of water in a few days, yet still ate in a slow and methodical manner, which even made He Chen suspect that he was deliberately delaying.

In a short while, the man drank half a bowl of porridge, and Li Qiao clutched the ice pack in her hand, slowly saying, “Take a shower before you go.”

The strong smell of smoke lingered on him, and his shirt was full of wrinkles.

Such a proud Shang Shaoyan, yet he no longer cared about his own image.

An hour later, Shang Yu wrapped a towel around his waist and abdomen, holding Li Qiao affectionately, “Wait for me to come back…”

“Mm.” Li Qiao rested her chin on his shoulder, inhaling the scent of shower gel and aftershave, “I’ll wait for you.”

They both knew that the road to treatment would be arduous, but there was no other choice.

The man buried his head in her shoulder and neck, remaining silent for a long time before softly asking, “Qiaoqiao, do you hate me?”

If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have faced such a catastrophe.

If it weren’t for him, her life might still be filled with unrestrained joy.

But before Li Qiao could answer, Shang Yu gently sealed her lips, kissed her a few times, and then released her, “Wait for me.”

He ultimately didn’t dare to hear her answer, leaving in a hurry that even carried urgency.

After that day, Li Qiao and Shang Yu fought their stubborn illnesses in places unseen by each other.

The Parma Royal Hospital invited numerous experts to join in advising on Shang Yu’s condition.

Meanwhile, Li Qiao held onto the ice pack daily and set twelve alarms on her phone.

Waking up every two hours, day or night.

She dared not sleep for long, fearing she might never wake up again.

…

Five days later, New Year’s Eve.

Parma was unlike China, not celebrating the Lunar New Year, but due to the numerous Chinese people, the streets were still filled with a strong New Year’s atmosphere.

In the morning, Li Qiao sat by the fishing pond in the backyard, touching the ice pack in her hand, her expression completely calm.

She could already walk freely, her cheeks had regained some rosiness, but her brows and eyes were filled with weariness, as if her thoughts were heavy.

Outside the yard, Luoyu walked slowly, carrying Li Qiao’s favorite guava, speaking softly, “Madam, would you like some fruit?”

Li Qiao seemed not to hear, her gaze fixed on the fish pond, lost in thought.

Luoyu put down the fruit platter and stood quietly beside her, waiting for her to come back to her senses.

Recently, Li Qiao had been daydreaming for long periods every day, and though her body was recovering, her mental state seemed to be continually wilting.

The inability to sleep for long, compounded by the struggle with pregnancy-induced depression, made her life very difficult.

After a short while, Li Qiao brought her fingers to her lips to blow warm air, the ice pack already melted by her touch, her fingertips were cool to the point of numbness.

“Luoyu…” she began in a faint voice, “Do you have time tonight?”

Today is New Year’s Eve, a day for family reunions to welcome the New Year.

She missed him.

Luoyu bent over and squatted down, looking up at Li Qiao, “Madam, I’m free, what’s wrong?”

Li Qiao blinked, casually placing the ice pack on the tea table, “What about Shaoyan?”

Luoyu immediately fell silent.

The patriarch had instructed that before their conditions improved, they should be kept apart as much as possible, and Luoyu wholeheartedly agreed.

She had just been to the hospital yesterday, and personally, Luoyu didn’t want Li Qiao to see the current state of the boss.

Li Qiao sighed softly, slowly turning her head, “I can find out myself.”

Luoyu paused for a moment, then chose to answer honestly, “The boss is in the Royal Hospital’s psychiatric department.”

“Make arrangements for eight o’clock tonight to take me there.”

Li Qiao curled her fingers supporting her temple, closing her eyes wearily after saying this.

She intended to spend New Year’s with him and see if he was actively cooperating with the treatment.

…

Meanwhile, in the cafe of the Parma CBD Building, He Chen leaned against the backrest, his relaxed posture exuding a sense of indulgence.

He was waiting for someone, and in his leisure, he couldn’t help but think of Yin Mo.

Sometimes he truly felt that woman had no heart.

In the past month, she had not reached out to him, not even once.

He Chen glanced down at the phone on the table, his eyes filled with displeasure.

Suddenly, the light to the side dimmed slightly, and he raised an eyebrow, casting a sidelong glance, a cold smile slowly spreading across his thin lips.

“I thought you would never return in this lifetime.”

The other party opened with a teasing remark, intermingled with a touch of sarcasm.

He Chen casually lifted his chin, “What? Afraid I’ll come back and take the throne from your family?”

When it came to being sarcastic, no one could match He Chen.

The uninvited guest was He Qing.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, his similarly narrow eyes filled with visible mockery, “I recall you said you’d never come back when you left, so why the sudden change of heart?”

He Chen looked at He Qing, reaching out to tap his own temple, “If you have a brain, use it. Don’t come asking me everything, what am I, your father?”

He Qing’s face darkened as he touched his fingertips in a mocking, amused way, “You’re still so carefree and will never amount to anything.”

“If you’re done with your nonsense, just get lost. I don’t have time to teach you a lesson today.”

He Qing didn’t get angry but laughed instead, resting his arms on the table, leaning forward, and chuckling softly, “I’ll give you that line back word for word.”

He Chen pressed his lips thinly, looking at He Qing with a gaze full of meaning, “There’s more you owe me than just that.”

He Qing’s thick brows furrowed just as he was about to respond, when He Chen suddenly kicked the leg of the table, “Get lost on your own, or should I make you?”

“He Chen, it’s better not to be too flamboyant.”

He Qing arrogantly warned him, then stood up, looking down at him, “I’d advise you to leave Parma early, don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Suddenly, a gentle male voice came from the left front, “Those who have humiliated Young Master Xiao Si don’t seem to last long.”