Ye Qingju didn’t stay idle either. She headed downstairs to grab something to eat, thinking, Big Bro looked absolutely worn out—he probably hasn’t had a bite all day.
Just as she rounded the corner on the landing, she nearly collided with a nurse pushing a food cart.
“I’m so sorry—are you alright?” The nurse apologized, but her tone felt oddly perfunctory, like she was just going through the motions.
Ye Qingju immediately looked down at the food containers to make sure she hadn’t ruined anything in the near miss, then finally raised her head. “Sorry—”
“Ye Qingju?!” A voice cut in, full of disbelief. It was Yi Bingmei, and her face was frozen in wide-eyed shock.
The faint smile at the corners of Ye Qingju’s lips turned stiff. Oh no. Right…
She remembered now—Yi Bingmei had studied nursing and was currently interning at a hospital.
She just hadn’t expected her to be interning at this hospital—a Qi Corporation facility.
“What are you doing here? Is the ‘important guest’ the head nurse mentioned actually Mr. Qi?”
“What happened to Mr. Qi?!”
Clearly, she was both startled and excited. Though her words sounded concerned, her eyes were shining with thinly veiled eagerness.
Ye Qingju let out a cold laugh. Look at her—someone who didn’t know better would think she’s here to inherit a fortune.
“If you’re so curious, why not go find out for yourself?”
Sure enough, Yi Bingmei actually turned to walk in that direction.
“Don’t bother,” Ye Qingju said casually. “The person who’s hospitalized isn’t Qi Weiran—it’s a friend of mine.”
The moment Yi Bingmei heard it was Ye Qingju’s friend, her excitement evaporated. She didn’t even bother continuing her food delivery. She just left the cart there and said,
“Well, since you’re here, I won’t waste my time. Push it over yourself.”
Ye Qingju was more than happy to comply. She immediately took the cart and turned away.
But just as she stepped through the door, the idiotic expression on Yi Bingmei’s face vanished without a trace—replaced by a look of icy calculation. She followed quietly, pressing herself flat against the wall beside the door, ears perked.
An Mama’s real name was Sun Wenjuan. By the time Ye Qingju entered the room, she had already regained consciousness.
Seeing Ye Qingju delivering the food in person, An De quickly stood up. “Sister, let me take that.”
Ye Qingju didn’t argue and handed it over.
When the couple saw the meals on the cart, a flicker of shock passed through their eyes.
Just the fact that Sun Wenjuan had been admitted to such a high-end private suite was enough to make them feel uneasy. Now, seeing the specialized meals delivered with such care, they couldn’t even mask their anxiety.
Ye Qingju was just an ordinary person herself—she could easily read their tension. So she quickly explained, “My sister works here. It just so happens the hospital had some vacant private rooms recently, so we arranged for Auntie to stay here temporarily.”
“The doctor said she’ll be discharged once two IV bags are done.”
Hearing that the stay would be brief—and not astronomically expensive—the couple visibly relaxed, clearly trusting her judgment.
“Thank you so much, sister,” An De said sincerely, his gratitude genuine.
Ye Qingju waved it off. “It’s nothing. Xiao An is friends with our Tuantuan. This is the least I can do.”
Outside the room, Yi Bingmei—still eavesdropping—felt her eyelid twitch. So that’s what’s going on… She turned and tiptoed away.
Inside, while chatting with the couple, Ye Qingju subtly reached into her pocket and gently touched the turtle hidden there.
【Is she gone?】
The little turtle lazily placed one tiny paw on Ye Qingju’s hand. 【She’s gone, Host.】
Ye Qingju’s smile didn’t change. She motioned for An De to sit on the sofa and thought silently, There really is something off about Yi Bingmei.
“Big Brother An, how’s your pig farm doing these days?” she asked bluntly.
An De was caught off guard by the sudden question. After a brief pause, he let out a bitter chuckle. “I’ve already started looking for buyers. But the market’s in bad shape right now—no one’s interested, even if I offer it at rock-bottom prices.”
Ye Qingju asked him what the offer was. He gave her a number.
She nodded and said, “I’ll buy your pig farm for double that price. Does that work for you?”
Both An De and Sun Wenjuan’s expressions changed instantly.
“Sister, you’re not joking, right? What would you even do with it? Not just our place—even the bigger farms are shutting down left and right. It’s a dangerous business now. Don’t get involved.”
It was clear to him that Ye Qingju wasn’t short on money, but that only made him more worried—afraid she’d suffer a major loss just chasing a whim.
Ye Qingju’s eyes softened.
What kind people.
“Big Brother An, don’t worry. This isn’t some impulsive decision—I’m serious about buying it.”
Seeing that he still didn’t quite believe her, Ye Qingju asked calmly, “The sick pigs—you’ve seen them spike a fever around 40°C, stop eating, struggle to breathe… then purple blotches appear on their bodies, and a few days later, they die, right?”
An De’s expression shifted completely.
“You know about that strange disease?”
Ye Qingju shook her head. “In my original world, we never managed to develop a cure.”
Disappointment flickered across An De’s face.
“But I do know how to prevent it.”
That one sentence made An De snap his head up again.
He didn’t dismiss her just because of her age. In fact, a vague instinct stirred in his chest—a sense that this young woman might actually pull something huge off.
“Sister, you don’t need to pay double. Just the original offer is enough. But I do have one condition.”
Ye Qingju gestured for him to continue.
An De exchanged a look with his wife. From that gaze, he drew strength. “Can I stay on at the pig farm and help you run it? I’ve been in this business for years. I may not be good at anything else, but when it comes to pigs—I know them inside and out.”
Ye Qingju smiled. “You don’t even need to ask. I was hoping you’d say that. If you’re willing, I’d be honored.”
The deal was so significant, they both forgot about their food altogether. The longer they discussed it, the more amazed An De became.
The way Ye Qingju talked, analyzed, and strategized—it was like sitting across from a seasoned livestock magnate, not a teenage girl.
Meanwhile – at Happy Days Kindergarten
When the teacher called Qi Xinian’s name, the little dumpling, who’d been hunched over his drawing, immediately put down his pen and—without a word—grabbed the still-mopey An Zuoran by the hand.
The teacher didn’t stop them.
As soon as they stepped outside, Qi Xinian looked up, ready to ask how Zuoran’s mom was doing—but the second he saw the man waiting outside, who looked completely out of place next to the pastel kindergarten, his grape-dark eyes lit up like stars.
“Uncle—!”
He ran over with a huge grin on his face.
Qi Weiran rubbed his fingers together, tempted—but ultimately didn’t pick him up.
Qi Xinian was used to it. After his initial burst of joy, he clung to Qi Weiran’s leg and glanced behind him.
“Where’s Ye Qingju?”
Qi Weiran gave Zhang Wei a look.
Zhang Wei immediately stepped forward: “Young Master, Madam is still at the hospital.”
At the mention of the hospital, Qi Xinian let go and looked toward An Zuoran, who was nervously trailing behind.
Zhang Wei added, “Your friend’s mother is fine now. Sir came to take you both to visit her.”
Qi Weiran nodded.
If no one had reported that Ye Qingju hadn’t left the hospital room all morning, Qi Xinian wouldn’t have had a ride.
He still remembered how, the day he had a cough, Ye Qingju only stayed for thirty minutes before leaving.
Yes, part of it was his fault—but still, it stung.
The more he thought about the past, the more he realized—that woman only ever pretended to care about him.
How had he not seen it before?
Was his 5.0 vision failing without him knowing?
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