Meanwhile, on the other side, Wang Ziran, who had suddenly received the news, quickly instructed people to tidy up the hospital room.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't put it there, move it over here!"
"More flowers, yes, lots more! Not enough? Go buy more quickly!"
The Chairman's wife asked, "Ziran, why do you need so many flowers?"
"Yiyi doesn't like the smell of disinfectant in hospitals. She's hated hospitals since she was little. This hospital room can't have any smells she dislikes!"
"But you can't just clutter the room with them. Look, you've put them all around your bed. It's so inauspicious!"
"Mom, did you bring perfume? Spray some on me. I'm just..."
Wang Ziran sniffed his hospital gown and quickly took it off.
"What are you doing! Put that on!"
Startled by the outburst, Wang Ziran obediently put the hospital gown back on.
"You scared him! He hasn't fully recovered..."
"This is all your spoiling him!"
"Your son was just kidnapped and rescued, can't you show some concern?"
"That was his own doing! I ask you, did you tell that Jin Youli that you could help her brother get the hundred-billion project!"
Wang Ziran suddenly fell silent.
"Okay, okay, it's all in the past. Why bring it up again? Let's not talk about it..."
"A father's fault if the son is not taught properly! I never imagined I would have such a scoundrel for a son!"
"I just said it was possible..."
"You always take advantage of me being your dad. Haven't you caused enough trouble outside? All for Su Ruiyi, you've bullied people everywhere. And now, you've even learned to deceive! Deceiving is one thing, but you dared to use my name to casually promise Jin Youli a hundred-billion project!"
"I..."
The Chairman grew increasingly angry, and a slap landed, making Wang Ziran's vision go starry.
The Chairman's wife rushed forward, cradling her son's head, her voice choked with tears as she restrained her husband.
"He's so young, how would he know right from wrong? If you want to hit someone, hit me!"
"If you keep spoiling him, one day I'll be dragged down by him!!!"
The Chairman, furious, stormed out of the room. The Chairman's wife, however, continued to stroke Wang Ziran's head, murmuring words of comfort.
"Mom, I'm fine. You should go. Yiyi will be here soon."
"Son..."
"Really, I'm fine. Go quickly!"
"Alright, alright, Mom will leave first. Mom will come back tonight."
Wang Ziran was left alone in the room. Enduring the pain, he got out of bed and barefooted, rearranged the room again. He didn't want a single thing to be out of place.
But he lay down, sat up, stood, and waited until nightfall. Apart from a few times when the nurse came to change his dressing, Su Ruiyi didn't even show up.
Just as he was about to send a message asking Su Ruiyi about her whereabouts, the door to the room finally opened.
"Yiyi, I was just about to..."
But as he looked up, the person entering was not Su Ruiyi.
Wang Ziran's gaze dimmed again.
"Taozi? Why are you here."
Taozi quickly put the food she brought aside. Although her appearance didn't bring Wang Ziran joy, it was a comfort beyond words.
"I came to see you. I heard you were kidnapped, and I've been blaming myself for a long time."
"It's not your fault."
Taozi's eyes actually reddened, and her voice was tinged with a sob...
"How can it not be my fault? If I hadn't forgotten my bag that day, I wouldn't have left you alone with that designated driver..."
"Do you know how worried I was when I saw you were gone..."
"Taozi..."
"Then I saw the news on TV about you being kidnapped. I was so worried I almost cried. It's all my fault... I was too careless..."
Wang Ziran quickly walked over and hugged the weeping Taozi. This was the first time in his life he had met a girl who cried for him...
Wang Ziran didn't know how to comfort Taozi. With Su Ruiyi, he had never received such treatment. Su Ruiyi didn't care about him, didn't cry for him. Now, it seemed Su Ruiyi had never cared for him as much as Taozi, let alone comforted him...
Having received Wang Ziran's embrace, Taozi cried even harder. She hugged him tightly, wishing she could vent all her grievances.
"Don't cry, don't cry. I don't blame you. Look at me now, I'm fine, I can even do standing broad jumps!"
As Wang Ziran was about to demonstrate that he was not seriously injured, his faintly aching ribs made him gasp in pain.
"Be careful."
Taozi helped Wang Ziran sit back on the hospital bed.
"Thank you, Taozi."
"Th... Thank you for what?"
"Thank you for visiting me. I feel much better."
Wang Ziran wiped away Taozi's tears. He cupped her face, looking intently at the girl's features.
Perhaps it was because she resembled Su Ruiyi in so many ways, he desperately wished the person in front of him was that spoiled and willful Su Ruiyi.
Taozi shifted her gaze and took out a bag full of snacks.
"Look what delicious snacks I brought you. You probably can't get them in the hospital."
Taozi held up each snack one by one, showing them to Wang Ziran, and enthusiastically described how delicious they were. But Wang Ziran was no longer listening...
As he pulled Taozi closer and hugged her tightly, Wang Ziran's heart began to change. If he couldn't have Su Ruiyi, why couldn't another girl fill the emptiness in his heart?
"Can you stay with me?"
Taozi froze, her heart pounding nervously.
"I don't want to be here alone."
"Okay, okay..."
Wang Ziran stroked Taozi's hair. The initially cool touch gradually grew warm, and Taozi, lost in the moment, gazed up at the young man before her. She whispered into Wang Ziran's chest, expressing her willingness to be Su Ruiyi's substitute.
As Wang Ziran pressed Taozi against the wall, their hurried footsteps toppled the flower baskets on the floor. The wafting floral scent acted like an aphrodisiac, making them both impulsive yet cautious.
But as their breaths deepened, Wang Ziran found himself wondering what would happen if Su Ruiyi appeared at the door right then. Would he rush over to explain? Would he tell her Taozi was just a friend?
But the hallway outside was silent. Perhaps Su Ruiyi wouldn't come after all...