Chapter 28: How Far Have We Gone

At this moment, inside the hospital room.

Qiao Xi leaned against the headboard, her leg secured in a brace, but her spirits seemed much improved.

Since her phone had been ruined by water the day before, Fu Yancheng had bought her a new one. With nothing else to do, she pondered for a moment and dialed an international video call.

The screen quickly lit up, revealing a radiant and strikingly beautiful Asian face with a hint of mixed heritage.

"Xi Bao!"

The girl on the other end broke into a brilliant smile the moment she saw Qiao Xi, playfully complaining, "You finally remembered me."

"By my calculation, isn’t it about time you got ready to attend next week’s shareholders' meeting? I’ve missed you desperately!"

The speaker was Gu Ranran, Qiao Xi’s best friend from her study-abroad days, and the shareholder and CEO of her niche overseas cosmetics brand, Snowkiss.

The two had founded the brand while at university abroad. It focused on the finest natural and rare ingredients, crafted with exceptional skill, producing limited quantities at a premium price. The brand had garnered an impeccable reputation among top-tier, discerning circles.

Because Qiao Xi’s mother had fallen ill, Qiao Xi was forced to return home to care for her, leaving the company in Gu Ranran’s capable hands.

Seeing her best friend’s energetic demeanor, Qiao Xi smiled softly and told her she wouldn’t be able to come.

Gu Ranran leaned closer to the screen, finally noticing the hospital gown and the clinical environment behind Qiao Xi.

Her smile vanished instantly as she exclaimed, "Oh my God! Xi Xi, why are you in the hospital? What happened to you?!"

Qiao Xi felt a warmth in her heart and gave a light and understated account of what had happened to her the previous day.

Gu Ranran listened, so anxious she seemed about to leap through the screen.

Qiao Xi, touched and amused, quickly reassured her, "Really, it’s nothing. Don’t make a fuss. I just need to be observed for a few days in the hospital."

"And besides..." She hesitated, a blush creeping up her cheeks, "I have someone looking after me."

Gu Ranran, ever perceptive, seized on this like a new discovery. "Oh-ho, and who might that be? Tell me! Is it that Mr. Fu of yours?"

She leaned in mischievously, grinning, "Come on, be honest—how far have you two gone?"

Qiao Xi’s face flushed scarlet at the blatant teasing. "Gu Ranran! Behave yourself, I’m still in the hospital."

"That’s exactly why you need a little romantic gossip to nourish the soul!"

Gu Ranran laughed, though the worry in her eyes did not fade. "Forget about the shareholders' meeting. Your only task now is to lie back and be a princess, and take good care of that precious leg."

At the mention of the company, Qiao Xi’s expression grew serious. "Yes. Keep an eye on Snowkiss for now. Email me if anything comes up."

They chatted a little longer before Qiao Xi finally hung up, still feeling the warmth of Gu Ranran’s repeated concern.

After putting down her phone, Qiao Xi gazed at the sunlight streaming through the window and sighed softly.

She wished Snowkiss could one day make a splash in the domestic market.

It seemed Fu Yancheng had always paid attention to this brand. She wondered if he might see it as a competitor and sweep it from the market entirely.

—

After learning of Qiao Xi’s injury, Lin Moran had come rushing to the hospital almost straight from work every day, keeping Qiao Xi company and chatting with her, which moved Qiao Xi deeply.

On this day, the door to the hospital room was suddenly knocked.

Lin Moran, who was busy peeling an apple for Qiao Xi, called out, "Come in!"

The door opened—to their surprise, it was Qin Yiran.

She was holding a bouquet of expensive flowers, a perfectly measured smile on her face, followed by an assistant carrying a basket of fruit.

"Team Leader Qiao, I heard you were hurt and have been wanting to visit. Work kept me so busy I had to put it off until now. My apologies."

Her voice was gentle as she set the flowers on the bedside table. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

Her concern seemed genuine, as if she hadn’t been the one who had sent Qiao Xi to the Xishan Botanical Garden.

Lin Moran snorted at the sight of Qin Yiran, barely concealing her disdain.

"A weasel paying New Year's respects to a chicken," she muttered, hacking at the apple with new vigor as if it were Qin Yiran’s head.

Qiao Xi, however, remained calm, reclining against the pillows with a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern, Dr. Qin. I’m much better."

Qin Yiran ignored Lin Moran’s hostility and took a seat beside the bed, sighing softly.

"Team Leader Qiao, without you at the office, we've run into quite a few issues with project progress."

She pivoted directly to the matter at hand.

Lin Moran couldn’t help but interject, "Dr. Qin, Qiao is still recovering. Can’t work matters wait until she’s well?"

As if just realizing her slip, Qin Yiran hastily apologized. "Look at me, always thinking about the project. The thing is, the 'Ever-Youth Project' has reached its most critical phase—the core synthesis. But our experiments have failed over a dozen times now."

Qiao Xi watched her quietly without a word, fully aware where the problem likely lay.

Starwort’s active components were notoriously delicate, requiring extremely strict temperature and catalyst controls. Qin Yiran’s heavy-handed methods would never suffice.

Seeing Qiao Xi remain silent, a flicker of embarrassment and irritation crossed Qin Yiran’s face.

But with Fu Yancheng’s warning still ringing in her ears, she pressed on, even at the cost of belittling herself. "I... I’ve tried many approaches, but nothing seems to work."

Jaw clenched, she forced out the next words, "Team Leader Qiao, you seem to have a far more instinctive grasp of these botanical materials than I do. So..."

"So, I wanted to ask for your guidance. The project can’t afford any more delays, and President Fu... is also waiting for results."

She emphasized "President Fu," her tone edged with both threat and jealousy.

Qiao Xi saw through the performance as clearly as a polished mirror.

Qin Yiran wasn’t here for guidance; she was stuck, unable to deliver results to Fu Yancheng, and afraid that repeated failures would expose her incompetence. She had no choice but to seek help from Qiao Xi, the "workhorse," and while she was at it, play the part of someone willing to set aside grudges for the sake of the project in front of Fu Yancheng.

Yet the Ever-Youth Project was Qiao Xi’s own brainchild. She would not let personal grievances stall or doom the project. This was her professional integrity.

She spoke calmly, her voice devoid of emotion, "Did you bring the data?"

Qin Yiran started, not expecting Qiao Xi to be so direct. She hurriedly pulled out a tablet from her briefcase and opened the experiment logs.

"I did, it’s all here."

Qiao Xi took the tablet, quickly identifying several key and even basic errors.

Qin Yiran’s face flushed with humiliation—such mistakes were beneath someone with her credentials as "Dr. Q." Being called out so bluntly by Qiao Xi felt like a public execution.

She could only endure it, forcing a grateful expression. "So that’s it... Thank you for your guidance, Team Leader Qiao."

Qiao Xi returned the tablet, her tone still flat. "Try again following this approach. If there are more issues, have Engineer Lin send me the data for review."

Qin Yiran accepted the tablet, her smile strained beyond tears. "Of course... I won’t disturb your rest any longer. I’ll return to the lab now."

She had just turned to leave when, in that instant, all the blood drained from her face.

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

Fu Yancheng was standing right outside the door, his whereabouts previously unnoticed!

His face was cold and severe, his deep eyes fixed on her with an icy gaze. He had clearly been standing there for some time—who knew how much he had heard!