However, Lu Tianxing did not know what had happened after he left, nor did he encounter Xue Bing. After bidding farewell to Xue Man, Lu Tianxing walked straight out of the hospital, stretching lazily. He realized that staying in the hospital made him feel uncomfortable all over, and the omnipresent smell of disinfectant seemed to sour his mood as well.
"Golden Cicada, it’s such a pity about that Golden Cicada. If I were proficient in breeding Gu, using this Gu Worm to find that Gu Master might have led me to a fine Six-winged Golden Cicada, which would have become an incredibly powerful ally once refined. But now, unfortunately, it can only be used as a medicinal primer."
Lu Tianxing muttered, feeling very regretful. If a Gu Worm is well cultivated, it is an absolute natural boon. In the woodlands, who would notice a bug the size of a peanut?
Moreover, some Gu Worms are natural nemeses for martial artists, unafraid of True Qi. To these creatures, the tough True Qi Protection Shields of martial artists might as well be paper; they puncture it effortlessly, catching one entirely off guard.
Imagine this: you brace yourself with a True Qi Protection Shield to block an opponent’s attack, but the opponent suddenly throws a Gu Worm that counters True Qi, directly tearing through your shield. At that point, without even a moment to defend, you are already dead beneath the Gu Worm.
Gu Worms are terrifying not only because they are unpredictable but also because many carry potent toxins that can turn a person into a puddle of blood in seconds upon contact.
"What a pity, the death of that Golden Cicada is such a waste."
Lu Tianxing sighed with regret and was about to hail a taxi home when his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
Lu Tianxing was startled. Who would call him at this hour, could it be Lin Qianru or Rose?
He took out his phone, and without any hesitation, he answered the call when he saw who it was.
"Wife, why do you have time to call me today, isn’t it another check-in call? Don’t worry, I, Lu Tianxing, know how to keep my belt on, I never take it off when I shouldn’t."
"Hmm, a check-in, do you think you’re worth my check-in? I just wanted to ask about the treatment results, how is Xiao Man’s mother?"
Bai Zhiqing’s cold laughter came through from the other end of the phone.
Lu Tianxing couldn’t see it, but at that moment Bai Zhiqing felt her heart almost leap out of her throat. Ever since Lu Tianxing and Xue Man left, she had been unprecedentedly nervous, as if a wife, hearing about her husband’s possible affair, made a call to confirm it.
Women are a strange creature, their thoughts cannot be measured by ordinary standards; a woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean, ever-changing and inscrutable.
"Of course, there’s nothing wrong, don’t you know who your husband is? Is there anything I can’t solve?" Lu Tianxing responded proudly.
If it had been a real medical conundrum, he might truly have been helpless, but if the harm was caused by a martial artist, his True Qi was the best medicine.
"You cured Xiao Man’s mother, nothing else happened?" Bai Zhiqing cautiously asked.
As she voiced the question, Bai Zhiqing felt her heart nearly jump out of her throat, she didn’t know why, but she suddenly became nervous, not wanting to hear an answer she wouldn’t like.
Lu Tianxing’s voice trailed off, not speaking for a long time, which made Bai Zhiqing anxiously sweat bullets, wishing she could punch him in the face through the phone for stringing her along .
"Nothing happened, I just cured her and left, now I’m at the hospital entrance ready to head home."
Finally, Lu Tianxing said it out loud. As for kissing Xue Man, that wasn’t a big deal; it was a payment for treating her, a fair trade, natural, with nothing to fuss over.
The other end of the phone was silent. Bai Zhiqing clenched the phone, her palm sweaty. Hearing that nothing had happened from Lu Tianxing, she finally took a long breath of relief.
"Honey, what’s wrong? You seem disappointed. Should I go back and ask Minister Xue for a hot kiss since I saved her mother? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask for a kiss, don’t you think?"
Lu Tianxing’s cheeky voice came through the phone.
"Go ahead, go and show me," she huffed.
Bai Zhiqing’s emotionless voice responded from the other end of the line.
Lu Tianxing instinctively shrunk his neck, feeling the chilly air coming through the phone.
"Wife, don’t get agitated, I was just joking. Am I the type to take advantage of someone in distress? You underestimate your husband’s self-control."
Lu Tianxing laughed awkwardly, indeed wanting to go back, but the key issue was that Xue Man wouldn’t let him take advantage of her anyway.
"By the way, wife, you didn’t call me just to find out about this, did you?" Lu Tianxing inquired.
Bai Zhiqing spoke indifferently, "Of course not, I wanted to tell you today is Weiwei’s birthday. Don’t forget, and we’re not coming home this afternoon. We’re planning to eat at Jingpeng Hotel. I’m just letting you know so you won’t forget later."
"Today is Weiwei’s birthday?"
Lu Tianxing frowned, completely unaware of his sister-in-law’s birthday.
He avoided Bai Weiwei whenever he saw her; how could he dare to ask when her birthday was? Who knew if Bai Weiwei might get the wrong idea and attempt to seduce him again?
"Yes, today is Weiwei’s birthday."
"Then wife, do you think I should prepare a birthday gift?" Lu Tianxing asked.
"It’s up to you, I’ve already informed you. Nothing else, I’m hanging up now."
"Got it. But, wife, I have something I want to tell you."
"Honey, I suddenly realized I kind of miss you. Do you think I’m terminally ill?"
"Scram, I don’t need you to miss me."
The phone was promptly hung up on the other end.
In the chairman’s office, Bai Zhiqing held the phone, her face flushed, a small smile playing at her lips. Lu Tianxing’s last words of missing her felt as sweet as honey, reaching deep into the bottom of her heart.
This smile was like a blooming rose, captivating and stunning, making Lan Xin, who came in to report, stare in amazement. She had never seen Bai Zhiqing smile before, and never imagined that Bai Zhiqing could smile so beautifully, even she couldn’t help but be slightly enchanted.
Lu Tianxing put away his phone, his face adorned with a radiant smile. Although Bai Zhiqing’s tone was cold, he could hear the panic and shyness it concealed, it looked like breaking the ice with her was another step closer now.
Checking the time, Lu Tianxing stood at the hospital entrance, hailed a taxi, and left. However, Lu Tianxing didn’t head straight to Jingpeng Hotel but went to a shopping mall instead. Since it was Bai Weiwei’s birthday, as her brother-in-law, he had to prepare a gift no matter what.