Ning An was silent for a moment. "What are you doing here?"
Besides, did he have some kind of misunderstanding about the meaning of the word "fate"? They were only meeting for the third time; what kind of fate was that?
"I'm here to see my grandfather."
Xi Siyuan swapped places with the person in front of him, glanced at the takeout bag in her hand, and asked with a practiced familiarity, "Are you here to see a friend?"
"A relative."
Ning An looked at him with curiosity. Given the location and the status of the Xi family, the elder Mr. Xi should be at a better private hospital. Why was he admitted here?
Xi Siyuan asked with concern, "Is your relative doing okay?"
Ning An’s voice was calm. "They're fine, just need to remain under observation."
The elevator stopped on the third floor.
Ning An glanced back at him and waved. "Goodbye."
Back in the patient room, Teacher Chen set up the small table, and Ning An took out the lunch items one by one. After the meal, Teacher Chen tidied up and went to throw out the trash.
Wu Shu gestured for Ning An to come closer. "An'an, did you and Qin Wang have a fight?"
Ning An was surprised. "Why do you ask?"
Was it that obvious?
Wu Shu smiled. "You two used to be inseparable. This time, I noticed you didn't even make eye contact."
"..."
"Grandma just called me. She’s very worried about you and said she’ll have Qin Wang keep a closer eye on things and hurry up with building the new orphanage," Ning An said, changing the subject.
She didn't want to talk about it, and Wu Shu didn't press her. "These things can't be rushed. We can still live in our current orphanage, and Awang is so busy with work; don't put too much pressure on him."
"Okay, I'll figure it out."
"I've been free lately. I'll go back and help paint the walls one of these days."
"There isn't much left; the teachers will probably finish it today..."
"Excuse me, which one of you is Ms. Ning?"
A man holding a fruit basket larger than himself called out from the doorway. The other patients in the room looked at each other and shook their heads.
Ning An raised her hand. "That's me."
"Hello, Ms. Ning."
Lin Chen walked straight up to Ning An with the fruit basket. "I am Secretary to President Xi. He asked me to deliver this and wishes your relative a speedy recovery."
"..." Ning An moved the vase and medicine off the table to make room for the basket. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. President Xi said he hopes you and your family will like it."
As Lin Chen set down the basket, she realized it contained not just fruit, but various nutritional supplements as well.
Ning An couldn't help but ask, "If I’m not mistaken, shouldn't President Xi be upstairs accompanying his grandfather?"
"Yes, he is."
"But President Xi said he might have upset you, and he was afraid you wouldn't want to see him, so he asked me to act on his behalf."
Ning An: "..."
How did she not know she was upset?
Seeing that Ning An had no intention of responding, Lin Chen asked, "Is there anything you would like me to pass along?"
Ning An shook her head. "No."
Lin Chen looked at her with wide, expectant eyes, like a puppy waiting for its owner to give it a command.
Ning An thought for a moment. "...Then, please thank President Xi on my behalf."
He seemed to be waiting for exactly those words. He immediately replied, "I’m afraid I cannot deliver that message. If you’re able, you should tell him yourself."
"..."
Lin Chen gave a professional, polite smile. "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Leaving a bewildered Ning An behind, Lin Chen walked out of the room with a flourish.
"Who is this President Xi?" Wu Shu asked thoughtfully.
Ning An sighed. "I met him at a welcome banquet for a friend of Qin Wang's. He helped me out once—I suppose you could say he’s someone I owe a favor to?"
"The secretary just said his grandfather is hospitalized upstairs, right?"
"Yes. I ran into him in the elevator when I was bringing lunch up."
"Then it’s no surprise he knew you were here taking care of someone."
"As a return gesture, An'an, you should buy something and go visit his grandfather."
"...Alright."
Ning An had never met the elder Mr. Xi, nor had she heard anyone speak of him. Not knowing his preferences, she searched online. Everything that came up was about his ruthless business tactics; the only things related to his private life were reports about his love for his family.
The search engine also pulled up Xi Siyuan's profile. After finishing with the grandfather's information, she curiously clicked on it, but the simple lines of his career history were less informative than the rumors she’d heard in their social circles.
Since she couldn't find any useful information on either of them, and considering the old man might be allergic to flowers, Ning An bought a fruit basket and duplicated the assortment of nutritional supplements that Xi Siyuan had sent.
Back at the hospital, Ning An contacted Xi Siyuan to find out which floor his grandfather was on and took the elevator up. The upper floors for VIP patients were different from the busy wards below; the VIP floor was as quiet as a hotel.
Xi Siyuan had been waiting by the elevator after receiving her message. As the doors opened, his gaze met hers.
"Why did you bring things?"
Xi Siyuan reached out to take the fruit basket. "So heavy. Why didn't you just have the shop deliver it?"
Ning An: "..."
Seeing that Ning An was still standing in the elevator with no intention of coming out, Xi Siyuan frowned. "Are you planning to live in the elevator?"
"...Thank you for the get-well gift you sent."
Ning An was forced to step out of the elevator, though she still had no intention of moving any further. "Please pass these on to the elder Mr. Xi, and wish him a speedy recovery."
"What does that mean?"
Xi Siyuan held the basket in one hand, looking at her with evident displeasure. "You came to visit, yet you’re asking me to deliver your gift for you?"
Ning An explained earnestly, "The elder Mr. Xi doesn't know me. I’m afraid a sudden visit would disturb him."
"Whether it’s a disturbance or not is for him to decide."
Xi Siyuan shoved the basket back toward Ning An. "Take it in yourself. I am not accepting any delivery requests."
"..."
Ning An stared in disbelief at his back as he turned and walked away.
What was Xi Siyuan angry about?
He had clearly sent his own gift via his secretary—why was it not okay when she did the same?