Chapter 26: Still Unaware of His Name

Ning Huaizhi smiled, her expression soft and gentle.

"Thank you."

"Let's eat first."

Qin Qiuhong let his gaze linger on her face for a moment before looking away. His fingers unconsciously rubbed against each other as he thought of the texture of her cheeks. They looked as soft as clouds, and they surely must feel just as delicate to the touch.

Ning Huaizhi sat at the table, sipping her porridge in small, slow mouthfuls. Her movements were so deliberate that she resembled a tiny hamster nibbling on grain, which was quite endearing. Feeling his gaze fixed steadily upon her, Ning Huaizhi began to feel uneasy.

"Sir..."

Qin Qiuhong sat on the other side of the table, his elbows resting on the surface. He didn't move as she spoke, only asking with a look of piqued interest, "What is it?"

Seeing that he seemed so interested in her, Ning Huaizhi swallowed her words. "It's nothing."

Forget it, she thought. He had already saved her life; surely she could let him look at her. It wouldn't cost her anything.

Ning Huaizhi eventually finished her meal under his constant scrutiny. As soon as she was done, she began searching for a tissue. A handkerchief was offered to her.

"Use this to wipe your mouth."

As Ning Huaizhi looked up, she met Qin Qiuhong’s smiling eyes. Qin Qiuhong was exceptionally handsome, and the way he smiled made it difficult not to be moved. She froze for a moment, and when she finally regained her composure, she quickly took the handkerchief from his hand. She appeared calm on the surface, but the tips of her ears turned red, betraying her inner agitation.

The handkerchief was made of an incredibly soft fabric, unlike anything ordinary. It carried a faint, clean woody scent that reminded her of a forest after the rain. In those days, to help support her family, Ning Huaizhi had often gone to the mountains to gather mushrooms, so she was very familiar with that scent.

Yet, this was different. When she had gone to the woods to pick mushrooms, the scent was mingled with the earthy smell of the fungi, but this fragrance possessed an inherent air of nobility, much like the man himself.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Qin Qiuhong, seeing her hesitate to use it, considered reaching out to help her, but felt that would be crossing a line.

"No, it's fine." Ning Huaizhi shook her head vigorously. She used the handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, then folded it neatly and put it away. "I'll wash it and return it to you later."

"Yes, that's fine." Qin Qiuhong had initially wanted to say it wasn't necessary—it was just a handkerchief, and he had plenty—but the words died on his lips. If she came to return the handkerchief, he would have a chance to see her again. By then, she would surely be discharged, and he simply wanted to see how her wounds were healing. After all, she was someone he had saved; he needed to see her fully recovered to set his mind at ease.

With that in mind, Qin Qiuhong decided to relay what the doctor had said. "The doctor checked on you yesterday. You need to rest and recover properly. Your health is quite frail; if you don't take care of yourself now, it might affect you in the future."

Rest.

Ning Huaizhi felt an itch in her throat and coughed a few times. Although this hadn't happened in her previous life, she had been hospitalized before, and the doctors had given her the same advice. Back then, she had been admitted due to exhaustion from the laboratory. At that time, she was still living with the Ning family and had no opportunity to rest, so her health had steadily declined. Her mentor had eventually noticed and, upon learning of the situation, brought her home to care for her personally, which was how she had finally regained her strength.

She hadn't expected to end up here so soon this time. It was all that wretched He Mingyuan's fault; if not for him, she never would have fallen into this state. Thinking of this, Ning Huaizhi grew even more agitated, and her coughing intensified.

A glass of water was pressed to her lips. Having just woken up, Ning Huaizhi lacked the strength to hold it herself, and after such a coughing fit, she was even more drained. She might have dropped the glass if she tried to hold it. She had no choice but to follow his lead and sip the water bit by bit. The cool liquid quickly soothed her throat, and she felt much better.

"Thank you," she said, her voice raspy.

"You're welcome. Your health is truly poor. Stay in the hospital to recover for now; this is a private hospital, so you can stay as long as you need," Qin Qiuhong said, setting the glass on the table.

"I can't." Her first thought was her studies—how could she find the time to stay here? Oh no, had she already missed class today? Ning Huaizhi picked up her phone from the bedside table and checked. 10:15 AM. She had already missed two classes. Her heart sank. She hadn't even requested leave; what was she supposed to do? Wait, if she hadn't asked for leave and was absent without cause, and wasn't in her dorm, her advisor would surely have called her. Why was there no word?

Ning Huaizhi instinctively looked at Qin Qiuhong. Could he have done something?

Qin Qiuhong looked at her and smiled. "Only just realized? I've already requested leave for you. You just need to focus on resting; there's nothing else to worry about."

Only then did Ning Huaizhi realize how much he had truly done for her. She brushed back her hair and said, feeling a bit awkward, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Is there nothing you'd like to ask about what happened yesterday?"

"Do you happen to know if there was anyone else around when I appeared?"

"There wasn't, but I sent people to investigate afterward. While we haven't caught the person directly, we have surveillance footage of him appearing twice. Perhaps this will provide some help." Qin Qiuhong had already prepared it.

Ning Huaizhi’s eyes lit up. "Thank you so much."

To send the files, they naturally had to add each other as contacts. The man's profile picture was a night cityscape, seemingly taken from a very high building. The details were unclear, but she could just make out the An Group building opposite. Ning Huaizhi felt the profile picture was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it, so she decided to set the thought aside for now.

When it came time to set a nickname for him, Ning Huaizhi was stumped. She suddenly realized that after chatting for so long, she hadn't even asked his name. How incredibly rude! He had saved her, and she hadn't even bothered to ask who he was. She screamed internally—she must have been driven to stupidity by He Mingyuan.

Qin Qiuhong changed his contact name in a few taps and sent the files over. When he looked up, he saw Ning Huaizhi’s hesitant expression, and a flicker of amusement crossed his eyes. "What? Don't know my name?"

Ning Huaizhi touched the tip of her nose, feeling embarrassed, and finally nodded honestly. "I'm sorry, I don't think I've asked yet. What is your name?"

"Qin Qiuhong."

"Mr. Qin, thank you for saving me." Ning Huaizhi said with a serious expression, finally saying what she had failed to say earlier.

Qin Qiuhong chuckled softly and said nothing more.