After Divorce, Hidden Marriage Husband Became Addicted to Me
Chapter 248 - 190: Four Years Later

Chapter 248: Chapter 190: Four Years Later

Gao Jianlin, dressed in a smoky grey loungewear, had taken a shower and washed his hair, which now lay soft against his forehead. At this moment, he was preparing breakfast, donning an apron and ready to tie it, when he turned around and saw Tang Xi.

Gao Jianlin smiled, "You’re awake, Doctor Tang."

Tang Xi uttered a soft ’uh’ in response, finding her current situation somewhat awkward. She coughed lightly to clear her throat. However, Gao Jianlin seemed perfectly at ease and relaxed. Blinking, Tang Xi walked over, "I’m sorry, Doctor Gao, I was just too tired last night."

Gao Jianlin was beating eggs, and turned on the kitchen exhaust fan, "Is tomato and egg noodles okay?"

"Ah... sure, thank you," Tang Xi hastily replied.

Having said this, Tang Xi felt a twinge of annoyance at herself for still being there to have breakfast, "Doctor Gao, you needn’t trouble yourself, I should be going. My daughter is still at home... Thank you for letting me stay last night."

"Your cell phone rang last night, I answered it for you; it must’ve been your housekeeper. She said she would look after your daughter." As Gao Jianlin poured the beaten eggs into the pan, he turned to look at Tang Xi’s figure and spoke gently, "Let’s have breakfast before you go. Last night, when you fell asleep, I called out to you a few times, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t know where you lived, so I took the liberty of bringing you here. This is where I live."

With him saying so, Tang Xi had no reason to refuse.

Recalling how Gao Jianlin had shielded her from those two drunk scions last night, Tang Xi expressed her gratitude, and Gao Jianlin merely smiled, saying it was only right between colleagues.

His straightforwardness and magnanimity made Tang Xi feel somewhat pretentious.

Tang Xi thought to herself that she really shouldn’t... misunderstand his intentions.

-

In front of the dining table, two steaming bowls of noodles.

Tomato and egg noodles, rich and delicious in flavor.

Tang Xi often enjoyed making tomato and egg noodles herself; they were cheap, tasty, and nutritious. However, she never expected that Gao Jianlin, a wealthy young master, would also be able to make them.

Since coming to this small island, Tang Xi had naturally heard about the prevailing balance of power.

The Gao Family, the Cheng Family, the Shangguan Family.

All three major families were involved in the medical, tourism, catering, and education industries, sustaining the small island’s GDP on their own.

And Gao Jianlin... was the youngest son of Gao Chengxiong, the head of the Gao Family. There were even rumors that he was an illegitimate child.

That’s why he didn’t get involved in the family business.

Tang Xi didn’t want to listen to these gossips, but where there are people, there will be gossip.

She could even overhear nurses at the same table in the hospital canteen whispering about it.

At this moment, sitting at the dining table, Tang Xi calmly finished the noodles in her bowl.

She thanked Gao Jianlin once again.

After the meal, Tang Xi went to the kitchen to clean the dishes, "Doctor Gao, I’ll be taking my leave now."

"Oh, take this with you." Gao Jianlin took out a box of lychee from the refrigerator.

Lychees were rare on the island.

Fruits like lychees and strawberries were hardly cultivated on the island, and while seafood breeding was very developed, making fish and shrimp cheap, fruits and vegetables were relatively expensive.

Normally, Tang Xi rarely bought them from the supermarket.

Gao Jianlin handed her a box of lychees, "Take it home for your daughter to eat. Little girls probably like this kind of thing."

Actually, he had wanted to give them to Tang Xi, but he was afraid she wouldn’t accept, so he suggested she give them to her daughter instead.

"Thank you, this is too expensive..." Tang Xi tried to refuse.

Gao Jianlin hung the shopping bag on her wrist, coughed, and said with a husky but pleasant voice, "These were a gift from a friend. I’m allergic to them, and if you don’t take them, they will probably just sit in the refrigerator until they spoil."

"Thank you."

Gao Jianlin smiled, "Tang Xi, we’re colleagues, you don’t have to keep thanking me. We’ve been working together for four years now..."

The corners of Tang Xi’s lips curved slightly, "Even so, thanks are still in order. I’ll treat you to a meal next time."

"Sure," Gao Jianlin’s eyes lit up and he immediately said, "I’ll choose the place."

"Sure."

Watching Tang Xi enter the elevator, Gao Jianlin leaned against the doorframe, the air still carrying the faint fragrance of the woman, light as a blend of orange blossom and cherry blossom scents, not like perfume but naturally fresh.

Gao Jianlin couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Tang Xi.

Back then, a kindergarten had a large-scale food poisoning incident, sending many children to the emergency room, vomiting and diarrhea rampant, with severe cases losing consciousness.

At that time, the emergency room was understaffed.

Doctors from all other departments were called in to support the ER.

He was also swamped in the emergency room.

The kindergarten children, when in pain, would cry incessantly and wouldn’t cooperate with treatment like adults, restless during IVs and while taking medicine.

At that time, Gao Jianlin was also young, overwhelmed by a group of kids.

Then he heard a gentle female voice softly comforting a crying little boy.

Gao Jianlin initially thought she was a parent of the child, but when he saw the woman expertly giving the child injections and administering medicine, he knew she was likely a colleague.

But he recognized most of the doctors in this hospital.

This was his first time seeing Tang Xi.

Tang Xi wore a mask, her black hair lightly tied into a high ponytail.

Dressed in plain cotton light blue short sleeves with white jeans, a refreshing outfit.

Her eyes were bright yet gentle.

Like the Milky Way under moonlight.

Her voice, slightly hoarse and soft, as if magical, not only soothed that child but also slowly eased the impatience in his heart.

By the time they finished helping those children, it was already evening, and Gao Jianlin then learned that Tang Xi was a newly arrived doctor.

-

North City.

Qingfeng Garden.

Fu Tingzhou had been living here for years, as if he had grown accustomed to it.

It was merely an ordinary residential apartment, but here, Fu Tingzhou felt the sense of a home.

The arrangement and structure here remained untouched.

On the balcony stood a few pots of succulents that Tang Xi once liked.

And several... cacti.

Fu Tingzhou usually didn’t care for them, nor did he tend to such plants, occasionally remembering to water them abruptly.

These little things proved hardy.

Thriving and flourishing.

He wasn’t someone who liked such things, in fact, he detested tending to plants, but Fu Tingzhou didn’t feel like discarding them either.

As if they were left by someone very important.

When Fu Tingzhou came back in the evening, Sixteen sat on the sofa without moving, tail wagging, but Zhouzhou ran over happily, tail wagging in welcome.

He bent down and stroked Zhouzhou’s head.

He had memories of Sixteen, the dog he had raised.

But as for Zhouzhou, this little mongrel, Fu Tingzhou couldn’t recall how he brought this little dog home.

In his memory, there wasn’t a single impression of this little mongrel.