As he reached the corner between the second and third floors, Chen Bin saw Xu Ruoxuan collapsed on the ground.
Her delicate face was pale, her tone low.
Her phone had fallen nearby, shattered into pieces.
Seeing the situation, Chen Bin approached and asked.
"Director Xu, what happened to you?"
"I tripped while coming downstairs just now. I think I've hurt my back. Can you take me to the hospital?"
Seeing someone come over, Xu Ruoxuan's face was full of pleading.
"Should I help you up?"
"No, I can't walk at all right now. How about... you carry me?"
When she said this, Xu Ruoxuan appeared quite embarrassed.
After all, she didn't know Chen Bin well.
Making such an excessive request right away felt entirely inappropriate.
But her back hurt so much that even getting up off the ground was a luxury, let alone walking.
Chen Bin didn't hesitate and directly carried Xu Ruoxuan downstairs.
Though she looked slim, she actually had some weight.
Exiting the dormitory building, Chen Bin quickly asked, "Do you know where the hospital is?"
"Turn left at the intersection, then walk straight ahead."
Chen Bin initially planned to find someone with a car to take Xu Ruoxuan to the hospital.
But hearing this, he thought the distance wasn't too far.
Not wanting to waste time, he decided to head to the hospital on foot.
Even though he didn't pause for a moment, it still took him over half an hour.
Entering the hospital's emergency room, Chen Bin shouted loudly.
"Help! Someone needs help!"
Very quickly, several doctors and nurses in white coats rushed out.
They brought a stretcher and assisted Xu Ruoxuan off Chen Bin's back.
Soon, they headed straight to the emergency room.
Wiping sweat off his forehead, Chen Bin sank to the floor, looking exhausted.
At this moment, a nurse hurried over.
"What are you sitting here for? Go pay the fees! She's about to have surgery."
"Surgery?" Chen Bin jerked upright in shock.
"I'm just her colleague. I don't have her family's contact information, so I can't make that decision!"
As soon as he said this, the nurse hastily ran back to the consultation room.
She obtained Xu Ruoxuan's family contact information but couldn't get through to anyone.
With no other option, the doctors opted for conservative treatment.
After handling the hospital admission, Chen Bin entered the ward.
Xu Ruoxuan was lying on the bed, her complexion still pale.
It looked like she was still enduring the pain.
When she saw Chen Bin, she became excited and tried to sit up.
Chen Bin quickly intervened, "You're injured, just lie down and rest."
"Thank you!" Xu Ruoxuan gave a faint smile.
Seeing this, Chen Bin couldn't help but freeze.
Her smile was truly healing.
Faced with Chen Bin staring at her blankly, Xu Ruoxuan subconsciously touched her face.
"I'm sorry, is there something on my face?"
After a light cough, Chen Bin snapped back to his senses.
Waving his hands quickly, he said, "No, I just think you don't look very well. I wonder when you'll recover."
Smiling bitterly, Xu Ruoxuan let out a soft sigh.
"My back pain is an old issue. It might not be easy to fully recover."
Nodding, Chen Bin thought hanging around wasn't ideal.
He directly said, "I have work in the afternoon, so I'll head back now."
"Alright, go on, get busy."
Leaving the hospital, Chen Bin took a cab back to the County Committee and Government building.
Before he could enter the office, Qian Lang stopped him.
"Whoa, you've got guts! I heard Director Xu fell and hurt herself in the dorm at noon, and you were the one who carried her to the hospital."
Chen Bin hadn't expected that his simple act of helping someone would spread so quickly.
"Director Xu is the Deputy Director of the County Committee's office and directly oversees your Comprehensive Section Two."
"What? You mean I saved my boss?"
Seeing Chen Bin's startled expression, Qian Lang shook his head in exaggerated despair.
"Damn it! You didn't know? Lucky fool! Don't forget your buddies when you strike it rich later."
"Don't worry about that!"
After bidding Qian Lang farewell, Chen Bin returned to the office, feeling secretly elated.
Previously, he thought working here without Wang Jun's help meant he'd never rise.
Now, it seemed like things might not be as bad as he had imagined.
After work, Chen Bin tried inviting Zheng Yifeng to dinner again.
But as before, he politely declined.
Remembering that Xu Ruoxuan was still hospitalized, Chen Bin took a cab to the hospital.
First, he found the doctor and asked about what Xu Ruoxuan should avoid eating.
Then he went outside to buy two bowls of porridge and some fruit.
Originally, Chen Bin didn't plan to eat porridge himself, but he worried Xu Ruoxuan might crave it.
So he decided to make an effort to bond with her.
When Xu Ruoxuan saw the millet porridge Chen Bin had brought, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, looking deeply touched.
"Thank you so much! I'll remember how much you spent. When my husband arrives, I'll have him pay you back right away."
"It's nothing, really. Just focus on eating first."
As he spoke, Chen Bin handed over the porridge and opened the container for Xu Ruoxuan.
Honestly, to him, the hospitalization fees and meal costs combined were just a few hundred.
But being able to earn the gratitude of his boss was absolutely worth it!
During the ensuing time, the two chatted while eating, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.
"Chen Bin, you look so young. You must've just graduated, right?"
"Yeah, I just graduated from Tianhai University this year."
"Tianhai University? Wow, we're actually alumni!"
Seeing Xu Ruoxuan's excited expression, Chen Bin quickly said.
"I didn't expect I'd meet a senior after starting work!"
Given their shared background, their relationship unconsciously grew closer.
At that moment, a man casually walked in from outside.
He looked close to forty, not tall, pot-bellied.
His face resembled that of a typical middle-aged man.
When Xu Ruoxuan saw him, she immediately exclaimed, "Honey, you're finally here!"
As Chen Bin scrutinized the man, his heart sank with regret.
Short, unattractive, and shabby—how did he manage to marry someone as stunning as Xu Ruoxuan?
It's just absurd! Like seeing prime produce ravaged by a boar!
Looking at Xu Ruoxuan, the man asked flatly.
"How are you feeling now?"
"My back still hurts, but it's much better compared to when I first arrived."
Next, Xu Ruoxuan started introducing them.
"Chen Bin, this is my husband, Feng Lei. Honey, this is Chen Bin, my colleague. He carried me here at noon."
"Ah, so you're the lifesaver. Thank you so much."
While Feng Lei spoke, his face showed gratitude.
But for some reason, Chen Bin felt that his expression carried a hint of insincerity.
"You're being too kind; helping colleagues is just what anyone should do."
Now that Feng Lei had arrived, Chen Bin didn't see any reason to stay.
He immediately got up and said, "Director Xu, if everything is fine, I'll be leaving now."
Xu Ruoxuan courteously replied, "The night is still young. Why don't you stay a bit longer?"
"No need—I still have some other matters to tend to."
Nodding, Xu Ruoxuan turned to Feng Lei.
"Honey, can you see Chen Bin out?"
Though Chen Bin quickly refused, Feng Lei still escorted him out of the room.
As they descended the stairs, Chen Bin's mind echoed with what Qian Lang had said.
Xu Ruoxuan's husband was the Director of the County Health Bureau, from a very influential family.
"Truly, appearances can be deceiving."
Muttering to himself, he walked out of the hospital.
Just then, his phone rang.
Seeing Zhao Xinmei's name on the screen, Chen Bin quickly answered.
Soon, muffled voices reached him from the other end.
"Xiao Bin, I... I think I had too much to drink. Hurry... come pick me up and take me home."
As Zhao Xinmei spoke, her background noise was chaotic.
The sounds of people urging her to drink were audible.
"Where are you?" Chen Bin's tone grew anxious.
"I... I'm at Queen KTV, room 808. Ugh! I really can't drink anymore, you guys..."
Before Zhao Xinmei could finish, the call was abruptly disconnected.
Without wasting time, Chen Bin hailed a cab and rushed to Queen KTV.
After all, Zhao Xinmei was so beautiful. If someone had bad intentions toward her, things could get messy...