The fake heiress loves to act? The max-level boss isn't interested in playing along.

Fu Hua held that small hand, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

A slight warmth emanated from their fingertips, and the spiritual spring water slowly seeped into the child's body through their clasped hands.

The little face on the bed changed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Her skin, which was originally pale to bluish, gradually began to glow.

The bluish-purple tinge on her lips had faded somewhat, and a faint blush had even appeared on her cheeks.

Fu Hua stared at that face, silently counting in her mind.

One second, two seconds...

After about fifteen seconds, the luster began to fade.

The blush faded, and her lips slowly turned back to a bluish-purple.

Fu Hua withdrew her hand and sighed softly.

The water from the sacred spring can regulate the body, but it cannot cure diseases.

The child is very ill and has a very weak constitution.

This little bit of spiritual energy will only make him feel comfortable for a short while.

If we really want to save him, we need to have the surgery done as soon as possible.

She reached out and gently touched that little face.

An An's eyelashes fluttered.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Those eyes were dark and bright, like obsidian.

He stared at Fu Hua for several seconds, neither crying nor making a fuss, just quietly watching her.

"elder sister,"

His voice was small and soft, "Who are you?"

Fu Hua paused for a moment, then smiled.

"I'm a friend of your parents, and I've come to visit you."

An'an's eyes darted towards the door.

Fu Hua glanced in the direction of his gaze, then turned back.

"Don't worry, they haven't left; they're still outside."

An An didn't say anything, she just kept looking at her.

A few seconds later, he spoke again, his voice still soft, and the question he asked made Fu Hua's heart skip a beat.

"Sister, am I going to die?"

Fu Hua looked at him.

"My parents always hugged me and cried."

An'an looked as serious as a little adult. "I know, I'm going to die."

Fu Hua reached out and gently patted his head.

"Won't."

Her voice was soft yet strong, light yet clear.

"You will live to be a hundred, believe me."

An'an stared at her, her round eyes unblinking.

After a while, he suddenly nodded seriously.

"Your sister is very beautiful, she would never lie."

Fu Hua paused for a moment, finding it somewhat amusing.

Why can't beautiful people lie?

An'an thought for a moment and said seriously, "Mom said that she is beautiful inside and out."

The little guy can even say idioms.

Fu Hua's lips curved into a smile. She picked up an apple from the bedside table, took a fruit knife, and slowly began to peel it.

The apple peel was peeled very thinly, leaving a single strip hanging down without breaking.

She peeled it, cut it into small pieces, and handed over a small piece.

"Here, have an apple."

An'an obediently opened her mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly.

"Starting today, you need to eat properly so you can defeat the little monster inside you. Okay?"

An'an chewed on her apple and nodded seriously.

The ward door was gently pushed open.

Sun Jing and Chen Shi stood at the door, glanced inside, and froze.

An'an sat on the bed, holding a small piece of apple in her hand, and was putting it into her mouth.

Sun Jing covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

Chen Shi stood there stunned, his eyes red-rimmed.

This child hasn't eaten anything for the past few days; he vomits whatever we feed him.

They were so anxious they could only watch helplessly.

did not expect……

The two exchanged a glance, then quietly entered and stood by the bed.

Watching An'an eat, I was so excited that I couldn't say a word.

It was almost noon when I left the hospital.

Fu Hua went home to rest for a while, changed her clothes, and rushed to the school to meet Professor Yan.

Professor Yan was already waiting at the school gate. When he saw her, he waved.

"Let's go, the car's ready."

The two got into a Toyota taxi.

Fu Hua asked, "Professor, where shall we eat?"

Taking a taxi at this time is a luxury.

每公里0.7–1.2元，普通工人月收入约40元，短途打车也要2–5元。

"Great Wall Hotel"

Professor Yan said.

Fu Hua was stunned for a moment.

She knew about the Great Wall Hotel.

One of the most prestigious hotels catering to foreign guests in Beijing in the 1980s.

It just opened last year, and I heard it's incredibly luxurious inside, with foreigners coming and going all the time.

Ordinary people don't even dare to approach the gate.

One meal package is equivalent to half a month's salary for an average worker.

One meal is enough to feed a family of three for a month.

"this……"

She looked at Professor Yan, "Professor, our project hasn't started yet, so I don't think this kind of thing can be reimbursed, right?"

Professor Yan shook his head and gave a wry smile.

"Research funding is research funding, and meals are meals; neither can be reimbursed."

Fu Hua was silent for two seconds.

Professor Yan is not the kind of person who enjoys such pleasures.

"Was it requested by people from the Chinese Academy of Sciences?"

Professor Yan nodded.

"When we made the appointment, they casually mentioned that the food at the Great Wall Hotel was quite good."

He paused for a moment, then said, "We can't be too stingy at a time like this."

Fu Hua didn't speak, watching the street scenes flash by outside the car window.

After a while, she spoke.

"Professor, this trend should not be encouraged."

Professor Yan looked at her.

Fu Hua continued, "When doing scientific research, you need to be pure of heart. If you could really close a project just by treating someone to a meal, then what real skills would people need? They could just go out for meals every day."

Can you get a heart valve at the dinner table?

Professor Yan sighed.

"I know that all too well, but sometimes... when you're under someone's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head."

He looked at Fu Hua with a complicated expression in his eyes.

"Huahua, you are still young. Some things are not simply black and white."

He looked out the window and said earnestly, "As long as I can secure this project for you, a meal is nothing."

Don't worry, your teacher's salary is quite good; you can afford to eat a meal. It's my treat today.

Fu Hua didn't say anything more.

She never imagined that such unhealthy trends and evils existed in this era.

I really wanted to stop the car and turn back right away.

But she couldn't let her teacher's good intentions go to waste.

The car stopped in front of the Great Wall Hotel.

The doorman, dressed in a crisp uniform, opened the door.

The lobby was brightly lit, with crystal chandeliers hanging down, making the floor shine like a mirror.

Foreigners in suits and stylishly dressed women come and go.

The waiter led them to the private room.

The moment she pushed open the door, Fu Hua paused.

The private room was already quite full.

Professor Lü sat by the window, next to Zhou Ming.

There was also a young man, wearing glasses, who was very polite and fair-skinned; I had never seen him before.

A man in his forties, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, sat in the main seat.

Her hair was neatly combed, and she had a smile on her face.

But that smile was a bit too smooth; it didn't look like a scholar's smile, but more like a businessman's.

Professor Yan was also taken aback for a moment, confirming that the person on the phone was referring to the three of them having dinner.

How...! ?

Professor Shi stood up and greeted him with a smile.

"Professor Yan, Comrade Fu, you've arrived! Please come in, please come in!"

As he shook hands, he explained, "It's a coincidence that Professor Lü is also having dinner here today. We just happened to run into each other, so we joined together at the same table. It's more fun with more people."

Professor Yan kept smiling and nodded.

"Professor Shi, you're too kind."

Professor Shi then pointed at the young man, his tone tinged with smugness.

"This gentleman, I must formally introduce him, is Yin Xian, my last disciple. He just returned from studying abroad, specializing in biomedical materials, and holds a doctorate."

Yin Xian stood up and bowed slightly.

"Hello Professor Yan, hello Comrade Fu."

His gaze lingered on Fu Hua's face for a second before he politely looked away.

Fu Hua nodded.

"Dr. Yin."

Professor Lü greeted them with a smile, "Sit down, sit down, everyone."