Chapter 435 - 434: IF: Did the Big Boss Compete for Favor Today? 3

Chapter 435: Chapter 434: IF: Did the Big Boss Compete for Favor Today? 3

After shooing the cat away, Mrs. He came over and poured some soup for He Hanshi. "I had the housekeeper stew this ginseng and bone soup specially for you. It’s just what you need to... build up your strength."

Mrs. He avoided looking at his legs, afraid of bringing up a sore subject.

He Hanshi accepted his parents’ kindness, a slight smile touching his lips. "Okay. Thank you for going to all this trouble, Mom."

"Oh, honey, it’s no trouble at all. You’re my son. I only wish I could bear this injury for you..."

Mrs. He had been holding her emotions in check, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

Mr. He looked at her. "All right, don’t cry. Our son is fine."

"As long as he’s okay, that’s what matters."

Their son was already exceptional, and the family business had always relied on him to grow and thrive. Mr. He didn’t ask for much more from him; being alive was more important than anything.

He Hanshi nodded and said reassuringly, "That’s right, Mom. Don’t worry. I’m fine."

In fact, he’d said those two words—"I’m fine"—many times before.

Ever since the car accident that fractured his leg and landed him in the hospital, and especially after the doctors told him a full recovery was unlikely, He Hanshi had been on the receiving end of countless subtle, pitying glances. He didn’t dwell on it much himself—at least he’d survived the crash—but everyone else still treated it as a monumental tragedy.

He gave the same reply to every single person who tried to comfort him.

Perhaps they simply couldn’t believe that a normal person could so quickly accept the fact that his legs were disabled. To be honest, He Hanshi hadn’t expected it of himself either. But when he woke up the next morning, he had, for some reason, calmly accepted it.

’Perhaps it was fate’s way of telling him he should take a break and stop pouring all his energy into work.’

’Besides, his family’s company had grown successful because of his mind, not his legs. He Hanshi truly didn’t feel that losing the use of two legs would be his downfall.’

Mrs. He fought back tears, and Mr. He pulled his wife into a weary embrace.

He Hanshi turned to look at the little cat sitting quietly to the side, and his heart softened. He beckoned to it with a wave. "Here, kitty. Come on, don’t be afraid. I’m fine."

Shi Lan stared at him with her big golden eyes but didn’t budge. Instead, she padded over to a sunbeam by the window, where she settled down to bask contentedly, putting even more distance between them.

He Hanshi’s lips tightened. For some reason, he felt a faint sense of disappointment.

Just then, the aroma of the soup began to spread through the room.

Mrs. He wheeled He Hanshi over to the small dining table. "Han Shi, eat it while it’s warm. The temperature should be just right now, not too hot."

"Are you hungry? I made your favorite breakfast, too."

"But have the soup first. You can eat the rest afterward."

Mrs. He fretted over him softly, and He Hanshi answered patiently, his gaze drifting back to the cat.

He noticed the cat, which had been lazily sunbathing a moment ago, was now sitting up straight. Its ears swiveled in their direction from time to time, and its little pink nose twitched.

The smile at the corners of his lips deepened. He stirred his soup, and the aroma grew stronger. Shi Lan felt her stomach rumble. RUMBLE... She couldn’t help but turn to look at He Hanshi, swallowing hard.

’The smell of meat... I want some...’

She couldn’t stop herself from taking a couple of steps toward He Hanshi. Just then, Mrs. He spoke up. "Where did that cat come from? It seems rather well-behaved. I’ll wash some meat for it."

True to her word, Mrs. He fished out a few pieces of meat and took them to the restroom. She rinsed them carefully under cool water, tore them into small shreds, and placed them in a small container. Once she was sure they had cooled down, she slowly presented the container to Shi Lan.

Mrs. He had never owned a cat and was usually quite afraid of such unpredictable pets, worried she might be attacked. But this orange cat had been very quiet so far. In the sunlight, its orange fur looked incredibly soft and sleek, almost as if it were glowing. There was an indescribable intelligence in its eyes, too, which made it very likable.

A smile touched her lips. "Go on, eat."

Shi Lan sniffed the fragrant meat and let out two sweet meows for Mrs. He. MEOW, MEOW. Then, she lowered her head and began to enjoy her meal with great satisfaction.

’Even though the meat had been rinsed and the flavor was much weaker, each shred still seemed to be infused with the aroma of ginseng. It was surprisingly tasty.’

"What a good kitty!"

Mrs. He was pleasantly surprised by the cat’s response. But out of her usual caution, she refrained from touching it, content to just quietly watch it eat.

From the corner of his eye, He Hanshi watched the interaction between his mother and the cat, and a flicker of annoyance crossed his expression.

’To think that a man in his thirties, like him, would actually feel annoyed and jealous over a cat.’

’He was the one who found that cat. If his mom wanted to raise a cat, she could go find her own. What was she doing, fawning over his cat?’

Seeing He Hanshi staring off into the distance with his lips pressed together, not touching his soup, Mr. He couldn’t help but urge, "Han Shi, eat up. It’s going to get cold."

"Mm."

He Hanshi’s reply was a little cool, but he started eating much faster.

Soon, he had finished his breakfast and soup. Nearby, a sated Shi Lan began to slowly groom herself, licking her fur clean.

’It seemed that by entering a cat’s body, she had instinctively picked up its habits.’

Mrs. He watched her for a moment before turning her attention back to her son.

Mr. He then discussed some company matters with He Hanshi. Though he was nearly sixty, he was far from being unable to shoulder responsibility. With his son injured and hospitalized, he had to bear the pressure and act as his son’s pillar of support.

He said, "Don’t worry. I’m keeping an eye on the company, and everything is running smoothly. The stock price that dipped a while back is also slowly climbing again. You just focus on getting better."

"You’ve been working yourself to the bone for so long, you deserve a proper rest. It finally gives these old bones of mine a chance to get moving."

Mr. He’s words even made Mrs. He laugh. The couple chatted with their son a while longer, fussing over his comfort, before finally leaving the hospital room with the empty thermal container.

Outside the room, Assistant Chen was waiting. Next to him was his own assistant, He Mi.

Mrs. He’s gaze fell upon He Mi and a thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Mr. He, seeming to know what she was thinking, gave her hand a little tug.

The two of them walked off. Once they were in the elevator, Mr. He said, "With our son in his current state, we shouldn’t be ruining a young woman’s future. He’s had no interest in finding a partner all these years, and he’ll have even less now."

"It’s a blessing that he’s alive. You should try not to worry so much."

"Mm."

Mrs. He nodded, her voice thick with emotion.

After Mr. and Mrs. He left, Assistant Chen, who had been waiting for some time, entered the room with He Mi.

"Mr. He, He Mi is here."

He Hanshi wiped his mouth and cleaned his hands with a napkin. He merely nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes still fixed on the cat. He waved his hand again. "Come here, Pumpkin."

He had unilaterally given her a name. Shi Lan, being a cat, wasn’t picky about names, but she didn’t realize at first that he was calling her. She remained completely engrossed in her grooming.

He Hanshi almost laughed in exasperation. ’What an ungrateful little creature. So clingy when I first found her, coming right up to snuggle, and now she’s completely ignoring me.’

’A classic case of "use ’em and lose ’em."’