Chapter 22: 1. 22. Anything Can Happen At Night (Part 1)

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"The chef is here," one of the guards announced loudly, making their presence known to everyone inside the room. The other guard kept a vigilant eye on the chef and his two assistants, each pushing a meal trolley.

All three turned simultaneously to look at the door.

"Enter," Zed commanded.

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Everyone entered Leah's room one by one, except for the two guards. With Zed renowned for his unbeatable hand-to-hand combat skills, their employer did not need the guards inside.

"Miss Leah," the chef greeted Leah with a nod while his assistants began setting up dinner for three people after nodding along with the cook.

"I hope what I made satisfies your cravings," the chef said while bowing again. He then proceeded to stick multiple acupuncture-like needles on different sides of dishes and drinks, trying to check for poison.

"Miss, please," he added, gesturing for Leah to choose which assistant would taste all the food and beverages provided.

The chef had many assistants, but two randomly chosen assistants always accompanied him when delivering food. These assistants were from a bunch who did not help prepare and cook the food and drinks. At the same time, the Lius had to pick one of the assistants at random to taste everything. The main Liu family chef started this precaution to prevent them from putting anything poisonous in the food while taking the antidote in advance.

Leah pointed at the assistant on the chef's right. The assistant nodded at Leah and began tasting the appetizers, followed by the main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and drinks.

"I'll let you know how it tastes, and you can leave," Leah said, gesturing for them to depart. Her eyes were fixed on the dishes, sparkling with desire. They bowed and left after Leah's command and waited outside for the dishes to be taken away.

That evening passed peacefully. The dishes made by the chef tasted closely like the two dishes she wanted.

The chef prepared non-spicy, mildly spicy, and extremely spicy dishes. Zhou Chun couldn't handle spicy food, while Zed preferred mildly spicy dishes. At Leah's request, the chef added plenty of chili to the highly spicy dishes. The more Leah eats, the spicier it becomes.

Zhou Chun and Zed ate more than usual as they watched Leah enjoying her food.

After dinner, the chef and his assistants cleared away all the dishes and utensils. Zhou Chun followed them out. She didn't leave until she warned Zed that if he stepped outside his job description and did anything toward Liu Leah, she would have him removed immediately.

In reality, Zhou Chun can request a change in Liu Leah's personnel, but ultimately, the decision lies with Liu Leah's parents, not Zhou Chun. Additionally, Liu Leah can choose her own staff, but when it comes to Zed, her parents will have the final say. Zed is aware of this, so he remains silent.

Zhou Chun shot Zed a warning glance before closing the door behind her. She wished to remain in the hospital with Liu Leah, but another scandal involving her young Miss and Wang Haoran had emerged. Multiple of them, in fact, and they keep popping up like viruses without cure online. Additionally, she had to attend to Liu Leah's discharge process for tomorrow, and the hospital staff was awaiting her.

Zhou Chun assured Liu Leah that she would finish her tasks before midnight and return to stay with her, but Liu Leah insisted that she rest at home. The hospital was far from her destination, and judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she hadn't slept well for the past few days. Leah noticed this and encouraged her to get more rest.

Leah expressed her desire to handle her own hospital discharge process and address the rumors herself, but Zhou Chun firmly insists on taking care of it. She is consumed by guilt and seeks to cope by doing everything she can to protect Liu Leah.

Zhou Chun swore through gritted teeth, "Who the f*ck keeps spreading these rumors? If I find you, I'll make your name more foul than a pig's gutters." With determination etched on her face, she stormed out of the hospital, ready for battle.

On the other hand, Zed remains indifferent to the events outside the four walls of the hospital room as long as Leah is by his side. A carefree Leah, doing as she pleases next to him, satisfies him. However, if Leah were to ask him to take action against someone or something, that would spur him into action.

That night, Leah sweated a lot from all the spicy food, so she decided to take a late-night shower followed by a bath. She usually takes a shower first, then enjoys a relaxing bath.

"I am so sweaty. I'll shower and then have a bath," she told Zed while selecting clothes from the wardrobe.

Zed nodded as he waited for Leah to enter the bathroom. Once she did, he left the room to do the same in his assigned room. He knew Leah would take at least thirty minutes, whereas he would only need a quick shower, lasting ten minutes or less. He anticipated that Leah would still be in the shower by the time he returned.

Upon entering the bathroom, Leah undressed completely, but to her disappointment, the water from the shower faucet was cold. Despite her attempts to adjust the temperature, it remained chilly. Frustrated, she wrapped herself in her bathrobe and stepped out, unconcerned whether Zed was nearby or not. Finding the room empty, she felt relieved and hurriedly reached for the landline to call the nursing station for assistance.

"Miss Leah, this is your night nurse speaking. How can I assist you?" A nurse at the desk answered the phone.

"I don't have hot water in my bathroom. Can you check what is happening?" Leah politely asked.

"Certainly, please hold," the nurse responded before putting Leah's call on hold to investigate. She then checked her work email to see any notifications regarding plumbing issues in the hospital.

The nurse's forehead broke out in a cold sweat as she discovered a notification from earlier in the day regarding ongoing construction in the hospital building. The construction was affecting the plumbing on some floors and in certain rooms. They had sent out lists of the affected rooms, and Leah's was among them.

The nurse composed herself before responding to Leah's call. "Miss, it seems that there are plumbing issues occurring in some rooms and floors due to the ongoing construction inside the hospital. The issue should be resolved by tomorrow morning. I apologize for the inconvenience. Aside from the nursing station, there is one room on our floor where the bathroom is operational. It is—" After providing Leah with the room number, the nurse stretched her fingers and neck, relieving some tension.

She adjusted her chair to a comfortable position, then faced the computer and began typing complaints to everyone concerned she could reach and must reach about the incident. She was determined to prevent the same mistakes from recurring in the future.

Leah's room is on a VIP floor, designated for the hospital owner's exclusive use. Notifications concerning this floor should be communicated by phone rather than email. Therefore, when Leah asked about something unfamiliar to the nurse or other staff on the floor, she realized that the information might be buried within their work email.

Relieved that she could finally shower and bathe, Leah grabbed her pajamas and headed to the room directed by the nurse. Afterward, she made her way to inform Zed in person of her whereabouts, recalling how attached Zed was to her. Leah had no phone at the moment, as her mother had confiscated it after discovering insulting notifications on Leah's social media. Although she could still use her laptop, she preferred informing Zed face-to-face, especially since his room was next to hers.

Because she was in a hurry, Leah knocked twice and entered without waiting for an answer. When she opened Zed's door, she was met with the sight of a naked man with a ripped physique adorned with numerous body scars. The man dropped a cloth he was holding when he noticed Leah staring at him, her gaze trailing from top to bottom and back up again. Both of them wore expressions of shock.