However, Chen Zheng had no intention of experimenting. His eyes were fixed forward as he sped after Li Hao and the others.

By the time Zhao Gao and the others returned, the ambulance carrying Li Hao had already vanished from sight.

"Gao Zi, take my parents home. I'm going to the hospital," Chen Zheng said, his voice resolute and powerful as his hands tightened on the steering wheel. He turned to another employee. "You stay here. We need someone to guard the Food City."

With that, he drove off.

Arriving at the hospital, Chen Zheng skillfully parked his car and strode into the large, white building.

Outside the emergency room, Li Hao paced anxiously like an ant on a hot griddle, his eyes filled with both a fear of the unknown and a desperate sense of anticipation. He kept looking up at the bright red light above the door, as if it were a beacon of hope.

"Hao Zi, don't panic. Everything will be all right," Chen Zheng said calmly and firmly, walking to Li Hao's side and gently patting his shoulder. His True Qi had already confirmed Li Qiaoqiao's condition. While the smoke had rendered her unconscious, she was far from death's door. He was confident he could use his True Qi to clear the lingering smoke from her system and bring her back.

"Thank you, Brother Zheng!!" Li Hao looked at Chen Zheng, his eyes streaming with tears of gratitude, and dropped to his knees.

"Get up. What are you doing?" Chen Zheng asked with a smile, helping Li Hao to his feet. He didn't perform good deeds for the sake of being thanked. He would have rushed into the fire to save anyone, not just Li Qiaoqiao. It was a matter of principle and personal creed.

An hour slowly ticked by before the light above the emergency room door finally went out.

CLICK. The door opened, and Li Qiaoqiao was carefully wheeled out.

Her face was pale, but she had regained consciousness. As soon as she saw Li Hao, tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Qiao Qiao!" Li Hao rushed forward, his voice trembling with concern.

Li Qiaoqiao looked at him, sobbing. "Hao Zi, I thought I'd never see you again!"

Li Hao squeezed her hand tightly and comforted her gently, "Of course you would, silly girl."

Soon after, Li Qiaoqiao was settled in a hospital room. A doctor gave Li Hao some detailed instructions before leaving them.

Li Qiaoqiao looked at Li Hao and asked weakly, "Hao Zi, am I very ugly now?"

Li Hao replied firmly, "No, Qiao Qiao. In my heart, you'll always be the most beautiful."

"I know you're lying, but I'm willing to believe it," Li Qiaoqiao said, her voice like a wind chime in the night, tinged with a sweet bitterness.

"I'm not lying. Every word is a sincere vow." Li Hao's words were like an ancient spell, etching themselves deep into her heart.

Li Qiaoqiao didn't respond, merely watching him in silence.

Chen Zheng stood to one side, feeling like a forgotten character who had been reluctantly cast as the third wheel.

Time slipped by as silently as sand in an hourglass. Li Qiaoqiao eventually drifted off to sleep, and Li Hao sat by her bedside like a guardian deity, watching over her quietly.

When night fell, Chen Zheng's parents and Zhao Gao arrived at the hospital. When they saw Li Qiaoqiao's condition, their hearts ached as if they were being twisted.

When Li Qiaoqiao woke up, they all gathered around to chat with her, and her spirits seemed to gradually recover.

"Qiao Qiao!" Suddenly, a familiar, anxious voice cut through the quiet room.

Chen Zheng turned his head. It was Li Qiaoqiao's parents, Li Guangyuan and Zhang Pingcui.

"Dad! Mom!" Li Qiaoqiao's voice was filled with boundless joy and longing.

"Qiao Qiao!" Seeing the state her daughter was in, Zhang Pingcui lost control of her emotions, and tears gushed from her eyes like a fountain.

"Why did this happen? Why?" Li Guangyuan gazed at Li Qiaoqiao, his heart filled with a helpless confusion, as if lost in a dense fog. He couldn't believe this familiar yet strange person before him was his daughter. If not for her familiar voice and the undamaged half of her face, he would have thought he was dreaming.

"Li Hao, how could you let this happen to Qiao Qiao?" Zhang Pingcui's grief erupted like a violent storm as she rounded on Li Hao. "You were only gone for a short while before this happened! You bastard!"

"Auntie, it's all my fault Qiao Qiao ended up like this," Li Hao apologized, then made a solemn promise. "But please, rest assured. I will absolutely take responsibility for her. I will take care of her for the rest of my life."

His earnest apology and promise seemed to somewhat placate Zhang Pingcui.

"My dear, it's not Li Hao's fault. It was just an accident." His mother's comforting words were like a spring breeze, gently soothing Zhang Pingcui's heart.

"Sister, she's my only daughter! Why do I have to suffer such pain? Why would Heaven punish my Qiao Qiao like this?" Zhang Pingcui was like a butterfly with torn wings, utterly devastated.

"Sister, this is no one's fault. If you must blame something, blame the cruel twists of fate. No one can avoid them," his mother quickly consoled her.

"Ah, sister, have you seen her face? It was as beautiful as a flower, and now... now it's ruined. How can I face people? If I had known this would happen, I would never have let Qiao Qiao leave the house with that Li Hao..." Zhang Pingcui's weeping was as mournful as the sound of rain on banana leaves.

"Alas..." His mother could only sigh softly, her heart full of helplessness.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and a doctor walked in. His arrival seemed to bring a sliver of hope into the sorrow-filled room.

"I'm Li Qiaoqiao's attending physician, Lin Mo. You can call me Dr. Lin," he said, his voice gentle yet firm.

At his words, Li Hao and Li Guangyuan both stopped crying and hurried over to Dr. Lin, desperate for good news.

"Dr. Lin, can Qiao Qiao's injuries be healed?" Li Guangyuan asked, his voice trembling but full of expectation. He knew it was a difficult question, but he desperately needed an answer.

Dr. Lin nodded gently. "While we can't restore her to her original condition, it is possible for her to regain some of her former appearance through skin-grafting surgery."

"Of course, you must understand that a full recovery to how she looked before is impossible. Furthermore, the surgery is very expensive. You'll need to discuss this among yourselves." He paused, then emphasized, "And please remember, the sooner the surgery is performed, the greater the chance of success."

"Doctor, money is not an issue. Just tell us what you need," Li Hao said at once, his heart brimming with hope.

Both Li Guangyuan and Zhang Pingcui nodded eagerly, their expressions urgent.

"Li Qiaoqiao has severe second-degree burns covering approximately forty percent of her body. While her life is not in danger, the cellular damage is extensive, which makes skin-grafting surgery extremely challenging." After detailing her condition, Dr. Lin concluded, "If you decide to proceed with the treatment, the surgical fees will be at least five million. Of course, if you opt for a more advanced treatment plan, the cost could be as high as ten million."

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