“It’s not entirely like that.” Sun Huiya shook her head and said, “I’ve talked to the leaders. I told them that if we suspended you, people might think that we’re feeling guilty. That’s certainly inappropriate. They said they’ll need more time to decide, so you can still come to work tomorrow.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Su Qingsang had a minor operation to perform tomorrow, which was scheduled long ago. She had been treating that patient since the beginning. Even if there was no schedule for operations, she still wouldn’t want to rest.
“Qingsang, I know you are innocent. Stay patient, though. I believe this will be properly solved.”
“Okay, I know.”
Su Qingsang ended the call. She felt touched, knowing that Sun Huiya has been trying to protect her all this time.
She had been working in the hospital for only a short time, but Sun Huiya and all the other colleagues from her department had been looking out for her.
She didn’t want to leave the central hospital.
She started the car and drove away from the villa. The area was a villa district developed long ago, and not many people were there at night.
The downtown area was in the opposite direction, and the house of the Huo Family was further away from the city center, in another direction.
Su Qingsang made a turn to drive onto the main road. All of a sudden, a man rushed out from the alley nearby. That alley was the path between two villas.
Startled, she braked hard. At the same time, the man placed both hands against the car light.
She wasn’t driving fast, so she didn’t hit the man. Before she could react, however, the man had entered from the other side of her car.
“Drive.”
Su Qingsang widened her eyes, looking at the man’s face in the darkness. That face seemed familiar.
Without a second thought, she pressed the accelerator.
From the rearview mirror, Su Qingsang saw a few other people emerge from the alley. She thought that if she pulled over and looked at them carefully, she would recognize the man leading the group as the mustached man that she had met previously.
However, she didn’t have the time to do that at the moment. She drove as fast as possible, clenching the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
The pursuers never expected that there would be a car picking the man up. They spent a few seconds chasing the car but eventually realized that they couldn’t catch up with it. They all seemed frustrated after that.
“It’s okay, they’re not catching up with us. Relax, you don’t need to drive so fast.”
After confirming that those people wouldn’t be able to catch up with her, Su Qingsang made a turn and slowed down.
At that point, she finally had the time to turn around to look at the man in her car carefully.
The man was Zhang Yichen. Previously, he was running away from several people at the hot spring resort, and this time, the same thing happened. She had run into him both times.
“You seem to be in trouble every time I bump into you.”
Earlier, Zhang Yuchen couldn’t see Su Qingsang’s face clearly when he placed his hands against the headlights to protect himself from being hit by the car, as he was blinded by the brightness. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he recognized the driver as Su Qingsang.
He could have run away from another road. His comrades were there too, but somehow, he got into her car.
“Yeah. I’m lucky to come across you every time.”
Zhang Yichen’s words seemed to have some hidden meanings. Su Qingsang could only smile and joke, “So, am I unlucky?”
“You think you’re unlucky to run into me?” Zhang Yichen couldn’t help but ask that question.
Su Qingsang bobbed her head and replied, “Yeah. Of course, I’m unlucky to run into you.”
In the first incident, she was getting off work. He showed up, and she had to deal with his friend’s wound.
Additionally, she was enjoying the hot spring when he showed up.
She also remembered Huo Jinyao bullied her incessantly when he saw her in her swimsuit.
If that wasn’t bad luck, what was?
Zhang Yichen fell silent, looking at the road ahead. The main road leading to the downtown area was only two crosses away.
“If you consider this unlucky, just drop me over there.”
Su Qingsang blinked her eyes. She turned to glance at him and said, “Uncle, are you mad? I was only joking.”
She shouldn’t have said that out loud, even if she did feel unlucky to meet him.
Zhang Yichen didn’t say anything. A hint of unhappiness was tangible in his face, causing Su Qingsang to feel a little awkward. The atmosphere in the car had made her feel slightly embarrassed.
“Uncle, where are you going? Maybe I can give you a ride.”
He was in the car already. Su Qingsang didn’t mind kindly driving him to his destination.
Zhang Yichen was thinking about his original plan. His mission was to get something and then meet with his comrades. But now, he was in her car.
“It’s late. Why are you here alone? Are you here to visit me?” he asked.
“No.” Su Qingsang couldn’t tell Zhang Yichen the reason why she was there alone. “My mom has bought me a villa here. I have things stored in that villa and I came here to get them.”
Zhang Yichen didn’t ask further questions. He looked at the time and asked, “So, you haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”
“No. I’m going home to have dinner together with Huo Jinyao.”
Su Qingsang looked at Zhang Yichen and asked politely, “Have you had dinner yet, Uncle?”
“No.”
Su Qingsang blinked her eyes, wondering if all servicemen were so frank like him.
“Um, if you don’t mind, maybe you can eat with us? Jinyao is at home anyway.”
She wouldn’t have the guts to bring the man home if Huo Jinyao wasn’t there, even though she knew he was Huo Jinyao’s uncle. She merely asked that question out of politeness, not expecting him to say yes.
Other people might not accept invitations like that.
“Okay.”
Zhang Yichen responded very quickly, which Su Qingsang considered a little rude.
She invited him only to be kind and polite, as he was a relative of Huo Jinyao’s family. She wasn’t expecting him to take that seriously.
Ms. Yu usually made four dishes and a soup for her and Huo Jinyao. That couldn’t be counted as a rich meal. Huo Jinyao was a man with a good appetite.
‘Maybe I can make some noodles later…’ Su Qingsang had already begun making plans in her head. Since she had invited a ‘guest’ home, she had no choice but to treat him well.
She had no time to call Huo Jinyao, as she was driving. Thus, she brought the guest straight home.
While waiting for Su Qingsang to come home, Huo Jinyao had been keeping himself busy. He made a lot of phone calls to make arrangements.
He had also been investigating. Maybe he was overthinking, but he felt that what happened this time was so much alike with what happened in Lin City. It seemed as if a well-planned scheme was directed against Su Qingsang.
Of course, it could also be the shameless couple doing that for money.
Either way, it was not a good thing for Su Qingsang, who had newly moved to Rong City and started working in the central hospital.
He made all the arrangements that he could think of and started contemplating who would plan something like that if it was premeditated.
Hearing the door open, he stood up from the sofa.
“Darling, you’re home… Uncle?”
Huo Jinyao stared at Su Qingsang, then at Zhang Yichen. He didn’t understand why the two of them were together.
After scanning the two with his eyes, he turned his attention back to Su Qingsang and asked in confusion, “Darling?”
“Jinyao.” Zhang Yichen stepped forward to greet him when he saw him.
“Uncle?”
“I ran into Qingsang on my way here visiting you, so we came together.”
Zhang Yichen had Huo Jinyao’s address. He had been here before and even spent a few nights in his house. His explanation was very convincing.
When Zhang Yichen explained before she could, Su Qingsang glanced at him, raising her brow. She figured that he was probably carrying out some kind of secret mission again, so she didn’t correct him.
She put down the car keys, changed her shoes, and invited Zhang Yichen in as the hostess of the house.
“Jinyao, Uncle hasn’t had dinner yet. I’m gonna go heat up the food. You stay here and keep Uncle company.”
“Okay.”
Huo Jinyao peered at Su Qingsang. He wanted to ask her about what happened in the hospital, but since Zhang Yichen was on the scene, he decided not to.
Su Qingsang walked into the kitchen, and she soon came out with two glasses of juice.
“Uncle, have some juice. The dinner will soon be ready.”
“Thank you.” Zhang Yichen sat down on the sofa, watching Su Qingsang walk into the kitchen again.
He turned his eyes away from her, just as Huo Jinyao sat down next to him.
“What brings you here? You’ve been in Rong City a lot these past several months.”
“I have something to do here,” Zhang Yichen said with a bland voice. He didn’t seem to explain more, and Huo Jinyao didn’t need him to do that.
“Stay safe.”
Huo Jinyao recalled what Su Qingsang had said previously. “Last time, Qingsang told me that she saw you in danger. I know that you won’t even listen to Grandaunt, let alone me. But still, I want you to be safe. After all, the whole family cares a lot about you.”
“I get it.”
Zhang Yichen never thought that Su Qingsang would tell Huo Jinyao about what happened last time.
He was surprised at first, but after spending some time thinking about it, he found it reasonable. Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao seemed to be in a very good relationship. The two of them probably kept no secrets from each other.
It didn’t take Su Qingsang a lot of time to heat the food.
“Jinyao, Uncle, dinner is ready.”
She also made some noodles, as she worried that the rice might not be enough.
“Do you want rice or noodles?”
“Noodles. My wife made that. I would surely like to taste my wife’s noodles.”
Su Qingsang gave him a warning glance as there was a guest at the table. Before she asked Zhang Yichen what he would like, he abruptly told her, “I’d like some noodles too.”
Su Qingsang didn’t think much about that. Most of the northerners loved noodles.
Huo Jinyao watched Su Qingsang hand Zhang Yichen a bowl of noodles, then said to him proudly, “You are lucky. I don’t allow her to cook every day.”
Zhang Yichen glanced at Su Qingsang, then looked at Huo Jinyao and responded with, “Really? I’m lucky indeed.”
“Of course.” Huo Jinyao looked at Su Qingsang with smiling eyes. There was a gentleness in his eyes that even he never noticed himself.
Zhang Yichen noticed that. He stayed silent and picked up the bowl of noodles.
It wasn’t super delicious. It was just some ordinary homemade noodles, but he never tasted anything better.
Su Qingsang made those noodles. She was Huo Jinyao’s wife. If she was…
He immediately got rid of those thoughts. He couldn’t think that way. Dropping his eyelids, Zhang Yichen suddenly became gloomy.
Huo Jinyao hadn’t been paying attention to Zhang Yichen at all. He knew that something bad had happened to Su Qingsang earlier today, so he was much more attentive to her than before.
“Try some soup. This is nourishing.”
“You’ve been tired these days, right? You had to fly to Lin City and then fly back. Have some fish to replenish your energy.”
“And this. Ms. Yu made great stew prawns today. I’ll remove the shells for you.”
He began removing the prawn shells while speaking.
“Huo Jinyao…” Su Qingsang couldn’t help but look at Zhang Yichen. His uncle was still there. What was Huo Jinyao doing?
“It’s okay.” Huo Jinyao put a piece of beef in her bowl and continued, “Uncle is a family member.”
Zhang Yichen clenched his bowl tighter. “You two are so sweet!” He sounded awkward.
“Of course we are!” Huo Jinyao winked at him and said, “Uncle, you should get married too. Look how happy I am.”
Zhang Yichen watched Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang sit together. He put food on her plate, and she spooned soup for him.
They were both attractive. Huo Jinyao was looking at his wife affectionately, while she seemed a little shy. They looked like such a perfect couple.
“Not everyone is as lucky as you are,” Zhang Yichen said, feeling a little depressed.
“That’s true.” Huo Jinyao nodded, putting an arm around Su Qingsang’s shoulder, and continued, “I consider myself very lucky too. Right, darling?”
The bad mood that clouded Su Qingsang’s mind because of what happened in the hospital was now almost gone. She peered at Huo Jinyao, signaling for him to stop where he should.
Huo Jinyao never knew when he should stop. He leaned toward her and kissed her on the cheek.
“Huo Jinyao!” His lips were covered in oil. Su Qingsang couldn’t help but glare at him.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help!” Huo Jinyao said that, but his words sounded very much like a lie.
During the dinner, Huo Jinyao had been trying to tell Zhang Yichen how great it was to be married.
“Uncle, you’re a few years older than I am. You need to seize the moment.”
“You don’t need to worry about me.” Zhang Yichen didn’t want to continue that conversation, so he interrupted Huo Jinyao.
Huo Jinyao knew that Zhang Yichen was a man with strong opinions. Normally, he would have stopped talking, but at that very moment, he wanted to continue.
“Uncle, seriously, only a married man would know how great marriage can be. Not to mention that holding your wife in your arms in bed at night is such a wonderful thing to do under such cold weather!”
“Huo Jinyao.” His words were becoming more and more ridiculous. Su Qingsang warned him with a glare, heat rising in her cheeks. Thankfully, Zhang Yichen didn’t utter a word, or else it might be so embarrassing.
“Don’t you have a heater?” Zhang Yichen had finished half of his noodles. Upon hearing that question, Huo Jinyao didn’t know what to say.
“Alright, I’m not gonna urge you. I’ll let Grandaunt worry about that. Maybe you’ll still be single when my son learns how to crawl.”
“Huo Jinyao!” Su Qingsang gave him another glare. Huo Jinyao grinned at her and said, “It’s okay Darling. Uncle is a family member. He’s not gonna get mad, right, Uncle?”
“Erm..” Zhang Yichen nodded slightly, but he didn’t say anything.
After dinner, Su Qingsang cleaned the table, while Huo Jinyao and Zhang Yichen returned to the living room.
Both men had a good appetite, so the food was completely devoured, including the noodles.
Su Qingsang wasn’t expecting Zhang Yichen to not act like a guest at all. He finished what was left on the plates.
It was good that no food was wasted though.
After cleaning the kitchen, she came out to find Zhang Yichen still in the living room. She couldn’t help but glance at Huo Jinyao.
“Uncle said he’s gonna stay in a hotel. It’s so late, so I told him that he can stay here. We have spare rooms anyway. What do you think, Darling?”
“Yes, it’s late. You can just stay here,” Su Qingsang replied, “I’ll get you a towel and a toothbrush.”
She went to fetch those things while speaking. There was a storage room in the apartment to keep stuff like that.
When she came back, Zhang Yichen was already in the guest room. Huo Jinyao offered to make the bed for him, but he refused out of politeness.
As a serviceman, he made the bed much more quickly than Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang could. It only took him a few seconds.
Su Qingsang watched Zhang Yichen put the quilt into the cover quickly, and then fold the quilt neatly, making it look like a well-cut piece of tofu.
“Whoa! I’m so impressed!” Huo Jinyao gave him a thumbs-up. “Look at this piece of tofu.”
“I’m impressed too!” Su Qingsang simply agreed with Huo Jinyao.
“I can do that too. I’ll show you later in our room.” Huo Jinyao instantly became jealous. He wrapped his arms around Su Qingsang’s waist, acting like a child who was asking his parents for some candy.
Su Qingsang didn’t even want to talk to him. How could he act so childishly? His uncle was right there. Wasn’t he afraid that his uncle might laugh at him?
“Darling, don’t you believe me?” Huo Jinyao didn’t get the compliment that he was expecting, so he pulled Su Qingsang’s arm.
“I believe you! I do, alright?”
Su Qingsang sounded like an adult talking to a child. Huo Jinyao didn’t like the serious tone of hers. “Why didn’t you praise me?” he asked her.
For a moment, Su Qingsang noticed that Zhang Yichen seemed to be enduring something displeasing. That look on his face was soon gone, though.
Su Qingsang looked at Huo Jinyao. She knew that his uncle was about to laugh at him.
“Alright, let’s go back to our room.”
“No, you haven’t praised me yet!” Huo Jinyao held her tightly, asking for the compliment once again.
The look on Zhang Yichen’s face grew sullen. Su Qingsang stared at Huo Jinyao with annoyance.
“Alright, you’re good too. My husband is the best. Okay?”
Su Qingsang said that without thinking, and Huo Jinyao was satisfied. Even though Zhang Yichen was standing right beside him, he still leaned toward his wife and kissed her loudly.
“Darling, you’re so nice.”
He liked to show off his sweet marriage, but Su Qingsang didn’t. She felt extremely awkward, knowing that Zhang Yichen was staring at her.
She gently pushed Huo Jinyao away and handed the towel and toothbrush to Zhang Yichen.
“Thank you.” Zhang Yichen grabbed them, glanced at Su Qingsang’s cheek, and then turned away expressionlessly. Her cheek had grown pink under Huo Jinyao’s kiss.
“It’s late. Rest well, Uncle. We’re heading back to our room.”
“Okay.”
Zhang Yichen nodded and watched Huo Jinyao and Su Qingsang leave.
He didn’t go to bed immediately after the two left. Instead, he closed the door and stood near it, at the same spot where Su Qingsang stood before.
He clenched his fists, recalling how Huo Jinyao showed off the sweetness he was having. He then dropped his eyelids and cast all those thoughts out of his mind.
He couldn’t allow himself to have thoughts like that, not even a little bit.
