TFS | Chapter 39

May in summer, Jingdu still wasn’t all that hot yet.

Outside the glass doors at the entrance to the medical school, a tall, slender young man stood by the window waiting for someone. He looked refined and handsome in a way that was hard to put into words, with an exceptional presence, and even the young nurses passing by could not help stealing glances at him.

Xu Zhou looked at the woman walking toward him from not far away, and a soft smile unconsciously tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Xu Linruan, is it really that hard to ask you out? I turned down so many dinner invitations just to have a meal with you, and that still doesn’t work?”

The girl across from him lifted her delicate brows slightly. She was even more bright and lovely than she had been a few years ago, her long black hair falling over her shoulders and setting off her skin, white as jade. There was a beauty about her that was difficult to describe.

“You’re such a busy man. Do you really lack someone to eat with?”

“Of course I do. You know that my friends are few and far between. Especially after I entered the company, I’ve been busy with work every day, and now I don’t even have anyone to talk to.”

“Come on, be a little kind to me. You’re almost graduating anyway, so just think of this as an early celebration. Is even that not okay?”

Xu Linruan rolled her eyes at him. After not seeing each other for a while, this guy’s methods seemed to have gotten even better.

This supporting male character from the original plot had also grown up remarkably fast. He was handsome, and his mind worked well too. In just one year after graduation, he had built the company up, so his ability was naturally nothing to scoff at.

Although Xu Zhou had only been taking special care of her because of his brother, the way he treated her did not look like that was all there was to it.

This guy was smart enough to hide his feelings very well. After she exposed his disguise, he never again brought up the relationship between them.

He even apologized to her, then brushed off all his actions as merely doing his duty for his brother, telling her not to overthink it and to keep treating him like an ordinary friend, just as before.

But what ordinary friends were ever this close?

Xu Linruan looked up at him. She was not some little girl in her teens, so she was not that easy to fool. Since he wanted her to treat him as an ordinary friend, then she definitely was not going to satisfy that request.

“Sorry, I still have a meeting this afternoon. I probably won’t have that much time, so let’s do dinner another time.”

“Actually, there are some things I wanted to talk to you about. There’s news from abroad about the previous shooting involving international students…” He had not finished speaking, but the implication was obvious.

So Xu Linruan answered with a smile, and the steps she had been about to take away stopped again. “Fine then. I’ll send over the documents first, so wait for me here.”

Xu Zhou could not help laughing. There was a hint of warmth in his smile as he thought that after asking her out for so long, he had finally managed it this time.

He had stayed by her side for nearly five years. During those five years, Qi Yue had remained missing, and even the authorities had already declared him dead. Only this stubborn woman still refused to give up, insisting on waiting for him to come back.

How could he not know this was just an excuse to turn him down? But if he did not have this excuse, then he would have no way to get close to her. After all, in his eyes, Qi Yue was already dead. No matter how lacking he was, he should not be unable to compete with a dead man.

…

There were quite a few places nearby where they could get lunch, and Xu Zhou had booked a Western restaurant in advance. By the time the two of them arrived, the waiter was smiling as he led them inside.

Xu Linruan was still wearing the same clothes, only she had taken off her white coat, revealing the white shirt underneath. When she looked at the menu, she lowered her head slightly, with half her hair tucked behind her ear, making her look especially lovely.

Xu Zhou watched her for a moment and got a little lost in it. When he came back to himself, Xu Linruan was handing him the menu. “What are you thinking about? I called you for ages and you didn’t react?”

“You.”

He did not react in time, and the words slipped out before he could stop them.

At once, the air went silent.

Xu Linruan raised her head slightly and looked at him calmly.

Xu Zhou gave an awkward little laugh, then smoothly changed the topic. “Don’t overthink it. I was just thinking that you’re almost graduating, so I wanted to ask if you need any help?”

His gaze drifted over her, almost absentmindedly. “You know, my relationship with Qi Yue was so good. Even though he’s still missing now, he would definitely want me to take better care of you.”

He spoke very seriously, neatly wrapping up his words.

Xu Linruan just smiled, looking very relaxed. “No need. I can learn a lot during my internship at the hospital. The professor is amazing, and following him will let me learn quite a bit of experience. You don’t need to trouble yourself with this kind of thing.”

Xu Zhou looked up and met those dark, ink-black eyes. “Then… how long are you planning to wait for him, if Qi Yue never has any news?”

That was what he really wanted to ask.

The smile at Xu Linruan’s lips dimmed a little, and her tone was light. “That’s my own business. I don’t want to answer that question for now.”

Xu Zhou flexed his fingers, suppressing the strange emotions in his heart. After a long while, he finally smiled at Xu Linruan and said, pretending to be easygoing, “If you don’t want to answer, then don’t. Whenever you feel like talking, come find me then. It won’t be too late. After all, as your friend, no matter what decision you make, I’ll always support you.”

…

After they finished that unimportant topic, Xu Zhou did not feel right asking anything else. He made up an excuse to go to the restroom, but in truth he was just trying to ease the atmosphere.

He felt that he should not have brought up Qi Yue. That guy had disappeared long ago. Every time he mentioned his name, it would only make her remember him more clearly once again. If he had a little more patience, he should have given her more time to accept that reality.

Xu Zhou sat on the edge of the sink and smoked. The way he smoked was very elegant, with two long fingers holding the cigarette butt as he calmly exhaled a plume of white smoke. It drifted in wisps, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.

After he finished washing his hands and went back, he saw a young man with a clean, delicate face sitting across from Xu Linruan in the private room. The boy was tugging at her sleeve, his cheeks slightly red as he said something to her.

Xu Linruan smiled at him. “Sorry, I really do have a boyfriend.”

“Senior, are you lying to me? I’ve been pursuing you for so long, and I’ve never once seen your boyfriend with you. If you want to reject me, at least find a more decent excuse.”

The junior opposite her clearly did not believe it, and his voice was full of disappointment.

Xu Linruan still wanted to explain, but before she could say anything, she heard a warm, abrupt voice from behind her. “She’s not lying to you. She really does have a boyfriend.”

The newcomer had an outstanding presence, and every movement he made carried a trace of nobility. His gaze passed lightly over the boy across from Xu Linruan. As he walked over, he rested his fingers on the back of her chair. It was a seemingly casual gesture, but it unconsciously declared his claim over her.

Xu Linruan tilted her head to look at him. She did not care about his actions, but the look in her eyes seemed to ask, What do you want to do?

Xu Zhou looked completely composed. He bent down slightly near her ear and said, “You probably don’t want this guy clinging to you either, right? I’ll help you drive him off. How about you treat me to a meal next time?”

Xu Linruan was not stupid, so it was not hard to guess what he was trying to do. It was just that this guy’s calculation was a little too profitable. He wanted to take advantage of her, and then have her treat him to a meal?

Did she look that easy to fool?

“Who are you?”

Only then did the junior turn around. He studied Xu Zhou as he approached, his gaze sweeping over him before returning to Xu Linruan. “Senior, is he your boyfriend?”

Xu Linruan was just about to speak. “No…”

But she was cut off by an unexpected interruption. “Yes, I am.” The man was gentle and aloof, and as he spoke, he wore a smile. “So do you have any other questions?”

……….

The noon sun was a little blinding. By the corridor in the hospital walkway stood two young men.

The young man was holding his phone and searching for something. His upper body leaned against the slanted railing, his two long legs bent and crossed, his posture loose and languid. Half of his black shirt was tucked into his dress pants. When he looked up carelessly, his face was even more exquisite than a painting.

The underling standing opposite him looked a little intimidated. He was always most afraid of seeing the boss with that kind of indifferent expression. “Bro, didn’t you say your sister-in-law worked at the hospital? Why haven’t I seen her?”

The young man shot him a glance, his expression calm. “Wouldn’t you know if you just asked?”

The underling let out an “oh” and was just about to stop a passing nurse to ask about it when he was shoved aside by the boss behind him.

Qi Yue stood up and, with obvious distaste, patted his shoulder. “You look too fierce, it’s easy to scare people. Go farther away. I’ll ask myself.”

“…”

The underling bit his nail in frustration. Could he really be blamed for being ugly, boss?

…

The afternoon was resting time, so there were not many people in the hospital corridor, only a few doctors and nurses on duty checking their work.

Qi Yue stopped a little nurse and smiled gently, his eyes and brows warm. “Hello, may I ask where Doctor Xu Linruan’s office is?”

He already drew attention wherever he went, and was tall with exquisite features. Especially when he smiled on purpose to please someone, it made the girls around him blush at once.

“You’re looking for Dr. Xu?” The little nurse looked at him and could tell he did not seem sick, then looked at how handsome he was, and instinctively treated him as Dr. Xu’s suitor, feeling a little regretful. “Are you here to confess?”

This kind of thing had happened before. Just a few days ago, there had been a rich second-generation kid who had broken his leg and fallen hopelessly in love with Dr. Xu at first sight.

During his hospital stay, he had gone all out, sending flowers and roses every day. His sugar-coated missiles were so fierce that Dr. Xu had coldly rejected him without mercy, and the blow had been so great that even though his leg had not healed yet, he checked himself out of the hospital and stopped staying there.

Qi Yue’s expression turned a little strange. “Confess?”

“Of course. Don’t you know? Dr. Xu already has a boyfriend.” The little nurse’s eyes also turned subtle. In this day and age, pretty people really were more willful. “She went to lunch with her boyfriend at noon. She probably won’t be back for a while. Why don’t you leave your contact information, little brother, and I’ll have her contact you when she’s back.”

“Boyfriend?”

The young man repeated the word, the corners of his mouth lifting as he suddenly let out a soft laugh. “So she went to eat lunch, no wonder she wasn’t here.”

He turned around and asked in a quiet voice, “By the way, do you know who her boyfriend is?”

Qi Yue slowly withdrew the emotion from his face. His dark eyes, heavy with mist, looked at the person in front of him. He was clearly still wearing that same exquisite face, but somehow he felt different now, as if the whole aura around him had instantly changed into someone else entirely.

The little nurse did not notice the change in his mood and kept speaking. “You don’t know? I heard he seems to be the young master of the Xu Corporation, from a very wealthy family. Dr. Xu gets along very well with him…”

The man’s expression was unreadable. His fingers rested on the railing. “The young master of the Xu Corporation…” He murmured the words under his breath. “Is it Xu Zhou?”

“Yes. Do you have something you need from Dr. Xu?”

“Me?” The young man slowly straightened up. His long fingers lazily combed through the stray hair falling over his forehead a few times. Then he turned around and suddenly smiled at her. “I came to take her home to have a baby.”

The little nurse froze. “Have a baby?”

“That’s right. When she gets back, could you please tell Nurse Sister for me?” A thin layer of chill rose in those pitch-black eyes, while a smile remained on the young man’s lips. “Just say… her child groom has returned, and I’m waiting for her at home.”