Chapter 4: Dr. Cheng, the Jealous Puppy on a Blind Date, I Was Wrong…

Cheng Guo hadn't seen Shen Zhui for four days. Shu Shu didn't mention him again after dinner that night. However, someone in the department gossiped and asked if Shen Zhui was pursuing her. She laughed and replied, "Now I know how celebrity dating gossip comes about," which amused everyone. After that, no one asked again.

Today is the day Chen Zhui is discharged from the hospital.

He looks like he's recovering well and has a lot of energy.

"Dr. Cheng?" Yuan Man called her with slight dissatisfaction.

Cheng Guo turned her head away.

With a loud bang, the chair at the next table was yanked again, the noise deafening. Yuan Man, who was about to get into the topic of life's important matters, frowned and looked over in displeasure. The boy next to the table was tall, dressed in all black, with a handsome and rugged appearance. He didn't know who had offended him, but the displeasure and irritation between his brows were blatantly displayed in the air, stirring up restlessness in the surroundings. After feeling Yuan Man's gaze, he glanced over, his eyes like a cold, slanted knife, slashing down at Yuan Man's forehead and nose. Then, noticing Cheng Guo opposite him, he suppressed his hostility and looked over.

My gaze lingered.

Yuan Man, who had been so frightened that he couldn't help but swallow hard and his hair stood on end, now felt challenged. Just as he was about to muster up his courage to say something, he heard Cheng Guo throw the question back at him: "What are your thoughts, Dr. Yuan?"

He quickly looked away. Cheng Guo across from him had a gentle smile and focused gaze like a refreshing breeze, instantly dispelling the anger in Yuan Man's heart.

He preferred to be called Dr. Yuan rather than Professor Yuan by his students and colleagues, as it satisfied his subtle desire for academic authority.

Yuan Man composed herself and smiled, "Before I met Dr. Cheng, my thoughts on marriage and my future partner were vague. Now I only regret not meeting you sooner."

"puff……"

The boy who came in from behind the next table let out a laugh, but quickly suppressed it.

The veins on Yuan Man's forehead throbbed repeatedly. He wanted to reprimand the other person for being impolite, but he was afraid of losing his composure in front of Cheng Guo.

Cheng Guo was sipping water with his head down.

She had only heard this kind of word in dramas before, and never expected that it would be used on her own life one day.

When she looked up again, the smile on her face hadn't completely faded; it was much wider than when they first met. Her eyebrows were curved, her eyes were bright and dark, and she was extremely beautiful.

"Thank you," she said.

Yuan Man was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Cheng Guo. Cheng Guo still had a smile on her face and asked in a gentle tone, "Does Dr. Yuan have any plans to get married soon?"

This question was direct, but it was exactly what Yuan Man was thinking. He was no longer young and didn't have the energy or time to maintain a long-term relationship. Moreover, for him, marriage was about maximizing benefits, and the woman's overall conditions were his criteria for choosing a partner.

Before coming, he learned about Cheng Guo's social circle and knew that this wasn't Cheng Guo's first blind date. With her qualifications, the reason she hadn't succeeded before could only be due to the other party's problem. Now that she was asking him this question, it meant that she was satisfied with his qualifications.

“It would be great if we could get married as soon as possible, Dr. Cheng?” Yuan Man said with a smile.

Cheng Guo smiled and said, "My mother hopes I will get married as soon as possible."

As soon as he finished speaking, the table and chairs next to him were pulled away forcefully. Shen Zhui, who had just sat down for a few seconds, got up with a sullen face and walked out. Cheng Guo blinked her eyelashes and slowly took a sip of water.

The assistant who was taking orders glanced quickly in her direction, then looked up and called out, "Brother, the doctor told you to eat on time."

It's unclear which word had the effect, but the person who had already reached the door stopped in their tracks, strode back two seconds later, and sat down again.

The assistant pushed the menu towards him, "Brother, what do you want to eat?"

Shen Zhui didn't look, his voice low and tense, "As per Dr. Cheng's orders."

"..."

The assistant quickly glanced at the doctor surnamed Cheng beside him, then confirmed with Shen Zhui, "Rice water?"

“Juice,” Shen Zhui added.

"..."

"Are you full?" the assistant asked. "Brother, is that all you want?"

"Add another cup of water."

"This must be the first time I've encountered a love-struck individual," the assistant frowned. "...Am I one too?"

Chen Zhui raised his eyes: "You had surgery for acute appendicitis?"

The assistant understood, lowered his head, and quickly ordered a bunch of dishes for himself.

"Cough." Cheng Guo turned her head away and put down her water glass.

Shen Zhui must have a talent for comedy.

Across from him, Yuan Man very gentlemanly handed Cheng Guo a napkin. Cheng Guo thanked him, took it, put it aside, and then picked up his chopsticks.

The next table finally quieted down, and Yuan Man picked up the conversation again, starting with his work and then moving on to his family. In short, besides teaching at the university, he also co-founded a company with a friend. In previous years, he focused on his studies and career and didn't have time to date. After his parents retired, they ran a supermarket with his support. Although they were busy, they would be able to take care of their grandchildren in the future. He was preparing to renovate his second house in Licheng, which was not far from the university where he taught and the Third Hospital. He asked Cheng Guo if she had a preferred decorating style.

Every sentence, though never explicitly mentioning marriage, subtly alludes to it.

They would also ask Cheng Guo back and forth: "Can the school teachers also give the enrollment quotas to the second generation?"

"Everyone says that having a doctor in the family makes it convenient for relatives to come to the hospital for treatment. My uncle is a well-known expert, so he must be the one who is sought out by relatives even more often, right?"

"Is it really hard to get an appointment with Dr. Guo, the head of cardiac surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital? My uncle has been having heart problems lately..."

Cheng Guo put down her chopsticks.

The junior high school where Yu Muying teaches is a key municipal school, and admission spots are extremely competitive.

Her father, Cheng Fuyan, is a renowned immunologist.

Her teacher was Dr. Guo, the director of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital, who is also a cardiovascular expert.

Cheng Guo took out a napkin, gently wiped her lips, and patiently answered each question.

"Teachers with permanent positions at the affiliated high school have the benefit of their children enrolling in school."

"Having a doctor at home does make it more convenient to see a doctor; minor illnesses often don't require a trip to the hospital."

“My teacher opens a special clinic every Thursday afternoon, and it’s really hard to get an appointment. Uncle, you can go to the regular clinic first to get the tests done. I’ll come and take a look. If you don’t understand anything, you can ask the teacher for help.”

"Isn't Dr. Cheng in general surgery?" Yuan Man asked in surprise.

"This month I started working on cardiology."

Cheng Guo didn't explain further, but Yuan Man was extremely satisfied with the pleasant conversation. He glanced at Cheng Guo's hand on the table, his mind wandering, and slowly placed his own hand over, stopping about a fist's distance away, tentatively pushing their relationship a step further.

"Dr. Cheng, then let's find a time..."

With a "thud," the table next to him slammed shut as Chen Zhui placed his water glass on the table. His assistant, who was eating, looked up and glanced around.

His own artist had a gloomy face, but Dr. Cheng smiled without saying a word, and his blind date had a shrewd look on her face and half-revealed lust. It was more interesting than the script the company had given Shen Zhui. He was almost at a loss as to who to look at. Finally, he thought of his work and pushed the juice forward, "Brother, have some."

He was met with a glare.

"Dr. Yuan," Cheng Guo began, "I wonder if my mother mentioned my career plans during our last meal?"

Career planning?

"Yes, I'm preparing for my medical doctoral entrance exam, and if all goes well, I'll be enrolled next year."

“This is a good thing,” Yuan Man understood. “A doctoral degree allows for earlier promotion to associate chief physician or chief physician.”

"That's right."

Cheng Guo tilted her head slightly, her smile gentle and captivating. "Dr. Yuan should also know that a medical doctorate is a long and expensive program," she gestured for him to look at the asset list beside her. "Although I have some savings, it's not enough to cover all the expenses during my doctoral studies. I'm considering that if we get married, it wouldn't be appropriate for my mother to cover these expenses as well, so..."

Cheng Guo stopped there without continuing. Yuan Man's expression turned sour, and his smile slowly faded. He withdrew his hand from the table to his water glass, picked it up, took a sip, and then put on a smile again. "I remember when I was a doctoral student, I had 10,000 yuan in my bank account. By the time I graduated, I had 200,000 yuan. The cost of a medical doctorate," he thought for a moment, "doubled?"

Cheng Guo smiled and praised, "Dr. Yuan is excellent." She didn't beat around the bush anymore, "If I had no income from work while studying full-time, and if I included living expenses, I would need 800,000 yuan during my doctoral studies."

Yuan's smile faltered: "What about part-time?"

Shen Zhui picked up his phone, which was lying face down on the table, unlocked it, opened an app, and then leisurely picked up his juice and took a sip.

“790,000.” Cheng Guo smiled.

"puff……"

The assistant at the next table let out another laugh.

Yuan Man's face turned completely cold. "Is Dr. Cheng playing a trick on me?"

With a dark expression, he picked up his bag and left.

Cheng Guo shrugged slightly, beckoned the waiter to pay, collected the personal documents from the table, slung her bag over her shoulder, turned to Chen Zhui, her eyes crinkling, glanced at his juice, and said in a relaxed tone, "Drink slowly."

It had been over a year since he had been treated so kindly by her. Chen Zhui's heart almost stopped for a moment. When he came to his senses, Cheng Guo had already pushed open the door and walked out. He quickly got up, reached out and grabbed the backpack next to his assistant. His eyes followed Cheng Guo outside the restaurant, and he simply instructed his assistant: "Tell Sister Qi that I accepted the variety show she mentioned this afternoon."

"You answered again? Hey bro, where are you going? What am I supposed to do?"

"You're on vacation."

The person has already left the restaurant.

“Men are like birds that cannot stay at home once they grow up,” the assistant muttered under his breath. “Whether they are freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors, they are all like birds that cannot stay at home once they grow up.”

The pulling pain in his abdomen was still there, but the man who couldn't stay still didn't feel it at all.

As the sun sets and the evening glow fades, the sunset disappears.

The moon is being lazy and hasn't started work yet.

The streetlights waved to the stars in the sky.

Cheng Guo walked briskly, with Chen Zhui following a dozen meters behind her, his eyes never leaving her. He watched her roll an A4 sheet of paper into a tube, unfold it, roll it again, flatten it, tear it a few times, and then casually throw it into a passing trash can before gracefully crossing the road.

Worried about losing track of someone again like last time, Chen Zhui ignored the pain and jogged a few steps to catch the green light, but stopped when he passed a trash can.

It contains information about Cheng Guo's assets.

It also contains her personal information.

After returning to the hospital, Cheng Guo went to the general surgery department first. Shu Shu sent her a message saying that she had left two books there and asked her to come and pick them up when she had time.

When I arrived at the general surgery department, Shu Shu was eating takeout and watching a drama. I didn't rush to give her the book, but first pulled her aside and asked, "How was it? How was it?"

Cheng Guo shrugged and shook her head. "They didn't fancy me."

"How could this be?!"

"They think I'm poor."

"Huh? You even chose him?" Shu Shu was indignant for Cheng Guo. "You didn't even complain about his height, but you can't even wear high heels with him!"

"I still find it unsatisfactory," Cheng Guo said with a smile, her gaze falling on the table.

Shu Shu laughed heartily, then shifted her gaze to the table, holding up the autographed document from Shen Zhui and waving it in front of her with a broad smile. "I didn't ask for it; his assistant gave it to me when he was being discharged from the hospital."

"Do you want it?" she asked Cheng Guo, blinking her eyes.

Cheng Guo leaned closer to look at her eyes, "It clearly says here, 'Please don't take it.'"

Shu Shu laughed and pushed her. The two joked around for a while before Cheng Guo took the book back to the cardiology office.

The cardiology and general surgery departments were on different floors. Cheng Guo didn't wait for the elevator and slowly climbed the stairs.

Tonight she's on a blind date, and Yu Muying will definitely call to ask what happened. Shen Zhui's sudden appearance disrupted her plans. She was in a hurry to set a trap for Yuan Man, but the other party isn't stupid; she can figure out what happened after a little thought.

She needs to figure out how to completely shift the blame onto Yuan Man.

Buzz—

The phone vibrated.

At the same time, the sound of people jumping down the stairs came from above the stairwell. It was as if they were jumping down one floor at a time. Cheng Guo stood against the wall to let people pass while taking out her phone. She was stunned when she saw the name on the screen.

The sound of people going downstairs suddenly stopped, and the dial tone of a waiting phone broke the silence.

Cheng Guo looked up. Chen Zhui, holding his phone, stood half a floor above her, his chest heaving. His anxious gaze softened slightly the moment he noticed her.

He had taken off his mask, and whether from the heat or pain, a few large beads of sweat were trickling down his face and neck from his forehead and chin, soaking the collar of his T-shirt. He evened his breathing and slowly walked towards her, the heat emanating from his body surging towards her like a scalding tide. For a moment, it felt like time had turned back to that early summer of his sophomore year when he ran towards her after playing basketball.

Back then, he exuded youthful vigor, with bright sunshine behind him.

Cheng Guo gripped the spine of the book in her arms tightly, using force to keep her feet from falling back.

Remembering that he had just had surgery, Cheng Guo hung up the phone and scolded him in a low voice, "Didn't the doctor say that you can't do strenuous exercise for three months after the surgery?!"

Shen Zhui stood in front of her and suddenly smiled. His smile was bright and radiant, and his eyes were like stars in the sky.

"Dr. Cheng, I was wrong."

He looked down at her, a slight upturn at the corners of his lips, his tone soft, his eyes cautious.

Cheng Guo felt a slight jolt in her chest, swallowed hard, and remained silent.

"Sister," Chen Zhui called her again after more than a year, "Can I invite you to dinner?"

A note from the author:

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Shen Sasa: ​​No matter how angry you are, you can't glare at your sister. (The following plot has too many words, so it'll be moved to the next chapter.)