Chapter 212 Just worship?

In front of the Yandu Hotel, Xiao Han parked the car and turned to Meng Zhen: "Are you ready? Don't let anything get away when you go in."

Meng Zhen took a deep breath and suddenly reached out to loosen Xiao Han's tie, making his originally meticulous look more casual.

"Well... this is more your style," she said.

Xiao Han's eyes softened, and he leaned his elbows on the inside of the car window, holding his cheek and looking at her sideways, "The action you just made me almost think that we were already talking."

The atmosphere in the car heated up because of this sentence, and Meng Zhen's ears suddenly felt burning.

Seeing that she was too embarrassed to speak, Xiao Han stopped teasing her and opened the car door and got out first.

After entering the hotel lobby, Xiao Han extended his hand to Meng Zhen and asked politely, "Can I hold your hand?"

Meng Zhen's brain froze, and she kept telling herself: This is just acting! Pay attention! This is just acting!

She gently placed her hand on Xiao Han's palm. The moment she was held, she found that no reason could deceive herself.

She greedily wanted to take another step forward.

In the box, a couple sat there drinking tea. Their straight backs made one think of only four words: upright and righteous.

Meng Zhen subconsciously held Xiao Han's hand tightly, her palms sweating from nervousness.

Xiao Han curled his lips slightly and walked forward with Meng Zhen, "Dad, Mom, this is Meng Zhen, a doctor from the emergency department of the city hospital."

"Hello, uncle and aunt." Meng Zhen greeted politely, trying her best to act natural.

Father Xiao's sharp gaze lingered on Meng Zhen for a few seconds, then he suddenly looked away. "You finally did something satisfying."

Xiao Han rolled his eyes helplessly, and Meng Zhen almost laughed out loud.

The seemingly serious mother Xiao enthusiastically took Meng Zhen's hand and looked her up and down. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. "Oh, this boy has really good taste. I urged him so many times but he still hasn't found a girlfriend, and now he's found such an outstanding and beautiful girl. Zhen Zhen, please sit down and see what you like to eat."

"Thank you, Auntie." Under Xiao's mother's enthusiastic offensive, Meng Zhen became less restrained and gradually relaxed.

After ordering the dishes, we chatted pleasantly.

When talking about career issues, the conversation always turns to Xiao Han.

"Being a doctor is good. Saving lives and healing the wounded is a respectable profession." Father Xiao suddenly glanced at Xiao Han meaningfully and snorted coldly, "Unlike some people who always make weird friends in the art circle and dye their hair all kinds of colors. What a shame!"

It was the familiar sermon again. Xiao Han rolled his eyes and retorted bluntly, "Yes, yes, you're right. The designer of the Military Museum is a 45-year-old man with dyed silver hair. He's also nondescript. The designer of last year's Military Memorial Hall improvement plan was a queer man with a lip piercing and rainbow hair. He's also nondescript."

Father Xiao's face flushed instantly, as if he didn't expect Xiao Han to use military-related buildings as an example to refute him.

Soon he threw the can down again: "So what?! The Xiao family has been in the military for generations, and we value discipline and rules! How could we have a rebel like you, who is always slacking off and has no manliness at all!"

"Masculinity?" Xiao Han sneered, unbuttoned his suit, and to everyone's astonishment, yanked open his shirt collar, revealing a hideous scar across his collarbone. "This is the scar I got when I was a junior in college trying to save a girl who was being harassed by two drunks. You even called me a hero back then! Tell me, what does masculinity look like?"

Father Xiao's teacup hit the plate with a clang.

Xiao's mother drank her tea calmly, as she was already used to this kind of scene.

The father and son would quarrel every time they met, and they would always say the same few words. She had heard them so many times that her ears were callused and she could automatically block them out.

But the atmosphere was so cold as the father and son were fighting that Meng Zhen was scared. She secretly poked Xiao Han's thigh under the table, and was suddenly held by the hand, as if telling her not to worry.

The atmosphere in the box was so tense that you could hear a pin drop. Meng Zhen hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to speak up for Xiao Han: "Uncle, actually... Xiao Han's design talent is truly outstanding. The veterans' nursing home project he worked on last year incorporated many aging-friendly design concepts, greatly improving the living comfort of the veterans."

She finished speaking in one breath, and Xiao Han looked at her in shock, as if he didn't expect her to know about this project.

He rarely talked about work, at most he would complain about the stupid clients he met. Even Meng Anran didn't know he had taken on this project.

Where did Meng Zhen hear this from?

Father Xiao snorted and said in a calm voice: "I heard from those old guys who haven't suffered from Alzheimer's that they are doing quite well."

Xiao Han rolled his eyes and showed a disgusted expression, "Aren't you an old man yourself? Can you speak properly in the future? It's not like I don't know that you care about me. I am your only son. If you don't care about me, who do you care about?"

Father Xiao slammed the table as if someone had stepped on his tail. "You, a rebellious son, have the right to criticize me? I can't even argue with my son! Watch your mouth, or you'll get into trouble outside. I can't clean up the mess for you!"

The air was quiet for a moment, and Meng Zhen and Xiao's mother couldn't help but burst out laughing.

This father and son, one is tough-talking and the other is sharp-tongued, how can this not be considered genetic?

On the way back in the car, both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Xiao Han was the first to speak and break the silence: "How did you know about the veterans' nursing home project? I don't think I ever mentioned it to you."

Meng Zhen's eyes wandered, and she stammered, "I just... looked up your information when I was bored."

Xiao Han raised his eyebrows. "Doctors in the emergency room still have time to spare and be bored? Why don't you find a more reasonable excuse?"

Meng Zhen pursed her lips. "I... am your fan. I've seen every one of your award-winning works, even the concept designs from your college days. Otherwise... how could I admire you?"

It was indeed a reasonable reason, but Xiao Han didn't believe it.

He slowly parked the car on the side of the road, tilted his head and looked deeply into her eyes, "Just admiration?"

The sound of heartbeats was like thunder in the small carriage, and the words "love what you love" kept echoing in Mengzhen's mind.

When she finally mustered up the courage and prepared to confess her feelings to Xiao Han, she heard Xiao Han whisper, "No need to say more, I understand."

These eight short words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing Meng Zhen's hot mood. She stood there with her lips slightly open, feeling so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do for a moment.

But then Xiao Han said, "I feel the same as you."

The light returned to Meng Zhen's eyes, and she turned her head in disbelief to meet Xiao Han's eyes, but the look in the other's eyes was not joy, but... helplessness.