Chapter 3 Blind Date: The Furious Little Dog - I Don't Kiss My Friends
Both pairs of eyes swept towards Cheng Guo.
Overwhelmed, Cheng Guo paused, turned her chopsticks towards the plate of tripe on the table, cooked it, and served it to the two of them before continuing to eat her own meat.
"What do you mean?" Shu Shu asked Ruan Ning in a low voice.
"I'll shut you up, so you'll eat more and ask less."
Shu Shu seemed certain of something, and let out a drawn-out "Oh," her smile barely contained. Her gaze was practically fixed on Cheng Guo's face, her eyes darting around as she looked at her with a pleading look.
Cheng Guo turned her face away, pretending not to see, but after a while, when she turned her head back, Shu Shu looked over again. She sighed, propped her forehead up, and smiled in defeat, explaining, "The conditions were just something I made up on the spot."
"I knew Shen Zhui before, but we haven't been in touch for a long time."
Shu Shu's eyes lit up, and she immediately asked, "So, can we continue to contact each other now?"
Cheng Guo smiled and shook her head, then said nothing more.
Shu Shu was someone she met after coming to the Third Hospital. Their relationship really took off a year ago, when she and Shen Zhui had already lost contact, so Shu Shu didn't know that Shen Zhui had ever existed in her life. This encounter with Shen Zhui was unexpected for her, and it had already ended the moment she left the ward today. However, Shen Zhui's words from their last meeting kept flashing through her mind uncontrollably.
"I don't kiss my friends."
Shu Shu let out a disappointed "Ah," and muttered softly, "Does that mean I can't get your autograph?"
Cheng Guo snapped out of her reverie, smiled, and tapped her head, "Go ask for him yourself when he's discharged from the hospital."
"Once you're discharged from the hospital, where else can you possibly meet them again?"
After that, Shenzhui was not mentioned again.
Cheng Guo, however, did not dare to relax.
Shu Shu was unaware of her relationship with Shen Zhui, but Ruan Ning knew everything. Shu Shu had met Shen Zhui through Ruan Ning. Ruan Ning was silent at the moment, but who knew how much she was holding back.
After dinner, the three of them strolled around the streets for a while before heading home. Just as Cheng Guo got into a taxi, Ruan Ning squeezed in.
“I’m sleeping at your place tonight. If you don’t report anything, you’ll be in for a beating, Cheng Xiaoguo.” Ruan Ning glared at her and then texted home to say she would be staying at Cheng Xiaoguo’s place for the weekend.
Cheng Guo tactfully rubbed her temples to play the victim, saying, "I had surgery for more than ten hours, my back and legs are sore, and no one cares about me."
Ruan Ning turned off her phone, subtly shifting the blame, "We'll interrogate her tonight while feeling sorry for her."
"...Don't you need to go home and prepare lessons, Teacher Ruan?"
"We finished the music exam last Wednesday, and next week there will be a graduation ceremony before summer vacation."
"Then come and stay with me for a few days."
Ruan Ning turned to look at Cheng Guo and asked, "What, do you want me to interrogate you every day?"
"I don't need your interrogation, I'll confess honestly when I get home," Cheng Guo said, knowing she couldn't escape the questioning any longer, so she simply lay down and confessed, "I miss Chef Ruan."
She smiled as she opened the grocery shopping app and ordered the groceries she wanted for the next two days. "You can go on your date during the day, and just cook for me and warm my bed when you get home in the evening."
“You’re so lovely,” Ruan Ning smiled and nudged her forehead, agreeing readily. “Tomorrow and the day after are fine. The curriculum has been reformed, and I need to study the new textbooks during the summer vacation. I’ll come to your place after I’m done with my work.”
When Cheng Guo got home, he changed into slippers and took out a pair of black men's slippers from the shoe cabinet for Ruan Ning.
These slippers were brought by Ruan Ning when she moved out to rent a place. News of single women living alone getting into trouble is all too common. Ruan Ning brought a bunch of things such as doorstops, men's clothes, baseball bats, and high-powered flashlights. She even had her father record a few audio clips and set them to quick play so that Cheng Guo could use them when receiving packages, creating the illusion that she wasn't living alone.
Cheng Guo recounted what happened after he encountered Chen Zhui.
"He's clearly trying to make amends. What do you think?" Ruan Ning asked, leaning against the kitchen door.
"No idea." Cheng Guo took out two bottles of ice water, gave one to Ruan Ning, and the two walked to the sofa and sat down side by side.
"Then let me ask you a different question: how did it feel when he hugged you?"
The living room air conditioner is broken, and the bedroom air conditioner's cold air hasn't filled the entire room yet.
Cheng Guo saw the image of Shen Zhui pressing down on her flash before her eyes. The image was slowed down, and his eyebrows and eyes became exceptionally clear: dark eyebrows, bright eyes, dry lips, and his Adam's apple bobbing urgently. She could also clearly feel his hand moving inch by inch from the back of her head to her waist, as well as the faint, clean scent that wafted from his body when he hugged her tightly, and his soft, aggrieved tone when he asked her questions.
A tingling sensation belatedly rose up on Cheng Guo's back, and fine beads of sweat emerged from his pores.
She twisted off the bottle cap, took a few sips of ice water, and then replied to Ruan Ning, "He smells quite nice."
"Oh? You only have a sense of smell?" Ruan Ning rested her elbow on the back of the sofa, turned to the side, and looked at her with a smile.
"I didn't say I had any feeling about the taste!"
"Getting impatient, getting impatient." Ruan Ning clicked her tongue and quickly asked three questions in a row.
Are you worried when he gets injured?
"Does it hurt your heart?"
If he pursues you again, will you say yes?
"I'm about to go on a blind date, how can I have time to think about all that?" Cheng Guo rummaged through the room and found a new set of towels and bath towels, handing them to Ruan Ning and urging her to take a shower.
Ruan Ning smiled and didn't move. She could tell what Cheng Guo was thinking from her guilty look.
Cheng Guo was strictly disciplined by Yu Muying in her early years, and didn't even have the right to choose her university major. Now she has a very strong sense of self-reliance. On the surface, she still seems easy to manipulate, but in reality, she is slowly and steadily confronting Yu Muying. As for whether she will end up with Shen Zhui...
Ruan Ning stopped pressing Cheng Guo for an explanation and stood up with a smile. "Tell me before you talk to Shen Zhui. I have something to tell you."
"...Go take a shower now!" Cheng Guo pushed her.
It's as if she's definitely going to talk to Shen Zhui.
Cheng Guo rented a one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't very big, suitable for singles or young couples. The landlord hadn't put much effort into the renovations; the bathroom had a single-pane glass door, and Ruan Ning could see shadows moving around inside.
Even soundproofing wasn't enough; the sound of rushing water and singing drifted out together.
The whole house was as lively as a giant music box.
Cheng Guo smiled slightly. Ruan Ning had been in a carefree state of mind ever since she started dating, but because her boyfriend Zhou Nanyu was Chen Zhui's roommate, she couldn't share her relationship with him.
Thinking of Zhou Nanyu reminded me of Shu Shu's lament today about how much money celebrities can make, and the image of the creased heels of Chen Zhui's shoes by his hospital bed came to mind.
Shen Zhui's family is not well-off. His father gambled and incurred debts in his early years. His mother, who had never experienced hardship since childhood, continued to live according to her old ways. After Shen Zhui went to university, he started working. Now, he doesn't know if the money he has earned is enough to fill the family's financial hole.
Cheng Guo took out her phone and searched for actors' salaries, then searched for Shen Zhui's acting experience.
Shen Zhui studied animation, and acting is both a hobby and a way to learn. So far, he has acted in four movies. Two of them were filmed when he first entered university, and it is unknown what his role was. Another movie is currently showing, and he is playing the second male lead. He just finished filming another movie.
There are two endorsement deals: a close friend of a major jewelry brand and a spokesperson for a shower gel brand.
After searching for the meaning of "brand ambassador," Cheng Guo frowned. Isn't Shen Zhui quite popular? Compared to other celebrities of the same level, Shen Zhui doesn't have a leading role or even a decent endorsement.
Is this because the company is suppressing them?
Cheng Guo looked down and searched for Shenzhui Economic Company, his fingertip pausing as he typed in the name.
What is she doing?
Didn't you just coolly leave with a "I'm done talking" and walk away today?
With a click, the bathroom door was pushed open, and a light, fruity scent quickly wafted out.
"Guo'er, this cherry shower gel smells so good!" Ruan Ning sat down while drying her hair. Not hearing a response, she nudged Cheng Guo's arm. "What are you staring at your phone for?"
“I…” Cheng Guo snapped out of her daze, blinked, “I was thinking about the repairman’s number.”
Ruan Ning glanced at her amusedly, clearly not believing her. The air conditioner really did need fixing, so Cheng Guo simply dialed the number.
"Mr. Li, my air conditioner is broken. When would you be free to come over?"
"Coming right away," the nurse on the other end said.
The assistant hung the call bell back in its place and looked at Chen Zhui, who lay on the hospital bed with his eyes vacant.
Shortly after, a nurse came in and took Shen Zhui's temperature, which was 37.8°C. "Don't worry, it's normal to have recurring fevers after surgery. You can use physical methods to lower the temperature."
"Will the fever subside in a few days?" the assistant asked.
"Usually three days."
After the nurse closed the door and left, the assistant applied a cold compress to Shen Zhui. He heard Shen Zhui ask him, "Will Dr. Cheng be making rounds tomorrow?"
"I heard from the nurses' station that the chief physician will be making rounds tomorrow, and other doctors will be there too."
Shen Zhui grunted an "Mmm" and said nothing more.
Shen Zhui had just finished filming his last movie and had been shooting night scenes for the past few days. His assistant also had to stay up late with him. He wasn't used to the hospital's 9 p.m. lights-out schedule, so he lay back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling for a while, remembering his manager Qi Jie's instructions.
“Brother,” he called out to Shen Zhui, “Sister Qi said you should let her know before you start dating so she can prepare a public relations plan in advance.”
After a few seconds of silence in the room, Chen Zhui replied, "Let her do it."
So they want to talk?!
The assistant was so startled that he jumped up from the sofa, only to hear Shen Zhui change his mind and say, "Let's wait a few days, until her baby is a month old. It's not a good time for her to get anxious or stressed right now."
"?"
Is it something that makes you anxious or stressed?
The assistant swallowed hard, then mustered her courage to remind her, "Sister Qi said you can date, but you can't be a third party."
"Did Sister Qi say that, or did you say it?"
"..." The assistant shut up.
Does it matter who said it?
"She didn't talk to anyone else."
I didn't talk to you about it.
The assistant added in his mind.
Moreover, Dr. Cheng is about to go on a blind date.
It will be on the first of next month.
The other person is a PhD.
Human brainwaves cannot be shared. At this moment, Shen Zhui could still lie peacefully in bed, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the image of Cheng Guo not even looking at him today. Thinking about how he had only exchanged a few words with her during the day before she left, leaving him only with the words "I'm done talking," he felt even more choked up.
How can she still be so heartless?
He looked at the cherry blossom profile picture pinned to the top of his WeChat profile for a while, then switched to Xiaohongshu.
Three of the four posts on the homepage are related to appendicitis, and one is his own post titled "Oh no, this is someone I really want to talk about." The video content is a girlfriend's perspective of him, which was filmed at Qi Jie's request.
At the time, his first movie had just been released, and although his footage totaled only two minutes, it unexpectedly gained attention, and the video subsequently began to attract attention online.
The shoot didn't go smoothly. In the first shot, he turned his face to one side, as if he was sulking and throwing a tantrum. A few seconds later, he suddenly laughed, then tried his best to hold it in. When he turned his face back, he couldn't suppress the smile on his lips. His palm reached out towards the camera, and soon, the view was filled with the warm color of his palm.
Once the warm color fades, the normal shooting content can begin.
He requested that the first shot be kept, and after Qi Jie's objection was ignored, she had no choice but to let him have his way. Unexpectedly, the traffic was surprisingly good, but the speculation among fans about whether Shen Zhui had a girlfriend never stopped.
Shen Zhui's lips curled up, the video frame was frozen, his finger dragged to zoom in, zoomed in again, staring at the indistinct figure in his eyes, the corners of his lips slowly fading.
Finally, he held the phone to his chest.
They've known each other for so long, but they've never taken a photo together. Luckily, he'll see her tomorrow. He needs to think of a way to quickly thaw their relationship; if he doesn't hurry, she'll probably be going on another blind date.
He could actually sense that she was nervous when he was bleeding today...
Shen Zhui stared at the ceiling, making plans in his mind, but to his disappointment, Cheng Guo was not seen by the doctor on the second day of rounds, nor on the third day, and he still did not see Cheng Guo until he was discharged from the hospital.
The atmosphere surrounding their artist was getting increasingly tense, and the assistant had been on tenterhooks these past few days, following behind Shen Zhui with his bag after completing the discharge procedures.
The Third Hospital has limited underground parking spaces, so the car sent by Sister Qi waited on the roadside near the side entrance closest to the inpatient department.
Shen Zhui lowered his head, put on the mask handed to him by his assistant, and paused for a moment when he pushed open the inpatient department door.
It was a sweltering summer evening in July, the air was stuffy and dry, and the cicadas were chirping incessantly, but his world was so quiet that only the sound of his light footsteps could be heard.
The clouds embraced the last rays of the setting sun, painting the western horizon with a brilliant evening glow, adding a warm hue to the solemn outpatient building of the hospital, and a figure turned from the tree-lined path beside the building.
She wore loose-fitting jeans, a white shirt, and a low ponytail that revealed her fair neck. She also carried a brown Hobo shoulder bag on her left shoulder.
Simple and relaxed.
Despite not having an eye-catching or outstanding outfit, Shen Zhui still recognized Cheng Guo at a glance.
He had seen her back view countless times.
He pushed open the door and followed closely behind her amidst the overwhelming chirping of cicadas. The pain from his abdominal wound tugged at his nerves, and his forehead and back were damp with sweat. But he dared not slow down. Even so, the distance between them gradually increased. Fortunately, she was stopped by a red light after exiting through the side door.
As Shen Zhui hurried a few steps closer, the light turned green. Cheng Guo crossed the road and headed towards a restaurant. The green light above his head began its countdown. Just as Shen Zhui was about to take a few quick steps to cross, his arm was suddenly grabbed.
"Brother, the car is over here."
The assistant whispered again, "Sister Qi is waiting for you in the car."
Suddenly hearing a familiar address, Cheng Guo turned around a beat late. There were pedestrians around, but no one she recognized. A black minivan was parked on the opposite side of the road, and someone was getting in.
The restaurant was just a few dozen meters away. She walked over slowly, and when she pushed open the door, a cool breeze blew in. The man inside, who had been watching the door closely, was slightly taken aback. He glanced down at his phone, then looked up and stood up. The smile on his face was so delighted that Cheng Guo couldn't ignore it.
He wore a striped shirt, black trousers, and thin silver-rimmed glasses. He was about 175 cm tall and had a slender build.
Cheng Guo sized up the man as she walked over.
“Dr. Cheng is much prettier in person than in the photos.” Yuan Man seemed certain that the other party had recognized her, so she didn’t bother with any opening remarks or self-introduction, her gaze never leaving Cheng Guo’s face.
"Thank you." Cheng Guo did not comment on the man's appearance and sat down opposite him.
After the two ordered their food, Yuan Man smiled and handed over a document about 1cm thick. Cheng Guo took out three freshly printed A4 pages from her bag after get off work and handed them over.
After adding each other on WeChat, the two didn't chat much. Last night, Cheng Guo received a message from Yuan Man, who said he would bring his resume and proof of assets. This was the first time Cheng Guo had encountered such a situation. After thinking for a moment, he turned on his computer and edited his own.
Yuan Man was clearly satisfied with Cheng Guo's approach, nodding approvingly and commenting as he flipped through the pages, "Dr. Cheng hasn't published many SCI papers."
Cheng Guo glanced quickly over several pages of papers whose titles didn't interest her, then looked up and smiled. "Medical master's programs are geared towards clinical practice, so there isn't much time for research, and the requirements for SCI publications are relatively lower compared to academic master's and doctoral programs."
Yuan Man's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then he frowned as he turned to the last page.
That page showed her assets.
Cheng Guo smiled slightly, lowered her head, and continued to look through Yuan Man's resume.
The man opposite him put the three pages of paper aside and picked up his water glass.
One bite, two bites, three bites...
After taking a few sips, he put down the cup and sat anxiously for a while. He seemed to have digested Cheng Guo's asset situation before calming down and returning his gaze to her.
Yuan Man's resume is detailed, down to every exam score, ranking, and scholarship he received since his undergraduate years, as well as every project he participated in and the achievements he made. Each item marks his excellence in life.
Cheng Guo slowly flipped through the pages, and just as the dishes were served, she finished looking at the assets under Yuan Man's name.
The last page is the prenuptial agreement. The original information has been filled in, while the woman's section is blank. It seems that once the information is confirmed, it will come in handy.
As Cheng Guo returned the document to Yuan Man, a series of footsteps approached rapidly. A familiar scent wafted into her nostrils, drawing her head in. The paper beneath her fingers made a crisp sound, and the arched curve returned to stillness after her fingers left.
A tall, imposing man barged in, still radiating the heat of the summer. A black mask covered most of his face, and he dragged out a dining chair with a ripping sound, his gaze unwavering.
His assistant, who was shorter than him, followed closely behind, his nose damp with sweat, and he glanced over furtively.
Yuan Man took the document and asked Cheng Guo with a smile, "Dr. Cheng, what are your thoughts on marriage and your future partner?"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Sister: Ideal partner...
Little pony: Me! Me! Me!
Sister: Just making it up.
Little Pony: [Crying uncontrollably]
The little pony came to watch the blind date! [doge][doge]
It's September! Wishing everyone all the best!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
