Chapter 10 Mad Dog Hotel
"Little Lu."
The following morning, Lu Qi was on his way to pick up the test results when Lü Shi'an called him from around the corner.
He looked at her slightly red eyes with concern. "Are you... alright? I'm sorry, I didn't think things through yesterday and made things difficult for you."
After noticing the way Lulu looked at Lu Qi that day, Lü Shi'an suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
After hastily and impulsively sending the flowers, he belatedly realized that what he had done was somewhat inappropriate.
Lu Qi paused slightly before walking towards Lü Shi'an.
"Why did you send me flowers?" she asked bluntly.
Lu Shi'an expressed his apology, "Xiao Lu, I..." Lu Qi interrupted him, "I am indeed in a difficult position."
She didn't want to tear things apart.
Anxin Hospital is a good hospital, and it's rare to find one with a female director. Lu Qi wants to stay here as long as possible.
“My colleagues who saw it were all making a fuss. I wanted to give it back to you, but I was afraid it would make you look bad.” She pleaded softly, “Dr. Lü, could you please stop doing this?”
Lu Shi'an lowered his eyes.
Lu Qi ignored his dejected expression and nodded to him, saying, "I'm going to work now."
"Little Lu!" Lu Shi'an stepped forward quickly, but was pried apart by a strong force before he could touch Lu Qi.
The tall, slender young man suddenly appeared between him and Lu Qi, grabbed his shoulders, and slammed him against the wall.
Lu Qi turned his head and was shocked to see Lulu holding Lu Shi'an's left shoulder with one hand, her forearm pressing against his throat.
He gave Lu Qi a look, signaling her to go first.
Her relationship with Lulu was by no means good enough for her to ask him to help get rid of her suitors;
Involving unsuspecting outsiders while trying to avoid involvement yourself is also an extremely irresponsible act.
However, amidst the tense atmosphere and the men's palpable hostility, Lu Qi fled. Her body went out of control, her mind went blank, and only instinct compelled her to get away, away, away immediately!
She ran a few steps in a panic, and after getting away from the environment, her rationality gradually returned.
What am I doing...?
She despised her own cowardice and forced herself to go back.
As Lu Qi reached the corner, he suddenly overheard the two arguing.
"What do you want to do!"
With her fragile neck compressed, Lü Shi'an tried to pull Lulu's hand away, but couldn't budge it an inch.
His resistance caused the arm across his neck to tighten its grip, and a slight feeling of suffocation welled up inside him.
Lu Shi'an looked at the young man in astonishment. The other man was only slightly taller than him, and the difference in strength between them should not be so great.
Those almost entirely black eyes stared at him, and in those dark pupils, Lü Shi'an saw his own slightly terrified facial expression.
The incandescent light shone from behind, casting a cold glow on the young man's already pale skin.
Under the lamplight, his heavy shadow completely engulfed Lü Shi'an.
The young man leaned down, staring intently into Lü Shi'an's eyes, and said, "Disappear from her sight."
Lu Shi'an gritted her teeth, "Why should I? What gives you the right to say this to me!"
Just as Lulu was about to speak, the tips of her ears and nose twitched.
He heard her, he smelled her. How did she get back?
Even though he could easily crush the man's neck bones and tear out his arteries to turn into a water pipe by tilting his head slightly, Lulu already knew the laws of the human world.
She was observing him, just as she had when she first met him.
She warned him countless times: never, ever bite anyone. If he harmed a human, the government would come and take him away and kill him, and he would never see her again.
Lulu then coldly replied, "Lu Qi doesn't like you, nor does he like the things you do."
As he spoke, he loosened his grip slightly, and Lü Shi'an immediately broke free.
He straightened his disheveled collar and glared angrily at the young man. "I've known Xiao Lu for a year and a half. Our relationship is none of other people's business. Instead of meddling in other people's private affairs, you should think about how you can get a permanent position."
Lu Qi's heart skipped a beat.
She knew that Lü Shi'an wasn't the type to make things difficult for others, but things had come to this point, and Lulu probably wouldn't be able to stay at this hospital any longer.
She was extremely annoyed, realizing she shouldn't have left.
A problem that could be explained in two sentences was escalated to an irreparable level because of her panicked escape.
Her fearful expression just now probably caused Lulu to misunderstand Lü Shi'an.
They didn't linger. People were coming and going in the corridor, and the two quickly ended their conversation after a few words.
Lu Shi'an was called away by his assistant. Lulu stood there for a while and then saw Lu Qi's figure peeking out from around the corner.
She looked at him uneasily, opening her mouth several times as if to speak, but finally managed to say, "I'm sorry."
Lulu tilted her head, not understanding why she was apologizing to her.
The young man's light blond hair and clear black round eyes overlapped with the puppy in Lu Qi's memory.
Whenever Lulu didn't understand her instructions, she would sit upright and tilt her head to look at her in confusion.
Those clear eyes made Lu Qi feel even more uncomfortable.
He was simply trying to help her out of a sense of justice, but he might lose his job.
"Don't offend Lü Shi'an for my sake." Lu Qi whispered, afraid that he didn't know Lü Shi'an's identity, "He is Dean Lü's son."
"No matter who it is, they can't bully you," Lulu gently reassured her. "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of that man."
Lu Qi realized he was in trouble; he had indeed misunderstood.
Just as I was about to explain for Lü Shi'an, the receptionist called her name.
This wasn't a place for chatting, she thought for a moment, then said to Lulu, "Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner."
As soon as she finished speaking, the young man's face suddenly radiated an indescribable glow.
He opened his eyes wide, grinned to reveal half a tooth, and subtly stomped his left foot on the floor.
“You can call me anytime!” he said.
Lu Qi felt that if he had a tail—even a thick, clumsy one like a wolf's tail—it would be wagging right now.
This handsome and well-mannered young man was more lively and adorable than he appeared.
Lulu's tail was indeed wagging incessantly.
Sharing food is a very intimate act, which means she accepts him and trusts him.
He was never shared food with her.
Lu Qi refused to feed him human food; she prepared his meals separately.
This was the first time he sat opposite Lu Qi and ate food from the same pot with her.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I chose hot pot." Lu Qi ordered a half-and-half pot and made it clear beforehand, "This meal is on me."
The staff brought out the pot, and amidst the billowing steam, Lulu took off her coat.
Apart from his hospital uniform, he always wore that light trench coat.
Underneath the trench coat was a thinner white turtleneck top.
Lu Qi paused in his chopsticks as he scooped up seaweed, the seaweed he had picked up hanging between the young man's chest.
The close-fitting base layer outlined the contours of the muscles underneath, and the fullness of the pectoral muscles made Lu Qi's face flush slightly.
Such a hot body, yet he has a handsome and elegant face, without a trace of ferocity, especially his dark eyes, which are so gentle they are almost innocent.
This was the first time in Lu Qi's life that she had asked a man out to dinner alone. Usually, when she was alone with a man, she would always avoid eye contact. She never imagined that she would be amazed by a man one day.
As Lu Qi reflected on himself, he glanced at the chest behind the seaweed out of the corner of his eye.
It must be very warm and comfortable there, with a warm, sunny smell.
The smell of sunshine?
Lu Qi quickly put the seaweed into the bowl.
She's gone mad.
Discarding any thoughts of offending the other party, a piece of chicken liver was placed in Lu Qi's dish.
"Thank you." She was a little surprised; out of all the ingredients, he had just picked out her favorite chicken liver.
Hearing the thanks, Lulu smiled at her.
Another piece of chicken liver went into Lu Qi's bowl.
Lu Qi was bewildered.
Lulu tilted her head slightly and then brought over the third piece.
"Thank you, thank you." She quickly stopped her, "That's enough, that's enough, thank you."
The young man turned his head back, a satisfied look on his face.
He knew she liked it very much.
In the past, when he wanted to try her favorite food, she would push his head away.
She said he couldn't eat too much liver.
Seeing that he was about to pick up chicken liver again, Lu Qi said, "That's enough. I can pick it up myself. You haven't eaten anything yet."
“I,” Lulu blinked at the steaming hot pot, “I’m not sure what I can eat.”
She never taught him how to eat hot pot.
"Haven't you ever eaten hot pot?"
It's unbelievable that someone in this city has never eaten hot pot—although Lulu looks like a foreigner, he speaks with a completely Chinese accent. Having lived in China for so long, it's impossible that he hasn't eaten it before.
The young man nodded calmly.
“Then,” Lu Qi hesitated, “why don’t you try using beef rolls? Try using a white pot.”
Lulu obediently picked up the beef roll and put it into the white pot to cook.
She said he wanted to eat cooked food because raw meat contains parasites.
He patiently waited until the beef roll completely changed color before putting the thin slice of meat into his mouth.
Lu Qi asked, "Is it delicious?"
Lulu shook her head. "This isn't beef."
He's very familiar with beef, but this isn't.
Lu Qi coughed awkwardly, "Right, it was probably duck meat. Sorry, I'll treat you to real beef next time."
She could tell that the other person came from a very wealthy family; at least they must eat quite well on a regular basis.
After finishing their meal, Lu Qi put down her chopsticks and got down to business.
“Xiao Lu,” she hesitated for a moment, “thank you for helping me today.”
Lulu then put down her chopsticks.
He sat upright with his shoulders level, making his pectoral muscles even more prominent, but his hands were placed on his knees, like a primary school student sitting.
"You're welcome." His expression was equally earnest. He always listened attentively to Lu Qi's words, saying, "It's what I should do."
“No,” Lu Qi said, feeling increasingly guilty, “this is not something you should do. No one should do anything for others.”
Upon hearing this, the young man's lips twitched. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he only gazed at Lu Qi with a complex and moved expression.
Being gazed at so intently, Lu Qi felt her heart beat a fraction faster.
She pursed her lips and continued, "While I am very grateful to you, Lu Shi'an is not only the dean's son but also your supervising doctor. What are your plans for the future?"
“I will protect you,” Lulu said. “He has been bothering you for too long.”
“I didn’t handle this matter well, which may have caused you to misunderstand,” Lu Qi explained. “Dr. Lü is not the kind of person you imagine. He just had something to say and wanted to stop me.”
"But he's bothering you."
Lu Qi frowned. "May I... ask you why you're helping me so much?"
She didn't want to be presumptuous, but to go to such lengths for a woman who was practically a stranger—unless Lulu was a saintly figure radiating divine light—it was hard to explain her motives.
If he truly meant well, Lu Qi felt even more guilty.
“He’s bullying you.” The young man actually returned her honest and frank gaze, without the slightest hesitation or ambiguity.
Lu Qi was stunned and speechless, and for a moment felt ashamed of his guess.
"I thought... I'm sorry, I was just overthinking it."
“Xiao Lu, thank you so much.” She thanked him again and reiterated, “Dr. Lü did not abuse his position to sexually harass people in the workplace. He is actually a very good doctor and a very good person. You don’t need to worry about me and him anymore. I will handle it.”
Lulu heard those words for the second time—"Don't meddle in her and his business."
When Lü Shi'an said those words, he almost bit his throat off;
But when Lu Qi uttered those words, Lulu's eyes drooped.
“But I’ve already taken care of it,” he said sullenly. “Someone has to take care of it. If I don’t, you’ll have to face him alone. He’s much stronger than you, and you’ll be in danger.”
Lu Qi was stunned.
The hot pot bubbled and simmered between the two of them.
Lu Qi's eyes burned from the heat.
She spoke hesitantly, "Dr. Lü, I'm not that kind of person."
He was indeed taller and stronger than her. She was a little flustered when she was close to him, but that was just a physical aftereffect. Rationally, Lu Qi knew that Lü Shi'an was not the kind of man who would use violence against women.
“Besides,” she smiled, “there are so many people in the hospital, I won’t have any contact with him when I’m not there.”
She picked up her chopsticks again and gestured to Lulu, "Eat some more. I'll explain to Dr. Lü tomorrow. If you feel awkward around him, I can talk to the hospital director and see if I can take charge of you in the future."
The young man straightened his back even more immediately. "Okay, thank you!"
Lu Qi paused.
She had thought Lulu would refuse despite his power, but to her surprise, he was surprisingly decisive.
"Okay, I'll pick it up tomorrow." Lu Qi changed the subject to something other than work to ease the awkward silence during the meal. "By the way, I heard you're a student in this major. Which university?"
Lulu boiled some duck rolls disguised as beef and said, "K-da."
Lu Qi exclaimed in surprise, "What a coincidence!"
They weren't that far apart in age; Lulu was at most two or three grades younger than her, but she had never seen him or heard of him.
Given Lulu's appearance, this doesn't make much sense.
However, during her university years, she focused solely on studying and internships, never paying attention to topics involving boys; perhaps she simply didn't notice at the time.
"How is Momo doing when you graduate?" Lu Qi asked. "I haven't seen any pictures of it on the adoption wall since I graduated."
"That one-eyed cow cat?" Lulu picked up a piece of duck meat and pressed it into the boiling white pot. "It died. The year after you left, it was hit and killed by a food delivery driver while crossing the street."
Lu Qi exclaimed "Ah!"
Lulu's eyes were pale.
Cats are always foolish; they don't know how to back away or avoid a car. When they are frightened by a car, they just keep rushing forward, putting their bodies under the wheels.
This is entirely their own fault and they don't deserve any sympathy.
"Don't be sad," he said. "Don't grieve over it."
He was terrified of her showing that expression; he didn't want her to be sad because of him, let alone for anything else.
Lu Qi paused for a moment, then asked, "What about Yuanbao? It's twelve years old now, and I heard it was adopted. Do you know how it's doing now?"
Knowing she would be saddened by the death, Lulu was reluctant to tell her what happened to the old cat.
He picked up his chopsticks and put the piece of duck meat that had been cooked for a long time into his mouth.
Under the light, the young man's pale lips were stained with soup. He stuck out his tongue and licked from the peak of his lips to the corner of his mouth.
“It’s a bit old,” he smiled at her. “I feel it’s a bit old.”
He withdrew his tongue, savoring the bland taste of the meat.
A note from the author:
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It wasn't Lulu who killed the old cat; it was that after the old cat died, its soul encountered Luqi—and was then devoured by Lulu. (That seems about right.)
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