94. He is interested in me
Ling Ling clapped her hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you so much, Dr. Zhong! I was so frustrated just now, so angry I even wanted to tie a knot in Lao Ai's catheter." Zhong Mingtong laughed and said, "Haha, then you'll have to do it tonight, because his catheter will be removed tomorrow, and he can be discharged after two days of observation." "Then I have to get back on track. I have to come up with another proposal to pique his interest before he's discharged, so that our business friendship can continue until he's in my office. Okay, today's setback is nothing. There's no client I can't handle!" Ling Ling proudly shook her hands. "So confident?" "Let's not talk about whether this confidence is based on facts. At least we have to stand firm. We can't be timid when things get tough. Only when we think everything is easy can happiness be easily achieved." Ling Ling, brimming with confidence, was now gleaming. Zhong Mingtong nodded in appreciation and said, "Your golden words are good. Next time I get scolded by the director, I will recite them silently three times to cheer myself up." "Haha, great, I can finally help you. Oh, by the way, I still owe you a meal. Are you free today? I'll treat you to dinner after work." "Okay, I can get off work on time today, then I'll wait for you downstairs after work." Zhong Mingtong's eyes were shining with joy and expectation. Ling Ling felt a little flustered. She nodded innocently and watched him leave. Ling Ling's heart sank, thinking - it's over, he is interested in me. She hurriedly called Hao Shengnan for help, explained the whole situation, and wanted her to analyze the consequences. Hao Shengnan maintained her carefree demeanor. "The idea of being a best friend is to attend dinners with men your bestie wants to get rid of. So, tonight, I'll sacrifice my life to pay him back! Their hospital is right next to my house. I'll go ahead and reserve a spot for you at a cheap restaurant in Liuyalu Hutong. You two can come downstairs and eat. I'll ruin any atmosphere. Don't worry, I'm good at this." Ling Ling, however, said worriedly, "That's not the case. Dr. Zhong is a very kind person. He's helped me a lot, and I admire him very much. I absolutely cannot embarrass him." "Then why not just take him to a five-star hotel for dinner? A candlelight dinner, and pluck the rose petals off the table and throw them in the bathtub. Yu Chuanbei's on a business trip anyway." Hao Shengnan was furious at her lack of resistance. Ling Ling, of course, wouldn't allow herself any ambiguity with any other man. She didn't want any impurities in her relationship with Yu Chuanbei, but Zhong Mingtong held a special place in her heart that she couldn't bear to hurt. She was torn between all sorts of things...
Ling Ling clapped her hands and bowed, "Thank you so much, Dr. Zhong! I was so frustrated just now, I was so angry that I even wanted to tie a knot in Lao Ai's urinary catheter."
Zhong Mingtong laughed and said, "Haha, then you have to give him the injection tonight, because his catheter will be removed tomorrow, and he can be discharged after two days of observation."
"Then I have to recover quickly. I must come up with a plan to pique his interest before he is discharged from the hospital. My work will not be in vain if our business friendship continues until he sits in the office. Okay, today's setback is nothing. There is no client I can't handle!" Ling Ling waved her hands proudly.
"So confident?"
"Regardless of whether this confidence is based on facts, at least you have to be strong. Don't be timid when encountering difficulties. Only when you think everything is easy can happiness be easily achieved."
Ling Ling, full of confidence, is shining again at this moment.
Zhong Mingtong nodded in appreciation and said, "That's a good quote. Next time I get scolded by the director, I'll recite it silently three times to cheer myself up."
"Haha, great, I can finally help you. Oh, by the way, I still owe you a meal. Are you free today? I'll treat you to dinner after get off work."
"Great, I can get off work on time today, so I'll wait for you downstairs after get off work."
There was joy and expectation in Zhong Mingtong's eyes, which made Ling Ling feel a little flustered. She nodded innocently and watched him leave.
Ling Ling's heart sank and she thought - it's over, he is interested in me.
She hurriedly called Hao Shengnan for help, explained the whole situation, and wanted her to analyze the consequences.
Hao Shengnan still had a carefree expression on her face. "The identity of a best friend exists only to attend dinners with men your best friend wants to get rid of. So, tonight, I'll sacrifice my life to pay for the gentleman! Their hospital is right next to my house. I'll go ahead and find you a place at a small, fly-in-the-wall restaurant in Liuya Road Hutong. You two can come downstairs and eat. I can ruin any atmosphere. Don't worry, I'm good at this."
Ling Ling said worriedly, "That's not the case. Doctor Zhong is a very good person. He has helped me a lot, and I admire him very much. I absolutely cannot embarrass him."
"Then why don't you just take him to a five-star hotel for a candlelight dinner? Pull the rose petals off the table and scatter them in the bathtub. Yu Chuanbei is on a business trip anyway." Hao Shengnan was furious at her lack of fighting spirit.
Ling Ling certainly does not allow herself to have any ambiguous space with any other man, and does not want any impurities in her relationship with Yu Chuanbei, but Zhong Mingtong does hold a position in her heart that she cannot bear to hurt.
After much hesitation, she decided to give up resistance and entrust the dinner to Shengnan.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Ling Ling and Zhong Mingtong stood together in front of the Baishui Yangtou Restaurant according to the address sent by Hao Shengnan, Ling Ling thought to herself for the second time - it's over, he will probably never talk to me again.
She forced a smile and led Zhong Mingtong inside with her head lowered.
As soon as they sat down, Ling Ling took the initiative to introduce her rare best friend: "Doctor Zhong, this is my college classmate Hao Shengnan. I just mentioned her on the way. She lives in the alley next door. I just happened to be free, so we decided to get together. I'm sorry, it's so rare for me to invite you to dinner, and you have to come to such a simple place."
Zhong Mingtong smiled politely and said, "No, this is very close to our hospital, so it's very convenient to come here. Hello, Shengnan."
Hao Shengnan smiled at him cutely and said, "Hello, Doctor Zhong."
Zhong Mingtong nodded slightly and said, "You can all call me Mingtong. This way we can chat more lively."
Just then, the grilled skewers arrived. Ling Ling took one look at the massive platter—three skewers of roasted garlic, six skewers of kidney, eight skewers of tendon, and several skewers of lamb. Her heart tightened, and she instantly regretted inviting Hao Shengnan over. She mentally enacted a slapping, self-torturing battle, cursing herself for being so foolish as to invite this monster, Hao Shengnan, out of hiding. When had she ever helped out? Every time he came, he was just a wreck! What a mistake, such a mistake!
Hao Shengnan, however, was not shy at all. He took the large iron plate from the shop owner and handed it to Zhong Mingtong, inviting him to eat. "Then Mingtong, let's not be shy anymore!"
Zhong Mingtong generously took the two skewers of kidneys she handed over and started eating.
Sheng Nan rolled his eyes and asked, "Mingtong, I heard that doctors and flight attendants have pretty messy private lives. Do you have any secrets or gossip that we can learn from?"
"Hey, Hao Shengnan!" Ling Ling saw that she was getting excited again and stopped her decisively.
Zhong Mingtong responded to her question unperturbed, "I really don't feel that way. At least the doctors around me are pretty dedicated. As for me, I have to study and work hard to make a good living, so my daily life is extremely simple, even austere. I've been a medical student for over a decade, and then a resident for just as many. Studying and doing clinical work every day is exhausting, and any energy I have is used up in sleep. I'm talking about the kind where I sleep alone."
Ling Ling interjected attentively, "Yes, yes, I've already read the diary of a retired doctor that you recommended to me. I completely understand."
"Later, the author made some updates on the Internet. I will follow them when I am free. I have a link to recommend to you?" He took out his mobile phone to share.
"Okay, okay." She also picked up the phone to take over.
Looking at the look in Zhong Mingtong's eyes when he looked at Ling Ling, Hao Shengnan immediately understood.
Ling Ling saw the cold dishes and beer coming up and the shop owner looked overwhelmed, so she stood up to get the chopsticks and wine glasses.
"Let me go." Zhong Mingtong also stood up.
Ling Ling suppressed his polite words and went to get it herself.
Now only Hao Shengnan and Zhong Mingtong were left. Shengnan seized the opportunity and asked him directly, "Do you like Lingling?"
Zhong Mingtong was stunned at first, but quickly reacted and said frankly: "Yes. But she has a boyfriend."
"So you knew she had a boyfriend?" Sheng Nan deliberately provoked.
Zhong Mingtong smiled lightly, not wanting to be outdone: "Yes, I know, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here with her alone."
Shengnan smiled crookedly and nodded, with an expression of "You're quite brave" in his agreement.
Ling Ling came back with chopsticks and a wine glass. She didn't know what they had just talked about, but the atmosphere felt a bit weird. She kicked Sheng Nan's Crocs from under the table.
Sheng Nan completely ignored her request for help, filled his glass with wine, and toasted to Zhong Mingtong, saying, "Doctor Zhong, the three of us will eat some skewers and drink some wine, and we will be brothers in the world from now on!"
Zhong Mingtong didn't care about her hint at all, and raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Ling Ling finally finished her meal with trepidation. Fortunately, Hao Shengnan performed consistently in the second half, essentially making it a situation where Dr. Zhong would have to consult with her offline. It was hilarious: they were eating kebabs rich in benzopyrene and drinking beer rich in ethanol and acetaldehyde, yet they were having a lively conversation about health with a liver disease specialist.
After seeing Zhong Mingtong off, Ling Ling put her arm around Hao Shengnan's shoulders and strolled towards her home. Since Yu Chuanbei was also away on a business trip, Ling Ling decided to stay at Shengnan's house.
Sheng Nan crossed his arms and lectured the tipsy Ling Ling with a mature air, "Ling Ling, you're not doing the right thing today. Why did you go easy on this Doctor Zhong? You weren't as ruthless and precise as you were with other suitors. So, are you trying to develop a downline or just keep him as a backup?"
"Get lost!" Ling Ling pushed her away and argued, "Doctor Zhong has done me a favor. He helped me a lot when my cousin passed away, and I can tell he's a very good person. I really want to be friends with him, isn't that okay?"
"Tsk, there may be ghosts between heaven and earth, but there can't be friendship between opposite sexes! You are still in love with Yu Chuanbei, and your relationship with Zhong Mingtong is safe for now. Once there is a rift between you and Yu Chuanbei, then Dr. Zhong will turn from plain water into white moonlight, shining brightly into your heart."
Sheng Nan poked her chest with his fingertips, but Ling Ling was completely unconvinced. "I don't have the heart to deal with so many complicated relationships. I just want to choose one person, be pure, simple, and straightforward, and finally settle it once and for all. Besides, Dr. Zhong and I are parting ways now, and our lives no longer intersect. It's not certain when we will meet again. Who is like you, thinking about Ren Qingshi, worrying about Yu Chuanbei, and now analyzing Zhong Mingtong. I think you are hostile to Zhong Mingtong because you are deeply protective of Chuanbei."
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