Chapter 238: Chapter 235 Drowning Sorrows in Alcohol
To confirm the thoughts in her heart, Lin Wan made a point of going over to Zhang Hao as work was nearing an end.
There were no patients coming for consultations anymore, and the department was as quiet as if nobody was there.
"Would you like to have dinner together tonight?"
It seemed only with such an excuse could she find more to talk about with Zhang Hao.
"No, thanks, dinner is ready at home waiting for me to return," Zhang Hao answered indifferently, while tidying up the various items on his desk.
Lin Wan had anticipated this answer, so she wasn’t surprised.
"The woman who came today, what’s your relationship with her, if you don’t mind me asking?"
Zhang Hao hesitated for three seconds, then said with a smile, "No relationship, really. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving first."
After changing clothes, Zhang Hao left the department without looking back.
Lin Wan watched his retreating figure, sighing.
At this time, Qin Miaoke also had changed and was preparing to go home.
Noticing that Lin Wan seemed upset, and understanding her as a woman herself, she took the initiative to approach.
"Lin Wan, would you like me to accompany you for a walk to clear your mind?"
Compared to Ling Tong or Xu Mi, Qin Miaoke seemed a bit more agreeable, especially since she had no plans for the evening.
Lin Wan gladly accepted Qin Miaoke’s invitation, "Sure, just give me a moment."
Zhang Hao drove home and, upon entering, heard He Qianhui happily humming a tune.
"What’s the occasion? You seem so happy."
He Qianhui came up to Zhang Hao with a beaming face.
"Nothing in particular to be happy about, just in a good mood today, no overtime work."
"Getting off work on time is good, aren’t it? You wouldn’t want me to have to perform another surgery when I leave, would you?"
He Qianhui shook her head; a surgery could take as short as an hour or as long as seven to eight hours, and sometimes even longer.
She rarely got to stay home without working, and she didn’t want Zhang Hao to be stuck at the hospital all the time.
"You visited my dad at the hospital today; he didn’t say anything inappropriate to you, did he?"
He Qianhui shook her head.
"That’s good. If he did say anything, don’t take it to heart."
"If there’s really any resentment, just tell me, and I’ll speak to him when I go to see him."
He Qianhui didn’t say much and quickly poured Zhang Hao a glass of water.
"Have some water. I notice that your office cup is always empty; you probably didn’t have a chance to drink at all today."
If He Qianhui hadn’t mentioned it, Zhang Hao might not have even realized that he hadn’t had water all day.
As a doctor, he should be taking better care of himself first and foremost.
"Alright, got it."
After drinking half a glass of water, Zhang Hao went to the kitchen.
"Right before work ended today, that Nurse Lin invited me out for dinner, but I rejected her because I knew you were at home," he said.
"The Nurse Lin you speak of probably likes you," He Qianhui said calmly.
Even if Zhang Hao was slow to react, he was aware of Lin Wan’s feelings towards him.
"Nothing escapes your eyes."
"It seems I should not have gone to look for you today; I won’t do it next time."
Zhang Hao quickly said, "That has nothing to do with you. You’re welcome anytime you want to visit."
Hearing Zhang Hao say this, He Qianhui couldn’t be happier inside. Such blatant favoritism was what she liked the most.
"Enough teasing, you better go rest now. I’ll take care of dinner."
Zhang Hao reveled in the thoughtful care He Qianhui provided, while also thinking about how they should live in the future.
Sitting on the couch, he checked the balance of his bank account.
His monthly salary wasn’t even ten thousand yuan, but his daily expenses were not much.
Every day was a routine between two points: either the hospital or home.
So nearly half of his monthly salary could be saved, but relying on this salary alone, it was still a bit tough to ensure a comfortable future life.
Unless he could advance further in his current position.
As Zhang Hao was pondering this, he received an urgent call from Qin Miaoke. There was a tone of urgency in her voice.
It seemed she had encountered some difficulty, and he remembered Elder Qin entrusting him with the care of his granddaughter.
Zhang Hao felt an undeniable responsibility: "Where are you? I’m coming to find you right now."
After Zhang Hao answered the call, he was a bit anxious. He Qianhui, who was cooking in the kitchen, heard the commotion outside and immediately ran out, sensing something was wrong.
She saw Zhang Hao already standing at the door, changing his shoes and picking up his car keys.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Just stepping out for a bit, I’ll be back soon. Wait for me," he replied.
While saying this, Zhang Hao completely ignored the person still on the phone.
After the conversation, he opened the door to leave, and He Qianhui felt somewhat desolate, clearly sensing the panic in Zhang Hao just now.
She had no idea who was on the other end of the phone.
But she didn’t want to be jealous without reason.
Besides, during her work, she also had contact with male clients.
If she couldn’t maintain her own boundaries, why should she expect others to do so?
Zhang Hao drove to the address provided by Qin Miaoke and arrived at the entrance of a bar.
No sooner had he parked the car that Qin Miaoke, supporting Lin Wan, came to the car.
"Mr. Zhang, please help, Lin Wan is drunk today," she pleaded.
From their attire, it seemed they had come here after work.
"Hanging out here instead of going home at night," he commented.
"Look who’s talking. This is all because of you," Qin Miaoke retorted.
Zhang Hao was surprised, "Because of me? What did I do?"
"Don’t you know, Lin Wan’s mood today was off. You must have said something that upset her," Qin Miaoke accused.
"We were originally here to check out good-looking guys. But ever since we got here, Lin Wan hasn’t stopped talking."
"She drank half a crate of liquor; thankfully, it was low in alcohol content. Otherwise, she’d be in the hospital by now."
Zhang Hao thought Qin Miaoke was exaggerating, but looking at Lin Wan’s state, things did not seem good.
"Quick, help her into the car. And you, are you coming with me or staying here to relax a bit longer?"
Qin Miaoke put her hands behind her back and cocked her head: "I want to play a bit longer here. Just don’t tell my grandfather, okay? I promise I’ll be home in an hour, and I’ll send you my location."
At that moment, Zhang Hao was indeed worried about Lin Wan’s safety, so he let his guard down around Qin Miaoke.
"You better make sure of it. If I don’t get your location in an hour, I’ll report to your grandfather."
"Alright, be safe on the road. I’m trusting you with Lin Wan. If anything happens to her, don’t blame me," she said.
Zhang Hao didn’t expect her to be so quick to dodge responsibility.
Fortunately, he didn’t care about that. He took Lin Wan home, fetched a basin of water, and wiped her body down.
As he was preparing to leave, Lin Wan suddenly sat up in bed.
"Stop, don’t go," she ordered.
It was only then that Zhang Hao realized that she had been feigning drunkenness the entire time.
"You’re not drunk?"
"Those drinks are no different from beverages to me. You must dislike me for bringing you to my home this way," she claimed.
Zhang Hao hesitated, not answering her immediately. But his hesitation gave Lin Wan ideas.
"Now that you’re here, don’t leave. Although I don’t know the relationship between you and the woman who came this afternoon," she said.
"But I’m sure she’s very close to you. I’ve said before, I won’t care with whom you’re involved," she continued.
"Just that, until I find someone else, you’re the only one who can fulfill my needs," she admitted.
"Also, tonight at the bar, I didn’t flirt with any other men," she added.
