Chapter 304: Chapter 301: Battle Through the Night
The woman grasped Zhang Hao’s hand and kept thanking him.
But Zhang Hao noticed a pinhole on the back of her hand, probably from an IV drip.
"Next time you’re out on your own, be more careful. It’s lucky you passed out in the hospital supermarket this time. If it had been on the street, you could only pray to meet a kind-hearted person."
The woman tidied her disheveled hair.
There was a hint of an apology in her voice as she spoke, "I have low blood sugar, and I’ve been taking care of my sick father in the hospital these days."
"He underwent surgery the day before yesterday, but his recovery hasn’t reached the standards to be transferred to a regular ward yet."
"My mother and I have been really worried about whether he can recover, so we haven’t been resting or eating well."
"I was just going to buy a bottle of drink and some bread. I didn’t expect to black out while I was choosing items from the shelf."
Thinking back, Zhang Hao realized he indeed saw the woman at the bread shelf.
"I think your father will definitely recover. The surgery was a success, wasn’t it?"
The woman nodded but said nothing more about the surgery.
"Doctor Zhang, once my father is discharged, I will find time to thank you properly. I need to go back to the ward now, so I won’t keep you from your work."
After she finished speaking, the woman turned and left.
Zhang Hao watched her for a moment before turning away to enter his department.
"Doctor Zhang, could I maybe add your contact information?"
Zhang Hao turned back abruptly and instinctively pulled out his phone.
There was a moment’s hesitation, thinking that the woman’s father wasn’t even his patient.
Would it be appropriate for the two of them to exchange contact information?
But since he had already taken out his phone, it would not look good to put it back in his pocket.
Telling himself it’s just making a new friend, Zhang Hao felt somewhat reassured.
After adding the contact information, the woman left, seemingly satisfied.
Back at his desk, Zhang Hao casually tossed his phone to one side.
Qin Miaoke had witnessed the whole exchange. "Mr. Zhang, you really do have a way with the opposite sex."
The moment Qin Miaoke spoke, the other two traditional medicine doctors chimed in.
"Exactly, our Mr. Zhang is a real heartthrob of the hospital, not just any average guy."
"I’ve had my contact information for such a long time, and no one has asked for it."
"Up till now, I have less than a hundred people on my friend list. I’m very curious about how many people are on Mr. Zhang’s list?"
Zhang Hao, not hiding anything, picked up his phone and glanced at the list.
"Not many, exactly two hundred."
"Two hundred, that’s twice mine."
Just then, another doctor said, "I’m in a more pitiful state, my friend list has yet to even reach a hundred."
"I’m worse off than any of you. Nurse Lin, what about you?"
Lin Wan spread her hands and said, "In my WeChat, aside from hospital colleagues, it’s just relatives and friends, hardly any strangers. Maybe it’s fewer than fifty people."
Lin Wan spoke openly, and Qin Miaoke, holding her cheeks in her hands, joined the conversation.
"Then I must have quite a lot. Before coming to this hospital, I’ve had several jobs."
"Every time I went to a new position, I made sure to connect with colleagues, and I used to like traveling a lot."
"I’d add people I met along the way, so I guess there must be several hundred people on my friend list, but surely some have deleted me."
In light of this, having two hundred people in Zhang Hao’s contact list didn’t seem to be an exaggerated number after all.
"Instead of comparing the number of friends here, it’d be more productive to go through a couple more medical records. It’s work time, so no slacking off."
The afternoon was indeed slow; not many patients came into the department until closing time.
Zhang Hao left work on time and drove to the airport.
He hadn’t received a call from He Qianhui by the time he arrived there.
Which meant she hadn’t landed yet.
He turned off the car, leaned back in the seat, and Zhang Hao dozed off.
He wasn’t sure how long had passed when the sudden ring of his cellphone startled him, and checking the screen, it was He Qianhui calling.
"Are you here yet, or should I just take a taxi home?"
"Do you really believe that I didn’t come to pick you up?" Zhang Hao teased her on purpose.
At that, He Qianhui’s interest was instantly piqued.
"What, you came to pick me up? For real? But, why can’t I see you then?"
Zhang Hao sat up straight and said, "I’m in the car."
"Then, could you... take Feng Nuo home first?"
Zhang Hao didn’t hesitate, "Sure, no problem."
After hanging up, Zhang Hao got out of the car.
As soon as he entered the airport terminal, he spotted He Qianhui from afar.
He walked quickly towards her, offering to carry her luggage when he reached her.
"What did you buy that’s so heavy?"
"The business deal went smoothly this time, and with the spare time, we went shopping."
"Bought some souvenirs; you could say the haul was quite substantial," He Qianhui said.
Before they even left the terminal, Zhang Hao noticed that she was not wearing high heels, but a pair of pinkish-blue sneakers.
He actually preferred this change; wearing high heels for too long can tire the feet, and even cause deformities in the arch.
Compared to that, sneakers are much more comfortable.
"Doctor Zhang, did you just get off work?" Feng Nuo asked.
"Yes, today wasn’t too busy, so I came over; otherwise, you two would have had to take a taxi," he replied.
For some reason, Feng Nuo felt immensely happy the moment she saw Zhang Hao.
"Xiao Nuo was just saying that she’s nearly spent all of last month’s salary."
"If she had taken a cab from the airport, she’d probably be eating dirt for the next few days, so it’s great you’re here to save her the fare," He Qianhui said half-jokingly.
"Xiaohui, don’t put it so bluntly. I just couldn’t resist shopping," rebuked Xiao Nuo.
"I bought a few skincare products and clothes; I, too, want to make myself look as pretty as you."
"Who knew I’d overshoot the budget like that. But in three or four days, I’ll get my salary,"
"And I’ll be back in full force, ready to treat you both to dinner then."
"But it was only because Xiaohui was with me last time that I managed to accomplish such a great feat."
"I still don’t know how much bonus that performance will get me, but it certainly won’t be as much as Xiaohui’s," she continued.
He Qianhui laughed, "Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ve taken you out a couple of times, and you should have picked up some techniques by now."
"Once you’re ready to take the lead, you’ll have uncountable successes rushing into your arms, and by then, maybe I’ll be the one starving," she joked.
Feng Nuo joined in the laughter.
"Xiaohui, you’re overestimating me. How could I always have the winning ticket."
As they talked, they had already reached the car, and Zhang Hao opened the door.
He let He Qianhui get into the passenger seat first, then proceeded to place their suitcases in the trunk.
He also helped Feng Nuo with her luggage.
All three of them got on the car, He Qianhui buckled up on her own.
Thinking that she was about to be home, able to rest comfortably for a few days, made her very happy.
What mattered most was finally having Zhang Hao’s company.
During her trip, her thoughts had been filled with him.
Her period had not ended when she left, and now it was thankfully over upon her return.
If they didn’t do it several times tonight, she wouldn’t be satisfied.
