Chapter 440: Chapter 437: The Most Important Thing
"As long as I’m happy with my work, it’s all the same where I am. You don’t need to worry too much about me," He Qianhui said.
"By the way, which hotel did you book? I should drop you off first. I need to return the car to the director later, else he won’t have a vehicle after work," Zhang Hao said.
Chen Xun hurriedly took out his mobile phone and opened the hotel booking app.
He told Qin Miaoke, "It’s this hotel. I stayed here last time I came."
After a glance at the hotel’s name, Qin Miaoke didn’t say anything else and changed her direction at the intersection ahead.
When they reached the hotel entrance, Qin Miaoke parked the car.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and helped Chen Xun with his luggage.
"Would you like to come up and sit for a bit?" Chen Xun invited.
Qin Miaoke looked up at the hotel, which was quite sizable and well-known in the area.
It boasted of good value for money, though the quality of the interior was uncertain.
"No, you must be very tired from your long journey. It’s better you go up and rest first, and we can talk about other things tomorrow," she said.
At this moment, Chen Xun suddenly felt rather pointless.
He had thought that Qin Miaoke coming to pick him up at the airport might mean there was a chance for them.
But from all her attitudes, the likelihood of that opportunity seemed very, very slim.
She didn’t even consider sitting with him for a while. Qin Miaoke closed the trunk and quickly walked towards the driver’s side.
Chen Xun stood still, unable to suppress a laugh.
"Miaoke, if you don’t want to give me a chance, then what does your gesture of picking me up today mean? Is it just a matter of courtesy?"
"Or are you worried that I would get lost in a strange city and not be able to find my hotel?"
Qin Miaoke, who had already gotten into the car, didn’t have much interest in haggling over this with Chen Xun.
Think whatever you want.
"As for why I came to pick you up this time, maybe it’s because I’m feeling particularly charitable. Don’t read too much into it," she said.
After finishing her sentence, Qin Miaoke buckled up and started the car.
As the car drove further away, Qin Miaoke couldn’t help but glimpse through the rearview mirror towards the hotel entrance.
She had assumed Chen Xun had already gone in with his luggage, but instead, he was standing there, motionless like a pole.
At that moment, Qin Miaoke suddenly felt a bit cruel.
But after hesitating, she decided that some things shouldn’t be opened up for discussion, especially since she didn’t like this Chen Xun.
It was better not to give him any hope.
Back at Tong’an Hospital, Zhang Hao was puzzled about how she could have returned so quickly.
The hospital was not close to the airport; the round trip should have taken several hours.
If Qin Miaoke had agreed to give Chen Xun a chance, it would be proper for them to sit down and talk somewhere.
Even a chat in a milk tea shop on the street corner would suffice, yet now she had hurried back before the end of her shift.
This meant that they probably hadn’t sat down to have a good talk.
However, Zhang Hao noticed that Qin Miaoke’s demeanor was quite normal, unlike when she had come to work at the hospital that day, looking so gloomy it was as if she could drip water.
Seizing a quiet moment, Zhang Hao quickly found Qin Miaoke to ask what exactly happened.
"Didn’t you say you had a date tonight? I was all prepared to take a cab home by myself," Zhang Hao said.
But Qin Miaoke’s reaction was somewhat strange.
"I still can’t accept him. When I saw him, I just felt uncomfortable all over."
"So I dropped him off at the hotel and came straight back. I know it’s a bit cruel, but I had no choice," she explained.
At this point, Zhang Hao could understand Qin Miaoke’s actions.
Accepting someone she didn’t like in the first place did indeed seem difficult.
"If that’s the case, what’s his attitude? Does he still spend time and energy on you?"
Qin Miaoke leaned on the table, shaking her head.
She had no idea what Chen Xun was really thinking.
After thinking it over, she said to Zhang Hao, "I should call Grandpa tonight and talk to him about this."
"Even if he scolds me again, I have no regrets about my love and marriage."
"I must have full control over it, no one else should make any decisions for me."
Seeing how indignant Qin Miaoke was, Zhang Hao didn’t feel it was appropriate to offer any more advice.
He patted her shoulder and then went to the water dispenser to get a cup of water.
Casually waiting for the work day to end, Zhang Hao grabbed his car keys and phone and quickly left the department.
During the day, he was very conscientious with his patients, but the moment it was time to leave work, he ran faster than anyone else.
His coworkers had long since gotten used to this behavior.
As soon as he got home, Zhang Hao seemed like a different person.
He Qianhui hadn’t been idle all day either; the woman from the neighboring apartment had come knocking.
The two of them chatted all afternoon, and if it hadn’t been for the need to go grocery shopping, her neighbor might not have had any intention of leaving.
She had only just gotten home before Zhang Hao arrived, changing her clothes and getting ready to wash the vegetables and cook.
Zhang Hao, naturally oblivious to these details, just came into the kitchen and hugged He Qianhui, resting his chin on her shoulder.
He quietly said, "Wife, you’ve worked hard."
He Qianhui struggled a bit, her tone carrying a hint of reproach, "Let go of me quickly; be careful or you’ll get all wet."
Zhang Hao didn’t care and took the vegetables from He Qianhui’s hands and put them aside.
"Miaoke was actually willing to give Chen Xun a try, but then they met in the afternoon and she got cold feet again."
"Actually, I think that kid Chen Xun isn’t bad. I have no idea what that girl is thinking, why can’t she just accept him?"
From a bystander’s perspective, He Qianhui said, "If she can’t accept him, she can’t accept him."
"It doesn’t matter whether it’s you or her grandfather, neither of you is her. Maybe she doesn’t want to find her other half within the medical industry."
"Or maybe the first time she saw you, you made such a dazzling impression on her that anyone who came after would be eclipsed by your brilliance. You, my dear, are a menace."
Zhang Hao didn’t see it that way; he just had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
He wasn’t Erlang Shen with a third eye on his forehead. What was so special about him?
Could it be because he was particularly well-endowed? But Qin Miaoke hadn’t experienced that, had she?
Thinking over all the possibilities, none seemed very likely.
In the end, Zhang Hao still felt that it must be because Qin Miaoke had too high standards, so she didn’t fancy Chen Xun.
"What’s for dinner? You bought so much food; how about we make hotpot and invite the lady from next door as well?"
Knowing the neighbor lived alone, He Qianhui didn’t object.
"You go invite her. I’ll wash and prepare these vegetables. Luckily, we still have two boxes of meat rolls in the fridge, which should be enough for the three of us."
"Two boxes of meat rolls might not be enough. I should go buy some more. I was so tired at noon that I didn’t have an appetite and hardly ate anything. I’m really hungry now."
Seeing that Zhang Hao was off to the supermarket to buy things, He Qianhui quickly made a list that included toiletries, daily necessities, and some other items.
"Get everything on this list; we’re out at home."
Zhang Hao glanced at the list and said with a smile, "How come you didn’t write down the most important thing?"
He Qianhui didn’t catch on and quickly grabbed the list to check it, "I’ve written down everything we’re missing at home."
