Chapter 496: Chapter 493: Matchmaking
She didn’t stop until she reached the lobby on the first floor, then He Qianhui looked back to check and didn’t see Lin Zhen’s figure.
Just when she was relieved that Lin Zhen hadn’t caught up, she suddenly heard someone calling her name from the crowd.
He Qianhui shuddered, but quickly realized that Lin Zhen was a man, and the person who called her name was a woman.
After looking around the crowd again and confirming Lin Zhen wasn’t there, He Qianhui began to look for the person who had just called her.
Soon she spotted a girl in a black dress who was waving her hand non-stop.
It wasn’t until the person came closer that He Qianhui could see who it was, and to her surprise, it was her college classmate Liang Xin.
They hadn’t seen each other for three or four years.
She was impressed that Liang Xin could still recognize her.
Standing still and waiting for a while, Liang Xin came over, out of breath, and said, "Why were you running? You made me chase you all this way. Luckily, I’m fit."
Hearing Liang Xin say this, He Qianhui couldn’t help but be surprised; she had thought it was Lin Zhen all along.
It turned out to be a false alarm.
"Why did you suddenly come to the hospital? Are you sick?" He Qianhui asked.
Liang Xin frowned and said, "I’m about to get married, so I came to get a check-up in advance, in case there’s any problem, it’s better to treat it early."
After finishing her words, Liang Xin looked He Qianhui up and down, with the same fondness in her eyes as before.
"You really haven’t changed at all, still as pretty as when we were in school. Unlike me, I’ve aged. Look at the fine lines at the corners of my eyes."
He Qianhui exclaimed ah, feeling that Liang Xin’s words were somewhat exaggerated.
"I’ve gotten older too, but I’ve been doing beauty treatments all this time, that’s why I look young. Which woman can resist the march of time?"
The two of them stood in the hospital’s lobby, talking for a good while.
Eventually they remembered to move to another place because they were so exhausted.
Fortunately, Liang Xin was also there to pick up some test results.
After leaving the hospital, they found a restaurant with a decent atmosphere.
They reminisced about school days while simultaneously venting about the many frustrations of work, life, and love after graduation.
He Qianhui didn’t mention a word about her own divorce, deeming it best to keep such family disgraces private.
"My boyfriend and I have broken up and gotten back together so many times, I was ready to give up on this relationship."
From Liang Xin’s words, it wasn’t hard to see that she still harbored some fondness for this relationship.
If she truly gave up, it would be a loss for both of them.
"As long as you can be together in the end, let bygones be bygones; what matters most is the life ahead," she said.
Liang Xin gave a faint smile and responded, "Only you could say something like that to me, anyone else would just force me to face reality."
"I’m only 27, not yet among the ranks of ’leftover women,’ yet all the relatives and friends around me act as though I’m doomed to never marry."
He Qianhui maintained a light smile throughout, Liang Xin was still the same as before.
"Yeah, I don’t know when it started, but so many people concern themselves with a woman’s marital status."
Liang Xin let out a sigh, "You’re telling me, but now that I’m getting married, let’s see who dares to say anything about me."
"You must come to the wedding, even if you don’t bring a gift, you have to be there."
He Qianhui felt happy inside when she heard her good friend say this.
"How could I not bring a gift? I’ll definitely give you the biggest red envelope," she said.
After He Qianhui spoke, Liang Xin giggled, "I knew you were the best to me. If you don’t mind, could you be my bridesmaid?"
Being a bridesmaid was something He Qianhui hesitated about, as it’s often said that the more times you’re a bridesmaid, the harder it is to get married yourself.
Although sometimes she didn’t really believe such baseless talk.
But when it actually applied to her, she still had her concerns, however small.
Seeing He Qianhui’s hesitation, Liang Xin immediately changed her tune, "Actually, if you’re not willing, it’s okay. I can find someone else."
He Qianhui didn’t immediately refuse but smiled and said, "If you’re short on people by then, let me know."
After finishing dinner with Liang Xin at the restaurant, He Qianhui hurried back home.
Not knowing when Zhang Hao would get off work today, she prepared everything needed for dinner in advance.
The rice had already been soaked in the pot, and she had taken out, washed, and chopped the vegetables and meat, all set aside.
As time was almost up, He Qianhui went downstairs and saw vendors at the entrance of the community.
Guessing that Zhang Hao would want to eat more today, she also bought his favorite roasted chicken.
Coming and going, she encountered quite a few acquaintances, and He Qianhui greeted them all warmly.
It wasn’t until she arrived downstairs that an old lady with greying hair stopped He Qianhui.
"Oh, isn’t this Xiaohui? Why did you suddenly move back here? I haven’t seen you around for some time, and I thought you had moved away."
He Qianhui smiled slightly and said, "I didn’t move away, just had to let the house air out after renovation. Now that it’s done and the smell is gone, I moved back."
The old lady asked, "Then why haven’t I seen Gang? Didn’t he come back with you, or has he gone out to work?"
Facing this question, He Qianhui suddenly didn’t know what to say.
After hesitating for a while, she decided to tell the truth, "I separated from him. We haven’t had any children over the years."
"The relationship just became worse each day. It was better for us to separate early rather than torment each other."
Upon hearing this, the old lady realized she had said the wrong thing and hastily grasped He Qianhui’s hand in apology.
"I’m really sorry, I didn’t know this had happened, it’s all my fault for speaking out of turn."
"But you’re still young. You can still find someone else in the future. If it really comes to it, I can introduce someone to you. With your beauty, there are plenty of men who would be interested."
She had thought the old lady would blame her for various things, but instead, she ended up offering to find her a match.
"There’s no need for matchmaking. Auntie, you don’t have to worry about me; I already have someone."
The old lady turned and looked at the building, "It looks like Gang treated you quite well, even giving you this house. So, where is he now? Do you know?"
He Qianhui shook her head, "I don’t know. After we split up, he went out to work."
"We haven’t really been in contact since then. But I bought this house from him. He doesn’t plan to come back."
"So he sold it to me for the original purchase price through some people. I need to go back and cook now; we can talk more some other time."
He Qianhui, carrying the roasted chicken, hurried into the elevator. The old lady remained standing where she was, unwilling to leave for a long time.
After getting home, He Qianhui received a call from Zhang Hao. As soon as she answered, she immediately asked him when he would be home.
But Zhang Hao told her he had to work overtime tonight and probably wouldn’t be back until after eight.
He Qianhui glanced at the time on her phone, noting it was just after five, which meant she still had about three hours before seeing him.
"Why do you have to work overtime again today? Is it because something came up at the last minute?"
"An unexpected meeting, but don’t worry, I’ll definitely be home by 8:30."
