Chapter 74: Chapter 73 Eating Together
Zhang Hao stood at the office door with his hands in his pockets, listlessly watching everything that happened in the corridor.
Ma Ling, who had just been scolded by her father, came out of the ward; Zhang Hao gave her a gentle smile as a greeting.
Ma Ling quickly adjusted her state, at least she no longer looked so bedraggled on the surface.
"Doctor Zhang, I’m sorry for making a fool of myself in front of you."
Zhang Hao shrugged, "Everyone has their own set of problems. If it really doesn’t work out, consider changing jobs. Although the pay is slower, it can save a lot of trouble."
Ma Ling had thought about this solution before, but while it was easy to say, it was hard to do.
Her father’s monthly care at this hospital alone cost thousands of yuan, which was already much cheaper than higher-level hospitals.
Apart from these expenses, the family still needed to live, and all things considered, it wasn’t cheap.
Living on that meager salary alone, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
So, the job at the bar had to continue; otherwise, when money was needed later, who would provide it?
"I’m free now, how about we go out for a cup of coffee?"
Ma Ling hesitated for a moment but nodded in agreement, thinking of going for coffee as a way to change her mood.
There was a coffee shop next to the hospital, but Zhang Hao didn’t know how good the coffee was.
He ordered a cappuccino for Ma Ling and an espresso for himself.
"How did your uncle find out?" Zhang Hao asked.
Ma Ling bowed her head silently, took a shallow sip of her coffee, surrounded by quietness. The vast coffee shop had only a few sparse people.
Seeing that Ma Ling didn’t speak, Zhang Hao didn’t urge her, knowing she would talk when she was ready.
After a long while, Ma Ling finally spoke.
"The debt collectors started calling home; just like that, a slip of the tongue led to my dad finding out."
After speaking, Ma Ling just hung her head and fell silent.
Zhang Hao took a sip of his coffee and felt very sympathetic toward Ma Ling’s plight. When something like this happens to a family, there’s no easy way out.
"When you go back, have a good talk with your uncle. I think he will understand you."
However, Ma Ling held the opposite view. She knew her father’s character better than anyone and didn’t expect him to understand.
After finishing the coffee, Zhang Hao stood up to return. He was a doctor, and even though this hospital didn’t have many patients, he couldn’t leave his post for too long.
Otherwise, it would be negligence on his part as a doctor. Ma Ling stayed in the coffee shop for a long time before coming out.
The weather seemed to have been affected by her mood, turning gloomy.
When she left the hospital, the sky had been bright and sunny.
At this time, her mother was already taking care of her father.
Ma Ling hesitated for a moment then hailed a taxi to go home and rest.
Even though she was scolded by her dad, work still had to be done.
Otherwise, what would the family eat or drink?
Having her mother there probably eased her father’s mood a bit.
Before finishing his shift, Zhang Hao performed his routine rounds and saw Ma Jun. He wanted to put in a good word for Ma Ling.
But the words got swallowed before they could escape his lips.
For the first time, Zhang Hao saw Ma Ling’s mother.
She was a dark, thin woman, looking very aged with many wrinkles.
One could assume she was the one who worried the most at home; with the main breadwinner down, her mood must have been affected.
But as a doctor, there wasn’t much he could do.
After the rounds, it was time for Zhang Hao to clock out.
As he was preparing to leave, Zhao Qing suddenly approached him.
Seeing her come over, Zhang Hao slowed down his movements.
"Not on duty tonight?"
Zhao Qing shook her head, "It’s rare not to be on duty. I came to see you. How about we go out for dinner together?"
Zhang Hao still felt somewhat wary of He Chao, even though those two guys were no longer staking out the vicinity of the hospital.
But He Chao had a knack for shooting from behind.
So, for the sake of safety, Zhang Hao still turned down Zhao Qing’s friendly invitation.
Her goodwill rejected, Zhao Qing felt a little downhearted.
"Since you don’t want to eat, then keeping me company here for a while should be fine, besides, there are only colleagues here."
"Everyone knows that my relationship with you is not ordinary, and no one will say anything."
Seeing Zhao Qing lower her position so much, Zhang Hao agreed.
"What exactly was going on with you and that family member at lunch today, with all that eye signaling? You thought I couldn’t see it."
Zhang Hao hadn’t planned on hiding anything, and now that she had asked, he simply answered naturally.
Besides, there was nothing unsightly about his relationship with Ma Ling.
"His dad is hospitalized, and I’m the attending doctor, just a simple relationship like that."
"Nurse Zhao, can you not pay excessive attention to my personal affairs?"
Zhang Hao didn’t know why, but every time he had to repeat this sentence.
There really were no romantic feelings between him and Zhao Qing.
Yet, every time, Zhao Qing was very vigilant toward the women getting close to him.
Once again reminded by Zhang Hao, Zhao Qing closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I got it. There’s a new restaurant near the hospital, want to go eat something? We can invite others along."
Inviting others would mean even if He Chao saw, he probably couldn’t use it as evidence of Zhao Qing’s infidelity.
Dining out with colleagues was perfectly normal in the workplace.
"Sure!" Zhang Hao agreed.
As a result, Zhao Qing called over all the nurses from their department.
The table was full, with Zhang Hao being the only man.
Used to their appearances in nursing uniforms, he found it somewhat tricky to recognize them in their casual clothes.
The newly opened restaurant actually specialized in fried rice and noodles and similar dishes.
The menu on the wall offered typical home-style stir-fries, nothing fancy.
Even if they ordered the most expensive items, the few of them wouldn’t be spending much.
Zhang Hao, feeling generous, decided to treat them to this meal.
After paying the bill and returning, he found the only available seat was next to Zhao Qing, as all the other seats were taken.
The nurses looked at them with knowing smiles and said, "See how considerate we are, we’ve already reserved this seat for you."
With no other options, Zhang Hao had no choice but to sit there.
"Doctor Zhang, don’t listen to their nonsense," Zhao Qing hurriedly explained.
"What nonsense? Xiao Qing, everyone knows you fancy Doctor Zhang, just admit it already."
"Back then, Doctor Zhang, you took that hit for her."
The secrets between the two didn’t have to be shared with outsiders.
Zhang Hao also acted as if nothing was the matter, distributing paper cups to everyone, and poured drinks for each person.
That was enough to silence them.
They were halfway through their meal when a customer suddenly entered the restaurant.
At first, Zhang Hao didn’t notice, but he realized Zhao Qing seemed a bit off.
"What’s wrong, are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Hao asked.
Zhao Qing glanced up in the direction of the next table, and Zhang Hao immediately looked over.
He saw He Chao with a sinister smile on his face, watching them.
It seemed He Chao really hadn’t given up, still lurking around after all this time.
