Li Qianqian’s words were like a bolt from the blue, making Su Qifeng, who had been in a state of utter excitement, tremble violently and stare like a stupefied fool.
Su Qifeng’s lips quivered, his mind went blank, and he could only stare fixedly at Liu Qianqian, mechanically repeating, “Hurt? You were... bullied?”
After speaking, Liu Qianqian covered her face with both hands and sobbed softly, offering no reply to Su Qifeng. Her expression, looking as delicate as a pear blossom caught in the rain, was pitiful to the extreme.
Originally, Su Qifeng and Liu Qianqian had already drawn the attention of many patrons in the *coffee shop. When Su Qifeng took out the bracelet earlier, several people had shown knowing smiles, as if sincerely blessing the young couple. But now, everyone's gaze had returned to them, this time laced with considerable confusion.
What Liu Qianqian had said was not entirely clear, but her demeanor, no matter who looked at it, would lead them to suspect the worst. Su Qifeng was already unconsciously bracing himself for the most unfavorable interpretation.
“Don’t, don’t cry, Qianqian…”
Su Qifeng finally snapped out of his shock. He didn't know what comforting words to offer, but Liu Qianqian’s heartbreaking, rain-streaked beauty truly made his own heart feel as if it were shattering.
“Qianqian, don’t be afraid!”
Su Qifeng’s body trembled slightly, a rush of hot blood suddenly surging from his chest to his forehead. He slammed his palm down on the table with a thwack, shot up from his seat, grabbed Liu Qianqian’s hand, and declared, “Who is that intern? Come on, I’ll go get revenge for you!”
Hearing Su Qifeng’s words, Liu Qianqian stopped crying. She looked up at him, shook her head, and pulled Su Qifeng back slightly. “Qifeng, forget it. I just couldn’t help myself for a moment, that’s why I cried. I’m much better now.”
“How can we let it go!”
The more Liu Qianqian insisted on dropping it, the fiercer the flames of anger burned in Su Qifeng’s heart. Just moments ago, Liu Qianqian had personally agreed to reconcile with him and become his girlfriend. In essence, Su Qifeng had just experienced the pinnacle of joy in both his career and romance.
But now, his girlfriend had been bullied. Was he supposed to swallow the insult in silence?
“Forget it, Qifeng. I didn't suffer any major loss anyway. Don't stir up trouble. That intern has a lot of pull at our hospital; he's definitely not an ordinary person…”
Liu Qianqian pulled at Su Qifeng again, shaking her head as she spoke.
When Liu Qianqian said she hadn't lost much, Su Qifeng felt a small wave of relief, but seeing her face—now slightly smudged from crying—immediately choked him up and ignited a fresh surge of fury.
Without another word, Su Qifeng pulled Liu Qianqian up from the table. Suppressing his anger, he embraced her tightly for a moment, then reached out to gently wipe away the tear tracks on her face. Gritting his teeth, he growled, “Qianqian, your man now is not that clueless kid I used to be. I’m not ordinary anymore either. Come on, we’re going to your hospital. I’ll back you up. If he dared to bully you, today I will absolutely make him apologize to you personally!”
Hearing Su Qifeng say this, Liu Qianqian, without argument, hugged him again, burying her head in his shoulder and murmuring softly, “Qifeng, you are so good to me.”
This affirmation from Liu Qianqian hit Su Qifeng like an injection of pure adrenaline. Full of fighting spirit, he immediately pulled her toward the exit of the *coffee shop.
However, Su Qifeng failed to notice the strange, almost eerie smile that flickered across Liu Qianqian’s face as she followed him, a smile that did not resemble one of heartfelt emotion.
Ding!
A taxi pulled to a stop at the entrance of Jinghe Hospital. Stepping out was a girl of pure and stunning beauty. Dressed in a pristine white sundress, she appeared like a lotus emerging from the water, possessing an exceptional aura.
As she exited the cab, she immediately drew the glances of passersby, an undeniable testament to how captivating she was.
This person was Mi Xue, returning from shopping. Zhang Yang had called her earlier, asking to have dinner together, which had completely dampened Mi Xue’s enthusiasm for shopping, causing her to arrive early at Jinghe Hospital, where Zhang Yang worked.
This was Mi Xue’s first time at Jinghe Hospital, and she had taken a taxi just to successfully navigate her way there.
The moment Mi Xue set foot inside the main doors of Jinghe Hospital, someone rushed past her from behind. Fortunately, Mi Xue was no longer the ordinary girl she once was; since cultivating her inner strength (), her sensory awareness was sharper than that of the average person. Hearing the hurried footsteps behind her, she quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a collision.
The person who nearly bumped into Mi Xue was none other than Su Qifeng, forcefully pulling Liu Qianqian along toward Jinghe Hospital. Along the way, Su Qifeng had been consumed with visions of how he would punish the intern who dared to bully Liu Qianqian, paying no attention whatsoever to the path ahead. Upon reaching the hospital entrance, he turned and bolted inside, nearly colliding with Mi Xue, who had just entered.
Luckily, Mi Xue moved swiftly. When Su Qifeng saw the woman he almost struck, he paused momentarily. Mi Xue’s sheer beauty was enough to momentarily stun him.
Liu Qianqian trailed behind Su Qifeng, clutching not only her own bag but also tightly hugging the large bundle of cosmetics she had acquired. During their walk to Jinghe Hospital, her entire focus had been on the heavy bag of designer makeup. Only when Su Qifeng stopped did she notice he had almost run into a beautiful girl.
The stranger wore no apparent makeup, yet her skin and features made Liu Qianqian’s eyes burn with envy.
Hmph, seductive vixen. Who knows what kind of mistress she is!
She silently cursed under her breath, then viciously pinched Su Qifeng—a reaction fueled by his momentary lapse in attention upon seeing the beautiful girl.
“Sorry, I’m truly sorry!”
Su Qifeng snapped back to reality after the sharp pinch from Liu Qianqian. Since Mi Xue was a beautiful girl, Su Qifeng offered her an apology first before attempting to pull Liu Qianqian away.
“It’s alright. Seeking medical attention is important. Is this your girlfriend? Her complexion looks terrible; hurry and take her to see a doctor,” Mi Xue said kindly, assuming the pair were rushing due to some ailment. She even stepped aside to clear their path.
Hearing Mi Xue’s comment, a surge of inexplicable anger welled up in Liu Qianqian’s heart; she completely misinterpreted Mi Xue’s good intentions as outright mockery!
“You’re the one with a terrible complexion!”
“Let’s go, Qianqian. If we delay any longer, that intern will be off work!”
Before Liu Qianqian could finish her retort, Su Qifeng grabbed her hand and hurried ahead, entering the first-floor lobby.
Mi Xue hadn't seen Zhang Yang, knowing he wasn't finished with work yet, so she wasn't in a rush and walked slowly behind them. She paid absolutely no mind to Liu Qianqian’s final angry exclamation.
Su Qifeng pulled Liu Qianqian into the ground floor lobby of the hospital building. The receptionist nurse behind the desk recognized Liu Qianqian and exclaimed in surprise, “Qianqian, weren't you supposed to be off work early today because you weren’t feeling well?”
“Ah, I—”
Liu Qianqian started to answer but hesitated, unsure of what to say. She merely clutched the bag of cosmetics tighter in her arms, as if protecting precious treasure.
“What is all that? Qianqian, did you bring us something good to eat?” the receptionist nurse asked with a chuckle. But before she could finish, the other nurse beside her immediately chimed in, “You’re overthinking things. Why would Qianqian bring food? Qianqian, who is this next to you? Is he your new boyfriend?”
As the second nurse spoke, she deliberately emphasized the word ‘new,’ clearly indicating her lack of affection for Liu Qianqian and her awareness of the ambiguous, often inappropriate flirtations Liu Qianqian engaged in with certain younger doctors.
“Who is your new intern? Bring him out here for me!”
Su Qifeng’s accumulated rage was nearing its breaking point. He strode forward a few steps, slammed his hand onto the reception desk with a bang, and barked menacingly.
Although it was nearing noon, the lobby wasn't crowded, but enough people were present to draw everyone’s attention with Su Qifeng’s resounding slap.
The two reception nurses behind the desk jumped back, startled by the impact. They exchanged a quick glance, unsure of what was happening, before their gazes settled on Liu Qianqian.
“Hurry up! Call out your new intern!”
Su Qifeng seemed to revel in the sudden spotlight, his arrogance escalating significantly in that moment. Glaring at the two receptionists, he shouted again.
“Who are you, and why are you looking for our new intern?”
The first nurse, who had mocked Liu Qianqian earlier, finally recovered and quickly demanded an answer. Jinghe Hospital had only recently hired two interns, Yan Liangfei and Zhang Yang, both of whom had excellent reputations within the hospital. The receptionist had no idea why this man was so aggressively demanding to see them.
“I am Qianqian’s boyfriend. Now, call out your new intern immediately!” Su Qifeng glared, his eyes wide, looking precisely like a man come to collect a long-overdue debt.
“We only have two new interns: Dr. Yan Liangfei and Dr. Zhang Yang. We need to know which one you are actually looking for?”
The first nurse to engage with Liu Qianqian was clearly timid. Seeing how fierce Su Qifeng was, she instinctively took a small step back, partially hiding behind the other nurse. Only after hearing Su Qifeng claim to be Liu Qianqian’s boyfriend did she dare to reply in a small voice.
“Two interns?” Su Qifeng was momentarily taken aback. He clearly hadn't realized that Jinghe Hospital had recently taken on two new interns.
Su Qifeng turned around and looked at Liu Qianqian with confusion, asking, “Qianqian, which of the new interns bullied you?”
“It was... it was Zhang Yang!”
Liu Qianqian looked at Su Qifeng awkwardly, speaking word by word in a voice barely audible—almost a mosquito’s hum—under the watchful eyes of the two receptionists. (To be continued)
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