Chapter 71: Chapter 66 Zhan Qipei Thinks Qiao Jing is Quite Cute
 

“Mr. Tang?”

Tang Yan helped Lin Xiuxiang up, looking at the girl who only reached his chest. Suddenly, his calm heart began to uncontrollably stir.

“Are you all right?” Tang Yan held onto Lin Xiuxiang’s arm with no intention of letting go.

It was not that he wanted to take advantage of Lin Xiuxiang, it was just instinct.

Although Lin Xiuxiang was extremely shy, she did not move away from Tang Yan’s embrace.

“I’m fine, just got pushed a bit and got a bit startled.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” Tang Yan scratched his head naively, then suddenly turned his head and glared at Qiao Mengtong, his face darkening, “You really are lawless, first bullying my wife, and now her!”

Qiao Mengtong had seen Tang Yan before and knew he was Zhan Qipei’s personal assistant, but she hadn’t expected…

Qiao Mengtong looked at Tang Yan and Lin Xiuxiang, who were almost clinging to each other, and turned pale with fear, retreating repeatedly.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know, she, she is your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend?

Hearing this title, Lin Xiuxiang’s face turned so red it seemed blood might drip from it, “I, I’m not—”

Before Lin Xiuxiang could finish talking, Tang Yan quickly pulled her behind him.

Tang Yan stood in front of Lin Xiuxiang, and said coldly to Qiao Mengtong, “If you come to bother her again, I will personally visit the Qiao Family!”

Qiao Mengtong, frightened by Tang Yan’s words as well as his nearly two-meter stature and intimidating presence, looked increasingly terrified and turned tail to flee in panic.

Tang Yan turned back to Lin Xiuxiang, “Don’t be scared, she’s already gone.”

Lin Xiuxiang pursed her lips, her gaze flickering and shifty, not daring to look directly at him, as if afraid that meeting his eyes would betray her modest thoughts.

“That, thank you, if it hadn’t been for you today, I wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.”

“You’re welcome, you’re the wife’s friend, it’s my duty to protect you.” Tang Yan naively scratched his neck, gazing at the bashful Lin Xiuxiang, and felt an increasingly irresistible itch in his heart.

Although Lin Xiuxiang was too embarrassed to meet Tang Yan’s gaze, her woman’s intuition told her that Tang Yan was looking at her.

It made her incredibly nervous.

“Um… Qiao Qiao is still waiting for us, let’s go.”

“Okay, sure.”

Tang Yan had come specifically to pick up Lin Xiuxiang. Initially, Qiao Jing hadn’t planned to send Tang Yan, but he had overheard Qiao Jing’s call with Lin Xiuxiang and had enthusiastically volunteered to come get her.

In the VIP hospital room, Qiao Jing was changing clothes.

She had just awoken from a nap, sweaty, and decided to quickly change clothes, just as she had undone the buttons and was taking them off when she heard the door of the ward being pushed open.

Zhan Qipei, carrying a fruit basket, had his eyes fixed on Qiao Jing’s back. The beauty of her shoulder blades held his gaze captive for a moment.

Realizing what was happening, Qiao Jing hurriedly picked up clean scrubs to put on, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Why didn’t you knock?”

“You were sleeping when I came over. This fruit basket is from your friend. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep, so I didn’t knock,” Zhan Qipei said calmly.

He walked in naturally, placed the fruit basket on the bedside table nearby, and didn’t mention the earlier incident.

Since Zhan Qipei did not bring it up, of course, Qiao Jing didn’t mention the awkward incident either.

Anyway, it was just her back; it was hardly a major indiscretion.

“Knock next time.”

Hearing this, Zhan Qipei felt a vague discomfort in his heart.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Lin Xiuxiang pushed the door and entered, “Qiao Qiao, are you feeling better?”

“I’m much better now, I’ll be discharged tomorrow,” Qiao Jing replied.

Tomorrow was her award ceremony. Although she didn’t want to reveal her identity, as the head of the research institute, she had to attend.

“You’re being discharged tomorrow?” Zhan Qipei glanced at Qiao Jing’s knees, “The doctor said you need to be hospitalized for at least another week, and undergo examinations and treatments during this week.”

“I’m a doctor myself; I don’t need to be hospitalized. I can monitor myself when I go back.”

Actually, even if tomorrow wasn’t her awards ceremony, she would have arranged her discharge.

“With your half-baked medical skills? You think you can match a chief physician’s expertise?” Zhan Qipei said this not out of disdain for Qiao Jing but to make her obey and recuperate peacefully in the hospital.

Yes, I can match them. Qiao Jing said to herself.

“This is my own matter. I’ll decide for myself, so please don’t worry about it.”

“Worry? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m only here because Grandpa repeatedly told me to take good care of you. Otherwise, do you think I would bother?” After Zhan Qipei finished speaking, he noticed Qiao Jing was staring at him.

The girl’s eyes were as calm as a lake’s surface, neither pleased nor angry, making him unable to guess what she was thinking.

“Oh.” Qiao Jing responded indifferently, then showed no other reaction.

This kind of behavior from Qiao Jing made Zhan Qipei feel even more baffled.

The more he felt this way, the more he wanted to figure her out.

After Lin Xiuxiang and Qiao Jing talked for an hour, she realized it was getting late.

“Qiao Qiao, you rest well. I won’t disturb you any longer. I’m leaving now.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Tang Yan approached them.

Qiao Jing and Zhan Qipei looked at Tang Yan and Lin Xiuxiang at almost the same time, with similar expressions in their eyes.

Lin Xiuxiang’s cheeks blushed again, “Mr. Tang, you still have your work to do. Don’t trouble yourself for me. I can take a taxi back on my own.”

“It’s very dark now. It’s dangerous for a girl to go back alone. Let me take you. Anyway, my boss isn’t in a hurry to use the car now.”

As soon as Tang Yan finished speaking, Zhan Qipei’s voice followed.

“Who said I don’t need the car now?”

Tang Yan glanced at Zhan Qipei with a troubled expression. After struggling for a couple of seconds, he took out his phone and said to Lin Xiuxiang, “Let’s add each other on WeChat. If Mengtong comes looking for you again, I can help you. After you get home, it’ll be easier for you to let me know you’re safe.”

Hearing this, Qiao Jing’s pupils slightly brightened; she glanced at Tang Yan and then at the shy Lin Xiuxiang, the corners of her eyes lifting in a smile.

“This, I…” Lin Xiuxiang, inherently shy, didn’t know how to respond to Tang Yan’s bold pursuit.

“Xiangxiang, just give your WeChat to Tang Yan. Having one more friend isn’t a bad thing, and he’s a pretty good guy. This friend is worth having.”

Tang Yan turned around and gave Qiao Jing a grateful look.

Qiao Jing nodded at Tang Yan; she wasn’t randomly making a match. She had known Tang Yan for a while now and he was a person capable of leading a good life.

“Alright, okay.” Lin Xiuxiang took out her phone and added Tang Yan on WeChat.

“Then I’ll be going.” Lin Xiuxiang glanced reluctantly at Tang Yan.

That glance was so captivating that Tang Yan almost followed Lin Xiuxiang as he stepped forward.

He couldn’t help it; it was still working hours.

As Tang Yan gazed regretfully at Lin Xiuxiang, Zhan Qipei spoke, “I don’t need the car now.”

Hearing this, Tang Yan felt immensely grateful.

“Thank you, boss!”

With that, Tang Yan hurried after her.

“Miss Lin, wait for me. I’ll take you home.”

Qiao Jing’s gaze returned from the hospital room door to Zhan Qipei, her eyes carrying an ambiguous scrutiny.

“Why are you staring at me? Fallen for me?” Zhan Qipei teased, lifting his toes slightly as he spoke to Qiao Jing.

Qiao Jing leaned back with a lazy posture against the headboard.

Her red lips parted slowly, and she spoke unhurriedly while rolling her eyes subtly, “Narcissist.”

It was the first time Zhan Qipei had seen this expression on Qiao Jing, and he found it quite endearing.

“Earlier, you said Tang Yan is a pretty good guy. You haven’t known him long. How do you know he’s good?”

“Intuition, with a heartfelt feeling.” Qiao Jing replied.

Continuing to lift his toes, Zhan Qipei paused for two seconds then asked, “So, what do you think of me?”