The meal ended with Chen Jiaojiao storming off.
Zhan Bei Jue was unfazed and helped his dear wife return home to reunite with the children.
Lu Qing Xu went to work.
Lu Ming Zhe accompanied his soon-to-be wife home.
Only Zhou Jin Bei was worried about Chen Jiaojiao and followed her out.
She didn't know how to comfort her, as it seemed everyone was at fault.
She followed her to the restaurant entrance, where Chen Jiaojiao told her:
"You go back, I'm fine. I was prepared for this. I won't do anything rash."
"Lu Ming Zhe is nothing, not so outstanding that I'd do anything rash for him."
Zhou Jin Bei breathed a sigh of relief.
"So what are you going to do next?"
"Go home. I drank a bit too much today, so I'll go back and get some beauty sleep. To be distraught over a man and turn into a hag isn't my style, Chen Jiaojiao."
Zhou Jin Bei gave her a thumbs-up.
"Then I'm leaving. If you feel unwell after sobering up, call me. I'm available anytime."
Taking a taxi back to the hospital, she unexpectedly received a call from A Zhong on the way.
Her father had been sick for so long, and he had been busy with work outside and hadn't visited yet.
He had some free time these past two days and drove back late at night.
He asked which room Zhou Jin Bei was in.
She hadn't seen him in a long time and, to be honest, missed him quite a bit.
Especially after the scene tonight, when everyone else was paired up, she missed A Zhong even more.
"I'll wait for you downstairs. We'll talk when you get here."
Soon, they met at the entrance of the inpatient building.
A Zhong was the same as before, just a bit tanner, with his hair cut very short.
A black shirt, black pants, combined with this hairstyle and skin tone, made him look like a tough guy.
Oh my, he looked better and better the more she looked.
He walked ahead, and Zhou Jin Bei followed, gazing at his subtle muscle lines, unable to help but feel a pang of desire.
She really wanted to taste him again!
In the elevator, A Zhong asked about his father's basic condition. Zhou Jin Bei answered truthfully, and by the time she finished, they had reached the ward.
Her father slept during the day and at night, and was quite energetic now, chatting with the nurse who had been changing his dressing.
Seeing him enter, he was very surprised.
"Dad, are you feeling any better? I haven't had time to visit you, don't be mad at me."
Father Zhong said:
"We're father and son, I know what kind of person you are! Why be so polite with your dad?"
"Why did you rush back so late? Just got off work, right? Have you eaten?"
"It's tiring to travel back and forth, Xiao Zhou here has been taking good care of me, and your company benefits are good, there's no need to make this trip."
"Look at you, you've gotten darker and thinner."
The nurse finished changing his dressing and looked back at A Zhong.
The more she looked, the brighter her eyes became.
"Uncle Zhong, is this your son you always talk about? He's so handsome. So tall and upright, he's truly good-looking."
Father Zhong smiled and introduced A Zhong.
"This is Nurse Wang, she's taken care of me during my hospital stay, she's a very kind person. Thanks to her and Xiao Zhou, thank them quickly."
Patients who were hospitalized long-term naturally had to build good relationships with medical staff. A Zhong smiled and shook her hand.
"Thank you for your care, sorry to have troubled you."
"Hey. Why so polite, it's what I should do!"
Nurse Wang was in her early thirties, fair-skinned and a bit plump, with a kind and approachable demeanor.
Smiling, she held A Zhong's hand and looked him up and down again.
"Oh my, so handsome, so good-looking. Your dad said your unit is quite good too, you work at Zhan Group, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
The topic shifted too quickly, and A Zhong was taken aback.
"Huh?"
"Oh, it's like this."
Nurse Wang smiled.
"In our line of work, we don't have much of anything, but we know a lot of young girls. Especially those who just graduated."
"Every day, besides going to work and leaving work, we're working overtime, with no chance to date.
"They complain to me all the time, Sister Wang, when can you introduce me to a partner? Youth is fleeting, and spending all our days in the ward without even dating makes life so boring."
"So, I'm particularly concerned about this matter. You catch my eye, I can tell at a glance that you're a good young man, and I've gotten familiar with your dad. You won't find this inappropriate, will you?"
Is it not inappropriate?
Zhou Jin Bei stood behind him, looking at A Zhong's hand being held tightly by her, listening to her words.
She wished she could forcefully pull the two of them apart.
They had only met for less than two minutes, and she was already asking if he had a girlfriend. Are you a nurse or a matchmaker?
A Zhong's expression turned awkward.
After all, Zhou Jin Bei was standing beside him.
Others didn't know about their past, but he himself knew.
This question was difficult to answer.
But before he could speak, his father interrupted.
"No, no, he's single now. Nurse Wang, I told you this long ago. He really doesn't have a girlfriend."
"I hadn't seen you before, but now that I've seen you and confirmed you catch my eye, I'll handle this for you, Uncle Zhong!"
Nurse Wang, like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, liked A Zhong more and more.
"Your name is Zhong Jia Ming, right? How old are you this year? Where did you buy your house?"
It seemed his father had talked a lot about his situation during casual conversations.
A Zhong never expected to encounter such a situation right after his appearance.
He disliked being set up on blind dates by elders, especially with Zhou Jin Bei present.
Just as he was about to refuse, his father again answered for him.
"He's 29 this year, not young anymore. When I was his age, I could already buy soy sauce."
"Alas, he's still not married at this age, I'm almost anxious to death. I bought the house long ago, in the such-and-such neighborhood, tell your Sister Wang quickly."
Zhou Jin Bei sat down with a thud on the nearby accompanying bed.
A Zhong, who smelled alcohol on her the moment she arrived, couldn't help but glance at her when he heard the sound.
Zhou Jin Bei's face was long, her legs crossed, and she looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.
He felt she seemed quite disgusted with Nurse Wang.
A Zhong turned his head and smiled at Sister Wang.
"I'm sorry. My conditions aren't very good. I did buy a house before, but I've already sold it."
His father clearly didn't know about this.
He was stunned for a moment.
"When did you sell the house? How come I didn't know? Why did you sell it?"
A Zhong said, "Just a few days after I returned to the country, I was short on cash for turnover."
"You child, why didn't you tell me if you needed money!"
"Dad has saved money his whole life, just for you for emergencies. Look at you..."
"And you, Sister Wang, these are all minor issues. If the house is gone, we can buy another one. I have savings, so please don't..."
The implication was that my son is already old, introduce him quickly, or there won't be any good girls left.
A Zhong was helpless with his attitude but dared not get angry with him.
He smiled and interrupted, "Forget it, Dad, I don't want your money."
"With your health, you're always feeling unwell. Taking care of your health is more important than anything."