"Doctor Zhang, tonight we are holding a banquet at Zuixian Inn to show our gratitude for your life-saving help. Please don’t refuse to come."
Shen Hua suddenly spoke to Zhang Chenggong on the phone, "We really owe Doctor Zhang a lot this time, otherwise, we dare not imagine what would have become of my father."
Zhang Chenggong waved his hand; he was feeling rather weak at the moment. He didn’t actually do anything, but now he was being pushed to accept their thanks, which really wasn’t his style.
However, he had no choice but to follow Chu Ge’s instructions. With no alternatives, he stiffened his resolve and said, "Mr. Shen, there’s no need for thanks; this is all within a doctor’s duty. As for the dinner, please excuse me, I still have some personal matters to attend to."
Seeing Zhang Chenggong repeatedly decline, Shen Hua didn’t press further; they could spare the meal, but the intended thank-you gift couldn’t be reduced.
Shen Hua was somewhat annoyed with himself for not having prepared a red envelope for Doctor Zhang in advance!
In fact, he did not expect Zhang Chenggong to be so down-to-earth; Shen Yaoyao just had to ask, and he agreed. He had thought that experts from big cities were usually quite pretentious and had even prepared himself to make multiple respectful invitations.
Zhang Chenggong then gave a few more precautionary instructions, playing out the charade fully, before leaving under the pretense of having personal affairs to attend to.
Shen Yaoyao stood beside Shen Fang, looking at him with a joyful expression, "Grandpa’s complexion does indeed look much better than before."
Shen Fang felt as if he had been reborn. He stretched his limbs a little and then praised with a smile, "My Yaoyao is the most thoughtful, inviting Doctor Zhang to treat me."
Shen Yaoyao scratched her head modestly, "Actually, I didn’t do much. It was Chu Ge who told me Doctor Zhang was in the hospital, and then I went to ask him. It didn’t take much persuasion, and he agreed."
Honestly, everything went too smoothly, so much so that it felt almost unreal to her.
Shen Hua glanced back at Chu Ge, who was standing silently to the side; he seemed much more agreeable than a few days earlier.
"Father, now that you’re recovering, you still need to take good care of yourself." Shen Hua wanted to find a wheelchair, but Shen Fang refused.
"I’m very clear about my own body’s condition; don’t worry, there are no problems now."
Here the atmosphere was warm and happy, but on the other side, Shen Mimi’s expression started to darken.
The events unfolding before her were completely unexpected. She had thought that Zhang Chenggong was delaying his arrival at the hospital, but she never imagined he was already there and even that Shen Yaoyao had got the jump on everyone.
What piqued Shen Mimi’s curiosity even more was how Chu Ge knew Zhang Chenggong was in the hospital.
Her thoughtful gaze fell on Chu Ge, and her curiosity about him grew stronger.
Chu Ge noticed Shen Mimi’s gaze and gave her a detached glance, just as his phone rang. Taking it out, the name Mu Bingtong flashed on the screen, and his eyes softened instantly.
The tender look was caught by Shen Mimi, and she squinted her eyes curiously. That kind of look was clearly that of lovers – this Chu Ge...
With her curiosity about Chu Ge already piqued, Shen Mimi saw Chu Ge walk towards the staircase to take the call and found herself following him without thinking.
At the staircase, Chu Ge stood by the window, looking out at the street scene, and then answered the phone.
"What are you busy with?" As soon as the call connected, a low, gentle voice came from the other end of the line.
Chu Ge slightly curled his lips, but his tone was filled with a rascal’s charm, "Yaoyao’s grandfather isn’t feeling well, so I accompanied them to have a look at the hospital."
Hearing that Chu Ge had met with Shen Yaoyao, Mu Bingtong’s anxious heart relaxed a bit.
"How is Yaoyao’s mood? She didn’t have another falling out with her family, did she?" This was her biggest worry, and the reason she made the call.
Chu Ge shook his head, realizing again that Mu Bingtong couldn’t see him, then he said, "No, she’s made up with her family already, you don’t have to worry."
"Really? That’s good, I thought..." Mu Bingtong paused, sighed, Shen Yaoyao’s character is too stubborn, but Shen Fang’s temperament is even more stubborn than Shen Yaoyao’s. If neither of them is willing to back down, the relationship between them will only become more strained.
Chu Ge’s gaze flickered slightly, casting an indifferent glance at the door, then frankly said, "It seems you understand Old Master Shen quite well."
Mu Bingtong sighed again, "Yaoyao has been with me all these years, and I have been communicating with Old Master Shen. I understand his mixed feelings of love and resentment towards Yaoyao."
Raising a granddaughter with great difficulty, only for her to stay away from home for so long out of spite, the heartbreak and disappointment can only be imagined.
Mu Bingtong was worried that Shen Fang really would sever ties with Shen Yaoyao, so she had been preoccupied with this matter. She had called Shen Yaoyao before, but Shen Yaoyao’s mood sounded very low and she didn’t want to talk much, which is why she couldn’t help but call Chu Ge.
"Actually, a parent’s tolerance for their child is endless. After all, they are flesh of their flesh. Besides, Yaoyao isn’t as unreasonable as you think. This time, between Yaoyao and the elders of the Shen Family, Yaoyao was the first to apologize and admit her mistakes, and that’s how she gained the forgiveness of the elderly."
Mu Bingtong uttered an "Oh," and from her words, it was clear that she was hearing Chu Ge defending Shen Yaoyao. Maybe it’s been a long time since she saw him, or maybe it’s because Chu Ge is now accompanying Shen Yaoyao at the hospital.
Even though she knew Chu Ge didn’t feel that way towards Shen Yaoyao, Mu Bingtong couldn’t help feeling jealous.
She pursed her lips, her tone a bit unhappy as she asked, "Then when will you come back?"
As the words fell, a sneeze suddenly came from the doorway. Shen Mimi covered her mouth in annoyance, regretting the timing of the sneeze!
She pressed her ear against the door, listening to the sounds from inside the stairwell, only to hear Chu Ge’s teasing voice again, "What, do you miss me?"
"..." She knew this Chu Ge was not simple!
Such tender words, if there wasn’t something between the two of them, she simply wouldn’t believe it!
Not knowing what was said on the other side of the call, Chu Ge laughed, and his deep voice passed through the door panel into Shen Mimi’s ears, striking her eardrums like a hammer, stimulating her sensory nerves.
Because of Shen Yaoyao, Shen Mimi had always been displeased with Chu Ge, but now she found his voice magnetic and pleasant to hear without even seeing his face.
It was deep and resonant like the sound of stones clashing.
Shen Mimi had already concluded that this Chu Ge must have a woman other than Shen Yaoyao!
She thought, with Shen Yaoyao’s qualifications, how could she possibly find such an excellent man.