Chapter Thirty-Seven: An Unforgettable Rendezvous

After leaving the Golden Palm, Qin Luo had originally thought they would take a car back to campus, but to his surprise, Wang Jiujjiu suggested, “Mr. Qin, why don’t we walk a bit? It’s been ages since I last strolled the streets at night. You haven’t experienced Beijing’s nightlife, have you?”

She had finally found an opportunity to be alone with Qin Luo and wasn’t about to let it slip away. Good men had to be fought for. A woman must know how to create her own chances.

Qin Luo had wanted to return early, as he still needed to perform acupuncture detoxification for Lin Huanxi. But since Wang Jiujjiu had proposed a walk and offered such a good reason, he found it hard to refuse. He simply nodded and said, “All right. But I’m new here and not familiar with Beijing at all. You can’t let me get lost.”

She giggled, “Don’t worry. I’ll give you twenty yuan. If you do get lost, just take a cab back.” Her smile was sweet, and the deep dimples on either side of her cheeks were like black holes, swallowing the gaze of any man.

The Beijing night was cool, the breeze tinged with a chill but still comfortable.

Accompanied by a woman he did not know well, Qin Luo wandered the bustling streets of Beijing, treading unfamiliar roads, watching the crowds hurrying past and vanishing just as quickly, listening to the distant, ethereal strains of “Beijing Blues” drifting out from a roadside record shop, mingling with other old songs—some mournful, some indignant.

Nights like this were truly pleasant.

To speak honestly, strolling with a beautiful woman was hardly a suffering. The envious stares from other men alone gave Qin Luo’s modest vanity an instant swelling.

Though he occasionally caught someone muttering about “a flower planted in cow dung,” he didn’t take it to heart in the least.

Who’s the cow dung, anyway? You are. Your whole family is.

“I’m a vase,” Qin Luo thought to himself, a clear sense of his own place.

Wang Jiujjiu walked quietly at his side, smiling, softly humming along with the music. She seemed serene, easily content, like a girl who could find happiness in simple things.

Of course, with her family background, yet such diligence in studying traditional medicine, always sitting in the front row of the classroom, always appearing attentive whenever your gaze happened to fall on her—

Of course, Qin Luo had no idea yet that Wang Jiujjiu harbored a secret crush on him. In truth, much of her fascination stemmed from his poise at the lectern and his erudition when explaining medical cases.

Didn’t you notice? When a woman is infatuated, she can be truly captivating.

“You like singing very much?” Qin Luo asked with a smile.

“Yes. Singing makes people happy. Whenever I’m unhappy, I sing out loud,” Wang Jiujjiu replied, smiling.

Qin Luo turned to look at her. “You have times when you’re unhappy?”

In his impression, she was always smiling. With such a good family, what could trouble her?

“Of course. Plenty. Who goes through life without worries?” she said, laughing.

I feel unhappy when I think of you, unhappy when I hear rumors about you and Lin Huanxi, unhappy when I see you two in the same car, unhappy when I see your photos together on the forum—

All these little sorrows, she kept hidden in her heart, never letting him know.

“What makes you unhappy?” Qin Luo asked, smiling.

“When I was little, I used to get upset because Zhang Yiyi wouldn’t let me call her ‘mom.’ Now that I’m grown, I get mad because she’s always forcing me to call her ‘mom.’” Wang Jiujjiu laughed.

“Haha, your mom sounds interesting.” Qin Luo chuckled. He had a good impression of Wang Jiujjiu’s mother; both women had a way of making others happy.

They were genuine, unaffected.

Sometimes, their deliberate playfulness was even endearing.

Take Zhang Yiyi’s expression when she entered the Golden Palm just now: so noble, so elegant, so imposing. Yet the moment she saw her daughter, she transformed, rushing over in little steps, all the while scolding her—

A perfect split of personalities, a masterful change of face.

“She likes to act young,” Wang Jiujjiu said with a pout of disdain, though pride still gleamed in her eyes.

“Every time I buy new clothes, she has to try them on. If she thinks they look good, she goes and buys the same ones.”

“Whenever we go out together, if people say she’s my sister, she’s over the moon, almost ready to pour her heart out in gratitude.”

“Before every outing, she spends longer getting ready than I do. For every outfit, she asks if it’s suitable. If I say it is, she says, ‘Just suitable?’ and immediately changes. Only if I say it looks amazing will she finally stop that crazy self-torment—”

Talking about her mother seemed to open a treasure box of stories. One amusing anecdote after another tumbled out, allowing even an outsider like Qin Luo to feel the happiness and deep affection between mother and daughter.

“To have a mother like that is a blessing. At least you two don’t have communication barriers. In this, Chinese people don’t do as well as the West. They think love should be shown, not spoken. They’re embarrassed to tell their children they love them. Many parents and children seem more like enemies than family.”

Suddenly, Qin Luo’s eyes narrowed and his voice halted.

They were passing through a district of luxury hotels. At the entrance of the “Eastern Emperor Hotel,” he saw Ma Youcai and Wang Hao walking out side by side.

The two appeared to be talking happily, standing in the parking lot for a while before shaking hands and parting.

“You know them?” Wang Jiujjiu, by his side, naturally noticed his reaction.

“Yes. Two acquaintances,” Qin Luo replied with a smile.

They were indeed old acquaintances. He had become enemies with Wang Hao because of Lin Huanxi. Supposedly, after he made Wang Hao’s girlfriend Chen Xiaoxue lose face in public, Wang Hao felt so humiliated he broke up with her. When Lin Huanxi told him about the incident, she was a little wistful, but really, could one expect the love of adulterers to last?

They weren’t together for love to begin with, so naturally, there was no thought of sharing honor or disgrace.

As for Ma Youcai, their conflict was even more intense: first, Ma Youcai had ostracized him during the infant infection incident, then stole his credit, then, by a twist of fate, Qin Luo had a run-in with his son and ended up thrown in the police station—

One was the director of the Traditional Medicine Hospital, the other the owner of a medical equipment company. What were these two doing together?

Suddenly, a possibility flashed through Qin Luo’s mind.

“They’re not really your friends, are they?” Wang Jiujjiu asked.

“How did you know?”

“Because you have such a sly smile right now. Are those two in for trouble?” she asked, squinting mischievously.

“Haha. Come on, I’ll walk you back to campus,” Qin Luo said, laughing.

Perhaps he could help Grandpa Lin find a way out of his predicament.

****************************************

The next day, the outcome of the Golden Palm incident was announced. Wang Jiujjiu was the one who told him.

It was the first time Qin Luo felt a peculiar fondness for the Chinese government’s bureaucratic apparatus.

Of course, he knew it was only the result of intense pressure.

The most tragic of all was Tao Ran: not only was he the main perpetrator, but all his previous criminal records were brought to light. When the police get serious, they’re terrifying.

Worse, the security team found a pistol on him, which confirmed the charge of “endangering the family member of a high official.” He would not only face criminal charges, but could also be handed over to the military for further judgment.

His gang were all accomplices, each with their own record, and all detained by the authorities.

Li Qingyang, on the other hand, was the lucky one. Although Wang Jiujjiu accused him of harassment, there was neither witness nor evidence, and besides, he was technically the victim—

He really was. When he tried something in the restroom, Wang Jiujjiu beat him up. When Gao Shen’s security team arrived, he tried to sneak away but was caught and given another thrashing. From start to finish, he never even got a chance to fight back. After a few slaps, he simply fainted.

So, he was sent to the hospital. After some family maneuvering, his involvement was written off.

After his two Traditional Medicine Diagnostics classes, Qin Luo was about to return to his office when his phone rang in his pocket.

“Hello, who is this?” The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.

“Guess who?” came a sweet, coquettish female voice. Qin Luo’s first thought was Zhang Yiyi, Wang Jiujjiu’s mother, who liked to act young and whose voice he remembered distinctly.

But Zhang Yiyi couldn’t possibly have his number, nor would she call him at this hour.

Qin Luo thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

“You little rascal, are you trying to run off after taking advantage of me?” The woman’s voice was full of hurt.

“Um… I really don’t know who you are,” Qin Luo replied with a wry smile. When had he ever taken advantage of anyone?

He wasn’t sure who was or wasn’t a virgin, but he certainly knew about himself.

“Oh, you’re awful. It’s Qingcheng!” The woman giggled.

“Qingcheng? What Qingcheng?” Qin Luo asked.

“Idiot. I’m Li Qingcheng, the beauty you bumped into. Remember now? I called you then—didn’t you save my number?”

“Sorry, I forgot,” Qin Luo replied, sweating. He really didn’t have the habit of saving other people’s numbers.

“I know you have no classes after the second period this morning. Right now, get to the school gate. I need to see you.” Li Qingcheng barked out the order from the other end, exasperated by this forgetful man.

What a beauty could not abide was to be ignored.