Chapter 31 : The Worst Kind of Serenade

Tang Zhen stuttered for a long time, unable to complete a sentence.
It was Chi Yuqin, her hand resting on the door panel, who asked— “Are you done singing?”

In the dim light, Chi Yuqin’s tone was devoid of any emotion, but Tang Zhen still saw the person’s pursed lips and twitching corner of her mouth.

She was holding back a laugh… trying her best to hold back a laugh…

Tang Zhen’s face instantly turned red.
So… she had heard everything?
How many songs had she heard?!

“Cough… almost… almost done…”

“Then why are you still in here?”

The shame of being caught in the act spread from her toes upwards, gradually engulfing her entire body.
Tang Zhen wanted to find a hole to crawl into, but it wasn’t over yet.
Just as she was walking towards the private room door, her left foot tripped over her right, and her body suddenly lurched forward.

This was the second time today.

Chi Yuqin, just like in the hospital in the afternoon, was quick and agile, grabbing her arm and steadying her.

“You really don’t watch where you’re going.”

Tang Zhen was completely embarrassed, unable to argue with her.

At this moment, she looked at Chi Yuqin, her forehead beaded with sweat, then at the arm she was holding, her mind gradually coming to its senses—

“Chi… Director Chi… are you here to sing too?”

Chi Yuqin didn’t answer her, her eyes sweeping over the table in the private room.
There was only a fruit platter and drinks.
She had some sense, she hadn’t been drinking.

As Tang Zhen walked out of the private room, Chi Yuqin’s hand still hadn’t let go of her arm.

Through the thin layer of cloth, Tang Zhen felt that the place where Chi Yuqin was holding her was as if it had been electrocuted, on fire… so hot that her heart was burning.

The two of them stood in the corridor, the playing card patterned wallpaper was tacky and vulgar.
Occasionally, one or two people with yellow and red hair would walk by, their eyes constantly glancing at Tang Zhen’s face.

It was no wonder.
Chi Yuqin’s aura was too cold, always exuding a “stay away from me” vibe.
Just looking at her, you could tell she wasn’t to be trifled with.

But Tang Zhen was different.
This girl was indeed attractive, with a face that was both innocent and cute, as if anyone could bully her and take advantage of her.

Chi Yuqin’s expression instantly turned sour—
“Have you finished writing the major case histories?”

“I have.”

“Have you also written the surgical plan for bed sixteen?”

“We haven’t had the consultation yet…”

“You can’t think on your own without a consultation? Waiting for someone to feed you?”

Chi Yuqin suddenly sneered—
“Do you think that since you’ll be rotating out of the department in a while, you won’t have to care anymore?”

“I don’t…”

“You’d better not. Your main direction is still in cardiac surgery. Even if you rotate through all the departments, you’ll still have to come back in the end.”

Tang Zhen was so confused by her scolding.
She had come here to vent, but now… it had turned into asking for a scolding, and the kind she couldn’t even explain.

Chi Yuqin was really scolding her.
A single girl, not going home at night, running off to a KTV to sing by herself.
Didn’t she know what she looked like?
Didn’t she know that it was easy to be targeted like this?
Were there few incidents that happened in KTV private rooms?
If someone had just come in with ill intentions, could she have escaped?
And this area was full of all sorts of shady guesthouses, none of which required an ID.

“Go back and observe the situation of bed sixteen. Hand in the surgical plan to me in a week.”

“Okay!”

Tang Zhen was about to run off after speaking, but she was pulled back by Chi Yuqin again, her arm grabbed.

This was the third time.
Tang Zhen was puzzled.
What had her arm done to offend someone today?
Why couldn’t she get away?

“Director Chi, is there anything else?”

“Do me a favor.”

Never mind one favor, as long as she could let her go, she would help with a hundred!

Tang Zhen followed behind Chi Yuqin and walked to the door of the next private room.
Chi Yuqin stopped and glanced at the person behind her.

“…”
Tang Zhen’s eyelids twitched.
The image of Chi Yuqin on a blind date with someone, bang! crashed into her mind like a car accident.
A lonely night… a KTV private room… a table full of alcohol…

Tang Zhen didn’t dare to look inside, afraid she would see something she couldn’t bear, probably a charming woman, a fragrant and beautiful scene… or even disheveled clothes…
No matter which it was… it would make her jealous to the point of madness!

Chi Yuqin frowned, looking at this person’s changing face, which was a mix of red and white.
Besides being inexplicable, it was just ridiculous.
Who did she think she was?
The kind of person who would just fool around?

A person who rarely showed her emotions, a fire suddenly rose in her heart—

“What are you thinking? I’m not asking you to go in.”

“Ah? I… I wasn’t thinking…”

“Then why are you blushing?”

Tang Zhen couldn’t answer.
Every time Chi Yuqin used this aggressive tone, she would be short of breath.

When Chi Yuqin pushed the door open, Tang Zhen quickly lowered her head.
Hearing it in the cafeteria was one thing, but now to see it with her own eyes…

Tang Zhen
A secret crush was one thing, jealousy was another, but that didn’t mean she could pry into her leader’s privacy, especially this kind of slightly scandalous privacy.

“Don’t just stand there,

“Not sui…”

The word ‘suitable’ hadn’t even left Tang Zhen’s mouth when she was interrupted by a familiar voice from inside…

She looked up.

Si Xiaolin was sitting on the floor, hugging a trash can, puking her guts out.
She was about to vomit up bile.
Seeing the two people standing at a distance from her, her voice was on the verge of tears—
“Ah?! Puke—”

Tang Zhen quickly went in and helped Si Xiaolin up from the floor, giving her water to rinse her mouth and handing her a tissue from the table.

“How did she get this drunk?”

“You’re asking me?”

“Weren’t you two together?”

“I don’t drink.”
Chi Yuqin stood by, becoming a bystander.

Tang Zhen supported Si Xiaolin and slowly helped her up.
Si Xiaolin was so drunk she was swaying.
She raised her hand to put it on Tang Zhen’s shoulder, but before she could… she was pulled back by Chi Yuqin from behind.

Chi Yuqin threw the car keys to Tang Zhen. “Go open the car door.”

“Okay.”

Si Xiaolin was stuffed into the back seat.
Chi Yuqin took the car keys from Tang Zhen—

“Get in.”

With that, she walked around the front of the car.
She was already in the driver’s seat, but the person outside hadn’t gotten in yet.

She rolled down the window and had just turned to look when she saw Tang Zhen suddenly bend down.
Her face, which was either from the wind… or from the stuffiness in the KTV private room just now… was a little red.
She leaned against the passenger window and said hurriedly—

“Director Chi, I won’t trouble you. I’ve already called a car.”

With that, Tang Zhen held up her phone to show her the ride-hailing app page.

Her cheeks were flushed, the baby hairs on her forehead were matted with sweat, and the look in her eyes was as clear and bright as ever.

Chi Yuqin sat in the car, her eyes meeting Tang Zhen’s outside the window.
Suddenly, she was a little confused by this girl.
Was it because of what happened in the cafeteria?
Or was it that… she wasn’t?

“You…”

“Hmm?”

“Be careful on your way. Send me a message when you get there.”

“Okay.”

After Chi Yuqin finished speaking, the car window rolled up, but the car didn’t move.
She wasn’t the type of person who would force someone to go with her.
She had thrown the hook into the pond.
Whether the fish bit the bait was up to the other person.

In just two minutes, the car Tang Zhen had called arrived.

Chi Yuqin watched Tang Zhen get into the car and then glanced at the license plate before lightly stepping on the gas and driving away.

The car drove steadily.
Si Xiaolin started to whimper in the back, her dangling legs kicking the back of the driver’s seat—

“You… have bad intentions.”

Before she could finish, a coat was thrown at her from the front, covering Si Xiaolin’s face.

“Shut up, you.”