Chapter 78 She Probably Doesn’t Want to See Him

Chapter 78: She Might Not Want to See Him

Inside the car.

Qin Shuyi apologized to Chi Yu guiltily, "I'm sorry for disrupting our plans."

Chi Yu smiled gently, "But it was just a chance encounter, right? You couldn't have known who you'd run into or what would happen. Besides, our biggest task today is already finished."

He stroked the kitten. "Princess has had her shots, and Xiao Er and Yuan Bao have made friends with her."

The fact her ex still thought about her just showed how charming Qin Shuyi was. Anyone who fell for such a vibrant girl should be ready to face rivals all the time.

This comforted Qin Shuyi. She smiled softly, "In that case, let me treat you to a meal later, okay?"

To prevent Chi Yu from refusing, she added, "Consider it a thank-you to Xiao Er and Yuan Bao for playing with Princess today. You can just think of yourself as tagging along for the meal."

Chi Yu laughed. "My pleasure."

...

The two went to a pet restaurant.

The playful, relaxing environment helped them unwind. Chi Yu shared some amusing hospital tales, which he had intentionally gathered from some nurses and fellow doctors.

Many were surprised that the disciplined and self-restrained Dr. Chi had gotten curious about gossip.

Hospitals are places where you see every aspect of human life. Qin Shuyi listened with great interest, occasionally chiming in with funny anecdotes about her family, like the rambunctious Qian Youyou and Jiang Yuzhou.

Chi Yu smiled, moved by this lively, warm family vibe.

He looked at Qin Shuyi; he had actually done a little research on Ling Jue.

He was initially surprised that a man of such ruthless methods and lofty status would repeatedly lose his composure over Qin Shuyi.

But the more he got to know Qin Shuyi, the more he understood why that man couldn't just let go.

He'd be the same way.

Especially having had her and then lost her.

He smiled and chimed in, casually topping up Qin Shuyi's teacup.

"Really? Your younger siblings sound very interesting. I hope I get to meet them someday."

Unfortunately, the pleasant atmosphere was soon broken by a work call.

Now it was Chi Yu's turn to feel apologetic.

He looked at Qin Shuyi with a helpless expression. "I'm sorry, I need to get back for a surgery immediately."

Such is the life of a doctor—never knowing when duty will call.

Qin Shuyi understood.

After all, Zhou Yunhe was also a doctor. Sometimes, you couldn't just shirk your duties.

She smiled and waved her hand. "Don't worry, go ahead."

"I'll take Xiao Er and Yuan Bao back for you. I'll leave them at that pet shop you mentioned near your place, okay?"

Chi Yu had mentioned before that when work was busy or he had to travel, he would board his pets at a nearby pet shop and pick them up after work.

The staff there knew him well and also liked Xiao Er and Yuan Bao.

She could have taken them to her place, but firstly, she didn't have Xiao Er's dog food and daily supplies at home, and secondly, Chi Yu would likely finish work very late, and making a detour to her place to pick up the two little ones would be tiring for him.

Her thoughtfulness made Chi Yu feel even more guilty.

"I'm sorry. I'll try my best to avoid situations like this next time."

Qin Shuyi waved her hand, echoing his earlier words to comfort him. "Don't worry about it. You never know when an unexpected situation will arise, right? Someone needs you. Your work is important."

Since someone was waiting at the hospital, Chi Yu didn't delay any longer.

After he left, the table fell silent.

Qin Shuyi looked at the meal for two that had just been served not long ago and sighed.

She stroked Princess, who hadn't gone to play with Xiao Er and the others but was quietly lying on her lap. "Guess I'm going to have to be a big eater today~"

Some dishes weren't easy to pack up.

Her dining companion was gone, but she wasn't in a hurry to leave immediately. Instead, she slowly began her meal.

It had to be said, this restaurant, carefully chosen by Chi Yu, had pretty good food.

Qin Shuyi ate at a leisurely pace but managed to finish most of the food bit by bit.

When Xiao Er and Yuan Bao also got tired from playing, Qin Shuyi patted them and prepared to take them to hail a taxi.

Chi Yu had picked her up today, so she hadn't driven herself.

Fortunately, Xiao Er and Yuan Bao were familiar with her. Although they didn't see Chi Yu, they didn't resist her care, which made things much easier for her.

Just as she opened the ride-hailing app, she heard a "beep" of a car horn.

She looked up and met the gaze of an Alaskan Malamute happily panting with its tongue out from the lowered passenger window.

It barked a greeting at Qin Shuyi, then looked at Princess, who was with Yuan Bao, wagging its tail, and growled a few times at the Husky Xiao Er. Its whole set of actions seemed almost human-like.

Qin Shuyi couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.

They say dogs resemble their owners. Ling Jue hadn't had it for long, but the master and pet's personalities were strikingly similar—both domineering and clear about their likes and dislikes.

"Get in the car," Ling Jue said coldly.

His sharply defined profile appeared somewhat stern and tense under the play of light and shadow.

Qin Shuyi didn't move.

Ling Jue turned his head to look at her past the Alaskan Malamute. "It's hard to get a taxi here. You have cats and a dog; very few drivers will accept the ride. Do you want to keep blocking traffic?"

A few timely honks sounded from behind.

Qin Shuyi took a deep breath and compromised, getting into the back seat with the two cats and one dog.

The Alaskan Malamute lay on the seat again, barking at Princess in the back.

Their owner, however, remained silent, not uttering a word.

After they left that road, Ling Jue pulled over and spoke, "Going back to your place?"

Qin Shuyi replied, "To the XX Apartments."

Ling Jue's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "You're going to his place?"

From the moment Chi Yu first appeared, his dossier had landed on Ling Jue's desk. With his photographic memory, he quickly connected the neighborhood to a specific person from the information.

Qin Shuyi looked up at his reflection in the rearview mirror at his pale face.

"I can take a taxi myself."

Ling Jue sat frozen for a long moment, finally slumping his shoulders and very slowly restarting the car. Only his lips were pressed into a tight line, and a chill seemed to emanate from him.

Not another word was exchanged between them all the way to the vicinity of Chi Yu's home.

The two dogs and two cats in the car also seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere, each behaving more obediently than the last.

"Stop here, I've arrived." Qin Shuyi spotted the pet shop.

The car stopped, but the doors remained locked.

Qin Shuyi tried the door; it didn't open.

She looked at Ling Jue.

Ling Jue remained silent, not letting her leave.

"Ling Jue," she called out.

He still didn't move, his flattened lips projecting a hint of stubbornness. "It's dangerous for a woman to go alone to a strange man's house."

"So?"

So don't go.

Ling Jue couldn't say it out loud.

He sighed and unlocked the doors. "So I'll go with you."

Qin Shuyi, "... I'm going to the pet shop."

Ling Jue: "..."

After entrusting Xiao Er and Yuan Bao to the shop staff, Qin Shuyi took a video of them safely arriving and sent it to Chi Yu before returning to the car.

Opening the rear door, the entrance was blocked by the large rear end of the Alaskan Malamute.

Caesar had somehow moved to the back seat, intimately grooming Princess's fur. His massive body, lying sideways, left no room for another adult.

His original spot in the passenger seat had been freshly covered by his owner with a clean, soft cushion, and the seatback had been carefully cleaned.

Qin Shuyi paused for a moment, closed the rear door, and got into the passenger seat.

As soon as she sat down, she heard a "gurgle."

Qin Shuyi looked at Ling Jue's tense face.

"You've been waiting outside the restaurant the whole time?"

Ling Jue, "Mm."

"Why didn't you go in to eat?"

"Afraid you'd be angry, lost my appetite."

He had seen Chi Yu leave midway and had thought about going in, but he had just used their agreement to pressure Qin Shuyi at the pet club. He felt she probably didn't want to see him.

Qin Shuyi closed her eyes for a moment and reopened the car door.

Ling Jue nervously pressed his hand over hers. "Where are you going?"

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