Chapter 88#
Chapter 88#
Liang Youjun felt that the atmosphere today was unusually strange.
To say it was strange wasn’t quite right; it should be said that the atmosphere in the bookstore today was normal. It was just that before, whenever Qiao Nanqi came, if Zhao Rong was also there, the silent atmosphere between them was thick and heavy. Even if neither of them was displeased, it made Liang Youjun, the shopkeeper, afraid to speak much.
But today was different.
Today, Zhao Rong seemed to have shed some kind of shackles; his demeanor was relaxed. Even when Qiao Nanqi arrived with breakfast, Zhao Rong just turned his head and smiled, “Good morning.”
Qiao Nanqi was stunned for a moment, then returned a smile, “Good morning.”
As for Young Master Qiao’s overbearing gaze from yesterday, it had long since vanished.
His attitude towards Liang Youjun had even softened considerably. After entering, he actually took the initiative to ask if there was anything that needed to be done in the bookstore that Xiao Wu could help with.
Liang Youjun: “?”
He felt that something must have happened after he got drunk yesterday.
But he couldn’t ask, because Qiao Nanqi had already sat down in front of Zhao Rong and was setting out breakfast. As for him, only Xiao Wu, who had just bought a few steamed buns, walked up and handed him one, saying, “Make do.”
Liang Youjun: “…”
He watched Zhao Rong, who had already picked up a spoon, blown on it, and slowly sipped a few mouthfuls of soup. And Qiao Nanqi, sitting upright in front of Zhao Rong, with a calm expression, steady demeanor, and eyes filled with a smile. Liang Youjun still couldn’t resist leaning over to Xiao Wu and whispering, “Hey, what’s going on? Do you know?”
Xiao Wu was clearly in a good mood too.
He lowered his voice and secretly told Liang Youjun, “I really want to interview you.”
“Ah?”
“You pretended to be with Mr. Zhao before, weren’t you scared to death by our Mr.’s gaze?”
Only then did Liang Youjun understand what had happened.
He thought about how his chances for a raise were gone, but also felt a little relieved.
“To be honest,” he whispered, getting softer and softer, afraid of being overheard, “I secretly saved up some money, planning to run away at any sign of trouble.”
“Youjun.”
Liang Youjun immediately raised his hand: “Boss, I’m here!”
Zhao Rong put down his spoon, glanced at him, and said, “So you’ve been asking me for a raise to save money to run away?”
“!” Liang Youjun immediately covered his mouth.
Xiao Wu stood by, his shoulders shaking, trying hard to suppress his laughter.
Qiao Nanqi’s gaze remained on Zhao Rong the entire time.
Zhao Rong hadn’t actually said anything to him, but the simple back-and-forth of asking what the other wanted to eat, just like any ordinary day, was enough to explain everything.
He was like a parched desert, but just today—or rather, last night—he had received a drop of clear, gentle spring water from Zhao Rong, and this barren land could now grow its own oasis to sustain itself.
Zhao Rong had once told him that he didn’t like useless people who had nothing.
Zhao Rong told him that he looked quite good when he spoke to Zhou Yueqing before.
Zhao Rong would block him when he was pestering him relentlessly to apologize, but he would add him back now.
Zhao Rong told him to ask directly if he wanted to do something.
He seemed to suddenly understand—
This day should have been the best atmosphere in the bookstore.
Coincidentally, Zhao Rong and Ruan Cheng’s collaborative project had nothing pressing, Liang Youjun was idly continuing to look at his exercise book, and Xiao Wu was by Qiao Nanqi’s side, helping Qiao Nanqi remotely handle some matters for the Yangcheng company.
But as dusk approached, the person Zhao Rong had instructed to contact the surgeon called.
“…Not coming?” Zhao Rong frowned instantly. “Did they say why?”
The person was also very helpless: “They are also in this field. I went to see them in person and found out that Miss Zhou and her people, in order to develop in this direction, clashed with their people and used some rather unsavory competitive tactics, which caused some friction with them…”
It was Zhou Yueqing again.
Even Zhao Rong couldn’t help but say, “Does she really not know to leave a way out for others?”
“I’ve known her for a while,” Qiao Nanqi interjected calmly. “She’s always been like this. It’s just because the Zhou family is a local tyrant in Zhuxi, with few rivals, so she’s used to being arrogant.”
Zhao Rong thought about it; he still wanted to use a more experienced doctor.
However, if the other party didn’t want to come, even if he used some strong-arm tactics, the person might not put in their best effort, which would be worse.
He first told the person, “I’ll think of a way myself. Thank you for your trouble.”
Qiao Nanqi seemed to have guessed his intentions. After Zhao Rong hung up the phone, he looked at him and tentatively asked, “How about I go and invite them personally?”
Zhao Rong opened his mouth, about to refute, but then heard Qiao Nanqi say, “After all, it’s a surgeon. If they’re not genuinely willing to help, it’s better to find someone else. To get them to come, they must be willing. I’m quite good at this kind of thing.”
Zhao Rong was indeed aware of this.
In the original novel of “The Return Journey,” when Qiao Nanqi fell out with He Nan, he managed to get a lot of help through his own abilities.
Even though this person always had a stern face, making those around him feel pressured, he could always convince others of his ability and skill, making them willingly stand by his side.
Regarding Zhao Ming, it was naturally better to be as stable as possible. In terms of winning people over, or using threats and inducements, he was indeed not as good as a favored son of heaven like Qiao Nanqi.
He was also no longer competing with Qiao Nanqi.
Zhao Rong pondered for a moment, then finally said frankly, “Thank you.”
Qiao Nanqi smiled.
Although this matter wasn’t urgent, it was naturally better to resolve it as quickly as possible. Qiao Nanqi handled some business matters for the companies in Yangcheng and Zhuxi, and on the third day, he took his visa and booked the earliest flight.
In the early morning.
Zhao Rong went to see him off at the airport.
Before going through security, Qiao Nanqi suddenly turned back and said to him, “Zhao Rong.”
“Hmm?”
“Although I really want to be with you again, the way things are now is already much better than I had expected.”
Zhao Rong was stunned for a moment, and Qiao Nanqi had already taken Xiao Wu through the security checkpoint.
After seeing them off, back in the car, Xu Xin, who had also been there, sat in the driver’s seat and turned to ask him, “Xiao Zhao, what did Mr. Qiao mean by that? It was so abrupt.”
Zhao Rong picked up the pillow from the back seat, held it in his hands, and rested his chin on the soft cotton, saying, “His meaning… is meaningless.”
“He’s playing charades.”
Zhao Rong just didn’t know how to explain it to Xu Xin.
The meaning behind it spanned their half-year of contention, and could only be understood with all the causes and effects.
Qiao Nanqi’s words were a step back.
After he had expressed his agreement for this person to take a step forward, this person cautiously took a step back.
Qiao Nanqi was telling him that the current state was also acceptable, and he didn’t need to feel burdened, nor did he need to harbor feelings of gratitude or softness.
—Were those emotions mixed in?
Zhao Rong pondered this question, arriving home without realizing it.
When he got out of the car, he was in a daze, and Xu Xin had driven off to park. He walked a few steps forward with his head down, then idly looked up and glanced around. Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a figure at the end of the path, like a man.
In the middle of the night.
Zhao Rong stared intently, but the figure had already disappeared into the night, as if he had seen wrong—
Qiao Nanqi’s trip abroad lasted a full eight days.
As expected, he brought good news.
When Qiao Nanqi made a video call, Zhao Rong was walking along the lakeside path in the residential area.
He answered the call and heard the roar of an airplane on the other end. Qiao Nanqi’s voice, like a calming balm, settled amidst the noise: “I’m about to land. The doctor is coming directly with me. I’ll send him over as soon as we arrive.”
“Thank you,” Zhao Rong said, “but I have something urgent that came up, and I suddenly don’t have time to pick you up.”
Qiao Nanqi paused, seemingly disappointed, but he didn’t say anything more. After a moment, he told him, “Okay, I chartered a flight back this time, so there’s no need for a pick-up anyway.”
After hanging up, Zhao Rong held his phone, staring at the screen for a while, but didn’t do anything.
He slowed his pace.
He put his phone in his pocket, then rummaged around in it with one hand. When he took his hand out, he was still holding his phone.
Faint footsteps sounded behind him.
“Xiao Rong.” Someone called his name.
Zhao Rong’s expression stiffened, his face darkened, and he turned around. Sure enough, he saw a middle-aged man wearing a mask and sunglasses.
He had felt increasingly uneasy these past few days, and the feeling of being watched, like thorns in his back, had sent shivers down his spine when he came out for a walk just now.
He even felt that the other party was watching him use his phone, and perhaps if he called the police in this situation, it would only make the person watching him desperate.
So he deliberately did nothing, intentionally slowing his pace, walking to this spot to draw the person out.
“Third Uncle,” he sighed, “I don’t understand. I’ve already left Yangcheng and started anew. Your affairs have nothing to do with me. What’s the point of you staking me out these past few days?”
Chen Jingnian took two more steps forward.
Zhao Rong immediately took two steps back.
“Xiao Rong,” Chen Jingnian’s hoarse voice rang out, seemingly laced with gnashing hatred, “Third Uncle also doesn’t understand. You were clearly the most useless one, so why is it that your brothers all failed, but you’re thriving?”
“Isn’t it precisely because I’m useless? Those dirty deeds of yours,” Zhao Rong sneered, “I didn’t have any ‘opportunity’ to touch them at all.”
Before he finished speaking, Chen Jingnian suddenly rushed forward, raising his hand to push his shoulder, intending to shove him into the lake!
Zhao Rong had been vigilant and quickly dodged to the side.
However, he had been sickly since childhood and was far weaker than Chen Jingnian. As soon as he dodged, Chen Jingnian grabbed his shoulder again.
—This person was crazy.
Zhao Rong finally understood why he had felt watched recently, and why Chen Jingnian, who should have been fleeing, still came to find him.
Chen Jingnian was driven mad by desperation, simply unable to stand seeing him do well.
This madman just wanted him dead, to be buried with the two pieces of trash from the Chen family.
Author’s note: OOC Mini-theater:
Dog: I heard that helping to take a hit can lead to successful wife-chasing!
Rong: But you’re on a plane (loving gaze)
Dog: =口=!!!! (Stands up, wanting to jump off the plane)
《Sit down, you’re just a CEO (crossed out) dog from a modern drama》