Throughout the evening, Yu Minglang acted as if nothing had happened. Qiao Zhen was the only one who knew what was on his mind, including Xiao Qian.
After the gathering ended, Yu Minglang escorted Xiao Qian and Yu Liumei downstairs. Xiao Qian noticed that he had been preoccupied all night, so she wanted to find an opportunity to talk to him alone.
However, Yu Minglang only accompanied them to the stairs. Xiao Qian had Yu Liumei go ahead, so she could stand downstairs and chat with Yu Minglang.
âThe crisis is now resolved, and you can work without anyone bothering you,â Yu Minglang said to Xiao Qian.
âAre you alright?â Xiao Qian asked anxiously.
Yu Minglang gently stroked her face and smiled, âWhy would I have any problems? Hurry up and go to sleep, itâs already late.â
âI will go, then.â Xiao Qian called Yu Minglang to stop just before she left.
âXiao Qiang!â
âHmm?â
âThe poor-quality belt you talked about was the birthday gift I gave you.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Yu Minglangâs face immediately reddened, and he hastily explained, âI didnât mean that your gift was bad, I meantâI meantââ
âI know, donât say anything.â She made a hushing gesture and said, âI just wanted to tell you that I appreciate everything youâve done for me today. Stay positive; I hope that at some point next year, Iâll be able to give you our one-year anniversary gift, and youâll have a chance to give me one too.â
âXiao Mei, are you sayingâ¦â Yu Minglang was overjoyed. He understood that Xiao Qianâs fear of marriage seemed to have diminished. Things were looking hopeful!
âShush! Go home and think about it. Come up with a non-idiotic reason for getting married before you come to see me.â She turned and walked upstairs. Watching her light footsteps, Yu Minglangâs spirits lifted.
He could sense that, after experiencing the events of the past few days, Xiao Mei seemed to trust him more, and her feelings for him seemed to have grown stronger. It wasnât just wishful thinking on his part; he deeply felt that her impression of him had improved from her saying how much she appreciated everything he had done for her.
A non-idiotic reason for getting marriedâ¦
What could that be? Yu Minglang racked his brain, feeling as if all his brain cells were being exhausted.
Xiao Qian stood by the window, watching him leaveâwith cold sweat on her palms.
She was still nervous and her Pre-marriage Phobia hadnât entirely disappeared. But when she saw him taking the belt to punish the scoundrel that had wronged her, she couldnât help but think of marrying him.
So, she asked him to think of a good proposal ceremony. Xiao Qian realized her Pre-marriage Phobia had almost faded, and if Yu Minglang could just push a little harder, she could successfully get married. She wasnât testing him, but hoping that he could help her overcome this last psychological barrier.
That night, Xiao Qian barely slept until daybreak. She sat in front of her computer, flipping through wedding gown photos she had prepared long agoâfrom traditional Chinese dresses to Western-style wedding gowns.
She had had these pictures for a while but never dared to look at them because she felt uneasy whenever she did. But today, for some reason, she flipped through them one by one, feeling various emotions.
There was a hint of sweetness, a hint of anxiety, and some indefinable feelingsâperhaps anticipationâ¦
She had slept less than four hours when Liao Fuguiâs phone call woke her up.
âHelloâ¦â Xiao Qian yawned as she picked up the phone.
âQianâer, Iâve arranged an internship opportunity for you, so you can be my assistant.â
âNo thanksâ¦I want to sleep.â It took her an entire night of looking at wedding dresses to fall asleep.
Xiao Qian knew that her incorruptible stepbrother always arranged low-paying or unpaid work for herâlike appeasing women with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or helping alcoholic men overcome addiction.
âThis time is different. Our clinic has received several people because this medical case is very rare and overlaps with your expertise. I want you to come and observe.â
âLin City⦠are you talking about the Zhiming case?â Xiao Qianâs spirits lifted instantly.
âYes, itâs about the psychiatric evaluation of Zhiming. Weâve conducted a preliminary investigation this morning. Although we suspect that he has multiple personalities derived from schizophrenia, his violent personality hasnât emerged so far. In any case, itâs very complicated. I hope you can come and watch. Donât give up such a great opportunity just because of the payment issue. Our great leader taught usââ
âOkay, okay, I give in! Stop talking; Iâll be there soon.â
Although her stepbrother could be nagging, he genuinely cared for Xiao Qian and Da Long and always arranged cases for herâeven though Xiao Qian wasnât lacking money or internship experience, Liao Fugui didnât know about her past life, treating her as a novice doctor and helping her get more representative cases.
Moreover, Liao Fugui had also tutored Da Long for nearly three yearsâdespite the Third Mock Examâs score of 250, Da Long himself was uncoordinated, but Liao Fugui genuinely did his best.
Regardless, her stepbrother always had his younger siblings in mind; although Xiao Qian complained about him, she never truly resented him.
Even if Liao Fugui hadnât invited her to the case, she would have been curious to unravel the mysteries in her heart. This opportunity was perfect.