Chapter 61: Shao Hua

When Zhang Fan finished the surgery, Miao Juan was waiting outside the operating room. Her nephew worked at the Development and Reform Commission and received a lot of favor from Jia Suyue's father, so Miao Juan always looked out for their family, and they helped each other out. Their relationship had grown increasingly close as a result.

As they came out of the operating room, Jia Suyue's uncle tried to hand Zhang Fan a red envelope he had prepared, but Miao Juan stopped him. "Who knows, we might all be family in the future, why stand on ceremony? Since it's the weekend, Zhang Fan, once you finish your postoperative orders, take Jia Suyue out for a stroll. I heard you haven't stepped out of the operating room for a whole month, don't push yourself too hard."

With that, she winked at Jia Suyue's mother. "Exactly, exactly. Jia Suyue just hoards herself at home all day without going out. Look at how lovely the sun is outside, go take a walk," Jia Suyue's mother quickly chimed in.

The young lady had been binge-eating and drinking, which resulted in acute appendicitis. The anesthesia had not yet worn off, and she was still fast asleep. Zhang Fan first said to Jia Suyue's uncle, "The surgery is done, and everything went very smoothly, but she'll need to pay attention to her diet from now on."

The junior nurse from the operating room wheeled the surgical bed toward the ward, and Zhang Fan was about to write the doctor's orders when Wang Zipeng hastily interjected, "Brother Zhang, just go outside for a stroll. Leave the rest to me."

Everyone strongly suggested that Zhang Fan and Jia Suyue go on a date, even Jia Suyue's aunt joined in. With no other choice, Jia Suyue reluctantly agreed. In truth, Zhang Fan was truly annoyed. Ever since graduation, free from the heavy pressures of student life, he really didn't want to humble himself and fawn over anyone. Yet Miao Juan meant well, and Zhang Fan couldn't bring himself to refuse outright.

After changing their clothes, the two of them walked out of the surgical building one after the other. As they reached the entrance, the more Zhang Fan thought about it, the more awkward he felt. He said to Jia Suyue, "The head nurse meant well, but I know very well myself that this isn't going to work out. Let's just go our separate ways. I won't walk you back."

"What do you mean by 'I won't walk you back'?" Jia Suyue glared at him the moment she heard those words. Normally, that line should have been hers to deliver, but since Zhang Fan said it first, it displeased her immensely. She thought to herself, "Oh, you're the reluctant one? Well, you're definitely accompanying this young lady shopping today."

"Uh! Well then, have a safe trip." Zhang Fan didn't understand what she meant.

Jia Suyue stopped in her tracks and faced Zhang Fan directly. "What were you thinking earlier? Why didn't you say that when there were people around instead of playing the nice guy now? No way, you have to accompany me shopping."

Zhang Fan felt utterly depressed! She was truly difficult to please. Anyway, he hadn't seen the sun in ages, so if she wanted to walk, they would walk. However, Zhang Fan had made up his mind that he wouldn't treat her to a meal today; it was too expensive, upwards of three hundred for a single meal.

Due to her privileged family background, Jia Suyue had always harbored a dream: her future husband must be tall, handsome, gentle, considerate, romantic, and charming, and he would definitely make an entrance as dazzling as a shooting star. Apart from having a slightly respectable profession, this Zhang Fan possessed none of those traits, and could barely squeeze out a word over a long stretch. Their different life experiences resulted in vastly contrasting personalities.

"Where are we going?" Jia Suyue asked with a sour tone. Zhang Fan thought to himself that he didn't owe her anything, yet she was acting so arrogant. "Whatever you like, though I've already eaten," Zhang Fan deliberately emphasized.

"Fine! Then let's go shopping first." The moment Jia Suyue heard that, she knew Zhang Fan couldn't stand her either, and moreover, he was a stingy penny-pincher who hated spending money. Walking down the street, Jia Suyue immediately pulled out her phone and started making a call.

"Shaohua, where are you? Come hang out together this weekend. I haven't seen you in forever, I've missed you to death. I'm right outside the municipal hospital, hurry up." Zhang Fan was cheap, and today he had genuinely pissed her off, so Jia Suyue was determined to make Zhang Fan's wallet hurt by summoning her best friend and demanding a lavish feast later.

Jia Suyue's best friend, Shaohua, had passed the civil service-style recruitment exam for a bank right after graduating from college; she worked in the financial industry. Her family was completely ordinary, with both parents being typical wage-earning employees. Shaohua was an exceptionally brilliant young woman with a wonderful personality, and Jia Suyue was exceptionally close to her.

When Jia Suyue entered the telecommunications industry, she had relied to some extent on personal connections, whereas Shaohua had relied entirely on her own abilities, ranking first in the entire city to secure her bank position through examinations. Their personalities were entirely incompatible, yet their bond was extraordinarily strong.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan was overjoyed. Since Jia Suyue had called someone else over, there was no longer any business for him here, and he prepared to make his exit. "Don't you dare leave. You already agreed to accompany me shopping today, a real man can't go back on his word."

Zhang Fan felt as if he were constipated; there was simply no reasoning with this temperament.

Before long, Shaohua arrived. Zhang Fan took a look and saw that this young woman was about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a grey trench coat, long hair, jeans, and small yellow boots. Although not breathtakingly gorgeous, she grew on you the more you looked at her. How should he put it—she simply had an air of elegance.

"Hua, you're finally here, I was about to starve to death. Let's go eat first, and we can go karaoke after," Jia Suyue said, rushing over to hug Shaohua the moment she saw her.

Shaohua smiled and asked, "Why are you at the hospital entrance? And who is this?" She looked at Zhang Fan as she spoke, because Zhang Fan was standing right beside Jia Suyue, making it impossible to ignore him.

"My cousin was hospitalized for appendicitis and just had surgery. This is her surgeon." Jia Suyue glanced back at Zhang Fan, then whispered discreetly to Shaohua, "My mom set me up on a blind date with him. He's an absolute blockhead and utterly irritating. Don't say much later, just take your cue from me."

Shaohua smiled. Jia Suyue was eccentric and mischievous, often playing pranks on her suitors. Although it wasn't the nicest thing to do, who could blame her when Jia Suyue was just so lovable?

"Hello, my name is Shaohua. Nice to meet you."

"Hello, my name is Zhang Fan—*Zhang* as in bow and arrow, *Fan* as in ordinary." Zhang Fan's throat felt a bit dry.

Jia Suyue was displeased. "What 'ordinary Fan'? More like 'annoying Fan'."

Zhang Fan didn't bother arguing with her. Shaohua said, "Alright, Yueyue, what do you want to eat? And where should we go?"

"Western food," Jia Suyue blurted out without even thinking.

Shaohua, however, objected, "The Western food around here isn't authentic, and it's ridiculously expensive. How about we go have hot pot instead? It'll warm us up in this freezing weather." Jia Suyue wrinkled her nose in refusal, but Shaohua had a very stubborn streak, and Jia Suyue could rarely win an argument against her. Zhang Fan prepared to take his leave since the two of them were busy discussing food, and he felt it would be awkward to tag along.

"Fine then, let's go. Hey! Are you walking away too? Don't tell me you're just scared of paying the bill."

Well, Zhang Fan had been waiting for her to say those exact words. Let's go. The three of them hailed a taxi and set off.

Sometimes, people click purely at a single glance. When you take a liking to someone, everything feels comfortable; when you don't, everything about them irritates you. Jia Suyue belonged to the category of finding everything about Zhang Fan irritating.

Chasu City wasn't large, and the pace of life was slow, with low housing prices and minimal stress. People dedicated themselves entirely to eating and drinking; restaurants with even slightly subpar flavors simply couldn't survive here. The locals possessed extremely picky palates, though in the Northwest, the borderlands region was considered a province abundant in produce.

Aside from specialty goods from the south, the local output was almost entirely sufficient for the consumption of the provincial residents themselves. Even turkeys, which ethnic Chinese generally didn't care for, were so abundant here they seemed limitless. The local hot pot was a variant of traditional hot pot, where meat, vegetables, cellophane noodles, meatballs, potatoes, and rice cakes were all tossed together, then simmered slowly over a low flame. The flavor was genuinely wonderful, especially in the bitter cold—oh, that taste was simply indescribable. Finishing it left you feeling warm all over and extraordinarily comfortable.