"The teacher asked me to buy you some yogurt and bring it over."
"Oh."
Xu Lin looked at the other person, who went from excited to silent, wondering if he had said something wrong. Did he?
"Just give it to me. I'll put it in the rest area over there."
"I'll carry it for you. It's quite heavy, and you've got a bit of a walk ahead. Don't want you getting hypoglycemic again."
"Haha, I'm not that weak. After all, I'm a doctor. I know my own body condition, and I get regular check-ups."
"But I have to do rounds now, and carrying it around isn't convenient. Come with me for a bit. Have you had lunch yet? I'll treat you to a meal later."
"No need, really." Xu Lin was just being polite, not expecting to freeload a meal. Even though the girl was pretty, without a system certification, he wouldn't dare to pursue her further.
"It just so happens I want to have rice noodles today. Come with me and have some rice noodles."
"There's really no need, thanks."
"My brother is your teacher, so I'm kind of your teacher too. Be obedient."
"That's not how it works!" Xu Lin pretended to be annoyed.
"Haha, well, it does. Let's go. Oh, and help me carry these forms."
With that, she handed him the folder and walked ahead.
Xu Lin followed helplessly, finding this girl's personality quite interesting. Although his wives had both introverted and extroverted sides, someone this outgoing and friendly was a first.
For the next half hour, he felt like a non-player character in a video game, completing various tasks with her. But for hygiene and safety reasons, Xu Lin had to stand outside, and as time passed, his arms began to ache.
He suddenly felt that the other party had to treat him to a bowl of rice noodles now, but he also realized that it was not easy for a doctor every day, and it has only been half an hour.
"Let's go, all done."
"Yeah, I've been standing here holding things for half an hour. I'll definitely need extra meat in the noodles."
"Sure, extra, big pieces!"
Though it was only a short half hour, Zhu Zhaoxue felt that this boy was really nice – handsome and humorous. But he was too young; she preferred older men. Age-matched might have been okay, but this young? No way.
"Xiao Zhu, is he your boyfriend?"
As they descended the stairs towards the rest area, they encountered some doctors and nurses, a few of whom were gossiping.
"No, my brother."
"Huh?" How did I suddenly become your brother?
"So handsome, is he still in school?"
"Yeah."
"Really your brother?"
"Yeah, handsome, right?"
"Stop showing off. Oh, we're planning to order takeout, what do you want? Let's order together."
"Sister Huang, no thanks. He and I are going to the opposite side for clay pot rice noodles. Haven't had them in a while."
"Okay."
After some twists and turns, they took the elevator to the 7th floor of the adjacent building, where they encountered many more doctors, and Zhu Zhaoxue greeted each one.
"I'll go change my clothes. Wait for a moment, just give me the yogurt."
"Okay."
Xu Lin stood awkwardly in the corridor, without a phone. He realized that he wasn't going back for lunch, and he had to go to Teacher Su's house in the evening. Was he going to skip updating for a day?
"Brother, who are you looking for?"
"I'm waiting for Zhu Zhaoxue. She went to change her clothes."
Xu Lin looked up and saw a well-mannered, tall and slender young doctor. The only downside was that he wasn't particularly handsome.
But he gave off a neat and tidy vibe, which, as a doctor, would make him highly sought after in the dating market.
"Oh... Are you her boyfriend then?"
The other party asked somewhat nervously, making Xu Lin suddenly understand that he liked Zhu Zhaoxue. It was too obvious.
"No, I'm a friend of her brother's."
"I see."
The other party's tone instantly cheered up, and Xu Lin saw someone with the demeanor of a grown-up boy for the first time in society.
"Brother Tang, is the surgery over?" Zhu Zhaoxue came out of the rest area at this moment, wearing a simple black hoodie and black jeans.
"Yeah... um, Xiao Zhu, can I... can I treat you... both to lunch today?"
The other party seemed to summon a lot of courage, his ears turning red as he asked.
"Ah, no worries, my little brother and I are going out for a bite to eat and a chat. Sorry about that."
Zhu Zhaoxue quickly clasped her hands together in apology.
"It's alright, I won't disturb you guys. I'll just rest for a bit," he said, feeling embarrassed as he entered the adjacent office. Zhu Zhaoxue, who had been smiling before, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let's go. I'll treat you to some rice noodles. The boss across the street is from Yunnan, the birthplace of Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles. They taste really good."
"Okay."
The two of them got on the elevator like this. Xu Lin glanced at the other party with some suspicion, but he didn't ask. After all, they had just met, and it would be impolite to suddenly ask about personal matters.
"Are you curious?" Zhu Zhaoxue asked.
"Curious about what?" Xu Lin replied.
"He seemed to be a nice guy, so why did it look like I just dumped him?"
"Now that you mention it, I am curious. I didn't notice earlier."
Even if Xu Lin wanted to know, he wouldn't say it directly. It's more interesting when someone voluntarily reveals information.
"Sister likes smart kids, but it's okay to say a few words to you."
"I haven't told anyone else about this. It's just that everyone around here is a colleague, so... you know."
"Yeah."
"Let's talk more at the noodle shop."
Along the way, many people greeted them. Xu Lin also noticed that Miss Zhu seemed to be quite popular. She had just started her internship and already knew so many people.
When they arrived at the noodle shop, even though it was lunchtime, there weren't many people there. There weren't many tables and chairs inside, but it was very clean and beautifully decorated.
All the furniture was made of solid wood, and the floor was wooden too, giving it an antique feel. There were also indoor fountains and potted plants.
Xu Lin felt like he had walked into a fancy restaurant. The atmosphere made dining very enjoyable.
"Here you are. What would you like to eat? Oh, Xiao Zhu, it's been a while since you last came, hasn't it? Almost half a month?" A middle-aged woman wearing an apron emerged from the back. She was fat and had a big smile on her face. She seemed like the talkative type with a good temper and efficient at work.
"I've been really busy with work lately. By the time I finish, you're already closed."
"I'll stay a bit longer next time," the shop owner joked.
"Haha, really?"
"No, no, I'm okay with it, but the old man can't handle it. We have to close at 8:30 and go home at 9:00."
"How's business been lately?"
"It's been okay. No customers during the day, but it gets busy at night. Please take a seat first. Is this your boyfriend?"
"No, why does everyone think so? Do we look like a couple?"
"A handsome young man and a beautiful young lady, you two look perfect together."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Alright, Xiao Zhu, same as usual?"
"Yes. Can you handle spicy food?"
"I can."
"Then order like me. We'll get extra noodles. Big boys need to eat well."
"Okay, wait a moment."
The shop owner went into the kitchen, and Zhu Zhaoxue said, "What I wanted to say is that he likes boys."
"Well? What do you mean by like boys?"
"It's Brother Tang you just met."
"Huh?!" Xu Lin was stunned and understood something.
Was he nervous talking to himself just now because he was greedy for his body? Asking Zhu Zhaoxue if she would go out to eat with him, he originally thought the target was Zhu Zhaoxue, but now it seems that it is himself?
In an instant, Xu Lin remembered that the other party had just stood behind him, and a trace of fear rose in his buttocks.
"Don't worry, he has a very good character and personality," Zhu Zhaoxue reassured him.
"But... I still feel uneasy sitting in this chair all of a sudden."