Chapter 216: 215: Don’t Drive Me Away
Chapter 216: Chapter 215: Don’t Drive Me Away
The ambulance arrived just in time.
Yu Zhiming had just temporarily resolved the bald man’s most critical crisis when the paramedic and his assistant rushed into the private room, carrying a stretcher and a first-aid kit.
They were astonished when they saw the crude external bypass tube on the bald man’s chest, through which blood was flowing freely.
But when they learned that this was the handiwork of Dr. Yu, their expressions relaxed into understanding.
After carefully listening to Yu Zhiming’s description of the bald man’s condition, they moved the man, now wearing an oxygen mask, onto the stretcher and cautiously carried him out.
Gu Qingning’s father, Gu Changxuan, arranged for the two subordinates who had been dining with him to accompany the ambulance to the hospital and handle the bald man’s treatment arrangements.
With the immediate situation resolved, Gu Changxuan let out a long sigh of relief. A fatherly smile on his face, he extended an invitation to Yu Zhiming.
“Dr. Yu, why don’t we sit down? We can eat and chat.”
“Yes, let’s sit and talk!”
“Uncle Gu, after you!”
“Auntie, after you as well!”
Yu Zhiming replied awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands. He followed Gu Changxuan to the dining table and sat down, feeling a bit stiff and reserved.
Just like that, with no warning and no preparation, he had met Gu Qingning’s parents.
Yu Zhiming felt an inexplicable nervousness and unease, like a student who’d been caught red-handed by the head teacher after getting into trouble at school.
A waiter came over, cleared away the used tableware, and brought new sets for Yu Zhiming, Gu Qingning, and Gu Qinghe.
“Fifth Brother…”
Gu Qinghe, who had just sat down, immediately shot back up to his feet when he heard Gu Changxuan call his name in a low, heavy voice.
“Uncle, Auntie, I just remembered I have a bunch of younger brothers and sisters waiting for me to look after them.”
“I’ll head back to the private room downstairs first.”
Gu Qinghe then looked at Gu Qingning and asked, “Xiaoqi, you ordered the crab roe tofu and dumplings. Should I have the waiter send them here?”
“We can order for ourselves. You should get going.”
Gu Changxuan waved a dismissive hand at Gu Qinghe. “They’re probably waiting for you to get back before they can start eating.”
Gu Qinghe said no more. He gave Yu Zhiming a smile and quickly slipped out of the room.
“Qingning, order whatever you want to eat!”
After speaking to his daughter, Gu Changxuan turned his gaze to Yu Zhiming once again.
He said amiably, “Dr. Yu, we were truly lucky to have you here this time. That gentleman is a business partner of our Ning’an Group.”
“He just flew back from abroad yesterday. It must have been a pulmonary embolism caused by a dislodged deep vein thrombosis.”
“That scene just now was truly perilous.”
“Dr. Yu, thank you!”
Yu Zhiming replied politely, “Uncle Gu, there’s no need to thank me. I’m a doctor. Saving lives is my duty.”
Gu Changxuan chuckled lightly. “In a situation like that, duty alone isn’t enough. You need extraordinary medical skill.”
“I may only have a rudimentary understanding of medicine, but I know that even a cardiopulmonary specialist from Huashan Hospital might not have been able—or dared—to perform those two incredibly precise punctures just now.”
“Dr. Yu, your title as the Life and Death Hand is well-deserved.”
In response to this praise, Yu Zhiming gave a faint, modest smile.
Gu Changxuan smiled as well and said, “Dr. Yu, to be honest, we deliberately chose this place to host our dinner.”
“The two of us haven’t seen our Qingning for over a month.”
“We missed her.”
Gu Qingning’s mother, Lu Hong, added affectionately, “Nannan is our little girl. She grew up right by our side.”
“A day without seeing her feels like three years, let alone a month and eight days without seeing our Nannan.”
“My heart just aches from missing her so much.”
Gu Qingning, who had just finished ordering a few dishes, almost spat out the mouthful of tea she was drinking.
She fought back the urge to retort, saying, “Dad, Mom, can we just talk normally?”
“Do you really want me to expose the bloody, cruel truth?”
Gu Changxuan let out a few hearty laughs, saying without a hint of embarrassment, “As our only little daughter, there is no doubt about the depth of our love for Qingning.”
“We want Qingning to be happy.”
“So, we chose to host our dinner here, originally hoping to create an opportunity to meet you as well, Dr. Yu.”
He sized up Yu Zhiming and said with a satisfied look, “Dr. Yu, your talents, looks, and character are all impeccable.”
“We can rest easy with Qingning being with you.”
When Gu Qingning heard this, she thought, ’Oh no.’ And just as she expected, Yu Zhiming’s voice rang out.
“Uncle Gu, thank you for your approval, but there’s one thing you may have misunderstood.”
“Qingning and I are just ordinary friends right now. We haven’t reached the stage you’re talking about.”
Gu Changxuan’s face fell, and his gaze sharpened abruptly.
“Dr. Yu, you two are already living together, and you still have the nerve to tell me you’re just ordinary friends?”
“Are you trying to be irresponsible?”
Gu Qingning grew anxious. “Dad, it’s not what you think! We’re just living under the same roof.”
“We’re not ’living together,’ sleeping in the same bed.”
Seeing his daughter’s anxious and nervous expression, which didn’t look like a lie, Gu Changxuan glanced at his wife beside him.
“What exactly is going on?”
Lu Hong whispered, “Nannan is just staying at his place temporarily. He also has a twin sister.”
“Nannan is living with his sister.”
Gu Changxuan nodded slightly and turned his gaze back to Yu Zhiming. This time, his eyes were filled with scrutiny and suspicion.
“You know my daughter likes you, right?”
Yu Zhiming nodded and answered honestly, “I didn’t sense it at first, but I know now.”
Gu Changxuan’s voice turned cold again. “You know my daughter likes you, and she’s been living at your place for over a month.”
“This isn’t the old days anymore.”
“Did nothing really happen between you two?”
“Is it because you can’t perform?”
“Or do you really not have any feelings for my daughter?”
“Dad…”
Gu Qingning couldn’t listen anymore. She said angrily, “How can you talk about such things in front of me?”
But Gu Changxuan wore a serious expression. “Qingning, I know it’s a bit much and awkward for a father to bring this up.”
“But this concerns your lifelong happiness.”
“It needs to be clarified.”
Gu Qingning stood up and pulled Yu Zhiming up with her.
“Dad, Mom, you barely paid any attention to me when I was growing up, so why are you suddenly so concerned about my private life?”
“You don’t need to interfere in my business with Zhiming. I can handle it myself.”
“Zhiming, let’s go…”
Yu Zhiming let Gu Qingning pull him along, and they quickly left the private room.
They didn’t return to the large private room where Gu Qinghe was, but instead had Yu Zhiming drive them directly away from the Boat Workshop Restaurant…
“My real brother is Gu Qingran…”
Gu Qingning hugged her legs, curled up in the passenger seat, and said with a complicated expression, “Ever since I can remember, my parents were always busy. It was normal not to see them for a month or two at a time.”
“My big brother was usually the one who took care of me.”
“In my heart, my brother, who’s seventeen years older than me, was more like a responsible father.”
Gu Qingning looked at Yu Zhiming, who seemed to be concentrating on driving, and changed the subject. “My brother saw your talent and potential, so he had me pretend to be his assistant to get to know you.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t interested in you at first.”
“You weren’t my type back then. My ideal type was a business elite who could command the corporate world.”
“My brother encouraged me to spend more time with you, saying I might discover your good qualities.”
“He even said that your future accomplishments might not be any less than those of the magnates on the Forbes Rich List.”
Gu Qingning couldn’t help but smile. “I tried to trick you by pretending to be a desperately lonely woman, but you saw right through me.”
“I was so indignant that I found an excuse to move into your place, thinking I’d teach you a good lesson.”
“In the end, I was the one who got taught a lesson.”
Gu Qingning chuckled again and said, reminiscing, “I don’t even know when I started to like you.”
“In any case, now, just seeing you makes me happy and puts me at ease.”
“Doing anything for you, even just drying your hair, makes me feel so happy, so fulfilled.”
After a brief pause, Gu Qingning said, “So, that’s my story, more or less.”
“Zhiming, is there anything else you want to know?”
Yu Zhiming blurted out, “Are you very rich?”
Gu Qingning mused, “I wouldn’t say I’m rich, no.”
“Although the Ning’an Group is controlled by our Gu Family, the shares belong to the entire family.”
“Specifically, they belong to a Gu Family fund established overseas. The shares aren’t distributed to individuals.”
Gu Qingning continued to explain, “Every child in the Gu Family gets one or two hundred thousand a year for education and living expenses.”
“After turning eighteen, we start receiving dividends, somewhere between one and two million a year.”
“If we want to start a business, we can apply to the Gu Family’s ’Prodigal Son Fund’ for up to ten million.”
Gu Qingning added, “This Prodigal Son Fund is managed very strictly. You can lose it all on the business venture, but you’re absolutely not allowed to line your own pockets with it.”
She then said softly, “Um, well, I used to be a big spender. Right now, I have less than three million in my personal bank account.”
“Does that count as rich?”
Yu Zhiming chuckled. “Compared to me, that’s very rich. Hey, do you have a house in Binhai?”
Gu Qingning quickly shook her head. “No, I always lived with my big brother before.”
“Zhiming, are you trying to kick me out?”
Yu Zhiming glanced over at her.
“Don’t you want to leave?”
“Your brother’s house must be spacious and luxuriously decorated, with a big, comfortable bed!”
Gu Qingning shook her head. “I don’t want to leave.”
“My brother’s house is big enough, but he’s also busy and not home often. It’s too cold and empty, without any feeling of home.”
Gu Qingning turned to Yu Zhiming, placed her two small fists by her mouth, and put on a pitiful expression.
“Brother Zhiming, I’m just a poor little kitten. Don’t chase me away, okay?”
“Pleeease? Brother Zhiming…”
Gu Qingning’s voice was syrupy sweet and bone-deep enchanting, nothing like her usual way of speaking.
It made Yu Zhiming’s blood rush to his head.
“Stop messing around, I’m driving.”
Yu Zhiming chided her, then added, “Since you’re not short on cash, you should hurry up and pay the rent you owe…”