Handsome Guy

“Why don’t you live in the dormitory?” Zhou Mo asked.

Zhou Mo stared at him speechlessly. “It’s inconvenient for selling things.”

As for what she was selling, he knew.

“Why are you selling things?”

“I’m short of money.”

Han Chen was slightly stunned. “How much are you short?”

Zhou Mo looked at Han Chen suspiciously. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

“Just seeing if I can help you. After all... even if we’re not a couple, we can still be friends.”

“Didn’t you just say that once we’re divorced, we’re strangers?” Zhou Mo retorted. “This is still not a divorce.”

“Okay,” he had a point, and Zhou Mo accepted it. “I’ll go now.”

As she pushed open the car door with her right hand, a warm and firm force suddenly came from her left hand.

Zhou Mo lowered her head and saw her hand being held in Han Chen’s palm. The scorching touch traveled up her veins, causing her breathing to become chaotic for a moment.

“Do you need something?” Zhou Mo tried to calm herself.

Han Chen’s empty palm was cold. He clenched his fist slightly, his expression unchanged, and asked, “Didn’t you say you’re short of money? How much?”

Zhou Mo was stunned for a moment. He actually took her words seriously...

Various emotions surged within her.

“Thank you for your kindness, but... I don’t think our relationship has reached the point where we can easily talk about money. Saying that I’m short of money is just idle talk. Who doesn’t lack money these days? Have you seen anyone starve to death because they don’t have money?”

Han Chen looked at her for a moment, gripping the steering wheel. He had nothing to say for a moment.

Zhou Mo didn’t say anything more, pushed the door and got out of the car, and adjusted the shoulder strap of her bag. She quickly walked towards the entrance of the residential area.

In late spring, the willow trees in Dongjiang were dressed in fresh green. Their supple branches hung down, swaying in the gentle breeze under the warm sunshine. The shadows cast on the sidewalk flickered and danced.

Zhou Mo’s thoughts were in disarray as she walked forward, oblivious to the fact that the person behind her hadn’t moved.

“Mo Mo?!”

A startled cry from not far away snapped Zhou Mo back to reality.

She looked up. “Mom?”

She saw Liu Xiangru holding a vegetable basket, indicating that she had just returned from grocery shopping.

“Why did you go shopping in the afternoon?”

“Your father wasn’t feeling well again. He hardly ate anything today, so I went to buy some vegetables that he likes. I’ll make sure he eats more tonight.”

“Is Dad okay?” Zhou Mo asked with concern.

“He’s fine. It’s just that Yu Yizhou angered him, and he’s feeling a tightness in his chest. Your father is arrogant. He used to hold a position in the provincial department, so he never had to put up with such frustration.”

Zhou Mo nodded. She knew her father’s temperament very well.

Zhou Zheng used to be the team leader in charge of the prevention of AIDS, syphilis and HBV at the provincial CDC. In Dongjiang, he could be considered the most authoritative expert in the prevention of these three kinds of diseases. With his high-ranking position and expertise, he was always treated with respect wherever he went. Who would dare to bully him?

Zhou Zheng always lives a righteous life. However, he was only an expert and a nominal team leader. He wasn’t good at smooth-talking and couldn’t advance in his career. He stayed in the same position for decades.

Later, his health deteriorated, and he suffered a major illness, forcing him to retire early.

There was no choice. When the CDC was idle, it was idle, but when it was busy, it was really busy. They had to go to the countryside, work night shifts, and run around all the time. Their schedules were irregular, and the salary wasn’t much. Although they were considered public servants, it was... just like that.

Zhou Zheng was too upright and had the temperament of an intellectual. When she encountered someone reasonable, she could talk and convince them, but when she encountered someone unreasonable, like Yu Yizhou, it was like a scholar meeting a soldier, and she would only end up frustrating her.

Zhou Mo took the vegetable basket from Liu Xiangru’s hands. “You didn’t go to work today?”

“I took a day off. I’m worried about your father with his condition.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a blue-black BMW slowly passed in front of Liu Xiangru. The driver’s window was open, and although she only glanced at him briefly, Liu Xiangru felt that she recognized the person in the driver’s seat.

“That person... looks so familiar!”

Zhou Mo followed Liu Xiangru’s gaze but only saw the back of the car. However, the license plate behind the car clearly indicated that it was Han Chen who had just passed by.

“That car is expensive. How do we know such a person?” Zhou Mo deliberately muddled the waters.

“No, no, no,” Liu Xiangru held Zhou Mo back, pondered for a moment, and suddenly her eyes brightened. “It’s that doctor from the emergency department!”

Zhou Mo’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, her mother had actually recognized him.

It was just a glance, but Zhou Mo couldn’t help but admire Liu Xiangru’s good memory.

Afraid that Liu Xiangru would think further and associate him with Han Chen, Zhou Mo casually said, “Really?”

“You went to the hospital, didn’t you? He’s Yu Yizhou’s attending physician, surnamed Han. Haven’t you seen him? No, wait, surnamed Han...” Liu Xiangru suddenly realized something. “He looks very much like the Han Chen who used to live across from us... Could they be the same person? I’ll ask Auntie Liang when I see her one day.”

Zhou Mo’s heart took another heavy blow. Oh no, her mother was relentless.

But Zhou Mo could only brush it off and say, “Do they really look alike? Don’t tell me you think every good-looking guy is familiar.”

“Did you see him too?”

“I didn’t see him.”

“If you didn’t see him, how do you know he’s a good-looking guy?”

“... ”

Zhou Mo was speechless. Her mother was indeed a math teacher, with exceptionally strong logical reasoning.

Zhou Mo frowned tightly, trying to control the irritability in his heart. She really didn’t want to continue the topic.

“Let’s go home, Mom. I’m hungry,” Zhou Mo said, tugging at Liu Xiangru’s arm and leading her toward their house.

However, Liu Xiangru was still immersed in the previous topic. “Mo Mo, tell me, did you have a relationship with Han Chen back then?”

“Mom, it’s been so long since those rumors. Why are you asking about this?” Zhou Mo really didn’t want to admit it.

Liu Xiangru snorted lightly. “It’s okay if you don’t admit it, but I saw it with my own eyes. In front of the gate of the neighborhood, there used to be a newsstand, and I saw the two of you cuddling there several times.”

Zhou Mo felt embarrassed. It was an old story that was being brought up again, and it happened when she was young. Zhou Mo wished she could find a hole to hide in.

Although she had always denied having a romantic relationship with Han Chen, she couldn’t deceive herself even if she could deceive Liu Xiangru.

Seeing that Zhou Mo didn’t say anything, Liu Xiangru sighed softly. “In the past, we cared too much and got in the way. During the critical time of the college entrance examination, I didn’t want those messy things to affect my studies. Now... I regret it a little. If you and Han Chen had gone to the Capital together back then... your love life wouldn’t be so tumultuous now. Three boyfriends, and none of them give me peace of mind.”

“Mom, let’s not talk about regrets. Can we?” Zhou Mo felt extremely agitated.

“Okay, but first tell me, did you have a relationship with Han Chen back then?”

“No,” Zhou Mo stubbornly insisted.

Liu Xiangru scrutinized Zhou Mo carefully, then said meaningfully, “That’s good.”

Zhou Mo didn’t understand what she meant.

A faint smile suddenly appeared on Liu Xiangru’s face. “If you didn’t have a relationship, it wouldn’t be awkward when you meet in the future.“

“Meet? What do you mean, Mom?” Zhou Mo was puzzled.

“Yeah, think about it. Auntie Liang has moved here, so you will definitely run into Han Chen. And... you two were classmates, you know each other well. Maybe in the future...”