Second Uncle glanced at Second Aunt twice, then turned to Zhan Yue. Second Aunt looked directly at Zhan Yue and said to her niece, “Dr Lin must have misunderstood your relationship with Zhan Yue. Does he think you are rejecting him because of Zhan Yue?”
“Because Zhan Yue is better-looking than him, has a better family background, is more capable, and earns more money than him. He cannot compete, so he blames Zhan Yue for the fact that you do not love him.”
Zeng Xiaoya looked at Zhan Yue, gave an embarrassed laugh, and said apologetically, “Zhan Yue, I am sorry. I have caused you to be misunderstood by Senior Lin.”
“I have already explained it clearly, but Senior Lin does not believe me.”
“Xiaoya, since Dr Lin has misunderstood your relationship with Zhan Yue, why don’t the two of you simply pretend to be a couple for a while? Fool Dr Lin a little, let him completely give up hope. Then he will start a new relationship and stop pestering you.”
“That way, you won’t have to fall out with each other. Of course, if he cares that you are with Zhan Yue and wants to cut ties with us, we will have to go along with it and stop associating with him in future.”
Both families run clinics, so in a sense they are rivals in the same trade.
Yet the Zeng family are decent people. Even though Dr Lin often comes to ask for advice, Second Uncle Zeng always guides him earnestly, passes on experience.
When Zeng Xiaoya’s grandparents are at home and Dr Lin comes to seek guidance, the two elderly Chinese medicine practitioners also offer some pointers.
It can be said that the Zeng family are very kind-hearted. They do not mind that Dr Lin’s clinic is not far from theirs. They believe everyone who studies medicine does so to heal the sick and save lives.
When a young doctor lacks experience and needs advice, it shows they are eager to learn. Naturally, the older generation should offer guidance, help the young doctor improve their skills. When a doctor’s skills improve, they can benefit the public.
That is their original purpose in studying medicine: to heal the sick and save lives.
Zeng Xiaoya: “……”
Zhan Yue: “……”
He had not expected that he would get the chance to play at being a couple with Xiaoya.
He would certainly turn the pretend relationship into a real one.
“Second Aunt, this is a private matter between me and Senior Lin. It would not be good to drag Zhan Yue into it. Zhan Yue will want to date and marry in future. If his future wife learns that he once helped me in this way, it would be very awkward.”
She would definitely mind.
Zeng Xiaoya did not want to do this either.
Zhan Yue immediately said, “Xiaoya, I am currently single. Even if I get married later, that is a future matter. Everyone has a past. I believe my future wife will be a generous person and will not mind things that happened before I met her.”
“Second Aunt is right. Dr Lin already misunderstands our relationship. We could simply act like an ordinary couple, go shopping together, buy things, eat meals, watch films.”
“Then Dr Lin will think you are with me, and he will naturally give up.”
Zeng Xiaoya said, “Zhan Yue, if we do that, Senior Lin will really see you as a rival. Might he do something to you? Would that not end up implicating you?”
Although Senior Lin was not the sort of person who would harm others for love, Zeng Xiaoya still reminded Zhan Yue.
“Second Aunt, I think Senior Lin will gradually let go.”
“I do not need to go so far as to have Zhan Yue pretend to be my boyfriend.”
Zeng Xiaoya thought about how He Yuehua and Senior Lin had already slept together. Although nothing truly happened, they had shared a bed for one night. Senior Lin’s heart was in turmoil now.
Once he thought it through, he would let go of his feelings for her.
He Yuehua would not miss this chance to make Senior Lin marry her.
There was another reason Zeng Xiaoya refused to let Zhan Yue pretend to be her boyfriend, a reason she did not voice.
Faced with such a handsome man as Zhan Yue, Zeng Xiaoya feared that the more time they spent together, the more familiar they became. During the pretend relationship, she might truly fall in love with him.
If Zhan Yue also liked her and they fell in love with each other, that would be fine. Everyone would be happy.
But if she fell in love and he did not, she would be the only one to suffer. Why put herself through that?
The last time she had been hurt in love, it had taken her several years to truly let go and face it calmly.
