Adored by Him: My Blissful Days as the Girl Next Door-Chapter 374 - 373: Men All Have Their Pride

Qu Chaozong was angry, but he didn’t lash out like most people by bringing up Zhang Xin’s chaotic past or her illness.

Qu Chaozong and Mr. Zhang didn’t see eye to eye. Mr. Zhang doubted his intentions, while Qu Chaozong saw Mr. Zhang as petty and narrow-minded.

Mr. Zhang was determined to break them up, but because of Mr. Zhang’s status, Qu Chaozong refrained from confronting him openly. On the surface, he held his ground, but inside he was troubled and genuinely frustrated.

When Qu Chaozong pushed open the door to the hospital room, Shi Yang was leaning sideways on the companion chair, chatting with Zhao Dazhuang, while Zhao Meimei sat on a round stool between the two beds, eagerly cracking sunflower seeds.

Hearing the commotion, the three of them turned their heads to look.

Zhao Meimei was the first to call out, "Brother Chao!"

Qu Chaozong smiled at her, then turned to greet Zhao Dazhuang, "Uncle."

Zhao Meimei stood up, offered the stool to Qu Chaozong, and squeezed in next to Shi Yang.

Zhao Dazhuang smiled and asked, "Why are you here at this late hour?"

Qu Chaozong gave Shi Yang a look, and Shi Yang immediately caught on. Before Qu Chaozong could speak, Shi Yang sat up and said, "Oops, I forgot. Uncle, Chaozi is here to pick me up. I have a dinner meeting tonight, and I forgot."

Upon hearing there was work-related socializing, Zhao Dazhuang hurriedly said, "Then you guys should go. I don’t have much going on here anyway."

Zhao Meimei quickly asked, "Brother, when will you be back?"

Shi Yang replied, "Depends on the situation, can’t say for sure right now. Meimei, go to bed early tonight, and don’t forget to wash up. If anything comes up, just call me."

After giving some instructions, Shi Yang picked up his car keys and other belongings, and left the room with Qu Chaozong.

There weren’t many people in the elevator at night. While waiting side by side, Shi Yang nudged Qu Chaozong: "What’s up? Wasn’t there an event tonight?"

Qu Chaozong smirked bitterly, "Don’t even mention it. Let’s find some place later, have a few drinks with me?"

Shi Yang nodded in agreement. Once the elevator arrived, they followed each other inside.

At night, the only bustling places were mahjong parlors at the night market or smoky barbecue joints.

Qu Chaozong ordered a pot of hot pot tripe, went overboard with the skewers from the menu, and finally called for some beer.

Qu Chaozong was distressed, and Shi Yang, being a good buddy, kept him company. The two of them talked all night, with empty beer bottles piling up on half of the table.

Qu Chaozong’s face and eyes were red from drinking, a hint of an exhausted and repressed mood emerging, something he could only show in front of a close friend.

He picked up a clove of garlic, tossed it into his mouth, and crunched and crunched, the pungent flavor hitting him hard: "Hiss!... Damn, that’s got some kick!"

Shi Yang handed over a freshly poured beer. Qu Chaozong downed a big glass before exhaling a long breath: "Shi Yang, tell me, is Zhang Xin’s dad’s brain all mush? He’s a self-made man, yet he sees everyone as the same level as him!"

"Without Zhang Xin, who the hell is he? Who knows him!"

"If it wasn’t for Zhang Xin, I would’ve flipped the table a long time ago and left him there! And he’s hell-bent on tearing us apart, damn it! It’s driving me insane..."

Shi Yang patted Qu Chaozong on the shoulder, harboring some frustration toward Mr. Zhang himself—not because of how he climbed the ladder in an unseemly way, but because he seemed to regress with age; any elder with some sense would understand that children have their own paths and fortunes.

Mr. Zhang didn’t approve of Qu Chaozong because he feared Zhang Xin would suffer, a well-intended but laughable approach. For someone successful and thriving in society, he was surprisingly undignified behind the scenes, a stark contrast to his polished exterior.

Some things, as a friend, Shi Yang refrained from saying directly. From his point of view, Mr. Zhang was simply causing trouble.

What kind of person was Zhang Xin anyway? Could her father not know?

His daughter had lived such a miserable life before, even suffering from depression. It’s not something to mess around with—she’s practically a walking time bomb, where any moment she might feel good and decide, "Oh, I’m in a good mood, I’ll just end it," and jump off some building or cut her wrists, take some pills, and be done with it.

If Qu Chaozong wasn’t genuinely in love with her, with the way Zhang Xin was, who would dare genuinely marry her?

If Zhang Xin were his daughter, he wouldn’t just agree to their relationship immediately; he would happily give away all his wealth to ensure the match, afraid that any delay might lead the other to regret and return his daughter like a post-purchase return.

Such thoughts, Shi Yang could chew over and over in his mind but never let them slip out.

Men care about face; no matter how close the friendship, there’s always a line when communicating certain things.

Shi Yang patted Qu Chaozong’s shoulder twice and left his hand there, firmly squeezing with his fingers, saying, "No matter how overboard her dad goes, it’s useless. As long as Zhang Xin loves you, no one can tear you two apart. Moreover, the old man likes you, doesn’t he?"

Qu Chaozong burped from the alcohol, then said, "I do get along well with the old man, but Zhang Xin’s dad stirs things up so much it seems like I had it all planned when I saved someone. This mudslinging bothers me; I know it’s not true, but I’m afraid it might make the old man uncomfortable."

Shi Yang strongly disagreed with this notion and helped analyze: "That’s impossible. Anyone with a clear mind would know it’s purely coincidence. Who would hang outside waiting for the old man to fall? Besides, Zhang Xin hadn’t introduced you before; how would you have known the old man? Furthermore, if no one else knows, Zhang Xin would! With her in the middle, no matter what her dad says, the old man wouldn’t buy it."

Qu Chaozong took another swig of beer and slammed the cup on the table, "Even if the old man believes it, what difference does it make? The key issue now is that Zhang Xin’s dad disapproves of us; he doesn’t like me."

Shi Yang was silent for a while, frowning a bit, offering advice: "Since her dad’s front is shut tight, don’t bother with him. Besides, he won’t stay in the provincial capital for long; the city has a pile of business. It’s not easy for him to come here. While the old man’s in the hospital, make the most of this time to visit more often. Relationships are really just about that; the more you go, the closer you become."

"Didn’t you also say that the decision-maker in their family is the old man? So, all we need to do is to keep him happy. If Zhang Xin wholeheartedly sticks with you, her dad’s opinions can just be dismissed; they really don’t matter that much."