MGASC -Chapter 220 I Told You to Be with Me — Why Didn’t You Listen?

Zhang Ling bit her lip and withdrew her gaze as well.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

She took her hand out of the cold water. “Thank you, Master Li.”

“It’s nothing. We’re colleagues—no need to be so polite.”

Li Enhua wanted to remind her of a few more things, but seeing that she seemed distracted and uninterested, he rubbed his nose awkwardly and turned back.

…

When Jin Quan came out of the restroom and passed through the corridor again, Zhang Ling and that pretty boy were already gone.

There weren’t many customers in the hot pot restaurant. At the table near the entrance, Jin Quan lifted his eyes and immediately spotted Zhang Ling.

She was sitting there in a wine-red sweater, chatting and laughing with her colleagues, looking in a good mood.

Like she didn’t have a care in the world!

When Jin Quan returned to the private room, he slammed the door so loudly that his friends all turned to look at him.

“Brother Quan, why are you so fired up?”

“Yeah, you’ve been in a bad mood for days. Who pissed you off? I’ll go beat him up for you!”

Jin Quan said nothing. He picked up a slice of pickled cabbage with his chopsticks, shoved it into his mouth, then chased it with a gulp of baijiu.

The liquor burned all the way down.

Annoyed, he slammed his chopsticks on the table again.

Damn it! She just got rid of one pretty boy and already found another one. So she only likes pretty boys, huh?

Real promising!

By the end of the meal, Jin Quan had drunk more and more, but spoken less and less.

Someone had already gone to settle the bill. Only a girl named Chen Na stayed behind, waiting for Jin Quan.

When he stood up, Chen Na stepped forward and handed him his coat attentively. “Brother Quan, I know why you’re angry. Is it because of that woman outside?”

Chen Na had seen Jin Quan with Zhang Ling before. She was the younger sister of one of Jin Quan’s buddies and had always had a crush on him.

Jin Quan silently put on his clothes without replying.

Chen Na hesitated, then stepped closer. “Brother Quan, you’ve had a lot to drink today. Let me help you.”

She naturally looped her arm through his.

Chen Na was different from Zhang Qiuhong. She was a respectable girl with a proper job—a nurse at a small hospital.

When she hooked her arm around him, Jin Quan suddenly shot her a sharp look.

Right. Zhang Ling could go find pretty boys—so why did he have to stay lonely and miserable?

Wouldn’t that make him look incapable?

Jin Quan narrowed his eyes. If he went out with Chen Na like this, wouldn’t that even the score?

“Brother Quan, let’s go,” Chen Na looked at him affectionately.

Jin Quan’s brows knit even tighter.

But the moment he stepped out the door, he forcefully shrugged off her hand.

“I’m not that drunk. I can walk.”

Chen Na froze as the man ahead strode away.

Jin Quan didn’t expect to run into Zhang Ling again at the entrance.

She was walking at the back of her group. When she saw him, her eyes paused slightly.

“Isn’t that Brother Quan?” one colleague recognized him, and soon several people were greeting him.

Ren Hong nudged Zhang Ling. “Sister Ling, we’ll wait for you up ahead.”

Before Zhang Ling could respond, her colleagues had already gone on.

Behind her stood Jin Quan. Even without turning around, she could smell the alcohol on him.

Zhang Ling walked forward casually. Suddenly, a large hand landed on her shoulder and gave her a rough tug, pulling her right in front of him.

The smell of alcohol grew even stronger.

Zhang Ling frowned and deliberately turned her face away.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Jin Quan kept one hand on her shoulder and maliciously shook her a little. “Don’t recognize me?”

Zhang Ling clicked her tongue. “Weren’t you the one who told me to get lost and stay out of your sight?”

Jin Quan paused, then let out a light laugh.

“You sure listen when it comes to that. I told you to be with me—why didn’t you listen?”

“I don’t like drunks!”

“Good. I don’t like wishy-washy women either!”

Zhang Ling glared at him, grinding her teeth in frustration.

She wasn’t as afraid of him now as before, but she still had no idea how to deal with him.

His presence was too overwhelming. Just standing in front of him, being looked at once by him, made her feel like she was about to be swallowed whole.

It was torture.

“Brother Quan!” a young girl’s voice called from behind—it was Chen Na again.

She walked over in a few quick steps, smiling brightly at the two of them. “Brother Quan, who’s this? Introduce us?”

Impatience flashed in Jin Quan’s eyes. “Introduce what? Get going. Your brother’s up ahead.”

His tone was harsh. Chen Na felt slighted, huffed, and stormed off.

Zhang Ling was still being grabbed by him—really grabbed.

He didn’t seem to be using much strength, but she just couldn’t break free.

“That’s my friend’s sister. She just likes to join in on the fun,” Jin Quan suddenly said.

“Oh.” Zhang Ling didn’t know why he was explaining this. “We’re having a colleagues’ dinner too. There are quite a few of us.”

She glanced back. “They’re still waiting for me. I need to go.”

After a pause, she added, “You should hurry home too. Drinking this much—aren’t you afraid you’ll drink yourself to death?”

Not knowing what else to say, Zhang Ling pretended to be in a rush to leave.

But just as she turned around, she heard Jin Quan’s rough voice behind her.

“You can go—but shouldn’t you repay what you owe me first?”

Zhang Ling’s heart tightened. She turned back, looking at him in alarm. “What do I owe you?”

Instead of answering, Jin Quan let go of her and stood in front of her, silently taking off his coat.

“You…” Zhang Ling was nearly scared to death. She quickly looked around, afraid someone nearby might see.

“The first time we met, you dirtied my clothes. You said you’d wash them for me. It’s been so long—have you washed them?” Jin Quan suddenly threw his overcoat at her.

Zhang Ling’s brain could barely keep up. A wave of alcohol smell hit her face, along with the lingering warmth from his body.

His words dragged her back to that afternoon months ago when they first met.

She had clung to him on the street and cried, staining his clothes with tears.

But…

In the middle of winter, he suddenly took off his coat and asked her to wash it. Wasn’t that ridiculous?

Wasn’t he afraid of freezing to death?

Zhang Ling grew annoyed and threw the coat back at him. She raised her hand. “Are you crazy? My hand is injured. You still want me to wash your clothes? How?”

Injured?

Holding the coat, Jin Quan grabbed her hand and pulled it closer. Under the light outside the restaurant, he saw it clearly—there was a red burn, even a small blister forming.

His heart tightened. “So when you were acting all lovey-dovey with that pretty boy just now, you were running it under cold water?”

Zhang Ling froze. “Who’s the pretty boy?”

“That guy—”

“Master Li is a good person, very decent. Can you stop talking nonsense?”

Jin Quan: Decent? So he’s the indecent one?

He ground his teeth and, without another word, dragged her away.

Stopping a random passerby, he barked fiercely, “Where’s the nearest pharmacy?”

“Up… up ahead. Turn right.”

No matter how she struggled along the way, he refused to let go.

He didn’t stop until they found a pharmacy. It was actually a traditional Chinese medicine clinic and was about to close. He banged on the door so hard that he practically woke the owner up.

The owner came out grumbling, but the moment he saw the fierce-looking man outside, he shut up immediately.

Under the light, he examined Zhang Ling’s injury. Swallowing his complaints, he prescribed some medicine and told her how to apply it.

Jin Quan slapped a hundred-yuan note on the table. As they left, he didn’t forget to say, “Sorry for the trouble.”

“Where are we anyway? Honestly. I got separated from my colleagues—I’ll have to go back alone,” Zhang Ling muttered as she walked carefully along the dark, slippery road, stepping high and low.

Jin Quan said nothing. He just followed silently behind her.