Chapter 221

On the last day of the National Day holiday, there were no surgeries that night. For the first time, Shen Li clocked out right on time, packed her things, and left the

inpatient building.

Xie Qin's car was parked downstairs waiting for her to finish work, and then they would head straight to the airport to fly to Di Du.

Shen Li walked out of the building, opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened her seatbelt: "I spent the whole day at the hospital today and have a smell on me. I wanted to go home and take a shower before leaving."

Xie Qin drove the car, his gaze fixed ahead: "When we get home, I'll help you wash."

Shen Li turned her head to stare at him and coldly refused: "No need, I can wash myself."

"Won't you let me serve you?" Xie Qin said this as if he were condescending to do so.

But in Shen Li's eyes, he clearly had ulterior motives.

Shen Li ruthlessly rejected him again, instead saying to him in a very serious tone: "Xie Qin, it's rare for me to have a holiday..." implying that he should stop tormenting her.

It would already be very late by the time they returned to Di Du, and the thought of him still wanting to torment her gave rise to a sense of helpless resistance in her heart.

Xie Qin pursed his lips and smiled, raising his hand to touch her head, "I'm just teasing you. Why did you take it seriously? I won't bother you when we go back this time; I'll let you have a good, peaceful sleep."

His words were completely untrustworthy. Shen Li let out a huff of annoyance at him, didn't look at him, but didn't dodge the hand that messed up her hair either.

"Wife, why is your temper so big now? You scared me."

"How would I dare to lose my temper at you."

Xie Qin raised his eyebrows slightly. Hearing her sarcastic tone, he didn't know when she had learned it, but he followed her lead and conceded, "How could you not dare? Not only is your temper big, but you're also quite good at bossing me around at home."

Shen Li didn't speak for a moment, wondering in her heart how she had bossed him around, "When did I boss you around?"

"How could you not? Once I made you breakfast and forgot to squeeze the toothpaste for you, and you scolded me." Xie Qin listed the crimes of Shen Li exploiting him and losing her temper at him one by one, "And another time I put socks on you, and you scolded me when you got back."

"..." Shen Li couldn't listen anymore, "You have the nerve to say that. Last time, the socks you put on me were a mismatched pair."

One sock had a small, pale yellow daisy, and the other was blue. After a doctor in the same department saw it, Shen Li had to bite the bullet and say that this was the style.

"Oh." Xie Qin also found it funny when he remembered and apologized to her, "I'll be careful next time."

Shen Li was still reflecting in her heart: was she really that excessive toward Xie Qin? She had never noticed the temper she spoke of herself.

Xie Qin glanced at her sideways. Seeing her eyes lowered, he kept his gaze on the road ahead. One hand rested casually on the edge of the car door, while the other, with its distinct knuckles, held the steering wheel alone. His wrist was slightly weighted, the car slowed down, and his posture was nonchalant, his features handsome, carrying a relaxed and alluring aura, "But, I like you like this."

He liked the feeling of Shen Li relying on him and needing him, along with the occasional little temper that came from being pampered.

It wasn't so lifeless.

Xie Qin always felt that she should be like this—cherished and pampered by others, exposing her temper when encountering bad things, not swallowing her pride, and having a side in front of him that others couldn't see.

Shen Li slowly raised her head, having been led into a trap by Xie Qin's words. She pursed her lips, and her eyes held more seriousness, "Xie Qin... I will try my best to restrain myself in the future."

Xie Qin was puzzled: "Restrain what?"

Shen Li spoke slowly, slowing down her tone to tell him: "Restrain myself from having such a big temper with you."

"Hmm?" A low sound of questioning came from his throat, followed immediately by his unrefined nature being exposed, "I thought you would say, try to restrain yourself from being so obsessed with my body."

Shen Li stared at him, her gaze falling on the pale pink mark under the collar of his black shirt that hadn't faded yet, and she looked away as if feeling guilty.

She had wanted to deny it.

After brewing it in her heart, she still frankly admitted this point.

Changing the subject, she acknowledged the matter.

She said: "Yes, I will try to restrain that too."

Hearing her words, Xie Qin let out a low, muffled laugh in his throat, his lips curling up, "You don't really need to restrain that much. Which part of me can you not look at? Don't you agree?"

His voice was lingering and alluring.

It made Shen Li blush from ear to ear; how could a serious person listen to such things?

Shen Li wanted to cover his mouth and tell him to stop talking.

Fortunately, at this moment, Shen Li's phone suddenly rang. She took it out of her bag and, seeing it was a call from Xie Qin's mother, held it to her ear to answer: "Auntie?"

"..."

"Yes, Xie Qin and I have already set off and are heading to the airport. We should be there in about three hours."

"..."

"Okay, Xie Qin and I will be careful, don't worry, Auntie."

"..."

"Food? Anything you prepare is fine, Auntie."

After chatting for a few sentences, she hung up the phone.

Thinking about meeting Xie Qin's family, her heart was not as calm as she had imagined; there was more unease and anxiety.

Her heartbeat was fast and had never slowed down.

Xie Qin had bought the fastest flight to Di Du, which only took a little over two hours. Today was the last day of the National Day holiday, the road wasn't that congested, and it would take about half an hour to get to the airport.

Shen Li held the phone in her hand, turned her head to look at the person driving beside her, and told him about the unease in her heart: "Xie Qin... I'm a little nervous."

Xie Qin: "We've talked for so long, are you still not familiar with them?"

Shen Li shook her head at him: "It's different. Usually, I just send messages and call Auntie and Uncle; I won't be rude. Now I'm going to meet them, and I'm afraid I won't perform well."

She had never been this nervous participating in any major exam, to the point where her palms were sweating.

She wasn't very good at talking either.

Also, she felt guilty in her heart about Xie Qin's car accident; in the end, it was her fault. Although his family had never mentioned it in front of her, nor had they said any words of blame.

But she couldn't get past that hurdle in her own heart.

Xie Qin told her, "What are you afraid of? Don't you have me? When we get home, rest first; we'll talk about anything else tomorrow."

It would actually be very late when they arrived in Di Du, almost eleven or twelve o'clock.

This time was originally Shen Li's biological clock for resting.

Xie Qin didn't want to let her get tired.

She was already busy enough at the hospital every day, and her usual sleeping time never exceeded eight hours.

If she went home with him, she would still be harassed.

He wouldn't allow it.

Shen Li's thought, however, was that since it was her first time meeting his parents, she didn't want to leave a bad impression. Suddenly, she remembered something, "Going to your house this time, it seems I didn't buy any gifts to bring for Uncle and Auntie."

"Can we go buy something after we get off the plane before going to your house? Is that okay?"

Xie Qin curled his lips and smiled: "Aren't you the gift?"