Chapter 391: Chapter 370: Goodbye Lin Jiaqi
A white QQ was parked by the roadside. In today’s economically advanced state, there aren’t many people driving a QQ anymore; even the ordinary Volkswagen Santana is rarely seen. Back in the day, having a car meant you were wealthy, but now people judge you by the type of car you drive. Driving a QQ usually makes people assume you’re just filling the numbers.
The person sitting inside the car couldn’t care less about those who treated him as a curiosity. After all, a four-wheeled ride is more interesting than walking on two legs!
The wholesale clothing market became bustling as the weather cleared up. People were packed together, almost everyone carrying large bags in and out, while luggage carts with slight overweight loads squeezed through the crowd, shouting ’move aside’.
"Doing business isn’t easy," thought Xiao Lin as he flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground. The sign of "Hanging Soup Sichuan Noodles" wobbled on the porch, and the shop’s business was quite booming. In such a large wholesale market, such small shops are plentiful, but having a stable customer base shows that this shop has a relatively good taste. When it comes to food, taste is undoubtedly the most important thing. If it’s not tasty, why would anyone come back a second time?
Xiao Lin got out of the car, carefully locked it, and walked into the small shop.
"What would you like to eat?" asked the lady boss sitting at a counter so small it could only fit a calculator, addressing Xiao Lin.
"There are so many people. Are there any seats left?"
"Just stand for a bit, that place over there will be ready soon!" The lady boss sharply eyed a customer who was about to finish eating. Following her direction, it was a spot near the stairs, and Xiao Lin nodded.
"I’ll have your signature noodles." Xiao Lin was particular about what he ate. He wasn’t overly germophobic, but he did feel a bit bothered in such an environment.
The customer indicated by the lady boss finished the last sip of soup and got up to leave. A worker cleaned up the dishes and wiped the table with a cloth, and Xiao Lin, with furrowed brows, sat down. More people came in to place orders and wait for seats; business was good here.
Before he could decide how to deal with the slightly damp table, his signature noodles were already served.
The red oil sauce soup, sprinkled with fresh green onions on delicate slices of meat, emitted an enticing aroma. Yet, Xiao Lin seemed to have little appetite. He idly picked a few noodles with disposable chopsticks and placed them in his mouth. He found the noodles surprisingly chewy; they were handmade, cooked in salted water with perfectly controlled heat. Perhaps that’s why business was good here.
After eating a few bites, people came and went in waves. He looked around the shop. The facilities were a bit outdated, and the staircase leading to the second floor was right above his head. Though not to the point of dust falling with every step, it cast a psychological shadow on him. Which doctor doesn’t have a bit of mental cleanliness? Even if the food was excellent, the constant sound of footsteps on the stairs gave him a sense of mistaken reality.
As noon approached, more people arrived. Xiao Lin gave up the mental struggle with the food. He thought he might be the first customer here not to finish his meal, and felt a bit embarrassed. The worker cleaning the dishes gave him a puzzling look concerning the noodle’s effect.
The noodle shop’s back wall was directly against the wholesale market, and the small shop’s oil smoke emission was quite irregular, even dangerous. But to last until now, the relevant authorities must have gained some benefits. The smoke-stained walls had turned from white to a smoky yellow; they attempted cleaning, yet the oil stains were irremovable.
From the back, there was no access to the second floor. Xiao Lin looked up at the large exhaust fan, its roaring sound and the hot air rushing out made him give up entering the hospital from here, even though the second-floor window was right above.
He returned to the car and dialed Liang Feng’s number, listening silently to the voice on the other side and responding awkwardly.
The small shop had no toilet facilities. Xiao Lin rubbed his chin, hesitated for a long time, then got out of the car again and walked to the right side of the wholesale market, where the nearest public toilet was located. As Liang Feng put it, you could wait there till someone shows up, as it’s a necessity for every person. If Lin Jiaqi’s parents weren’t so conservative, he wouldn’t be in this embarrassing situation.
The smell of the public toilet wasn’t pleasing. Xiao Lin lowered his head, smoking a cigarette, and chose a corner. He waited silently. His tall stature attracted the attention of some women, though Xiao Lin was too annoyed to care about the admiring looks, deciding to abandon this approach in favor of taking the ventilation shaft.
Turning around, a somewhat familiar silhouette caught his eye. She wore a thick down jacket over a floral dress. Women always seem to prioritize displaying their figures over keeping warm.
Lin Jiaqi wandered through each store, casually selecting clothes, her expression distracted. She didn’t seem as pessimistic as Liang Feng had described, which surprised Xiao Lin as he followed her, watching her inquire about clothing prices. Her briskness during bargaining and her mood while trying on clothes didn’t suggest she had been assaulted. Was the psychological recovery of this woman unexpectedly quick?
"Lin Jiaqi!" As she approached the last row of small shops, Xiao Lin called out to her. He chose this place because it was near the road and far from the restaurant.
"Who are you?" Lin Jiaqi looked at Xiao Lin with curiosity. She didn’t recognize this person; he seemed familiar, but nothing specific came to mind. Yet, handsome guys chatting her up was always welcome.
"I’m Xiao Lin from Yan University Hospital."
"Ah! Golden Needle Saint Hand!" No wonder he looked familiar; he was the campus doctor: "Is Dr. Xiao shopping in the wholesale market too?"
"Liang Feng is urgently looking for you." The initial impression of Lin Jiaqi wasn’t so frivolous, yet now she appeared very different: "She is very worried about you."
"Oh!" Lin Jiaqi responded nonchalantly, saying nothing else.
"My car is outside; let’s have a chat."
"There’s nothing to talk about." Lin Jiaqi dodged Xiao Lin’s hand; she clearly rejected his attempt to get close: "Thank you for her on my behalf."
Lin Jiaqi resisted the approach of men. Xiao Lin withdrew his hand, realizing superficial flirtatiousness was just surface deep: "If you don’t want the police involved in this matter, you can completely refuse me."
Lin Jiaqi raised her head, glaring at him with eyes filled with tension, then quickly lowered her gaze, "I don’t want to talk about this anymore."
"See Liang Feng first and then we’ll discuss." (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian () to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support means the world to me.)