CHAPTER 326: TRY 326?

(Thanks to friends Shaozi, AifengC, Golden Rose, and Yougu Valley Host for their monthly ticket encouragement)

Liu Banxia had a splendid sleep last night. It was a proper bed, after all.

His internal biological clock had taken over, and he was awake even before six in the morning. He really wanted to laze in bed a little longer; his alarm hadn’t even gone off yet.

Crashing in the hospital on-call room never allowed him to rest well, not to mention that fluffy Tang Dou was by his side today.

This proved that Tang Dou was very smart. It knew that a drunk Qiaoqiao would roughhouse it, so Tang Dou had decided to stick with Liu Banxia.

When he became a bit more alert, he realized something was off. He saw Tang Dou’s head to his left. Why did it move to the left? Wasn’t it on the right yesterday? Then what am I hugging on my right side?

Just moments ago, he was only somewhat conscious, but now he was wide awake. Lifting a corner of the blanket, he caught sight of Qiaoqiao clinging to his arm, fast asleep.

This sight made a multitude of mythical creatures flash through Liu Banxia’s mind, and he froze, not daring to move.

No wonder I felt Tang Dou was restless last night, nuzzling and shifting around. This isn’t Tang Dou; it’s Qiaoqiao! What should I do now?

"WOOF... WOOF WOOF..."

Seeing that Liu Banxia had woken up and wanting to go out for a walk, Tang Dou jubilantly barked a few times.

This night has been so frustrating! I thought I was going to have a good night’s sleep with my big buddy. Who would have thought my master would sneak over in the middle of the night? She even squeezed me out of the way!

"Tang Dou, good boy, sleep a bit longer," Qiaoqiao muttered, gently patting Liu Banxia’s belly.

Liu Banxia gave a wry smile. She really mistook me for Tang Dou, huh.

At that moment, Qiaoqiao also realized something. The feeling was different from when she usually hugged Tang Dou; the silky, fluffy sensation was missing.

She opened her eyes in a daze, first spotting an arm. Then, lifting her head slightly, she saw Liu Banxia.

The shock in Qiaoqiao’s heart was several times stronger than Liu Banxia’s. What is he doing here? How did I walk right into this? Wasn’t he supposed to have left?

"Um... considering the present situation, shouldn’t we get up?" Liu Banxia asked, trying to sound calm, though his heart was pounding.

"Um... that makes sense," Qiaoqiao agreed but didn’t make a move.

"Why aren’t you getting up?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Are you kidding me? I’m in a short nightgown and nothing underneath! How can I get up?" Qiaoqiao snapped.

"Uh... then I’ll get up. Can you let go of my arm first?" Liu Banxia suggested.

"Um... right, that makes sense." Qiaoqiao burrowed deeper under the covers, not only retracting her hand but also pulling her legs away from him.

My lifelong reputation and innocence... gone just like that, in a moment of utter confusion! How can I face anyone in the future? Qiaoqiao lamented internally.

Liu Banxia, having climbed out of bed, was also in turmoil. How could something like this have happened? What am I going to do?

Their thoughts were quite similar; this was a situation neither of them had anticipated. Only Tang Dou was truly innocent. Just when it wanted to go for a walk with Liu Banxia, Qiaoqiao dragged it back and gave it a thorough, forceful cuddling.

Qiaoqiao pieced together what had happened. This isn’t my fault; it’s Tang Dou’s fault!

When I woke up in the middle of the night and found Tang Dou missing, I went looking for it after using the toilet and getting a glass of water. I saw the door to this room was ajar, and by the moonlight filtering through, I spotted Tang Dou lying on the bed. I didn’t think much of it. After all, it’s my home; it doesn’t matter which room I sleep in.

According to my understanding, Tang Dou was supposed to be sleeping between us. I have no idea when it sneaked over to his side.

After replaying the scenario in her mind, she wrapped the quilt around herself and scurried back to her own room.

Poor Tang Dou, dragged along by her, gave her a pitiful look. You guys are awake, so why aren’t we going for a walk? it seemed to wonder.

"Qiaoqiao... um... can we talk?" Liu Banxia knocked on her door.

This can’t just be swept under the rug,

he thought. He felt a little guilty toward Qiaoqiao. Besides, if he had just slipped away, they probably wouldn’t even be able to be friends anymore.

Qiaoqiao opened the door, threw a guilty glance at him, and quickly lowered her head. "Do I... need to take responsibility for this?"

Liu Banxia, who had been wondering how to broach the subject, was so surprised by her question that he couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. "PFFT..."

"What are you laughing at? I didn’t mean to take advantage of you," Qiaoqiao glared at him.

"If anyone took advantage, it was me," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"You took advantage of me?" Qiaoqiao’s eyes widened again.

"No! That absolutely didn’t happen," Liu Banxia quickly explained. "Last night’s situation was a bit complicated, a result of various coincidences. But neither of us took advantage of the other, right?"

"It does seem that way," Qiaoqiao said, frowning as she thought about it.

"Let’s eat first," Liu Banxia suggested. "I made some porridge and fried some popcorn chicken. I see there are salted duck eggs too, so it should be enough. Afterwards, I’ll need to borrow your car to get to the train station, or you could give me a lift."

"Let’s eat. I’ll take you. Otherwise, I’d have to go get the car anyway," Qiaoqiao quickly replied.

Even though Qiaoqiao was inwardly strong, she was still a girl. The morning’s situation had genuinely distressed her.

The atmosphere during breakfast was somewhat silent. Qiaoqiao picked at her food, occasionally feeding Tang Dou a piece of popcorn chicken.

"Why don’t we... try dating and see how it goes?" Liu Banxia broke the silence.

"What are you trying to do...?" Qiaoqiao asked nervously.

"What can I do? I’m single, and so are you. Given what happened, I think we could give it a try, right? If there’s no spark, can we still be friends afterwards?" Liu Banxia asked.

Qiaoqiao furrowed her brows. "That’s unlikely. Who ever stays friends after a breakup? Isn’t that just kidding yourself?"

"You’re right. So, what should we do? Just stay friends? That seems a bit difficult too," Liu Banxia also furrowed his brows.

I actually had a girlfriend before, a long time ago, during my sophomore year of college. I’ve been single ever since, due to a combination of reasons.

When Mom visited last time, she mentioned several times how great Qiaoqiao is. And Qiaoqiao really is excellent; it would be a lie to say the thought of us together never crossed my mind.

But I have my own reservations. Qiaoqiao’s family background is extraordinary, far better than mine. Even if my medical skills become outstanding in the future, I can’t expect to be as wealthy as her family.

However, we can’t just pretend this morning didn’t happen. If we don’t clear the air, it’ll be very difficult to remain friends.

Qiaoqiao, sitting opposite him, was also deeply troubled; she had never expected things to turn out this way.

Silence fell over the dining room again. Tang Dou, being sensitive, clearly felt the awkward tension. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, it quietly slunk off to the side.

"I have a bad temper," Qiaoqiao said, breaking the silence.

"My temper is generally okay, though sometimes it’s not great," Liu Banxia replied.

"I don’t have much of a degree; I only attended a three-year junior college," Qiaoqiao continued.

"I’m only working on my master’s degree now; it’s not that big a deal, really. Besides, you’re managing two shops. Not everyone can do that," Liu Banxia said.

"Well, you see, I am quite interested in business," Qiaoqiao said cheerfully, then quickly composed her expression and became serious again.

"It seems we’ve basically reached an agreement then. Let’s finish eating quickly so you can take me to the train station," Liu Banxia said.

"Okay," Qiaoqiao responded and obediently resumed eating.

This was the first time Liu Banxia had seen this side of Qiaoqiao. Then another question popped into his head: Did she agree or not? He didn’t dare to ask.

It had been awkward when they woke up, still awkward while eating, and the awkwardness persisted as Qiaoqiao prepared to drive Liu Banxia to the train station. To lessen her own discomfort, Qiaoqiao brought Tang Dou along, saying she was taking it for a drive.

Just as they stepped out of the villa, they saw Qiu Huaili on the nearby footpath, holding Doudou and walking Tiggie.

Dogs truly are amazing creatures. Tiggie sensed Tang Dou from quite a distance, even though the car windows were closed, and happily barked twice.

Tang Dou was also excited, pawing at the car window in response.

"Ah, brother, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you drop by my place?" Qiu Huaili asked in surprise upon seeing Liu Banxia in the car.

"I got in too late last night, so I didn’t get a chance to visit. I have to rush for a train now. I’ll come drink with you next time I have a day off," Liu Banxia said.

Qiu Huaili smiled and nodded. He could clearly tell something was off between the pair.

Normally, Qiaoqiao would definitely greet me. But today, she’s just staring straight ahead, and when she does glance over, her expression is incredibly awkward.

Watching the car drive away, Qiu Huaili stopped walking Tiggie and strolled back home.

"Why are you back so early? I’m about to cook the wontons now," Wang Jingxian asked.

"Haha, we don’t have to worry about our young brother anymore. I think he’s gotten together with Old Qiao’s girl," Qiu Huaili said gleefully.

"Really? How do you know?" Wang Jingxian asked curiously.

"I just saw them when I was walking Tiggie. Qiaoqiao was so nervous she barely dared to look me in the eye," Qiu Huaili said.

"That’s pretty good. Actually, I think Qiaoqiao is very nice too. She’s straightforward and doesn’t overthink things. It would be great if they really end up together."

Wang Jingxian nodded. "That’s true. Even though Banxia’s family isn’t as well-off as Old Qiao’s, Banxia is very capable. They really do make a good match."

They were genuinely happy for Liu Banxia. Although they hadn’t known him for very long, they truly considered him like their own younger brother. If Doudou’s condition had been delayed, it was hard to say what the future impact might have been.