Plunder
Chapter 82 - 82 82 Offering Oneself

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Offering Oneself Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Offering Oneself He spoke again with that devil-may-care, frivolous tone.

Qiao En remained silent; she understood Ding Hao’s intentions, but she could not indulge them.

Not even as a joke.

“I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Eating is boring. How about, you dedicate yourself to me instead!”

As he said this, Ding Hao blew a breath onto Qiao En’s forehead.

Knowing she would not agree, he still wanted to test the waters.

“I’m not suitable for you.”

“Suitable or not, it’s not for you to say.”

Ding Hao’s eyes darkened, his resolve unwavering.

“Stop it, Doctor Ding, this isn’t fun at all.”

Qiao En ducked under Ding Hao’s arm and walked to the other end of the examination room.

Ding Hao, like a willful child, followed her persistently.

“I’m not joking, nor is this a game. I am serious about you, En’en, would you marry me please?”

Ding Hao continued to pester Qiao En by grabbing her arm and pestering her relentlessly.

Qiao En suddenly laughed.

She looked at Ding Hao as if he were a stranger.

“Doctor Ding, if I had no relationship with Zhou Jin’an, would you still persist in wanting to marry me?”

Her question stumped him.

But quickly, he excused his moment of hesitation.

“En’en, I want to marry you, and it really has nothing to do with anyone else. You have to believe me, I am sincere towards you.”

But these days, sincerity is a fool’s game.

“Doctor Ding, thank you for your sincerity, but I do not like you, and I would not marry a man I do not like.”

“So, you want to marry Zhou Jin’an? You like him, but he’s not suitable for you.”

Ding Hao was aggressive.

He was used to competing with Zhou Jin’an for everything, including women.

“I’m an ordinary woman, and naturally, I should find an ordinary man. Both Young Ding and Director Zhou are exceptional, I’m not in their league.”

“No problem, I’ll reach for you instead.”

Ding Hao left with a smirk.

Just as he was about to disappear from Qiao En’s sight, he suddenly cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly to Qiao En, “Qiao En, I will definitely marry you.”

Half an hour later.

Qiao De was wheeled out of the examination room.

He hung his head all the way, appearing very dejected.

Back in the hospital room, he curled up on the bed and covered his head with the blanket.

Qiao En pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed, feeling it was necessary to have a serious talk with Qiao De.

“Why would you borrow money at high-interest rates? You know you shouldn’t touch that, so why did you borrow it? Ah De, did someone force you?”

Qiao En asked directly.

Last time Qiao De got involved with high-interest loans, she didn’t probe deeply because she knew An Kexin was the instigator using others to trap Qiao En.

What about this time?

“No.”

Qiao De responded quietly.

“Then tell me, what did you borrow the money for?”

Qiao En pressed further.

“Can you please not ask anymore? Isn’t the matter already resolved? Why do you still need to ask?”

Qiao De dodged the issue, unwilling to say anything.

At that moment, Qiao En’s suppressed anger suddenly erupted.

“Qiao De, I’m telling you, if there is a next time, I can’t help you anymore. I’m powerless over this mess.”

Every day, she walked on thin ice, never knowing what would happen next.

She was really tired.

“Sis, I’m sorry.”

Qiao De murmured an apology, still sniffing.

But he still wouldn’t say what he did with the borrowed money.

Evening.

Qiao En returned to Chengnan Apartment.

Without taking a bath, she buried herself in the quilt.

She was too exhausted, too tired, but she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

In her mind, Zhou Jin’an’s figure swayed back and forth, his sickly face, his eyes bloodshot from staying up all night, and his solitary yet stubbornly upright figure…

Subconsciously, she was still worried about that man.

She stayed up until dawn, and Qiao En still felt no sleepiness.

She simply got out of bed, yet a sudden wave of nausea surged to her throat.

Barefoot, Qiao En covered her mouth and rushed toward the bathroom.

Last night, she hadn’t eaten anything, and her stomach was completely empty.

Qiao En hugged the toilet, retching on empty, bile almost entirely depleted.

Just then, her phone rang.

The call was from Zhou Jin’an. Qiao En quickly answered.

Zhou Jin’an’s deep, magnetic voice came from the other end of the phone; he sounded somewhat better after a night of rest, but he was still coughing.

“Did you call me last night?”

“Yeah.”

Qiao En sat down on the floor, leaning against the toilet, feeling too weak and drained to speak.

“Is something the matter?”

Zhou Jin’an asked from the other end, his fist pressing against his lips, trying to suppress his cough.

Unable to bear telling him about her miserable state, Qiao En denied it, “No.”

“I just wanted to ask, are you feeling better?”

Suddenly, that nausea surged again; she quickly covered her mouth, trying to suppress it, but the sound still transmitted to Zhou Jin’an through the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Jin’an’s volume increased slightly.

Qiao En endured it and forcefully suppressed the nausea.

“I ate at a street stall last night; I might have upset my stomach.”

Not accustomed to worrying others, she lied, and Zhou Jin’an did not suspect anything.

“Remember to see a doctor today. I’ll be busy for a few more days, and then I’ll come to see you. Leave me a message if anything comes up, and I’ll call you back when I’m free.”

“Okay, sure.”

Qiao En responded faintly.

From the other end of the phone, a burst of noise came through.

Qiao En knew Zhou Jin’an was too tied up to break away.

“Qiao En?”

“I’m here.”

“I miss you.”

After a long time, Zhou Jin’an’s voice came through again.

For some reason, Qiao En’s heart turned sour, and a warm liquid gathered in her eyes.

“I know, go get busy.”

She quickly calmed her emotions and told him.

Zhou Zhendong’s funeral was held with great grandeur, and as the eldest son, Zhou Jin’an had to involve himself heavily.

His health was failing, and he was stretched thin; she couldn’t add to his troubles.

“Okay, sure.”

Zhou Jin’an ended the call.

Qiao En quickly tidied up and went to the hospital.

The street food stalls were plentiful. Qiao En bought a bowl of wontons and ate as she walked.

The wontons had shrimp, and after just a few bites, she couldn’t hold it in and spat everything out.

Qiao En thought she might be reacting to an irregular diet recently, so she didn’t think much of it.

At lunch, Qiao’s mother bought stir-fried vegetables in the cafeteria, a portion of steamed bass, a portion of Kung Pao chicken, and a serving of greens.

Qiao En was listless and had little appetite.

Noticing her unusual state, Qiao’s mother asked, “En’en, why do you look so pale?”

She urged Qiao En to see a doctor.

“Mom, I’m fine, just a bit of insomnia last night. I’ll feel better after I eat and take a nap.”

As she spoke, she yawned, covering it up.

Qiao’s mother didn’t think much of it, only reminding Qiao En to take care of her health.

Seeing Qiao En only eating the greens, Qiao’s mother served her a piece of fish.

Somehow, the fish tasted extremely fishy, and after just a small taste, her stomach began to churn again.

“Oh~”

She put down her bowl, covered her mouth, and rushed toward the bathroom.