NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 19
Bao Zhu promised that in the future if there was a matchmaking meeting, she would tell Hu Li first and let Hu Li help screen for her. Only then did Hu Li reluctantly hang up the phone.
Cheng Peng asked her, "Did Liu Baozhu really have a romantic rumor with a teacher at your college?"
Hu Li rolled her eyes at him. "I told you it was an unsubstantiated rumor. Why do you have to learn all the bad stuff from that nosy Qing Qing?"
At the same time, Song Qi was also asking Qing Qing.
Qing Qing said, "I'm just gossiping with you, you must not spread it around, otherwise Hu Li will scold me again."
It happened in the second semester of their freshman year. Qing Qing still remembered when the cadavers for the anatomy class were first transported from the old campus to the new campus, the lingering smell of formaldehyde made her feel like her stomach was punched, wanting to vomit but nothing would come out.
On that day, about half of the food in the cafeteria was left uneaten. Other than Bao Zhu, it seemed not many girls went to eat. No matter what happened, Bao Zhu would always eat properly at mealtimes. It wasn't because she was greedy. In fact, Qing Qing knew Bao Zhu didn't care much for food. It was more like a ritual of survival that she always ate on time.
In later anatomy classes, whether theory or lab, Liu Baozhu was always far ahead of all other students, boys and girls alike.
Qing Qing still remembered that first anatomy lab when the teacher asked a student to locate the appendix on the cadaver. As Bao Zhu answered the question, she calmly put on gloves and placed her hands inside the corpse to examine it. Her composure was almost creepy.
That was also Qing Qing's first and only anatomy lab. Afterwards she applied to switch majors.
Rumors between Bao Zhu and the teacher started circulating around the second semester of their sophomore year. There were repeated sightings of Bao Zhu alone with the teacher in the lab.
In the dreary lab permeated with the formaldehyde smell, seeing a youthful girl with a teacher twenty years her senior stirred up everyone's imagination. It became the talk of campus for some time.
Song Qi asked, "Were the rumors true?"
Qing Qing dismissed it casually. "Probably not, but who knows? Bao Zhu could access the lab that others had to reserve time for."
At the same moment, Cheng Peng was also asking, "Are the rumors reliable?"
Hu Li denied it categorically. "Of course not. They were just jealous. In the professional skills competitions, Bao Zhu always got first place with perfect theory and practical scores. Her suturing speed broke records of past students. Those boys couldn't take it and found an excuse to smear her reputation."
What Hu Li didn't say was that for a long time, Bao Zhu had a set of keys to the lab.
Even the department chair knew that if the anatomy teacher was away, the lab could be opened by his student Liu Baozhu.
So while the rumors were indeed sensational for a period, they didn't cause much impact since those involved went about their business as usual.
Hu Li said resentfully, "I feel like Qing Qing was up to no good tonight. Did she deliberately bring Song Qi here to stir things up? How malicious."
Cheng Peng asked, "Aren't they cousins? Why do they seem at odds with each other?"
That was another story.
What Hu Li didn't say was that when she checked her moments from last night about her plans to come to this steakhouse tonight, she resentfully said, "Do you think that wretch Qing Qing knew we'd be here tonight and arranged this 'coincidental' meeting on purpose? See, she even liked my post."
"Ha, she must be worried that Song Qi is up to no good regarding us."