C12 Coincidental Encounter

After being handed the keys, the captain informed Xue Lang that he could return to work once he was feeling better after his hospital discharge. Xue Lang was still groggy, unsure why he agreed so readily.

He hadn't even left the grain depot when Fatty Shao got wind of the news.

As it happened, Lee Wenming was promoted to deputy director the moment he clocked in that morning. The promotion had been swiftly approved by the leadership team in just over ten minutes. Following his promotion, Lee Wenming had a word with Liang, and even the director inquired about the situation. That's what led to Sun Zhongliang's urgent call for Xue Lang to come and collect the keys.

Before Fatty Shao could finish his story, Guo Loong joined them with an even more sensational update.

"Did you hear? Lee Shuwu moved out last night, right in the middle of the night. Rumor has it he's been transferred, didn't even bother to take his furniture."

"He's been transferred?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Xue Lang was well aware that Lee Shuwu had been ousted, but he hadn't anticipated a mere transfer, which was quite different from what he had expected.

Well, it was for the best. No more wasted energy on that man...

Lost in thought, Xue Lang barely paid attention to Fatty Shao, who wasn't dwelling on Lee Shuwu's situation either. In a low voice, Fatty Shao said, "Xue Lang, the weekend's almost here, and the director usually heads home. You planning on going today?"

Though Xue Lang had never engaged in such formalities of greeting and sending off before, he knew he had to act quickly and nodded in agreement, "I should. I'll head out now and make it back by the afternoon."

Generous as always, Fatty Shao pulled out the keys to the Ling Du and tossed them to Xue Lang, "Your sister-in-law just got home. Hurry and deliver this."

Catching the keys, Xue Lang felt a stir of emotion. During working hours, what did he mean by 'just got home'? Clearly, the couple had everything planned out for him.

He didn't voice his thanks but instead called out as he headed for Fatty Shao's car, "Alright! I'll be back by noon. Fatty Shao, find us a restaurant. I'll bring some spices and prepare a couple of rabbits. The other two, we'll save for Brother Ming and Liang. I'll drop them off tonight."

"Alrighty!" Fatty Shao cheerfully agreed.

With the key in hand and the plan set, there was no longer a need to ponder over gifts, except for expressing gratitude to Lee Wenming and Sun Zhongliang.

The trip to the county to drop off the roe deer went off without a hitch. It was as straightforward as an interview—introduce yourself, leave the deer, and exit without so much as a sip of water. Yet, this brief encounter had Xue Lang on edge.

Reflecting on his journey home, Xue Lang couldn't help but marvel at his own situation. A Soldier King, a top-tier sniper, now learning to navigate the nuances of an ordinary, grounded life.

As he rounded the corner onto Main Street, still considering whether to pick up a gift for Fatty Shao's wife as a token of appreciation, a blur of motion caught his eye. Someone was hurtling toward him at breakneck speed.

Xue Lang's reflexes were swift; he slammed on the brakes, and amidst the screech, he leapt out of the car to confront the oncoming figure. Before the person could react, Xue Lang's foot connected with a solid kick.

Thud!

The sprinting figure came to an abrupt halt, flying backward and crashing to the ground a couple of meters away, as if struck by a vehicle.

Xue Lang's keen eyesight and judgment were unmatched. He hadn't held back on the kick, especially after hearing the shouts of a robbery in progress.

The yellow-haired youth was left doubled over, clutching his stomach and dry heaving; his bag was discarded, and he couldn't lift his head, but fortunately, he hadn't thrown up anything substantial.

"Poor thing, can't even afford breakfast, living such a tough life..." Xue Lang mused with a hint of sympathy. He stooped to retrieve the elegant lady's purse and, as a breathless woman approached, handed it back without a backward glance, saying, "Here's your bag, hold on to it."

With that, he turned his attention to the still-writhing figure on the ground.

But as he felt the weight lift from his hand and heard a pleasant voice utter thanks, a wave of recognition washed over him. The voice was eerily familiar. Instinctively pausing, he swiveled around to catch a glimpse of the speaker.

Before he had fully turned around, the girl blurted out, "Xue Lang!"

Xue Lang swiveled to see a slender beauty with an oval face, standing over 1.6 meters tall.

She was strikingly attractive, yet he didn't recognize her and had no recollection of ever meeting her. He hesitated before asking, "Who are you...?"

Before he could finish, the beautiful woman excitedly grabbed his arm, exclaiming, "It is you! What are the odds!"

As Xue Lang was about to inquire further about her identity, he caught sight of a pair of familiar eyes and was enveloped by a faint, recognizable scent.

Was this not the same young nurse who had assisted him in the restroom? Realizing who she was, he exclaimed with delight, "It's you! Shouldn't you be on duty? What brings you here?"

The nurse, thrilled that Xue Lang remembered her, playfully retorted, "If you can sneak out of the hospital, why can't I explore the big city?"

With the recognition mutual, Xue Lang chuckled, "Of course, you're allowed. Though, you can traverse this 'big city' in just ten minutes on foot..."

He was cut off mid-sentence when the purse snatcher, seeing their engrossed conversation, seized the moment to scramble to his feet and dash off.

"Think you can escape?!"

Xue Lang let out a cold huff, ready to give chase.

But the nurse tugged at his arm, halting him. Before he could free himself, she advised, "Let it go, there's no real loss. I'm in a hurry to catch a ride back and deliver these films. Plus, you're still recovering; strenuous activity isn't suitable for you. We'll catch that scoundrel eventually—I got a picture of his face, he won't get far."

Watching the yellow-haired figure recede into the distance, Xue Lang knew he could easily catch up but decided against it, turning back to ask, "How did you get here?"

"Me?" The nurse seemed to reconsider her grip on Xue Lang, releasing his hand as she explained, "I'm not as lucky as you with your car. I had to get up early and take the coach here, and I haven't even had breakfast yet."

Xue Lang didn't elaborate. Noticing the stack of film bags she was cradling, he inquired, "On a business trip? Why didn't the hospital provide transportation?"

The nurse playfully tossed the stack of bags, smiling, "The car's not available, and I certainly can't take an ambulance. Plus, it's not that far—just 100 kilometers. I'll be back by noon."

Xue Lang was just about to grab the paper bag from the young nurse to give her a lift back when the incessant honking of an irritated horn erupted from behind him.

Seeing the traffic jam, the drivers behind him were getting impatient. Xue Lang quickly turned and raised his hand in apology, calling out without looking back, "Hop in. I'm headed that way too."

Without hesitation, the nurse followed Xue Lang and settled into the passenger seat.

The car had barely started moving when the nurse eagerly asked, "Xue Lang, are you the legendary martial arts master everyone talks about?"

"Master? No, not me," Xue Lang replied, shaking his head.

He was telling the truth; even in his past life, he wouldn't qualify as a master. China had plenty of true talents, and he was merely a Soldier King at best.

As the nurse placed the paper bag on the back seat, she continued, "How can you say you're not a master? You took on over twenty guys single-handedly, leaving them all disabled. Ye Si and his crew even had sand guns and opened fire, yet you came out unscathed. If that's not a master, what is?"

Huh?

Xue Lang gave the nurse a sidelong glance, astonished by her detailed knowledge.

After the police had transferred Ye Si and the others to the hospital and made numerous arrests, Bai Jun hadn't leaked a single detail. How could a nurse know so much?

Unaware of Xue Lang's bewilderment, the nurse stowed the paper bag and turned to gaze out the window. Spotting a roasted sweet potato vendor, she exclaimed, "Stop the car, I want to buy a sweet potato!"

Xue Lang hit the brakes smoothly, stopping right in front of the sweet potato cart. Not waiting for the nurse to unbuckle her seatbelt, he opened the door and stepped out, saying, "Ma'am, give me two of the yellow-fleshed ones." He pulled out ten yuan and handed it over.

The nurse fumbled with her seatbelt, calling out, "Let me pay, and why aren't you wearing your seatbelt while driving?"

The sweet potato seller accepted the money, chuckling as she weighed the potatoes, "Young lady, no need to fuss. If your man's paying, why worry?"

Before either of them could speak, the older woman finished weighing the sweet potatoes and, while bagging them, continued, "Miss, these sweet potatoes are deliciously sweet. They're great for your complexion and your stomach. Have some to tide you over until your beau treats you to a big lunch."

"We..."

The young nurse had already stepped down from the vehicle, ready to protest, when Xue Lang simply smiled and shook his head. Accepting the change, he replied, "Right, we'll save the feast for noon. Thanks, and take care, sister."

On their way, the nurse nibbled on a sweet potato, her words muffled, "Consider this sweet potato a bribe then. It's not like I nursed you for nothing. But I'm not coming to lunch; I have to get back to the hospit—"

Her words trailed off as the memory of helping Xue Lang to the restroom flashed through her mind, causing her to blush.

It wasn't surprising, really. At work, with masks on, it was hard to recognize people you weren't very familiar with. The masks hid their shyness and embarrassment, empowering even the most timid young nurses to perform tasks that might otherwise make them blush.

Xue Lang, focused on driving, didn't catch her moment of embarrassment. He grinned, "I'm having lunch with colleagues. We're stewing snow hare. You know all of them, so it won't be awkward."

"I know all of them?"

The nurse asked reflexively, then quickly turned to him, "Did you say snow hare?"

"Yes, snow hare," Xue Lang confirmed, accelerating the car. "Both are fully grown. The larger one is about 11 or 12 catties, and the smaller one is around 10. We're using wild herbs to stew them. It's a flavor you can't usually find in restaurants."

"Really?" The nurse's interest was piqued, and she exclaimed with delight, "I absolutely love snow hare! We had some at home recently, but they weren't nearly as big as you're describing—only about three or four catties."

After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Are they really all your colleagues? Where will you be eating?"

Xue Lang chuckled, "You're acquainted with all four of them—they were with you at the hospital. The hares are being prepared at the Food City, and that's where we'll eat. It's definitely a public setting."

"Got it!" The nurse bit into her sweet potato again, mulling over whether she should bring someone along.

The thought of Xue Lang breaking someone's bones was intimidating, even though she wasn't scared, a flutter of unease still tickled her heart.

But the allure of the snow hare's taste was irresistible to a foodie like her, especially one so large, weighing in at forty to fifty catties. Buying one would cost a small fortune, easily running into the hundreds.

Reflecting on the reason behind Xue Lang's injury, and how he had retrieved her bag without sparing her a glance, she found a sudden sense of security.

"Okay, take me to the hospital first. I'll drop off the X-rays, and then I'm inviting myself to lunch with you at noon."