The Enhanced Doctor-Chapter 372: Sudden Encounter

The two were in the middle of eating when they heard the doorbell ring. This made Qiaoqiao curious; her doorbell hardly ever rang.

Opening the front door, Qiaoqiao was stunned. Standing at the villa’s entrance was none other than her father, Qiao Xuezhi.

"Why are you here?" Qiaoqiao asked nervously.

"I happened to be in Binhai City for some business and thought I should visit you. If I don’t take the initiative to come, would you ever visit me? You don’t even call usually," Qiao Xuezhi replied.

"Qiaoqiao, who is it?" Seeing Qiaoqiao hadn’t returned, Liu Banxia called out.

Qiao Xuezhi had been smiling, but upon hearing Liu Banxia’s voice, his face instantly turned stern.

"What are you going to do? He’s my boyfriend. Don’t make a fuss. If you dare to cause trouble... I... I won’t visit you for New Year’s!" Qiaoqiao glared.

Today is just too much, she thought. I never expected such a coincidence, for them to meet just like this. Although there wasn’t much to hide, it still feels a bit early.

Qiao Xuezhi nodded, managing a slight, forced smile. The thought of a stranger already making himself at home, and his precious daughter possibly being taken advantage of, soured his mood completely.

"Um, Liu Banxia, this is my dad," Qiaoqiao introduced with a serious face when she walked back inside.

She felt guilty too. Even though her father always doted on her, she still needed his approval for her relationship, didn’t she?

"Hello, Uncle," Liu Banxia reacted quickly, jumping up from his chair, which startled Tang Dou.

Qiao Xuezhi nodded without saying anything. He was thoroughly displeased with Liu Banxia.

"Say something," Qiaoqiao urged her father.

"Uncle, please sit down. What would you like to eat? I’ll grill it for you right away," Liu Banxia hastily added.

"I wasn’t talking to you! Oh, whatever... just go ahead and grill," Qiaoqiao said helplessly.

Liu Banxia grimaced but sat down obediently, a smile plastered on his face even while grilling, ready for any sudden interrogation from his future father-in-law.

He could already sense from Qiao Xuezhi’s attitude that he wasn’t particularly welcome. He was quite annoyed; if he’d known, he would have stayed at the hospital longer to avoid this awkward situation.

"Hmm... What do you do for a living?" Qiao Xuezhi finally broke the silence.

"He’s a doctor, a chief resident! A very skilled doctor!" Qiaoqiao interjected before Liu Banxia could reply.

"Qiaoqiao, don’t you still have those tea leaves from Old Qiu? Make some for Uncle; he must be thirsty after his journey," Liu Banxia suggested with a smile.

"Oh... make sure you two talk nicely," Qiaoqiao reminded him with some hesitation.

This scene infuriated Qiao Xuezhi even more. His precious daughter was actually listening to an outsider, treating him, her own father, like an enemy.

"Uncle, my name is Liu Banxia. I’m currently a doctor at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Binhai City. Next July, I’ll be eligible to test for my attending physician qualification," Liu Banxia said, putting the skewer he was grilling aside.

"I’m currently a postgraduate student in the emergency center, studying under Director Zhou Shuwen. With a few more years of hard work, becoming a deputy chief physician shouldn’t be a problem."

Qiao Xuezhi nodded slightly. That sounds somewhat decent, he thought. "How long have you been with Qiaoqiao?"

"We’ve officially been together for less than three months. We only met in July," Liu Banxia answered obediently.

"Such a short time?" Qiao Xuezhi’s brows furrowed again.

Liu Banxia nodded. "The time is indeed rather short. Moreover, I’m the chief resident at the Second Hospital’s Emergency Center, so I need to be on call 24/7. In a month, I get three days off at most, which usually means one day off every two weeks."

"Yesterday, there was a dispute because a patient’s family became too agitated. My face is still a little swollen, so I gave myself half a day off."

"Did you kill someone?" Qiao Xuezhi asked abruptly.

"No. Yesterday, there was a car accident where two people were impaled by the same steel bar. The conservative approach would have been to give up on one and focus on saving the other. I was in charge at the scene and managed to save both. This caused some delay, so the family of one of the patients was unhappy," Liu Banxia explained briefly.

He knew Qiao Xuezhi didn’t like him right now, which was why his words were so sharp. He understood, though. After all, their meeting today was too sudden; any father would be upset. This is my future father-in-law; I have to humor him. When my parents came over, we hadn’t even confirmed our relationship yet, and Qiaoqiao accompanied them very well.

"Uncle, even though Qiaoqiao and I haven’t been together for very long, we genuinely like each other. In terms of wealth, I can never compete with Qiaoqiao. What I can do is my utmost to take good care of her," Liu Banxia continued.

"We haven’t fought during our time together, only had minor disagreements on small things. In the future, we’ll try to have small arguments over non-critical matters; it can add some spice to our relationship."

Qiao Xuezhi glanced at him, thinking Liu Banxia was a slick talker.

"Uncle, I’m not just saying this for you to hear," Liu Banxia said seriously.

"You know Qiaoqiao’s personality; she’s strong-willed. If we’re going to truly live together, I need to be more easy-going. But even though Qiaoqiao can be hot-tempered, she actually has a very soft heart."

"If she decides to be good to someone, she’s incredibly direct about it and gives her whole heart. For instance, I used to earn less and didn’t care much about my clothes. Qiaoqiao said that wouldn’t do and gave me a complete makeover, from head to toe, inside and out."

"My friends joke that I’ve latched onto a meal ticket. I don’t get offended; they’re true friends, and it’s also the truth."

"So, you enjoy being kept?" Qiao Xuezhi said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

He expected Liu Banxia to react defensively, but Liu Banxia nodded earnestly. "Actually, any food is fine. As long as Qiaoqiao is happy, even plain fried fish would taste like a delicacy to me."

"The day before yesterday, we discussed her buying me a car. I conceded and agreed to let her buy me one worth three hundred thousand yuan after I finish my chief residency."

"I had to agree. Otherwise, she would have definitely gotten angry with me and wouldn’t even let Tang Dou play with me. I plan to order it in a few days to make her happy. If we wait until next year, who knows what she’ll end up buying, and it’s unlikely she’d consult my opinion."

Qiao Xuezhi looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected such an explanation and felt slightly relieved. "Grill some tendons for me too."

"Are there any seasonings you dislike?" Liu Banxia asked.

Qiao Xuezhi shook his head. "Just grill them however. I came straight from the airport."

"Uncle, you should really visit Qiaoqiao more often," Liu Banxia said.

"I haven’t heard Qiaoqiao talk much about family matters. I’m usually too busy with work to spend much time with her. She mostly hangs out with her best friend and Tang Dou. She’s also doing a great job managing Langtaosha and Jinbao."

"See? That’s my daughter. Business is in her blood. I wanted her to take on more responsibility, but she’s angry with me and refuses to get involved, no matter what I say," Qiao Xuezhi said, a smile appearing on his face.

"I’m not bragging, but when she was taking her college entrance exams, she intentionally left one paper blank so she wouldn’t get into a top university. With her intelligence, she could easily have gotten a master’s or even a doctorate."

"She’s always blamed me for remarrying. But I couldn’t stay single forever, could I? And this family business needs a son to inherit it."

"As for whether you truly suit Qiaoqiao’s heart, I won’t meddle for now. But listen here, kid, if you dare to hurt my daughter, I’ll risk this old life of mine to chop you up."

"Uncle, rest assured, when I’m with Qiaoqiao, she’s always the one bullying me. I wouldn’t dare fight back," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

Now I see the root of it all, Liu Banxia thought. Qiaoqiao’s personality is a perfect inheritance from her future father-in-law. He doesn’t beat around the bush either; even his threats are straightforward.

But Liu Banxia also wondered why Qiaoqiao had been gone for so long. Now, being left alone for this awkward chat with his future father-in-law was really putting him to the test.

"Do you want the tendons a bit more charred?" Liu Banxia asked as he flipped them on the grill.

Qiao Xuezhi nodded. "Yes, a bit more charred. That’s when it’s most flavorful. Tendon is different from other skewers; while others are prized for tenderness, tendon is most delicious with a bit of char."

Liu Banxia gave a thumbs-up. "Qiaoqiao has the same taste as you. Tendons, crispy chicken cartilage—they all have to be slightly charred. She also likes grilled silkworm pupae, but unfortunately, they were sold out today."

"Qiaoqiao also loves dumplings with a filling of chives, egg, and assorted delicacies. The pork has to be lean loin. Cuts like shoulder or rump won’t do; one is too sinewy, and the other’s meat is too tough," Qiao Xuezhi said.

"Thank you so much for telling me, Uncle! How would I have known otherwise? Why don’t we make dumplings tonight?" Liu Banxia hastily suggested.

"You can cook? Don’t you usually just order takeout?" Qiao Xuezhi asked.

"I either cook myself or freeload meals. Although my skills can’t compare to a real chef’s, it’s still better than takeout," Liu Banxia replied.

Qiao Xuezhi glared at him. It’s settled then; this pig has really managed to snatch away my daughter! Even though I had a feeling, confirming it now still makes me a bit angry.

Liu Banxia was momentarily stunned by the glare but quickly understood. This future father-in-law was no simple man. He was openly sharing information, but it was all a ploy to bait him into talking. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Luckily, I don’t have any ulterior motives, and I’m not after Qiaoqiao’s wealth. Otherwise, this future father-in-law would have seen right through me.

Anyway, the pressure is immense right now. This future father-in-law is rough on the surface but shrewd underneath. I need to stay on my guard.