My Youth Began With Him (Web Novel)
chapter-143

"No, it's fine, just say it here. Plus…you are dating Dr. Wu. If she finds out, she might misunderstand." To Ning Zhiyuan's surprise, Huo Mian rejected his request.

"Mian, please give me a chance to speak to you alone, okay?"

Huo Mian had never seen Ning Zhiyuan so humble, and his attitude somewhat softened her resolve.

"Huo Mian, I'll leave you two alone then." Huang Yue didn't feel comfortable sitting with them, so she picked up her tray and left.

Ning Zhiyuan saw his opportunity and immediately sat down across from Huo Mian.

"Aren't you afraid that Dr. Wu will find out that you were talking to me out in the open for everyone to see?"

"I'm not afraid of her, it doesn't matter," Ning Zhiyuan replied calmly.

"Oh, what did you want to talk to me about? Hurry up, I'm a little busy. I have to go back to work in a bit," Huo Mian said after checking the time on her phone.

Ning Zhiyuan looked at Huo Mian; with a low and secretive voice, he said, "I'm going to an ophthalmology-related medical seminar in Hong Kong next month."

"That's good news, congratulations."

"But everyone's supposed to bring a new academic paper they've written… you know that you were the one who helped me with those in the past, so I was wondering if you could help me again this time…"

Huo Mian understood immediately – his attitude towards her was good because he needed something from her.

"Sorry, I can't help you."

"Mian, please."

"Zhiyuan, you can't rely on others forever. You have a lot of time on your hands, why don't you do some research in the field of ophthalmology? Seriously, if you put your heart into studying and research, you'll succeed. After all, no one can steal knowledge away from you."

"But I don't have the talent. I know that you're a genius."

"I may be a genius, but that doesn't mean that I have to help you."

"I can give you money if you help me write one more paper. How does 30,000 yuan sound?"

Huo Mian smiled… Her smile containing complicated meanings.

Ning Zhiyuan couldn't tell what Huo Mian was thinking, so he upped his offer, "What about 50,000 yuan? You'd be able to buy a Chery car for your brother with that kind of money. He loves cars, doesn't he? You should think about it."

"Zhiyuan, you probably didn't know, but I… I'm not poor anymore. I'm not in need of money."

Ning Zhiyuan kept emphasizing money, so Huo Mian told him this information with a smile on her face.

Ning Zhiyuan hesitated for a second after remembering that Qin Chu person, "Oh right, how can I forget? You have a super-rich-ex-boyfriend, of course you don't need money."

"It doesn't have anything to do with money… either way, I can't help you."

"Women, what a heartless bunch. I can't believe that you won't help me just because we're broken up. It's such a realistic tragedy," Ning Zhiyuan sneered when he heard that Huo Mian wouldn't help him.

Huo Mian was unhappy and refuted, "Is the pot calling the kettle black? I remember that you did the same thing to me."

When her brother needed surgery and she was in dire need of money, he refused to even lend her a penny. Huo Mian knew that if she helped Ning Zhiyuan, she would be the stupidest person on Earth.

Then, Huo Mian stood up and left, leaving her unfinished food where it was…

Ning Zhiyuan had a feeling that Huo Mian changed completely.

She was no longer gentle nor low-key. She wouldn't even smile at him.

After getting home from work, Huo Mian noticed that Qin Chu was there as well.

"Congrats, you don't have to work night shifts anymore," Qin Chu said proudly.

"Um… how did you know?" Huo Mian didn't remember telling him about being transferred out of the OB/GYN department.