Chapter 18: Since when did my blind date become yours?

Qin Hengzhi's pupils contracted.

He hadn't expected Lu Qiaoge to be so strong.

Liu Feng was a grown man, after all.

What he hadn't expected was her speed; she had reached Liu Feng's front almost in the blink of an eye.

She planted a foot on Liu Feng's chest, her voice icy and her gaze violent: "Who gave you the audacity to frame me and my brother? Tell me, who did you bring to the restaurant today?"

The people in the restaurant stared with wide, shocked eyes.

They looked in disbelief at Lu Qiaoge, who had kicked Liu Feng away with a single blow.

Chen Yan was also stunned. Just as she was about to rush forward, Lu Qiaoge turned her head and said to her in a voice as soothing as possible, "I have nothing to do with Liu Feng, so you must stay calm. This man might want both you and your unborn child dead; if you get agitated, you'll be falling into his trap."

Clutching her stomach, Chen Yan stopped in her tracks, filled with panic and unease.

Qin Hengzhi frowned. Looking back, he saw Manager Ma of the restaurant running toward them, panting heavily.

Manager Ma stood beside him, about to speak.

Qin Hengzhi said in a deep voice, "Call the hospital just in case."

Seeing Chen Yan's pale face, Manager Ma hurried behind the counter to make the call.

Meanwhile, Liu Feng felt a wave of pain wash over his entire body, so intense that his vision blurred in bursts of darkness.

Lu Qiaoge removed her foot.

Liu Feng hadn't expected her to be so strong; he hadn't even had time to react.

Clutching his chest, he scrambled to his feet unsteadily, glaring at Lu Qiaoge with dark eyes, teeth clenched: "Lu Qiaoge, you're the one who shamelessly insisted on going on a blind date with me!"

【That woman is hiding in the Qingshan private room upstairs.】

【Her name is Wang Qiqi, and her father is the deputy director of the workshop.】

【She's currently cursing and throwing a tantrum; she even smashed a bowl of steamed meat with radish.】

The tabby cat and the swallow quickly ran back to report the situation to her.

By this time, Qin Hengzhi had walked over, casting a deep look at Lu Qiaoge, who looked as if she were about to strike someone.

This girl looked sweet and innocent, appearing harmless, yet she didn't hesitate to get physical.

He asked Liu Feng calmly, "When did my blind date become yours?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was stunned!

Even Lu Qiaoge looked at Qin Hengzhi in horror.

Did she hear that correctly?

Did Qin Hengzhi just say she was his blind date?

The waitress clapped her hands in delight: "See, I didn't get the room wrong! You two really are on a blind date."

This further served as indirect proof that Lu Qiaoge was indeed on a blind date with Representative Qin.

Of course, not everyone in the room recognized Qin Hengzhi and Lu Qiaoge.

However, seven or eight people did.

Especially Liu Feng, who finally recognized that the young man in the white shirt and black trousers was actually the military representative stationed at the factory, Qin Hengzhi.

Technically, he was even his superior.

His face instantly turned pale and bloodless.

He no longer dared to insist that Lu Qiaoge was the one pursuing a blind date with him.

"Liu Feng," Qin Hengzhi adjusted his cuffs, his expression calm and unreadable, "What do you suggest we do about this?"

Liu Feng froze in place, sweat dripping down from his gold-rimmed glasses: "Rep... Representative Qin, this is all a misunderstanding. I'm sorry!"

He looked at Lu Qiaoge and said through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry. Today's matter has nothing to do with you. I shouldn't have dragged you and your brother into this."

Just then, the tabby cat suddenly shouted: 【Wang Qiqi is crouching on the windowsill in the hallway; it looks like she's going to jump.】

Lu Qiaoge suddenly asked, "Liu Feng, aren't you worried that the woman you brought along might do something foolish in a moment of desperation?"

Manager Ma looked puzzled, but Liu Feng's expression changed drastically. After a momentary pause, he bolted toward the upper floor.

Chen Yan instinctively tried to follow, but then she understood everything.

The others had understood long ago as well.

With a pale face, Chen Yan crouched on the ground, burying her head in her hands and weeping.

Several kind-hearted women didn't join in the spectacle; instead, they walked over sympathetically to comfort her and check on the situation.

Lu Qiaoge didn't move; she just watched calmly.

At that moment, the hospital's doctor on duty pushed the door open, followed by Liu Feng's mother, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Soon, Liu Feng's mother led Chen Yan and the doctor out of the restaurant.

The restaurant fell into sudden silence.

Manager Ma and the waitress had also followed Liu Feng upstairs just now.

Only Qin Hengzhi and Lu Qiaoge remained by the counter.

Qin Hengzhi lowered his eyes toward Lu Qiaoge: "Weren't you going to look for your sister?"

That's right, where had that girl run off to?

She glanced at the tabby cat and said to it in her mind: 【Huahua, help me see where Qiaoling went?】

The tabby cat leaped down from the windowsill with a *whoosh* and ran toward the public restrooms.

Lu Qiaoge took the opportunity to walk slowly out of the restaurant alongside Qin Hengzhi.

The dozen or so people in the restaurant couldn't stare openly.

But once the pair had left, they began to whisper among themselves.

"Lu Qiaoge just had her engagement broken, and now she's on a blind date with Representative Qin? I wouldn't believe it if it killed me."

"Didn't Representative Qin say it himself?"

"He must be helping her out of a jam. With Lu Qiaoge's family background, she's nowhere near his level."

"I feel like Representative Qin is just being kind. After all, Lu Qiaoge was framed by that bastard Liu Feng."

"Don't talk about the military representative like that. Just eat, eat!"

The hall fell silent for a moment before customers began to trickle back into the restaurant.

Someone couldn't help but ask, "By the way, who was that woman with Liu Feng? Why hasn't she come down from upstairs yet?"

"Are you joking? Would she have the face to come down? She's probably already left through the back door by now."

The Zhao Jinbao siblings looked at each other, their thoughts unreadable.

Meanwhile, Lu Qiaoge was thanking Qin Hengzhi.

"Thank you for helping me out of that situation."

Qin Hengzhi gave Lu Qiaoge a deep look and said calmly, "Actually, even if I hadn't said anything, you would have handled it well."

Lu Qiaoge thought that made sense.

In fact, if Representative Qin hadn't been there, she certainly would have given Liu Feng a severe beating.

How dare he try to make her take the fall?

He clearly didn't know how to write the word "death."

Still, Lu Qiaoge replied modestly, "Not at all. Without your words, it wouldn't have been as effective."

Qin Hengzhi only smiled without speaking.

By now, the sun had set behind the mountains, and the last rays of twilight rested on his brow, his gaze settling into a deep pool within the hazy light.

He stood quietly under the tree, appearing very silent, but in truth, he was thinking. He didn't quite understand his own behavior just now.

There were many ways to solve the problem; why did he choose this specific one?

But seeing Lu Qiaoge's innocent and bewildered expression, he swallowed the question of whether she minded.

Fortunately, a jeep pulled up to the roadside at that moment.

Qin Hengzhi nodded politely to Lu Qiaoge, got into the car, and quickly drove away, leaving a trail of dust.

Once he was gone, Lu Qiaoge felt a great sense of relief.

This man was too complex; he was impossible to read.

It was better to keep a respectful distance.

Thus, Lu Qiaoge glared at Lu Qiaoling, who was trudging back slowly.

Seeing that her second sister's expression didn't look good, Lu Qiaoling scratched her hair and explained, "I went looking for a restroom just now. I remembered there was one nearby, but I couldn't find it, so I ran over that way, which is why I'm late."