"So, may I ask, what does Mr. Wang do?" Mo Qi asked deliberately, using this question to flaunt his own superiority. He believed that anyone with a "master" title, be it a writer, painter, or calligrapher, was a sacred being, incomparable to any other profession. This young man in front of him seemed just a little white-collar worker; whatever he did, he surely couldn't surpass him.

Wang Xiaoqiang had already noticed the hostility in Mo Qi's eyes, but he wasn't the type to show off. Just as he was about to confess that he was merely a driver, Li Chunmei spoke up for Wang Xiaoqiang, "Little Qiang is knowledgeable in medicine. You can Baidu it later... giggle..."

"Oh?"

The other two girls immediately showed surprised expressions. Among those present, Wang Xiaoqiang was the youngest, only in his early twenties. What could he know about medicine? Still, they said, "Wow, a Divine Doctor, that's incredible! And so young!"

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't expect Li Chunmei to spill the beans, so seeing no need to be coy, he said, "Ah, I'm no Divine Doctor; I can just administer some injections and prescribe some medicine! I'm just a quack from Martial World."

Xiao Xueqing then exclaimed, "You're really modest. None of the doctors in our hospital fail to admire your medical skills!

Mo Qi's intention this evening was simply to win Li Chunmei's favor. After returning from abroad, he had heard that Li Chunmei was still single and had become a hospital director, which immediately sparked his interest. Seeing all the girls drawn to Wang Xiaoqiang, he felt annoyed and seeing how enthusiastically Li Chunmei treated Wang Xiaoqiang, jealousy soured his face. He barely concealed his hostility toward Wang Xiaoqiang, blurting out, "Enough, enough, we don't have any patients here, why discuss such pointless topics? Come on, let's all sit down, cut the cake..."

Li Chunmei countered, "Cut the cake? Let's wait a bit, cut it when everyone is here. Let's drink and play some songs first..."

Mo Qi was puzzled, "Who else hasn't arrived yet? Who are they? Showing up late to someone's birthday gathering!"

As everyone looked over inquiringly, Li Chunmei had to say, "Ah, just a friend, she's a writer, a big celebrity, very busy. She just got back from a signing event in Guangzhou, just off the plane..."

"Oh, a writer, that's someone I can relate to. Is it a man or a woman?" Mo Qi asked curiously.

"A woman! And she's still single..." said Li Chunmei, turning to Mo Qi with a wink, "Hey, great artist, when she arrives, maybe, I could play matchmaker for you two?" Mo Qi was startled, and though he initially looked keen, his eyes quickly shifted, and he waved his hands, "No, no, no, we wouldn't suit each other. Us artists are quite sensitive, and when two sensitive souls meet, it just leads to clashes. Love needs to be complementary; sensitive people need to find logical partners. I need someone like you, whose mind is more logical because you're a doctor!" Having said this, Mo Qi fixed a deep, affectionate gaze on Li Chunmei.

Li Chunmei looked away.

Mo Qi then turned to Wang Xiaoqiang, "I think it would be more suitable to introduce her to Mr. Wang. Just by looking at Mr. Wang, one can tell he's a very logical person, don't you think, Mr. Wang..."

Mo Qi was too cunning. He had smoothly passed the buck to Wang Xiaoqiang.

Wang Xiaoqiang waved his hand, "Come on, Mr. Mo, I'm not like you; you may see this place as a dating event, but I came here for Chunmei's birthday, so spare me your words."

Wang Xiaoqiang's words hit Mo Qi's soft spot, and Mo Qi showed a look of embarrassed annoyance, indignantly saying, "You are judging me by your own petty standards, everybody look, I came here tonight with sincerity..." saying this, Mo Qi pulled a red jewelry box from his coat pocket, snapped it open, revealing a sparkling ring.

Everyone except Li Chunmei gasped.

Mo Qi, full of deep affection, offered the ring to Li Chunmei, who refused, saying, "Mo Qi, this gift is too valuable, I can't accept it."

But Mo Qi insisted, "This is my heartfelt gesture, if you won't accept it, I'm leaving right away."

Li Chunmei hesitated, looking as if Mo Qi would truly walk away if she didn't accept this gift. Although that was exactly what Li Chunmei wanted, his departure would make her appear mean-spirited. How would everyone else view her then?!

Seeing Li Chunmei in a dilemma, Wang Xiaoqiang reminded her in a suggestive tone, "It's just a birthday gift with good intentions. Just accept it, it doesn't mean much. Look, I also have a gift for you…" Saying this, Wang Xiaoqiang pulled out a box containing jade. Opening it, there lay a piece of Bluefield Jade, glossy and eye-catching. It was clear that this piece of jade was much more valuable than the ring.

"Wow, how beautiful!" The three girls exclaimed. Then they stared at Li Chunmei full of jealousy. A trace of surprise flitted through Li Chunmei's eyes.

Wang Xiaoqiang handed the jade over and said, "Take it, don't overthink it. It's normal to give gifts for birthdays among friends, right, Mr. Mo…" Wang's gaze shifted to Mo Qi. Mo Qi felt a surge of hatred in his heart; he had spent three thousand yuan on the ring to express his love, but it was outshone by the jade. Moreover, his expression of love was belittled to mere friendly intent with a single comment, infuriating him. Yet, feeling embarrassed to object, he managed a forced smile and said, "Yes, yes, it's only proper to exchange small gifts among friends." Li Chunmei then accepted both gifts.

At that point, the three girls also presented their gifts, though they were simple and naturally couldn't compare to Wang Xiaoqiang's jade. After giving their gifts, everyone sat down, drank, and sang. Mo Qi, wanting to show off his singing talent in front of Li Chunmei, selected "You, My Deskmate" and sang passionately.

Surprisingly, Mo Qi's voice wasn't bad, certainly better than the average person, though still far from a professional singer's level.

He sang the song simply to pull Li Chunmei's thoughts back to their school days, so while singing, he gazed at her tenderly.

Li Chunmei was almost unsettled by his stare.

After he finished his song, the three girls cheered, and Li Chunmei clapped symbolically a couple of times.

Feeling pleased, Mo Qi downed a glass of wine and challenged Wang Xiaoqiang, "Mr. Wang, don't just sit there. Do sing one and let us all appreciate your vocal skills!"

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang reluctant to sing, Mo Qi assumed he was tone-deaf… after all, as a white-collar worker busy with work, where would he find the time for music? With this thought, he prodded Wang into singing, simply wishing to see Wang embarrass himself.

"Mr. Wang, come on and sing!" Before Wang could respond, the three girls also energetically urged Wang Xiaoqiang to sing.

Li Chunmei too stared at Wang Xiaoqiang, full of expectation.

If Wang denied singing at that moment, he would appear overly pretentious. Besides, with Mo Qi being so offensive, how could he calm himself without putting him in his place?

"Fine, I'll humbly offer a song…" Wang Xiaoqiang said with a slightly reluctant demeanor.

Seeing the expression on Wang Xiaoqiang's face, Mo Qi grew even more smug… If you don't humble yourself, how can the beauty of my voice shine? Thinking this, he eager said, "Mr. Wang, let me choose the song for you. What are you best at singing? If you really can't decide, maybe I should pick a nursery rhyme for you!"

Insult, a straightforward insult!

Wang Xiaoqiang could certainly tell, but he didn't react with outrage. Dealing with a person like Mo Qi, one couldn't be aggressive, and in such a setting, losing temper would only reveal immaturity and superficiality.

Not just Wang Xiaoqiang, but even the four women beside him couldn't stand it, though no one wanted to disrupt the good atmosphere, especially since Wang was about to sing.

"Nursery rhymes suit sentimental people, who are like kids that never grow up. Rational people like us, of course, should sing old songs…" While retaliating, Wang Xiaoqiang said to Mo Qi, "Help me pick Zhang Guorong's 'A Chinese Ghost Story;' I'll sing this one." (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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