Chapter 136: Bai Muqing, My Girlfriend?

Zhang Mingyang froze as he saw Bai Muqing sitting on the sofa. How could it be her?

Seeing him return, his grandfather waved him over. "Come here, Mingyang. You know this young lady, don't you?"

Bai Muqing had cut her long hair into a short style. If she hadn't been chatting with his grandfather just moments ago, Zhang Mingyang truly would not have recognized her. She looked at Zhang Mingyang with a shy expression, a stark contrast to her demeanor back at the base.

"You're back, Zhang Mingyang."

Hearing her voice, Zhang Mingyang stood rooted to the spot, unable to respond for a long time until his grandmother nudged him, snapping him back to reality.

"Uh... yeah, I'm back."

Zhang Mingyang felt incredibly awkward. Never in his wildest dreams on the way home had he expected the visitor to be Bai Muqing.

"So..."

The two looked at each other, neither knowing how to break the silence. His grandmother, noticing the stifling atmosphere, quickly interjected, "Mingyang, why don't you take Muqing to your room to have a look? Dinner will be ready soon."

"Huh?"

His grandmother nudged him again. "Oh! Right! Uh, would you like to come see my room?"

Bai Muqing nodded, and she followed him into the room. Once inside, Zhang Mingyang quickly shut the door and pressed his ear against it, listening for movement outside. Only when he heard the sound of stir-frying did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness they aren't eavesdropping."

He turned to look at Bai Muqing, who was sitting on the bed, and scratched his head in embarrassment. "What brings you here?"

Bai Muqing lowered her head. "I came to see if your injuries had healed."

Hearing this, Zhang Mingyang pulled up a chair and sat down by the door. "So... how did you find out where I live?"

"Tian Wenyuan told me," she replied.

"Senior Brother Tian?" Zhang Mingyang cursed him silently in his heart. "Why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

"If I had told you, you definitely wouldn't have let me come," she countered.

"That's...!"

Of course I wouldn't have! What would I have said if you came?

Zhang Mingyang asked again, "So, when are you heading back?"

Bai Muqing looked displeased at the question. "You're chasing me away the moment I arrive?"

"No, that's not it!" Zhang Mingyang waved his hands frantically. "I just meant, how long do you plan to stay? The work at the base is quite busy, and I don't want to hold you up."

"Work, work, work! That's all you ever think about!" Bai Muqing pouted, clearly unhappy.

"I..." Zhang Mingyang felt at a loss for words. "Anyway, why did you tell my grandmother you were my girlfriend?"

"Wasn't it you who said it?" Her large eyes widened as she stared at him. "You were the one who called me your girlfriend."

"Huh?" Zhang Mingyang jumped up. He stammered, "I... when did I say that? I don't remember!"

"Are you trying to go back on your word?" Bai Muqing stood up, looking indignant, and backed him against the door. "You said it in the hospital ward. I even have a recording."

"You have a recording?"

Leaning against the door, Zhang Mingyang felt the pressure of her presence. They were so close he could hear her breathing. Soon, his face flushed red. He gently pushed her back and asked, "I really don't remember saying that."

Seeing his denial, Bai Muqing pulled out her phone and played the recording. Zhang Mingyang immediately recognized his own voice: "Bai Muqing, be my girlfriend! I want to marry you!"

"Damn it! When did I say that?"

Hearing the audio, he felt mortified. It was indeed his voice, but he had no recollection of the moment. "I... how could I not remember?"

Bai Muqing turned off the recording and replied indignantly, "During those days you were in a coma, everyone in the ward knew about it! You even shouted it out once!" As she spoke, her own cheeks turned rosy.

"I shouted it out?" Zhang Mingyang tried to recall those days, but no matter how he scratched his head, he couldn't remember a thing.

"Damn it!" He suddenly recalled his senior brother telling him he should marry Bai Muqing. Could he have heard it too? Why hadn't he mentioned it to him? As he thought about it, he wished he could crawl into a hole. How could he have said such a thing?

Seeing that he was still in denial, Bai Muqing moved to leave.

"Wait! Wait!" Zhang Mingyang quickly stopped her. "You said yourself that was while I was in a coma. You have to give me some time to think."

"Then do you admit it or not?"

Zhang Mingyang covered his face, deep in thought.

"Look!" He sat her back down on the bed. "Give me some time. It's not something I can just remember in an instant."

"Fine. I'll give you three days. If you still can't remember, then let's never see each other again!"

"Okay, okay!" Zhang Mingyang agreed immediately. "Three days it is."

Seeing his agreement, Bai Muqing's expression softened. "I brought you some supplements that help with wound healing. I gave them to your grandmother."

"You shouldn't have..."

"Mingyang! Muqing! Come out for dinner!" his grandmother called from outside.

"Coming!" Zhang Mingyang shouted back. He looked at Bai Muqing and asked, "Shall we go eat?"

She nodded. "Okay."

Walking into the dining room, Zhang Mingyang looked at the table full of dishes and asked, "Grandma, you made way too much!"

His grandmother smiled. "It's Muqing's first time here. I have to let her get a taste of our northern cuisine." She then turned to Bai Muqing, "Are you from the South or the North, Muqing?"

"I'm from the South, Grandma," she replied with a smile.

"See! Southern cooking is different from ours. You surely haven't had our northern food before. You must eat plenty today."

"I will, thank you, Grandma," Bai Muqing said.

"Sit down, sit down!"

As his grandmother ushered everyone to their seats, Bai Muqing smoothed her skirt and sat down, while Zhang Mingyang handed out the chopsticks.

"Eat, eat!" his grandmother urged, picking up her chopsticks first.

Zhang Mingyang ate with his usual voracious appetite, like a starved ghost, while Bai Muqing remained ladylike, taking small bites and chewing slowly.

"Mingyang! Watch your manners!" his grandmother scolded, signaling him to tone it down.

"Oh!" Zhang Mingyang glanced at Bai Muqing and shook his head, wondering if all women ate like that.

"How is the food, Muqing? Is it to your liking?" his grandmother asked with a smile.

"It's delicious, Grandma! It's even more authentic than the other northern food I've had," Bai Muqing said, setting her chopsticks down with such grace that it made Zhang Mingyang feel even more self-conscious.

Seeing that Muqing enjoyed her cooking, his grandmother beamed. "If you like it, then eat more, Muqing."