After coming out of Hu Lai's room, the two of them sat and chatted in the living room downstairs, telling interesting stories about their past student days and interesting people and things in their respective clubs.
During this process, Li Qingqing was often amused by Hu Lai, laughing until she burst into tears.
It was a good day and I couldn't continue chatting anymore, but I was interrupted again and again by Li Qingqing's laughter.
At this time, Hu Lai was speechless and spread his hands: "Is it that funny? I feel like you haven't stopped laughing tonight..."
Li Qingqing finally stopped laughing, shook his head and said: "No wonder people say you are the founder of the cross talk football school... I think you don't have to work hard to move on the court, just tell jokes to your opponents and make them laugh.
Once you get down, you will naturally have no one to guard against!"
"Who do you think I am? Let me tell you, I am a serious player!"
Upon hearing Hu Lai's words, Li Qingqing laughed again: "Are you still serious?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"I'm afraid your opponents don't agree that you are serious!"
Hu Lai was about to retort when he heard the WeChat video ringtone.
From Li Qingqing’s mobile phone.
The two people looked at the screen at the same time and found that what appeared on it was...
"dad"
"Isn't it? You're doing ward rounds?" Hu Lai blurted out in surprise.
Li Qingqing glared at him, then picked up the phone and walked aside to ensure that Hu Lai would not appear in his video screen, and then connected the video call.
Soon her father Li Ziqiang's face appeared there.
"dad?"
"You haven't slept yet, Qingqing?"
"Nope."
"Oh, aren't you at home?" Li Ziqiang frowned slightly, "It doesn't look like your apartment..."
"Oh, no, I'm outside. What's the matter, Dad?"
"It's nothing. I came to my grandparents today, and they want to see you." Li Ziqiang waved to the side as he spoke, and soon Li Qingqing's grandparents appeared on the screen.
Li Qingqing greeted them and shouted sweetly: "Grandpa and grandma!"
"Hey, Qingqing is good!"
Hu Lai watched Li Qingqing and her family chatting via mobile phone video, and he silently muted his mobile phone.
Then she eavesdropped on the conversation between Li Qingqing and her family.
From talking about Li Qingqing's current situation to the daily life of the two elders, grandma also complained to Li Qingqing about Li Ziqiang.
"...Your dad came today and brought another bag of fruit. We hadn't even finished the fruit he brought last time...but he just threw it away! Do you think it's a pity or not? What a waste!"
Li Ziqiang's defense sounded next to him: "Mom, you spoiled those oranges and they became moldy..."
"Aren't there two good ones?" Grandma complained.
"Everything else in the same bag is moldy, only the two are good, but even if they look good, how dare I let you eat them..." Li Ziqiang was helpless.
Li Qingqing covered her mouth and laughed: "Grandma, I will teach you a way. Next time, you should eat all the fruits before my dad comes, otherwise he will throw them away next time!"
At the same time, she glanced at Hu Lai very covertly and saw that he was scrolling through his mobile phone with his head lowered. She didn't know if he heard the conversation just now.
Grandma asked: "Qingqing, are you still living alone in that apartment?"
"Ah? Yes...I am alone..." Li Qingqing thought that her little move was seen by her grandmother, and she felt a little guilty, and she seemed to be unconfident when she answered.
"Aren't you too young to find a boyfriend?"
"Oh, grandma, I'm only twenty-three years old..."
Li Qingqing didn't expect that her grandma would ask this question. It would have been okay if it was normal, but the key point is that she is not the only one in the house now!
So she was greatly embarrassed.
"Twenty-three is not too young. In two years, we will be twenty-five. There are only five years between the age of twenty-five and the age of thirty. Let me tell you Qingqing, once you are twenty-five, that time will pass.
It’s so quick…”
Li Qingqing peeked at Hu Lai again and found that he still lowered his head. He didn't know whether he heard it or not...
Grandma over there is still talking: "...you are from a girl's family, but you are still alone in a foreign country..."
Li Qingqing was afraid that her grandmother would say something even more outrageous, so she could only interrupt her: "Grandma, you already know that I am in a foreign country. Do I want to find a foreign boyfriend?"
Grandma was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "No, you can't find foreigners...I heard they have a strong smell..."
"Then I'm surrounded by foreigners, so I have no choice but to stop looking." Li Qingqing praised his wit.
"It's not like they are all foreigners... Hey, who do I think..."
"Okay, okay, look what you're talking about..." Before grandma could finish speaking, grandpa leaned into the screen and snatched the phone away, his face still facing outside the screen. "Don't worry about Qingqing's affairs.
She is so tired from training and competing every day, how can she find time to find a boyfriend?"
After complaining about his wife, grandpa looked at Li Qingqing: "Don't take your grandma's words to heart, she is like this... your grandma is also worried about you."
"I can't do it, grandpa." Li Qingqing replied obediently with a smile. "I have been abroad for so many years and I am used to it. There is nothing to worry about."
"It's getting late, it's time for you to go to bed, right? We won't talk about it anymore... Do you want to talk to Qingqing about self-improvement?"
There was no sound outside the screen, and Li Ziqiang probably just waved his hand.
Grandpa turned his head and waved to the camera: "Good night, Qingqing!"
"Good night grandpa, good night grandma, good night dad!" Li Qingqing said good night one by one before ending the call.
Then she turned to look at Hu Lai who was looking down: "Did you hear everything?"
Hu Lai laughed twice: "Your grandmother and my mother are really alike..."
Li Qingqing frowned: "It's weird for you to say that. It seems like you are calling Aunt Xie old."
"No, I said your grandma is young." Hu Lai quickly defended.
Li Qingqing laughed and looked at her phone again: "Yeah, it's really getting late, I have to go..."
"Let's go? Where?" Hu Lai was surprised, "Is there a plane back to Paris so late?"
"What? I booked a hotel."
"Back off, stay here!" Hu Lai blurted out with a wave of his hand.
But after saying this, he was stunned.
Now there are only two of him and Li Qingqing, and Morikawa Junpei is not here. It means that they are alone in the same room, but he wants her to stay... Isn't it not good?
What would Li Qingqing think about this?
Will she feel that her purpose is impure?
Thinking of this, Hu Lai felt embarrassed.
Just when he was embarrassed, Li Qingqing said: "It's okay, I'd better go to the hotel to stay."
Seeing that her tone was normal and she had a smile on her face, Hu Lai didn't seem to be offended by her outspokenness just now, so she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, okay. Then I'll take you to the hotel..."
After saying that, he stood still.
"Then let's go?" Li Qingqing did not refuse and walked to the door to pick up the box.
"Okay, let's go." Hu Lai followed behind her.
※※※
Leeds is not a big city, and although Hu Lai lived in the suburbs, it was quick to drive to the hotel. In less than twenty minutes, he sent Li Qingqing to the hotel gate.
"I'm leaving." Li Qingqing unbuckled his seat belt and turned to Hu Lai.
"great, see you tomorrow."
"Well, see you tomorrow."
When Li Qingqing turned around to open the door, Hu Lai stopped her again: "Hey..."
Li Qingqing took back her hand and looked back at him: "Huh?"
"Goodbye." Hu Lai waved to him.
Li Qingqing smiled slightly: "Goodbye."
When she opened the door and got out of the car, the doorman had already taken her luggage out of the trunk and led her into the splendid hotel lobby.
Hu Lai was in the car, turning to watch her back as she walked through the revolving door and towards the front desk.
A feeling of loss suddenly surged into my heart.
He regretted a little, why he didn't take a firmer attitude and just let Li Qingqing stay. Anyway, there was still an empty guest room, and they weren't really in the same room, so what was there to worry about?
Besides, he and Li Qingqing have known each other for so many years, why did they suddenly become so quarrelsome?
※※※
Li Qingqing took out her passport and online booking voucher and went to the front desk to check in.
"Ms. Li?" The front desk clerk held up her passport.
Li Qingqing took off his cap and mask and asked the other party to compare his identity with the photo.
"Thank you." After completing the comparison, the front desk lowered his head and started to check her in.
Li Qingqing put on her mask again and buckled her cap.
Then he stood in a daze.
The hotel was booked together with the flight. From the beginning, she never expected to go to Hu Lai's house, let alone spend the night at his house.
So this should be a normal ending.
but……
If I don't insist on staying in the hotel at that time, will he really keep me?
Or suddenly he laughed mischievously and said, "Are you serious about it?"
With that bastard's character, the latter seems really possible...
Thinking of this, Li Qingqing turned to look at the hotel door. To her surprise, Hu Lai's car did not leave, but parked outside the door with its brake lights still on.
She suddenly said to the front desk clerk who was doing business: "I'm really sorry, I suddenly have an emergency and can't check in. Is that okay?"
Although the other party was surprised, he still maintained a professional smile and handed the passport back with both hands: "Of course, I hope I can serve you next time. I wish you a pleasant stay."
"Thank you. I'm very sorry..." After Li Qingqing took her passport, she picked up the box and strode towards the door.
※※※
Logically speaking, it seems reasonable for Li Qingqing to stay in a hotel when she comes to Leeds.
Is it unusual for her not to stay in a hotel?
So what’s wrong with booking a hotel in advance?
Yes, nothing wrong.
Then you are so confused here!
If I don't want to stay in a hotel, why should I stay in your place?
Hu Lai thought about it and felt that this was right.
He smiled mockingly to himself, and then realized that he was still parked at the entrance of the hotel.
So he was ready to leave.
Just as he put his hand on the gear lever, there was a knock on the passenger window.
He turned around and saw Li Qingqing leaning down and gesturing to him to open the trunk.
"Forgot something?" Hu Lai asked while opening the electric tailgate.
Then she saw through the rearview mirror that Li Qingqing had put her box back in!
Next he saw Li Qingqing closing the trunk, walking back to the passenger seat, opening the door and getting in.
"What's wrong?" he asked in surprise.
Li Qingqing lowered her head to fasten her seat belt and said: "There is a problem with the hotel system. I don't know why there is no booking information for me. The rooms are full and I can't stay today."
Fastening her seat belt, she looked up at Hu Lai: "So I can only go to your place to live."
The latter looked at her blankly and did not respond.
Li Qingqing tilted her head: "What? You're not welcome?"
Only then did Hu Lai react: "Welcome, welcome, warm welcome!"
At the same time, he stepped on the accelerator.
"Buzz!"
The exhaust pipe and engine compartment of this world championship version of the tank erupted with hearty and violent roars, as if they were back on the racing track.