Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 153: Under the table

Chapter 153: Under the table

Diana lowered her head, ’’I had wanted to tell you about it but he asked me to keep it down. Who could have thought that he tricked me? And made me the bad guy who keeps secrets from you,’’ she felt indignant the more she thought about it.

Maxim looked at her sorry state. She seemed traumatized after being tricked by Director Qin. ’’Mom is included in it too,’’ he said.

’’Is she now?" Diana felt like someone poured a glass of cold water on her, ’’Why would they do that?"

’’Apparently, they get along really well,’’ Maxim shrugged a shoulder, ’’So, they are never tired of pulling pranks.’’

Diana’s lips twitched, ’’What about you?"

’’What about me?"

’’How did you get to know Grandpa Qin?" Just as he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand, ’’Wait... You are not angry anymore, are you?"

’’Oh, I was never angry,’’ Maxim said calmly, fiddling with his cufflinks, ’’I was having fun.’’

"_" Diana suppressed the urge to walk up to him and beat him. Why was everyone having fun with her?

’’Artemis Hospital is not the place where I started working from.’’

’’I have heard about it. I also... When I was in Beijing, I read about your research and interviews in the magazines,’’ Diana said after a moment of hesitation.

’’Did you now?" he quirked a brow.

She nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed. She sounded like a stalker. Clearing her throat, she said, ’’So, the name of the hospital mentioned there was different. That’s why when I went for the interview, I was shocked to see you there.’’

Maxim laughed.

Diana glanced at his dimples. If only he could laugh like that 24X7. It would be so good.

What did she do in her past life to deserve having a celestial eye candy like this sitting in front of her?

Maxim spoke up, snapping her out of her trance, ’’The previous hospital... was troublesome.’’

’’Troublesome?" Diana thought about it for a moment before she guessed, ’’Is it about the interviews and publicity?" When she first saw him in the magazine, she was surprised. He was the kind of person who never liked attention even though he always ended up being the center of it.

So, it was surprising to see him in the limelight. But then she thought that he must have changed his habits over the years.

Maxim nodded, ’’I want to save lives. I am a doctor, not a celebrity. So, I don’t appreciate the hassle of being pestered for media coverage. Director Qin’s invitation was rather timely just when I was considering my options of changing the hospital.’’

That sounded so like the Maxim she knew.

’’Who says you are not a celebrity? You have the potential to be one,’’ Diana stared at him pointedly.

’’Hmm?" Maxim had a blank look on his face.

Diana stroked her chin. Look at that face. He resembled the epitome of innocence.

One of these days, she wanted to show him how utterly crazy his fanbase was. She got goosebumps every time those girls grew hearts in their eyes while looking at him.

The waiter came back with the wine.

Diana was about to look at Maxim when she noticed a familiar face in the distance.

She turned towards the entrance and her jaw went slack when she saw more familiar faces. Even though she had never interacted with them, she could still recognize them because...

Because she saw them in the hospital on a daily basis.

’’G-Get under the table.’’

’’Ma’am?" The waiter looked at her confusingly.

Diana could not shift her attention from the entrance, ’’Get under the table!" she whisper yelled.

The waiter hesitated before he placed the wine bucket on the table and started squatting.

Sensing his movement, Diana glanced at him, ’’Not you....’’ she looked at Maxim who was already looking at her in confusion, ’’You... Get under the table right now,’’ she kept her voice low.

She pushed herself up from the chair and rushed towards him.

Maxim raised a brow, ’’Why should I?"

’’The hospital staff...’’ she stood behind his chair, facing the piano which was on the opposite side of the entrance, ’’They hold kitty parties on weekends. I... didn’t expect that this place was their venue.’’

’’And?" Maxim tilted his head towards the ceiling to look at the person who trying to shield his chair with her tiny frame.

’’And now, they are here...’’ Diana’s heart raced.

’’So...?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief, ’’You... Usually, you show off your high IQ all the time. What happened now? Can you not understand or are you pretending not to?"

’’I don’t get it. Why do I have to hide?"

The confused waiter approached her, ’’Is everything alright, Ma’am, Sir?"

’’Stand next to me. Thanks,’’ she tried to be polite despite her panic.

The waiter looked at her blankly but after a second of hesitation, he stood next to her, properly shielding Maxim.

’’Because they will misunderstand if they see us together. I rejected their invitation.’’

’’So?"

’’Monarchs will never know the misery of us peasants,’’ The rumors about her were inadvertently affecting him anyway. She had yet to think of a solution for it. If people saw them together... That would be a blunder, ’’Get under the table, Warner. I will agree to everything you say,’’ Diana tried to pull the chair back but it did not budge in the slightest.

At this point, Diana wanted to cry but she lacked tears. Had he always been this stubborn?

’’Diana?" Mary’s hesitant voice made Diana’s back stiffen, ’’Diana, is that you?"

The sound of approaching footsteps made her palms turn sweaty.

’’Diana?" Mary was standing right behind her and Diana knew the rest of the group was also there.

’Anything, you said,’ Maxim mouthed before he slid down the chair, disappearing inside the black satin tablecloth.

The waiter: "_"

Diana turned around towards Mary with a huge smile on her face, ’’What a surprise!’’

’’She has been calling you again and again yet you acted like you could not hear her. What are you up to?" Veronica tilted her chin arrogantly as she looked around, observing the table.

Diana glanced at her. She thought her day at the hospital could be considered lucky already given that she did not have to see Veronica’s face throughout the day. But who could have known that the adventure of her day was not over yet?

She was about to retort when she felt a ticklish sensation on the back of her ankle. Maxim’s finger ran on her skin slowly.

Diana held her breath, her fingers clutched her dress as she leaned back on the table for support. This man... What was he doing?

It took her a moment to realize that he was writing something. She frowned and tried to concentrate.

C

H

"Are you blatantly avoiding us now?" Veronica seemed unreconciled.

A

’’Hey, I am talking to you!"

’’Shut up!" Diana snapped.

"Did you just ask me to shut up?" Veronica’s voice was louder this time.

’’I told you to.’’

Maxim was writing something and these people were not even letting her decipher it properly.

S

E

Diana arranged the words in order.

CHASE?

Chase?

Did Maxim mean ’Chase them away’?

Her gaze landed on the group of women who were standing in front of her. Mary seemed bewildered.

It was only then did she realize that her reaction was a bit extreme earlier.

Veronica glanced at Mary, ’’She has been pretending to be all pitiful at work. Look at her now. She can’t seem to contain her true colors...’’

Diana clutched her forehead, ’’Ahh...’’

’’Are you alright?" Mary approached her hurriedly.

’’I have a headache. I was leaving...’’ her words were yet to finish when several waiters and waitresses came and lined up, serving the dishes on the long table.

And suddenly, she started regretting her feast-like orders. Who told her to be greedy?

The waiter who had earlier helped her cover up Maxim looked at her pitifully before he retreated.

Mary patted her back, ’’Didn’t you say you had plans?"

’’Plans...’’ Aren’t my plans under the table because of you people?

Diana forced a smile on her face but it looked like she was on the verge of crying.

Veronica observed the table, the candles, flowers, food, and wine before she looked at Diana’s ’about to cry’ face, ’’Oh, I know what she is trying to hide.’’

Diana straightened up and sent a reverse kick towards Maxim. Are you not hiding properly? How could she know?

He pinched her ankle.

’’Ah...’’ Everyone turned to look at her. Diana clutched her head, letting her head nod off to the side like a wilted flower, ’’Headache,’’ she mouthed at them softly.

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