He Qingshi did not linger for long and soon left.
When he reached the main entrance of the inpatient building, his phone buzzed with an incoming call.
Bold characters flashed on the screen; the call was from Huo Chuxue.
He stopped, swiped the screen, and quickly answered, “Hello, Doctor Huo?”
“How are your teeth? What did Doctor Zhou say?” Huo Chuxue’s voice came from the other end. It was unclear where she was; the surroundings seemed chaotic and noisy, with a lot of static.
He told her, “Gum inflammation. Nothing serious.”
“Are you still at the hospital?”
“Yes, I just visited Lan Yi and was about to head back.”
“Have you had lunch?” Huo Chuxue continued to ask.
“No.”
The young woman’s light and cheerful voice came through the line, “I was just about to go eat. Would you care to join me, Mr. He?”
He Qingshi: “…”
——
After Huo Chuxue asked that question, she clearly sensed the person on the other end had fallen silent. The very atmosphere seemed to freeze.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone. The device was slightly warm, pressed tightly against her ear.
She slowly made her way through the inpatient lobby. The hall was bustling with people, noisy and chaotic, filled with all sorts of sounds.
Clearly, she had an ulterior motive. Her little scheme had been spotted by Qiao Shengxi long ago.
At the far end of her vision, amidst the constant flow of people, a man’s tall and imposing figure stood out distinctly.
Time seemed to stand still. Noise buzzed in her ears, her blood surged, her heart pounded, and a little deer ran wild in her chest, thumping loudly.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she finally heard the man’s slightly deep voice say, “Alright.”
Clutching her phone, she smiled happily.
——
He Qingshi’s toothache hadn’t subsided, so naturally he could only have congee. The two of them went to the same old-established congee shop, One Porridge One Meal.
Downtown was bustling, with a constant stream of traffic.
The two walked slowly along the sidewalk.
The slightly cool early spring breeze brushed against their faces, carrying hints of spring.
On both sides of the road, the leaves of the phoenix trees were lush and green. Sunlight shone through the treetops, leaving small, dappled spots of light on the ground. Stepping on them, the light spots jumped onto white shoe tops, lively and playful.
Huo Chuxue seemed to have found a fun game, deliberately stepping on those light spots all the way.
He Qingshi noticed her actions and found them somewhat childish.
Unfortunately, that meal ultimately didn’t happen. Because a colleague called Huo Chuxue unexpectedly, and she had to rush back to the hospital. A patient under her care had developed adverse postoperative reactions, and she needed to go handle it.
They had already reached the congee shop, but fate just wouldn’t let her have this meal. In truth, she was quite frustrated, but with a life at stake and her duty as a doctor, she dared not delay.
After hanging up her colleague’s call, she apologetically said to He Qingshi, “I’m sorry, Mr. He. A patient’s condition has taken a turn. I must return to the hospital immediately. We won’t be able to have this meal today. Let’s make it another time.”
He Qingshi understood the nature of a doctor’s profession well; patients came first. “The patient is more important. Please go attend to your duties, Doctor Huo. We can eat anytime.”
Huo Chuxue glanced at the congee shop’s gilded signboard and said to him, “Then please make yourself at home. I’m heading back to the hospital.”
“Alright.”
She turned and ran, her black ponytail swinging behind her. The dark green long trench coat she wore rustled with her brisk and agile strides.
She was running in genuine haste, almost barging through the crowd along the way. It seemed her patient’s condition must be quite serious, otherwise she wouldn’t have run so urgently.
He Qingshi walked into the old-established congee shop.
The patient’s condition was indeed serious. By the time Huo Chuxue finished handling it, two hours had passed.
Having missed lunch, her stomach was empty and her gut ached fiercely. She rubbed her flat abdomen and dragged her tired body step by step back towards her office.
As she passed the nurse station, Lin Yao, who was on duty, promptly called out to her, “Wait, Doctor Huo! Someone brought you some food.”
“Food?” She frowned and stopped.
Lin Yao pushed a takeout bag towards her, blinking twice with a knowing, ambiguous look. “A handsome guy asked me to pass this to you!”
Seeing the “One Porridge One Meal” logo on the bag, Huo Chuxue immediately understood.
Hah, who would have thought that man could be so thoughtful!
“Doctor Huo, you have to come clean, is there something going on?” Lin Yao tilted her head, wearing a gossipy expression.
“Thanks!” Huo Chuxue took the takeout bag, pursed her lips into a smile, and said, “No comment!”
Lin Yao: “…”
Hah… keeping it mysterious!
Carrying the takeout bag back to her office, she quickly unwrapped it. A rich, fragrant aroma immediately wafted out. She caught the scent of spinach and chicken.
It was actually her favorite spinach and shredded chicken congee!
It seemed he had remembered her preference from that day.
Her stomach was growling fiercely, and her appetite was thoroughly whetted.
She eagerly scooped a spoonful into her mouth. The chicken was tender, the rice grains thick and sticky, instantly pleasing her taste buds. Her eyes narrowed into slits, her expression one of pure enjoyment.
She finished that bowl of congee in no time. After eating, she cleaned up her desk, then pulled her phone out from the drawer. She wanted to call He Qingshi and properly thank him. For someone hungry and exhausted, this bowl of spinach and shredded chicken congee was nothing short of a godsend.
Two text messages had just come in on her phone.
He Qingshi: “Thank you, Doctor Huo. I’ll treat you another day to return the favor.”
He Qingshi: “I packed a congee for you and left it at the nurse station. Remember to pick it up.”
One was sent three hours ago, the other two hours ago.
The way this man composed text messages was just like his personality: proper, meticulous, and coming across as rather rigid and stiff.
Huo Chuxue didn’t like texting; she found it troublesome. She called him directly.
“Hello, Doctor Huo?” After the call connected, the man’s heavy nasal tone came through the line.
“Mr. He, are you home yet?”
“Already back. Feeling a bit sleepy, was just about to take a nap.”
She leaned lazily back in her chair, one hand holding the phone, the other unconsciously fiddling with the corner of a case file, one page after another, in a steady rhythm. “Thank you for packing the congee for me. I really liked it.”
He Qingshi’s tone was light. “You’re welcome. It was just a small gesture. If anything, I’ve been troubling you a lot lately, Doctor Huo.”
Huo Chuxue said, “They’re all minor matters. Please don’t dwell on them, Mr. He.”
The two exchanged polite pleasantries, courteous yet distant.
“What congee did you have for lunch?” Huo Chuxue continued to ask.
“Green vegetable and pumpkin congee.”
“How was the taste?”
“I quite liked it.”
“Their signature dishes are mushroom and shredded chicken congee and black glutinous rice congee. You can try them once your toothache is better.”
“Alright, I’ll try them next time.”
“Doctor Huo, I need to sleep now. I’m terribly sleepy.”
“Okay then, rest well. Drink more hot water.”
“Goodbye.” The other end promptly hung up.
Hearing the busy tone from her phone, Huo Chuxue felt as if a corner of her heart had collapsed, crumbling into pieces.
He Qingshi’s nap lasted quite a while. By the time he woke up, the sky was completely dark.
The bedroom was empty, and so was his heart, wrapped in endless darkness.
They say you shouldn’t nap for too long, because the moment you wake up is when you feel most alone.
He got out of bed and pushed open the window. It had started raining outside at some point.
Under the dim sky, rain fell diagonally, saturating the air. A few sparse old trees swayed their leaves.
The rain had come suddenly. The clothes he had hung out on the balcony were still there.
He shuffled to the balcony in his slippers. The clothes were already soaked by the rain. He brought them inside, hung them on the drying rack, and didn’t bother to wash them again, just left them as they were.
He was still hungry.
Ever since Lan Yi became pregnant, the old couple had moved out of the He family home and rented a place outside. His meals had become even more irregular. He ate when he remembered, and let it pass when he didn’t.
Ten years ago, everyone was in this home. Later, Su Miao left, Yuanyuan left, his parents left. Lan Yi and Gui Shu also moved away from the He family home. Ten years later, today, only he remained.
He ordered takeout online.
While waiting for the delivery, he processed a few emails.
The homework he had assigned to Class 3 had been collected and sent to his email by the study committee member, Jiang Nuan.
He was a specially appointed professor at University A, teaching only two classes: Class 3 and the neighboring Class 2.
With only two classes’ worth of homework, grading it was relatively quick.
The takeout arrived fifteen minutes later.
It was also a corn, ham, and lean pork congee, but it wasn’t even half as good as the one from “One Porridge One Meal.” The congee was too salty and had a strong, gamey meat smell. He took two sips, felt nauseous, and promptly threw it in the trash.
The taste lingered in his mouth, so he went to the kitchen to brush his teeth. Passing by the coffee table, he nearly tripped over a box.
Looking down, he saw it was the box of loquats Gui Shu had brought him a few days ago.
It was a full, large box, weighing over ten pounds. He had given some to a few relatives and colleagues, and about a third remained.
He disliked sour things and didn’t care for loquats. This box had been sitting in his house for days, completely untouched.
The house was dry and the temperature wasn’t high, so the loquats weren’t likely to spoil. The bright yellow fruits were large and still looked fresh.
He went to the kitchen to brush his teeth and came out. He poured a glass of cold water. Through the glass, the transparent liquid was clear to the bottom.
He drank half the glass before his thirst was quenched.
Looking at these loquats, he couldn’t help but recall what Huo Chuxue had said before.
He rummaged in the storage room for a clean paper bag, put the remaining loquats inside, and placed it prominently in the middle of the coffee table.
He would give these loquats to Huo Chuxue as a way of repaying her kindness. That was what He Qingshi thought.