He Qingshi planned to give that bag of loquats to Huo Chuxue. But Huo Chuxue was off duty over the weekend, and he simply didn’t manage to see her.
Another Monday arrived. He Qingshi had a class in the afternoon. Afraid he would forget, he specifically brought that bag of loquats to the classroom.
A ninety-minute lecture passed quickly.
Jiang Nuan came up to the lectern and said softly, “Teacher He, I need to talk to you about something.”
He Qingshi was bent over, unplugging the projector cable, his expression focused. He didn’t look up, his tone faint. “Go ahead.”
Jiang Nuan’s voice was thin and light, her enunciation clear. “It’s like this. Our counselor is leaving his job next week. Our class plans to hold a farewell party for him this weekend and would like to invite you to attend.”
He Qingshi raised his head slightly. “Are the other course instructors going?”
“They’re all going.”
“Where is it?”
“The location hasn’t been decided yet.”
“Tell me once it’s decided.” Over the years, He Qingshi had lived a very solitary life, disliking excessive social interaction. But being part of the mortal world, mundane affairs were unavoidable. Often, he had no choice but to deal with them.
Jiang Nuan pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes brightening. “Okay.”
As soon as class ended, He Qingshi headed straight for the hospital.
A fine, misty rain had fallen in the morning, and the sky was still somewhat gloomy.
However, the moment He Qingshi’s car drove out of University A, the sky immediately cleared up, sweeping away the previous gloom, with drifting clouds floating by.
It had just rained, and the air was damp, as if water could be wrung from it.
Yesterday, after returning from the hospital, he had used the medicine. It was very effective, and his toothache quickly eased, no longer as agonizingly painful as before.
With the toothache lessened, He Qingshi’s mood improved as well.
Entering West Ring Road, the car encountered a red light, and he stopped at the intersection in time.
The car window was cracked open a narrow slit. The slightly cool early spring breeze drifted in through the window, bringing with it wisps of spring’s scent.
He turned to look outside. The phoenix trees lining both sides of the road were lush and green, the branches brimming with verdant life. Small droplets of water still hung on the leaves, sparkling and translucent under the sun.
Spring growth—this was truly a season suitable for life to flourish.
He Qingshi went to Lan Yi’s ward first. He had brought several kinds of nutritional supplements for her.
Lan Yi said with a smile, “Son-in-Law, you really shouldn’t buy any more. Look, my bedside is already piled full. I can’t eat that much.”
He Qingshi placed the supplements down as he spoke. “Eat them slowly. No one’s asking you to finish them all at once.”
Gui Shu was feeding the baby, his movements somewhat stiff and clumsy. But the excitement and joy in his eyes were hard to conceal.
Xiao Qingtian sucked on the pacifier, his little mouth opening and closing, utterly adorable. A newborn changes every day, and he was already starting to fill out.
He Qingshi played with the child for a moment and asked, “Lan Yi, have you seen Doctor Huo? I need to talk to her about something.”
Lan Yi said, “Doctor Huo came by at noon, but she hasn’t been back since. She’s probably in her office. You should go check her office.”
He Qingshi went directly to Huo Chuxue’s office to look for her.
Huo Chuxue was still an attending physician and didn’t have her own private office; she shared one with other doctors. It was a large office divided into four sections, one workstation per person.
The office door was slightly ajar, leaving a crack.
He stood outside the door and raised his hand to knock.
But for a long time, there was no response.
He gently pushed the door open and found the office quite empty.
He Qingshi’s timing was coincidental. The other three doctors sharing the office were: one off duty, one at the outpatient clinic, and one in surgery. The vast office was left with only Huo Chuxue.
And she was curled up on the sofa, asleep.
As for her sleeping posture…
Her sleeping posture really left much to be desired!
Sprawled out, limbs akimbo, curled up into a ball like a large shrimp. The white lab coat draped over her body was loose and baggy, pressed into creases.
The sofa was by the window. The afternoon sunlight was cut by the glass, half of it streaming in, the light and shadows appearing particularly neat. The room was half-bright, half-dim. Beams of light cut through the air, with tiny specks of dust floating within.
Half of the sunlight fell on Huo Chuxue. The skin exposed to the light was nearly transparent. Her clean, plain little face showed not a trace of impurity; it was very clear, with faintly visible fine pores.
She was sleeping soundly, completely unaware that someone had entered.
She always seemed so unguarded. Like last time at Cenling, she had been so bold as to barge directly into his house. Fortunately, he wasn’t a bad person.
This female doctor appeared delicate on the surface, but inside, she was quite bold.
He Qingshi didn’t want to disturb her sleep. He planned to place the bag of loquats on her desk and leave quietly.
Perhaps his footsteps weren’t light enough. As he passed by her, she seemed to sense something, as if she had heard a noise, and turned over.
He held his breath, thinking she was about to wake up.
Just as he was feeling apprehensive, he saw her roll directly from the sofa onto the floor.
“Thump…” The sound was crisp.
He Qingshi: “…”
His footsteps halted immediately.
Her body coming into contact with the cold, hard floor made Huo Chuxue jolt violently, jolting awake from her dream.
Freshly awakened, her eyes were bleary.
She rubbed her eyes as she sat up straight. As her hands moved away, her field of vision widened, and a shadow seemed to fall before her.
What the hell?
Startled, she instinctively looked up. The man’s tall, straight figure abruptly entered her line of sight.
Along with that handsome, naturally elegant face.
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Could she quickly dig a hole and bury herself now?
——
She had performed two cesarean section surgeries back-to-back in the morning, standing for one or two hours straight. After coming out of surgery, Huo Chuxue felt somewhat tired. The key issue was drowsiness; sleepiness assaulted her, fierce and overwhelming, impossible to resist.
Spring lethargy was no joke!
She went to the office to drink some water. She hadn’t originally planned to sleep in the office. But the moment her body touched the sofa, she fell asleep before long.
Huo Chuxue knew her own sleeping posture. To borrow her best friend Qiao Shengxi’s words: ‘A pig’s sleeping posture is more graceful than hers.’
So, not only had He Qingshi seen her unsightly sleeping posture, but he had also witnessed her embarrassing tumble off the sofa.
At this moment, Doctor Huo felt like she really wanted to die!
She quickly scrambled up from the floor, straightening her hair and the white lab coat on her body as she asked, “Um… Mr. He, what are you doing here?”
He Qingshi was holding that bag of loquats, feeling somewhat awkward for a moment. He had barged into her office uninvited, clearly disturbing her rest.
“My apologies, Doctor Huo, for disturbing your rest.”
“It’s fine!” Huo Chuxue desperately tried to smooth out her lab coat, forcing an awkward smile. “Did you need something from me?”
“Oh!” Reminded by her, He Qingshi finally remembered his purpose. He extended the bag of loquats in his hand toward Huo Chuxue. “Last time you mentioned your mother likes loquats. I brought some for you today.”
“My mother?” Freshly awakened, Doctor Huo felt her brain wasn’t working fast enough. For a moment, she couldn’t connect the dots and couldn’t recall who this “auntie” He Qingshi was referring to.
He Qingshi kindly reminded her, “Your mom.”
“Oh…” Huo Chuxue slapped her forehead, finally remembering the nonsense she had spouted to He Qingshi a couple of days ago.
“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to remember.” She hurriedly took the bag, saying flustered, “These loquats of yours have thin skin, thick flesh, lots of juice, and are very sweet. My mother likes them a lot.”
“They’re from our own place, not worth much. I’m glad your mother likes them.” His words were polite.
“I’ll go check on Lan Yi first.” Having delivered the item, He Qingshi didn’t plan to stay long. He still needed to visit Lan Yi.
Huo Chuxue smiled brightly. “Okay, take care, Mr. He!”
After He Qingshi left the office, Huo Chuxue stared at that bag of loquats for a long time. The more she looked, the happier she felt, unconsciously letting out a secret smile. The earlier embarrassment was completely swept away.
She took one out, peeled it, and put it in her mouth. The flesh was soft, the juice sweet, seeming to sweeten her very heart.
In the evening after work, Qiao Shengxi hitched a ride home in Huo Chuxue’s car.
Huo Chuxue stuffed that large bag of loquats into the trunk.
Qiao Shengxi glanced at it and asked, “What’s that?”
Huo Chuxue grinned. “Treasure.”
Qiao Shengxi: “…”
Huo Chuxue kept her eyes on the road, focusing on driving as the silver car moved forward steadily.
Qiao Shengxi sat in the passenger seat fiddling with her phone.
After a while, she suddenly spoke up. “Xiaoxue, I heard from Lin Yao that a handsome guy brought you a love lunch yesterday at noon?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Lin Yao’s mouth really was fast!
“What handsome guy? It was He Qingshi.”
Qiao Shengxi: “…”
“Holy shit!” Now it was Qiao Shengxi’s turn to be shocked. She immediately sat up straight, turning to look at Huo Chuxue. “Your combat power is a bit too strong, isn’t it? He’s already bringing you love lunches this quickly?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Did her best friend’s ability to imagine things have to be this powerful?
Huo Chuxue held the steering wheel with one hand, freeing the other to brush aside the stray hairs falling on her forehead. “Love lunch, my foot. Nothing of the sort. I had lunch with him yesterday noon. Something happened with the patient in Bed 35, so we didn’t get to finish the meal. I came straight back to the hospital. He packed a portion and sent it to the nurse station for me.”
“Your speed is pretty slick too, already having meals together.” Qiao Shengxi revealed an auntie-like smile. “At this rate, bagging that old man is just around the corner!”
The term “old man” in Qiao Shengxi’s words instantly made Huo Chuxue frown, her brows knitting together tightly.
She said discontentedly, “Nurse Qiao, watch your words. He’s not old at all.”
Qiao Shengxi: “He’s thirty-seven. Isn’t that old?”
“Xixi!” Huo Chuxue slapped the steering wheel, her face falling.
“Wow, Xiaoxue, starting to be protective already, huh!”
Huo Chuxue said coldly, “In my eyes, thirty-seven isn’t old. Look at his face.”
Qiao Shengxi: “You saying he’s not old is useless. Your parents have to say he’s not old for it to count.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Qiao Shengxi suddenly became earnest. “Xiaoxue, I know you too well. You can’t hide those little thoughts of yours; anyone close to you can see them at a glance. I admit that guy’s looks are indeed good. But life is reality. Good looks alone aren’t enough.”
The bag of loquats He Qingshi gave was really quite a lot. Huo Chuxue ate some and made preserves with the rest, storing them in the fridge.
Then she received an invitation to her Class 3 reunion. The class monitor had somehow gotten her phone number. Over the phone, he spoke with great emotion and enthusiasm, delivering a long, elaborate speech, warmly inviting her to attend this class reunion.
Since she had already discussed it with Qiao Shengxi beforehand and knew she was going, Huo Chuxue agreed directly over the phone.
This class reunion was scheduled for the weekend at Xizi Renjia, a chain restaurant.
Xizi Renjia was a very popular chain restaurant in Qingling, following the internet-famous trend, with affordable prices, and deeply favored by young people. Many people came here for gatherings and meeting friends.
For this kind of class reunion, it was usually organized by the classmates who were doing well in life. Holding it at Xizi Renjia could also be considered accommodating those who weren’t doing as well.
For the next two days, Huo Chuxue didn’t see He Qingshi at all.
He Qingshi came to the hospital every day to see Lan Yi. But their schedules didn’t align. When he came to the hospital, Huo Chuxue was basically in the operating room. They simply never ran into each other.
Zhang Shulan was discharged from the hospital very soon.
On the day of her discharge, He Qingshi came to the hospital to pick her up.
He was, as usual, dressed in a dark suit, aloof and dignified, yet also appearing rigid.
Through their interactions, Huo Chuxue discovered he basically never wore other clothes; it was always suits. And always in dark, cool tones, rotating between gray, black, and navy blue.
Huo Chuxue signed Zhang Shulan’s discharge papers. Gui Shu had completed the discharge procedures, and their belongings were already packed.
The couple thanked every medical staff member in the obstetrics department for their care. Especially Fang Ru and Huo Chuxue.
The old couple bowed deeply to everyone. “Thank you all.”
Even though they hadn’t known each other for long, when it really came time for discharge, Huo Chuxue felt somewhat sad. Perhaps partings were like that, regardless of scale or occasion.
Fang Ru said, “Take good care of the child. You two have sacrificed so much; the child will repay you in the future.”
Huo Chuxue hugged Zhang Shulan. “Take care of yourself. Call me if anything comes up.”
Standing on the balcony of the 16th floor of the Obstetrics Inpatient Department, she watched as He Qingshi’s car carried the two elderly people away, out of her sight.
She thought, she probably wouldn’t see He Qingshi again after this.