The rain fell steadily for a full week, a fine drizzle that saturated the air with moisture, making it feel like a water-soaked sponge.
A week later, the skies cleared, and the day was bright and crisp.
As soon as the sun came out, the temperature shot straight up, leaping to thirty degrees Celsius in an instant.
Fashionable young women scorned their spring outfits, and many had already changed into pretty skirts, baring their pale, slender legs.
He Qingshi dressed the same all year round—nothing but suits. The only difference was that they were thinner in spring and summer, thicker in autumn and winter.
On Friday morning, he got dressed for work. He pulled on his shirt and began buttoning it up from the bottom.
When his fingers touched the top button at the collar, he paused for no apparent reason. Almost instantly, Huo Chuxue’s words from that night flashed through his mind.
“Aren’t you always hot, buttoned up so tightly?”
His thoughts took a subtle turn, and he left that top button undone.
He had two classes in the morning.
Driving to the university, he noticed the metasequoias and phoenix trees along the road seemed to have grown greener, the signs of spring becoming ever more pronounced.
His class for Section 3 was first period.
He Qingshi always arrived in the classroom five minutes before the bell and took attendance five minutes before the end of class, without fail.
At eight twenty-five, he appeared in the classroom right on time.
His arrival instantly hushed the previously noisy lecture hall.
Jiang Nuan sat in the first row, her gaze fixed forward, the picture of a model student.
In university lectures, the first three rows were usually occupied by the diligent students, while the slackers preferred the back, far from the teacher’s line of sight.
Seeing He Qingshi today, Jiang Nuan couldn’t quite put her finger on why, but she felt he seemed different somehow. He appeared more spirited, more vigorous.
“Class begins!”
The girl sitting next to Jiang Nuan, her roommate, leaned in and whispered, “Don’t you think Teacher He is different today?”
“How so?”
“His shirt button.”
Jiang Nuan looked over and saw from a distance that He Qingshi hadn’t fastened all his buttons today. He’d left the top one undone, revealing a small section of his collarbone, sharp and bony.
Leaving that button open added a touch of casualness and ease, shedding some of his previous rigidity.
“Unprecedented! The old man has changed his ways!”
“It’s hot, probably,” Jiang Nuan said, finally looking away after a long moment.
“Come on, Teacher He has taught us for a whole semester. When have you ever seen him undo a button? Not even in the height of summer!”
—
After finishing his morning classes, He Qingshi drove to Lan Yi’s house. He had promised her a couple of days ago that he would come over for a meal.
Lan Yi now lived in an old residential district in the suburbs of Qingling. The apartment was one He Qingshi had rented for the couple.
The old couple had spent most of their life savings on the test-tube baby procedure and had even sold their old house back in Wangchuan.
In He Qingshi’s eyes, the old couple were his only family left in this world. Helping them was never too much. He wanted to buy them an apartment, but the old folks were stubborn and flatly refused. He wanted to hire a postnatal caregiver for Lan Yi, but neither of them would allow it.
He stood outside the door. It wasn’t locked; a gentle push opened it.
Gui Shu must have left it unlocked for him, knowing he was coming.
Once before, he had arrived right at mealtime. Gui Shu had been cooking in the kitchen and couldn’t hear the doorbell. Lan Yi, confined to bed after childbirth, couldn’t get up to open the door for him. He had stood outside for half an hour, repeatedly texting Gui Shu to come let him in.
This time, the door was simply ajar.
As soon as the door opened, he was hit by the aroma of braised prawns, rich with the scent of scallions and garlic, assaulting his nostrils.
He Qingshi always brought a pile of things with him on each visit. He set the items down on the floor and walked into the kitchen.
Sure enough, Gui Shu was cooking braised prawns.
Gui Shu smiled and gestured, ‘You’re here, Son-in-Law!’
He Qingshi said, “I came straight after class.”
They were all family, so after just a couple of words, he left the kitchen, letting Gui Shu continue with his work.
He went to see Lan Yi and Xiao Qingtian.
Xiao Qingtian was already over twenty days old, almost a full month. He had filled out quite a bit, his skin was delicate, and he looked adorable, sleeping soundly in his cradle.
He Qingshi glanced around. The room was small, cluttered, with various things piled together, making it feel cramped.
“Is Gui Shu managing alright without a postnatal caregiver?”
“He’s managing fine. It’s not the first time your Gui Shu has taken care of me during confinement. When we had Yuanyuan, he took care of me all by himself.” Lan Yi felt around by the head of the bed and pulled out an envelope. “Son-in-law, we didn’t use this money. Please take it back.”
He Qingshi looked up and saw it was the money he had secretly slipped to Gui Shu earlier.
He didn’t take it. “That’s for the child.”
“We can’t accept it, even if it’s for the child. We owe you too much over all these years. You can’t keep subsidizing us like this. It’s a bottomless pit, impossible to fill. You’re still young, you should have your own life. I’ve told your Gui Shu, we’ve recorded every bit of money you’ve given us over the years, and we’ll pay you back every cent in the future.”
“It’s not much money. You and Gui Shu shouldn’t be like this. In my heart, you are family. If Miao Miao were still here, she would have done the same.”
“In the first few years after Yuanyuan passed, your Gui Shu and I couldn’t move on. I often held Yuanyuan’s photo and sat through the night until dawn. I couldn’t bear to see girls her age; seeing them would make me think of Yuanyuan. Then I’d start crying, missing her desperately. But it’s better now. We have Qingtian. He will take Yuanyuan’s place and stay with us. No matter how hard it gets, your Gui Shu and I aren’t afraid anymore.” Lan Yi looked quietly at He Qingshi. “Son-in-law, if your Gui Shu and I could walk out of something so difficult, can’t you? If Miao Miao knew in the afterlife, she wouldn’t bear to see you tormenting yourself like this.”
“Aunt Lan, I’m doing quite well now.”
He was doing fine—he ate, he slept, he went about his life like nothing was wrong—but he didn’t smile anymore.
Lan Yi’s heart ultimately softened. She couldn’t bear to push him, so she left some things unsaid.
“Ding-dong…” Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Son-in-law, could you get the door for me?”
“Is someone else coming?”
“Probably someone from the hospital.”
—
He Qingshi went to open the door. As soon as it swung open, there stood Huo Chuxue, just as expected.
In the dimly lit hallway of the old residential complex, where only a sliver of light managed to penetrate, her appearance was undoubtedly a bright spot.
She wore a white off-the-shoulder blouse paired with a dark green pleated maxi skirt that revealed her fair, delicate ankles. Her white sneakers were spotless, and her figure was graceful. She wore light makeup, her lip gloss a bright nude pink that made her look lively.
Her hair was in a bun, a crossbody bag hung from her shoulder, and she carried a fruit basket in her hand—charming yet playful and cute.
He Qingshi actually rarely saw her in other clothes. Almost every time he met her was at the hospital, where she wore a standard white coat, looking efficient and capable, but also somewhat aloof. The other few times, she wore a trench coat, simple and neat, but not particularly eye-catching.
To be honest, he seldom paid much attention to how others dressed. It was rather strange that he could remember Huo Chuxue’s outfits so clearly. Perhaps it was because he had seen her in the white coat too many times, making her other clothes stand out and leave an impression.
Huo Chuxue was clearly surprised to see He Qingshi. She had harbored a hope before coming, but she truly hadn’t expected that hope to materialize.
It had been a week since they last drank together, and they hadn’t seen or contacted each other in the meantime.
Her voice was cheerful, a smile touching the corners of her eyes and brows. “Mr. He, you’re here too?”
He Qingshi stepped aside to let her in. “I came to see Aunt Lan today. Please, come in.”
Huo Chuxue glanced at the floor. “Should I change shoes?”
“No need, just come on in.”
She stepped inside and couldn’t help but look around.
The apartment was indeed small—two bedrooms and a living room, at most fifty or sixty square meters. And it was messy. Wherever she looked, there were all sorts of odds and ends, clutter scattered everywhere, leaving barely enough room to stand.
He Qingshi went into the kitchen to tell Gui Shu that Huo Chuxue had arrived.
Gui Shu hurriedly turned down the heat, washed his hands, and ran out still wearing his apron, gesturing enthusiastically, ‘Doctor Huo, you’re here!’
Huo Chuxue didn’t understand sign language, but she could roughly grasp what Gui Shu was saying. She smiled. “Gui Shu.”
Gui Shu quickly went to clear the sofa, picking up the various items scattered all over it.
He pointed to the sofa and said warmly, “Doctor Huo, please sit, sit!”
He Qingshi stopped Gui Shu and signed to him, ‘You go ahead with your work. I’ll take care of Doctor Huo.’
‘Alright.’ Hearing this, Gui Shu dove back into the kitchen.
“Please have a seat, Doctor Huo,” He Qingshi said, acting as half the host as he attended to Huo Chuxue. “What would you like to drink? Tea, perhaps?”
“No need, thank you. I’ll go see Aunt Zhang first.” Huo Chuxue placed the fruit basket on the coffee table, her eyes scanning the room. “Which room is she in?”
He Qingshi gestured. “The one on the left.”
“Doctor Huo, you’re here!” Lan Yi’s smile was kind. “I heard your voice.”
Huo Chuxue wore an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Aunt Zhang. I should have come earlier, but I had an emergency surgery this morning that delayed me. Given your special circumstances, the hospital needs to conduct regular follow-ups to keep track of your condition after discharge. Director Fang sent me over.”
The obstetrics department also conducted similar periodic follow-ups, usually for patients with complicated conditions or special medical histories. However, those were typically just a phone call; it was rare for a doctor to actually make a house visit. It was only because Fang Ru was considerate of Zhang Shulan’s family situation that she sent Huo Chuxue in person. Besides, Huo Chuxue herself had a little ulterior motive.
Lan Yi said gratefully, “Doctor Huo, you’re so busy with work, yet you’ve troubled yourself to make this trip.”
“Is everything going well? How’s the lochia?”
“It’s all cleared up.”
“And your appetite? Still good?”
“Very good. I can eat two bowls of rice per meal.”
“That’s a great appetite!” Huo Chuxue laughed, her eyes bright as if sprinkled with starlight.
“Let me see the baby.” Huo Chuxue leaned over to look into the cradle.
Xiao Qingtian lay in the cradle. Seeing Huo Chuxue, his dark little eyes filled with curiosity, darting around, and he even grinned at her.
The child was simply an angel. His smile felt like it could melt her heart.
“Xiao Qingtian can already smile.”
Lan Yi’s eyes were filled with maternal affection as she smiled. “Even more impressive than Yuanyuan was at his age. He started smiling very early.”
Huo Chuxue bent down and picked up the child from the cradle, smiling. “He’s filled out a lot, getting cuter and cuter.”
Lan Yi said, “He changes every day, growing so fast.”
“What a lovely smile.”
Huo Chuxue took Xiao Qingtian’s soft little hand and spoke to him, “Hello, Xiao Qingtian! Come on, call me ‘Sister’!”
“Grow up quickly!”
…
The child opened his little mouth wide, giggling nonstop.
“Look, Aunt Zhang, he keeps smiling.”
Lan Yi said, “He likes you. He’s been smiling at you the whole time.”
He Qingshi stood to the side, quietly watching the interaction between the adult and the child. Huo Chuxue’s eyes were smiling, her expression gentle, while Xiao Qingtian was innocent and adorable. For a moment, he felt a sense of unreality.
It was as if, crossing a vast river of time, the him of ten years later was witnessing a scene he had once fantasized about and longed for a decade ago—a scene that had never come to pass.
Huo Chuxue was playing with the child when she suddenly turned her head to look at He Qingshi and asked naturally, “Mr. He, would you like to hold him?”