Ever since she learned that He Qingshi was going to Wangchuan for folk custom research, Huo Chuxue had been looking forward to this free clinic trip with immense anticipation.
However, Wangchuan was a county. Though it couldn’t compare to Qingling, it was still large. A chance encounter was naturally impossible. She asked He Qingshi about the location of their research group; it was in Cloudwater Town, under Wangchuan’s jurisdiction. The First Hospital’s free clinic covered four towns, and Cloudwater wasn’t one of them. This left her utterly dejected.
On the first day after the free clinic ended, all the medical staff found a local restaurant to eat. They drank some wine, chatted, and the atmosphere was quite lively. Only Huo Chuxue was out of sorts. She kept pondering how she could see He Qingshi during these few days.
When Qiao Shengxi learned of her little scheme, she couldn’t help but chide her, “If a chance encounter won’t happen, can’t you manufacture one?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“How do I manufacture one?” Huo Chuxue opened her big eyes wide, her expression innocent.
“Go find him directly!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“There’s no time!” The free clinic kept them busy from morning till night, with only meal breaks in between. The schedule was packed full; where could she find the time?
Qiao Shengxi spread her hands. “Right now is the time. Just run over and find him. Cloudwater Town isn’t far from here anyway. Hire a car, and you’ll be there in half an hour. It’s not even eight yet; you still have time to have a late-night snack together. Back when my husband was chasing me, he’d loiter downstairs every night just to ‘bump into’ me. We’re women of the new era; don’t you have even this much sense? Doctor Huo, opportunities are created by people. If you don’t take the initiative, are you expecting that clueless old man He Qingshi to have a sudden romantic epiphany?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“Wouldn’t that be too forward?” Huo Chuxue showed hesitation, somewhat uncertain. After all, running to see someone late at night didn’t seem very demure, just thinking about it.
Qiao Shengxi shot her a glance, hitting the nail on the head. “Don’t you want to see him?”
Of course she did! Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so conflicted.
Seeing Huo Chuxue’s expression, Qiao Shengxi knew she was tempted. She quickly reassured her, “Xiaoxue, if you miss someone, go see them.”
Love sometimes required a dose of solitary courage and a willingness to charge ahead without looking back, casting aside the constraints of worldly conventions, making it pure and simple. If you miss someone, go see them.
—
Huo Chuxue hired a car and headed straight for Cloudwater Town. The whole way, she felt it was somewhat unbelievable. She, too, was actually running to see a man late at night.
To be honest, love had always felt rather fantastical to her. During her starry-eyed teenage years, her heart and eyes were full of Zhou Mo. It seemed like Zhou Mo was her entire world.
She and Zhou Mo grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Everyone thought they were a pair and would naturally end up together. Even their elders privately joked, calling each other future in-laws.
It was just a pity that the ways of the world were ever-changing and rarely went as one wished. The bond of childhood sweethearts couldn’t withstand the person who suddenly barged into one’s life. When she learned Zhou Mo liked Zou Yi, for a long time she was very disappointed in herself, blaming herself harshly.
Fortunately, she was someone who knew how to pick things up and put them down. Knowing her one-sided affection had hit a dead end and come to nothing, she cut her losses in time, not letting herself sink deeper. She stopped liking him just like that, and let go just like that.
Throughout her four years of university and three years of graduate school, she didn’t date. Although quite a few boys pursued her, some of them outstanding, and there were one or two she was quite satisfied with herself—they met a few times, had some private contact—but ultimately nothing came of it. Because she always felt something was missing. If the feeling wasn’t right, she couldn’t settle.
Until she met He Qingshi. The first time she saw him at Cenling Villa, she seemed to hear the sound of an early spring tree breaking its bud.
In that single glance, she imagined a whole lifetime with him.
Wangchuan was mountainous, and Cloudwater Town was surrounded by mountains on all sides. The majestic mountain ranges revealed a corner of themselves deep in the night.
The driver stopped the car in front of a hotel and said, “Miss, we’re here.”
Huo Chuxue looked outside. A bright, glaring red signboard came into view with the four large characters: “Cloudwater Hotel.” This hotel looked very old; the character for “cloud” on the signboard was even missing a horizontal stroke.
“Thank you, driver.” She paid the fare and got out directly.
He Qingshi was staying at this hotel.
Just moments ago, fueled by that solitary courage and egged on by Qiao Shengxi, she had charged over without much thought. But now, standing right outside the hotel door, with only this door separating her from He Qingshi, she instead began to feel anxious and hesitant, unable to move forward.
What pretext should she use to come find him?
If he asked, how should she answer?
Just as she was hesitating, the sound of rustling conversation reached her ears, footsteps approaching from afar.
She quickly turned her head and saw a large group of students ambling towards the hotel.
It was He Qingshi bringing the students back!
She instinctively wanted to hide, but it was already too late. Some sharp-eyed students had already spotted her.
“Look, there’s a beauty!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
He Qingshi looked ahead and was surprised to see Huo Chuxue standing at the hotel entrance.
She wore a white short-sleeved shirt paired with hot pants and white sneakers, giving off an overwhelming student vibe.
The dappled red light fell on her, rendering a warm, reddish hue.
She rarely showed her legs. At first glance, her two legs were long and slender, with a particularly nice shape.
Jiang Nuan stood within the crowd. Looking from afar, she thought Huo Chuxue looked somewhat familiar. She immediately remembered seeing her at Xizi Renjia.
A girl coming to find a man late at night—this looked ambiguous no matter how you sliced it.
So, she and Teacher He…
Jiang Nuan didn’t want to think about it anymore.
She pinched her palm hard, starting to despise herself more and more.
A few bold students had already started making a ruckus.
The students shouted loudly, “Teacher He, look, isn’t that your friend?”
“Teacher He, a beauty is looking for you!”
Huo Chuxue’s appearance here was truly unexpected. He Qingshi also didn’t know why she was here. It seemed she had come to find him.
Seeing the situation, Director Duan cleared his throat and said to the class monitors of Class 2 and Class 3, “Monitors, take your classmates back to rest.”
The students immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
Director Duan looked at Huo Chuxue, rubbed his hands, and asked with a smile, “Teacher He, someone’s looking for you?”
He Qingshi gave a light cough and replied, “A friend.”
Director Duan said, “Then you two chat first.”
Director Duan nodded to Huo Chuxue in greeting. Huo Chuxue responded with a smile.
After Director Duan entered the hotel, with no one else around, it suddenly became quiet.
Huo Chuxue only felt it hard to stand still, her heart uneasy. Because she was about to face He Qingshi directly.
But He Qingshi didn’t ask her why she was here. He only asked, “Have you eaten, Doctor Huo?”
She was truly grateful for that eternally useful topic; it could temporarily alleviate her awkwardness.
She had actually already eaten dinner long ago, but the words that came out of her mouth became, “Not yet.” Her words betrayed her heart; she lied without even needing a draft.
He Qingshi raised a hand and pointed straight ahead. “There’s a restaurant over there. Let’s go order a few dishes.”
Huo Chuxue said, “Okay.”
Nine or ten o’clock was the perfect time for a late-night snack. Calling three or five friends, drinking and eating skewers on the street—life was carefree and exhilarating.
The small restaurant had good business; the inside was full. The owner had set up a tent outside. The two sat outside, perfect for enjoying the breeze.
The local area had been experiencing temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for the past few days. Although a heavy rainstorm had just passed that afternoon, the dry, scorching summer heat still hadn’t dissipated; instead, it carried an added sense of oppression and stuffiness.
He Qingshi casually ordered a few small dishes. Huo Chuxue also called for beer and barbecue skewers.
After ordering, Huo Chuxue finally remembered to ask He Qingshi, “You can eat barbecue skewers, right?”
He Qingshi said, “I can.”
She thought his “I can” was just polite talk. She didn’t expect he really could, and very much so.
She had always thought an ‘old man’ like He Qingshi wouldn’t eat barbecue skewers—after all, they weren’t very hygienic. But unexpectedly, He Qingshi actually liked them quite a bit and ate a fair amount.
The man was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, so formal, yet sitting at a street-side stall eating skewers. It really looked incongruous no matter how you looked at it!
But Huo Chuxue deeply felt this was very good, because He Qingshi finally had a touch of the breath of everyday life.
For a long time, he seemed to have lived very alone, aloof from the world, with practically no friends. Let alone eating out like this with others.
Smoke drifted ethereally from the grill. The mingled scent of various seafood and cumin assailed the nose, rich and fragrant.
Huo Chuxue actually hadn’t eaten much for dinner; she had no appetite and felt no sense of fullness at all. Instead, right now, she ate heartily, her appetite thoroughly whetted.
Huo Chuxue asked, “How’s your research going?”
He Qingshi ate slowly, his manner refined and pleasing to the eye. Hearing Huo Chuxue’s words, he lightly lifted his gaze and replied, “Purely just completing a task.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
How direct!
Huo Chuxue took a big bite of eggplant. It was intensely spicy, very refreshing, and she found it extremely satisfying.
Turning her head, she took a sip of ice-cold beer; the coolness permeated her five viscera and six bowels.
She put down her glass and said, “Actually, our free clinic is pretty much the same. Conditions in the countryside are tough. Not many doctors or nurses are willing to come. Those who get assigned all complain bitterly. Whatever idealism we had when we first became doctors has long been worn away by the harsh reality.”
No industry was easy. When they first studied medicine, everyone upheld the ideal of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying; everyone had a heart full of passion. But now, with tense doctor-patient relations and a harsh macro environment, medical staff were under great pressure. Those limited ideals had long been worn away in the day-to-day high-intensity work.
“What about you?” He Qingshi looked up, his gaze calm and distant.
“Me?” Huo Chuxue raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Sometimes I utterly detest this profession, but other times I love it deeply, especially the moment a child is born. It’s contradictory!”
Drinking beer and eating skewers, the distance between the two seemed to close all at once.
They were more than halfway through the meal when He Qingshi finally remembered to ask Huo Chuxue, “Doctor Huo, did you come to find me for something?”
“It’s true that I came to find you, but there’s nothing specific.” She looked at him, arching an eyebrow slightly as she smiled. “It sounds pretty funny saying it out loud. I don’t know why, He Qingshi—I just wanted to come see you.”