“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.”
Huo Chuxue said this with a smile, as if it were an offhand remark, but the deliberateness behind it was something only she herself understood.
In this lonely, slow-burning, protracted battle, she was fearless, tenacious, and had cast aside a girl’s reserve, sparing no effort to charge forward, always appearing by his side intentionally or unintentionally. Coincidences certainly existed, but more often it was her “long-planned scheme.”
Yet he remained aloof, completely unaware, letting her perform these “chance encounters” all by herself. He never once considered this possibility, or perhaps he was genuinely unmoved. From beginning to end, she was the only one fighting, arming herself like a warrior, fearless and dauntless. The bitterness within was something only she could understand.
No matter how strong-willed or mentally prepared she was, facing a situation with zero progress inevitably made her anxious, doubtful, wavering, and she began to lose her initial patience.
So she couldn’t wait to test him.
In truth, she regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. It wasn’t a wise move; the timing wasn’t right yet. This matter needed to proceed step by step, waiting for the best opportunity to strike with full force.
Unfortunately, she was too impatient. She was too desperate for an answer, to pass judgment on herself. Whether it meant life or death, she just wanted a result.
Little did she know, she actually couldn’t bear the weight of that result.
But spilt water cannot be gathered up, and words spoken cannot be taken back. She could only quietly watch for his reaction. Part of her hoped he would understand the meaning behind her words, while another part feared he would understand and reject her outright, which would be a death sentence. It would be better to remain in blissful ignorance, at least preserving some beautiful fantasy.
After saying this, Huo Chuxue was tense to the extreme. She gripped the bamboo skewer tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
She clearly sensed that the moment her words fell, the surrounding air subtly froze for an instant, undercurrents swirling.
Her heart was uneasy, her thoughts in turmoil.
After hearing her, He Qingshi unconsciously tightened his grip on his chopsticks, frowning subconsciously, and asked blankly, “What’s so good about me to look at?”
She shrugged, pretending to be relaxed and composed as usual. “Who knows? Maybe it’s because you’re just too good-looking.”
He Qingshi: “…”
“Doctor Huo, you really know how to joke.” The man’s tone turned cool and suddenly serious, his expression looking somewhat tense.
This was a test. But clearly, He Qingshi hadn’t taken the bait. Huo Chuxue felt somewhat disappointed inside, but didn’t show a trace of it on her face.
Where there is expectation, there is disappointment; the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Fortunately, she had prepared herself, so it wasn’t a crushing blow.
She set down her chopsticks. Their eyes met. Her gaze was clear, but disappointment was still there. A surge of grievance, arriving even inexplicably, washed over her. For a moment, it felt as if a clear spring was about to flow out. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, almost as if rain was about to fall.
It truly embodied that famous line—
“Her eyes were raining for him, but her heart was holding an umbrella for him.”
And he sat upright, proper and correct, very much like a scholar from ancient times, his demeanor rigid and conservative. She had genuinely never seen anyone who could sit so straight and proper while eating skewers.
This man’s rigid and meticulous style was truly ingrained in his bones, subconsciously revealing itself. He really was an old man through and through!
She smiled, steadying her emotions, her voice trembling slightly. “Mr. He, don’t you ever joke around?”
He Qingshi: “…”
“I was just joking. I came to Cloudwater Town on business, I didn’t come specifically to find you.” As if afraid he wouldn’t believe her, she even added a guarantee: “Really, you have to believe me.”
He Qingshi secretly let out a sigh of relief, loosening his grip on the chopsticks. His right hand under the table opened, a hint of sweat on his palm.
Huo Chuxue saw the man’s reaction clearly and felt nothing but desolation inside.
It seemed all this time she had just been running in place.
After this little interlude, the atmosphere between the two clearly changed. It was no longer as relaxed and comfortable as before, instead gaining a layer of oppression.
June weather is like a baby’s face, changing in an instant. A strong wind picked up, and bean-sized raindrops began to fall without warning.
The whole day had been stiflingly hot, and a long-brewing downpour finally arrived. The rain poured onto the ground, beating against the dust, filling the air with the smell of earth.
Rain sprinkled from the sky to every corner, and in an instant, the raindrops connected into lines, pouring down with a whoosh, overwhelming the world. The heavy rain lashed the ground, water splashing, creating a misty blur, and soon a flowing stream formed on the ground.
In southern regions, this kind of thunderstorm weather was common every June. Thunder rumbled, carrying with it a curtain of rain that pressed down, wrapping the entire world in a dense, impenetrable downpour. The rain stretched into transparent curtain-like lines, reflecting the streetlights’ glow in the dim daylight.
The two of them were sitting outside. The rain beat against the tent, pitter-pattering, the sound incredibly crisp.
He Qingshi glanced at the pouring rain, frowned, and asked, “Should we move inside?”
Huo Chuxue shook her head. “No need, it’s cooler out here.”
It was indeed cooler outside. Not only was there a breeze, but fine raindrops also patted against their faces, bringing a refreshing coolness.
They had actually almost finished eating. They were just waiting for the rain to stop to pay and leave.
After the torrential rain, the stifling heat in the air was completely washed away. The temperature dropped, making it comfortable and pleasant.
He Qingshi went to pay the bill, and the two left the small restaurant together.
Mist was hazy, the warm glow of streetlights quietly illuminating the trees on both sides. Long shadows stretched across the ground, serene as a painting.
The two walked slowly back along the street.
The road led towards the Cloudwater Hotel, but He Qingshi didn’t know where Huo Chuxue was going. She didn’t say, and he didn’t ask.
The streetlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled patches of faint yellow light. Huo Chuxue was being childish, stepping on these light patches all the way. When they had gone for congee together before, she had been stepping on these patches on the road too, like a child.
This seemingly calm and self-possessed female doctor occasionally had a particularly childish side.
So far, he had witnessed her cool composure, the sacred dignity of her white coat; he had also seen her helpless and self-blaming for a patient, even shedding tears; and now he saw this childlike side of her.
People are multifaceted; that’s not strange. What was strange was that he had seen all her facets, and remembered them.
He himself found it incredible.
Huo Chuxue was lost in thought the whole way, pondering her current situation with He Qingshi. They could be considered friends, but anything further seemed impossible. In this protracted war, she had been fighting alone for so long, with minimal results so far. She had mustered the courage to hint at him earlier, but he hadn’t picked up on it at all. She didn’t know if he genuinely hadn’t understood or was just playing dumb with her.
Lost in these thoughts, she became somewhat entranced, her mind drifting far away.
“Watch out!” The familiar voice suddenly reached her ears, as low and unhurried as ever.
Her heart jolted violently. She looked up sharply, meeting the man’s deep, dark eyes.
The next second, she felt a powerful force on her wrist. In an instant, she tumbled into a warm, broad embrace.
She froze in surprise. Looking forward, she saw a puddle of water right in front of her, and her foot had been about to step into it.
“Watch the road.” Their eyes met as he said softly, “There’s water ahead.”
The light fell into his eyes, the profound depths seeming to hold a galaxy of stars, shimmering brightly.
The country road was rough and uneven, full of potholes. After the heavy rain, there was standing water on the road.
If He Qingshi hadn’t called out to her in time, she would have definitely stepped into the water. Because her thoughts had been wandering, she hadn’t been watching the road at all.
The man’s embrace was broad and warm, something she felt clearly.
It was the first time she had stood so close to a man of the opposite sex. Her face flushed, her heart pounded like a drum, thumping wildly.
“Thank you,” she whispered her thanks, quickly stepping back two paces.
Seeing Huo Chuxue about to step into the puddle was almost a subconscious reaction; he reached out to pull her. And the moment she fell into his arms, his fingers unexpectedly brushed against a patch of warmth and softness. It felt like being scalded by fire, making his fingertips go numb.
He shook his hand, but the sensation lingered for a long time.
Huo Chuxue noticed his hand-shaking motion and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong? Did you get splashed with dirty water?”
He Qingshi’s expression changed slightly, but he restrained himself. “It’s nothing.”
Brevity itself. He wasn’t willing to say one more word.
—
The result of rushing headlong to see someone was that the two of them ended up having a late-night snack together.
She hurried over to see him, and then hurried back. Qiao Shengxi thought these two would have made at least some progress. Little did she know, they started with skewers and ended with skewers; they just had a late-night snack together.
But at least there was a small accident—they hugged. Even though it was an accident, it was still better than nothing. Huo Chuxue could only comfort herself like that.
She told her best friend about the night’s events. Nurse Qiao was full of anticipation at first, but ended up greatly disappointed. “That’s it? Just a hug?”
Huo Chuxue shrugged. “That’s it!”
Qiao Shengxi: “Couldn’t you have gone with the flow and kissed him?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Huo Chuxue grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it. “Xixi, aren’t you thinking a bit too much?”
Nurse Qiao dodged swiftly, successfully avoiding the flying pillow. She patted the sleeping mask on her face, made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound, and said with exasperation, “Doctor Huo, you don’t even know how to throw yourself into his arms. It’s going to be a long road ahead!”
Before Huo Chuxue could speak, Qiao Shengxi sighed with feeling, “As expected, dealing with an unromantic old man isn’t easy. This bone is so hard to chew!”
After all the back and forth, Huo Chuxue was exhausted and just wanted to take a shower and collapse into bed. Unwilling to continue the nonsense with Qiao Shengxi, she turned and headed for the bathroom.
She tied up her hair, gritting her teeth secretly. “No matter how hard the bone is to chew, I’m going to chew it down.”
She was saying it for Qiao Shengxi to hear, but even more so for herself.