Huo Chuxue stood up from her chair, unwilling to keep going in circles with him. She decided to lay her cards on the table. “Why are you avoiding me?”
The ceiling fan above whirred incessantly, the noise grating. The cafeteria was packed with students, their chattering voices creating a chaotic, noisy environment.
He Qingshi had never liked crowded, loud places. The faculty cafeteria was far quieter than the student one. He usually never ate in the student cafeteria. Being in such a clamorous setting now, with all the sounds clamoring in his ears, everything around him felt unbearable.
The weather was hot and stifling, making him feel incredibly irritable. Huo Chuxue’s words only flustered him further. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and for a moment, his eyes darted around, finding no place to rest.
If she hadn’t asked so bluntly, he might have been able to play dumb, crack a joke, and muddle through. But now that she was being so direct, he had no idea how to respond.
She knew he was deliberately avoiding her, yet she insisted on asking so pointedly, as if deliberately opposing him.
“I’m not.” He Qingshi stood rooted to the spot, flustered, and instinctively shook his head in denial.
“Still stubborn as a mule.” Hearing this, Huo Chuxue wasn’t angry. A faint, knowing smile played on her lips. “Are you going to say you didn’t get my calls or texts again? If that’s really the case, give me your phone. I’ll check.”
He Qingshi: “…”
He Qingshi felt a splitting headache. Every second, he regretted not deleting the call logs and messages earlier. Then he wouldn’t have found himself in such an awkward predicament.
“Someone must have told you something, and then you realized your own feelings. That’s why you’re avoiding me, right?” She looked at him calmly, her gaze clear, her tone almost interrogative.
This part was pure conjecture on Huo Chuxue’s part. He Qingshi was too reserved, his emotions always buried deep. She wasn’t entirely sure if he really had feelings for her. But Qiao Shengxi said these things could be tested. So she decided to test this theory as well.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Faced with her aggressive questioning, he was almost unable to cope. His eyes fluttered away nervously, his expression extremely unnatural.
Huo Chuxue watched the man’s reaction closely, her gaze fixed on him, not missing a single subtle change in his expression.
He was clearly evading her question, and he was flustered.
Why was he flustered? It went without saying!
She had guessed right!
He rubbed his throbbing temple, his tone helpless, like a trapped animal struggling. “Don’t understand, huh?” She raised an eyebrow slightly. “Fine, I’ll make it clearer.”
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the cafeteria. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking me?” He Qingshi followed her steps passively, his voice panicked.
“I’m not going to sell you. What are you afraid of?”
He Qingshi: “…”
“Alright, I’m not afraid!” Professor He gave himself a pep talk.
Huo Chuxue dragged He Qingshi quickly to a birch forest.
This grove was a famous dating spot for medical school students.
The forest was cool, with large patches of shade, and surrounded by utter silence.
Having taught at University A for so long, He Qingshi naturally knew what kind of place this was. A bad premonition began to stir in his heart.
“He Qingshi, lower your head.” An imperative female voice reached his ears. Almost without hesitation, Huo Chuxue reached up, hooked her arm around his neck, pressed his head down, and pressed her lips to his.
He Qingshi: “…”
Just as he feared!
He Qingshi felt as if struck by lightning. His whole body stiffened, frozen in place, unable to move.
Huo Chuxue’s action was too unexpected, completely catching him off guard. Were girls these days all this direct?
The girl’s lips were soft, but her kiss wasn’t gentle. It was reckless and forceful. It felt less like a kiss and more like a bite.
In his daze, he heard her displeased voice. “He Qingshi, don’t you know how to kiss?”
He Qingshi: “…”
And now the girl was looking down on him!
Reason told him he should refuse, but his body was honest. His thoughts were in chaos, thoroughly disturbed by her. Not only did he not push her away, but his arms unconsciously wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her closer, and slowly, with increasing fervor, he began to respond to her.
He was like a frog being slowly boiled in warm water. Because it felt good, because he was stirred, and because he was bewitched, he gave up struggling. His rationality was like a sponge soaked in water, sinking bit by bit, deeper and deeper.
At that moment, He Qingshi knew he was done for!
His thoughts drifted far away. The girl’s voice was soft and delicate, each word clear and scalding as it struck his heart. “He Qingshi, I like you.”
Actually, speaking her mind wasn’t that difficult. It was just that for so long, Huo Chuxue had been hesitating, feeling anxious. She wanted to find the perfect moment to tell him. But she waited and waited, only to have him run away. This time, she decided to just lay it out plainly, saving herself the trouble of guessing and overthinking.
She didn’t expect He Qingshi to immediately accept her confession, because she clearly understood he still had reservations and needed time. She had specifically come to find him today just to tell him her feelings. Her mother had always encouraged her to be brave since she was a child—if you want something, you have to strive for it yourself.
Looking at it now, the effect seemed pretty good. At the very least, she had not only confessed, but she had also learned that He Qingshi had feelings for her. That alone was enough to send her into raptures. She had been secretly delighted all the way home.
She had always been bold since childhood. During her first university anatomy class, while other girls were terrified, she picked up a scalpel and cut open a mouse’s belly. The first time she faced a cadaver, she didn’t flinch either, showing more courage than some boys.
But today, she had surprised even herself with her boldness. Not only had she confessed, but she had also kissed He Qingshi.
It was like a great battle. The war drums sounded, and she charged forward without hesitation, fighting bravely. Without even realizing it, she had won. The joy of surprise was written all over her face.
In the heat of the moment, Huo Chuxue had been holding her breath, sustained entirely by that breath and an unprecedented, foolhardy courage. She had just acted recklessly.
At the time, it was all hot-blooded impulse, following instinct. Thinking back on it afterward was actually a bit startling.
That was her first kiss, just given away like that. But since the other party was He Qingshi, she didn’t feel shortchanged.
Moreover, she found the experience quite wonderful. Now, savouring it carefully, she actually felt a bit unsatisfied, wanting more.
As for a certain Mr. He, he had been quite engrossed during the process, looking utterly enchanted. After it ended, his face was bright red, and he fled in a panic. That look of his was truly adorable. Clearly not a seasoned pro.
After leaving University A, Huo Chuxue made a trip back to Tangshui Town.
If nothing went wrong, she just needed to add a little more fuel to the fire, and He Qingshi would be hers. So she had to go home first and report to Her Majesty (her mother), to give her a heads-up. Her precious daughter was about to get herself a twice-married man as a boyfriend.
Ms. Xie had always been open-minded. As a veteran master of romance novels who had written so many flowery love stories, her thinking was naturally more liberal than the average mother’s. As long as Huo Chuxue liked the person and his character was acceptable, she wasn’t worried her mother would object.
As for her father, she would naturally leave that for her mother to handle.
On the way, she got a call from her best friend. Nurse Qiao called to ask about her progress.
She put on her headphones and said rather smugly, “The situation is excellent. I even dedicated my first kiss.”
Qiao Shengxi: “…”
“Damn, Doctor Huo, couldn’t wait, huh?” Qiao Shengxi laughed. “Are you going to tell me tomorrow that you two already rolled in the sheets?”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“Xixi, can’t you be a bit more subtle?”
“Congratulations to my Doctor Huo for getting off to a flying start. I wish you an early success in sleeping with Professor He.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
—
Work had been busy lately, and Huo Chuxue hadn’t been home for half a month. Chef Huo was very displeased with her long absence. For a man of his age, he could act tsundere just like a child.
She piled on all sorts of sweet talk, coaxing him for a long time.
Her father’s temper was something only her mother could keep in check. One thing conquers another.
Although Huo Guangyuan complained about his daughter verbally, his affection never wavered. That evening, he cooked a whole table of delicious dishes to reward her, all of Huo Chuxue’s favorites.
Huo Chuxue ate to her heart’s content, her belly round and full.
After dinner, mother and daughter went out for a walk.
Summer was the tourist season in Tangshui Town, with July being the peak. Students were on summer vacation, and tourists were increasing daily.
To avoid the crowds, the mother and daughter found a quiet alley.
The alley was long, narrow, and serene, lined with rows of old houses on both sides. The bluestone paving was aged, covered in a layer of moss, with weeds growing vigorously in the cracks, lush and green.
There was a brewery nearby, and the scent of wine lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate.
Strolling here, mother and daughter instead found more comfort and leisure.
Xie Mingrou brought up the usual topic. “Xiaoxue, when are you going to bring a boyfriend home? You, Zhou Mo, and Xixi are the same age. Those two are already married, but you’re still single, without a peep of news. Your father and I are very worried! When your aunt tries to set you up, you always make excuses. This can’t go on, I’m telling you.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
She had heard this speech countless times; her ears were calloused. She, Qiao Shengxi, and Zhou Mo were the same age, having grown up together. Now those two were long married, leaving only her single. Naturally, her parents worried. Besides, she was at that age. The three families were neighbors, seeing each other all the time, so comparisons were inevitable.
Huo Chuxue understood her parents and wasn’t too bothered by it. She just listened each time and brushed it off.
Since her mother had brought it up first, Huo Chuxue decided to tell her directly. “Mom, I have someone I like.”
“Really?” Xie Mingrou exclaimed in surprise, looking up at her daughter. “Since when? You never mentioned it.”
“For a while now. I confessed to him today.”
Xie Mingrou: “…”
Xie Mingrou looked astonished and asked curiously, “Then did he agree?”
“He ran away.”
Xie Mingrou: “…”
“Xiaoxue, are you sure that’s really liking someone?”
“I’m sure.” Huo Chuxue’s tone was exceptionally firm. “I really like listening to him talk. I feel very happy when I’m with him. When we’re apart, I always want to see him. Everything he does is pleasing to my eyes. The first time I saw him, I felt as if I had already spent a lifetime with him.”
“Silly child, that’s love.” Xie Mingrou said softly. “Quick, tell Mom, what kind of person is he?”
She tilted her head and smiled, her eyes sparkling. “He’s a man with many stories.”
Xie Mingrou: “…”
“A man with stories usually isn’t young. So how old is he?”
“Thirty-seven. Ten years older than me.”
Xie Mingrou: “…”
“He’s thirty-seven and still not married?”
“He was married, but his wife passed away.”
Xie Mingrou: “…”
“Xiaoxue, I think your father is going to explode.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“Do you think he likes you?”
“He probably does.” Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let her kiss him today without avoiding it.
“Xiaoxue, people often say the living can never compete with the dead. No matter how much time passes, the deceased wife will always remain an indelible presence in his heart. You must be very careful.” Xie Mingrou looked at her daughter gently, then suddenly turned serious.
“Mom, have you ever read a short poem called Desert?”
“‘Here is barren, not a blade of grass grows. Later, you walked through here once, and miraculously, all things grew. This is my heart…’” Xie Mingrou recited from memory, line by line.
“He guarded the memory of his deceased wife and lived alone in silent desolation for ten years. His heart was a barren land where nothing grew. But because of my sudden intrusion, his heart came back to life. So if one day I were to leave, he wouldn’t be able to go on living. A withered tree meeting spring—a second love would be more important to him than his own life. That’s the difference.”
“Are you confident you can revive his heart?” Xie Mingrou narrowed her eyes, her gaze calm as she looked at her daughter.
Huo Chuxue’s gaze fell on the weeds by the roadside. She murmured softly, “I won’t know until I try.”