A Persisting Memory Finally Finds Its Echo — "Time Has an Affair with You"
By Lin Yuan Yu Er
An ordinary afternoon. Mei Ran, a doctor at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of the Municipal People's Hospital, received a message that seemed anything but ordinary.
"Hello! I am Dr. Wang from the Emergency Department of the Municipal People's Hospital. Your superior has been in a car accident and is currently undergoing emergency treatment at our hospital. We urgently require 100,000 RMB for hospitalization and surgery fees. Please transfer the money to this account immediately: ICBC 62*****7954, Wang Feihong. Any delay will result in your dismissal!"
Her superior in a car crash? And it seemed serious. Mei Ran quickly sent a reply.
— How is he now?!
The reply came swiftly: He is out of immediate danger, currently receiving oxygen. Please remit the funds at once!
Mei Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Gripping her phone, she typed slowly.
— In that case, Dr. Wang, I'll add an extra 50,000. Please pull out his oxygen tube for me.
A few seconds later, "Dr. Wang's" message arrived in pursuit: What do you mean?! He's your superior!!
Mei Ran replied unhurriedly:
— I was the one who arranged for him to be hit. I've had it with him for a long time.
"Dr. Wang" had been successfully pulling scams for three years straight. This was the first time he'd encountered such a * tough and formidable anti-scam countermeasure. He couldn't help feeling a bit indignant. "Alright then, you win, you damn bastard. You're busy, so I won't bother you any further!"
Mei Ran slowly curved the corners of her lips.
A little assistant next to her craned her neck to look over. "Senior Sister, it's this late already, why aren't you off work?"
"I've still got a patient with an appointment," Mei Ran replied, a touch of helplessness in her voice. Her throat felt slightly uncomfortable, so she spoke softly.
"Very important?"
"Especially assigned from above. Consider it a mandatory task," Mei Ran said. "I don't even know who this big shot is."
Tiantian's interest was piqued. "What's their name?"
"Let me see." Mei Ran glanced at the appointment book. She found a name in the unchecked column. "Fu Shijin."
The rain outside was pouring down again, falling harder. Dense, fine raindrops seemed like bundles of silver needles, pricking the ground with fierce intensity, splashing up crystalline drops of water.
Tiantian rested her chin on her hand, making a guess. "The rain must have held this handsome guy up on the road."
Mei Ran couldn't help but find it amusing. She teased her deliberately. "How do you know he's handsome?"
"From his name! A name that sounds this nice must belong to a good-looking man!"
Thunder rumbled intermittently, the sound of rain pattering steadily.
Mei Ran had to raise her voice. "So sure, are you?"
Tiantian wanted to argue some more, but unexpectedly, she looked up and saw a man holding a black, long-handled umbrella ascending the steps. The rain curtain obscured his features, but she could make out his tall, slender frame.
The red lanterns under the eaves swayed wildly in the wind. Car horns blared endlessly. Pedestrians hurried past. But strangely, the man in the rain walked with no sign of haste, as if possessing a naturally steady temperament.
Well, she was bored anyway. Mei Ran, for once, felt a mischievous impulse, wanting to take the wind out of her naive and romantic junior sister's sails. "This man called Fu Shijin…"
Tiantian was practically mesmerized, watching as the man gradually approached, folded his umbrella, and then pushed open the glass door… Only then did she snap out of her daze. Suddenly, she heard a sweet, soft voice by her ear: "… might be a short, stocky fool with a face full of pockmarks."
He… he wasn't short!
"Sen… Senior Sister, your pati…" Tiantian was tongue-tied, stumbling over the word "patient" several times. "The… person… he seems to have arrived."
The damp air rushed in with the wind. Mei Ran lifted her gaze. Standing before her was a man in a white shirt and black trousers. His brows and eyes were as clear and cold as snow-covered green mountains outside the city, his entire being exuding an aloof, distant aura.
Behind him was a curtain of dense rain. Those slightly cold, deep-set eyes were now quietly regarding her.
Mei Ran moved her hand away from the appointment book. Slowly, she asked, "Mr. Fu Shijin?"
Calm as ever, as if the phrase "pockmarked short stocky fool" hadn't just come from her mouth.
But the rims of her ears quietly flushed red as soon as she finished asking. She thought to herself: The rain was so loud just now. He probably didn't hear clearly what I said, right?
"My apologies for being late."
The answer was already plain.
Mei Ran had reviewed the medical record beforehand: Migraine. Initially treated with Western medicine, then experienced aggravated condition due to drug side effects.
"Please extend your hand so I may check your pulse."
Her little assistant beside her let out an exaggerated "Ah!" and flushed with excitement. Only then did Mei Ran notice the hand the man placed on the pulse-taking pillow: slender as bamboo, with distinct knuckles—impossibly pleasing to the eye.
She shifted her gaze back with her usual composure.
After checking the pulse, Mei Ran briefly asked a few more questions about the condition, getting a rough idea. She began writing the prescription with lowered head.
Though she couldn't be considered a complete amateur, she simply couldn't manage to write in that wildly flamboyant, dizzying script, and so she easily got caught making a mistake.
The man gently pinched the tip of her pen. His voice was deep, his tone crisp yet slightly husky, like a feather lightly brushing across the heart, sending tingles. "It's written wrong here."
Mei Ran noticed the point his long finger was pressing on the paper. She immediately understood and couldn't help feeling embarrassed.
She had written "Jin" as "Jin."
He really was a meticulous person.
She finally sent this great figure on his way. After a while, a few more patients came, and Mei Ran didn't have time for a meal. She was so busy that dusk crept in and the rain stopped. Supporting her sore and aching back, she said, "Let's go. Dinner's on me."
The exhausted little assistant immediately lit up. "Let's have Western food! There's a newly opened restaurant, I have vouchers!"
The two ordered black pepper steak, French black truffle foie gras, and pasta each. So delicious they practically wanted to swallow their tongues.
While eating, Tiantian suddenly grew restless. "Senior Sister… won't this be very expensive?"
She did have three 100-yuan vouchers, but it seemed they couldn't be used cumulatively!
Mei Ran was in the middle of cutting her steak. "It's fine, my treat."
Tiantian felt relieved and began chattering about their earlier topic again. "I told you he must be handsome, right? And you were saying he was…" She laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. "Wonder if he heard."
"But, the name Fu Shijin sounds somewhat familiar. Not sure where I've heard it before."
Mei Ran was ravenous, burying her head in the food, and didn't answer.
The restaurant changed to a lyrical song. The girl opposite suddenly grew sentimental, sighing.
"What's wrong?"
"Last night, I stayed up late watching 'China's Great Songstress.' Even the Heavenly Queen Yu Sheng sang this song, 'You Are the Best Encounter in This World.' It was sung beautifully, but compared to my goddess, it's still far from good!"
Mei Ran casually asked, "Who's your goddess?"
"Have you heard of the legendary singer MR who caused a sensation in the music world seven years ago?"
Mei Ran's hands holding the knife and fork paused for a moment. She slowly shook her head.
Tiantian's voice choked slightly with emotion. "She is my goddess. Though fleeting as a passing cloud, she left behind a single song that echoes to this day… To commemorate her, we specially…"
Mei Ran immediately spat out her water in disbelief. "A memorial service?"
How come she didn't know MR was dead?!
"Yes," Tiantian sniffled, her eyes red. "It's been seven years. This is an event organized by us MR Fans ourselves, this very weekend. Will you come?"
Mei Ran thought about the scene and felt a chill run down her spine. "No need."
The atmosphere solidified.
She asked again, "Which singer on that program do you like best?"
"Of course it's Heavenly Queen Yu Sheng! But, there's another singer named Mei Mengran who also sings quite well."
The heavy topic was successfully redirected. Mei Ran smiled and continued listening. The meal remained pleasant overall.
However, when it came time to pay the bill, Mei Ran couldn't quite muster a smile. In her haste, she had forgotten to bring her wallet. Fortunately, after rummaging through her small purse, she found a seldom-used black card.
Who knew it would cause a stir! The restaurant manager, a slightly overweight man who rushed over with sweat on his forehead, bowed and scraped. "Miss Mei's personal visit is truly a great honor! This is a small token of our esteem, nothing much." He handed over an exquisite paper bag.
Mei Ran accepted it, said "Thank you," and hurried to dismiss him before Tiantian returned from the restroom.
"Eh? What's this?" Tiantian curiously glanced at what she held.
"A gift from the restaurant."
"So good? We get a gift from eating out?"
It wasn't easy to explain in a few words. Mei Ran could only be vague. "Maybe we're some kind of lucky customers."
Tiantian accepted this completely. Seeing her interested in the gift, Mei Ran gave it to her.
It was deep night when she got home. A single lamp gently dispelled the darkness. Mei Ran was too tired to move, lying on the sofa chatting via WeChat with a close friend.
"You went on 'China's Great Songstress'?"
Yu Sheng: You watched the show?!
Mei Ran: No, just heard about it.
Yu Sheng: Darling, watch it when you have time. My first song there was dedicated to you.
Mei Ran: …
Yu Sheng: Oh, your cousin's on it too. Want me to 'show her extra care'?
The last two characters seemed best not taken at face value.
Just as Mei Ran was about to reply, her phone rang. Three big characters flashed on the screen: "Mei Liangzhi." She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Brother, what's up so late?"
A somewhat harried voice came from the other end. "Xiang Xiang, are you free right now? Ran Ran's assistant called saying she's drunk. I'm tied up and can't get away. Could you help me go pick her up?"
As if afraid she would refuse, the person on the line rattled off an address like gunfire before swiftly hanging up.
He really knew exactly what angle to push.
Gritting her teeth, Mei Ran resigned herself to fate, grabbed her bag, and headed out.
Thirty minutes later at the club, the moment Mei Mengran's assistant saw her, it was like seeing a great savior. She hurried over, her face sagging as if brushed with expired white paint. "She's really drunk. Won't listen to anything. Not only swearing at me, but hitting people too. Alone, I... can't handle it!"
Under the light, Mei Ran saw a distinct slap mark on her face and a bruised mark on her wrist. She shook her head helplessly. "Where is she now?"
The assistant promptly led the way. However, the sight that greeted Mei Ran next made her eyes nearly pop out of her head.
The usually pampered and delicate young lady was now disheveled. Someone showed no pity, pinning her hands and dragging and pulling her out of the private room.
Oh heavens! The assistant frantically rubbed her eyes, a look of horror on her face. "This… isn't very appropriate, is it? If Ran Jie finds out we treated her like this, she might…"
Mei Mengran looked thin, but her frame was large. Mei Ran was more slender and graceful. How could she bear her weight? She had only agreed to come pick her up after silently repeating "she once saved my life" a hundred times in her heart. Hearing those words, she let go directly. "Then you do it."
Mei Mengran dropped to the floor. Wherever she hit it, the floor let out a dull thud. The assistant standing nearby was so frightened her legs went weak; she dared not even breathe heavily, let alone say anything more.
Mei Ran leaned against the wall, intending to rest a bit before getting "back to work." Just then, the light in the corridor suddenly flickered, and she instinctively turned to look.
A few men in impeccably tailored suits were walking over. The man in the center was as elegant and refined as moonlight. He still wore the simple outfit from the daytime, the buttons on his white shirt meticulously fastened. Under the swirling light, those excessively beautiful eyes were quietly hidden in the soft interplay of light and shadow.
He seemed to recognize the person before him, casting a thoughtful glance before his steps slowed slightly. "Dr. Mei?"
"Do you need any help?"
Mei Ran felt as if she saw a flicker of light gently swaying deep within his eyes.