The rain outside tapped lightly against the windowpane, its sound mingling with the sharp blare of horns from the street. Downstairs, a barbecue stall stood under a single dim, yellowish lamp; a customer tapped his chopsticks against his teacup with a repetitive clink-clank, urging impatiently, “Boss, hurry it up a bit, will ya? Snuck out just for this; gotta eat quick and get back to work!”
Mei Ran didn’t catch the boss’s reply, because all her attention was suddenly drawn to the other person in the room. She blinked, her mind a blank, and asked, “Huh? What did you say?”
Fu Shijin looked at her, his lightly pursed lips gradually relaxing into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “I asked if you wanted to take a shower first.”
“Oh, right! Yes, good idea.” Mei Ran hurriedly rummaged in her bag for her pajamas.
The light in the bathroom was old, its yellowish glow trembling constantly like an old man’s hand. Amid the shifting light and shadow, misty steam began to rise languidly.
It took Mei Ran nearly half an hour to finish washing. She emerged clad in a blue-and-white floral printed nightdress, her fair legs seeming to glow in the dim light as she shuffled out in a pair of oversized slippers. The man sitting on the edge of the bed glanced over at the sound. “All done?”
The awkwardness and shyness of sharing this cramped space with him seemed to drink their fill of moisture and swell fully on her flushed cheeks. Mei Ran let out a soft “Mhm,” her eyes bright and clear. “The water pressure’s a bit unsteady. You should go wash quickly.”
Sitting on the edge of her bed, towel-drying her damp hair, Mei Ran listened to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. Images began flooding her mind uncontrollably:
That straight, proud back, those long legs, that firm, taut abdomen… Mei Ran didn’t dare think any further. She knew all too well what an excellent physique this man possessed, which made those mental pictures appear startlingly vivid and real. She felt almost breathless.
The cool rain drifting in through the window gradually soothed her tangled, chaotic heart. Just as she finished blow-drying her hair, the bathroom door clicked open with a soft ‘tock.’ Light spilled out, and her heart skipped several beats as if plucked out of rhythm. She hurriedly sat up straight, looking fixedly at the floorboards by her feet in a rather transparent attempt to seem composed.
Why was she so nervous?
Why couldn’t she treat him like any ordinary man?
Because… he was Fu Shijin. To her, he would never, ever be just an ordinary man.
“Would you like to watch some TV?”
“No,” Mei Ran shook her head. “Need to get up early tomorrow.”
“Then… shall we turn off the lights and sleep?”
“…Okay.”
Huh? Didn’t he say turn off the lights? Why no movement?
Mei Ran blinked, then heard a soft chuckle. “The switch is on your side.”
Her face reddened further as she reached over to switch off the light.
Darkness enveloped the room. With vision gone, hearing became more acute. Mei Ran lay on the bed; unaccustomed to wearing a bra to sleep, she shifted slightly—only for the bedboards beneath her to let out a creaky *‘zhiya.’* She immediately held her breath.
The man lay on his side, face turned away from her, a thin summer quilt draped only over his waist. His breathing was even and steady. She couldn’t tell if he was asleep.
Mei Ran closed her eyes again and lay perfectly still, but those creaky noises seemed to be growing denser, now faintly mixed with urgent, panting breaths…
“Honey, why you biting your lip?”
“Just let it out, cry out, don’t hold back…” Then followed a series of husky ‘hehehe’ chuckles that sent shivers down one’s spine. “Tell big brother…”
It was a romantic Qi Xi night. Young lovers indulging without restraint, using the depth of the night as their veil, yet failing to muffle those passionate, throaty whispers.
Mei Ran covered her ears. Unexpectedly, another ‘zhiya’ sounded from below. Her cheeks burned furiously.
Just how terrible was the soundproofing in this hotel?
She remembered the enthusiastic young front desk girl, when she’d gone out earlier to borrow a phone charger, pulling her aside conspiratorially. “You know, this twin room can actually be used as a king-sized bed room. You just remove the little table between the beds and push them together…”
“But, with your boyfriend being so tall, surely he must be, you know, *well-endowed* and energetic… Remember, try to keep your voice down when the time comes. The rooms here… the walls are pretty thin.”
“Also, the boss and his wife went out to celebrate Qi Xi,” the girl gave her a knowing smile, pulling a box from under the counter. “The ones provided in the room are cheap quality. I’ve got the good stuff here. Okamoto 003 Platinum Ultra-Thin. Seeing as you’re such a pretty sister, I’ll give you twenty percent off. What do you say?”
She had practically fled on the spot.
Suddenly, next door came a tremendous ‘BANG!’ Mei Ran jumped. Then came a stream of curses. “Damn! What kind of bed is this, made of tofu dregs? Bro hardly moved twice before it collapsed…”
Then she heard a woman’s voice speaking Cantonese. “Ah, you deadbeat! Hurry up and get off me! You’re squashing me, it hurts!”
Mei Ran couldn’t suppress it any longer—a soft, snorting chuckle escaped her lips.
“Can’t sleep?” A deep, quiet voice followed right on the heels of her laughter.
Mei Ran’s heart started pounding as if caught in the act. “No… I mean, yes, going to sleep now.”
So he hadn’t been asleep either all this time? Or had the commotion next door woken him?
Whichever it was, Mei Ran was absolutely certain he must have heard her laugh. She inhaled softly, closed her eyes again, and tried to summon sleep.
Cool breezes stirred her dreams, and Mei Ran drifted in and out of a shallow sleep. Suddenly, she sensed a tall, elongated shadow drawing closer. In the dark, still atmosphere, the sense of pressure intensified. She kept her eyes tightly shut, her eyelashes trembling faintly.
Panicked thoughts scrambled through her mind:
Could it be… Was he about to… ‘not be a gentleman’?
“Ranran.” The man’s voice drifted down from above her head, sounding uncharacteristically gentle.
“Wh-what’s wrong?” Mei Ran quickly switched on the bedside lamp.
In the lamplight, the man’s hair was slightly disheveled, clinging damply to his forehead. His brow was faintly furrowed, his voice low and somewhat hoarse. “I think I have a fever.”
Ah, a fever?
Mei Ran reached over directly to feel his forehead. Sure enough, the skin there was scalding hot. She jumped off the bed in a rush. “Go lie back down.”
Barefoot, she hurried into the bathroom, emerging moments later with a cool, damp towel, which she gently laid over his forehead. “Maybe it’s from getting caught in the rain earlier. Does your head hurt?”
Fu Shijin shook his head slightly, his deep gaze capturing her beautiful, dark eyes brimming with worry. He chuckled softly. “I’m fine. Don’t worry too much.”
“No, I need to go see if they have any fever-reducing medicine.”
A short while later, Mei Ran came back, replacing the damp towel with a fresh one. She also filled the electric kettle with water and plugged it in. Pulling on her jacket and unplugging her still-charging phone, she said, “I’ll be right back.”
A warm, large hand gently clasped her wrist. “It’s too late. Don’t go.”
“The pharmacy is right across the street,” Mei Ran tucked his hand back under the covers. “It’s very close. Ten minutes, tops.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“I am your attending physician. You have to listen to me in everything, okay?”
Fu Shijin finally released her hand. “Be careful.”
At that moment, his head was splitting with pain, his whole body feeling as if it were being roasted inside a furnace. Sweat had soaked even the hair on his forehead. In his feverish, groggy state, he only heard the soft click of a door closing before sinking into complete darkness.
Mei Ran walked to the front desk. The young girl was dozing, chin propped on her hand, head nodding faintly. The reflection from the computer screen shone on her overly pale little face, the dark circles under her eyes standing out starkly.
Earlier, she’d complained to Mei Ran that with her low education level, she couldn’t find decent work and was stuck here for now—twelve-hour shifts, sometimes pulling two night shifts in a row. She hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep this entire month.
Mei Ran tread softly, stepping out quietly.
The post-rain night was peaceful. The air was cool and fresh. She quickly found the 24-hour pharmacy. At the checkout, the proprietress, looking bleary-eyed and yawning repeatedly, made two mistakes with the receipt, causing a delay of several minutes.
On her way back, Mei Ran walked hurriedly. Distracted, she missed the last step, her foot coming down on nothing. The medicine bag and her phone flew from her grasp.
Holding onto the handrail, she stood up. Bending to retrieve the medicine bag, a heavy-duty truck suddenly roared past at high speed, its rush of hot wind whipping her hair into a wild dance.
The truck sped by, black smoke belching from its exhaust pipe with loud ‘tut-tut’ sounds. Mei Ran covered her nose, picked up the medicine bag, then sifted through the scattered pieces of her phone on the pavement, finally retrieving only the SIM card and SD card.
Not far off came a burst of sudden, raucous laughter—probably workers from a nearby factory having just gotten off the night shift. Not daring to linger, she broke into a light jog back to the Fenglinwan Inn.
Hearing the sound, the man on the bed struggled to open his eyes. Seeing it was her, he seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “You’re back.”
Mei Ran sat down on the edge of the bed, removed the towel, and checked his temperature again—still alarmingly high. Her brow furrowed with concern.
Considering his current condition wasn’t suited for strong Western medicine, she had bought only mild Chinese herbal remedies. Mei Ran poured a cup of hot water, then added measured amounts of chamomile, linden blossom, and dried thyme.
Chamomile, slightly bitter and sweet-smelling, could alleviate headaches and migraines. Linden blossom, mild and mellow, promoted sweating and helped with fever and cold symptoms. Thyme, pungent and warm in nature, offered antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
She then dipped a fresh towel in the purchased rubbing alcohol. Gently parting the man’s pajamas, she began wiping his neck, chest, and the soles of his hands and feet. A thought struck her, and suddenly she felt as if the warmth from her fingertips had transferred to her whole body—she began to burn up herself.
Alcohol wipes to reduce fever in patients should focus on areas with higher body temperature, like the armpits and… groin…
Normally, things like this would be handled by nurses. But now… Mei Ran bit her lower lip lightly. Looking at that profile half-hidden in the lamplight, with its clear, defined lines, she whispered to herself, “Mei Ran, it’s okay. Just treat him as a patient. Merely your patient, that’s all.”
After feeding him the herbal tea, Mei Ran was sweating a bit herself. She sat quietly by the bed, brushing his damp hair away from his forehead.
The man’s complete facial features were now fully revealed to her.
Deep-set eyes, a high-bridged nose, rather thin lips. His features were far more three-dimensional than most men’s, like a superior piece meticulously sculpted by God himself. Yet even in sleep, his brows and eyes retained their usual cool detachment, exuding an aura that kept strangers at a distance.
No wonder ‘ansel’ had always maintained such a low profile. He was the kind of man who belonged in the shadows—mysterious and captivating.
What kind of woman would a man as outstanding as him fall for, she wondered? And just how outstanding would *she* have to be to be a match for him?
Dawn broke. The chorus of birds outside was pure and crisp, and a faint scent of baking bread drifted through the air.
Mei Ran rubbed her eyes, reaching out instinctively to feel his forehead. But her palm touched something soft and warm instead. She yanked her hand back as if startled.
“You’re awake?”
“Mhm,” his voice was husky with sleep. He took her hand from his forehead, letting it rest at his side. “The fever’s gone.”
Too exhausted and sleepy last night, Mei Ran had accidentally dozed off sitting by the bed. Still not entirely reassured, she checked his temperature herself.
It was normal. She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“You should go take a shower first…”
“You used alcohol to cool me down last night?”
They spoke almost simultaneously. Mei Ran was momentarily caught off guard before nodding. “Yes.”
Fu Shijin gathered his slightly open robe, then glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “No wonder.”
Naturally, Mei Ran caught his movement. She turned away, unable to stop the blush from spreading across her cheeks again.
Ah, why did she keep blushing so easily in front of him? If it kept up like this, how was she supposed to keep acting as his attending physician in the future?
By the time they returned to City A, it was already ten in the morning. Although his fever had subsided, Fu Shijin didn’t look well; a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead—a sign his migraine was likely acting up again.
Today was Mei Ran’s late shift, so she headed straight home. Seeing him like this, worry stirred within her. “Come up with me first. I have acupuncture needles at home; I can try to help.”
Fu Shijin didn’t decline, following her upstairs.
Mei Ran possessed a treasure she seldom showed to others—her ‘Nine Needles Box,’ painstakingly procured by her father from someone as a gift.
Ancient lore spoke of ‘Fuxi Creating the Nine Needles.’ Of course, by modern times, the forms had evolved somewhat.
The nine needles comprised: magnetic round plum needle, filiform needle, plum blossom needle, three-edged needle, spear needle, hook needle, probe needle, scratch needle, round sharp needle, and fire needle.
Among them, the hook needle, thick and long in the middle, fine and short at the ends, with its hooked head and sharp tip (hence the name), was particularly effective for clearing heat, relaxing tendons and collaterals, promoting blood flow, and relieving pain. It was the needle of choice for migraines.
After washing her hands thoroughly, Mei Ran took out the kit, cleaning the needle with an alcohol swab. Remembering something, she finally turned and said, “Take off your shirt.”
The man gave her a meaningful look. “All of it?”
“No need,” Mei Ran said softly. “Just the top.”
He moved slowly, undoing the buttons one by one from top to bottom. Mei Ran waited patiently nearby, trying hard not to let her breathing betray any hint of abnormality. Yet, out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help glimpsing the robust musculature beneath the white shirt, her throat unconsciously moving as she swallowed lightly.
“Will it hurt?” Fu Shijin wasn’t concerned about the pain. He just felt a sudden urge to speak to her while she was so close, so near.
“No,” Mei Ran said. “As long as you cooperate.”
Her technique was skilled and practiced. Pressing the acupuncture point with her left index and middle fingers, she quickly inserted the needle with her right hand. Wherever her slightly cool fingers touched, Fu Shijin felt a spread of tingling numbness. Strangely, his whole body felt remarkably comfortable afterward, and even the headache seemed to have lessened considerably.
Mei Ran removed the needle, pressed a sterile cotton ball against the point for a moment, then carefully cleaned and put away the needle. “All done.”
After a long moment without a response, Mei Ran looked up in surprise to find he had fallen asleep. After washing her hands, she went to her room to fetch a thin quilt and gently draped it over him.
Checking the time, there was still enough to buy groceries. Mei Ran grabbed her bag and keys and headed out.
There was a large supermarket near her apartment complex.
Half an hour later, Mei Ran returned with fresh ingredients and fruit. Fu Shijin was still asleep, his tall form slightly curled up on the sofa, his breathing much calmer than before. She glanced at him, then went into the kitchen to cook.
She remembered she still owed him two meals; it seemed half of that debt could be repaid today.
Mei Ran tasted the soup with a spoon. Not bad. Just as she was about to turn off the heat, she caught sight of a shadow slanting in from the doorway.
The man was leaning against the doorframe, watching for who-knew-how-long. Meeting her gaze, his lips curved slightly. “Smells good. What are you making?”
The tone was so natural, so relaxed—like a husband home from work asking his busy wife.
Mei Ran felt it too. Her ears grew warm again. She looked away. “The fragrant one is probably the ginseng chicken soup. Go wash up; we can eat soon.”
The two sat facing each other at the table. After taking a sip of soup, Mei Ran recalled something. “Aside from avoiding alcohol, tea, and coffee, you should also keep your diet light. I wrote down several medicinal recipes for your grandaunt. They work well with the medicine I prescribed. Combined, the effect should be excellent.”
Even during the meal, she hadn’t forgotten her role as his physician. Fu Shijin chuckled. “Is there anything else I should be mindful of?”
“Keep a calm and even temperament. Engage in moderate exercise. Try to avoid strenuous activity…”
“Such as?”
“Such as what?” Mei Ran was puzzled.
“What qualifies as ‘strenuous’?”
Mei Ran considered seriously. “It’s hard to define; it varies by person. Generally, any exercise that pushes your heart rate past 120 and causes labored breathing qualifies as strenuous.”
“What about activities in bed? Do they count?”
“Ah?” Mei Ran’s eyes widened. Heavens! Did he mean… that kind of *bed activity*?
The frankness and calmness in the man’s eyes confirmed her suspicion. She didn’t know why, but in that moment, her heart seemed to plummet to the depths of a valley, then be swathed in layers of icy water.
With difficulty, Mei Ran pulled herself from that sinking feeling. She forced a faint smile. “Moderate sexual activity is permissible.”
“Good,” Fu Shijin seemed pleased with her answer. “I wouldn’t want the woman I love to be deprived because of this condition.”
Mei Ran picked up a piece of chestnut meat with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. It tasted like chewing wax.
The. Woman. He. Loves.
So there truly existed women that fortunate in this world.
“Your girlfriend would be very happy.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Ah? Mei Ran wondered if she’d misheard, asking instinctively, “Why not?”
“Truth is… I’ve been waiting for someone.”
In those deep, abyss-like brown eyes, a trace of loneliness and dejection appeared just then. Watching him, Mei Ran felt a tiny, painful twist in her own heart.
She didn’t dare ask any further.
But he pressed on, gently yet inexorably. “Ranran, being a woman yourself… What would your reaction be if a man you’d never met before told you he liked you? Even if… he said he wished to spend the rest of his life with you?”
Time seemed to have been abruptly paused. The entire world stood perfectly still in that second.
“I… I don’t know…”
Her face remained calm, but stormy ripples churned within her heart. Her fingers tangled underneath the table, making even her breath feel entangled and erratic.
Fortunately, an opportune phone call saved her.
“Shijin dear, didn’t you say you were coming back this morning? Where are you now?”
“Grandaunt,” Fu Shijin held the phone, his gaze still resting on the person opposite him. “I’m back in City A. At Doctor Mei’s place right now.”
An emphatic string of drawn-out ‘Oh, oh, oh’s’ echoed over the line, even Mei Ran could hear them crystal clear, which made the tremors in her heart resonate even more powerfully.
“Well, um, Old Yang had something come up last minute, he might not be able to pick you up. Let Doctor Mei keep you for one more afternoon!”
Fu Shijin rubbed his forehead, a tad helplessly. “That’d be putting her out too much.”
“Hand the phone to her! I’ll talk to her!” The old lady’s voice was loud and robust.
Mei Ran quickly responded, “Grandma, it’s no trouble at all, really.”
“See, wasn’t that easy?” The old lady chuckled. “Alright then. I’ll go take my afternoon nap.”
“What are your plans for this afternoon?” Fu Shijin asked after hanging up.
Mei Ran thought for a moment. “I think I still have a medical research report to finish. It’s due tonight. What about you?”
“Do you have a guest room here?” He looked around the living room.
“I only have one study, but…” Mei Ran sounded hesitant. “There’s no bed.” Looking at his rather weary face, she added another “but.” “If you don’t mind, you could use my bed. I have clean sheets and bedding; I’ll change them for you after we eat.”
“Alright.”
Mei Ran: “…”
The promptness of his acceptance made *her* seem like the one with ‘improper thoughts.’
An hour later, Mei Ran sat at her computer desk. A red exclamation mark in the lower right corner notification tray kept indicating ‘unable to connect to the network.’ She calculated the days and sighed softly.
Probably the broadband had been cut off for an overdue bill.
Oh well. She shrugged. Might as well finish writing the report, copy it to a USB drive, and use the computer at the office to send it when she went in for her night shift.
Fu Shijin lay on the bed, the pillow still carrying a hint of her scent—warm, pleasant, like sunshine. He had never imagined one day he would be this close to her, so close she seemed right within his grasp, touchably near.
Outside the door, the quiet, intermittent tapping of keys could be heard—sometimes urgent, sometimes with long pauses in between. Between those intervals, he felt drowsiness creeping in, and he turned onto his side and fell asleep.
The soft breeze outside gently lifted the curtains, stirring a roomful of tranquility.
Two tender, fervent hearts, separated by a single door.
Before heading to work for her night shift, Mei Ran made sure to take a shower. Yet, after just finishing her patient rounds, she felt a fine layer of sweat already covering her skin.
Her junior assistant had placed a small electric fan on the desk. Puffing out her cheeks, she blew at her face. “Too hot, too hot! Senior, isn’t it just perfect timing? The AC chooses now, of all times, to break down. This heat is going to be the death of me!”
Mei Ran dabbed the sweat on her neck with a tissue, then re-tied her damp hair before looking at her. “A calm heart keeps you cool.”
Tian Tian threw her head back with a groan. “How on earth am I supposed to calm down?” She was like a faucet that had been left wide open, water pouring endlessly from her pores. Even checking her phone required carefully placing a tissue underneath to catch the sweat.
Mei Ran smiled, turned on her computer, and sent off the previously written report to the designated email address. Soon, a reply came back, the gist being that the proposal had been approved, and she should prepare well for the upcoming medical seminar.
This seminar was to be held in City B for a total of seven days. Attendees would be key medical professionals dispatched from major hospitals nationwide. The authorities attached great importance to it. Mei Ran had received the notice earlier, so she wasn’t surprised.
Just as she was about to close the page, something occurred to her. Hesitating briefly, she logged into a long-unused email account.
The most recent email was dated July 7, seven years ago. Unread. The sender was ‘ansel’.
“Sigh…” A long, heavy sigh came from the assistant next to her. “After all these days, this ‘Think It Over Carefully’ still hasn’t followed back my idol. It’s heartbreaking…”
But Mei Ran heard only that initial sigh; after that, she was deaf to everything else. It was as if someone had instantly yanked her soul out of her body. Her soft, bright eyes were filled with utter shock.
mr,
For me, the idea of liking someone because of a voice is preposterous to the extreme.
Yet it’s a reality that has truly manifested in my life.
After much hesitation, I think it’s only right to be honest with my own heart.
I would like to be with you. To become your life partner.
I know this is terribly sudden.
…
May we meet? Just once?
He’d given her seven days to think. If there was no reply within that time, he would know her answer.
He gave her seven days. And for seven years, she simply vanished…
Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, shimmering faintly with the slightest movement. Mei Ran took a deep breath and closed the page, but the profound turbulence deep in her heart refused to be shut out.
That night, Mei Ran spent a long, sleepless time in the on-call room. In another corner of this city, another restless soul also lay awake.
Mei Mengran lay on her bed, her sore eyes fixed unwaveringly on the glowing phone screen.
Who *was* this person “Think It Over Carefully”? What right did she have to get ansel’s follow? And the *only* one, at that!
Even more infuriating—two whole days had passed, and she *still* hadn’t followed him back!
Just what did this woman think her face was worth?
Mei Mengran suddenly sat up, mussing her long hair into wild disarray. Bitter frustration, with no outlet, clawed at her insides. She felt almost driven mad.
Th
i
n
k It
Over
Carefully…
How she wished she could drag the person behind that username out into the open, see with her own eyes just what this person looked like!
The next day, Mei Ran rested at home before preparing to set off for City B to attend the seminar.
Coincidentally, Mei Hongyuan was also in City B. It was rare for father and daughter to meet. They shared a quick meal before parting again, always in a rush.
The first three days of the conference were packed with a demanding schedule. Mei Ran dared not let up for a moment. Luckily, by the last two days, it shifted mainly into a free-discussion and exchange format. Surrounded by so many medical authorities, experts, and professors from all over the country, she felt her pressure mounting, but she also gained tremendously.
She wasn’t the type of student who merely buried themselves in textbooks. Her past mentor placed more emphasis on clinical practice. Mei Ran herself preferred delving into some of the more ‘unorthodox’ or little-known medical classics. This independent, unconventional path had also led her to achieve some rather groundbreaking results.
She arrived back in City A in the evening. Too exhausted, Mei Ran and her senior colleague, Zhou Yimiao, settled into a small roadside restaurant.
“Last time you mentioned you once came across an HIV-positive patient?”
“Yeah,” Mei Ran washed the tableware with hot tea, thinking briefly. “She wasn’t exactly my patient; I just happened to meet her. Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Zhou Yimiao smiled. “Just a passing thought. Casual question.”
His gaze rested on her across the table—direct, level, calm as water, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. “Been worn out these last few days?”
“Alright,” Mei Ran took a sip of tea. “Better than I imagined.”
“What had you imagined?”
“Mm,” Mei Ran bit her lip, a trace of shyness appearing on her fair face. “Before, the mere thought of having to present before so many authoritative experts scared me. I was afraid my legs would turn to jelly, or that I’d look for a hole to hide in.”
Zhou Yimiao laughed. “That nervous? But you performed brilliantly that day. I was clapping so hard from below that my hands turned red by the end.”
He remembered it with absolute clarity: Mei Ran standing on stage, at the most dazzling spot in the entire venue, her speech measured and composed, neither submissive nor overbearing. The quiet grace in her eyes was as clear and pure as a mountain spring, breathtakingly beautiful. He hadn’t been able to look away for a single second.
Perhaps in all his future life, he would never have another such moment—a moment where he could simply look at her with a heart free of distractions and eyes filled with tender love?
A little embarrassed, Mei Ran lowered her head to drink more tea.
The place wasn’t busy, but the food was served unusually slowly. The waitress quietly apologized, explaining, “The boss and his wife are having a row in the back. The cook tried to mediate, but the wife slapped him unconscious. So the boss is back there cooking now… So sorry for the inconvenience.”
The two exchanged a look, sharing a quiet, understanding smile.
“Actually,” Zhou Yimiao’s smile deepened. He gently tapped the edge of his teacup with his fingers. “I once thought about opening a small restaurant myself.”
Intrigued, Mei Ran asked, “Why didn’t you? How did you become a doctor instead?”
He shrugged slightly, tilting his chin towards the kitchen. “Probably because I was afraid of marrying a boss-wife like that.”
Mei Ran couldn’t hold back a soft, giggly “pfft.”
“Lucky I had some foresight.”
“Don’t worry, your future wife is sure to be gentle and virtuous. Definitely not the type to just quarrel with you.”
Zhou Yimiao used his chopsticks to gently stir the tea leaves floating in his cup. Hearing her words, he raised his eyes to look at her. Suddenly, the hidden brilliance in his gaze was revealed completely—thousands of unspoken words hovered on the tip of his tongue. In the end, only this soft, quiet line escaped: “Junior sister, I sincerely hope your words come true.”
Dinner ended an hour later. The restaurant was close to Mei Ran’s place. Zhou Yimiao walked her to the apartment building downstairs, watching her slender figure disappear from sight. Only then did he slowly release the breath he had been holding.
The closer you get, the harder it is to control.
Taking one step forward would mean potentially stepping into her life. But if he failed, even these simple, natural evenings spent together might become a distant luxury.
Having spent all his luck from the first half of his life, how dare he gamble with what little remained?
The sky above twinkled with countless stars; the moonlight flowed like water. Yet none of that light could reach the deepest, darkest corner nestled in this man’s heart.
*
“Senior, you got a new phone?” The assistant played with the rather unremarkable black phone on the desk, exclaiming in wonder, “This kind of Nokia model counts as an antique these days, doesn’t it?”
Ever since her previous phone had shattered into pieces, Mei Ran had been swamped with work and hadn't gotten around to buying a new one. Fortunately, there was an old phone her father had left unused at home, so she temporarily made do with that.
"Pretty much," she said. "Apart from sending texts and making calls, it doesn't have any other functions."
"Can you get used to it?"
Mei Ran shook her head. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll go change it for a new one this weekend when I have time."
Her assistant chuckled twice. "I knew it. Young people these days, being without the internet is like a baby being weaned off milk."
"What nonsense!" Mei Ran tapped her lightly on the head with a medical record file. "I need to go to a meeting now."
After Mei Ran left, Tiantian took out her phone again. She hadn't been scrolling for long before her mouth drooped. "Aww, it's been days already, and 'Think It Over Carefully' still hasn't followed my god yet. What a frustrating little minx!"
On Weibo, the topic "Has Think It Over Carefully Followed Her God Today?" had been trending for seven consecutive days, racking up astonishing numbers of views and comments. Yet, the person in question remained utterly silent, as if having suddenly evaporated from the world. Seeing their aloof idol so blatantly ignored was enough to break the hearts of his true fans.
"Holy crap! 'Peaceful West Capital'??!!" Tiantian suddenly blurted out a curse. "What kind of background does this 'Think It Over Carefully' have?"
As it turned out, concerned fans, seeing that the involved party gave no reaction, had once again swarmed in and dug through every corner of her Weibo. This deep-dive proved to be astonishing. This 'Think It Over Carefully,' with her somewhat awkward name, was no small fry. Besides the famous diva Yu Sheng following her back, and the official Weibo of billionaire Mei Hongyuan's corporate group being her fan, a few days prior, even 'Peaceful West Capital' had followed her...
The fans were universally stupefied, faces stunned. "Oh my god, the waters run deep, the fog is thick—thinking about it carefully is terrifying!"
"Mom, I think I might be following some kind of incredible figure!"
And so, after becoming the sole follow of renowned antique collector Fu Shijin, who had millions of fans, 'Think It Over Carefully' was once again pushed onto the trending charts by 'Peaceful West Capital'...
Suddenly, the identity of 'Think It Over Carefully' became a great mystery. Millions of fans passionately speculated about the identity of this mysterious and low-key woman, the affair almost evolving into a "national spectacle."
"Are you really sure you don't know who this 'Think It Over Carefully' is?" Mei Mengran's agent asked once again.
"Not really sure," Mei Mengran shook her head, somewhat despondently. "Actually, my private interactions with Ansel weren't that frequent."
Her agent sighed repeatedly. "Before, I thought this was just a Weibo account Fu Shijin set up for work purposes. Whether he followed back or not didn't matter much. But the situation is different now; he's actually taken the initiative to follow someone, and she's the only one! You followed him first as a friendly gesture, and he never responded, and now... Isn't this just slapping us 'papapa' in the face?"
She finished her barrage of words, then grew puzzled herself. "Truth be told, I'm quite curious about this person's identity too. Even Yu Sheng follows her. Could she also be in the entertainment industry?" she speculated inwardly. "This might actually be a breakthrough point."
"Exactly!" her assistant Xia Xia chimed in. "Even though we don't know who she is, her status is definitely not ordinary. I heard online that even the Mei Family corporate official Weibo follows her."
"What?!" Mei Mengran, who had been looking listless and unhappy, suddenly shrieked. "What did you just say? Mei Family... corporate group!?"
Previously, too upset to bother checking the specifics or the follow-up developments, hearing these words seemed to clear the fog for her instantly. "Think It Over Carefully? 'Xi Xiang' (think carefully)? Could it be her? No, impossible! How could it possibly be her?!"
The other two in the room watched as she muttered to herself like a madwoman, confused for a moment. The agent asked, "Mengran, have you thought of who it might be?"
Mei Mengran had already grabbed her bag and stormed out the door.
The door to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department was suddenly thrown open with force. Mei Ran looked up to see a figure rush in.
"Mei Ran!"
"What are you doing here again?"
Mei Mengran gasped for breath on her own. "It's you, isn't it? You're that 'Think It Over Carefully'?"
Mei Ran didn't immediately understand. "What do you mean?"
Mei Mengran glared at her with red eyes, roaring like a small beast. "Is your Weibo handle called 'Think It Over Carefully'? How could it possibly be... you?"
Then she burst into loud laughter. "Ha ha ha, I knew it, I knew it..."
The woman she hated most in this world was right in front of her. Someone born into such a privileged family but insisted on becoming a doctor of all things, always appearing serene and detached, as if never having known worldly suffering. But then again, how would she?
Yet, Mei Mengran had to admit she envied her, envied her to the point of madness! Why was she born a precious young lady of the Mei family? Why was she naturally gifted with beautiful features? Why was she doted on by everyone, held so dearly in their palms? Why did she deserve to stand so high above...
And all these things, no matter how hard she struggled her entire life, Mei Mengran knew she could never attain.
No matter how glamorous her life seemed now, Mei Mengran was acutely aware of the ugly, humble soul residing within her.
She ran through the streets, forgetting her disguise for the first time, drawing sideways glances from passersby, fortunately masked by the night.
Her phone in her bag kept ringing incessantly. Without even looking, she answered it. A disgusting, teasing laugh came through immediately. "Ranran."
"So, your mother's a bit tight on cash again lately..."
"Hah!"
"What kind of attitude is that! I, your mother, had some free time and specially dug out some old photos of us together. You've changed so much from when you were little. If I..."
Mei Mengran sneered and flung the phone violently onto the ground with a resounding "SMACK." The entire screen shattered. The voice on the other end was suddenly cut off as if a neck had been snapped, falling completely silent.
Back in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Tiantian placed the bought supper on the table. "Senior Sister, I specially bought you a mung bean paste dessert."
"Thank you."
"Why be so polite with me?" The little assistant scooted over conspiratorially. "Senior Sister, I just heard from a nurse on the way that Dr. Zhou ran into a case of patient harassment."
Mei Ran set down her pen. "What happened?"
"Not sure about the details," Tiantian thought hard. "Seems like he took on an AIDS patient some time ago, and somehow the family members made a scene. But it shouldn't be anything serious. Dr. Zhou is such a reliable person..."
Mei Ran thought so too, but was still a bit worried. "I'll go to the Cardiology Department tomorrow to understand the situation."
"Hehehe," the little assistant giggled, giddy. "Tomorrow, oh, my male god is coming for his follow-up consultation again! Senior Sister, you're also looking forward to his visit, aren't you?"
Just as Mei Ran raised her hand to tap her head, the clever little girl dodged away nimbly, shouting, "Don't even try to deny it! Look, look, your face is already turning red!"
"But alas, my male god already has someone in his heart," the little assistant draped an arm over her shoulder. "We are two fellow sufferers adrift in the world!"
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"It means my male god already has a CP. It's a mysterious woman called 'Think It Over Carefully.'"
Mei Ran: "..."
Leaving work in the evening, Mei Ran had just arrived at the foot of her apartment building when Yu Sheng's call came through. "I sent you a WeChat and you didn't reply. Still haven't bought a new phone?"
"Yeah, planning to buy one during my time off."
Yu Sheng said, "No need to buy. A sponsor gifted me a few 6s's a few days ago. I had my assistant express ship one to you. It should have arrived by now."
"It seems..." Mei Ran took out a small box from the smart delivery locker. "It has arrived."
"That's good," Yu Sheng yawned. "Alright then, I have a recording tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep first."
"Good night."
Mei Ran returned home, so exhausted she could barely move. She lay on the sofa for half an hour before finally recovering some energy. Remembering something, she took out the new phone and turned it on.
Yu Sheng had thoughtfully charged it fully for her and even downloaded some common apps. Mei Ran opened Weibo, entered her account, and logged in.
Her avatar was a pink, cute, chibi-style little deer, lying comfortably on green grass, its little head tilted playfully, the eyes smart and spirited.
The phone immediately erupted with a torrent of dense notification sounds, startling her. The notification bubble displayed a row of blazing red numbers, the specific count no longer visible.
A dizzying array of new followers, comments, private messages... And the hot topics alongside, undiminished in popularity: "Who exactly is Think It Over Carefully?" and "Has Think It Over Carefully Followed Her Male God Today?"
Soon, she found the cause of all this abnormality.
It stemmed from a new follower named "Fu Shijin," whose account was verified as a renowned antique collector and appraiser.
Mei Ran's heart began to pound. She tapped into his Weibo page: Following: 1. Followers: 25,679,109. Weibo posts: 10.
Holding her breath, she tapped into his Following list: Think It Over Carefully.
System notification: Followed successfully!
A little while later, another pop-up box appeared: Choose a group for Fu Shijin.
Mei Ran's finger lightly tapped on "Special Attention."
She lowered her eyes and lashes, her complexion as radiant as peach blossoms, flushed like gathered rosy clouds.