Hearing no movement from inside, driven by curiosity, the little assistant quietly pressed her ear against the door. Listening carefully for a while revealed nothing unusual, leaving her genuinely baffled.
She had never seen Mei Ran behave so astonishingly at the hospital before—grabbing a man's hand and charging out of a crowd without even hearing her calls several times.
Tiantian shook her head. "Way too strange, way too strange. There's definitely something fishy between those two."
She quietly pushed the door open a crack.
Everything seemed normal!
It seemed she was overthinking. Male God belonged to "You Need to Think It Over Carefully." She closed the door again, went back to the medicine cabinet, and continued sorting herbs.
However, if Tiantian had been more careful, she would have realized the scene inside wasn't as simple as it appeared.
On the usually calm and composed Dr. Mei Ran's face now floated a light blush. The gaze she directed at the man across from her was clear and soft, her earlobes so red they seemed about to bleed.
"The pulse is more stable than before," she said, moving her fingers from Fu Shijin's wrist. She routinely inquired about his condition after taking the medicine and wrote on the prescription slip:
Pinellia 10 grams, aged tangerine peel 9 grams, immature bitter orange 6 grams, bamboo shavings 2 grams, platycodon root 9 grams, poria 15 grams, to be decocted in water...
Mei Ran's handwriting wasn't at all sloppy. Instead, it was exceptionally graceful, each stroke written with great care. She lowered her gaze in concentration, the black pen held between fair, slender fingers moving slowly... All of this fell without a single omission into the man's eyes on the opposite side.
"I have been following your earlier suggestion recently," Fu Shijin paused slightly, "engaging in some... moderate exercise. My grand-aunt also prepares medicinal stews for me daily. These past few days, my migraines have hardly occurred."
Mei Ran felt that his pause was surely deliberate. Seizing the moment, she put on her "authority" as the attending physician and looked directly into his eyes. "That's exactly it. In our field, there's an old saying: There are only uncooperative patients, not untreatable illnesses."
She spoke with an air of seriousness, unaware that the corners of her lips were curved throughout, and her flushed cheeks lacked any persuasive power whatsoever.
Fu Shijin smiled slightly, a lazy trace in his mildly lifted tone. "I will definitely cooperate proactively with the treatment and strive to be able to engage in slightly more vigorous exercise earlier."
Mei Ran: "..."
"Don't misunderstand," seeing the flush rising again in the depths of her eyes, he slowly explained, "What I mean is, next month the A City Sports Bureau is organizing an open-water swimming competition..."
The origin of this matter lay in the donated white jade seal not long ago. Once reported in the news, Fu Shijin had almost become a local celebrity in A City. Participating was truly something he felt obliged to accept due to the overwhelming goodwill. However, according to his nature, he had never been particularly interested in such public events. Yet this time, he had his own considerations.
"An open-water swimming competition?"
"Yes," the man nodded, then asked, "Is my condition not suitable for participating?"
Mei Ran thought for a moment. "It's fine if the race isn't too long."
He quickly followed up, "It's just a short-distance race."
"Then there's no big problem." Mei Ran looked up, meeting a gaze as clear and limpid as moonlight also watching her. After considerable hesitation, she decided to ask, "You... why did you only follow me?"
Fu Shijin raised an eyebrow slightly and chuckled. "I thought I'd have to wait a while longer."
He was referring to the follow-back matter.
Mei Ran cleared her throat lightly, a bit embarrassed.
"Isn't it normal to curry favor with your own attending physician? After all..." Light seemed to flicker in the deep pools of the man's eyes as he suddenly leaned closer and said something in a lowered voice.
Do you have to make it sound so ambiguous?
Mei Ran only felt an unprecedented surge of emotion. It was even stronger than when he had kissed her earlier. She suddenly didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, a knock sounded at the door.
Then, the little assistant's head peeked in. "Senior Sister, aren't you done yet? The next scheduled patient has already arrived."
"Oh!" Mei Ran quickly replied, "We'll be done soon!"
Just as she stood up, a warm hand suddenly covered hers. On the man's refined and handsome face was an air of calm composure, yet his voice was strikingly low. "Ran Ran, let's have dinner together tonight."
Mei Ran: "...Okay."
Gentle laughter spread from the depths of her eyes, as if ripples had stirred on a lake's surface.
The afternoon patients were numerous. By the time Mei Ran saw off the last one, the world outside the window was already draped in a light twilight, the wall clock pointing to six-thirty. The little assistant, looking utterly listless, leaned on the counter with a hand on her back, sighing deeply. "I've been so busy this afternoon, completely non-stop. Really, I'm exhausted!"
Mei Ran took a sip of water, then hastily went into the lounge to shower. Fortunately, the dress she'd bought shopping with Yu Sheng last time happened to be stuffed in her personal locker, with the tag still on, sparing her the trouble of going home to change.
Facing the mirror, she applied lipstick. Remembering something, she stopped and wiped off that layer of alluring red.
Accidentally ingesting lipstick was not good for one's health.
After checking herself from head to toe, Mei Ran picked up her bag and prepared to leave. Seeing her, the little assistant's eyes lit up as if two small flames had suddenly ignited in the dark night. "Senior Sister, you look so beautiful in that dress!"
Her gaze swept over Mei Ran's dress with undisguised appreciation. The pale blue accentuated the fairness of her exposed skin. The dress's unique design outlined her slender waist, and beneath the light skirt, her legs were long and straight...
Heavens! To think Senior Sister's figure beneath her white coat had such assets—she was practically being forcibly turned!
"Huh? Why are you giving me a tissue?"
Suppressing a smile, Mei Ran said, "Wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth."
"Ahhhh! Senior Sister, you're teasing me!"
Even after leaving the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, the sound of the little assistant stomping and shouting could still be heard. Mei Ran smiled again and walked towards the black car that had been waiting in the night for who knows how long.
After fastening her seatbelt, Mei Ran asked, "Did you wait very long?"
"It's fine, not too long." The man's slender fingers rested lightly on the steering wheel, his expression indescribably relaxed. He turned to look at her. "What would you like to eat?"
Mei Ran laughed easily. "It seems I can't say 'anything' casually."
Fu Shijin curled the corners of his lips, speaking with gentlemanly grace. "It's alright. It's the lady's prerogative. Then... I'll decide?"
Mei Ran naturally said okay.
The car drove along a side road off the main avenue, turning a few corners before stopping in front of a quaint-looking tea house.
In front of the tea house, a small pool had been dug, holding waist-deep water, its surface adorned with a patch of white water lilies resting with their petals slightly closed.
This flower shared a similar habit with hibiscus: blooming by day and closing at night.
Mei Ran silently recited from her memory: "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplements," water lily entry: Relieves summer heat; alleviates drunkenness; calms fright. Mainly used for sunstroke; drunkenness with thirst; infantile convulsions.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" came a clear male voice beside her.
"Thinking about a tank of water lilies I kept during university."
The man led her forward while listening attentively. "Back then, dormitory inspections were very strict. I could only keep them under my bed, but these flowers love sunlight and breeze. They withered within a few days."
Fu Shijin seemed thoughtful upon hearing this. "That's a pity."
"Yes," Mei Ran said softly. "So ever since then, I've never kept flowers again. Firstly, I was too busy, and secondly, I was a little afraid that my selfish desire would deprive them of their right to continue existing and blooming in this world."
A middle-aged man approached from around the corner, greeting them familiarly. "Mr. Fu, you're here. The usual private room?"
Fu Shijin nodded, and the man promptly led the way ahead.
It seemed this was the composed demeanor he always displayed in front of others. Mei Ran asked curiously, "Do you come here often?"
"The owner here is my grand-aunt's nephew," he sat down across from her. "But the food is quite good."
Mei Ran understood, but she hadn't expected his "quite good" to be of this caliber. How picky was this man's palate?
Even a simple bone and corn soup, simmered gently over low heat—the essence of the bones melted into the broth, milky white in color, "gurgling" as it bubbled—was rich, mellow, and delectable, carrying a subtle sweetness of corn upon careful tasting.
Mei Ran drank more than half a bowl quite quickly.
Throughout the entire meal, the man across from her hardly touched his chopsticks, mostly watching her eat.
"Do you like it?"
"Mm-hmm." Mei Ran hadn't had a meal so much to her liking in a long time. She narrowed her eyes contentedly, like a lazy little kitten.
"Then we can come often in the future."
This was already a very obvious hint. Mei Ran knew that agreeing now would be equivalent to accepting a certain commitment. Looking into those deep eyes, she nodded solemnly, "Sure!"
After the meal, Fu Shijin drove her to the entrance of her residential compound. A magnolia tree in full bloom stood there, its fragrance, as if steeped in the water-like moonlight, seemed faintly fermented and intoxicating.
It felt as if they were walking through a dream.
"Well... goodbye." Mei Ran stopped at the steps.
She had let her long hair down, cascading over her shoulders, the dense, dark tresses veiling a neck as smooth as jade. Fu Shijin released his hand, strands of hair slipping through his fingers like the elusive white moonlight he could never grasp, no matter how he reached, during countless deep, cold nights leaning against his window.
Suddenly, he reached out and tightly pulled her into his embrace, feeling that long-coming sense of reality.
The steady, strong heartbeat, the warm embrace, the clearly perceptible breath beside her ear—Mei Ran's heart instantly softened like a lavender field gently caressed by the breeze under that moonlight.
Holding onto his sleeve cuff, she asked softly, "Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
She still wanted to confirm it with him again.
She only felt the heartbeat coming from his chest growing more intense. The man's gentle voice fell onto her hair like moonlight. "Do you think I'm tall enough?"
Mei Ran was bewildered. She blinked, suddenly remembering that time in the home game room when she had said she wanted her future boyfriend to be very tall, the kind she could look up to.
"You are." The light in her eyes was more beautiful than a sky full of stars.
"I'm honored," said the man, his kiss landing gently on her forehead, filled with tenderness and deep affection. "Goodnight."
That night, Mei Ran suffered from insomnia again.
So, before dawn, she got up and kneaded flour to make buns for breakfast, also planning to send some to her department. She knew how to wrap several uniquely and beautifully shaped small soup dumplings with excellent fillings, and they were well-liked by everyone.
A colleague had once joked, "Dr. Mei, if you ever stop being a doctor, set up a stall selling soup dumplings at our hospital entrance. We'll take care of you!"
This skill Mei Ran had learned from her mother. If she hadn't passed away so early, she probably would have taught her even more.
The water in the pot boiled, steam puffing against the lid with a "tut-tut-tut" sound. Soon, bursts of fragrance wafted out.
After another ten minutes, Mei Ran turned off the heat, portioned the dumplings into several airtight containers, placed them all in a large bag, and headed to the hospital.
The night shift security guards at the entrance hadn't changed shifts yet and were chatting together. Mei Ran gave them the largest portion of the buns.
"Thank you," an older security guard said with a hearty laugh. "Dr. Mei, you're early today."
"Mm," Mei Ran smiled, "I got up quite early."
"Speaking of yesterday, your boyfriend..." The old guard gave a thumbs-up, "He certainly had guts! Back then, we were waiting outside the door, and he suddenly came over to borrow my police baton." Recalling it, he still felt a twinge of lingering fear. "I heard it was an HIV needle. If infected, it would be disastrous, so none of us dared make a move. Anyone ordinary faced with such a situation would stay far away, wouldn't they? To think..."
"Dr. Mei, you have great judgment. That young man isn't just handsome; he also shoulders responsibility. A real man!" The old guard stroked his chin. "Yesterday, I saw him waiting outside for you all afternoon..."
"All afternoon?" Mei Ran interrupted, unable to believe it.
"Yes!" The old guard nodded emphatically, pointing towards the parking lot not far away. "His car was parked right there. He sat inside all afternoon."
He remembered clearly: hospital regulations stated that vehicles parking over two hours in the lot would incur charges, and that man was the only one who had exceeded the limit yesterday.
Mei Ran looked over, her heart trembling slightly. The spot where he had parked faced directly towards the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department where she worked.
"Thank you."
The old guard scratched his head, confused.
"Dr. Mei, we thank you too!" Two or three younger guards behind him, cheeks stuffed full, said, "These soup dumplings are delicious!"
"Hey!" The old guard glared angrily. "You little brats, at least leave a few for me!"
Mei Ran smiled, waved at them, and carrying her bag, headed towards the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department. Back in her office, she sat in a daze for quite a while.
After eating breakfast and splashing cold water on her face, the shock in her heart was somewhat suppressed. She took out her phone, found a number, and dialed.
The other end answered quickly. "Ran Ran?"
As if not fully awake, the man's voice still carried a touch of low huskiness. Mei Ran bit her lip. "Did... did you wait for me all afternoon yesterday?"
"Ran Ran," the response came after a few seconds, "Compared to seven years, an afternoon doesn't even count."
Tears began to well up in Mei Ran's eyes.