Before he could finish, his phone rang.
The caller ID was clearly visible. Jiang Ruoqi politely stepped back, signaling for him to answer first.
"It's from the hospital. Sorry, you'll have to wait for me a moment."
"You're busy. I'm not in a hurry."
Meng Shang slipped out of the master bedroom, and Jiang Ruoqi, no longer needing to pretend to be fine, pounded her lower back vigorously and flopped onto the mattress.
She still disliked wearing clothes meant for going out indoors, but her back pain was worse, and since the bed wasn't made, she quickly abandoned her principles.
Dr. Meng was busy with work and had already spent the whole day with her. It was fine to just open a delivery app and order a run errand service, so Jiang Ruoqi didn't want to trouble him further.
When Meng Shang finished his call and came back to the master bedroom with his car keys, Jiang Ruoqi's down comforter, two pillows, and a set of bed linens were already on their way.
"All done?"
"A patient from yesterday's surgery developed complications. The on-call doctor wasn't sure, so they called to discuss it with me."
"I thought Dr. Meng would rush straight to the hospital after that call." Jiang Ruoqi stood up, shaking her pant legs that had stuck together due to static electricity before looking up to add, "That's how medical dramas on TV go."
"Jiang Ruoqi."
Meng Shang found Jiang Ruoqi's scattered remarks amusing, so he couldn't help but call her name.
Jiang Ruoqi was slightly stunned. "Huh?"
She had been in Gangcheng for eleven years, and most people called her by her English name. The name 'Seven' appeared more often than 'Jiang Ruoqi,' so she was still unaccustomed to hearing people address her by her full name in such a serious tone.
Meng Shang didn't speak immediately.
This was also the first time he had called her by her full name.
It was as if, starting from these three syllables, once uttered, they would give rise to secret, unspoken feelings.
"Watch less TVB." A trace of amusement flickered across Meng Shang's serious face, disappearing quickly as if he feared being caught. "The department has backup doctors on call. Under normal circumstances, I won't be called back during time off."
Jiang Ruoqi stared at him, seemingly unconvinced.
Meng Shang rubbed his forehead and squeezed out a few more words from between his teeth. "Probably not."
Jiang Ruoqi's eyes curved, and she broke into a full smile. "So Master Meng is indeed booked exclusively for me today."
"Then let's hurry. I'll trouble Master Meng to introduce me to some good nearby restaurants. I'm starving."
"Aren't we going to buy a blanket?" Although eating was important, Meng Shang was still worried about the blanket and nodded toward the empty mattress.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Jiang Ruoqi raised her phone. "I've ordered delivery. The food should arrive after our meal."
"Let's go. To thank Mr. Meng Shang for his hard work, let's have a good meal!"
Since they weren't buying big items, there was no need to drive. Jiang Ruoqi and Meng Shang walked out of the residential complex. Although it was late, it was dinnertime, and there were quite a few people on the street.
The roadside planes trees were left with only their bare branches. Streetlights were hidden among them, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone-paved sidewalks.
There weren't many large restaurants near the residential area. But a few hundred meters away, there were several medium-sized restaurants along the street.
With limited options, after excluding Chaoshan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, and so on, the only choice for Jiang Ruoqi's long-awaited feast was a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant.
Actually, when they passed by a traditionally flavored hotpot restaurant, Jiang Ruoqi hesitated. On a cold winter night, nothing was more comforting than a spicy hotpot. Moreover, in Gangcheng, she had been eating either Western food or Cantonese cuisine, so she longed for authentic beef tallow hotpot.
But unfortunately, today she had Meng Shang by her side.
Thinking about the hotpot smell all over her clothes, Jiang Ruoqi backed out.
Putting aside whether they were in the ambiguous stage or not, President Jiang still had her pride.
However, although the Huaiyang restaurant was not large, the dishes were quite authentic and light and delicious. Jiang Ruoqi was curious about Meng Shang's dietary restrictions, but it turned out he wasn't picky.
That made sense—someone who grew up in a culinary wasteland would eat almost anything.
After a hearty meal, they took a walk to aid digestion.
They passed by a supermarket and bought some small odds and ends. Then they walked side by side on a dimly lit road.
Jiang Ruoqi's mind seemed to slow down after eating. She looked down at the rugged branches of the planes trees, which segmented their shadows into pieces.
Meng Shang was holding a bag in one hand, hanging by his side, and holding his phone in the other, answering a call.
Another call from the hospital. Jiang Ruoqi felt that the medical dramas she watched weren't lying—the busyness of surgeons, especially cardiac surgeons, was evident.
It was expected. Jiang Ruoqi was prepared and not surprised.
Moreover, when Meng Shang was focused on work, he was professional and meticulous. Even his frown had a restrained charm that was very alluring.
Jiang Ruoqi stared at him, distracted, and failed to notice a car emerging from a dark intersection.
"Mm... observe after the medication. Contact me if anything changes."
Meng Shang hooked the shopping bag over his arm and switched his phone to the other hand after hanging up. With his free hand, he gently guided the distracted Jiang Ruoqi away from the car crossing at the intersection.
"What are you thinking about? Not watching where you're going."
The car sped past in front of them, stirring up a gust of wind mixed with dust and gasoline.
Jiang Ruoqi suddenly stopped, and Meng Shang stopped as well.
"What's wrong?"
They were standing in front of a cluster of evergreen shrubs at the entrance of the residential complex. Meng Shang stood facing the light, and the relatively dense leaves cast shadows on his face and body.
The interplay of light and shadow outlined his handsome, well-defined face with an indescribable darkness.
"Meng Shang, why did someone like you break up with your ex?"
Jiang Ruoqi's question came suddenly, and before Meng Shang could speak, she continued, "Don't tell me you don't have an ex. I even know about your high school sweetheart."
Meng Shang didn't intend to hide it, but he assumed Su Yansheng had ratted him out.
"That's the only one." There wasn't much regret or sorrow in Meng Shang's tone. "We spent too much time long-distance, and we were too self-centered when we were young. We couldn't tolerate each other and weren't willing to compromise, so we broke up."
Jiang Ruoqi nodded and didn't press further. Instead, she reciprocated by sharing about herself. "I've also had a few relationships. The breakups were mostly for the same reason."
"Couldn't tolerate the other person and wasn't willing to compromise." She turned sideways to no longer look at Meng Shang, her tone somewhat sentimental. "That's how people are. What drives a relationship forward is some mysterious feeling. Without it, you can never take it a step further."
This time, it was Meng Shang who was lost in thought. He frowned silently, his eyes deep.
"Let's go. The delivery has arrived at the doorstep." Jiang Ruoqi let out a breath and tugged at the sleeve of Meng Shang's coat.
For a moment, they both fell silent.
They walked into the residential complex, passed a winter-dried decorative water feature, and came to a path without lighting. The cobblestones underfoot were uneven, mirroring the turbulent emotions of the people walking on them.
"Do you think..." Meng Shang suddenly spoke. "Do you think how long you need to date before you can get married?"
Jiang Ruoqi smiled genuinely.
It was true that if you're unlucky in your career, you'll be lucky in love. After all, everything she had set up tonight was perfectly timed. The fish had taken the bait of its own accord, and her efforts hadn't been in vain.
She slowed her pace, still strolling leisurely, but her voice suddenly turned serious.
"If you're asking me..."
"Then, it could be tomorrow morning."