Back in the OR, Xu Qinghe rubbed her stomach—she decided to avoid eating with the department head from now on.
In the afternoon, she had two general surgery anesthesia cases, finishing just before six.
Being able to leave work on time was a luxury for Xu Qinghe.
Exiting the comprehensive building, she opened her bag and pulled out a bag of nuts—the one Shi Wenli had given her. She had been too busy to eat them.
Recently, Shi Wenli also left work on time, busy at home with his sister's wedding.
As his car drove past the comprehensive building, a familiar figure came out, snacking while walking.
Shi Wenli stopped the car and rolled down the window. "Dr. Xu."
Xu Qinghe turned her face abruptly.
Shi Wenli said through the window, "Off work early today."
Xu Qinghe chewed the nuts, smiled, and walked closer to talk to him. "You're early too."
"Today was clinic, and it ended right on time." Shi Wenli threw the coat from the passenger seat to the back and leaned over to open the door for her.
Xu Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony and got into the passenger seat.
The last time she caught a ride from him was a year ago.
He rolled up the window and lightly pressed the accelerator.
The car was quiet, except for the rustling of the nut bag.
Shi Wenli glanced at her hand. "Still the two bags I gave you before the holiday?"
"Yeah." Xu Qinghe picked up a dried cranberry and chewed slowly. "I was too busy during the New Year holiday and forgot there were snacks in my bag."
She changed the subject. "You've been up to your ears in wedding preparations too, right?"
Shi Wenli said, "I didn't expect a wedding to require so much work. Oh, by the way," he mentioned he had been tidying up the old house left by their grandparents and found several handwritten anesthesia case books by his grandmother in the bookcase. "They're my grandmother's clinical summaries from over thirty years."
He asked her, "Do you want them?"
Needless to say, of course she did.
But something so precious—how could she just accept it?
His grandmother was an expert in the field of anesthesia. Handwritten classic clinical cases spanning her entire career were invaluable.
Xu Qinghe: "They're too precious. Could I borrow them to read and return them to you afterward?"
Shi Wenli said, "No matter how precious, they'd just collect dust if left with me and Shi Miao. It's more meaningful to give them to a specialist like you."
She loved studying cases so much that she even pondered them while walking. Those few case books would keep her occupied for quite a while.
He had brought the books back to his rental apartment yesterday.
The car turned into the residential complex and parked in its usual spot.
"Wait downstairs. I'll go up and get them."
Saying this, Shi Wenli unbuckled his seatbelt.
Xu Qinghe got out too. "I'll go up with you so you don't have to run back down."
Shi Wenli grabbed his coat from the back seat, and the two walked one after another into the building entrance.
Xu Qinghe walked behind, watching him put on his brown coat as he walked, with a black inner layer underneath, making him look handsome and tall.
He didn't usually have time to shop for clothes; his sister bought most of his outerwear.
Both in taste and quality, they were top-notch.
Shi Wenli's apartment was rented opposite his sister's. Her lease had already expired, and she had moved into her wedding home.
When they came out of the elevator, the sensor light in the corridor flicked on.
Xu Qinghe was familiar with the layout of this building. When she first started working, she had also rented an apartment with the same layout.
Back then, her parents had rented an apartment in this complex so she could sleep an extra half hour each day, but worried she couldn't take care of herself alone, they eventually bought a large apartment and moved in with her.
Coincidentally, Shi Wenli also lived in this complex.
She knew that Shi Miao used to live across from him. She asked casually, "Since Shi Miao doesn't live here anymore, what about you? After the lease ends, will you continue renting or move to a complex closer to her?"
"I won't rent. I plan to buy a place in the same complex as Shi Miao's wedding home."
Xu Qinghe nodded. "It's good to buy in the same complex. Living close makes it convenient to look out for each other."
That also meant his moving day wasn't far off.
She had mentally prepared herself and thought he should indeed move—without Shi Miao there, he'd be home alone, too quiet—but still, she felt a little reluctant.
"Before you move, let me treat you to a meal to thank you for the rides over the years."
Shi Wenli walked ahead to open the door and didn't think twice. "No need. You've hardly taken a ride these past few years."
Their off-work hours didn't match, and they only coincidentally met occasionally.
"I still owe you one." Xu Qinghe joked, "It doesn't matter that I've taken few rides before. After this meal, I'll try to get a few more rides in before you move."
Shi Wenli laughed. "No need for that. Even if I move, someday if I happen to see you leaving work, it's only a few extra minutes to drive you back. It's no trouble."