Shi Wenli: [Okay, I won't go this afternoon.]
Wu Xiaofeng: [Thanks.]
Shi Wenli: [You're welcome.]
After chatting with Wu Xiaofeng, he finally opened his Moments. Thousands of comments and likes—too many to read through.
He had been an intern at this hospital since his sophomore year, then did his internship, residency, and stayed on. Over a decade, he had thousands of medical staff colleagues on WeChat, and it felt like everyone had liked it today.
He didn't know all of them. Many had added him through work groups, with detailed notes of department and name, so he had accepted directly. Some added him to ask about papers, some to inquire about family members' conditions, and some for unknown reasons, probably just to join the fun, like Fang Yu.
Shi Wenli didn't read the comments. He scrolled through the list of likes. From top to bottom, even Dean Jiang and the Vice Dean had liked it, but Xu Qinghe's avatar wasn't there. She was probably still busy.
Most people believed he really had a blind date from this semi-public post, but a small portion thought he was just using it as a shield to avoid matchmaking and confessions. Dean Jiang was among that "small portion."
Dean Jiang had his reasons. First, Shi Wenli wouldn't publicly embarrass him for no reason. Second, Shi Wenli's aunt had called him yesterday, saying her nephew's marriage was worrying her to death. She was most afraid he really didn't want to settle down. As they talked, she started complaining about his elder brother, Shi Jianqin, saying if it weren't for his selfishness after the divorce—only caring about himself and leaving the kids to go to Shanghai—the two children wouldn't have lost interest in relationships.
When Dean Jiang told his son Jiang Yang about this, Jiang Yang thought to himself: Have you considered that precisely because you're close to Brother Shi's aunt and uncle, Brother Shi didn't tell his aunt he's in a relationship?
Today, father and son went home together. Jiang Yang caught a ride with his father. Usually, his father never wanted to give him a lift. It was a rare show of paternal love.
Dean Jiang: "Shi Wenli claims to have a partner when he doesn't. He can fool people for a while, but over time, no one is stupid."
Jiang Yang: "..."
He seized the opportunity: "If he doesn't have a partner, it's easy. I'll help him find one, try to set him up within half a year. Anyway, no one knows if he just started dating or if it's the same one he posted before."
Dean Jiang looked his son up and down: "You?"
Jiang Yang looked back defiantly: "What about me? You look down on me?"
Dean Jiang found it amusing: "With your unreliable self, who would dare agree to someone you introduce?"
"..."
Just wait. When the time comes, he would firmly insist that he was the one who set up Xu Qinghe and Brother Shi.
"Don't judge people through a crack. Just because your own matchmaking failed doesn't mean everyone is like you."
Dean Jiang: "..."
The driver glanced at Dean Jiang in the rearview mirror.
Dean Jiang: "I'm not judging. Ask yourself: if you offered to set Shi Wenli up, would he dare agree?"
Jiang Yang couldn't be bothered to respond. When he got home, he planned to tattle to his mom.
He opened Moments again and scrolled through the comments under Shi Wenli's post. One comment thread was taller than a skyscraper.
He privately messaged Shi Wenli: [Brother Shi, don't worry about my dad. He's already convinced himself you don't have a blind date and it's just a shield. Our Vice Dean will definitely be led astray by him too.]
With too many messages, Shi Wenli had long put his phone on silent. When Jiang Yang's message came in, he was on his way to the new house. Driving, he couldn't check his phone.
Shi Wenli's post was like a boulder, stirring up a thousand waves on that Saturday afternoon.
It wasn't until 2:40 that Xu Qinghe came out of the OR. The cafeteria had already closed. Zhang Xun had ordered takeout for her, just delivered to the office. On the table, besides the takeout, was a cake.
Fang Yu returned from following up on a patient and spotted the cake box as soon as she entered. "Ooh, what's this?"
This brand of cake was always synonymous with expensive. "Who gave it to Dr. Xu?"
Colleagues in the office looked up: "No idea. No note on it."
"We were just guessing. Could it be Chief Shi?"
At this juncture, it was hard not to speculate.
Just then, footsteps sounded at the door. Fang Yu turned around and got excited when she saw who it was: "Dr. Xu, hurry, someone sent you a cake."
Xu Qinghe looked at the big cake box and even tried to recall if today was a special day. There was no special message, just: "Happy every day."
From Shi Wenli?
At that moment, her phone rang. Caller ID: Song Xintan.
"Do you know where I am now?" Song Xintan's headache had improved after taking medicine, and his voice had energy.
Xu Qinghe: "Where? The airport?"
"Just came out of Yonghe Temple."
"Huh?" Xu Qinghe said in surprise, "You're back? When did you land?"
"Early this morning. I've already fulfilled your wish."
Song Xintan said, "Haven't even been home yet."
"You're awesome. I'll treat you to a meal later."
Xu Qinghe held her phone against her shoulder with her chin and used both hands to open the cake box. "I just received a crystal swan cake. Did you send it?"
Song Xintan said yes. He was too busy with his headache to care, but he had instructed his secretary to prepare more gifts for Xu Qinghe and order her favorite cake to celebrate her getting the certificate.
"I had Secretary Zhang order it. I didn't expect him to have it delivered today."
Xu Qinghe: "I was wondering why a cake suddenly showed up."
Only her family and Song Xintan knew she loved this brand of cake.