But understanding was all it was.
This morning at the old house, when the wedding procession cars arrived downstairs, his father had sighed: "In the blink of an eye, you and Miao Miao have grown up."
To their parents, it might really have seemed like just a blink.
But to him and his sister, it had been a long, arduous journey through countless waits and disappointments, dragging through more than twenty years.
Especially after their grandparents passed away, the house had only him and his sister left.
...
On stage, Director Gu was delivering the witness speech.
Shi Wenli snapped back to reality and joined the applause.
Xu Qinghe recorded the entire speech. Director Gu spoke with such sincerity that he moved everyone present.
She sent the video to her own department head.
Let him see how Director Gu treated his own student.
Zhao Mingde was on duty at the hospital today, letting the younger staff attend Shi Miao's wedding.
After watching the video, his focus drifted completely: [Such a long witness speech, not a single mistake. Looks like Old Gu really worked on memorizing it.]
Xu Qinghe: "..."
People with no emotional subtlety couldn't empathize.
She exited the chat, picked up her water glass, and lightly clinked it against Shi Wenli's glass. "Congratulations to you too."
Shi Miao's wedding—he was the happiest person.
Shi Wenli clinked back. "Thank you."
He took a sip of juice and said to her, "If you're not in a hurry after the banquet, wait a few minutes for me. You can ride with me."
Xu Qinghe: "You're not busy this afternoon?"
"The rest is taken care of. My brother-in-law has it all arranged."
After the wedding feast, he only needed to see the elders to their cars.
The two lived in the same complex, so catching a ride was only natural. Xu Qinghe didn't refuse.
Maybe because he had been away for a year of advanced study, and they hadn't had a good chat in a long time, they were clearly more talkative and closer than before.
The grand wedding wound down amid joy for both hosts and guests.
Shi Wenli handed his car keys to Xu Qinghe, telling her to wait in the car.
Dean Jiang and his wife were walking behind them.
Mrs. Jiang nudged her husband. "Hey, is Dr. Xu and Wenli a couple? Don't go breaking up young love."
Her husband was planning to set Shi Wenli up on a blind date in a couple of days, but she felt that Xu Qinghe and Shi Wenli had something special.
Dean Jiang was certain: "They're not a couple. Their relationship has always been good—they've been friends for years. I've asked Jiang Yang and Shi Miao. Wenli is single."
In the car, Xu Qinghe opened her photo album to pick pictures for a social media post.
She chose a group photo with the bride and groom, plus two solo shots with the bride.
Afraid her intentions would be too obvious, she didn't include any solo photo of Shi Wenli; instead, she added the one of him with Jiang Yang.
It had been years since she last posted a nine-grid layout.
Her father quickly liked it and commented: [The bride and groom are so happy. Does that not move you at all?]
Xu Bingduo wasn't trying to push her into marriage; he just hoped she would have time for a good relationship.
Rather than settling for a convenient match at a certain age.
Xu Qinghe teased her father: [It moved me so much that I posted a nine-grid. How about you go to Yonghe Temple one day and pray for my romantic fate?]
Xu Bingduo didn't believe in such things, but if his daughter wanted it, he would go.
He asked her: [Anything else? Pray for career success?]
Xu Qinghe: "..."
She replied to her father: [I was just joking. Did you take it seriously?]
Speaking of Yonghe Temple, she had gone once with her best friend when she first started working. That day was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the temple was packed with incense burners.
By then, she had already fallen for Shi Wenli.
As they were leaving Yonghe Temple, they encountered a fortune-teller at the gate who stopped her and said her true love was in the south.
Her best friend had pulled out a thick stack of cash, calling it a deposit, and asked the fortune-teller if there was a way to redirect her true love to the neurosurgery department of a local hospital.
The fortune-teller was baffled and returned the money untouched.
Her best friend had also told her: "Based on my understanding of men, that guy you have a crush on definitely doesn't like you."
Maybe she and Shi Wenli really weren't meant to be. They had known each other for so long, yet remained just friends.
Xu Bingduo: [I'll go first thing tomorrow.]