She explained, "I'll work overtime at this table."
Shi Wenli couldn't help but smile. "You like this table that much? Fine, just come over directly tomorrow. We'll have lunch together."
Eating fruit and talking with him, before she knew it, it was almost ten.
Time had flown by so fast, even though they hadn't said much.
She didn't have work tomorrow, so it didn't matter if she slept late, but he did—he had outpatient duty.
Xu Qinghe stood up. "I should go. You get some rest."
Shi Wenli also stood, ready to see her off.
His coat was draped over the back of her chair, and he reached for it.
Xu Qinghe stood in front of him, watching him put on his coat.
They were very close—close enough to smell his scent and feel the warmth emanating from his sweater. No longer did they have to maintain a deliberate distance as colleagues.
Shi Wenli handed her her down jacket. "Wait for me."
He turned and went into the bedroom.
Xu Qinghe slowly put on her jacket.
The thought of parting immediately filled her with reluctance.
When Shi Wenli came out, he was holding an elevator access card and a key.
He handed them both to her. "Since you like that dining table, you can come over anytime tomorrow morning to work overtime."
Xu Qinghe masked her racing heart and gracefully accepted the key.
It still held the warmth of his palm.
She was already looking forward to tomorrow.
--
The next day, at 12:10 p.m., Shi Wenli finished seeing the last patient.
When he walked out of the consultation room, only a few people remained in the surgical outpatient waiting area.
"Director Shi."
A masked woman called out to him.
Shi Wenli stopped and didn't recognize the person before him.
He assumed she was a return patient or a family member inquiring about a condition.
The woman took off her mask and said with a smile, "Don't you recognize me?"
The face was familiar, but Shi Wenli couldn't place it.
"It's me, Tao Han."
With this reminder, Shi Wenli suddenly smiled.
He finally recognized her—his middle school classmate, who had even sat in the row ahead of him.
Shi Wenli quickly apologized. "Haven't seen you in years; I didn't recognize you at first."
Tao Han said, "No surprise there. I've become better-looking, after all—a beauty."
She laughed at herself after saying it.
Shi Wenli also laughed.
Tao Han was the kind of person who grew on you; only after spending time with her and getting to know her personality did she become more attractive.
After joking around, she got down to business. "I haven't run into you since graduation. A few days ago, when I scheduled an appointment with neurology, I didn't really understand the difference between neurology and neurosurgery, so I casually checked the neurosurgery specialist clinic. When I saw your name, I thought it might be a coincidence, but then I remembered your father is also a doctor—maybe you followed in his footsteps. When I saw the photo on the hospital website, I realized it really was you."
Hearing that she had seen a neurologist, Shi Wenli asked with concern, "What's wrong? Where are you feeling unwell?"
"My head's been bothering me. I just saw the neurology specialist half an hour ago."
Yesterday, her head had gone "buzz," feeling like waves spreading inside her skull, but it quickly resolved.
She'd never experienced that before. Maybe it was psychological, but afterward she felt her head was heavy and unclear.
She was afraid it might be a brain hemorrhage or something, so she came in for a check.
"What did neurology say?"
"I had a head CT. Nothing major. The doctor said it's due to lack of sleep and too much stress."
The stress came from her father's upcoming open-heart surgery, scheduled for the following week's elective list.
The thought of his recovery being another hurdle made her anxious and unable to sleep.
She didn't mention family matters to Shi Wenli. "After my appointment, it wasn't time for you to finish yet. I figured since you had clinic this morning too, and we hadn't seen each other in years, I'd wait a bit." She sighed. "Time flies. We're both at the age of being parents now."
"My son is almost ready for kindergarten. What about you? Married?"
"No."
"Don't tell me you're still single?" Tao Han still remembered how many girls liked him back then—love letters from other classes never stopped—but he didn't date anyone in those three years.