Xu Qinghe could understand. What attending physician would argue with their own patient?
[You could have told me privately, let me know it was from you. I even posted on Moments saying it was from my childhood friend.]
Shi Wenli: [It's fine. On housewarming day, I'll buy you another one. Then you can post again, saying it's from me.]
"..."
That would cause a stir.
But she could phrase it tactfully.
Shi Wenli sent another message: [I have some fruit here. Do you want to come over and eat it, or should I bring it to you?]
Xu Qinghe: [I'll come get it, I'll come get it!]
She was genuinely afraid that the next second, Shi Wenli would appear in the anesthesiology office.
After hurriedly finishing the cake, she grabbed a folder from the desk as a prop.
Going to Shi Wenli's office twice in one day was a bit hard to justify, especially now that he was no longer officially single.
Fang Yu's reaction time had been getting slower lately. It wasn't until Xu Qinghe stepped out of the office that she belatedly sensed something off about Song Xintan's message card saying, "You've been waiting for this day for over two thousand days."
Was Dr. Xu secretly in love with Chief Shi?
"Dr. Xu!"
Without even grabbing her phone, Fang Yu abruptly stood up and chased after her.
Xu Qinghe turned around quickly: "What's wrong?"
She thought it was an emergency.
"Nothing." Fang Yu lowered her voice only when she got close. "So, 'over two thousand days'—is that how long you've liked..." Worried about eavesdroppers, she omitted the name, "...that person? You've liked them that long?"
Xu Qinghe nodded frankly.
Fang Yu finally understood why Song Xintan had sent so many gifts at once.
Having harbored a secret crush for so long, finally seeing it fulfilled—it wasn't easy.
"Go on. Have a baby soon."
Xu Qinghe laughed: "Thank you."
In less than a minute, she reached the neurosurgery ward.
Passing the nurses' station, she saw that the shift had changed. No one knew she had already been there earlier that morning.
It was lunch break, and the entire ward was quiet.
Only Shi Wenli was in the office. Xu Qinghe didn't knock.
"Chief Shi."
She called softly before entering.
Shi Wenli was reviewing medical records. He looked up from the computer at the sound of her voice.
Seeing her hurried manner, he couldn't help but smile: "Are you afraid that if you're too slow, I'll deliver it to your office directly?"
Xu Qinghe smiled and denied it: "No."
She said softly, "I just wanted to see you sooner."
Shi Wenli took a container from the drawer: "Sit down and have some. Whatever you can't finish, take back with you."
Xu Qinghe recognized it at once—it was their own container from home.
She had assumed a colleague had given him the fruit, but it turned out he had specially brought it from home.
Shi Wenli stood up and left the office door half-open.
That way, even if someone walked past, they wouldn't see her inside.
Xu Qinghe sat down at his desk: "If you keep bringing me fruit like this, sooner or later other team members will notice something's off."
Shi Wenli sat back down at his computer and said calmly, "It doesn't matter even if they do notice. I won't deny or confirm it—let them think what they want. It's already February. We'll come out publicly by April or May at the latest."
Xu Qinghe popped a strawberry into her mouth: "Will we announce it together, or...?"
Shi Wenli said, "I'll do the announcing."
He had already thought about what he would say when the time came.
There was something he hadn't had a chance to tell her last night. After ending the counseling call with Song Xintan, he had gone to shower and then forgotten to mention it.
"Are you on duty on New Year's Day?" he asked.
Xu Qinghe shook her head: "I'm on duty on the second day."
"Then on the first day, I'll take you to Yonghe Temple to fulfill your wish," Shi Wenli said. "Song Xintan told me you made a wish."
Xu Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then agreed: "Okay."
After all, many colleagues went to Yonghe Temple to burn incense every year. She could just treat it as running into Shi Wenli by chance.
New Year's Day was not far off—only three days away.