But they were quickly proven wrong.
Beijing can be small. Another cardiac surgery colleague happened to see that guy on a date with another woman during a weekend meal; their behavior was intimate.
During that time, Xu Qinghe was extremely busy.
This worried several colleagues in cardiac surgery, who debated whether to warn Xu Qinghe.
Every time they worked a shift with her, they couldn't bring themselves to bring it up.
In the end, Xu Qinghe found out about the two-timing. For the past few months, no one had seen that guy's car parked outside the hospital complex.
Last month, in early December, on Xu Qinghe's birthday, the car still didn't show up.
In previous years, that car had never been absent on her birthday.
On her birthday, Xu Qinghe posted a moment on WeChat, thanking her department colleagues for celebrating with her. The last two lines of the caption were thought-provoking:
[Year after year, the wish I made at Yonghe Temple seems to be drifting further away. Another year older, different aspirations. This year, I wish everyone in the anesthesia department gets plenty of rest @Zhao Mingde @Dean Jiang @Section Chief Wu from the Medical Affairs Office.]
This moment spread through all the hospital group chats instantly.
Everyone was too busy talking about how bold she was to @ the leaders directly, ignoring her Yonghe Temple wish.
That sentence was clearly sad.
And the one who went to Yonghe Temple with her back then was that jerk.
She never mentioned the Yonghe Temple wish on her birthday in previous years, but she did this year. It seemed she was deeply hurt.
Xu Qinghe had been having a rough time recently—not just being cheated on, but also being rotated to basic departments, getting complaints every few days, and writing explanations and reflections almost as much as him.
So last time, when he went to Shi Wenli's place for wontons, he brought her along to relax with some skewers and wontons.
Jiang Yang didn't reveal everything about Xu Qinghe's love life; he only gave Qi Ruo a rough idea. "That guy's family is rich. When his car parked there, it was really flashy."
"He used to pick up Dr. Xu from the hospital often; now he doesn't come anymore."
After saying that, he looked at Qi Ruo. "Still want to bet with me?"
Qi Ruo retorted, "Why not?"
Nothing Jiang Yang said shook her opinion.
She was certain that Xu Qinghe's feelings for Shi Wenli weren't just those of a colleague.
As for how Shi Wenli felt about Xu Qinghe, she couldn't be sure.
But one thing she could confirm: someone like Shi Wenli, who had strong boundaries, wouldn't sit across from just anyone for no reason.
If he made an exception and allowed a female colleague to eat from his plate the whole meal, that person must be special to him.
She thought about the bet and said to Jiang Yang, "If you lose, you call me Grandma."
"..."
Jiang Yang put down his soup bowl. "It's not that I don't want to. If I call you Grandma, my dad would have to call you Aunt. Even if I agree, my dad wouldn't."
"..."
Qi Ruo taunted him. "Just admit you're scared!"
"Bet it is. I won't lose." Jiang Yang made his request. "If you lose, you buy me snacks for a year."
Qi Ruo: "..."
So it was all about eating.
She looked toward Xu Qinghe's direction again. The two had finished eating, and Shi Wenli was clearing both trays.
--
Xu Qinghe didn't have a boiled egg this morning, but it was still a lucky "double-yolk egg" day.
She could go home with Shi Wenli after work tonight, and tomorrow was Saturday, so she could rest normally.
She finished up by 7:30, changed clothes, and headed straight to the neurosurgery ward.
In the past, going to neurosurgery always meant either consulting on patients or discussing anesthesia plans with the lead surgeon for the next day—never any exceptions.
If the lead surgeon wasn't Shi Wenli, she never made a detour to his office.
This sense of propriety, along with her ability to hide her feelings, had maintained their relationship beyond ordinary colleagues for years.
No matter who in the hospital had a crush on Shi Wenli, over time, everyone could more or less pick up on signs.
But all these years, no one had ever noticed her feelings for Shi Wenli.
When Xu Qinghe reached the neurosurgery ward, she ran into Ding Qihang.
He was holding a fresh lab report, reading as he walked.
Ding Qihang was now the chief resident, spending almost all his time in the hospital except for one day off per week.
"Dr. Ding." Xu Qinghe greeted him first.
Ding Qihang looked up from the report and asked habitually, "Here for a consult?"
Before he finished speaking, he laughed at himself. "I'm getting confused. You're off work, I can tell."