Shi Wenli opened the door. Jiang Yang was holding a box of kumquats in one hand and a thermal container in the other.
The thermal container was the largest size.
Shi Wenli stepped aside to let him in. "Did you specifically bring me a dish?"
Jiang Yang had no trace of embarrassment. "It's an empty container. Brother Shi, boil me some tomato wontons to take back later."
"..." Shi Wenli chuckled. "Alright, no problem. Then sit and wait."
Jiang Yang put down what he was holding, plopped down at the dining table, crossed his legs, and was about to play on his phone when he inadvertently turned his head and spotted the vase against the wall.
Last time it had been chamomile, bought specially for Min Ting's birthday.
Today's arrangement was much more romantic, yet still fresh and elegant.
"Brother Shi, whose birthday is it? Are they eating here?" He lifted his chin toward the roses.
Shi Wenli glanced at the vase and said, "No one's birthday. Dr. Xu ate here at noon."
Even if it wasn't convenient to make it public, there was no need to lie.
He added, "The chamomile had been there for a while, so I bought a new bouquet."
Jiang Yang nodded. "That's what I thought."
Brother Shi was a man of refinement; he wouldn't let wilted flowers sit on the table when entertaining friends.
Mentioning Xu Qinghe eating lunch there, he teased, "Elder Sister Qinghe is afraid she won't be able to mooch meals after you move, right?"
Shi Wenli said, "I invited her."
Jiang Yang finally understood why Xu Qinghe could become Brother Shi's friend. She had strong boundaries and, living in the same community for years, had never mooched a meal. It took Brother Shi actively inviting her.
He looked at the large thermal container he had brought...
Then comforted himself in the next second: Brother Shi needs all kinds of friends.
He shifted the conversation to Xu Qinghe. "At lunch today, my dad said Elder Sister Qinghe is too focused on work. She has no time to enjoy life or relationships. She's been unlucky lately."
He wasn't sure if Brother Shi knew that Elder Sister Qinghe had already broken up with that scumbag ex-boyfriend of hers.
He didn't dare blurt it out, after all, Brother Shi had been away for further training this past year. What if Elder Sister Qinghe hadn't told him?
He couldn't go around broadcasting other people's private affairs.
All he could do was lament, "Look at her WeChat Moments post on her birthday—how sad she was."
Shi Wenli unsealed the kumquat box, took some out, and placed them on the table. "I called her on the night of her birthday. She didn't seem unhappy."
During that year of training, with the time difference and both being busy, they didn't have time to keep in touch.
Among the few contacts they had, once was on Mid-Autumn Festival when she asked if he had eaten mooncakes, and then on her birthday.
It wasn't until he saw her WeChat Moments post that he remembered it was her birthday and called her directly.
But they didn't talk much. First he wished her happy birthday, asked if she was working overtime, and told her he would be back soon.
An urgent consultation came up, so they only chatted for less than two minutes.
Even though the call was short, he could tell from her tone whether she was happy or not.
Jiang Yang said, "I mean, that wish Elder Sister Qinghe made at Yonghe Temple—it seemed quite heartbreaking."
Jiang Yang found it heartbreaking because he imagined Xu Qinghe's past relationship—from its initial intensity to its eventual regret—but Shi Wenli didn't share that perspective.
Shi Wenli replied, "When I see her, I'll ask her about it."
He grabbed a handful of kumquats. "Sit down. I'll go cook the wontons."
Jiang Yang thought Shi Wenli was taking the kumquats to the kitchen to taste them; he didn't think much of it.
"Brother Shi, sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble. It'll be done in a moment."
Shi Wenli went to the kitchen first.
Jiang Yang scrolled on his phone outside, feeling that there was a faint, subtle fragrance in Brother Shi's home today.
Was it left over from Elder Sister Qinghe's lunch visit?
He wondered what perfume could linger so long.
Thinking about Xu Qinghe's unfortunate encounter with that scumbag, and that she was Brother Shi's most valued friend, he began to consider if there was a suitable person he could introduce to her.
Out with the old, in with the new.
He started analyzing what type of man Xu Qinghe would like. That scumbag ex had money, so he needed to introduce someone even richer.
The scumbag was decent-looking, so he had to find someone even more handsome for Elder Sister Qinghe.
The scumbag had okay taste in clothes, so in that regard, he couldn't lose to him.
Before turning bad, the scumbag had been considerate, so thoughtfulness and attention to detail had to be top priorities.
He furiously typed a long list in his phone's memo.
The bedroom door was wide open, the same as usual.