Xu Qinghe couldn't believe it. Her reaction was delayed by several beats.
“Huh? He… at 8:30?”
Last night at 8:30, she was still at his place.
So at that moment, he already knew about the blind date with her.
No wonder.
No wonder he had seemed a bit off from last night to this morning.
“He… definitely didn’t refuse?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it was a stupid question.
“Director, thank you.”
Xu Qinghe’s fingers clutched the dark blue surgical cap printed with little fish blowing bubbles. Excitement, joy, relief, disbelief—all kinds of emotions intertwined in her heart, leaving her momentarily incoherent.
“Director, I’ve been a bother to you all these years.”
“You have been quite troublesome.”
“……”
Xu Qinghe laughed, unusually gentle. “Director, from now on, I’ll try not to cause you any trouble.”
Zhao Mingde looked serious. “Don’t change the subject.”
Young people these days are roundabout, speaking ambiguously—sounding like they’ve agreed to a blind date while leaving room to back out.
“Qinghe, give me a straight answer: are you willing to go on a blind date with Shi Wenli? I’m old; ambiguous words I’ll take as truth.”
“You don’t have to answer me now. Go home and think it over. You and Shi Wenli know each other well. You know better than I do about his character, his abilities, and whether he’s suitable for you.”
Xu Qinghe blurted out, “Didn’t you say it’s tonight?”
Zhao Mingde: “……”
After years of secret hope, Xu Qinghe could no longer suppress her eagerness. “Director, how about tonight? What if tomorrow night I get called in for an emergency surgery?”
She didn’t want to wait another moment; she just wanted to see him soon.
Zhao Mingde looked at her suspiciously. She was being so agreeable—could it be that she didn’t take the blind date seriously at all?
Being a matchmaker is really not easy.
When the other party took too long to reply, he suffered.
When they answered too quickly, he worried they were just going through the motions.
At this moment, he couldn’t read Xu Qinghe’s mind. Afraid she was just going through the motions, he earnestly advised, “In terms of character, ability, and sense of responsibility, you’d be hard-pressed to find another Shi Wenli in our hospital.”
“And his cooking goes without saying. If you two end up together, you won’t have to eat your dad’s boiled eggs every day.”
“……”
“Aren’t you tired of boiled eggs by now? And this morning you said it was a double-yolk egg—only gullible Fang Yu would believe that.”
“……”
“I understand. You’ve always seen Shi Wenli as a friend; it’s hard to suddenly change that relationship.” Zhao Mingde conceded. “I’m not asking you to accept it right away. I’ll give you an extra day or two. Is that enough?”
Xu Qinghe had thought the blind date was tonight; she had been wondering whether to go home and change clothes.
She could answer the director right now: she was willing to be with Shi Wenli.
But in the end, she should still act a little reserved.
“I’ll try to give you an answer as soon as possible.”
Zhao Mingde knew when to stop. “Hurry home.”
Even after the director walked away, Xu Qinghe stood still.
Everything that had just happened felt as dreamlike as the surgical cap in her hand—a beautiful fantasy.
Just this morning, she had been reluctant to let go, thinking that after he moved, she would never run into him on her way to and from work. Even if they by chance met after work, she wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for a ride since it was out of his way.
But now, it was as if a distant light suddenly shone in the darkness ahead, and the person driving toward her was him.
Back in the locker room, changing into her own clothes, she still felt unreal.
She couldn’t believe such a lucky thing had happened to her—she was about to go on a blind date with the person she had a crush on.
Even if Shi Wenli didn’t see her that way, she must be a little special in his heart.
Being “special” was something to be happy about after all.
While waiting for the elevator, Xu Qinghe ran into Director Yin from the hepatobiliary department.
He had just come out of surgery; after standing all day, he was visibly exhausted.
She had become more open-minded now. Arguments at work were one thing; after work, there was no need to hold a grudge.
Whether she got complaints or was reported, it didn’t matter.
Director Yin slowly stepped into the elevator.