Men truly relish their meals. Especially when ravenous, the sounds of voracious swallowing imbue ordinary food with magic, whetting the appetites of those around them. Whether it's the parting of lips or the prominent Adam's apple bobbing in the throat, everything evokes primal hunger. Hu Xiu herself wasn't particularly interested in food, but she adored watching people eat. Seeing men and women devouring generous portions, their joy seemed to transmit directly to her. She'd witnessed doctors eating countless times—the most outrageous being when Pei Zhen and his old friend from the infertility department dumped three servings of fried noodles into a plastic bag-lined basin, squatting on the floor while eating off a stool, greasy-faced like refugees. That time, Pei Zhen choked upon noticing her, covering his mouth to ask what she needed with strained professional dignity and visible embarrassment; she deliberately stared him down for several seconds until he flushed and turned away, successfully giving his friend material to tease him for days. Since then, Pei Zhen had abandoned all decorum while eating in her presence.
Like now, devouring pan-fried buns despite hissing from the scalding heat, still savoring the burning broth bursting in his mouth—perhaps only true food lovers would endure such pain for pleasure. Hu Xiu watched from nearby, noting the neglected bowl of spicy sour noodles beside him. Who buys such pungent food early morning? Doctor Pei had clearly forgotten his own stomach issues.
Yet when she glanced back, the noodle bowl stood empty—truly a man of formidable appetite.
"If I ate like this every morning, I probably wouldn't get stomach aches by noon. This should sustain me through afternoon surgeries." Pei Zhen released a soft, contented burp: "Usually I just grab a sandwich between calls and meetings, nibbling intermittently before consultations. Eating like this feels almost extravagant."
"Don't make it sound so tragic. Since I need your help now, I'll ensure you keep eating like this."
Pei Zhen slid his chair closer: "Did you review the notes? You'll accompany me to the upcoming burn rehabilitation forum. Need full English translations for two paper excerpts and all medical records. I'll explain any unfamiliar terminology."The voice was soft yet stern. Hu Xiu's morning break had ended. Every day at 7 AM, she would arrive at the hospital for tutoring, reciting various professional terms while carrying her English-Chinese medical dictionary. After the morning meeting, she found issues in her translated passages. Written and oral translation were entirely different—words that could be slightly simplified during interpretation required more cautious and precise wording in written translation. This research-oriented conference was exclusively for Shanghai Youth doctors under 35. Hu Xiu had heard that all participating doctors held PhDs or were currently pursuing them, with their papers having an impact factor of at least 2.0. The conference aimed to cultivate clinical teams and discover Youth talents in the field, with judges consisting of hospital directors and professors from top departments. Pei Zhen had specifically called for Hu Xiu to attend this conference to enhance her resume and give her exposure. Only after trying did Hu Xiu realize that, despite having a master's from a translation institute and no medical background—only having taken medical translation courses during graduate school—she was indeed out of her depth. Pei Zhen didn't force advanced content on her, instead having her focus solely on papers and speeches. After translating two papers, the professional terminology was already overwhelming—fortunately, she was a professional at handling pressure.
When Pei Zhen discussed burn patients, he indeed lost his usual gentleness and understanding. Perhaps because she was truly a beginner, he would occasionally become irritable when mentioning symptoms that deviated from healthy ranges—interns and residents under his guidance would likely be directly scolded. Once, when discussing medications for large-scale surface infections, Hu Xiu forgot to first ask about allergy symptoms and casually mentioned the infusion rate. Pei Zhen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, paused, and then calmed down: "Sorry, I forgot you're not a professional. Let's start over, beginning with general anesthesia before surgery."
Reconstructive Surgery had many branches, yet he didn't choose a lighter topic like plastic surgery, instead focusing on such painful cases—likely because the earlier patient who left without permission had deeply affected him. Even so, he diligently wrote treatment plans and sent them to county-level city hospitals, even making several follow-up calls. It was hard not to admire such a person. Sitting on the sofa reviewing the materials, Hu Xiu silently drank her coffee and became more serious herself.
Her phone vibrated. Diao Zhiyu, in the upstairs ward, asked: "Where are you?"
"I'm in the administration building. Pei Zhen is tutoring me." Only after saying this did she check the time—10 PM. It seemed there would be no midnight session for Snowpiercer tonight.
"Oh?"
Hu Xiu took a photo of the materials spread across the table. Diao Zhiyu replied quickly: "Then I won't disturb you."
The words sounded somewhat jealous. Hu Xiu initially considered adding an explanation but decided it wasn't necessary to explain everything—especially since Pei Zhen was working overtime for her. When Pei Zhen returned after stepping out, he carried a peculiar scent. As Hu Xiu noticed it, he said, "I just ran into your father at the office building entrance."
No wonder—that hint of Eighth Central South Sea fragrance. Hu Xiu felt somewhat angry: "If he said anything to you, please don't take it too seriously.""No, he asked if you worked in this building, so I told him I was tutoring you for the weekend conference. He seemed relieved and thanked me for looking after you. But he probably wasn’t here for you—he bought late-night snacks and headed toward the oncology building."
Oncology? Hu Xiu rushed out to call her dad, who answered quickly: "Hello?"
"Dad, my colleague just said you went to the oncology department. What’s wrong? Are you hiding something from me?"
"An old friend is terminally ill with no one to care for them. I’m just visiting—it’s not me."
"Really? You’re not keeping anything from me?"
"As long as you don’t upset me, I’m fine. Hurry back inside and study. It’s been almost six months and you still haven’t gotten a permanent position. Good thing Dr. Pei is helping. I saved his number—he seems like a decent man. Is he single?"
"He has a girlfriend." Hu Xiu lied outright, focusing on her dad: "Dad, just in case, send me a photo of the patient. I need to confirm it’s not you."
The photo she received was a selfie of her dad. Behind him was indeed a sleeping elderly person, though the lighting was too dim to distinguish their gender. Her dad’s expression was annoyingly confident, the same look he wore when bickering with her. Hu Xiu’s anxiety eased, and she quietly noted the bed number, planning to visit the oncology department herself during the day for final confirmation. Even though she was upset by his cold remarks, she couldn’t bear the thought of actually losing him.
After all, her mother had been out of contact for a long time.
When she returned upstairs, Pei Zhen had left a note: "I have an emergency surgery, likely until early morning. Sorry I can’t see you home." It was written hastily—he was probably already in the ER. Hu Xiu packed her materials, tucked the note in her pocket, and went to the inpatient ward. The bed curtains were drawn, but a light shone inside. Li Ai sat on the bed peeling an apple. Diao Zhiyu spread his hands at Hu Xiu: "Don’t ask why I’m not helping the patient peel apples—he can’t sit idle."
"Zhao Xiaorou took over all the shop duties and told me to focus on recovering." Li Ai’s hands were steady, the apple peel unbroken. With his slender, articulate fingers, peeling apples felt like cheating.
Hu Xiu guessed correctly: Zhao Xiaorou, too proud to show up openly, was likely overseeing things at REGARD while writing her drafts. It was easy to imagine her capitalist demeanor: "The barista was hired by Li Ai, but as a partner, I can supervise. Slack off, and I’ll dock your pay."
The curtained-off space was humble yet cozy. Diao Zhiyu leaned back in his chair: "Finished tutoring?"
"Yes. I’ll be busy lately trying to secure my permanent position. I’ve asked Dr. Pei to review my professional knowledge."
Diao Zhiyu’s eyebrow twitched, and he nodded, refusing to make a fuss over such matters. Li Ai sliced the apple into a container and sighed: "My bomb-like leg has finally gone down. A few days ago, I thought it would burst the cast. Even though Zhao Xiaorou is managing the café, she has her own work. I can’t take up too much of her time—I need to be discharged soon."
"Don’t be so formal with her. Last time, she was jealous. You know how she says harsh things when she’s angry—after all these years, she’d never truly resent you."
Li Ai avoided the question: "What about you? Do you think I’m heartless for always rejecting her?""No. It's just..." Hu Xiu paused: "His ex-wife passed away long ago. If this matter continues to consume him, it's time to let go."
"I wish I could." The apple peel grew thinner as he pared, the fist-sized fruit seeming endless in his hands, the lingering attachment becoming tangible: "But she used to live right beside me, sharing every breath, every second was blissful, and all that was suddenly taken away. Had she died of cancer, or some chronic illness with a prolonged treatment that tormented us both, I might have grown weary and felt less guilty about moving on. But that night we had argued - I was angry and let her walk on the outer edge of the road. All because I insisted on selecting the finest coffee beans and threw a professional tantrum. One moment she was someone whose hair fragrance I could smell daily, someone intimately close without any distance... I can't accept this reality."
The curtain shifted slightly. The nurse seemed to have overheard, her voice softening: "Visiting hours are over. Family members may leave now - the patient needs rest."
The apple peel finally broke. Li Ai smiled as he handed the apple to Hu Xiu: "Goodnight."
Walking along the street, both Hu Xiu and Diao Zhiyu felt particularly sensitive about the outer edge. Diao Zhiyu exhaled deeply: "Li Ai is magnifying this - the fault isn't his. The real culprit is the drunk-driving rich kid who crashed his sports car onto the crosswalk. The problem is the other side firmly denies it, produced fabricated witnesses, and the evidence is becoming increasingly insufficient."
"You already know so much about this. Li Ai barely mentioned these details to me, and Zhao Xiaorou knows even less."
"Men's talk." Crossing the street, Diao Zhiyu consciously drew her into his embrace. Once across, Hu Xiu lightly stepped away. Her cashmere coat and scarf felt too warm - she unwound the scarf, tilting her head back to shake her hair. Time for a trim. Diao Zhiyu stood behind her: "Your hair is truly beautiful."
Her ears tinged pink at the compliment. Hu Xiu just strode forward in her boots until his shadow on the pavement caught up, close enough to hear her clearly: "My mother had hair like this. When I last saw her in her forties, not a single gray strand, so smooth a comb would glide right through. She used to tell me this kind of hair is heaven's gift - dyeing or perming would make it ordinary like every other woman's."
This made Diao Zhiyu chuckle. Hu Xiu's smile turned wistful: "I haven't seen her in years. Last time my dad visited, he said she's living alone in some small northern city, impoverished. I find it hard to believe - she wasn't as trivial as my father made her sound. She's the kind of woman worth examining and remembering in every detail."
"That day with your dad... are you okay?"
"It's nothing. Just told me to work harder and aim higher. My parents... it's complicated."
"Same here." Diao Zhiyu rubbed his face: "So cold."
He wore only a sweatshirt and jeans, hunched against the chill as he strode ahead with his broad shoulders and long legs, his proportions impossibly perfect. Hu Xiu hesitated a moment before rushing over to wrap her scarf around his neck: "Silly, wearing so little."Diao Zhiyu seemed prepared as he grabbed her arms, bent at the waist, and lifted her feet off the ground. With a quick hoist, she found herself on his back before she could process it. In the biting cold night, the wool of her front sweater pressed against his hoodie felt chilly at first but soon warmed up. Nervous, she hastily wrapped her arms around his neck, her scarf and hair swaying against his neck and chest—a scenario she wouldn’t dare dream of. A thought flashed through Hu Xiu’s mind: Good, cling on tight. Let him carry me for a hundred meters. I can hold on, no problem!
The study materials in her bag weighed about five pounds, but after just five meters, Diao Zhiyu set her down and took her bag. "Whoa, that almost made me stumble. What did Pei Zhen give you? This is practically a bomb."
He then strode ahead as if nothing had happened. Hu Xiu was filled with regret—those materials were likely just going to help her fall asleep at home anyway, so why had she brought them? A chance for close contact over a hundred meters, gone just like that!
"What are you thinking? Are we going or not? Don’t tell me you’re still plotting to ambush me?"
Ambush?
A lightbulb went off in her head as Hu Xiu suddenly recalled Zhao Xiaorou’s flirting tip posted on Weibo: In a dark, confined space like a movie theater elevator, surprise attack the skin between a guy’s neck and shoulder—apparently, one lick could make him explode (consequences at your own risk). Hadn’t that just been the perfect opportunity? Hu Xiu stomped her feet in frustration, clenching her fists. Wouldn’t that have been natural? Trying it now would be too deliberate. With his bag slung at his hip, there’s no way to get on his back again. Why didn’t I think of it earlier? So stupid!
As she shook her head dejectedly, Diao Zhiyu walked back to her. "What exactly are you pondering here? See how lightly I’m dressed and want to attack me?"
"What are you talking about? I... my shoes are rubbing." Hu Xiu bent over, avoiding his eyes, knowing any more lies would likely give her away.
"Liar. You were practically flying in those shoes on the Snowpiercer. Hu Xiu, you’re really honing the acting skills I taught you. If I didn’t know you and hadn’t seen your tricks at the wedding, I’d almost forget you’re the same lovesick girl who crashed into a phone booth outside the department store." Then, softening, he asked, "Does it really hurt?"
"Yeah."
Diao Zhiyu turned his back to her and crouched. "Get on."
Once again, Hu Xiu’s hair brushed against his ear as plane tree leaves scattered on the ground, shadows and light dancing over them. The neighborhood around them had fallen asleep, and she gazed ahead under the warm yellow streetlights—the path was narrow but seemed to stretch endlessly. His breathing grew heavier, but he showed no intention of putting her down. Hu Xiu thought to herself, Moments where reality and dreams blur probably feel as magical as this. Memorable events might fade with time, but these meaningless fragments will stay vividly clear in memory.
"Can you move your hair away from my ear? It’s tickling me," Diao Zhiyu said.
"Oh." Her fingers brushed past his ear, accidentally grazing his earlobe, and she wasn’t surprised to see him shiver. Clearing her throat, Hu Xiu remarked, "Young man, you’ve got great stamina."
"Stop talking. You’re heavy as hell."Hu Xiu stared blankly at the smooth patch of skin behind his ear. After a long while, she heard Diao Zhiyu say, "If something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it. And regarding what you mentioned last time about wanting to play an escape room—I can take you."
"Okay..."
"You don't sound too happy?"
Hu Xiu pursed her lips, then leaned in and licked that pale patch of skin. The entire motion took only a second—light and swift, her tongue gliding over his skin. It was smooth, with a faint salty taste, and the fine hairs growing there that connected to his hairline. A subtle fragrance drifted into her nose—too quick for her to identify the scent—but as her tongue withdrew, Hu Xiu felt the final sensation: Diao Zhiyu had broken out in goosebumps. The closing remark from Zhao Xiaorou's flirting tutorial video echoed in her mind: "Even if you have to face the consequences of such close contact, it's worth it—after all, those willing to do this are always people you truly like."
After licking him, Hu Xiu slid off his back and dashed away—worth it!
PS: Did you enjoy today's sweet moment... hehe. Welcome to add to your bookshelf and vote for recommendations~ Waiting to chat with everyone today too!
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