At midnight, Diao Zhiyu swept to her bedside like a whirlwind, firmly seated himself on the floor, leaned close to her, and before she even opened her eyes, she heard his panting.
That sound—she had just heard it a few days ago, emerging from his low, husky voice when he was half-drunk. It stirred an inexplicable excitement in her, a strange flutter in her heart she had never experienced in her twenty-seven years.
Suddenly, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace, one leg climbing onto the bed. His lips brushed the corner of her mouth before he forcefully rolled with her across the mattress. The 1.5 by 1.8-meter bed somehow accommodated several frantic turns. Their lips and teeth met with rough urgency—Diao Zhiyu nipped the corner of her mouth, and the back of her head knocked against the floor—
She woke up...
Hu Xiu lay on the floor, clutching the blanket tightly, one leg still draped over the bed. Her sprawled posture was undeniably suggestive.
The sunlit ceiling reminded her: everything that had just happened was nothing but—a daydream.
The alarm hadn't gone off yet. 6:40 AM. Ten more minutes before she had to get up for work.
The corner of her mouth was indeed sore. To get so lost in a dream—how utterly pathetic.
In her mind, Pei Zhen embraced her amid festive falling paper flowers, yet she vividly recalled how Diao Zhiyu had drawn near in the darkness.
That breathing seemed to cast a spell on her, lingering whenever she closed her eyes at night.
Morally speaking, she ought to feel ashamed of having such vivid dreams in broad daylight. But standing before the mirror, Hu Xiu blushed, unable to meet her own gaze—the dream had felt far too real!
To distract herself, she brushed her teeth vigorously with her right hand while scrolling through social media with her left. Her fingers hadn't moved far when they paused on a photo.
Diao Zhiyu had gotten a buzz cut. From his crown to his features, everything was exquisitely defined—the dip between his brow bone and nose bridge, his taut lip line, paired with his upright posture, radiating an intense vigor.
At 7:00 AM, the alarm rang again. Sunlight pierced her eyes, the glaring rays leaving her nowhere to hide.
Wrapped in her coat and scarf, Hu Xiu trudged downstairs in boots toward the subway. She was meeting Pei Zhen for pan-fried buns this morning.
She hadn't brought her expensive bag—the slightly frayed old one would suffice for the subway ride.
In the train, she saved the photo, glanced at it repeatedly, then deleted it. Hesitating, she downloaded it again and tucked it into a hidden album.
Keeping it didn't mean she had to look, but if she deleted it again, there'd be nowhere left to see it.
From afar, outside the hospital, she spotted Pei Zhen at the bun stall. Still in his white coat with sneakers and jeans, his eyes were barely open.
This was his usual post-night-shift state—a battle between hunger and exhaustion—the creases at the corners of his eyes deepening.
Yet Pei Zhen had been in high spirits lately. It went without saying; he carried forty buns and two soy milks with conspicuous enthusiasm, walking shoulder-to-shoulder back to the hospital as if announcing it to the world.
"Busy night shift?"
"Not really. Most of my work's been handed off lately. During the day, I just do scar removal and sutures—basically cosmetic procedures."
Hu Xiu knew Pei Zhen's Reconstructive Surgery specialty focused on dermatology. Serious trauma repairs during intense periods, lighter tasks like hydrating injections, mole removals, and ultrasound treatments during slower days. Two concentrated days a week gave his mind a break.
His good looks kept his outpatient clinic bustling. With his upcoming move abroad, this was the calmest week in his busy schedule—few major surgeries. Hu Xiu found herself seeing more of Pei Zhen these days.To avoid detection, they were hiding together in the Reproductive Genetics building's office having breakfast—a perfect opportunity Pei Zhen had devised to take advantage of his friend.
Doctor Jin's office was spacious and bright, fully equipped with everything one could need. As the hospital's equivalent of a luxury suite, it deserved an occasional visit.
Doctor Jin worked at the Sino-American joint venture branch hospital, where he had secured his private office upon joining by being picky and demanding. His excuse was refusing to inhale formaldehyde in a shared space with subordinates, claiming his cat Ao Bai had allergies.
Since joining the hospital, Pei Zhen had been solely focused on research, casually sharing a common office with colleagues. He never realized such tactics were possible. Normally, he didn't mind since he was either in the operating room or consulting, but now that he was dating, he'd started caring about appearances.
Hu Xiu didn't think the environment needed to be particularly fancy—just avoiding her senior sister and Director Cai's eyes was enough.
As for Pei Zhen's idea of "taking their time to get to know each other seriously," she felt there was no need to make it overly formal or solemn.
After all, starting their acquaintance with a menstrual pain relief patch being fished off the conference room wall and eating pan-fried buns that splattered juice everywhere was already undignified enough.
"I used to worry about putting pressure on you, so I never arranged to transfer you to my department.
If you're genuinely interested, you can apply through the hospital's internal channels yourself. After working here for a year, the hospital would consider it.
As for dating, don't listen to Director Cai and the others spouting nonsense about 'perfect matches.' I don't believe it either—and I'm sure you don't."
"Who was it that said they weren't completely against blind dates before?"
"I really... don't lack people chasing me." He chuckled sheepishly after saying this: "But all that messy stuff stops with you, I promise—when people don't have clear goals, their motivations are always aimless."
His fawning demeanor showed no trace of insincerity. Pei Zhen also had fair skin, a straight nose, and full lips, though his soft tissues were slightly loose—in their professional terminology, he needed tightening, lifting, and anti-aging treatments. His eyes, chronically sleep-deprived, made him look somewhat fierce when he frowned. If his students saw him like this, they'd be stunned—their boss capable of such guileless grinning.
He was indeed wearing that black shirt, and his figure looked quite good, though the fit was slightly tight. Without seeing him in it, she wouldn't have realized how slim he was.
Seeing this, Hu Xiu thought her dream this morning had indeed been rather fickle—she shouldn't have.
Doctor Jin walked in, saw the two hiding on the sofa eating pan-fried buns, and frowned as he sniffed: "Is this appropriate? Using my office as a cafeteria?"
"We brought some for you too."
"Never mind, I don't eat such greasy food—it leaves smells everywhere." Doctor Jin changed clothes swiftly, immediately hanging his jacket in the cabinet and closing the door: "Open the windows to air the place out before you leave."
"Don't mind him..." Pei Zhen rarely swore: "This asshole's been picky ever since returning from America. He'll probably go eat brunch soon.
Ironically, his girlfriend is really down-to-earth—she used to live in the suburbs doing her own renovations, riding shared bikes with a large exhaust pipe on her head."
Hu Xiu was amused. Doctor Jin's critical expression persisted: "You just have to copy everything I do. I study medicine, you study medicine. I go to America, you find exchange opportunities. I date someone from the hospital, you do the same. We're just destined to clash."
"Master, these are all coincidences. Let Hu Xiu judge—what reason would I have to deliberately imitate you?""Is being handsome something to be proud of? Teacher Hu, you should be careful—this guy is public enemy number one among women."
"His ex-girlfriends could form a reinforced platoon, he's got in-laws in every village, and there are even people who've fought over him. If you want to know the secrets, you can sneak over to find me later." Doctor Jin took the file holder and walked out: "Remember to open the window for ventilation."
Pei Zhen shook his head and stood up to clear the tableware. This was the first time Hu Xiu had heard about Pei Zhen's past indiscretions. Curious, she poked his arm and asked, "Was what Doctor Jin said just now true?"
"Just teasing you. If you really want to know, I'll tell you another day."
Hu Xiu sat down in the office, and doctors passing by outside would glance in. They were all colleagues specifically coming to catch a glimpse of Doctor Pei's ambiguous romantic interest—stealing a look before moving on, as if confirming just how ordinary she was.
She even overheard someone in the hallway mention the absurd nickname "Pan-Fried Beauty."
But she didn’t seem upset. Instead, she quietly thought to herself, You all see Doctor Pei as the popular king, the Lee Min-ho of the operating room, but the one he likes—is me.
That confidence made her happy.
For now, her work was relatively light. The major conferences were mostly scheduled before the Spring Festival, so aside from helping her superiors with spreadsheets and expense reimbursements, she found herself with rare free time. She considered recording some medical-related or MTI interpretation tutorials to post online.
She had spoken with a college classmate earlier. Unlike Hu Xiu, her friend hadn’t chosen Nanjing University’s translation program but had instead joined the directed training program at the University of International Business and Economics. Now, she was already working at the EU Interpretation Service.
Feeling the gap between them, Hu Xiu realized that even if she wasn’t as exceptionally talented, she shouldn’t waste her time. Being with Pei Zhen wouldn’t take up much of her schedule—she still had plenty of time to improve herself.
Before, she hadn’t had the energy, mainly because she was caught up in ambiguity with Diao Zhiyu—though she hadn’t seen him since Christmas, for about a week now.
From the beginning of her time with Pei Zhen, Hu Xiu felt she was starting to live like a normal 27-year-old, steadily moving toward middle age, adapting to the rhythm of adult life in the hospital: work, off hours, and weekends that were somehow even busier than weekdays.
Dates with Pei Zhen usually involved meals, movies, occasional phone calls he’d step away to take, and then accompanying him back to the hospital for overtime work.
Before, it had all been about escape rooms, live action role-playing games, bantering side-by-side in coffee shops, and secretly taking photos to cherish.
If she wanted a quiet environment to record interpretation videos, REGARD was the inevitable choice.
After the holiday, business had resumed, but the place felt emptier and somewhat bleak. Li Ai sat in the shop grinding coffee beans, as if trying to grind time itself to a halt.
Hu Xiu sensed something off about the atmosphere in the shop. Li Ai was silent, so it was the barista who called her outside to explain: "Xu Meng came for the last time the day before yesterday. The lawsuit over the school district housing is settled. The kids who were forcibly assigned to the mediocre elementary school will all be transferred to the key elementary school in the district after finals. The conflict is resolved, so there’s no need to go to court anymore. Sounds like the major issues between the couple are resolved too."
"And so…"
"That’s the end of it. A long-married couple developing cracks over their child’s school district is like driving fatigued—straying too long leads to a crash."
"She came to the shop to distract herself from loneliness. Customers come and go—the owner doesn’t get a choice in the matter!"
"Of course, he wouldn’t choose anyway. Xu Meng knows there’s someone else in his heart—adult emotions are complicated.""Our boss is foolish, truly believing they came to be his soulmate."
The Taiwanese barista, born in 1995, pushed up his glasses and uttered something profound.
Hu Xiu secretly glanced at Li Ai in the shop. His expression wasn't exactly angry nor disappointed—just calmly accepting everything.
That miniature architectural gift was indeed displayed in an acrylic box in the shop, refracting silver light under the illumination.
Pretending not to know, Hu Xiu made small talk with Li Ai, saying she wanted fruit-flavored beans. The coffee in Li Ai's filter had long been over-extracted, and in his daze, he wasted a cup.
Since that was the case, Hu Xiu cut straight to the point: "Xu Meng isn't coming. Are you heartbroken?"
"Nothing happened, so how can it be heartbreak? We're just friends who went through a lawsuit together."
"Really?"
"Neither of us would choose the other. We were just supporting each other for a while." Li Ai cracked his knuckles. "Does Pei Zhen play basketball? Meet at Changning Stadium tonight."
That evening, Pei Zhen gladly went, having swapped his black shirt for a thin sweatshirt. Hu Xiu originally intended to join in shooting hoops, but when the door opened, it was Diao Zhiyu.
The bandage had been removed, the scar clearly visible. He wore a Lakers basketball jersey over a black T-shirt—a limited edition from the Nike 001 collaboration section, as Zhao Xiaorou had once mentioned.
Her first reaction upon seeing him again was the dream from that morning. As Hu Xiu spaced out, a basketball from a stranger behind her hit her squarely on the back of the head.
Dizzy and disoriented, she was comforted for a good while by Pei Zhen, who cradled her head. Meanwhile, Diao Zhiyu darted around nearby, already driving to the basket, passing to Li Ai, and sinking two three-pointers.
Li Ai stood farther away, his movements not quite agile, and soon he was sweating. He clearly had something on his mind.
Pei Zhen stood beside Hu Xiu. "Xu Meng left?"
"How did you know?"
"Intuition..." Pei Zhen's hair was still dry. "Xu Meng's lawsuit should be straightforward—child education, public opinion. Once it escalates, just file a lawsuit. But Li Ai's prolonged battle is the tough one. In that sense, Xu Meng left quite decisively."
"Hard to say whether to be happy or sad for him."
"Nothing to be sad about. Just a chance encounter—keeping the memory is enough. Straying in a marriage then returning to the family, if the other turns a blind eye, it can still be happiness."
"I can't accept that."
Pei Zhen laughed. "That's why you're still young. Once you're past thirty and see more of humanity's complexities and darker sides, your boundaries keep lowering."
Diao Zhiyu passed the ball to Pei Zhen. "Dr. Pei, come play."
Men seemed able to resolve everything through sports. Dodging a few balls with feints, fighting for rebounds, then slamming one down—once competitiveness was stirred and they fiercely battled it out, they'd all be friends by the end.
Hu Xiu thought she'd be stuck awkwardly in the middle, but unexpectedly, the two of them got along quite... harmoniously.
Li Ai, unable to keep up, stood beside Hu Xiu and said out of the blue, "Lately, I've realized something."
"Oh?"
"It's time I became more decisive. Because I always endure, it feels like I've wasted too much time. And as for the settlement... I'll try one last time, then I'm giving up. Life is still long."
"What made you suddenly realize this?"
"Even in middle age, one must grow."
"Big bro, you're thirty-two."The words didn't wait for Hu Xiu's response. Midway through the game, Diao Zhiyu lifted his shirt to wipe his face, revealing three faint abdominal muscles—the dream details were becoming more vivid. This wouldn't do.
Hu Xiu shook her head and retreated to play on her phone, eventually falling asleep. She woke up in the back seat of Pei Zhen's car, with Diao Zhiyu in the passenger seat. The car was at a gas station, and Pei Zhen was outside waiting for the tank to fill.
Hu Xiu stared at the round back of his head—so thin, with fine, unshaven hairs at the nape of his neck.
On the right side of his neck were two long scars, freshly healed, as if scratched by someone. By whom? That location felt too intimate!
Diao Zhiyu seemed genuinely unaccustomed to using his phone; in the rearview mirror, his eyes were closed. Sensing something, he opened them and met her gaze in the reflection.
A standoff. Hu Xiu thought, this was a rare chance to talk, but with scars on the back of his neck, she wouldn't speak first—absolutely not.
"Li Ai has already gone home. Pei Zhen is dropping you and me off—it's on the way. Just need to refuel first..."
"Okay..."
"Been tired lately?"
"It's only been a week." She shook her head, leaving the crucial part unsaid—all because of those pointless dreams.
"I've been filming a short recently and might need some English narration. Might need your help."
"Is there payment?"
"Could be arranged..."
"Like what?"
"How about tickets to Snowpiercer?"
The words startled Hu Xiu—it had been a while since she'd last gone. Just then, Pei Zhen opened the door and got in: "Live Action Role Playing Game? I heard you two met there. I'm curious what kind of pastime it is."
"If you want to try it, have Hu Xiu take you. For your sake, I'll prepare to act well too."
So candid. The two ended up discussing the Live Action Role Playing Game industry during the drive—monthly rent, setting up venues, attracting customers... Hu Xiu kept staring at the scars, feeling they were somehow familiar.
While waiting at a traffic light, Diao Zhiyu's phone fell into the gap between the passenger seats. As he bent over, Pei Zhen also noticed the scars: "You've got quite a collection of honors. How did you get these?"
"Got scratched by someone accidentally before."
A sudden realization struck Hu Xiu—these were from the Haunted House at Snowpiercer, left when she clung to Qin Xiaoyi's neck, trembling in fear.
The thought jolted her awake, her heart pounding in her chest. Before getting out to say goodbye, Diao Zhiyu glanced at Hu Xiu. His home was indeed near Snowpiercer—that place held too many memories.
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