Bai Wei
The next day, He Suye was summoned to the university by his advisor with a single phone call. Coincidentally, it was New Year's Day, and the campus was bustling with more activity than usual. Graduate students and doctoral candidates came and went, their faces relaxed, savoring the rare half-day of leisure they had managed to steal.
But leisure was not in the cards for him. Professor Gu Ping, his advisor, pointed to a thick stack of exam papers on the desk and said, "Xiao He, if you're not too busy, help me grade Fang Ge’s papers. Those undergrads—their handwriting is a mess."
He had no choice but to take them. Unexpectedly, Professor Gu suddenly asked, "Storax pills and musk—what comes next?"
Without hesitation, He Suye recited, "Clove, Cinnabar, Frankincense, Long Pepper, Sandalwood Bag; Rhinoceros Horn, Borneol, Atractylodes, Agarwood, Chebula, Nutgrass Galingale; then use Borneol for a warm prescription."
Professor Gu chuckled approvingly, "Very good, very good! You haven’t forgotten a thing!" Then his expression turned stern. "Xiao He, grade these 'carefully' and 'thoroughly.' No leniency!"
Instantly, a chill ran from He Suye’s heels to the top of his head. Silently, he thought, 4.5 credits—someone’s going to have to pay up again. Sure enough, Extermination Taoist, you’re as merciless as ever.
He packed the exam papers into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and decided to grab takeout from the cafeteria for lunch—just something simple to get by. As he walked past the long Herbal Corridor, he noticed a few girls practicing with a mercury sphygmomanometer on a stone bench. He barely glanced at them and kept walking.
Soon, a girl whispered excitedly, "Look, a hottie!"
Another chimed in, "Our school actually has someone like this? Oh my, I’ve wasted twenty years of my life!"
Then a girl giggled, "Stop pumping the balloon already, my arm’s about to burst—ow!"
He Suye heard them clearly and couldn’t help but laugh. When he looked up, he realized he had walked past his turn. Just as he was about to double back, he saw a male student standing by the back wall, bragging to a girl, "This wall’s super easy to climb. Back before the new campus was built, we used to scale it to go out all night."
Of course, he remembered this wall. Back when the school was locked down, he had lost count of how many students had climbed over it. But despite how low the wall was, he had never managed to make it over—because there was always a girl who would threaten him, "He Suye, try climbing over and see what happens!"
At the time, the school had issued a notice: anyone caught leaving campus during the lockdown would face probation and be disqualified from scholarship evaluations.
He had been desperate then. No one answered the phone at home, his parents’ office lines were perpetually busy, and their cell phones were all disconnected. It felt like living in a vacuum, cut off from any sound, even the faintest ripple.
The last time, he had truly been ready to risk it all—consequences be damned, scholarships be damned. But just as he was about to jump, a familiar voice called out, "He Suye, don’t do anything stupid. I’m begging you, okay?"
There was no arrogance in her tone, only a sob. Panicked, his foot slipped, and he tumbled straight off the wall—arguably the most humiliating and disastrous moment of his life. Fortunately, he only scraped his arm.
Left with no choice, he crouched there foolishly, ignoring the pain in his hands and feet, and gently reassured Zhang Yiling, "Fine, I won’t climb over. And don’t cry anymore, or I’ll have to dig a hole and disappear."Then, they walked back together under the moonlight. Zhang Yiling's eyelashes still glistened with tears, sparkling like tiny stars. He Suye felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn't fathom her motives. Finally, he asked, "Why didn't you let me go?"
Zhang Yiling composed herself slightly. "The school has issued notices. If you went out, wouldn’t you be courting death?"
He sighed. "Well, then no one would compete with you for the first-class scholarship."
She snorted disdainfully, casting a sidelong glance at He Suye. "I don’t care for it. If it’s just handed to me, I don’t want it!"
He could only offer an awkward smile before finally mustering a quiet, "Thank you."
Truth be told, He Suye had always known how fiercely independent she was—she would never take what she wanted through others' hands. Yet, he was utterly oblivious. That a girl so proud and headstrong would worry so much for him—he never delved into the reason why.
Though perceptive by nature, He Suye was astonishingly dense when it came to matters of the heart. Only the most direct and candid confessions could get through to him; subtle hints were entirely lost on him. At the time, everyone could see Zhang Yiling’s affection for him—everyone except He Suye himself. Back then, he had always lived carefree, undisturbed by such distractions.
Until news of his mother arrived. Lost in the darkness of that night, it was Zhang Yiling who reached out and pulled him back into the light.
He always felt he owed her too much, even considered repaying her for a lifetime. But before that day could come, she had already told him, "He Suye, we’re even now."
From then on, she vanished from his world.
Perhaps he should have realized sooner—Zhang Yiling was never his cup of tea. Whatever feelings he had for her might have been guilt, dependence, or gratitude, but genuine love? That was rare indeed.
Time truly has a way of making things clear.
As he entered the cafeteria and queued up, pondering how much rice to order today, his phone rang—an unfamiliar number. Hesitantly, he answered, and the voice on the other end sounded equally uncertain. "He Suye, is that you?"
He recognized it immediately. "Qiu Tian?"
The other end burst into laughter. "Yeah, it’s me! Your boy Hu Hansan is back from studying abroad! Let’s grab a meal—how about some roast duck?"
By the time he arrived at the restaurant, five or six people were already there—all his old buddies from grad school. The moment they spotted He Suye, they started teasing, "Little He’s just sprouting his first shoots, and already a beauty stands atop him!"
He Suye playfully punched each of them in turn before pausing at the sight of Qiu Tian. With a smile, he asked, "Back for good? How was the good ol’ U.S. of A.?"
Qiu Tian was He Suye’s classmate and closest friend—his polar opposite in personality. Lively and quick-witted, Qiu Tian could talk his way out of anything and had girls swooning over him. Just by looking at him, no one would guess this smooth-talker was an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine.
During grad school, Qiu Tian had switched to clinical studies before being sent abroad on a scholarship. He had just returned this year after earning his Ph.D.
He and Zhang Yiling had been the two selected for the overseas program back then.
At the dinner table, the group quickly dissolved into rowdy chaos—especially Qiu Tian, who seemed to have tossed proper English aside entirely, spouting rapid-fire hometown slang and cracking all sorts of colorful jokes, both clean and dirty.He Suye couldn't handle alcohol well, but he was still forced to drink several cups. By the time he went to the restroom, Qiu Tian, thoroughly drunk, slung an arm over his shoulder and asked, "Want to know how Zhang Yiling is doing now?"
Pretending he didn't care would be a lie, so he nodded. "How is she now?"
"Not good!" Qiu Tian seemed sober, his words firm and clear. "Originally, we were on a government-sponsored program, meant to return after two years of study. But she was determined to stay in the U.S. In the end, the school here wouldn't provide the necessary documents, and Baylor didn't recognize her medical undergraduate degree. She had to switch to bioengineering. Since it wasn't her field, I heard she's struggling."
"Oh?" He Suye raised an eyebrow slightly. "Seems you're not too sure either?"
Qiu Tian splashed water on his face and took a deep breath. "Back then, we were all crazy busy—who had time to worry about others? Besides, you know how my relationship with Zhang Yiling was, like sworn enemies."
He Suye sighed. "Her temperament will always be her downfall."
Qiu Tian stared blankly at He Suye's reflection in the mirror before finally deciding to continue. "If you still liked Zhang Yiling, you wouldn't have come to see me today. I knew all along you two wouldn't work out, but back then, you almost cut ties with me over her."
His throat felt tight, as if something were stuck there, a faint irritation. With his back to Qiu Tian, he sincerely said, "Thank you."
Qiu Tian came over and playfully pinched him, grinning. "When are you going to find a wife for me to meet? I want your kid to call me godfather!"
Leaving the hotel, the weather suddenly turned gloomy, as if snow were imminent. Pedestrians hurried along the streets. He straightened his collar, letting the cold wind dispel the alcohol's effects.
He had drunk a bit too much today. Remembering he still had to grade papers and that Shen Xifan would be coming over in the evening to deliver some materials, he ducked into a supermarket and bought some green beans, black beans, and red beans to make porridge later.
Making porridge was an art—divided into boiling and simmering. First, bring it to a vigorous boil, then reduce to a low flame to thicken the broth. The pot must never leave the heat; let it simmer until fully cooked, then let it sit for about two hours to finish. For bean porridge, add cold water to the pot a few times after the beans start boiling—this "shocks" them and makes them bloom faster—before adding the rice.
He decided to grade papers right there in the kitchen, sighing repeatedly. These students—really, there were no words. He chuckled as he graded, thinking he might post on Tianya afterward to tease the kids who needed to retake the exams.
It was already dark outside. He glanced out the window and saw large snowflakes drifting down. Unable to contain his delight, he opened the window to get a better look. The cold wind rushed in, carrying snowflakes that vanished instantly upon meeting the rising steam.
He wondered if Shen Xifan had brought an umbrella. He could already picture her pitifully covered in snow, shouting, "He Suye, it's snowing!"
But his premonitions were always spot-on. Just as he was about to serve the porridge, the doorbell rang. There stood Shen Xifan, grinning at him, her entire body dusted with snow, her dark eyes sparkling with excitement. "He Suye, it's snowing!"
He ushered her into the living room, where she immediately pulled out a thick stack of materials, carefully wrapped in plastic. After checking them, she smiled. "Good, they're not wet. Look, I've translated everything—just waiting on your technical terms now."
He didn't know whether to laugh or scold her. Instead, he asked, "Have you eaten? I made porridge—want some?"After dinner, Shen Xifan took the remaining materials, glanced through them, and without a word, went to fetch a large bag. She pulled out a tiny laptop and started typing away at lightning speed. Letters and words seemed to leap eagerly from the screen.
He Suye was both surprised and impressed—it was his first time seeing Shen Xifan at work: her bangs clipped to one side, glasses on, eyes fixed intently on the screen. Whoever said men looked most handsome when focused clearly hadn’t seen a woman working—she was just as striking.
After a while, Shen Xifan looked up, frowning. "He Suye, should the yin-yang terms be written in pinyin?"
He nodded. "Add hyphens."
"How do you say 'Muxiang'?"
"Vladimiriasouliei. Use pinyin first, then explain it."
The room fell quiet except for the sound of their typing and occasional brief exchanges. They worked in perfect sync, and soon the material was finished. Li Jie sent a flurry of emoticons over QQ, making Shen Xifan chuckle despite herself.
Her shoulders ached, so she stretched and shook her arms. Glancing up, she caught He Suye covering his mouth as he laughed at the computer, his dimple showing sweetly—adorable beyond reason.
Unable to resist, she leaned over to look and burst out laughing at the first line. "He Suye, these kids are geniuses! And you’re quite the genius teacher too!"
Some guy had posted online:
"Feeling pretty depressed... had to correct your mnemonics...
Classmates, as TCM students, we all know about 'Bai Wei,' but Chinese characters are so tricky—there’s 'Bai Wei' and then there’s 'Budweiser.' One comrade wrote, 'Modified Solomon's Seal Decoction with Budweiser.'
Honestly, if you’d written 'Zi Wei,' I’d have let it slide. Even 'Heineken' would’ve been acceptable. But 'Drink Budweiser, Win a BMW'? Guess you think TCM has no future and you’d rather try your luck with lottery tickets.
Then there’s this line: 'Skullcap, Rehmannia, and Licorice, are powerful for sweating and dispelling wind.' Someone wrote, 'Induce sweating, invigorate Yang, and enhance virility.'
Look at how these kids have been poisoned by ads. Children, you can’t just write whatever! Good thing it was me who saw it—if it were 'Extinction' (the strict professor), you’d really be extinct.
Another comrade wrote 'Green Blood' instead of 'Jasper.' I’m baffled—did you read too much Jin Yong as a kid and can’t forget Yuan Chengzhi, Wen Qingqing, and the Golden Snake Swordsman?
And here’s the best one: 'Universal Benefit Detoxification Drink with Burdock, Scutellaria, and Coptis' became 'XX Root X Forsythia X.' If you can’t remember the herbs when prescribing, just use 'XX' and tell the patient, 'Figure it out yourself!'
Endless typos in the corrections, comrades. Don’t rush—you’ve got two hours. Use the thing on your neck (your brain)...
There’s one formula every TCM student should know: 'Ephedra Decoction uses Cinnamon Twig.' But why do so many of you write 'Asarum, Licorice, and Akebia are added' for the second line? Didn’t your teachers use Ephedra Decoction to explain the principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide?
Overall, grading mnemonics is way more painful than dictation!
Two hours of mental exhaustion, dozens of zeroes—4.5 credits down. Guess some folks will be paying up again!
Comrades, cherish your lives, avoid retakes, and take care!"The two of them covered their mouths and laughed. Shen Xifan pointed at the screen, muttering, "Bai Wei, Budweiser. I wonder what kind of illness that guy could treat with Budweiser as medicine?"
He Suye very seriously informed her, "Modified Solomon's Seal Decoction with Chinese Swallowwort Root, Prepared Soybean, Scallion, and Platycodon accompany, Licorice, Jujube, and Mint make up eight ingredients. This formula is for nourishing Yin and inducing sweating. That guy was using Budweiser to nourish Yin and cool the blood!"
Shen Xifan stared at him with a straight face, "He Suye, this is the first time I've discovered you can actually say something funny. Tell me, are you the secretly passionate type?"
Provoked by her words, He Suye pretended to be angry and casually rolled up a book to tap her head, "Little girl, you're starting to forget your manners, aren't you? Asking for a spanking?"
Shen Xifan quickly dodged, but as she moved, her hand inadvertently caught the drawer. Taking another step back, her body caused the drawer to slam shut with a loud "clatter," trapping most of her fingers.
As they say, the fingers are connected to the heart. She let out a muffled groan, and tears streamed down uncontrollably.
This startled He Suye. He lifted her hand to examine it carefully under the light—it was red all over. With tear-filled eyes, Shen Xifan asked, "Will my fingers break?"
He Suye sighed, "Do you think they will? I'll go get the medicine. Stay still and don't move, or you might pinch your leg next."
Shen Xifan watched him apply the medicine with great grievance, thinking to herself, I'm just a coward afraid of death. Why do you always pick on me, He Suye? It's so frustrating!
But she had no idea what was going through He Suye's mind. When she got her fingers caught, he had been more than just a little shocked. Seeing her tears flow freely, he began blaming himself, wishing he could take the pain for her instead.
Now, under the soft glow of the light, she bit her lip and whimpered in pain, helplessly rolling her eyes at him—utterly adorable, the very picture of a delicate woman.
His face flushed slightly, and his grip on her hand wavered. He felt emotionally slow-witted—as Qiu Tian would say, "Even a mule is sharper than you." Yet now, around Shen Xifan, it was as if he had suddenly gained insight.
This was probably the biggest challenge of his life, harder than memorizing Fang Ge's prescriptions, he thought.
Meanwhile, Shen Xifan remained completely oblivious, her eyes darting around. "He Suye, do you have any of that Bai Wei?"
He Suye snapped back to attention, "Are you sure you mean Bai Wei and not Budweiser beer?"
She poked his head with her uninjured finger, "Old man, forgetting your manners! I mean Bai Wei—such a beautiful name. I wonder what it looks like?"
He Suye suddenly understood, "Oh, you want to see that? Let me warn you first—don't be disappointed!"
As it turned out, Bai Wei really wasn't much to look at. Shen Xifan slumped in disappointment, "I thought it would be some stunning flower, but it's just a pile of dried grass!"
He Suye pointed at the specimen and explained in detail, "This is Bai Wei's rhizome—short and thick, with nodules and many bends. The surface is brownish-yellow; brittle and easy to break. The cross-section shows a yellowish-white bark and yellow wood. It has a faint scent and a slightly bitter taste. It's cold in nature, clears heat, cools the blood, promotes urination, treats strangury, and detoxifies sores."
Shen Xifan took it, "How can one Chinese herbal medicine treat so many illnesses? But Bai Wei... it really is a beautiful name."He Suye chuckled, "Why is this little girl so shallow..." Before he could finish, seeing Shen Xifan glare at him, he quickly changed his tone, "Actually, there are so many beautiful names in Chinese herbal medicine—White Peony Root, Ban Xia, Cinnamon Bark, Magnolia Bark, Poria, Forsythia, Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome, Nutgrass Galingale Rhizome, Fragrant Solomonseal Rhizome, Tatarian Aster Root, Cape Jasmine, Lotus Grass, Medicinal Cornel, Tokyo Violet..."
He counted them carefully with a focused, earnest expression. Shen Xifan watched him, thinking how gentle and refined this man appeared. Her heart stirred slightly, "Su Ye... is also a very nice name..."
Caught off guard by the interruption, He Suye laughed softly, "Yes, much nicer than 'Lotus Leaf'..."
Outside the window, heavy snow swirled and danced, piling on the windowsill. Tomorrow would surely bring a world blanketed in white. The quiet winter night was utterly still, while inside, the warmth of the heater, the soft glow of the desk lamp, and the gentle light from the computer illuminated two people sitting face-to-face in conversation, surrounded by various Chinese herbal medicine specimens on the floor.
Both were somewhat dazed, though mostly unaware of it themselves. The warm orange light flowed from their eyes, merging into the boundless night.
This scene, this moment, filled one with warmth and contentment.
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