Chapter 37

Lick the skin between the neck and shoulder, consequences be damned.

There’s something utterly captivating about the way men eat, especially when they’re ravenous. The sounds of hearty chewing and swallowing can imbue even the simplest of meals with a magical allure, sparking appetite in those around them. Whether it’s the way their lips and teeth part or the prominent Adam’s apple that bobs with each gulp, it all seems to evoke a sense of unrestrained desire.

Hu Xiu herself wasn’t particularly interested in food, but she loved observing others eat. Watching men and women devour their meals with gusto made her feel as though their joy was being transferred to her.

She had seen doctors eat before, too, and the most outrageous memory was of Pei Zhen and a friend from the reproductive endocrinology department. They had poured three portions of fried noodles into a plastic-bag-lined basin and crouched on the floor, eating off a stool with the kind of desperation one might see in refugees. When Pei Zhen saw her then, he even choked and tried to cover his embarrassment by asking what she needed, projecting his usual authoritative demeanor while clearly caught off guard. She’d stared at him intentionally for a few seconds, making him so self-conscious he looked away, successfully earning him a few days of teasing from his friend. Since then, Pei Zhen had become increasingly shameless when eating in front of her.

Take now, for instance: he was eating Shengjianbao dumplings with such relish, emitting sizzling sounds as he tried to cool down each bite, savoring the scalding hot broth that burst onto his tongue. It was a kind of contentment only true food lovers could appreciate. Sitting nearby, Hu Xiu noticed the bowl of hot and sour noodles she’d bought was being completely ignored. Who buys hot and sour noodles first thing in the morning anyway? she thought. Doesn’t Pei Zhen know his stomach is weak?

But by the time she turned back, the hot and sour noodles had also been polished off. Truly, an insatiable man.

“If I could start every morning like this, I probably wouldn’t have stomach pains by noon. This meal should hold me over until my afternoon surgery,” Pei Zhen murmured in satisfaction, letting out a barely audible burp. “Usually, I just grab a sandwich and head back to work, answering calls and attending meetings, taking bites in between consultations. Today feels like such a luxury.”

“Don’t make it sound so pitiful. I owe you a favor now, so I’ll make sure you’re well-fed from now on.”

Pei Zhen slid his chair closer to her: “Did you look at the notes I gave you? For the upcoming Burn Rehabilitation Forum, you’ll need to come with me. Translate two excerpts of papers into full English, as well as patient case histories. If there are any terms you don’t understand, I’ll explain them to you.”

His voice was soft but stern. Hu Xiu’s morning break time officially ended, and every day at 7 a.m., she went to the hospital for coaching, memorizing various specialized terms, carrying her self-made English-Chinese medical dictionary. After the morning meetings, her translated sections still had problems. Written translation and interpretation were two entirely different things. While some terms could be simplified in interpretation, written translation demanded more cautious and precise wording.

This type of academic conference was limited to doctors under the age of 35 in Shanghai. Hu Xiu had heard about it before. Most participants were either PhD graduates or candidates, with their papers carrying an impact factor of 2.0 or higher. The purpose was to cultivate clinical teams and identify young talents in their respective fields. The judges were hospital directors and top-tier professors from renowned departments. For Pei Zhen to specifically name Hu Xiu to attend was to make her resume more impressive and give her an opportunity to gain experience.

Hu Xiu only realized how inadequate her skills were after trying. Despite holding a master’s degree from a translation institute, without a medical background—aside from some medical translation courses during graduate school—she felt like a beginner among experts. Pei Zhen didn’t force overly advanced material on her, instead focusing on the papers and presentations. Still, the specialized terminology from just two papers already overwhelmed her—though fortunately, she excelled under pressure.

When Pei Zhen spoke about burn patients, the gentle and understanding demeanor he usually showed disappeared. Perhaps because she was still a novice, he would sometimes become slightly impatient, especially when discussing symptoms exceeding healthy parameters. He likely treated resident doctors and interns even more harshly. Once, while explaining medication for extensive surface infections, Hu Xiu forgot to ask about allergies and blurted out the drug infusion rate. Pei Zhen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and, after a pause, said, “Sorry, I forgot you’re not a professional. Let’s start over—from preoperative general anesthesia.”

Although reconstructive surgery had many branches, he chose to discuss such difficult cases instead of lighter topics like plastic surgery. It was probably due to the impact left by a previous patient who had discharged himself against medical advice. Even so, he still took the time to draft a treatment plan and send it to the county hospital, making several follow-up calls to ensure its execution. It was hard not to feel admiration for such dedication. Sitting on the sofa with the materials in front of her, Hu Xiu quietly sipped her coffee, focusing even more intently on the work.

Her phone vibrated. Diao Zhiyu, who was upstairs in the ward, asked, “Where are you?”

“I’m in the administrative building. Pei Zhen is tutoring me.” After sending the message, she noticed the time: 10 p.m. It seemed tonight’s “Snowpiercer” had no midnight rounds.

“Oh?”

Hu Xiu snapped a photo of the materials spread out on the table. Diao Zhiyu’s reply came quickly: “Alright then, I won’t disturb you.”

That message felt a bit like he was sulking. Hu Xiu wanted to explain further but decided it wasn’t necessary to clarify everything. After all, Pei Zhen was staying late to help her.

When Pei Zhen returned after stepping out for a while, there was a faintly strange scent on him. Hu Xiu smelled it and heard him say, “I ran into your father at the entrance to the building just now.”

No wonder—that faint aroma of Eight Treasures Duck. Hu Xiu grew a bit annoyed. “If he said anything to you, please don’t take it to heart.”

“No, he just asked if you were working in this building. I told him I was tutoring you for the weekend conference. He seemed reassured after hearing that and even thanked me for taking care of you. But I don’t think he was here for you; he was carrying a late-night snack and heading toward the oncology building.”

Oncology? Hu Xiu quickly ran out and called her father. He picked up almost immediately. “Hello?”

“Dad, my colleague said you went to the oncology department. Are you hiding something from me?”

“An old friend is terminally ill and has no one to take care of them. I came to visit. It’s not me.”

“Really? You’re not hiding anything from me?”

“As long as you don’t make me angry, I’m fine. Get back to your studying. It’s been almost six months, and you still haven’t gotten your promotion. Fortunately, you’ve got Pei Zhen helping you. I even saved his number. He seems like a good man. Is he single?”

“He has a girlfriend,” Hu Xiu lied decisively, redirecting the focus back to her father. “Dad, just in case, send me a photo of the patient. I need to confirm you’re not the patient.”

The photo she received was a selfie of her father. Behind him was an elderly person sleeping under dim lighting, their gender indiscernible. Her father’s expression was annoyingly smug, the kind of look he gave when teasing her. Relieved, she quietly jotted down the bed number, planning to visit the oncology department during the day to confirm everything herself. Despite being annoyed by her father’s curt words, she couldn’t bear the thought of 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. It’ll probably last until midnight. I can’t take you home. Sorry.” The handwriting was rushed, and he was likely already in the emergency department. Hu Xiu packed up her materials, pocketed the note, and headed to the inpatient department. The hospital bed was surrounded by drawn curtains with a light on inside. Li Ai was sitting up, peeling an apple.

Diao Zhiyu saw her and spread his hands. “Don’t ask me why I’m not helping the patient peel it. He insists on doing it himself.”

“The shop’s work has all been taken over by Zhao Xiaorou. She told me to focus on recovering,” Li Ai said. His hands were steady as he peeled the apple in one continuous strip. With his long, slender fingers, peeling an apple seemed almost unfairly graceful.

Hu Xiu had guessed correctly. Though Zhao Xiaorou didn’t dare show up in person, she was likely stationed at REGARD writing drafts. It was easy to imagine her bossy demeanor: “The barista may have been hired by Li Ai, but as a co-owner, I can supervise, right? If anyone slacks off, I’ll dock their pay.”

The small, curtain-enclosed space was both simple and cozy. Diao Zhiyu leaned against a chair. “Finished your tutoring?”

“Yes. I’ll probably be busy for a while because of the promotion. Professional knowledge is up to Dr. Pei to keep me in check.”

Diao Zhiyu raised an eyebrow but nodded, refraining from being unreasonable in matters like this. Li Ai, slicing the apple into the container, sighed. “My bomb-like leg is finally deflating. A few days ago, it felt like it was going to burst through the cast. Even though Zhao Xiaorou’s taking charge at the shop, she has her own job. I can’t keep relying on her. I need to get discharged soon.”

“Don’t be so distant with her. Last time, she was jealous. When she gets angry, she says hurtful things. You know by now, after all these years, that she would never have any ill feelings toward you.”

Li Ai answered the question without addressing it: “What about you? Do you think I’m a heartless person because I’ve been rejecting her all this time?”

“No,” Hu Xiu paused for a moment. “It’s just... your ex-wife has been gone for a long time. If this matter continues to consume you, it’s time to let go.”

“I want to,” the skin peeled finer, an apple the size of a fist became harder and harder to peel in his hands, the delicate spiral turning into something tangible. “But she was once by your side, living and breathing together every second in happiness. And then, suddenly, it was all taken away. If she had died from cancer, or some chronic illness with long-term treatment that wore us both down, I could have grown weary of her, let go, and not feel so guilty. But that night, it was because we had an argument, and in my spite, I made her walk on the outer edge of the road. It was all over something as petty as wanting to pick the best coffee beans to show off my professionalism. She was someone I could always smell the fragrance of her hair, someone so close to me we had no distance between us... I can’t accept this reality.”

The curtain at the corner of the room was drawn back slightly. The nurse had overheard something and spoke in a softer tone: “Visiting hours are over. The family members need to leave, the patient needs to rest.”

The apple was finally peeled. Li Ai smiled as he handed the apple to Hu Xiu: “Goodnight.”

Walking along the street, Hu Xiu and Diao Zhi Yu both felt sensitive to walking on the outer edge. Diao Zhi Yu sighed: “Li Ai has blown this out of proportion. The fault isn’t on him—it’s really the rich kid who was drunk driving and crashed onto the sidewalk. But now the other party is adamantly denying it and has found some imaginary witness. The evidence is getting weaker.”

“You’ve already figured this out? Li Ai hardly talked about it with me, and Zhao Xiaorou doesn’t know either.”

“Men’s talk.” While crossing the street, Diao Zhi Yu consciously pulled her closer to him. After crossing, Hu Xiu nimbly stepped aside. Her cashmere coat wrapped her scarf, feeling a little too warm. She pulled down the scarf and wrapped it around her hands, tilting her head back to shake out her hair, thinking it was time to get a haircut. Diao Zhi Yu stood behind her: “Your hair really is beautiful.”

Her ears turned red at the compliment. Hu Xiu continued walking, her boots clicking on the ground. She glanced over her shoulder, only to see Diao Zhi Yu catching up with her a couple of steps away, just close enough to hear her voice: “My mom was like that. The last time I saw her, she was in her forties and didn’t have any gray hairs. Her hair was so smooth that you could slide a comb through it without a snag. She once told me that this kind of hair was a gift from heaven, and that dyeing or perming hair was something only ordinary women did.”

That remark made Diao Zhi Yu laugh. Hu Xiu’s smile turned bittersweet: “I haven’t seen her in a long time. The last time my dad came, he told me she was living alone in a small town in the north, very poor. I didn’t really believe him, because she wasn’t as insignificant as my dad made her out to be. She was the kind of woman worth examining and remembering in every little detail.”

“That day your dad... are you okay?”

“It’s nothing, he just told me to work harder. My parents... are a bit complicated.”

“Same here.” Diao Zhi Yu rubbed his face with his hands: “It’s so cold.”

He was only wearing a hoodie and jeans, huddling his neck as he walked briskly forward. His broad shoulders and long legs gave him a disproportionate elegance. Hu Xiu stared for a moment, then ran up to him, wrapping the scarf around his neck: “You’re so dumb, wearing so little.”

Diao Zhi Yu seemed to have anticipated this, grabbing both her arms, bending slightly, and lifting her off the ground. He adjusted her position so that she was now draped over his back. In the biting cold of the night, her sweater pressed against his hoodie was cold at first, but quickly warmed up. She was a bit nervous, hurriedly wrapping her arms around his neck, the scarf and her hair swaying against his neck and chest. She couldn’t believe what was happening—this was a scene she never dared to dream about.

Hu Xiu quickly thought, okay, I’ll hold on, let him walk for 100 meters, I can just hold onto him, no problem!

Her bag of study materials, weighing around five pounds, was placed on the ground after about five meters. Diao Zhi Yu casually took the bag from her: “This is a bomb of a bag! What did Pei Zhen give you, this is like a dynamite pack.”

After saying this, he carried on as if nothing had happened, walking ahead with long strides. Hu Xiu regretted it a hundred times over—this material would likely end up forgotten at home, why had she even brought it along? That one opportunity for close contact had been lost just like that!

“What’s on your mind? Are you walking or not? Don’t tell me you’re plotting something against me?”

Plotting?

For a second, Hu Xiu’s mind lit up. She suddenly recalled Zhao Xiaorou’s tips on how to flirt with men: in a dark, confined space like an elevator in the cinema, sneak up and lick the skin between a guy’s neck and shoulder, supposedly making him explode with desire, at your own risk. Wasn’t that the perfect opportunity just now? Hu Xiu clenched her fists and stamped her foot in frustration. Why didn’t I think of this before? It would have been so natural... but now to try it again would be too obvious, and besides, Diao Zhi Yu’s bag was right there, not suitable to be carried again. Why didn’t I think of it earlier? Stupid!

Sighing in despair, she shook her head. By the time she looked up, Diao Zhi Yu had already walked back in front of her: “What were you thinking? Seeing me dress lightly and planning an attack on me?”

“What are you talking about? I... my shoes are hurting my feet.” Hu Xiu bent down, not daring to look him in the eyes. If she kept this up, he would see through her.

“Liars. Back on the Snowpiercer, you were practically flying with those shoes on. Hu Xiu, you’re such a good actress, getting better and better. If I didn’t know you, I would have forgotten you were that love-struck girl from all those years ago, who crashed into a phone booth outside a department store.” He softened his tone: “Does it really hurt?”

“Yeah.”

Diao Zhi Yu turned his back and bent down: “Come on.”

Once again, Hu Xiu’s hair brushed against his ear. The leaves from the phoenix trees fell here and there on the ground, and light and shadow danced around them. The street was already quiet, and they followed the warm yellow light in front of them. The road was narrow, but long enough that they couldn’t see the end. Her breath was a little heavy, yet he showed no sign of putting her down. Hu Xiu thought, moments like this, when you can’t tell if it’s reality or a dream, must be magical. Even though the meaningful events may fade with time, these seemingly meaningless fragments will remain so vivid in memory.

“Can you move your hair away from my ear? It’s itchy,” said Diao Zhiyu.

“Oh.” Hu Xiu’s fingers brushed against his ear, accidentally touching his earlobe. She noticed the slight tremor, as expected. Clearing her throat, she said, “Young people really have great stamina.”

“Stop talking, it’s so heavy.”

Hu Xiu stared absentmindedly at the smooth patch of skin behind his ear. After a long time, she heard Diao Zhiyu say, “If you encounter something upsetting, you can talk to me. And about the escape room you wanted to try last time, I can take you.”

“Okay...”

“Why do you sound unhappy?”

Hu Xiu pursed her lips. She licked that patch of fair skin lightly, the whole motion taking only a second. The tip of her tongue brushed against his skin—smooth, with a faint salty taste, and a tiny bit of fuzz from the hair growing there. A light fragrance drifted into her nose. She was too hasty and didn’t recognize the perfume in time, but as her tongue left, Hu Xiu felt the sensation linger. Diao Zhiyu had goosebumps. Zhao Xiaorou’s flirting tutorial video ended with: after this kind of close contact, the consequences are worth it, because the ones willing to do this are people you like.

After licking, Hu Xiu slid off his back and ran—totally worth it!