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Psst! We're moving!
Lu Hanxiao, that bastard, was plastered against the door panel. Tao Xinglai had just fed his dear sister a mouthful of apple and then rushed over to join the fun.
“He’s here! I’m going to tear him apart with words!”
“You go first, tear him apart, then I’ll make my move.”
Tao Xinglai was puzzled, “What move?”
Lu Hanxiao’s eyes didn’t waver as he stared at the peephole. “I’m going to get him!”
Tao Xinglai: “If you want to get him, you do it. I’m not lifting a finger, my idol image is a bit too important.”
Lu Hanxiao hadn’t expected him to help anyway. “Shut up.”
Tao Xinglai leaned against the wall, forgetting the apple in his hand was for Jian Xi. He brought it to his mouth and crunched it loudly.
Jian Xi walked over and tugged Lu Hanxiao’s ear, pulling him backward.
“Ouch, ouch, momma, that hurts!”
“Are you two putting on a show? It’s so annoying!” Jian Xi was angry.
“Say, are you feeling sorry for He Ran?” Lu Hanxiao frowned, rubbing his earlobe. “That was a pretty hard pull.”
Jian Xi flared up as soon as she heard that, raising her voice to yell at him, “He and I have already broken up! My heart stopped hurting a long time ago! You two are such gossips!”
As soon as she said that, Tao Xinglai choked on apple bits, coughing uncontrollably.
Lu Hanxiao chuckled sheepishly, “Okay, okay, don’t get angry. You’re still not well. What if you get another high fever? Where am I going to find medicine for you?”
In that short time, there was still no movement outside the door.
Tao Xinglai peeked out of the peephole and muttered, “Why hasn’t he come? That’s impossible! Did he go to the second floor to fix the water pipes for that mature woman?”
Jian Xi was too lazy to pay attention and walked to the balcony to get some air by herself.
In the winter night of the residential area, the streetlights were dim. Jian Xi was upset, but she couldn’t control her gaze drifting downstairs.
She stared at the exit of the stairwell, as if trying to bore a hole through it.
Within a few seconds, He Ran’s figure indeed appeared, emerging from the stairwell. Illuminated by the night and the lights, he exuded a palpable sense of loneliness.
He Ran had come up, had stayed at the door. Hearing Jian Xi’s words, “My heart stopped hurting a long time ago,” he completely lost the courage he had mustered.
He was outside the door, but he didn’t dare to knock.
Jian Xi felt a pang in her heart. She bit her tongue to bring her runaway emotions back under control.
Later, the hotpot delivery arrived, thirty-odd boxes piled up like a mountain. Jian Xi was almost annoyed to death by the two of them. “I’ve never seen anyone visiting a sick person and ordering a table full of hotpot, especially extra spicy.”
Lu Hanxiao buried his head in his food, slurping loudly. “Don’t wrong me. I’m taking great care of you. The fried rice didn’t have any chili. Eat more.”
Jian Xi sat at the table, head down, eating the meager fried rice.
Tao Xinglai said while gnawing on a chicken claw, “Sis, I can’t stay with you for too long. I have a scene to shoot at ten o’clock. Call me if you miss me.”
Jian Xi: “I don’t miss you.”
Lu Hanxiao quickly added, “Tao’er, I’ll call you. I miss you.”
Tao Xinglai “tsk”ed and rolled his white eyes at him. “Men who are better looking than me, stay away from me.”
Lu Hanxiao was jealous. “You’re too double standard! When He Ran was around, you主动黏着 him. Back then, you didn’t care that he was better looking than you?”
“Can you compare?” Tao Xinglai had a look of fond recollection. “Brother He He would tell stories, he was also really good at Dou Dizhu. When I was asleep, he would help me cover myself with the blanket. I didn’t catch a cold at all thanks to him.”
Jian Xi put down her chopsticks. “I’m full.”
Tao Xinglai, a sister-con, imitated her. “I’m full too.”
Lu Hanxiao didn’t enjoy eating alone, so he simply stopped eating, cleared the table, and finally prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he inexplicably asked, “Xiao Xi, do you really not remember what happened last night?”
It was better not to mention it. As soon as he did, Jian Xi got angry. “Don’t think I don’t know! You were carrying me around on your shoulders like a sandbag, throwing me around!”
Lu Hanxiao: “...”
Jian Xi pushed him out. “If you order hotpot again next time, I won’t let you in!”
Both of them had driven over. Lu Hanxiao’s recent favorite was his imported Land Rover, and he rode it around town ostentatiously every day. Tao Xinglai drove a Jeep, its white body so pure.
“Brother Lu Lu, drive carefully on the road. Don’t run red lights,” Tao Xinglai said, then turned his car around and sped away in a flash.
He had a breakup scene in the rain to shoot later, so he had to rush back to the set. But as soon as his car turned out of the residential area, it was stopped by someone.
Tao Xinglai slammed on the brakes. The person was backlit, so he couldn’t see their face clearly.
“Whoa, you want to play the ‘hit and run’ game, huh? You’d better ask my dashcam if it’s accurate or not!” Tao Xinglai had just unbuckled his seatbelt and hadn’t had time to jump out of the car when the passenger door was pulled open and someone sat down.
Tao Xinglai rubbed his eyes. “My god.” It was He Ran.
He Ran was tall and large, and the car suddenly felt full of his presence.
Tao Xinglai swallowed. “You, what do you want?”
He Ran looked at him with deep, somber eyes, devoid of his usual arrogance. Tao Xinglai even felt a bit sorry for him.
The car sped onto the road, the steering wheel turning smoothly.
“You want my sister to forgive you? I can’t help you with that.” Tao Xinglai rejected He Ran’s request, speaking casually. “Do you know what kind of relationship I have with my sister? If we went out begging, I’d split even a single penny with her, five mao for her, five mao for me.”
He Ran: “Just consider it a favor.”
Tao Xinglai: “Still no way. You made my sister sad and gave her a high fever. That’s too serious a crime, can’t be whitewashed.”
He Ran: “Seeing her hurt so badly because of me, I feel terrible towards your family. That’s why I got carried away and said those nonsense things.”
Tao Xinglai controlled the steering wheel with his left hand and wagged his right index finger at him. “You’re done for, you’re finished! My sister isn’t sad anymore. Don’t beg me, I—ouch! It hurts!”
He Ran grabbed his wildly waving finger, leaned closer, and slowly placed his hand on the steering wheel.
Tao Xinglai was so scared. “What do you want to do?”
He Ran spoke calmly, slowly. “Help me or not? Hmm?”
As he spoke, the hand he placed on the steering wheel subtly exerted force, and the car suddenly started to sway a bit.
It was clear: if you don’t help me, okay, then we’ll die together.
Tao Xinglai imagined a Weibo headline about a car crash with two deaths. Remembering that he hadn’t won Best Actor in his lifetime, he immediately caved, betraying his five-mao sister. “Help, help, help! Brother-in-law, whatever you say, I’ll do it!”
________________________________________
City First Hospital.
Jian Xi went to the director to cancel her leave and returned to normal work. The fracture in her left little finger was still healing, so the department didn’t schedule Jian Xi for any operating room shifts within a month.
He Ran sent her many messages. At first, he used WeChat, and his messages were concise.
“I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
Jian Xi pretended to be strong and indifferent, but that evening, after seeing those six words, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
He Ran chipped away at her inner defenses bit by bit, sharp and domineering, and Jian Xi found it hard to resist.
Her anger hadn’t subsided, so she directly blacklisted He Ran.
He Ran didn’t give up and switched to sending text messages.
“Are you feeling better? Does your hand still hurt?”
“Can you give me a chance to kneel on needles, please?”
“I slap myself twice every day. I finished the left cheek today, the right cheek is for you.”
At first, Jian Xi was still sad, but after two days of these messages, she could calmly treat them like a collection of cold jokes.
The jokes were cold, but her heart slowly warmed up again.
Starting yesterday, He Ran switched to calling. He didn’t harass her randomly, just three times a day: seven in the morning, twelve thirty in the afternoon, and when she got off work in the evening. Jian Xi didn’t answer any of them, automatically treating them as her wake-up and mealtime alarms.
But there was still a slip-up. Jian Xi mistakenly answered one.
It was He Ran calling from a public phone. Hearing her “Hello? Who is this?”, He Ran almost cried out in joy.
“Xiao Xi, it’s me! Please don’t hang up!”
Hearing his voice again after a week, Jian Xi was also a bit dazed.
In her dazed state, she forgot to hang up.
He Ran rambled on the other end, constantly apologizing and admitting his mistakes. She could almost picture him, a big man standing by the roadside, looking miserable.
Jian Xi held the phone to her ear, listening while the corners of her mouth curved upward, and then she ruthlessly hung up.
Close to the end of her work hours, she received a text message from an unknown number.
[If there really is no chance for me and you.]
Jian Xi looked at it over and over. Just this one sentence, without beginning or end, completely piqued her curiosity.
As she was wondering, a new text message arrived in quick succession—
If we really part ways like this,
[Doctor Jian, can we have a breakup sex?]
Jian Xi couldn’t help it, she spat out all the water she had just drunk.
Another text message came—
[Forever unceasing, forever loud, in this lifetime, I am willing to exhaust myself to death for you.]
He Ran on Yati Road was truly out of options. Jian Xi had ruthlessly blacklisted all his contact information, so he could only laboriously type on his grandmother’s old phone.
Seeing that line, Jian Xi finally laughed out loud.
Let him stew. It was time for him to taste the cold palace.
The next day, Jian Xi was on a rotating outpatient shift. Because it was Saturday, there weren’t too many people.
After seeing about ten patients, there were no new numbers showing up on the system for the time being. The little nurse took out the baked cookies she had brought in the morning. “Doctor Jian, try these. I made them myself.”
Jian Xi didn’t stand on ceremony, took one, and put it in her mouth. “Not bad, the milk flavor is really strong.”
The little nurse was pleased. “I added half as much milk again, it’s so fragrant! Try this chocolate one too.”
Today was truly merciful. Jian Xi had just finished her third cookie when a new number appeared on the system. The little nurse busied herself tidying up. “Work, work.”
The number was called, and soon, the door was pushed open, and someone walked in.
Jian Xi’s eyes were still on the screen as she clicked on the new case. She asked routinely, “Is it Yang Xin? Sit here. Six months pregnant...”
As she spoke, she looked up. When she saw the person who had come in, her lips parted slightly in surprise.
Jian Xi blinked, utterly terrified. “Tao Xinglai?”
Tao Xinglai, dressed as a pregnant woman, wore a long wig. His palm-sized face was heavily made up, and a pot was stuffed inside his belly, making it look huge and round.
He pinched his voice, imitating a woman’s tone, and said dramatically, “Uh-huh, six, seven, eight months now, big brother, give me a hand.”
The ‘family member’ He Ran also couldn’t bear to look directly, and stubbornly didn’t offer his hand.
Jian Xi: “...”
She really didn’t have the courage to look at Tao Xinglai a second time. She turned her head and said to the little nurse, “Go out for a moment and get me a pack of cotton swabs.”
The little nurse was incredibly perceptive, quickly slipped out, and closed the door behind her.
Jian Xi: “Are you sick in the head, Tao Xinglai?!”
“If I didn’t dress up like this, could I have gotten a gynecology appointment?! Would you have agreed to see him?!” Tao Xinglai retorted indignantly, “Your appointment is so expensive, twelve yuan!”
Jian Xi: “I’ll refund it to you. Leave quickly, don’t make trouble.”
Tao Xinglai: “No way! The security guard at your entrance is such a pervert, he only lets pregnant women and their families in.”
From the moment he entered, He Ran’s gaze was like super glue, stuck to Jian Xi and impossible to tear away.
Feeling like she was being pricked by needles under that gaze, Jian Xi finally spared him a sidelong glance.
Their eyes met, for an instant, a second, and He Ran almost burst into flames. Logically, Tao Xinglai’s part in this play should have ended here, but he was too immersed in the role and hadn’t had enough fun yet.
“Doctor Sister, what kind of check-up do I need? Do I have to get a blood test or an ultrasound or something?” Tao Xinglai didn’t waste the chance for a real-life experience, patting his belly and sighing, “Being pregnant is really tiring for women. I’ve been carrying this pot for an hour, and my back already hurts so much. Mothers are so great.”
Jian Xi didn’t want to listen to his nonsense. “You want to do a check-up, right? Okay, wait.”
Tao Xinglai craned his neck to look at the computer screen. “Sis, what are you doing?”
“Contacting the neurology department for you.” Jian Xi then looked at He Ran. “Two specialist appointments.”
Tao Xinglai didn’t want to play a tragic scene, so he quickly took off the wig, pulled the pot out of his coat, and tossed it to He Ran with a backhand. “I’ve done my part to help you. You’ve seen her, the rest is up to you.”
Tao Xinglai left, leaving He Ran and Jian Xi in the office.
He Ran walked over, and with each step closer, Jian Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
She was sitting down. He Ran suddenly squatted in front of her, looking up at her.
His voice was slow and soft. “Doctor Jian, can you be kind enough to save my life again?”
Jian Xi forced herself to remain composed, putting on a perfect mask of indifference and coldness.
Her attitude was indifferent, her tone was also indifferent. She turned her head, looking directly at He Ran without flinching.
“You asked me to break up, and I agreed.”
“Jian Xi.”
“There’s no chance.”
“Then I’ll pursue you again.”
“Where do you get your confidence and assurance?” Jian Xi said coldly. “Do you have money? Do you have a house? Do you have a car?”
He Ran reached for her hand. “You’re just trying to make me angry.”
As soon as their fingertips touched, Jian Xi snatched her hand away as if it had been burned. But the movement was too abrupt, and she didn’t control her strength, so the back of her hand hit He Ran’s mouth, like a slap.
He Ran was stunned. His gaze instantly darkened. Jian Xi also hadn’t expected it. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but then stopped.
His expression was too bad. Jian Xi felt a pang of annoyance and simply ignored him.
He Ran slowly stood up. “I’m sorry, I’m bothering you.”
Jian Xi turned her head away.
He Ran took a deep breath. “I know I was wrong. If you ask me how I’m going to make up for it, anything I say will sound like empty promises. But if you’re willing to give me another chance...”
He paused for a moment before continuing, “Jian Xi, let’s get our marriage certificate right away. I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.”
Jian Xi couldn’t hold back anymore, tears welled up in her eyes.
He Ran didn’t press her further. “Then I’ll go, I won’t disturb you at work. Oh, and don’t use your hand too much, the bone needs to heal properly. Call me if anything happens, I won’t turn off my phone no matter how late it is.”
Only after hearing the door close did Jian Xi release her bitten lip. She turned her head to stare at the door, and the tears that had been swirling in her eyes finally fell onto the back of her hand with a “plop.”
________________________________________
Jian Xi was annoyed all day. It was all He Ran’s fault, coming and going without knowing to persist a little longer.
After getting off work, she asked Lu Hanxiao for his address and went over to freeload a meal.
Lu Hanxiao had a dinner gathering with some suppliers who wanted to curry favor with him for business. They were generous and had booked the best restaurant. Jian Xi tagged along like his shadow. Lu Hanxiao dared not neglect her and kept piling food onto her plate.
After dinner, they went to sing karaoke. Jian Xi still had a splint on her finger. Lu Hanxiao didn’t sing or flirt with any girls, just stayed by her side drinking juice.
“That’s enough, okay? I know He Ran’s personality. If you ignore him for too long, I’m afraid something might happen to him.”
Jian Xi got even more annoyed hearing that. “He left as soon as he said he would. If he had just been a little more shameless and stayed a bit longer, I would have forgiven him.”
Lu Hanxiao scoffed. “Clearly you love him to death.”
“So what if I love him to death? Do you have a problem with that?” Jian Xi rested listlessly on the bar counter.
Lu Hanxiao couldn’t stand it and hopped off the stool to go to the restroom.
But he rushed back in less than two minutes. “Holy crap! Jian Xi! The ‘waiting-for-husband’ rock is back!”
This time, Jian Xi didn’t hesitate. “You’re dead if you’re lying to me.”
She ran to the window, pulled back the curtains, and saw neon lights illuminating half the sky. In the dim, languid light, He Ran stood alone, leaning against the railing, quietly smoking.
Lu Hanxiao, a perceptive person, was certain. “He’s stalking you, Xiao Xi. Dump him!”
Jian Xi pretended not to hear. The image of He Ran alone filled her entire vision. Loving someone meant even the biggest anger had a time limit. For He Ran, she couldn’t hold out for even one more day of a cold war.
So Jian Xi turned around and ran downstairs.
The ship on the river blew its horn, breaking the night. In the heavy aftersound, He Ran thought he was seeing things.
Jian Xi stood a few meters away, cool and aloof, her emotions unreadable.
He Ran quickly threw away his cigarette and looked at her nervously and anxiously, like a little schoolboy waiting for punishment.
Jian Xi softly wrapped her arms around her chest and walked towards him step by step.
He Ran’s breathing quickened, and he didn’t dare to blink.
She stopped, very close. Jian Xi: “Open your mouth.”
He Ran: “...”
Although he didn’t understand the next step, at this moment, he would unconditionally jump into the river if she asked.
He Ran obediently opened his mouth, and before he knew it, Jian Xi quickly reached out, and soon, sweetness spread rampantly in his mouth.
Jian Xi looked up. “Is it tasty?”
He Ran didn’t say anything.
Jian Xi asked again, “Is it sweet?”
He Ran just nodded, nodding repeatedly. He didn’t dare to look up after nodding.
Jian Xi’s lips curved slightly. She leaned closer to him and whispered coquettishly in his ear, “You idiot, there’s only one piece of candy. You didn’t even let me try it.”
Before He Ran could react, Jian Xi’s lips were firmly pressed against his.
Tongue touched tongue, it was the flavor of honey peach.
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