Chapter 23.3 - Longan 龙眼
He Suye smiled, “It’s fine, I’m not picky.” He took the spoon, and the rich, fragrant red date and goji berry porridge before him stirred his appetite. After tasting a spoonful carefully, he couldn’t help but smile, “There’s longan and honey in this, right?”
Shen Xifan nervously explained, “Well, I specifically checked. Longan nourishes the heart and spleen, toning the blood and calming the nerves. Since you lost blood, I thought it might be good for making porridge, I hope I didn’t get it wrong?”
He nodded repeatedly, “Mm, it’s delicious. Girl, your knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine is quite good, you’ve really connected theory to practice.”
Shen Xifan sat beside him, resting her chin on her hand and smiling gently. The midday sunlight filtered through the tree shadows and shone on her, casting half a shadow that covered his outstretched hand.
He felt as if she was still in his arms.
In the afternoon, when he woke up, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure standing by the window, staring out at the scenery in a daze.
He spoke softly, “Fang Kexin?”
Fang Kexin turned around, a little surprised, “Senior, you’re awake? I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No,” he struggled to sit up and smiled gently, “I need to thank you, you worked hard that day.”
Fang Kexin blushed slightly, “Actually, I didn’t do much. As long as you’re fine, that’s all that matters.”
She smiled openly, her eyes clear, and He Suye subtly felt something different about her today, though he couldn’t exactly describe it. In the past, there had been a complex emotion in her gaze when she looked at him, but today, that feeling seemed to have disappeared.
“Senior—” Fang Kexin blinked, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Mm, of course.”
“You like Shen Xifan, don’t you?”
“Ah—” He Suye was taken aback, not expecting such a question at all. He smiled awkwardly, “How, did everyone figure it out?”
She covered her mouth and laughed, “Kiu Tian wasn’t wrong, you two are really slow. Never mind, I was just asking. By the way, I heard you’re going abroad?”
“Yes, is that also from Kiu Tian?”
“Mm, Kiu Tian’s worried you’ll steal his job. He said recently he’s been dreaming at night, and someone keeps whispering in his ear, ‘Little Tian, you’re finished, hurry up and give way to Little He.’”
He Suye rolled his eyes, “That guy, our research fields aren’t even the same, what’s he on about?”
“Senior, does Shen Xifan know you’re going abroad?”
“She probably doesn’t, right? By the way, you guys haven’t told her, have you?”
“You wouldn’t let us tell her, so who would dare to say a word? Anyway, I’m heading back to school, the boss is looking for me.”
“Okay, go get some rest. I’m fine now, thank you.”
Fang Kexin gave a light laugh, turned to walk to the door, then suddenly stopped. Her hand was on the doorknob but she didn’t twist it.
“Senior, I’m leaving. You must be happy.”
Her voice was low and calm, but it carried a lightness that came after laying down a heavy burden, with a hint of mischievous unwillingness. He Suye suddenly realized that she was standing in front of him, yet it felt as though they were worlds apart. That feeling was called letting go.
It turned out that this girl had finally moved past her past and grown up overnight.
“Fang Kexin!” He called out hurriedly, “Actually, Kiu Tian—”
Before he could finish, she laughed lightly. “Stop, stop! People who are emotionally slow have no right to say anything about others. Senior, I’m leaving now.” With a quick turn of her hand, the door gently closed behind her.
From now on, we will all be happy. I believe it, always have.
In the evening, Shen Xifan came to see him. He Suye was online, browsing the University of Pennsylvania website. Shen Xifan curiously leaned over to look, but immediately pulled her head back. “Oh my, it’s in English again. If I keep looking at this, I’ll go crazy.”
He Suye took the opportunity to catch her hand. “I need to tell you something.”
She froze for a moment, then hesitated, “Uh, He Suye, could you not hold my hand while talking? It’s a bit too much pressure.”
He Suye gently released her hand and looked straight into her eyes. “Girl, could you seriously consider me?”
An utterly uncreative confession, not even the words “I like you,” just plain and simple but sincere.
But for Shen Xifan, no confession from anyone had ever touched her as much as his simple request. He asked her sincerely, with a hint of testing, and showed respect for her wishes. This kind of respect carried the meaning of “if I win your heart, I’m lucky, if not, it’s fate,” and no matter what the result, he would silently accept it.
Such a man should give her the long-awaited sense of security.
But suddenly, Shen Xifan had the urge to tease him. A man who buried his feelings so deeply, so well, and was always so calm and composed, never seeming flustered.
She lowered her gaze, her eyes darting away, and after a brief hesitation, she spoke, “Consider? It really doesn’t need any consideration…”
He Suye’s expression subtly changed. He had mentally repeated that sentence a thousand times, and now, as it was spoken, his heart was filled with doubt. He hated doing things without confidence, but this time he had to gamble. Shen Xifan’s response made his once-uncertain heart begin to chill.
But unexpectedly, she laughed. “Consider? Dr. He, I had a big cry today and didn’t even let you notice I like you. I must be a failure, right? You really want me to say it so directly?”
He Suye’s mouth slightly opened, his heart blooming with thousands of flowers. He wanted to speak but didn’t know where to start. “I…”
Shen Xifan turned her face away, feeling that she had been a little too bold. She had never spoken so directly in her life; today was an exception—this slow-witted man.
The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous, the air was thick with sweetness.
His fingers gently wrapped around her hand, firm and warm, as if silently making a vow.
“He Suye, I thought you already understood. You made me so happy for nothing.”
“I didn’t mean to. At noon, Kiu Tian and the others were there, and I couldn’t ask. Plus, if you don’t say it clearly, how would I know?”
“He Suye—”
“Mm?”
“I saw that book, the prescriptions you wrote, when did you write them?”
“Ah—oh, those were the ones I wrote last time when I sent you back. I still have your old medical records. Some of those prescriptions I’m sure about, others I marked with a question mark. If you need the medicine, it should be adjusted based on your actual symptoms.”
“By the way, you were really nervous earlier, huh? What a lousy confession!”
“Sorry, this is the first time I’ve said something like that. I don’t have much experience…”
Walking through the hospital’s back garden, He Suye felt that Shen Xifan’s hand was a bit cold. He knew that she always had this constitution, cold hands and feet no matter the season.
Longan, goji berries, and red dates are all foods that nourish blood and energy. The porridge she made for him, he would also make for her once he’s discharged, though it might only happen a few times. Even if they both went to the U.S., they would be far apart.
In such a bustling city, as the lights came on and the streets darkened, it felt like a giant black-and-white sculpture. Streetlights shone, tall buildings reflected the light, and countless ambiguous shadows moved through the streets, becoming part of the flowing city scenery. Yet, they quietly held hands in a corner of the city, warming each other.
Wait for another year, he thought. He wanted to hold her hand, in the season of fireworks and blossoming grass, with birds flying, to say to her, to the heavens, and in front of everyone, those words: “I do.”
Yes, I do. To accompany you through the long years, to see all the fleeting changes of the world—surely, that would be the best thing.
