After the people walked away, Ruan Mian let out a long breath, and headed towards the center to continue writing medical records at the consultation counter.
After a while, Lin Jiahui came out from the processing room and walked over next to her. Her slender eyes blinked twice as she gossiped, “You knew that soldier from before?”
“High school classmate.”
Ruan Mian said, “Haven’t seen each other in years.”
“More than just classmates right?”
Lin Jiahui leaned in, saying, “Why use ‘long time no see’ with an old classmate? This phrase is too ambiguous1.”
Lin Jiahui was good at reading people. Compared to Ruan Mian’s transparency, she had some extra smoothness. Having been at the hospital for a long time, she could tell ghosts from people. She was quite astute.
Ruan Mian stopped her pen, pressing down on the clipboard, “How is that ambiguous?”
“How is it not ambiguous?”
Lin Jiahui held up her fingers counting, “Normally if people run into old classmates in this kind of situation, they’d say what a coincidence, what are you doing here.
If it was an ex, especially those who broke up badly, if they ran into each other, oh they’d probably pretend not to recognize each other. More seriously, they might even start fighting.”
“But if there were still feelings, with just one look there’d be sparks flying, then through the crowd they’d profoundly say, long time no see.”
Ruan Mian picked up her pen again, “Don’t want to hear your nonsense.”
“I’m not talking nonsense. That other one, also your classmate right. The first thing you two said was the first situation I described.”
Lin Jiahui and Ruan Mian were from the same school. She was Ruan Mian’s senior schoolmate, though she tested in later. Ruan Mian did 8 straight years of PhD, so their situations were a bit different.
During her PhD, she had heard there was a clinical student, the favorite and most valued student in every teacher’s mind. Good looking, good personality, good grades.
Later, their advisors attended the same dinner event, so they naturally became friends. After graduating, they both entered Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH), and since both their families weren’t local, they rented a two bedroom apartment together near the hospital. Their relationship deepened another level.
Although they worked in different departments, the hospital community is small, and news spreads quickly when something happens.
Ruan Mian was interning under Meng Fuping, though scolded terribly, everyone in thoracic surgery knew she was Meng Fuping’s personally groomed successor. Possibly in the future she could even become another “Meng Fuping”, or even better, prospects unlimited.
Lin Jiahui was quite envious of her sometimes. But, everyone had their own way to live. There were gains and losses. Ruan Mian’s career success came with emotional emptiness, which was a constant discussion topic at the hospital.
Now that there’s finally a bit of progress, Lin Jiahui certainly doesn’t want her to miss out, “So, were you two in an early romance, or an early romance2?”
Ruan Mian really had no mind to keep writing. Her heart was chaotic. She raised her head to look at her, then lowered her eyes thinking for a long time before saying softly, “Not an early romance.”
“Then you liked each other but didn’t date?”
In Lin Jiahui’s eyes, Ruan Mian had always been the kind of person who excelled at everything she did. So she didn’t think further.
“It wasn’t mutual liking either.”
As if recalling something, Ruan Mian glanced up with a faint smile, “I liked him one-sidedly.”
It took Lin Jiahui a good while to find her voice again, “With you so outstanding, you did that whole pining thing too?”
Ruan Mian spun her pen in one hand, fingertips brushing the pages, “In high school I was probably more introverted. Aside from studying I didn’t have any outstanding traits, not many friends either. He and I were like people from two different worlds, we shouldn’t have intersected.”
Lin Jiahui didn’t expect her seemingly tranquil and indifferent junior schoolmate to have such a murky, heartbreaking romantic history. She couldn’t help lightly sighing, but suddenly recalled something and cried in alarm, “Then liking him all these years, don’t tell me you still remember him?”
“No, forgot long ago.”
Ruan Mian lowered her head, “It’s been so long, even the deepest feelings will be worn away by time.”
Four years ago, when Ruan Mian went sightseeing in the neighboring city with her college roommate, she lost a graduation photo of her and Chen Yi there.
At the time she thought she would be very sad, because it was one of the few things she had relating to Chen Yi.
But afterwards, her roommate accompanied her searching the bustling streets for a long time. When they were about to go to the local police station to file a report, Ruan Mian suddenly didn’t want to look anymore.
Perhaps at that time, she finally truly realized, some people, once missed, could be a lifetime.
She had thought of a reunion, but never imagined it would be here, in this kind of way.
The night colors outside the window dispersed, dawn approaching. The newly risen sun floated behind the eastern clouds, golden rays slowly spilling onto the land.
Ruan Mian had only slept a little over two hours. She woke up after 6, sending Ruan Mingke and Fang Ruqing a message each. Aside from the intermittent calls right after communications recovered from the first earthquake, she had been using this method to let her parents know she was safe.
After washing up simply, Ruan Mian walked towards the tent area. Xiao Huo felt a bit uncomfortable yesterday. Last night she had promised Xiao Huo to have breakfast with her this morning.
The two doctors caring for the children had already woken them up, leading them to the sink area to wash up. Xiao Huo was squatting with her own toiletries, brushing her teeth.
Ruan Mian went over and helped wash her face. Then the logistics team came by with breakfast, two slices of bread and a carton of milk for each.
The logistics staff asked, “Doctor, have you eaten breakfast? Want me to grab you a meal?”
“No need, give it to them. There’s breakfast at the hospital.”
Ruan Mian took a meal for Xiao Huo and sat on the empty ground nearby watching her eat.
7am was shift change time for the rescue teams. Those who had worked through the night trickled back from various places, exhaustion on their faces.
Chen Yi was among them, wearing the military’s short sleeves, covered in dirt and dust. The gauze wrapped on his arm had turned from white to black.
The leader called for him and Shen Yu to come over. After saying a few words, he patted Chen Yi’s shoulder, about to thank him for the hard work, but patted off a layer of dust instead. He laughed and complained, “Go get washed up and rest.”
“Sir.”
Chen Yi saluted on the spot. After the leader left, he patted the dust off himself and went to the sink to wash his face, revealing his originally fair and handsome complexion.
He had been paler than normal people since high school. Of the type to get whiter from tanning. Whenever he stood with the rest of the team, he was like a lightbulb, shining bright white.
Just those first two years after enlisting, knowing his background, the team members talked behind his back for climbing fast, calling him ‘little white face’3. The first time Chen Yi heard, he dragged the person from the barracks to the training grounds and beat him up until he cried and admitted wrong.
His uncle Song Huai found out about this incident and came down to the team. He beat up Chen Yi until half-injured and confined him alone for a week.
At the time, Song Huai asked him, “You think with your background you can act arrogant and domineering here?
I’m telling you, it is impossible. This is the military; it’s not a place where you can do as you please. So what if someone says a few words to you? It’s normal for a man to face criticism; it’s part of life. Whether someone criticizes you or not, it won’t hurt you or kill you, right?”
Chen Yi was also beaten heavily by Song Huai then. Sitting on the bed edge, hands on his knees, head lowered without a sound.
“You can be proud of your background, of what your grandfather and those predecessors fought for with their lives. If others don’t say anything, you can speak with your own abilities. But you use your fists, what’s that about?
Even if you beat him until he yielded today, will the ‘little white face’ nickname go away?”
Song Huai stood with hands on hips, “If you’re a man, prove yourself with your skills. If there’s one more situation like this, I’ll send you right back. Understand?”
Chen Yi muffled, “Understood.”
After this incident, Chen Yi also stopped minding that phrase. He let his abilities speak, taking first in every big competition, charging forward on every mission, completing tasks perfectly. He got promoted and transferred steadily. No one brought it up anymore afterwards.
Now, Shen Yu finished washing his face and stuck his head under the faucet to rinse off. Chen Yi stood to the side, seemingly inadvertently kicking his leg.
Shen Yu lost his footing and slid forward, barely catching himself from falling with his hands. He abruptly stood up straight and roared furiously, “What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
Chen Yi shook his shoulders laughing. These past few days of nonstop rescue missions pressed down suffocatingly. Plus there was still stuff with the team. This was a rare carefree moment.
Shen Yu wiped his face, yelling and swearing at him for a while, then also laughed. The two leaned against the sink side by side, gazing into the distance at the sun, chatting leisurely.
Lin Sui brought them breakfast. Chen Yi asked, “How are Xiao Zhou and the others?”
“The commissar went to see Xiao Zhou this morning. His emotions are still relatively stable.”
Lin Sui said, “The other few were also transferred to the hospital in the neighboring city late last night. Message just came back that they’re awake. Doesn’t seem too serious, but probably can’t participate in subsequent rescue tasks.”
Shen Yu relaxed, “Good that it’s nothing major. As for Xiao Zhou, we’ll see what leadership says when we’re back.”
Although everyone knew what would happen at worst was just early discharge to not affect morale. Chen Yi patted Lin Sui’s shoulder to reassure, “It’s fine. Tell everyone to be extra careful during the remaining rescue tasks. Drinks are on me when we get back.”
“Yes sir!”
Lin Sui smiled, “Thank you, Captain Chen.”
“Go rest.”
Chen Yi and Shen Yu watched as Lin Sui walked away. Retracting their gazes, they heard someone shouting “Doctor Ruan” over there. The two looked over at the same time.
Ruan Mian had finished breakfast with Xiao Huo and was about to head back. The teacher leading the children had poor sign language skills and trouble communicating. She could only ask Ruan Mian to help explain.
Watching Ruan Mian conversing in sign language with the child, Shen Yu tipped his head back drinking water and said, “Don’t you feel like Ruan Mian seems to have changed a lot compared to high school? I remember she was pretty shy back then, didn’t talk much when we went out to play either.”
Chen Yi made a sound of agreement and retracted his gaze.
He recalled that profile he saw outside the tent that night. Then the scene of her disregarding everything and throwing herself towards Yu Zhou during the aftershock flashed through his mind.
And what she said afterwards.
Comparing the Ruan Mian from their reunion to high school Ruan Mian, she really was like a different person now. Unrestrained, also lost the shyness and reserve of her youth.
After a while, as if recalling something, he inexplicably smiled.
- ?? (ài méi) – although you can translate it as ‘ambiguous’ or ‘vague’, it’s not exactly that; there’s no English equivalent. ‘Ai mei’ in Chinese culture refers to a situation or relationship that is unclear, ambiguous, or has a romantic / flirtatious undertone. I found this YouTube video if it helps! ↩︎
- ?? (z?o liàn) – another term very specific to the Chinese culture; it refers to “early romance” or “puppy love’. Basically, parents/teachers typically discourage romantic or affectionate relationships that occur in high school, preferring to focus on the gaokao. So romances that happen during that period is considered ‘a romance that’s too early’. If you watch c-dramas you might notice there’s always that slowburn theme in high school, with the protagonists only getting together in university. ↩︎
- ??? (xi?o bái li?n) – Can carry a negative connotation depending on context; it can be used to describe a young man who is attractive and may rely on his looks to gain favors, often implying a lack of capability, skill, or substance. But it’s also literally translated to a ‘small white face’, so a bit of a not-so-polite tease in that way. (T/N: Opinion – I guess especially considering his family background, it’s especially mean.) ↩︎
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