Recently, the nurses at the hospital have been eager to do rounds in Room 401. Zhang Qiu is one of them. Before each visit, she spends time primping in front of the mirror.
“Oh my, going to see the handsome patient in 401 again?” someone teased as they passed by, noticing Zhang Qiu fixing herself up.
The patient in Room 401 had left quite an impression on the female nurses.
He had delicate features and wore a hospital gown, resembling a refined black and white painting with just the right amount of detail. He seemed gentle in their interactions, though he didn’t talk much.
“I asked around about that police officer. His name is Xu Xingchun, right? He’s already a squad leader at such a young age and doesn’t have any bad habits. My cousin works in their department and said he’s single. He rarely makes mistakes at work, and many leaders in their bureau appreciate him. He’s definitely a promising guy with a bright future,” Nurse A said eagerly while having lunch with Zhang Qiu.
Zhang Qiu remained composed as she listened to Nurse A’s gossip while eating politely. She couldn’t deny that she was quite interested in Xu Xingchun.
One reason was that her family had been pressuring her to get married, forcing her to go on blind dates with sleazy middle-aged men.
Zhang Qiu was very pretty and a bit proud. She had always been particular about looks. With her good qualifications and stable job as a nurse, she had many suitors. Although those blind date men were wealthy, she felt they lacked class and couldn’t bring herself to like them.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Nurse A said mysteriously. “It seems his parents are no longer around. He appears cold on the outside but warm-hearted inside. He’s definitely the type to treat someone well. Although his job is a bit dangerous, he has a car and a house. Marrying him would be a good life.”
Zhang Qiu paused, thinking carefully. Apart from an aunt who often came to deliver food, she realized no relatives had visited Xu Xingchun.
However, she didn’t show her thoughts outwardly and playfully scolded Nurse A, “What nonsense are you talking about? It’s not like that at all.”
“Stop pretending. You’ve been walking on air for days. Don’t I know when you’re interested in someone? Last time I went to change Officer Xu’s bandages, oh my, that beautiful body and sexy six-pack abs – I wanted to reach out and touch them. Too bad I have a boyfriend, otherwise I’d ask for his contact info.”
Zhang Qiu blushed and pretended to hit her. “How shameless are you?”
Nurse A smiled knowingly. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop joking.”
During the afternoon break, Zhang Qiu was still thinking about Xu Xingchun.
She figured that since his family life wasn’t happy, he must be somewhat lacking in love. If she took advantage of this time to show him warmth and care, letting him experience being cared for by others, it might have a multiplier effect. Although Xu Xingchun seemed emotionally distant now, at least it showed that despite his good looks, he wasn’t the type to flirt with women.
In the afternoon, it was time for rounds.
The elderly patient in the next bed had passed away a few days ago and had been moved out, leaving only Xu Xingchun in the room.
He sat calmly against the headboard. With his right shoulder injured, only one hand could move freely. In front of him were piles of documents to process and a computer.
Zhang Qiu’s gaze swept over Xu Xingchun’s face, then noticed his hand holding the pen.
His knuckles weren’t overly prominent, his nails were neatly trimmed, and his fingers were long and graceful. It was quite pleasing to the eye.
A man, already handsome, is especially attractive when he’s focused and concentrating.
She cleared her throat unnaturally, hands in her coat pockets, to get his attention. “Officer Xu?”
Xu Xingchun looked up at the sound.
Zhang Qiu tilted her head playfully, with a teasing smile, “Such strong work ethic, already busy with work before your body has recovered?”
Xu Xingchun nodded slightly in response.
When flirting with men, it’s all about balance – not too eager, but not too cold either. A bit of overstepping is fine; subtle ambiguity is just right.
Zhang Qiu went over and adjusted his crooked pillow, her voice carrying just the right amount of shyness, “You shouldn’t discuss cases with your colleagues who come to the hospital. The doctor said you should talk less, preferably not at all. You haven’t fully recovered yet, so you need to rest.”
“Don’t think I’m nagging, your health is the most important thing.”
She lowered her head with a sweet, shy smile, naturally missing the weariness and coldness in Xu Xingchun’s eyes.
The small white calla lily on the bedside table had lost its fragrance. Zhang Qiu noticed and reached out to touch it, but a hand stopped her.
She was startled and heard Xu Xingchun say two words without emotion, “Don’t touch.”
“Um…” Zhang Qiu spoke with a slightly hurt and innocent expression, hesitating to explain, “I saw it was withered and wanted to ask if you wanted to water it or throw it away?”
She felt that just now, Xu Xingchun’s tone seemed to hide very complex emotions. He was trying hard to control and endure something.
“No need, thank you.” Before she could think further, he nodded to her, his voice carrying a hint of distance as he returned to his usual demeanor, “I need to handle something now.”
Was he implying that she shouldn’t stay here?
That one sentence cut off everything else Zhang Qiu wanted to say. She left the room feeling somewhat dejected and ran into the aunt who delivered meals every day at the corner. They exchanged polite greetings, and Zhang Qiu walked away, not in the mood for conversation.
Aunt Qi entered the room carrying two food containers. “Little Xu, why are you still working?!”
Xu Xingchun looked up, startled. “Aunt Qi.”
“I made chicken soup for you today, it’s very fragrant. You must be hungry.” Without asking, Aunt Qi directly moved the messy documents on the table to one side and replaced them with the two food containers. “Eat first, quickly now.”
Aunt Qi sat nearby watching Xu Xingchun eat, chatting casually with him. “Did the doctor say how much longer until you can be discharged?”
“Half a month.”
Aunt Qi smiled, “That’s quite soon.”
Xu Xingchun lowered his head, “Thank you for your trouble during this time.”
“What trouble?! I’ve watched you grow up since you were little. You don’t know, when I received Li Li’s (T/N: Xueli) call earlier, she asked me to come to Shanghai to take care of you for a while. She said you were seriously injured and hospitalized. It broke my heart.”
Xu Xingchun’s hand paused.
Aunt Qi was the housekeeper for Fu Xueli’s family. She had worked there for many years and had deep feelings for the Fu family, almost like a half-elder. In recent years, because of their careers, Fu Chenglin and Fu Xueli rarely came home, so Aunt Qi was semi-retired.
Aunt Qi watched Xu Xingchun finish the last bit of soup and reminisced with a beaming smile, “I remember you always liked Aunt Qi’s cooking. Back in middle and high school, you often came to our house to tutor Li Li. Everyone else was picky, but you ate the cleanest. After all these years, I haven’t lost my touch, have I?”
Xu Xingchun smiled at her words, “Mm, it’s still very delicious.”
“You’ve always been such a sensible child, very lovable. In this condition, you should take it easy on yourself and not think about work all day.” Aunt Qi tidied up the table and suddenly asked, “By the way, how are things between you and Li Li now? I asked her, but she wouldn’t tell me, just said not to worry about it.”
Xu Xingchun returned to his usual silence.
Seeing his downcast mood, Aunt Qi didn’t want to push further and mused to herself, “You two are quite strange. Li Li calls me every day asking about your condition, but when I tell her to ask you herself, she refuses. I don’t know what kind of disagreement you’re having.”
Xu Xingchun stared at the nearly withered calla lily.
Aunt Qi showed a hint of worry, “Sigh, Li Li has always been like this since she was little – stubborn and still childish after all these years, emotionally immature. If you have any conflicts, you have a good temper, so be more understanding of her.”
Xu Xingchun seemed lost in thought for a while before nodding and saying softly, “Okay.”
The recent stuffy heat in Shanghai had persisted for a long time, but it finally started raining more in the past few days. The rain fell silently, like a huge net covering the entire city.
Summer rain without wind always feels very oppressive.
Fu Xueli asked the director and screenwriter to let her finish filming quickly, citing schedule conflicts next month. So, rushing through it, her historical drama finished shooting in less than a month.
Hengdian World Studios1 is only about an hour’s flight from Shanghai. Fu Xueli would occasionally sneak back on early morning flights during filming breaks to see Xu Xingchun.
Worried about Xu Xingchun, she was distracted while filming.
She was afraid to check her phone, fearing bad news, but also afraid not to check, worried about missing important messages.
But for some reason, every time she actually got within a few meters of Xu Xingchun, Fu Xueli would peek through the door crack for a long time but never dared to go in.
Whenever she felt like going in, she remembered the harsh, hurtful words she had said to Xu Xingchun before. Always being so proactive in seeking him out now seemed contradictory and deliberately seeking reconciliation.
Not very good.
When they were younger, Fu Xueli really disliked how Xu Xingchun constantly tried to manage her. Sometimes when she got annoyed, she would start giving him the cold shoulder every now and then.
Taking the initiative to reconcile was a very face-losing thing to do.
But now her mindset was different from before.
It wasn’t about saving face anymore. Fu Xueli just had vague hesitations, wavering, and worries deep in her heart.
She might know what Xu Xingchun wanted, but she wasn’t sure if she could give it to him.
Maybe she could.
Maybe she couldn’t.
If she couldn’t… the hurt she would bring him might be even greater.
So she always secretly warned herself not to actively get close to him.
But Fu Xueli often found herself in a contradictory and self-doubting state. She felt… she might still like Xu Xingchun quite a bit…
If she were to let him go to another woman, just thinking about it made her feel somewhat unwilling.
But no matter what, constantly going to secretly observe someone was too weird.
Xiao Wang took the opportunity to report on recent work to Xu Xingchun. He poured some warm water into a cup and made tea for Xu Xingchun, “Captain Xu, you seem to be recovering quite well.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Wang put the cup on the table, waiting for Xu Xingchun to take it himself. He knew Xu Xingchun didn’t like physical contact with others.
“Captain Liu was saying the other day, after you’re discharged, it might not be convenient for you to live alone. Why don’t you go stay at his place? Captain Liu has an empty room at home anyway, and his wife can look after you. Captain Liu specifically told me to tell you not to be shy about it. It’s perfect timing too – Captain Liu’s son just started middle school and his grades have always been mediocre. Since you’re so highly educated, Captain Xu, you must be an intellectual. You could tutor Little Fatty Liu on the side.”
Liu Jingbo and Xu Xingchun’s houses were very close, both in the area of welfare housing previously allocated to police officers. The neighborhood had many old-generation leaders, so security was quite good.
Xu Xingchun listened, rubbed his temple, closed his eyes, and said, “No need.”
Xiao Wang tried to persuade him, “I know you don’t like troubling others, Captain Xu, but it really isn’t convenient for you to be alone, right? In our line of work, we can’t just casually hire a caregiver. Plus, with your slight germaphobia and all…”
After talking for a while with little reaction from Xu Xingchun, Xiao Wang gave up trying to convince him. Seeing that it was getting dark, he suddenly remembered something, “Oh right, Captain Xu, I have a favor to ask, if that’s alright.”
“What is it?”
Xiao Wang scratched his head, “Well, a new guy recently joined our unit, and we’re pretty close. He’s a huge fan of Fu Xueli and knows you two have a good relationship. He really wants me to ask you for her autograph or something.”
The room fell silent.
Seeing Xu Xingchun’s expression, Xiao Wang carefully tried to find a way out, “…Come to think of it, Captain Xu, you could be considered Fu Xueli’s lifesaver. An autograph isn’t too much to ask, right?”
“…”
“—It’s not too much.”
Xiao Wang froze, then quickly turned around.
Xu Xingchun opened his eyes and slowly turned his head towards the source of the voice.
Fu Xueli was dressed all in black again today – black jeans, denim jacket, and a black baseball cap. In her hand was a familiar food container. Her face was bare of makeup.
After signing the autograph and sending Xiao Wang away, the room quickly fell quiet.
Xu Xingchun looked away.
She took off her cap, letting her hair cascade over her shoulders. She bent down to open the food container, clearly unfamiliar with the task, succeeding after a few tries.
Inside was steaming hot black sesame glutinous rice porridge and soft, fragrant red bean buns.
As the steam rose from the food, Fu Xueli looked at Xu Xingchun.
His face seemed to have thinned, his features more defined. Her heart unconsciously started beating faster. “How have you been lately?”
Xu Xingchun nodded.
“Aunt Qi had something to do today, so I helped her bring this over.” Fu Xueli pretended to be natural as she set out the bowl and chopsticks for him.
Before coming, Fu Xueli had mentally prepared herself many times.
After experiencing a brush with death, Xu Xingchun should be able to take many things more lightly. He had waited and endured for so long, he must be tired of it.
That’s what Fu Xueli thought, because she felt that Xu Xingchun’s emotions towards her no longer had that intense, suffocating quality from before.
Not very cold, but not exactly warm either.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling. It was like occasionally catching a whiff of a fading fragrance, but when trying to focus on it, you can’t quite make it out.
Fu Chenglin had said before that many things are like playing cards – if you can’t beat it, you have to pass.
Maybe Xu Xingchun really couldn’t handle her and had decided to pass.
With his right shoulder injured, he could only use his left hand to hold the spoon. His movements were slow and seemed very inconvenient.
Fu Xueli held back for a moment, then said in a somewhat placating tone, “Let me feed you?”
“…”
Under his gaze, she steeled herself, holding the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other. She carefully blew on the food before cautiously bringing it to his lips.
Xu Xingchun lowered his eyes, paused for about two or three seconds, then obediently opened his mouth and swallowed.
The two of them, one feeding and one eating, created a rare scene of warmth and harmony.
Unusually, Fu Xueli relaxed quite a bit and even started joking with Xu Xingchun towards the end. She talked as much as she used to, and Xu Xingchun listened very patiently.
“Xu Xingchun, I feel like you’re getting paler and paler, like a corpse. You’re going to turn into a mushroom. You should go out and get some sun.”
Xu Xingchun made a sound of agreement.
He was wearing a blue and white hospital gown, which made him look even paler against the clothes. His eyelids were slightly sunken, and his eyelashes were jet black and straight, not curled at all.
Thinking about how inconvenient it would be for him to move around, almost like being disabled, Fu Xueli blurted out without thinking, “What will you do after you’re discharged?”
“…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them fell silent.
After a long while, Fu Xueli’s next words seemed to come from a brain malfunction. She really felt she needed incredible mental fortitude and a face thicker than the Great Wall to say this.
She asked, “Why don’t I move in to live with you?”
Xu Xingchun’s face tensed as he shifted his gaze to her face.
Fu Xueli bit her lip. “I can pay you rent.”
- One of the largest film studios in China, with 70% of period dramas being shot there. ↩︎
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