Upon receiving his affirmative answer, Wen Li was overjoyed. The grievance that had been stuck in her chest just moments ago dissipated completely, and her eyes and brows were filled with delight.
"That's great! From now on, if you don't know what to reply, you can just send a '1', and I'll know you've seen it."
"Mm."
"Do you usually eat alone?"
"Mm."
"Don't you get bored?"
"No."
From Wen Li's impression, he really was always alone, and she'd never seen him with any friends. Although he said he wasn't bored, she still felt that being alone like this all the time, never blending into a lively atmosphere, must be lonely.
"I think eating alone is pretty boring, you know. If you ever want someone to eat with, you can come find me. I'll be there anytime."
"Don't talk while eating; don't speak while sleeping."
Wen Li pouted. How dull.
She picked up her chopsticks and went for a piece of beef brisket, but she moved too hastily, and the chopsticks slipped. The ends happened to poke right into the blister she'd rubbed raw during training earlier that day.
She let out a sharp "hiss" and put down her chopsticks to rub her palm.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Jinyu looked up.
Wen Li spread her hand open, showing it to him with a pitiful expression, playing up her misfortune: "I got blisters."
Xiao Jinyu looked at her palm. The soft center of her hand was flushed red, and two translucent blisters had formed at the base of her middle and ring fingers.
He stood up and went to the cabinet behind him to get the medical kit: "I'll do a quick treatment for you."
"Yes, yes!" Wen Li had been waiting for him to say exactly that.
She scooted her chair closer to him, then obediently held out her hand. Xiao Jinyu held her fingers with one hand, gently securing them in place, while using the other to pick up a cotton swab.
His hand was dry, with a slightly low temperature, carrying a hint of coolness against her skin. Oh my god, he was holding her hand.
Wen Li's heart was bubbling over with joy.
"How did this happen?" He kept his head lowered, dipping the cotton swab in antiseptic as he asked.
"Working out." She made up a random excuse.
"Why didn't you wear protective gear when working out?"
"I did, but it didn't help much," she said. "But it's fine. After a while, calluses will form and it'll be okay."
Xiao Jinyu's movements paused.
Calluses?
It was hard to believe those words came out of a girl's mouth.
He looked up at her, thinking she was joking, but her expression was completely serious, as if she genuinely didn't think it was a big deal.
"You're a music student—why are you working out so hard?" He lowered his head and continued treating the wound, his voice betraying no particular emotion. "It's not like you're going to the Olympics."
Wen Li pressed her lips together and smiled.
Sorry, but she actually did want to go to the Olympics. Of course, saying that now would sound like she was bragging, so she glossed over it lightly: "No, it's nothing. I just think I'm a bit chubby and want to lose some weight."
He glanced at her. "Where are you fat?"
Wen Li's eyes lit up. "You don't think I'm fat?"
"Your weight is normal."
"But I weigh over 110 pounds. The girls in my dorm are only 90 pounds. I'm twenty pounds heavier than them."
"Whether you're fat or not doesn't depend on weight—it depends on body fat percentage. If the girls in your dorm who are the same height as you really only weigh 90 pounds, I'd suggest they eat more, and then…" He paused. "Go work out."
A doctor indeed. He only cared about health, not aesthetics. In his eyes, her body was probably just a lump of flesh, completely unrelated to gender or whether she looked good.
Still, getting a response from him—and such a long one at that—made Wen Li feel pretty happy inside.
"Actually, I think so too. Every time I go out with them, I worry they'll get blown away by the wind. I'm just too chivalrous, you know. Whenever there's heavy lifting in the dorm, I can't bear to let them do it."
Xiao Jinyu didn't respond, focusing on applying the medicine.
Wen Li stared at the top of his head, and a question suddenly popped into her mind: "So how much do you weigh?"
"…"
"Judging by your figure, you look pretty fit. Do you work out regularly?"
Xiao Jinyu didn't answer. She tilted her head, trying to see his expression, but his head was lowered and she couldn't see it. So she leaned in closer and closer, closer and closer…
Xiao Jinyu suddenly lifted his face.
Wen Li's lips pressed right against his cheek.
Xiao Jinyu's body went stiff.
Wen Li's eyes flew wide open, frozen in place, not daring to move an inch.
Xiao Jinyu furrowed his brows. That faint, elusive fragrance on her was spreading around the tip of his nose again, like a thread, once more tugging at the restless heat deep in his chest.
Even the air seemed to grow stiflingly warm, even though the office had air conditioning.
Xiao Jinyu quickly turned his face away, but Wen Li was still dazed in place. It took her more than ten seconds to snap back to reality: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Although she did harbor improper intentions toward him, she'd always been all talk and no courage. She really hadn't meant to kiss him.
Before Xiao Jinyu could say anything, he watched her face gradually turn red, the flush spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears, even staining her collarbone with a thin layer of pink.
Xiao Jinyu: "…"
Was she… blushing?
Wen Li didn't dare look at him at all. She quickly pulled her hand back from his grip: "I-I'll do it myself."
She snatched the cotton swab from him, dabbed it haphazardly in the medicine and smeared it across her palm, her rough movements making Xiao Jinyu frown.
"Be gentler…"
"I-I'll get going now. I'll come pick up the lunchbox tomorrow."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and ran, her steps quick and urgent. She nearly tripped over the threshold, stumbled and caught herself on the doorframe, then bolted out without looking back.
The office suddenly fell quiet.
Xiao Jinyu watched the direction she'd fled in, a barely perceptible hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
With skills like that, she still thought she could play the player.
_
Wen Li didn't give up on delivering meals, but she changed her strategy.
Every day at mealtime, she'd show up at the corner of the orthopedics corridor, sneaking around with that pink rabbit thermal bag in hand.
First, she'd poke her head out and scan the area to confirm Xiao Jinyu wasn't around. Then she'd crouch low, scurry to the office door, set the lunchbox on the ground, and turn to run—firmly refusing to give him any chance to see her.
After that accidental kiss last time, she couldn't even bear to think about the name "Xiao Jinyu." The moment it crossed her mind, she'd wish she could crawl into a hole in the ground.
But she couldn't stop delivering the meals. Auntie asked her every day, right on schedule, "Did you go deliver today?" and she just couldn't bring herself to refuse.
So this was the only way—drop it off and run, never meeting face to face.
Wen Li thought she was an absolute genius.
That evening, she crept to the office door as usual.
The corridor was quiet, and the office door was closed—a perfect opportunity.
She crouched low, tiptoed over, took out the lunchbox, and gently set it by the door.
Just then, the door suddenly moved.
Wen Li shot back like she'd been electrocuted, sprinting toward the stairwell without looking back.
Cheng Xiling pushed open the office door and spotted a pink lunchbox on the ground.
She bent down to pick it up. The lunchbox was still warm, with a sticky note on the lid—a crooked little smiley face drawn on it.
She stepped back inside. Xiao Jinyu was at his desk flipping through documents.
"Looks like this is for you." Cheng Xiling set the lunchbox on his desk.
Xiao Jinyu stared at the pink lunchbox, frozen for a few seconds.
A moment later, she heard a low chuckle escape his throat.
If she hadn't been standing so close, she might have thought she'd misheard.
"Is this from Wen Li?" she asked tentatively.
She already knew it was Wen Li's, really. That rabbit lunchbox had shown up in the dorm many times, and Wen Li hadn't hidden the fact that she was delivering meals to Xiao Jinyu—she even reported her progress to Fu Qin and Jiang Zao every day.
Xiao Jinyu nodded.
With the confirmation, Cheng Xiling gave a bitter smile. "She's pretty cute, isn't she?"
"Yeah." Childish and cute.
When that word came out of his mouth, the ending seemed to drag a little longer than usual—not like his typical dismissive tone.
Cheng Xiling stood there, her fingers clenching at her sides.
"Then I won't disturb your meal. Thanks for your help with A'Feng's matter."
She turned and walked toward the door. When she reached it, she couldn't help glancing back.
Xiao Jinyu was lifting the lid. He'd peeled off the sticky note but hadn't thrown it away—instead, he tucked it into a notebook, a small concession. Though his expression was neutral, Cheng Xiling could just tell he was in a good mood.
A strange feeling welled up inside her.
Not anger. Not sadness.
It was a peculiar sense of defeat.
Like she'd been hoarding a piece of candy in her drawer, keeping it for a long time because she couldn't bear to eat it, planning to savor it slowly on a good day—only to open the drawer one day and find someone else had already taken it.
She took a deep breath and headed downstairs.
Cheng Xiling had actually known Xiao Jinyu for a long time.
She'd attended elementary school in a county town in a remote mountain area. In fifth grade, she heard that a handsome transfer student had arrived at the middle school, and during breaks, people often gathered to gossip about him.
From the rumors, she learned about his turbulent background. He was an orphan—his parents had died in an earthquake. At three, he was adopted by a wealthy couple, and later, for reasons unknown, he was returned to the orphanage.
Having gone through such dramatic ups and downs in life, most people might have become angry, resentful, or even lashed out at society. But he didn't.
He was completely calm, accepting all the gaps with equanimity, without even much fluctuation in his emotions.
Thinking of her own parents' early death and how she'd grown up depending on others, Cheng Xiling felt a subtle sympathy for him and found herself paying attention to him, consciously or not.
Later, she met A'Feng. A'Feng was one of Xiao Jinyu's few friends. His personality was actually quite similar to Wen Li's—despite his hearing impairment, he always had endless things to say and clung to Xiao Jinyu all day.
Cheng Xiling sometimes wondered how a person who couldn't speak and a person who didn't like to speak had ever become friends.
Through A'Feng, she'd indirectly gotten to know Xiao Jinyu.
During their school days, a transfer student from the big city like Xiao Jinyu—clean-cut, academically excellent, and well-mannered—was too easy to stand out. Combined with their school's limited teaching resources and chaotic management, where early romance and fights were common, there were often girls with bad reputations bringing older guys they'd met on the streets to block his way and confess to him.
Although he had never said it explicitly, Cheng Xiling could sense that it troubled him deeply, so he probably wouldn't like a girl who pressed him so relentlessly.
But strangely, he seemed different with Wen Li.
Why Wen Li, of all people?
…
Not long after Cheng Xiling left, the office door was knocked on again.
A head poked in cautiously, glancing around before its gaze landed on the person behind the desk.
"Is Dr. Xiao Jinyu here?"
The voice carried a hint of uncertainty, and his eyes lingered on Xiao Jinyu's face for a long moment before suddenly lighting up: "Brother, are you my brother?"
Xiao Jinyu took a moment to recognize him—it was Qi Siyuan. Ten years had passed, and he had grown up, his features carrying the shadow of his mother.
"Brother, I finally found you."
Qi Siyuan pushed the door open excitedly. He wore a long black trench coat over blue-and-white striped hospital pajamas—clearly he had snuck out of the hospital.
"Why are you here?" Xiao Jinyu's tone carried a hint of irritation.
"Mom told me you were interning at this hospital. I asked several people downstairs before finding your office. Brother, you really became a doctor—just as impressive as Dad."
Xiao Jinyu said nothing, a brooding furrow settling between his brows.
Qi Siyuan didn't seem bothered by his coldness, leaning over the desk: "You're eating? What is it?"
"These are all my favorites! I haven't eaten either—can I join you?"
Xiao Jinyu snapped the lunchbox lid shut, picked up his phone from the side, and tossed it onto the desk: "Call your mother. Have her come pick you up."
"No way, you're kicking me out the moment I arrive?" He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I heard from Mom that you went to get tested for the match."
"…"
"Brother, thank you. I've actually missed you a lot. I asked Mom for your number, but she wouldn't give it to me, so I had to come find you myself. How have you been all these years?"
Xiao Jinyu looked up, his face expressionless: "Who's your brother?"
Qi Siyuan was caught off guard, his mouth opening and closing: "I… I just came to see you. Why are you so hostile?"
Xiao Jinyu felt a headache coming on.
Looking at Qi Siyuan's face, at those eyes, he was reminded of someone else. He didn't want to see anyone connected to Jin Mo, didn't want to be dragged back into things he had long since walked away from.
He stood up, walked around the desk, and grabbed Qi Siyuan's arm, pulling him toward the door.
"What are you doing?" Qi Siyuan stumbled as he was yanked along. Xiao Jinyu was using considerable force, and his arm ached from the grip: "I'm still sick—go easy on me."
Without a word, he dragged him down the hallway. Colleagues who recognized him couldn't help but do a double take—the usually composed and restrained Dr. Xiao, today manhandling a patient down the stairs with such roughness.
Once downstairs, Xiao Jinyu hailed a cab on the street, shoved Qi Siyuan into the back seat, and took the front himself.
The car drove all the way back to the place he didn't want to go.
The villa looked the same as ever—barely changed in ten years. The iron gate had been replaced, but the layout inside was exactly as he remembered. The impressions he thought had faded long ago suddenly became vivid again.
Xiao Jinyu stood expressionless at the door and rang the bell.
The door opened, and Jin Mo rushed out frantically. Seeing the two people at the door, she was visibly stunned.
"How did you two…"
Xiao Jinyu didn't let her finish, shoving Qi Siyuan forward: "Keep an eye on your son."
Jin Mo's expression soured slightly, but she quickly composed herself, turning to Qi Siyuan with a reproachful tone: "Why did you run out of the hospital? And go bother your brother?"
Qi Siyuan kept his head down, not daring to speak.
With the delivery made, Xiao Jinyu turned to leave.
"Ah Yu…" Jin Mo quickly grabbed his arm: "Thank you. Are you tired? Want to come in for a drink of water?"
Xiao Jinyu had no intention of staying, but his gaze inadvertently swept across the living room and landed on the dining table.
On the table sat a pink lunchbox.
It looked a lot like Wen Li's—she had all sorts of colorful lunchboxes decorated with cute little animal stickers. The soft pink lunchbox sitting on the gray-and-white dining table seemed oddly out of place.
His gaze lingered for two extra seconds.
Jin Mo was still talking beside him: "Come in, what would you like to eat? Want some fruit? We have peaches at home—they're quite sweet. A Yuan misses you too. Why don't you two brothers come in and chat for a bit…"
"No need."
He pulled his arm free and walked out of the courtyard.
_
The next day, Wen Li resumed her sneaky lunch-delivery mission.
She made her way to the third floor with practiced ease, crouching low as she scurried to the office door. She had just pulled the lunchbox out of her insulated bag when—
"How long do you plan on sneaking these deliveries?" A deeply magnetic voice sounded from above her head.
Wen Li froze completely. She stayed bent over in her crouch, lunchbox in hand, for a full three seconds before slowly looking up, following the long legs in the white coat upward.
Xiao Jinyu stood right in front of her, hands in the pockets of his white coat, looking down at her with a faint expression.
It had only been a few days, but he seemed even more handsome.
"What a coincidence, why are you here?" she stammered.
"This is my office," he said unhurriedly.
"…Right." That made sense.
Xiao Jinyu watched her looking like a guilty thief, and after a moment of silence, suddenly spoke: "About that day, I don't mind."
Wen Li blinked.
"So you don't need to sneak around delivering food," he said.
Wen Li blinked again: "Does 'not mind' mean I can still kiss you in the future?"
Xiao Jinyu: "…"
He had no idea how she'd interpreted it that way. A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face, but he quickly suppressed it: "That's not what I said."
"I was just joking," Wen Li said with a sheepish grin, trying to brush it off. "As long as you don't mind, that's good."
"Let's go," Xiao Jinyu said.
"Where?"
"To the break room to eat," he turned to look at her. "Want to join?"
"Yes!" Wen Li answered almost without hesitation.
She'd get to share a room with her crush again. She thought happily to herself, then bounced along after him.
The break room was at the end of the hallway—small, but tidy.
A rectangular table sat in the middle, covered with a light blue tablecloth. The window was half open, and in the corner stood a small refrigerator and a microwave.
Wen Li set the lunchboxes on the table one by one, muttering to herself: "Let me see what we're having today—wow, braised pork ribs, stir-fried asparagus, corn and pork rib soup, and a small box of cherries! So lavish!"
She hummed a tune as she arranged the dishes, completely unaware that Xiao Jinyu's gaze had been fixed on the lunchbox the entire time.
Pink, with a cartoon bunny sticker on it—the same lunchbox as the one at Jin Mo's house. Even the bunny's position was identical.
He stared at the lunchbox for a long time, a vague sense of unease stirring in his chest.
"Did you make all of this yourself?" he asked casually during the meal.
"Yeah." Wen Li popped a rib into her mouth and said indistinctly, "Aren't I a great cook?"
Her lying skills had improved again. At first she used to stumble over her words. Now she didn't even blush or flinch—she could even demand praise with complete confidence.
Xiao Jinyu lowered his head and continued eating.
Wen Li didn't notice anything off about him, getting more into her act: "I simmered these ribs for a long time. The heat is really important—too high and they get tough, too low and they don't absorb the flavor."
"…"
After the meal, Xiao Jinyu stood up, gathered the lunchboxes, walked to the sink to rinse them clean, and handed them back to her.
Wen Li took the lunchbox and gave him a brilliant smile: "See you next time!"
She bounced out the door, her ponytail swinging behind her like a cheerful little rabbit.
Xiao Jinyu sat in the break room for a while.
He leaned back against the chair, fingers tapping the table absently, gaze drifting out the window. Wen Li's figure appeared downstairs, heading toward the hospital's main entrance.
After waiting a few minutes, he stood up, grabbed his keys, and followed.
Wen Li stopped at the intersection and pulled out her phone to make a call. Before long, a familiar car pulled up in front of her.
The door opened, and a woman stepped out.
Jin Mo.
She smiled and gave Wen Li a hug, their movements as affectionate as mother and daughter. Wen Li smiled and said something to her, then handed over the bunny thermos.
Xiao Jinyu watched quietly, a chill creeping up from the soles of his feet, spreading along his spine.
He felt the meal he'd eaten that evening fermenting in his stomach.
A churning nausea.
Jin Mo's car quickly disappeared at the intersection.
Wen Li turned around, ready to head back to school.
Then she saw Xiao Jinyu.
He stood not far away under a tree, shadows dappling his face in alternating light and dark, making his expression impossible to read.
He stood there quietly, no telling how long he'd been watching.
Wen Li froze in place.
The moment their eyes met, before she could even react, he had already turned and walked away.
Without saying a single word.
An inexplicable panic surged through Wen Li, as if something was sinking inside her.
"Xiao Jinyu!"
His pace was fast—she almost had to jog to catch up. She reached out and grabbed his arm, and suddenly found herself staring into his eyes. Those eyes she'd seen so many times were now cold enough to terrify her. The sharp chill pierced her heart, making it tremble.
She flinched and let go.
She'd seen him indifferent before. She'd seen him expressionless before. But she'd never seen him with such a hostile look—like a cornered animal, bristling with defensive spikes, treating everyone who came near as a threat by instinct.
Was he angry?
Wen Li stammered an apology: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you."
Xiao Jinyu shook her off and walked back. Wen Li chased after him: "I know I was wrong. I won't do it again."
"Can you just stay away from me?" His voice was utterly exhausted.
Everything about her was blinding.
Everything about her felt blinding to him.
He'd been fine on his own—no expectations, no disappointments. Why did she have to come and stir up his life?
She wouldn't take responsibility for him. She was just acting on a whim—having grown tired of the bustle and flattery around her, she'd suddenly developed a curiosity for this stone that wouldn't warm up to her. Once the novelty wore off, she'd return to her world of splendor, continue her romances, and go find someone she truly loved.
Then what would happen to him?
Wen Li's fingers tightened around the hem of her clothes. "Am I bothering you?"
"Yeah."
A single, curt word.
"I really don't mean any harm," her throat tightened. "It's just that Auntie said you often don't eat your meals on time, so I thought I'd help—"
"What does my eating have to do with you?" He cut her off. "Who do you think you are? A savior?"
"I'm not—" Wen Li shook her head. "I'm worried about you."
"Worried about me?" He seemed to laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching, but the smile was full of chill.
His gaze at her was unfamiliar and cold.
"What are you to me?"
"…"