Qin Lie was in a double room.

Chen Xi knocked and entered, but didn’t see Qin Zhan.

Looking around, she only saw a man and a woman sitting by the bed, who appeared to be a few years older than Chen Xi’s parents.

Qin Lie’s mother was scolding the person on the bed, “If you ever dare drink again, I’ll jump into Dang River to show you.”

Qin Lie lay on the bed wearing hospital clothes, his forehead wrapped in gauze, his face covered in purple and red bruises, getting a headache from his mother’s nagging.

Chen Xi wanted to laugh a little, but when she met Qin Lie’s mother’s sudden gaze, she quickly suppressed her smile.

“Uncle, Auntie, I came to see Qin Lie.”

Chen Xi walked over and placed the fruit and milk she was carrying on the floor beside the bed.

When her eyes met Qin Lie’s, she still couldn’t help herself—a trace of teasing was visible to him.

Qin Lie didn’t care at all and lifted his chin toward Chen Xi, “Sit.”

Qin Lie’s parents had already reflexively stood up.

Especially Qin Lie’s mother, who handed Chen Xi a stool while examining her with gleaming eyes, as if looking at a pie that had fallen from heaven.

“You are?”

She asked carefully.

Chen Xi felt embarrassed to have the two elders give up their seats for her and quickly explained, “I’m Qin Lie’s friend. I ran into Qin Zhan at the hospital this morning and heard he was injured, so I came by to visit.”

“A friend… this is the first time Auntie has met you.”

Qin Lie, seeing his mother about to make a fool of herself, quickly interrupted her wild fantasies, “Looking for your boyfriend?”

Chen Xi nodded.

Qin Lie’s mother’s brightened eyes instantly dimmed, and she asked awkwardly, “Your boyfriend works at this hospital? Is he a doctor?”

Chen Xi replied, “Yes, he’s in the respiratory medicine department.”

Qin Lie’s mother nodded exaggeratedly, “Doctors are good, doctors are good. Having a doctor means the whole family won’t worry about medical care.”

Chen Xi looked at Qin Lie, “Yuning was supposed to visit you this afternoon, but he had an emergency surgery and couldn’t come.”

Qin Lie nodded.

After those few sentences, there was nothing more to say. Chen Xi stood for a moment and asked, “How many more days do you need to stay?”

Qin Lie said, “Minor injury, I can leave in a bit.”

When Qin Lie’s mother heard this, she was immediately upset. “Did you damage your brain in the crash?”

“The doctor said to observe—do you understand what observation means? You need to stay at least until tomorrow.”

Qin Lie closed his eyes, a vein at his temple twitching like a trapped beast.

This was the first time Chen Xi had seen him so defeated, and she really couldn’t hold back—the corner of her mouth twitched.

Qin Lie, annoyed at being laughed at, said somewhat impatiently to Chen Xi, “Go take care of your business.”

Chen Xi smiled and said meaningfully, “Alright, you’re the client—I’ll listen to you.”

Leaving the hospital room, Chen Xi went to find Bai Yuning.

It was almost time to get off work, and the two had arranged to see a movie together that evening.

Just as she reached the door of Bai Yuning’s office, Chen Xi’s phone rang—it was a message from Qin Lie.

“Not bad.”

Chen Xi stopped in her tracks, smiled, and texted back, “Was it stunning?”

After waiting a while, he replied with one word: “Mm.”

Before Chen Xi could feel pleased, she saw Qin Lie immediately send another message.

“The first two weren’t difficult. Once you draw the only male character, then we can talk about conditions.”

She tucked her phone into her pocket and ignored him.

The corridor was already empty of waiting patients.

Chen Xi looked through the small glass window in the door into Bai Yuning’s office—there was still one last patient inside.

Bai Yuning sat by the window wearing his white coat and gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and gentle.

He leaned slightly forward, heard the patient say something, frowned slightly with his handsome brows, put on his stethoscope, and listened intently to the abnormal sounds in the patient’s chest.

Sunlight covered the desk, coating his entire body in a warm color.

Chen Xi suddenly remembered over a year ago, in this same office, how he looked when examining Fan Mingsu.

At that time, she stood beside him, anxious as fire, so worried that several large blisters formed on her lips.

He had smiled at her soothingly and looked up to say, “Don’t worry, it will get better.”

Those were the warmest words she had ever heard.

Chen Xi stared in a daze until the patient from the office came out carrying a stack of test forms.

Finally, she knocked on the door and entered.

As soon as Bai Yuning saw Chen Xi, the smile on his face couldn’t be hidden.

Chen Xi walked over and asked, “Can we see my grandma’s test results yet?”

Bai Yuning nodded, “Grandma’s imaging tests are all fine. The blood work won’t be ready until the day after tomorrow, but don’t worry—everything will be normal.”

Chen Xi breathed a sigh of relief and took out her phone to check movie times. “What movie should we see?”

Bai Yuning said with a beaming smile, “We can’t see a movie tonight.”

Chen Xi said, “Not being able to see a movie shouldn’t make you this happy, should it?”

Bai Yuning explained, “The doctoral supervisor I’ve been in contact with came to Dunhuang, and he agreed to have dinner with me tonight.”

Chen Xi also became happy, “That’s great news.”

Bai Yuning nodded vigorously and smiled as he took Chen Xi’s hand, “Come with me.”

Chen Xi was pulled by him and sat on the corner of his desk.

She shook her head, “I wouldn’t understand a word of what you two would discuss. I won’t go.”

Bai Yuning shook her arm, acting like a child despite being a grown man, “Come on.”

Chen Xi reached out and messed up his neat hair, “I won’t go. I’ll pick you up after dinner.”

Bai Yuning smoothed Chen Xi’s messed-up hair back into place and said somewhat reluctantly, “No need to pick me up. You stay home, wash up and wait for me…”

Chen Xi looked down at him with a smile, saying nothing.

Bai Yuning jumped up, took off his white coat, his steps so light he seemed about to fly.

Chen Xi drove Bai Yuning’s car, first dropping him off at the restaurant, then going to Liu Boyang’s repair shop.

Qin Zhan was indeed there, mourning over his crashed motorcycle.

Chen Xi walked over, took a look, and said with a smile, “Your brother gunned that throttle with some force.”

Qin Zhan looked up with a bright, sunny smile.

“Yeah, poor motorcycle of mine. It’s been with me for five years, and I never let it get even a scratch.”

Chen Xi felt that Qin Zhan’s expression didn’t match what he was saying.

“Did you win the lottery?”

She asked in confusion.

Qin Zhan said, “My brother gave me fifty thousand to shut me up.”

Chen Xi was speechless for a while, then said, “I have a balance bike that’s been with me for seven years. Ask your brother if he wants to play with it.”

The front wheel rim was severely deformed from the crash.

Chen Xi and Qin Zhan used a gas welding torch to heat the tire bead, then gradually hammered the steel rim back to its original position, then used an angle grinder to polish it, and finally balanced it.

After fixing one front wheel, it was getting late.

Qin Zhan jumped up and said, “I’ll treat you to ramen. Wait here, I’ll go buy some.”

Liu Boyang had just finished spray-painting a car and took off his mask. “There’s a ramen shop right next door. Can’t we just go eat there?”

Qin Zhan said, “I found a better place. Just wait here—it’ll be quick.”

As he spoke, he ran out in a flash.

When he brought the noodles back, Chen Xi and Liu Boyang didn’t think they tasted much better than the shop next door.

But Qin Zhan ate with great relish, not leaving even a drop of soup.

After dinner, Chen Xi returned to Bai Yuning’s home.

After her shower, she wore Bai Yuning’s oversized T-shirt and lay on the bed drawing sketches.

She drew all evening but wasn’t too satisfied with the results.

After ten o’clock, Bai Yuning came home reeking of alcohol.

Unusually, he didn’t change into home clothes but entered the bedroom in his outside clothes and flopped straight onto the bed, grinning foolishly.

“What are you smiling about?”

Chen Xi patted his flushed face.

Bai Yuning rolled over and pressed Chen Xi underneath him, lovingly kissing her forehead.

“Wife, I can give you a good life now.”

Chen Xi smiled, “We already have a good life.”

Bai Yuning shook his head and said mysteriously, “An even better life than this.”

Chen Xi pinched his flushed face, “How could it get better?”

Bai Yuning said, “I can pursue my doctorate now. I’ll become a great specialist in the future and earn lots of money for you.”

As he spoke, he began to move his hands and feet, excited and breathing heavily.

Chen Xi was a bit tired from drawing and originally wasn’t in the mood.

But Bai Yuning seemed particularly energetic, and every time Chen Xi tried to escape from his embrace, he pulled her back.

Helplessly entangled, she simply gave in and moved toward him.

Bai Yuning’s refined face pressed down, flushed red. Chen Xi arched her waist to meet him, her eyes gradually heating up.

Bai Yuning rarely went all out from the start, but today he was like he’d taken the wrong medicine—Chen Xi rocked wildly beneath him.

She liked this kind of surprise and passionately met his thrusts.

Suddenly, her mind filled with nothing but blinding white light, and in the intense play of light and shadow, her entire body trembled violently.

At the same time, Chen Xi felt the tension in his body as it reached its peak in an instant.

Her throat was dry, and she groaned hoarsely, hearing Bai Yuning’s rough, urgent voice by her ear.

“I want to give you the best life. I’ll give you everything.”

Chen Xi moaned emotionally, hugged him, and they trembled together.

After the storm passed, Chen Xi slowly opened her eyes.

She saw the man above her, beads of sweat on his forehead, his face red as sunset clouds, his gaze nearly melting into a pool of spring water.

Chen Xi reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The warm bedside lamp enveloped the small world around the bed.

Chen Xi nestled in Bai Yuning’s arms, drowsy, listening to his rambling.

“Before I met you, I just thought about advancing higher in the hospital. I didn’t have much motivation—just felt that people should climb higher.”

Chen Xi asked drowsily, “What about now?”

Bai Yuning slowly brushed the stray hair from her face behind her ear.

“Now, I want to give you the best life, so you won’t have to give up on things you want to do because of money…”

Chen Xi smiled and burrowed deeper into his embrace.