Shen Xi Fan held the jelly cup and watched his figure retreat into the distance. Though annoyed, a smile crept onto her lips. To him, she wondered, was she perhaps a special patient?
Back home, she dropped the grocery bag and, beaming, carried the jelly cup to her room. But her mother called out again. “Fanfan, how about joining me for lunch tomorrow?”
Her head spun. “Mom, I am not going on a blind date. Just drop it!”
Shen’s mother wasn’t angry. Instead, she grinned mischievously. “This time, Mom found you a doctor! How about that? From the People’s Hospital—interested? Auntie Yang says he’s very handsome…”
Shen Xi Fan cut her off. “What’s his name?”
“You’ll find out when you meet him!” her mother teased, sneaking a glance at the jelly cup in her hand. “Still eating kids’ snacks at your age…”
Hiding the jelly cup behind her, Shen Xi Fan retorted, “What if I am a kid? Fine, I’ll go tomorrow evening!” Ignoring her mother’s jubilant cheers, she went straight to her room, shut the door, flopped onto her bed, and stared at the jelly cup with a silly grin.
The next morning, at the company meeting, Manager Cheng announced that a local software company was renting their hotel venue for a large Christmas Eve party. Tasks were assigned to each department, and after a few suggestions, the meeting adjourned.
Xu Xiang Ya was ecstatic. “Xi Fan, so many handsome guys again! I’m thrilled!”
Shen Xi Fan groaned. “I don’t care about handsome guys. I just want to go home and sleep.”
Xu Xiang Ya rolled her eyes. “No wonder you haven’t had a romance in three years. Your hormones are totally out of whack—you dream about sleep instead of men. But you’re going to the party. Last year, you skipped it; this year, no excuses!”
No escape this time, Shen Xi Fan thought. I’ve been worked to the bone this year.
On her way home that evening, she passed by Villa District F and spotted Yan Heng sitting by a window, gazing at the lawn. His handsome face looked blurred through the misted glass.
The sight felt familiar.
Back in university, in the music department’s piano room, Yan Heng would sit by the window under the blazing summer sun, exuding an air of calm. But his distant, melancholic gaze made her notice him—the rumored playboy genius who didn’t seem as happy as he appeared.
And now? Was he still unhappy?
None of my business, she reminded herself. Stop meddling.
After work, she rushed home to prepare for the blind date. Swapping her professional attire for a simple red plaid jacket, she tied her hair into a ponytail and applied only a light lip gloss. A fresh, simple look suited her best.
With a mix of nervousness and curiosity, she arrived at the tea house’s private room. The man was fashionably late—ten minutes. But when he arrived, Shen Xi Fan instantly recognized him as the unique-looking doctor she had bumped into at the hospital.
Out of breath, he introduced himself: “I’m Li Jie. Sorry, Miss Shen, I left my keys in my dorm and had to go back for them. Sorry for the delay.”
Sure enough, his pinky carried a keychain. Curious, Shen Xi Fan asked, “Your keychain is unique!”
It was an irregularly shaped block, gray-white with brown streaks and textured cracks, yet smooth and adorable.
Li Jie paused for a moment, then smiled. “This is raw dragon bone. I got it from the specimen room back in school.” He handed the keychain to Shen Xi Fan and explained, pointing at it, “This is a fossilized bone of ancient mammals, like three-toed horses, rhinos, deer, cattle, or elephants. Look, this part is from a joint, so it has honeycomb-like holes—perfect for threading a keychain.
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