His alma mater was just across the street from the hospital. He remembered how the school had been locked down during the SARS outbreak. Many students had tried to climb over the back wall to escape, only to be caught, quarantined, and even disciplined. He had considered doing the same—not out of fear, but because he hadn’t been home in a long time, and his two closest family members were at the hospital.
But in the end, he hadn’t gone through with it.
The ivy that had once thrived on the red walls in summer was now lifeless. From the school’s pharmacy building, the familiar scent of Chinese herbs wafted out. The playground was overgrown with dry grass.
The old campus hadn’t been maintained in years and now mainly housed graduate and doctoral students. Few people roamed its grounds, though the five-story office building often saw distinguished experts and professors in the medical field, their expressions kind and scholarly.
He knocked on the door and entered, bowing respectfully. “Professor Yang, I’ve brought Li Jie’s paper.”
The elderly professor smiled warmly. “Ah, He Su Ye! That rascal Li Jie must have been too scared to deliver it himself, worried I’d scold him. Come, sit down.”
Taking the paper, Professor Yang flipped through a few pages. “Not bad. Wait—did you help him revise this?”
Reluctantly, He Su Ye nodded.
The professor removed his glasses and asked seriously, “Have you really decided not to pursue clinical research and instead switch to traditional Chinese medicine under Professor Gu?”
Taking a deep breath, He Su Ye replied, “Yes. I’ve already discussed it with Professor Gu. I should be able to start after the New Year.”
The professor sighed in regret. “What a pity—a promising clinical talent snatched away by Chinese medicine. Your grandfather will be thrilled, but your father… he might blow a fuse.”
He smiled faintly. “This has always been my choice, unrelated to my family.”
The professor nodded approvingly. “Fair enough. Few young people study Chinese medicine these days. If this continues, our traditional medical heritage will vanish. We all know you’ll do well—study hard!”
After chatting a bit longer, he prepared to leave when Professor Yang called him back. “One more thing, He. Could you help me with something?”
“Of course, Professor. Just tell me, and I’ll do my best.”
The professor chuckled. “Don’t look so serious! A professor from the U.S. is visiting for a lecture and has shown great interest in Chinese medicine. I spoke with Professor Gu, and we thought you’d be a good fit to assist. Are you available?”
He grinned. “No problem—but you’ll owe me a meal!”
* * *
After work, He Su Ye visited several florists before finding the tulips he was looking for. He then boarded a bus to the outskirts of the city.
The cemetery was a quiet place, one most people avoided. Yet, nearly everyone would visit at some point in their lives—and ultimately, it would be their final destination. People preferred to come as rarely as possible, for watching loved ones leave was both sorrowful and inevitable.
Standing before the gravestone, he gazed at his mother’s smiling face etched into the photograph. In his memory, she was always smiling.
"Su Ye, Mom and Dad are going to work. Stay home and don’t wander around. If you’re hungry, there’s bread and milk on the table."
"Su Ye, it’s okay if you didn’t do well on the exam. As long as you try hard, that’s what matters. Don’t cry, be good!"
"Su Ye, I know I’ve let you down. I’ve been so busy with work, I haven’t had time to spend with you—not even to attend your parent-teacher meetings. But you’ve grown up to be so outstanding, and I’m so proud of you."
His heart ached, and his eyes turned red. He remembered what the doctor said about his mother’s passing. She had smiled and said her greatest regret in life was failing her son. “Su Ye, don’t blame your father. This was my decision, not his. Don’t hold it against him.”
But he had blamed his father. The knot in his heart only grew tighter over time, so tangled now it seemed impossible to unravel.
He placed the tulips down and reached out to touch the gravestone, spotless and clean.
Memories flooded his mind, endless and unrelenting.
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