She nestled into the pillow, pulling the blanket tightly around her, murmuring, “Tired…” before drifting back to sleep.
He gazed at her lovingly for a long moment, unable to resist placing a soft kiss on the corner of her lips before getting up to prepare breakfast.
He made osmanthus-filled tangyuan—a luxurious treat for the morning, even if it wasn’t in season. The fragrance of osmanthus paired with the sweet warmth of tangyuan was a rare indulgence, though, unfortunately, he would have to enjoy it alone.
He left a bowl in the microwave with a note reminding her to eat, then returned to the bedroom to grab his uniform.
Last night, thanks to the wine, she had been unexpectedly bold. Still, he was glad they had managed to keep the uniform intact in the heat of the moment.
As he folded the uniform and packed it into a bag, he remembered the receipt Shen Xi Fan had promised to pass on to his cousin. He gently woke her.
“That receipt—where is it? Your cousin’s been asking about it.”
Half-asleep, she mumbled, “In my wallet. Go get it yourself.”
Her wallet was stuffed with cards, and it took him a while to find the receipt. When he pulled it out, a small photo fell out as well.
Picking it up, he chuckled silently—it was an old work ID photo of him from his previous hospital, the one she had mocked as “unphotogenic and distorted.”
What a hypocritical little rascal. If it’s so bad, why carry it around and hide it from me?
If she had told him, he would’ve given her a much better photo—one where he looked his best. After all, his own wallet held her most beautiful picture.
Never mind, he thought, slipping the photo into his pocket. This one’s getting confiscated for now.
At the next photo session, the military doctors all wore their crisp green uniforms. A few nurses couldn’t help but whisper, “Men really do look best in uniforms—so handsome!”
He was last to take his photo. When it was done, the photographer pointed at the screen and asked, “Dr. He, use this one?”
He smiled. “Sure. But can you save a private copy for me?”
The photographer looked puzzled, feeling their aesthetic judgment had been questioned. They quickly asked, “I think this one looks better than the previous one. Why not use this one?”
He Su Ye smiled politely. “Exactly. That’s why I’m using the other one.”
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Checking it, he found a message from Shen Xi Fan:
“He Su Ye, did you see a small ID photo when you took the receipt today?”
He decided to tease her:
“What photo? I didn’t see anything.”
Another message came almost instantly. He could imagine her growing anxious: “Oh no! What if one of those thirsty girls took it or I lost it? Are you sure you didn’t see it?”
“What photo? Is it important?”
He asked, trying to stoke her worry further.
“Of course it’s important—it’s your photo! Oh no…”
Suppressing a chuckle, he comforted her:
“I’ll just give you another one when I get home. We’re taking new ID photos at the hospital anyway.”
She replied:
“Make sure to save the most handsome one for me and use the less handsome one for work,”
He laughed and slipped on his white coat. As he was about to reply, another message from her arrived:
“Come home early tonight. I’m making osmanthus lily lotus seed soup. Don’t be late!”
He replied:
“Got it. I’ll definitely be home on time,”
Passing through the outpatient department and heading toward the inpatient ward, he walked through a small green space. The rich scent of osmanthus filled the air, and as he looked up, he saw tiny petals fluttering down like a soft rain. A grove of osmanthus trees was in full bloom, their fragrance saturating the surrounding air.
Reaching out to catch a handful of petals, he imagined the next blooming season. Perhaps by then, his dream of a family of three would finally come true.
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