Having just completed a surgery, the tension in his nerves finally eased. He Su Ye took a deep breath and casually pushed open the office window.
A gentle breeze brushed against his face, carrying with it a faint floral fragrance. He paused to identify the scent—it was osmanthus. Shen Xi Fan had always loved osmanthus. Whether it was early morning, late at night, or after a cool rain, the clusters of pale yellow blossoms rested lightly on the branches. Their delicate or rich fragrance lingered, pervading the air deeply even when there was no wind.
Freshly picked osmanthus blossoms could be preserved with honey, making them perfect for osmanthus-filled tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) during the winter—sweet and intoxicating.
Just then, a nurse knocked on the door. “Dr. He, please get ready for your photo session.”
He paused for a moment, confused, until the nurse pointed to his name badge. He immediately understood—it was a routine procedure for his new workplace.
Removing his white coat, he glanced in the mirror and tidied his hair. The motion reminded him of something.
It was before their wedding, when they had visited the department to distribute wedding candy. As he came out, he noticed Shen Xi Fan standing at the doorway, staring blankly at the department bulletin board. Curious, he followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at his photo.
She alternated between looking at the photo and at him before concluding, “Good thing you’re not very photogenic, or most of your patients would come just to see you.”
He found it odd. “Do I look that bad? Why do people keep saying I’m not photogenic?”
“No!” she insisted. “You just look much better in person. Don’t be so ungrateful, Dr. He—you’re already very handsome.”
He chuckled. “Really? I don’t feel that way!”
Shen Xi Fan smiled faintly, her lips curving. “When I first saw you, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe my eyes—a doctor that good-looking? I even doubted if it was real.”
He smirked. “Oh, you little rascal. Now that you’ve mentioned it, I remember that first time—while I was writing your prescription, you kept staring at me. Don’t tell me you were just checking what I was prescribing.”
“Well… I was trying to read your name, but all I saw was ‘Attending Physician.’”
“Wasn’t my name written on the prescription?”
“How would I know? Doctors’ handwriting is always a mess, and back then, prescriptions weren’t even printed. Besides, if you’d prescribed the wrong medicine, I wanted to make sure I could report you.”
He was speechless for a moment. Shen Xi Fan grasped his hand, smiling. “Just joking. I never doubted your skills. You threw out a bunch of technical terms that left me awestruck—I immediately thought you were a reliable doctor.”
Noticing the dimples forming on his face, she added, “But back then, you always looked so serious. I thought you were the cold and aloof type. Who knew, once you smiled, you looked so boyish.”
He laughed. “My mentor during my internship always said I looked too young to give patients a sense of security. That’s why he paired me with Qiu Tian, saying his seriousness would balance out my youthful appearance. But one day, Qiu Tian decided to act overly serious, so much so that even I didn’t dare laugh. When we got back to the dorm, we laughed about it for ages.”
Shen Xi Fan blinked playfully. “So your serious demeanor was trained! I guess behind every successful man is another successful man.”
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