Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The weather in June is like a child's face.

The sky was clear and blue in the morning, but around noon, a sudden downpour drenched Chenyang, a small southern city.

The small town is nestled against mountains and beside a river, boasting beautiful scenery. The Chenjiang River flows to the north, meandering through the old town. The town gets its name from this river. Chenyang is located on the sunny side of the Chenjiang River.

Shen Qingyuan leaned against the window, watching the pedestrians and vehicles hurrying by on the road outside.

Pedestrians without umbrellas were in a sorry state, their wet hair plastered to their scalps, squinting, frowning, and looking displeased with the capriciousness of the weather.

At times like these, those who don't get caught in the rain inexplicably feel a sense of smugness and smugness. Add a handful of sunflower seeds, and it's practically like watching a live-action drama.

As Song Ting closed her umbrella, she grumbled as she entered the room. There was a basket for storing umbrellas by the door, and Song Ting casually tossed her wet umbrella into it.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, and the hot pot restaurant wasn't crowded. At first glance, you could spot Shen Qingyuan sitting by the window.

"Damn it! I just bought these shoes, and on the very first day I wore them, they got stuck in a puddle."

Shen Qingyuan left early, and not a single strand of her hair was wet.

Shen Qingyuan: "It's all about timing, circumstances, fate, and destiny."

Song Ting: "Are you gloating, Shen Qingyuan? You damned woman!"

Shen Qingyuan shook her head, looking inscrutable. These two had been best friends since high school, later going to different universities and working. Busy with their own lives, they rarely saw each other, yet they had managed to stay in touch—truly a rare and precious childhood friendship.

After graduation, Song Ting returned to Chenyang and became a newspaper reporter.

Shen Qingyuan stayed in Jicheng. She studied medicine, taking seven years to complete her bachelor's and master's degrees. She had only been working for two years after graduation, and before she knew it, she was almost thirty.

Song Ting took out a small mirror to tidy herself up. The waiter came over with the menu and thoughtfully gave her a white towel.

While he was attentive to Song Ting, the male waiter's eyes kept drifting towards Shen Qingyuan.

Song Ting and Shen Qingyuan were old friends, so she was used to this kind of thing. Shen Qingyuan had big eyes, a high nose, and a classic oval face; she was elegant and beautiful. Even without makeup, and having recently gained some weight, she was still eye-catching enough to stand in a crowd.

Despite having a striking and pleasing appearance, her eyebrows and eyes exude a cool and aloof aura that keeps strangers at bay.

Many people have beautiful features, but not every beauty can exude a certain charm. It requires experience, accumulation of knowledge, and talent.

Shen Qingyuan marked up the menu, ordering several vegetables and mushrooms that she wanted to eat, and also ordered tripe and duck intestines that Song Ting always wanted to try. They chose a half-and-half hot pot.

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

She pushed the menu toward Song Ting.

Shen Qingyuan glanced at the deserted lobby of the hot pot restaurant. She wondered to herself, "Is the food any good? Why are there so few customers?"

Perhaps due to the sudden downpour, there weren't many customers at the hot pot restaurant. Moreover, it was a weekday, and not many office workers would gather for lunch on a weekday.

Song Ting is a reporter and doesn't need to work every day. Shen Qingyuan, needless to say, took a long vacation to go back to her hometown and rest for a while.

Song Ting glanced at the menu and added lamb belly and shrimp paste.

Why did you order so little today?

"I've gained quite a bit of weight recently, so I should eat less," Shen Qingyuan said casually. Her gaze fell on the window, where a black Buick minivan slowly came to a stop in the rain.

It seems that besides them, there are still people who are willing to brave the rain to eat hot pot.

"You can lose weight after you finish this meal. You're tall and don't look fat."

Best friends are always a stumbling block on the road to weight loss!

Shen Qingyuan has gained almost 20 pounds since six months ago, and she's even developed a double chin. Luckily, she's 170cm tall. For someone that tall, gaining 10 or 20 pounds isn't very noticeable, and if she wears loose clothing, even close friends and family might not notice.

During her student days, Shen Qingyuan was busy with her studies, and since she was also studying medicine, she often forgot to eat and sleep, and was so busy that she never gained weight in most of her life. People can't rest, otherwise they'll definitely gain weight.

However, not having to be busy every day, just eating and sleeping, living a leisurely life, was the first time in decades that Shen Qingyuan felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

"That makes sense."

Shen Qingyuan wasn't too insistent and simply ordered another plate of sliced ​​beef. The waiter came and took the menu away.

The driver's side door of the Buick opened, and the person inside got out with an umbrella.

"Eh, a disabled person? Braving the rain to eat hot pot?" Song Ting turned to look out the window, quite intrigued, as if she were witnessing some kind of exotic spectacle.

"Hey, be polite." Shen Qingyuan was also drawn to look out.

Song Ting objected, "Then what should we call him? A disabled friend? A friend with a bad leg?"

The Buick driver opened the rear door, took the wheelchair out, and placed it on the passenger side door. Then the passenger door opened from the inside, and the person inside, holding onto the door handle with one hand and the seat with the other, deftly slid into the wheelchair using the strength of their arm.

The rain was still thick, making it difficult to see clearly through the glass.

Qi could roughly make out that the person in the wheelchair was a young man wearing a hat and a mask; he was tall and slender. Because he was thin, his arms and legs appeared even longer. Combined with the impression of being in a wheelchair, he gave off a frail and sickly feeling. However, the way he transferred from the car to the wheelchair was swift, suggesting that he had good arm strength.

Throughout the process, the driver thoughtfully held an umbrella for the man in the wheelchair, even at the cost of getting half of his shoulder wet.

"Poor thing, so young. Could she be paralyzed?" Song Ting sighed, eating the free snacks offered by the hot pot restaurant. Because it didn't concern her, her sigh was devoid of any emotion.

Just like in this world, there will always be people who succeed and people who fail; some people get stuck in the mire while others strive to move forward. There's no one you can envy or pity.

Having covered social news for five or six years, Song Ting had seen all sorts of things, making her increasingly numb to such matters.

Shen Qingyuan shifted her gaze back and casually said, "He's not paralyzed; he can still move his legs. It's probably his back that's bothering him."

Song Ting said "Oh," and added, "Of course you're an expert in this area. I'll have to bring you with me on my next blind date; you can tell at a glance whether my back is okay."

Song Ting now eats whatever she wants, and Shen Qingyuan rolled her eyes and waved her hand, saying, "Don't be like that, it's not that magical, it can only distinguish whether someone is paralyzed or not."

Plates of meat rolls and vegetables were served one after another, and the hot pot was boiling. Shen Qingyuan and Song Ting were busy cooking, and neither of them paid any attention to the new guests.

I wasn't particularly hungry at first, but the aroma of the cooked meat whetted my appetite. Forget about worldly hardships and romantic notions; filling my stomach was the priority.

Shen Qingyuan ate her first bite of mutton so quickly that her tongue was burned. She opened her mouth to inhale, like a dog panting to cool off in the middle of summer—but more politely than a dog, not sticking out her whole tongue.

At that moment, Shen Qingyuan seemed to hear a soft laugh coming from the corner. The sound wasn't very loud, and she initially thought she had misheard.

She followed the sound and instinctively looked over.

It was the man in the wheelchair, sitting diagonally opposite Shen Qingyuan. The waiter had just helped remove the chair, and he was leaning back, sitting quietly in his wheelchair.

The man in the wheelchair was still wearing a fisherman's hat and a mask, revealing only a small part of his nose and eyes. His skin was very fair.

The man in the wheelchair wasn't looking at Shen Qingyuan; his smile was most likely directed at the man opposite him. Otherwise, how offensive would it be to laugh at a stranger eating?

"Eek." Shen Qingyuan muttered to herself, "He's covering himself up so tightly while eating. I'll see if he's wearing a mask when the food comes out."

Seeing that she was observing the man in the wheelchair, Song Ting quickly kicked her under the table and whispered, "Hey, Shen Qingyuan, stop staring at him, it's so impolite!" She sounded like a mother lecturing her child.

The tripe was overcooked, so Shen Qingyuan quickly scooped out a few bites. This time she learned her lesson and ate slowly, blowing on it as she ate.

The ingredients at this hot pot restaurant were passable, reminding Shen Qingyuan of the famous copper pot shabu-shabu in Jicheng. A perfect choice for satisfying cravings in winter, especially as autumn approaches and the body prepares for a warmer season.

She didn't know how hot pot had become so ubiquitous in just over a decade. Until she graduated from high school, she had never seen a hot pot restaurant in Chenyang.

My first hot pot meal was in Jicheng. The tripe was overcooked, tough and chewy, with a texture like rubber band. Shen Qingyuan muttered to herself, "This stuff is awful, who would like to eat this?"

However, he acted very calmly at the time. People from small towns are often on high alert when they first arrive in big cities, not wanting to be looked down upon.

The waiter probably had no idea she didn't know how to cook tripe. When you're learning something, nobody teaches you proactively; you have to figure it out yourself.

The two ate for a while, and the rain outside seemed to have lessened. Several more tables of customers arrived at the hot pot restaurant. The steaming broth filled the air, and the sounds of clattering pots and pans mingled with the noise of people. A little boy loudly demanded ice cream.

Song Ting suddenly asked, "Shen Qingyuan, when do you plan to return to Jicheng?"

Shen Qingyuan has been back in Chenyang for almost half a year. Apart from meeting with Song Ting a few times, she has had almost no social life. She spends most of her time eating, sleeping, and gaining weight, showing no intention of going back.

Shen Qingyuan didn't lift her eyelids, picked up a tender bamboo shoot, and put it into the second bowl of sesame sauce.

Song Ting tentatively said, "It's been almost half a year since you came back, buddy, that's enough. I know you used to work yourself to the bone and didn't get to enjoy your youth, so you want to make up for it. Everyone gets tired of work at a certain age. But you still have to earn money to make a living, right?"

Having worked as a reporter for several years, Song Ting had developed excellent oratory skills. She spoke earnestly and patiently, advocating the principle that "everyone has their struggles, so let's just make do and keep going."

"Besides, you worked so hard in your student days, studying diligently for twenty years to finally become a doctor. It would be such a waste to just quit like that. Doctors are angels in white, saving lives and healing the wounded—such a glorious profession!"

Shen Qingyuan looked up and said, "Song Ting, what do you think about me opening a hot pot restaurant?"

Such a nonsensical statement was obviously just something made up on the spot.

Song Ting sighed, "If we go out for barbecue today, you'll probably say you own a barbecue restaurant. Opening a hot pot restaurant would probably cost at least 500,000 or 600,000 yuan. Do you have that much? Besides, with the economy downturn, nine and a half out of ten entrepreneurs go bankrupt. If you really have spare money, you might as well eat, drink, have fun, and go on a trip."

"Hmm. Traveling is also a good option."

Shen Qingyuan ate and drank as usual, ignoring Song Ting's disappointment.

She went to the restroom halfway through her journey, and in the hallway outside, she ran into the man in the wheelchair.

There are several indoor evergreen plants planted in the hallway. Because they are watered frequently, the plants are about ten centimeters shorter than the hallway.

Perhaps due to improper operation of the wheelchair, the man in the wheelchair had a bit of bad luck. One of the wheels of the wheelchair got stuck in a ditch next to a banana tree, and it was stuck just right. No matter how he tried to move it, he couldn't get it out.

Shen Qingyuan walked over and said, "Hi, do you need any help?"

The man in the wheelchair stopped moving and turned his head.

He was still wearing a mask and hat, and a beam of light shone on his face. He had very clear eyes, small fan-shaped double eyelids, and upturned corners, giving him a somewhat classical look.

Although she could only see a pair of eyes, Shen Qingyuan subconsciously thought that the man must be good-looking.

The man stared at her for a few seconds, a hint of a smile in his eyes, probably thinking she was a kind person who enjoyed helping others.

Thank you, if it's convenient for you.

He's not the kind of withdrawn guy who's obsessed with protecting his pride. Besides, he has a nice voice.

Shen Qingyuan didn't waste any time. She rolled up her sleeves, gripped the wheelchair handles, and pulled the wheels out with a single effort. It only took about three seconds.

The man in the wheelchair skillfully turned the wheelchair around, looked up at Shen Qingyuan, and smiled, "I didn't expect you to be so strong!"

That's right. Orthopedic surgeons all need to have strong hands, so there are more male doctors than female doctors. The few female doctors who are tall, strong, and incredibly powerful are extremely rare.

Shen Qingyuan had wasted half a year, but unexpectedly, her skills were still intact.

The man in the wheelchair exuded a pleasant aura. As Shen Qingyuan approached him, she caught a faint, pleasant scent of men's cologne.

Normally, she wasn't very curious about people. But recalling her discussion with Song Ting about her back, she suddenly felt a bit intrigued.

Shen Qingyuan's gaze fell on the man in the wheelchair's waist: "Back injury?"

After asking, I regretted it a little. We were just strangers, and what if I asked them a question they didn't want to answer? Wouldn't that be awkward?

The other person frankly replied, "It's a sprain, a herniated disc in my lumbar spine. The doctor said I need to rest for three months."

Shen Qingyuan responded with an "Oh." Then she saw the man look up, meet her gaze earnestly, and solemnly add, "It's not permanent."

Previously, passersby had suspected she was paralyzed? Was such detailed explanation unnecessary? Shen Qingyuan thought.

The first sentence seems to elicit sympathy; the second sentence practically deserves congratulations.

Shen Qingyuan, caught off guard by her professional habit, casually remarked, "Then we need to pay attention to daily care and rehabilitation training, and it's best to eat a light and balanced diet."

"Yes, I had the clear broth hot pot."

The person answered meticulously, with the same sincerity as a primary school student answering a teacher's question.

There's really no need for that.

They chatted like this, one sentence after another, for quite a while. Just then, a customer passed by in the passageway, and Shen Qingyuan quickly stepped aside.

This interruption seemed to make both of them realize the awkwardness at the same time, and they both tactically looked around. Especially Shen Qingyuan, who was holding in her pee and didn't have time to continue chatting.

"Handsome, do you need any help? If not, I'll be going now, hahaha."

We met by chance, to the point where we didn't even need to introduce ourselves.

The handsome man answered irrelevantly, "Are you a doctor?"

Shen Qingyuan consciously tugged at the corners of her lips. People often force this kind of smile when they're embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it. What you just said sounds very professional, like a doctor's order."

His voice is quite pleasant, with a deep, magnetic male bass tone.

Shen Qingyuan: "It was true before, but it's not true now."