The doctor sat with the shy Yueyue and saw the old man, startled Ji Lan.
Liu Che smiled gently, "I've already seen it when I was painting it."
"Oh." A hint of disappointment quietly came and went, "Xiao Ming?"
"Um?"
"Can you see my circle of friends?"
"I can't see!"
"oh!"
Xue Jiuyue's disappointment grew even more intense, but she heard Liu Che's gentle voice add a hint of cunning, "But I can hear you!"
"You're so annoying!" Xue Jiuyue wanted to ask about his circle of friends, but the words slipped away on the tip of her tongue. "You know what? You don't have to accommodate me in everything."
Liu Che denied it, "No, it's you who always indulges me."
"You still say no, you can ask me many questions and I will tell you."
"For example?"
“Actually, I’m very willing to participate in charity activities.”
"I know. Of course I know you're a kind girl." Liu Che said firmly and warmly, "It's just that when I teach people massage, there's bound to be a lot of physical contact..."
"How do you know I mean this?"
"Am I wrong?"
"Tsk! Drink, cheers!"
"Dry!"
Xue Jiuyue raised the cup to hide her embarrassment. The moment she entered the entrance, she inexplicably thought of Cheng Qing and Zeng Le.
Liu Che couldn't see the red face, but the slightly tipsy atmosphere between the two of them quietly turned into "Drinking, never stop drinking"...
The slight noise disturbed a peaceful sleep that had left no trace of dreams.
"Are you awake?"
Liu Che's gentle voice came even earlier than the light.
The unfamiliar scene brought back fragments of memories, bringing with it a surge of anticipation and surprise. My last memory before bed was frozen in the three softly whispered words, "Take me away."
By then, Xue Jiuyue was already sprawled with her head tilted, watching Liu Che, through drunken eyes, maintain his final act of grace at the bar. The deep red gleaming from the unbuttoned collar of his shirt—was it the scar of a burning heart? The woven necklace, though the eyebrow pencil pendant invisible, felt like an invisible thread of love, one end entwined with Liu Che's breath, the other tied to Xue Jiuyue's heartbeat.
Recalling the overwhelming emotions of last night, and evoking so many possibilities in the darkness behind, Xue Jiuyue shyly felt her body.
Still wearing clothes, could it be... ?
"Yeah!" Xue Jiuyue replied to Liu Che, and looked around, only to find herself lying on the sofa in the bar last night, with Liu Che sitting on a chair not far away and "looking" at her.
Disappointed that there was nothing, yet touched that there was nothing. The strange feeling made her voice a little awkward. "You didn't sleep again?"
"Wash up, there's breakfast in the store. There's a convenience store not far away, and they've got new toiletries for you."
"Isn't this store open?" Liu Che's gentle words and actions made Xue Jiuyue let go of the slight sense of loss.
"There are still many good people in the world..."
Xue Jiuyue could imagine that Liu Che must have begged many people for help. "I'm sorry, I always make you sleep poorly."
"Do you have to be so polite?"
"I'm not being polite, I just feel sorry for you." Without the alcohol, the words burned Xue Jiuyue's face even redder than when she was drunk.
"I'm happier when you sleep well."
Liu Che's words made Xue Jiuyue completely drunk again.
"You always take care of me, but I don't know how to take care of others. Xiao Ming, how do you usually solve the problem of eating?" As the warm white porridge nourished his body, Xue Jiuyue suddenly remembered this "darkness under the lamp" problem.
"I usually order takeout, but I also have a microwave, so I can easily make some pre-prepared foods."
"Is it convenient for you to order food?"
"Before, my colleagues helped me, and later there was special software. But sometimes I still need to trouble my colleagues."
Xue Jiuyue put down the spoon and made a solemn decision: "Since you always order takeout, how about this, I will deliver it to you from my shop in the future."
"It's too much trouble, no need."
Xue Jiuyue feigned anger and said, "I own the shop, are you still going to take care of other people's business? You're a traitor!"
"I haven't eaten yet, so it doesn't count as stealing..." Liu Che retorted in pretended fear, and the matter of delivering the meal was finalized amid the smiles of the two.
Liu Che suddenly asked: "Do you have anything to do today?"
"Nothing, what plans do you have?"
"Didn't you say you also like to participate in charity? If you're willing, I can take you somewhere?"
"Okay!" Xue Jiuyue agreed without thinking, and then asked, "Where?"
"It's a nursing home. I visit it every once in a while and chat with the elderly people."
Xue Jiuyue couldn't wait, "Then let's set off now."
"It's too early to go now. And the road is not close, so let's drive. How about this? Let's go back and pack up, and then meet downstairs at your house in an hour."
"OK!"
"Doctor Liu, you are here! Many elderly people are looking forward to seeing you. Oh, you are here with your girlfriend, please come in." An older sister at the door greeted Liu Che very enthusiastically, and she looked very familiar.
"Hello, big sister." Xue Jiuyue rushed to greet Liu Che, so as to avoid him from making an awkward excuse. After that, she took out a bag of gifts from the big bag she was carrying and said, "Here are some fruits, please have some."
"No, no, thank you. Leave it for the elderly!" The elder sister declined while taking a closer look. "She's so beautiful. She and Doctor Liu are a perfect match. You are both good people. You will definitely be rewarded."
"Sister Zhang, please keep one bag. We bought a lot, so don't be polite with us. Let's go see the old man." Liu Che blushed and changed the subject.
This is a nursing home nestled at the foot of a mountain, nestled against green hills and beside lush waters. The coolness of the emerald green, the warm sunlight, the chirping of insects and birds, the sounds of chickens and dogs, the environment is pleasant and natural. Unlike those high-end nursing homes in the city where beds are hard to come by and expensively built, the elderly here are mostly lonely and widowed.
Liu Che led Xue Jiuyue straight towards a row of buildings. When passing a courtyard, Liu Che stopped and said, "I'm going to give a lecture to the elderly later. If you feel bored, you can play here for a while. There are fitness equipment."
"Can I attend the class for free?" Xue Jiuyue asked playfully.
Liu Che also smiled, "Since we're so familiar with each other, I'll give you a 50% discount on the tuition..."
"Tsk, I thought it was free..."
As soon as Liu Che appeared, the originally messy meeting room suddenly became quiet.
"Hello, uncles and aunts."
"Hello, Doctor Liu." The elderly people were all very familiar with Liu Che, and soon they all asked in unison, "Please introduce this beautiful woman to us."
"This is Xiaoyue and Xue Jiuyue. They came with me to chat with everyone. Can you give them a round of applause to welcome them?"
"Good, Xiaoyue!" The old people cheered and applauded to welcome her.
Flattered, Xue Jiuyue quickly bowed in return.
Soon, Liu Che began his scheduled class, focusing on senior mental health. To ensure his voice reached every resident, he raised his gentle voice considerably, yet remained smooth and unobtrusive. Every gesture, every movement, every simple word he chose managed to bring him closer to the elderly. The elderly listened intently, while Xue Jiuyue, seated in the last row of the conference room, watched with fascination.
During the period, Liu Che also inserted a lot of small games. Xue Jiuyue took the initiative to help distribute props and participate in them, which allowed her to integrate into the group more quickly and become one with the elderly.
"Okay, that's all for today's class. It's time for everyone to eat and have lunch later. It's time for lunch and lunch break. Xiaoyue and I will take turns going to everyone's room to give you a massage and chat with you."
It was easy for Liu Che to say and everyone was very happy. But when it came to actually implementing it, there were so many elderly people that Liu Che was already sweating profusely after just two or three of them came down.
"Wipe your sweat." Only then did Xue Jiuyue know why Liu Che brought a clean towel. She soaked the towel with cold water, wrung it dry, and handed it to Liu Che.
"Oh, okay." Liu Che resisted the urge to say thank you, smiled at Xue Jiuyue, and then got busy.
Xue Jiuyue wasn't idle either, chatting with the elderly. While not as professional as Liu Che, it was a welcome relief for these lonely elderly people who had been suffering from a long drought. The elderly warmly entertained them, offering them drinks and fruit.
Liu Che was doing the massage while listening to Xue Jiuyue chatting. Occasionally, when he encountered the old man's psychological problems, he would also say a few words, which often served as the finishing touch.
The two of them cooperated tacitly and quickly went around the rooms.
"There is one last one, why don't you go there?" Liu Che hesitated in the corridor.
"What? Is there a problem?"
"She's an elderly woman, living alone, and her mental state is not very stable. She loses control easily."
"Is it dangerous?"
"That's not the case. It seems a car accident took away the aunt's husband and son. The family was originally well-off, but after her husband's death, they discovered that the house and property had been transferred to his ex-wife. It's unclear whether it was given to her voluntarily or taken by force. Under these series of blows, the aunt's spirit completely collapsed. When she was alone, she would often mutter, 'You reap what you sow.' When she was confused, she would call the young ones her sons, and when she saw the older ones, she would either apologize or curse them with gritted teeth."
"She's so pitiful. I'll go with you to keep her company."
Liu Che hesitated for a moment, "Then you follow me. I don't know how she will react when she sees you."
"Okay, don't worry."
This room was at the back of the row of rooms, and the light was a little dim. The name card at the door read "Ji Lan." Xue Jiuyue was somewhat familiar with these two names, but before she could remember, Liu Che had already led her inside, knocked on the door, and walked in.
Through Liu Che's shoulder, Xue Jiuyue saw the old lady sitting alone on the sofa.
What surprised her was that, judging by her face, the old woman didn't look old at all. She looked like she was in her forties, neatly groomed, and must have been a great beauty in her youth. Her skin was fair, and her large eyes were now drooping. Her lips, thin beneath her high nose, were slightly darker in color. Her face was not wrinkled much, only her long, silvery hair betraying the vicissitudes of life.
When she entered, the old lady seemed to be reciting a poem. Xue Jiuyue only heard the last line, "How lonely is this?"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, catching a glimpse of familiarity. Ji Lan, also known as Li Ye, was a poetess on par with Xue Tao. The line "How lonely is this?" came from Li Ye's "To My Seventh Brother, the Schoolmaster." Xue Jiuyue had memorized poems by ancient talented women, including this one.
Xue Jiuyue was still curious about her aunt's life experience when she heard her aunt's slightly shrill voice, "Che'er, you're here to see me again. Come and sit down."
"Yes, Mom, I'm here to see you. I also brought my friend, Xiaoyue." Liu Che moved aside, revealing Xue Jiuyue.
The aunt raised her big eyes and looked at Xue Jiuyue, her pupils were dark but a little stiff.
"Ah!" Suddenly, she seemed to have seen the most terrifying thing, and she covered her face with her hands and screamed loudly.
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