Chapter 223 Before midnight
"No need," Ji Wanqing refused almost instinctively. "I can manage on my own."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhou Xubai's eyes, but he quickly concealed it and nodded.
Okay. Be careful on the road.
He looked at her and added, "Happy birthday, Wanqing, it's true... I hope you're happy."
Ji Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. Without responding, she simply picked up her bag and quickly left the coffee shop.
Stepping outside, the warm afternoon sun shone on her, but she felt her face burning and her heartbeat lost its usual rhythm.
She didn't turn around, but she could feel the focused and warm gaze behind her, following her back until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.
Zhou Xubai stood there, staring at the empty doorway, for a long time before slowly sitting back down in his chair.
He picked up the long-cold Americano, took a sip, and felt a bitter taste spreading in his mouth, but a faint, sweet hope rose in his heart.
For him, at least the other party did not completely reject him, and their attitude softened somewhat in the end.
She is ultimately soft-hearted.
She might not choose him in the end, but he is prepared to wait and fight for her for a long time.
After all, he had lost it once, and he understood the preciousness of something lost and regained better than anyone else. He also had more patience than anyone else to smooth out the wrinkles in her heart little by little and re-enter her world.
As Ji Wanqing walked home, her mood was far more chaotic and complicated than when she arrived.
Today's news was really hard to digest; she had no time to pay attention to the birthday wishes that kept ringing on her phone.
She sighed and took a taxi home.
When her mother saw that she had returned so quickly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but before she could ask anything, Ji Wanqing went straight back to her room, closed the door, and snuggled into the soft quilt.
She lay there like that, and before she knew it, it was dark.
When I woke up, it was completely dark.
She rubbed her slightly sore arms, turned on the bedside lamp, and let in a dim, warm glow.
Just then, the phone suddenly rang.
The name flashing on the screen made her pause slightly: Pei Yu.
She hesitated before pressing the answer button, "Brother Pei?"
"I just saved someone." He paused. "I really want to see you right now. I'm downstairs, can you come down?"
He added, "I brought you something, right here by the flower bed."
Ji Wanqing held her phone, walked to the window, and gently parted a corner of the blinds to look down.
Sure enough, by the flower bed downstairs, under the warm yellow streetlights, leaned a slender and upright figure.
He had changed out of his surgical gown and was wearing simple casual clothes. His signature gold-rimmed glasses were perched on his nose. He was tilting his head slightly, looking towards her window.
The light outlined his slightly tired yet still handsome profile, his posture suggesting he had been waiting for a long time.
The turbulent waves surging in her heart because of Zhou Xubai were strangely calmed down a little when she saw Pei Yu's familiar and reassuring figure.
Being with Pei Yu is always easy and comfortable; he is like a gentle breeze or a tranquil bay.
“I’ll be right down,” she replied softly, without even asking what it was.
After hanging up the phone, Ji Wanqing casually threw on a coat and shoes and went downstairs.
Hearing footsteps, Pei Yu turned around.
Seeing Ji Wanqing dressed in casual clothes with her hair loose, his eyes behind his glasses curved slightly, revealing a clear smile that eased much of the fatigue from the surgery.
"Did I disturb your rest?" he asked apologetically, but his gaze swept over her face carefully, as if to check on her condition.
"No, I just woke up." Ji Wanqing shook her head, walked up to him, and could smell the faint scent of disinfectant on him. "Did the surgery go well?"
"Yes, it went very smoothly. A child with congenital heart disease has pulled through." Pei Yu's voice was filled with relief and joy after saving a life, but deeper down, there seemed to be an indescribable emotion surging within him.
He shook the elegant paper bag he was carrying. "Let's go, talk as we walk? The night view from the small park ahead is nice, and there aren't many people there."
"good."
The two walked side by side along the quiet community path toward the small park not far away.
The night breeze was cool, brushing against my face and taking away a bit of the dryness.
The streetlights stretched and then shortened the shadows of the two people.
"After the surgery, the moment I took off my surgical gown, I felt my whole body stiffen." Pei Yu stretched his shoulders, his tone becoming more relaxed. "But my heart was full. Seeing the stable numbers on the monitor made me feel... all the hard work was worth it. And then, I really wanted to find someone to share this... reassuring feeling."
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes appearing exceptionally gentle behind his glasses. "You were the first person I thought of."
The trust and intimacy in those words stirred something within Ji Wanqing.
It wasn't that she couldn't sense Pei Yu's kindness towards her, which went beyond that of ordinary friends; it's just that she hadn't thought about it deeply in the past.
“I can understand that feeling,” Ji Wanqing said softly. “Just like when I’m live streaming, if I occasionally complete a particularly difficult operation, or see heartwarming encouragement from my fans, I also feel a sense of… fulfillment.”
Pei Yu smiled and said, "So, in a way, we are also working hard on different battlefields."
This analogy made Ji Wanqing laugh, and the atmosphere became even more relaxed.
Walking along the viewing promenade in the small park, you can overlook part of the city's night view, where the lights are dim and echo the sparse stars in the sky.
Pei Yu sat down on a bench by the corridor and handed the paper bag to Ji Wanqing.
"A birthday present, and a small cake, which I ordered before the surgery. Luckily, it arrived before midnight."
Ji Wanqing took the paper bag and first opened the dark blue velvet box.
Inside was not the jewelry she had envisioned, but an extremely elegant fountain pen.
The pen body is a serene deep blue with fine, star-like patterns. A small, polished lapis lazuli is inlaid at the top of the cap, gleaming with a subtle and elegant luster under the mixed light of moonlight and streetlights.
“This…” She looked up, somewhat puzzled.
“I hope you can write something happy with this pen, or… write down the unhappy things and then throw them away.” He paused, then said meaningfully, his gaze gently falling on her face. “Sometimes, it’s much easier to put things on paper than to keep them bottled up alone.” Pei Yu looked at her, his voice exceptionally gentle in the night.
She stroked the cold pen, a strong warmth welling up in her heart.
"Brother Pei... thank you, I..." She didn't know what to say for a moment; this thoughtfulness far surpassed any expensive gift.
"Let's see the cake?" Pei Yu changed the subject at the opportune moment.
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