The rhythm of symbiosis
As early autumn arrives, the sky in Beijing becomes high and clear, filled with a dry and refreshing scent. The sycamore leaves in Anping Lane gradually spread their languid yellow hue, as if a painter had inadvertently spilled his palette.
Dr. Chen Xu visited Lu Shixu on a Friday evening for his routine, friendly visit, and to conduct a simple physical assessment. He carried several boxes of medicinal herbs suitable for autumn nourishment and entered the house with practiced ease.
"Hey, Dr. Chen, what brings you to our little shop today?" Lin Zhiyi was putting the freshly dried orange peels into a jar when she saw him and greeted him with a smile.
Chen Xu pushed up his glasses, put the medicinal herbs aside, and his gaze lingered on Lu Shixu's face for a moment to observe his complexion before he smiled and said, "Let me come and see if a certain disobedient patient has 'calibrated' his schedule on time."
Lu Shixu looked up from behind his workbench, his face calm as usual, and nodded slightly: "Everything has been fine."
Chen Xu didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled up a chair and sat down, gesturing for Lu Shixu to extend his hand. While taking Lu Shixu's pulse, he casually inquired about his recent condition. Lin Zhiyi made tea for them and sat down beside them.
"The weather has turned cooler recently, with a large temperature difference between day and night. People with your constitution need to be especially careful and avoid getting chilled," Chen Xu routinely reminded him, his tone gentle yet professional. "How are you feeling with the new medication? Does the dosage need to be adjusted?"
Lu Shixu shook his head: "The dosage is just right, and lately... I've been sleeping more soundly."
Chen Xu nodded, withdrew his hand, examined his tongue, and asked a few questions about his energy level. Throughout the questioning, Lin Zhiyi didn't interrupt, but listened quietly, occasionally offering them teacups when needed.
After the examination, Chen Xu put away his stethoscope, a satisfied look on his face: "Not bad, the condition is very stable. It seems..." His gaze shifted between Lu Shixu and Lin Zhiyi, a knowing smile on his face, "A regular life and a happy mood are more effective than any medicine."
Lu Shixu did not deny it, but simply picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
Lin Zhiyi responded with a smile: "Dr. Chen, are you praising him or me?"
“Praise me, praise me.” Chen Xu laughed heartily. “To be honest, Shi Xu, seeing you like this now, I’m relieved. I used to worry that you would be too tense on your own, or just let yourself go. Now it’s good that someone is keeping an eye on your ‘rhythm’. This precision instrument of yours can finally run stably for a long time.”
His metaphor, while bearing the characteristics of a doctor's profession, also accurately captures the essence of the matter.
Lu Shixu remained silent, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Lin Zhiyi beside him, their eyes meeting briefly before looking away. In that single glance, an unspoken understanding and warmth flowed between them.
Chen Xu observed their interaction and understood the situation perfectly. He sat for a while longer, chatted about other things, and then got up to take his leave.
After Chen Xu left, the shop returned to its tranquility. The autumn sunset streamed through the windows, casting golden rays across the floor.
Lu Shixu sat back down at his workbench, but didn't start working immediately. He sat quietly for a while, then suddenly spoke softly, as if talking to himself, yet also as if addressing Lin Zhiyi:
"He's right."
Lin Zhiyi was arranging the tea set when she heard this, she paused and looked at him.
Lu Shixu raised his head, his clear gaze meeting hers, his tone calm and certain: "Before, I was just 'managing' time, or rather, being 'managed' by time. Maintaining a minimum level of error-free operation."
His words were calm, yet they revealed the almost mechanical loneliness hidden beneath that calm.
“But now,” he paused, his gaze lingering on her face, a genuine warmth creeping into his voice, “I feel… like we’re 'writing' time together.”
From "management" to "composing".
A difference of one word, yet a world of difference.
Management is about being calm, confrontational, and striving for stability.
Composing, on the other hand, is creative, fusion-based, and full of rhythm and emotion.
Lin Zhiyi's heart was deeply touched by his words. She walked to his side, gently placed her hand on his shoulder, and felt the slender yet strong bones beneath his shirt.
“Yes,” she responded softly, her gaze sweeping across the clocks in the room, each following its own rhythm yet resonating harmoniously, “because we are now in a symbiotic rhythm.”
Just like heartbeat and breathing, they seem independent, but in fact they are in sync.
Like the clocks in this room, each ticking differently, they together form a complete, flowing poem of time.
The autumn light was just right, falling on their intertwined figures.
Outside the shop, the hustle and bustle of the world continues.
Inside the store, there is a peaceful and affectionate rhythm they have jointly composed, called "symbiosis".
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