The copy room was crowded at that moment, and Zhenzhen had waited quite a while before finally printing out the materials.
When she returned, the door to the clinic room was ajar, but there was no sound from inside. She didn’t dare barge right in and knocked lightly on the door instead.
“Come in.” It was Lin Qimian’s voice.
Zhenzhen pushed the door open and had just started to say “Teacher Lin” when she spotted Xu Yueliang sitting behind her.
The two of them were neither too close nor too far apart—about a meter separated them. Lin Qimian was flipping through some books on the desk, while Xu Yueliang sat primly, scrolling on her phone. Hearing the knock, she looked up and smiled at Zhenzhen.
Zhenzhen had no idea what to make of the situation. She stood frozen in the doorway for a couple of seconds before saying, “Teacher Lin, I’ve got the materials printed.”
“Mm.” Lin Qimian acknowledged her with a nod and pointed to her seat. “No one’s here right now. Take a look.”
No one was there—no patients, that was true.
But wasn’t Xu Yueliang their patient?
Zhenzhen sat down quietly and opened the materials in her hands, still utterly puzzled.
Hadn’t Xu Yueliang come to see Doctor Lin? If it wasn’t for a checkup, and she had some other business, why would she just sit there like that?
Zhenzhen glanced furtively at Xu Yueliang. The woman was wearing exquisite makeup and stylish, fashionable clothes—a far cry from how she’d looked before.
She was impossible to ignore. The moment Zhenzhen had entered the clinic room earlier, her eyes had been dazzled. Now, Xu Yueliang was like a TV drama playing right in front of her, drawing Zhenzhen’s attention without fail.
Zhenzhen lowered her head and read two lines of the materials, only to look up at Xu Yueliang again.
After seven or eight minutes like this, Lin Qimian’s knuckles tapped rhythmically on the desk.
“Focus,” she told Zhenzhen. “The hospital’s end-of-month assessment is coming up.”
Zhenzhen: “!!!!”
She immediately buried her head in her work and didn’t dare glance up again.
The three of them sat there quietly, each minding their own business, until a patient entered the clinic room. Xu Yueliang promptly stood up.
“Doctor Lin, you must be busy. I’ll go check if Weiwei’s done.”
“She probably still has a bit to go,” Lin Qimian said, looking up. “No worries—you can just sit here if you like.”
“No, no.” Xu Yueliang glanced at the patient, then at Zhenzhen. “I’ll go keep her company for a while.”
Lin Qimian watched her. “Alright.”
Xu Yueliang left the clinic room with light, bouncy steps, and Lin Qimian turned to her work. “Where doesn’t feel right?”
It was a tooth extraction case.
By the time they’d handled the whole procedure from start to finish, it was nearly noon and time to clock out.
Lin Qimian was washing her hands when Zhenzhen sidled over and asked, “Teacher Lin, where are we eating lunch?”
Lin Qimian paused for a moment. Figuring You Weiwei’s treatment must have wrapped up by now, she replied, “The cafeteria.”
Zhenzhen hesitated. “Um, that pretty streamer… is she here for a dental checkup?”
“People have names,” Lin Qimian said sternly, looking over at her. “Don’t use nicknames like that.”
“Oh, oh, sorry, Teacher Lin.” Zhenzhen took a big step back. “I-I didn’t think…”
Lin Qimian: “She’s here accompanying a friend for treatment.”
Zhenzhen: “Oh, got it. With another teacher, then?”
“Yes.” Lin Qimian emphasized again, “A patient’s occupation is private. Don’t mention it anymore.”
“Got it, I’ll remember.” Zhenzhen nodded vigorously.
Lin Qimian dried her hands and started packing up her things.
Zhenzhen trailed after her like a shadow, chattering about the cafeteria’s lunch menu.
Someone suddenly knocked on the clinic room door. Zhenzhen turned her head. “Come in.”
A bright figure appeared—Xu Yueliang poked half her body in and asked, “Doctor Lin, are you done for the day?”
Zhenzhen had a strange premonition, but her mouth moved smoothly on autopilot. “Just finished. We were talking about lunch.”
“Mm…” Xu Yueliang slipped inside and stood right in front of Lin Qimian. “Doctor Lin, Weiwei’s done over there.”
Lin Qimian arched an eyebrow slightly and looked at her, guessing at her intentions. “Mm. Is something bothering you?”
“No, no.” Xu Yueliang shook her head, her light golden ponytail swaying along with it. “They put on a temporary crown. Doctor Zhao said to come back in a week for the full porcelain one.”
Lin Qimian smiled. “Then tell her to watch her bite for the next couple days. If it feels off or irritating, give Doctor Zhao a call.”
“Mm.” Xu Yueliang said, “They left their number.”
Lin Qimian: “Good.”
Xu Yueliang: “I have your number too, Doctor Lin.”
Lin Qimian: “That’s right. We do.”
Xu Yueliang’s lashes fluttered, her tone lilting softly upward. “So, Doctor Lin, when are you free? Let’s grab that meal.”
So that’s what she was after—that dinner invitation.
Lin Qimian was a little surprised. This kind of polite “let’s get dinner sometime” talk had turned into something so solemn coming from Xu Yueliang.
She needed to wait until Xu Yueliang finished her work, then come over specifically to confirm the details with her one more time.
Only then could they nail down the exact time for this.
It was Friday today. For most people, that meant the weekend would be the most convenient slot.
But Lin Qimian knew Xu Yueliang’s work schedule. Weekends were peak hours for traffic, prime time for making money.
During the week, Xu Yueliang’s days off usually fell on Mondays, and even then, only once every two weeks—and she still had to play games with her fans.
So it wasn’t a question of whether Lin Qimian had time; Xu Yueliang was the one with a packed schedule and no room to breathe.
Better to move it up than push it back. Lin Qimian simply said, “How about noon today? It’s just about lunchtime.”
Everyone had to eat anyway. They could knock out this task together, and Xu Yueliang could still rush back for her stream.
This was probably the most convenient option for Xu Yueliang.
But Xu Yueliang’s brows furrowed, her expression clearly disapproving.
She tilted her head and asked Lin Qimian, “Doctor Lin, do you have work this afternoon?”
Lin Qimian: “I do.”
Xu Yueliang turned her down. “Then no, that won’t work. We’d be too rushed and wouldn’t get a proper meal.”
Not in a hurry after all?
Xu Yueliang’s outfit was clearly for streaming—she must have gotten ready early to make sure she wouldn’t be late.
Lin Qimian looked at her, paused for a few seconds, and said, “Then you pick a time.”
Xu Yueliang looked a little sheepish, fiddling with the strap of her bag as she swayed it back and forth. “Um… how about tonight? After you get off work, Doctor Lin…”
Lin Qimian genuinely hadn’t expected Xu Yueliang to suggest that slot.
She asked, “Do you… have time then?”
Xu Yueliang tilted her head back, brimming with confidence. “Of course I do!”
Lin Qimian: “…”
It seemed Xu Yueliang really didn’t want to reveal anything about her job.
After hesitating for just two seconds, Xu Yueliang started to look anxious. “Is that no good? Does Doctor Lin… have family to spend time with or something?”
“No.” Lin Qimian said, “That works.”
Xu Yueliang’s face flushed pink. “Oh, okay.”
Lin Qimian: “Tonight it is, then. After seven.”
“Great!” Xu Yueliang’s eyes sparkled. “Does Doctor Lin have any food preferences? Any allergies?”
“None.” Lin Qimian said, “You’re the expert on that. You pick.”
Xu Yueliang blinked. “How did you know I’m good at… eating…”
Lin Qimian: “…”
Slip-up.
But Lin Qimian recovered smoothly. “I have your WeChat, don’t I? All your posts are about food. And those two days you were here for your IVs, all you could think about was food.”
“Ohhh, right.” Xu Yueliang grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a… ahem. I’ll pick the restaurant, then. Seven-thirty.”
“And…” She glanced around. “You go ahead with your work, Doctor Lin. I’ll send you the details on WeChat once I’ve chosen~”
Lin Qimian: “Sounds good.”
Xu Yueliang waved at her. “See you later, Doctor Lin~”
Lin Qimian waved back. “See you soon.”
Xu Yueliang flashed a brilliant smile, gave a little hop in her step, and headed out the door.
Lin Qimian’s lips curved up in a smile that lingered for quite a while.
Zhenzhen had watched the whole exchange, staring in stunned silence. “Teacher Lin, you and Moon… you’re that close now?”
Lin Qimian: “We’re… alumni.”
“Ohhh, I see!” Zhenzhen lit up with realization. “That explains it. Teacher Lin, you’re never this nice to patients—taking every little thing into account. So many people have tried to take you out to eat, and you’ve never gone…”
Lin Qimian: “That many?”
Zhenzhen: “Yeah, tons. A bunch asked me about it. I know your personality, so I didn’t pass the messages along.”
Lin Qimian: “Good call. Don’t pass them along in the future, either.”
Zhenzhen: “Got it!”
“Let’s go eat.” Lin Qimian picked up her phone and glanced at it.
A notification popped up at the top of her backup phone: Your specially followed streamer “Little Moon” has posted a new update.
Lin Qimian tapped it open and saw it was a leave-of-absence notice.
The workaholic streamer Little Moon had actually put up an away message.
Little Moon v: [Got something important today, no stream~~ See you all tomorrow~~~]
Something important: dinner with Lin Qimian.
Something important: dinner with Lin Qimian.
Lin Qimian turned the conclusion over in her mind twice and broke into a smile.
She truly hadn’t expected that after taking off the mask and laying her identity bare, the Xu Yueliang who used to break into a sweat just listening to her explanations would become so straightforward and bold.
Her voice no longer trembled when she spoke to her. She no longer shrank back. When she said she’d treat her to dinner, she made it happen right away—swift and decisive, no delays.
From the looks of it, those past events lingered clearly in Xu Yueliang’s memory, stirring guilt in her heart. But once Lin Qimian—the very person involved—offered her forgiveness, they scattered like the wind.
Not a bad outcome at all.
A fresh start. Getting to know one another all over again.
The weight that had been clogging Lin Qimian’s chest finally lifted after she’d paced back and forth dozens of times, her mind suddenly clearing.
On her other phone, the account named “Jiaojiao” finally sprang to life.
-【Doctor Lin, can I bring Weiwei tonight?】
-【She’s super grateful for your care too, and she’s been nagging to have dinner with you~~】
-【If it’s not convenient this time, no worries~ I’ll just let her know~~】
-【Cat staring wide-eyed in anticipation.gif】
Lin Qimian smiled. How could she possibly say no?
It was a reunion of old friends, but the two of them hadn’t really interacted much back then. They weren’t even in the same grade or class. Come dinnertime, conversation might run dry fast.
Xu Yueliang must have been worried about awkward silences, so she’d brought You Weiwei along. The thought sparked a few new ideas in Lin Qimian’s mind.
She dialed Huang Xiaoyi and gave her the rundown.
Huang Xiaoyi practically bounced off the walls with excitement. The moment she heard Lin Qimian was grabbing dinner with Xu Yueliang that night, her squeal pierced right through the phone, making Lin Qimian wince.
“It’s just dinner,” Lin Qimian said.
Huang Xiaoyi shot back, “Just dinner? This is online to IRL, strangers to old schoolmates reuniting—tears streaming down both faces!!!”
Lin Qimian recalled Xu Yueliang’s teary eyes from that morning and chuckled. “She got the waterworks going. I stayed dry.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Huang Xiaoyi said. “Spill more details! More details! You’ve boiled down the perfect story to a couple sentences.”
Lin Qimian replied, “That’s the gist. Want details? Come see for yourself.”
Huang Xiaoyi: “Huh?”
Lin Qimian: “She’s bringing a friend to dodge the awkwardness, so I’ll bring one too.”
Huang Xiaoyi, sounding a little nervous: “Uh… so, what’s the play with bringing a friend?”
Lin Qimian mulled it over. “Icebreaker duty.”
“You’re outgoing. If our chat hits a lull, you can keep things from going cold.
“Her friend came to our hospital for treatment and has met me. You went to the same school as Xu Yueliang and even chatted with her back in the day.
“More people means more fun, and having friends with clear connections makes it easier to build trust.”
Lin Qimian ticked off the reasons one by one, then paused. “Some stuff would stand out too much if I tried it solo—it might spook her. With you there, it’ll feel natural.”
Huang Xiaoyi: “Wait, what are you scheming?”
Lin Qimian let out a breath and glanced down at her toes. “After dinner, hit up a spot to unwind. Break down the walls, get to know each other better, spark some real interaction. Play around a little.”
Huang Xiaoyi burst out laughing. “Pfft, I thought you were plotting world domination or something. You’re dishing out tasks like our Shop Boss hyping up a team-building retreat.”
Lin Qimian: “Chances like this don’t come often. I can’t end up with her still calling me Doctor Lin.”
Huang Xiaoyi sounded like she might cry. “You got it, sis. Who’d have thought this day would come for you? Mission accepted—I won’t let you down.”
