Chapter 13:

◎”A woman, but you don’t know her.”◎

Ji Qingyou rarely smiled since she was a child.

So Yu Qinjiu learned to tell jokes.

Like, “Actually, I keep a vicious dog at home”; and once, when Ji Qingyou was explaining a problem to her, she said that Ji Qingyou’s explanation was equivalent to just saying one sentence—Yu Qinjiu is an idiot; another time, when giving Ji Qingyou a pen, she drew a strangely grinning little robot on Ji Qingyou’s school uniform, complete with the sound effect “hehehe.”

At times like this, Ji Qingyou usually wouldn’t laugh. She would just find everything she did very boring and silently turn the page of her book.

However, when others asked Ji Qingyou if Yu Qinjiu really had a vicious dog at home, she would find it difficult and nod yes. That was probably the first lie Ji Qingyou ever told. She would also explain problems to Yu Qinjiu eleven times, until Yu Qinjiu nodded and said she understood. She even blatantly wore the school uniform on which Yu Qinjiu had drawn the robot with “hehehe” written on it to a speech competition.

Every time she thought of these things.

Yu Qinjiu felt that everyone in this world was probably made up of countless memories as a whole.

Ten years, no contact, no meeting.

Relying solely on memories, they were a hundred times more precious than those she saw countless times a day and contacted countless times during this decade.

For example, now.

She still seemed to have a vivid memory of every unintentional smile from Ji Qingyou.

The fireworks ended.

Ji Qingyou pursed her lips and stared at Yu Qinjiu for a long time. “When?”

She was completely unaware when her smile had appeared.

“Just now, when you said the fireworks were prettier than me.” At this moment, Yu Qinjiu seemed completely sober, smiling happily. “And also…”

“Thinking about how the little sickly one who used to get sick and have allergies all the time when we were kids actually carried me so far today, I feel pretty relieved.”

Ji Qingyou reached out to catch a snowflake. “I’m not a sickly one anymore.”

The snow was falling quite heavily.

Yu Qinjiu watched her through the swirling heavy snow. After a while, she walked slowly closer, raised her finger, carrying a sweet but now cold rose and alcohol scent.

When Yu Qinjiu’s finger touched the scarf, it inexplicably wrapped a layer of heat. The snowflake in Ji Qingyou’s hand began to melt. Amid her slowly accelerating heartbeat, Yu Qinjiu’s voice, imbued with laughter, sounded in her ear.

“Dr. Ji is so amazing…”

“How come you can’t even tie a scarf knot properly?”

–

When she got home.

Ji Qingyou received a new WeChat friend request. The profile picture was a building, pure white, without any artificial color. The background was a very familiar mountain and wires connecting around.

Recognizing the mountain, Ji Qingyou knew it was Yu Qinjiu.

There was also a sentence in the friend request: 【Happy New Year】

Ji Qingyou accepted it: 【Happy New Year】

The other side replied: 【Guess who I am, Dr. Ji?】

Ji Qingyou saved the contact as “Yu Qinjiu” but replied: 【Engineer Yu】

Yu Qinjiu: 【Don’t call me that /pout, makes me feel like I have to go back to work in the UK right away】

Ji Qingyou replied quickly. After the words were typed out, she saw her own two-character response, her fingertips slightly moving:

【Engineer Yu】

Childish. Doing exactly what others say not to do.

She thought this, but saw Yu Qinjiu’s reply:

【Alright】

【Whatever Dr. Ji likes】

The text had no tone, but emotions seemed to be generated out of thin air. Ji Qingyou could almost hear Yu Qinjiu’s tone when she called her “Dr. Ji.”

Clear articulation, slightly rising tone at the end, mixed with a soft breath.

It had a soft, gentle accent, yet was light and languid.

Few people called her Dr. Ji. Fewer people were like Yu Qinjiu, who infused every address she used for her with full, rich emotion.

Before the chat ended, Ji Qingyou turned on her computer to look at some materials. She glanced at the desktop wallpaper she had been using for years. She stared at it for a few seconds, then slightly lowered her eyes. Thinking about how Yu Qinjiu had been staying in a hotel all these days, she replied:

【If you’re staying in Nanwu for the whole vacation】

【It might be more convenient to rent a short-term apartment】

Yu Qinjiu’s reply was quick: 【Already looking! I’m moving in a few days】

Ji Qingyou replied simply, saying that she could help with the move, then put down her phone. After looking at surgical documents for about ten minutes, she couldn’t quite settle down. She kept thinking about what Yu Qinjiu had said in the KTV booth. So she picked up her phone again and found the chat with Qin Shuangchi.

The last conversation was still on the message where Qin Shuangchi told her to come home for dinner. In that message, Qin Shuangchi mentioned the word “brother-in-law.”

A word Ji Qingyou had always refused to use for Yu Muzhou.

Ji Qingyou stared at it for a while, then finally typed out a few words and sent them:

【Sis, tell him to stop bothering Yu Qinjiu】

After sending it, she finally calmed down completely and began to prepare the materials for all the surgeries scheduled for next week. When she woke up, the snow had cemented the city into a layer of white cream.

The huge floor-to-ceiling window was slightly ajar. Cold wind and drifting light and shadow slipped in, dancing, reflecting on the white wall, slowly climbing.

When that beam of light and shadow reached the top empty slot on the bookshelf, Ji Qingyou came out of the study, washed up, and went out. She met the agent who was walking out of the neighbor’s house opposite. This same agent had helped her find this apartment and satisfied her unusually strange and picky requirements:

No more than five kilometers from the hospital, reasonable price, and the study absolutely had to have a large floor-to-ceiling window, from which she could hear the distant ferry sirens, see some buildings, see the river, and preferably, a persimmon tree.

She didn’t expect the agent to meet all her demands, but this agent was truly resourceful. In Nanwu, a city full of sycamore trees, he found a residential area with a persimmon tree, and even fulfilled all her requirements.

Seeing her come out, the agent warmly called out to her, “Where are you headed, Dr. Ji? Want a ride?”

This overflowing enthusiasm wasn’t without reason. Last time, she happened to be on the roadside when the agent’s son had a sudden heart attack. She followed him all the way to the hospital, and in the end, the boy was saved. Since then, the agent had been especially warm towards her.

Ji Qingyou shook her head. “No need. I’m just going to the hospital to pick something up.”

The agent sighed with emotion, “Dr. Ji is really a good doctor. Always goes to the hospital even on weekends.”

Ji Qingyou pursed her lips. “I just need to get something.”

The agent smiled knowingly. “I could tell from my son’s surgery and hospital stay. It’s not just once you’ve gone to the hospital during your time off.”

Ji Qingyou didn’t say anything.

The agent continued, “By the way, Dr. Ji, are there any new doctors at your hospital looking for a place? The people living opposite you want to rent out their house. I think this house is quite new, good amenities, fair price. If any of your friends want to live there, I’ll only charge half the agency fee.”

Ji Qingyou stopped walking. “Is short-term rental possible?”

The agent frowned. “Short-term rental… it’s not impossible, but the price might be a bit higher.”

Ji Qingyou nodded. “I understand.”

The agent didn’t say much more, just said she could contact him anytime.

Ji Qingyou felt she hadn’t really put this matter to heart. After all, actually letting Yu Qinjiu live opposite her wasn’t a good thing. If one day Qin Shuangchi brought Yu Muzhou over to find her, once that happened, the cause and effect would be obvious.

It would be her, Ji Qingyou, who made Yu Qinjiu run into Yu Muzhou.

It would be her, Ji Qingyou, who made Yu Qinjiu unhappy.

Even if this possibility was very small, she didn’t want it to exist.

When she came back again, she met the agent who was just closing the door. Seeing her, the agent had an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry, Dr. Ji. Just today I told you about introducing it to your friend, and the house was rented out this afternoon. The tenant said they’d move in in a few days.”

Ji Qingyou was stunned for a few seconds, pursed her lips, and said it was okay.

After the agent left.

She raised her finger to enter the password on her door lock, but didn’t unlock it in time.

Her finger hovered in the air.

But her heart felt like it was soaking in a piece of sponge that was expanding indefinitely. It was a little uncomfortable, not suffocating, just a little painful. But she couldn’t get it out.

Between not rising and not falling.

She realized that at the moment she asked, “Is short-term rental possible?”, she had indeed developed the thought of wanting Yu Qinjiu to move to the house opposite hers.

But luckily.

Ji Qingyou breathed a sigh of relief, silently. She raised her hand to unlock the door.

Luckily, her plan had been shattered before it was even implemented.

–

When the snow melted, this city felt more like winter. It brought a cold that seeped into the body, only dissipated by nestling into an air-conditioned environment.

During the lunch break, Ji Qingyou coughed a few times. Qin Shuangchi, who had come to see her, immediately made her a cup of cold medicine. Before leaving, she joked, “Don’t get sick before my wedding. If you don’t come, I won’t get married.”

After Qin Shuangchi left, Ji Xiruan slowly moved her office chair over to Ji Qingyou. She followed her in looking at some documents for a while, then said in a muffled voice,

“Ji Qingyou, how about we go to Austria after the New Year? Go right here, your favorite Alps. I’ve seen you use this wallpaper for so many years. Haven’t you ever been? I’ll treat you. I’ll cover the airfare and hotel. How about it?”

As she spoke, she pointed at Ji Qingyou’s computer wallpaper.

Ji Qingyou glanced at her. The fourth day of the first lunar month was the wedding date Qin Shuangchi had set. “No, I don’t have time.”

Ji Xiruan argued confidently, “Can’t you just go with me to lift my spirits? I’m already being accommodating by inviting you, covering the hotel and airfare, and taking you to your beloved Alps.”

Ji Qingyou finished the cold medicine in one gulp. “I don’t think I ever said the Alps are my favorite.”

Ji Xiruan wrinkled her nose. “Then why have you been using this wallpaper? Uncle Wang next door has changed his wig several times over all these years, and you still haven’t changed your wallpaper?”

Ji Qingyou looked down at her watch and ignored her.

Ji Xiruan noticed the change in her watch. “Oh, got a new watch.”

Then she looked her up and down. “Oh, and you’re not wearing glasses.”

Ji Qingyou didn’t acknowledge her strange tone. “I changed it a long time ago.”

“But why did you suddenly stop wearing glasses?” Ji Xiruan curiously leaned in. “Seriously, when you don’t wear glasses and show your eyes, you look different from the old you. Looking at people with soft eyes, it makes people’s hearts go pit-a-pat…”

Ji Qingyou glanced at her coldly. “I’m not going.”

Ji Xiruan choked. In the end, she just sighed. “So in the end, you chose Dr. Qin’s wedding and abandoned the lonely, grieving me.”

Ji Qingyou suddenly felt a little soft-hearted. “You should just give up.”

“I gave up a long time ago.” Ji Xiruan paused for a few seconds, then returned to her lively expression. “Seriously, why have you been using this photo of the Alps as your wallpaper for so long?”

Ji Qingyou’s gaze fell on the computer wallpaper, lingering for a while, as if she was zoning out. After a moment, she said a little absentmindedly, “Too lazy to change it.”

“Too lazy to change?” Ji Xiruan’s curiosity was piqued again. She squinted her eyes. “I don’t believe that someone as diligent as you would go so long without changing their desktop wallpaper!”

“Confess. Who sent it to you?”

The air conditioner wind blew a little stronger at this moment.

Ji Qingyou’s throat itched a little, and she couldn’t help but cough.

Ji Xiruan suddenly had a revelation. “I see! So it really was sent by someone else! Did you guys also make plans to go together?”

Ji Qingyou stared at the document on the computer, not raising her head. “No.”

Ji Xiruan ignored her. “So there really is someone.”

Ji Qingyou clicked the mouse a few times, changing the subject. “How is Little Jiu doing?”

“She’s doing fine. Surgery in two days. Her vitals have been stable these past few days.” Ji Xiruan answered, but then added, “Who is this person?”

Ji Qingyou didn’t say anything, clicking a few more times on the screen, her gaze still fixed on that brilliant white snowy mountain tinged with pink on the computer screen.

Ji Xiruan moved her head to the other side. “Please, Ji Qingyou, tell me. Otherwise, I’ll die of torture from my overwhelming curiosity today. Who sent you the wallpaper? Do I know them? Man or woman?”

Ji Qingyou’s phone on the table lit up. It was a WeChat notification from Yu Qinjiu, a set of images.

Ji Qingyou didn’t open it immediately.

But Ji Xiruan was eager, her gaze peeking at the WeChat notification with unseen content. Her head was almost pressed against Ji Qingyou’s face, as if trying to observe every detail of her expression.

Ji Qingyou silently pushed her head away and picked up her phone. She looked at the series of various strange houses in the images for a few seconds.

Then, glancing at Ji Xiruan’s expression, which looked like it was about to explode from holding it in, she took a sip of hot water and calmly dropped the fatal blow:

“A woman, but you don’t know her.”