Waiting for You in a City

The lighting in the living room was dim, and a lone slipper lay on the side of the stairs;

There was the sound of running water in the bathroom, a man and a woman leaned against the wall naked.

Xu Qin was lightly picked up by him, the suspended position made her uneasy and sensitive. She tremblingly hugged his neck and expressed her emotions by kissing him.

Song Yan stopped for a while, pecked at her temples, and said with a low smile: “Take it easy, don’t nibble on my neck, it’s not good for it to be seen by others.”

“Oh.” Xu Qin responded, and after half a second, she said softly, “But I just can’t bear not to, what should I do?”

It was rare for her to tease him so blatantly, Song Yan obviously enjoyed it very much, his smile widened a little bit, and he said in a hoarse voice: “Then don’t bear it anymore.”

Couldn’t bear it anymore.

The feelings and desires, love and resentment in the bottom of their hearts were released to the fullest.

In the bathroom, a thin layer of mist gradually formed on the mirror, and the entangled figures of the two people in the mirror gradually blurred and merged into one.

In the living room, it was still dark and quiet;

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the night was darkening.

Late at night,

He held her in his arms, and fell asleep on the bed.

Midway, in his embrace, she scratched her ear with her finger, and he opened his eyes: “Still haven’t slept yet?”

“You’re breathing on my ear, it’s itchy,” she said.

Song Yan adjusted his posture slightly: “How about this?”

“It’s okay now.” She also turned around and put her arms around his waist.

He fell asleep a little and asked: “Was work tiring today?”

“Not in particular, I’m used to it.”

“Didn’t come across anything unusual?” He seemed to be very interested in her work.

Xu Qin thought for a while: “Nothing really. ……Oh, the group next door had one.” She rubbed her eyes and said slowly, “Today, a pregnant woman who was in a car accident was sent to the hospital, in critical condition. The patient was received by Doctor Li, who was planning on saving the adult. Under the circumstances at the time, trying to save the child would probably have resulted in both adult and child losing their lives. ……The man’s side of the family refused, saying that it was a boy in her stomach, and they insisted on keeping the grandson.”

“And then?”

“Neither one survived.”

Song Yan snorted a very faint sneer.

“In the hospital, I’m used to seeing all kinds of things.” Xu Qin was much calmer than him, but she lowered her eyes to think for a while, and suddenly asked, “What if it was you?”

“Me what?”

“Would you want the adult or the child?”

“Nonsense. Of course I want you.”

Xu Qin pursed her lips and smiled, and squeezed into his arms. After a while, she had another sudden thought and asked: “What if I’m not in good health, and having a child would be very taxing on my body.”

“Then we won’t have a child. I’m different from the people in your circle. I don’t have a palace to inherit.” He was still interested in deliberately teasing her, she kicked him lightly.

But suddenly, she remembered the man Fu Wenying had arranged for her to go on a blind date with.

The rich, beautiful, educated and talented man had said: “You don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to go to work, just marry into my family and enjoy life with peace of mind, as long as you have a son.”

Thinking of this, Xu Qin couldn’t help but hug Song Yan even tighter.

“Song Yan?” She looked up.

“En?” He was about to sleep, and slowly opened his eyes.

“What do you like about me?”

He thought about it seriously for a few seconds, and finally said: “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Xu Qin frowned, “It’s as if I have no merits.”

Song Yan thought it was funny: “If it were now, if I met you in the blind date market, I would consider: en, this girl looks good, has a good personality, a decent job, and good family conditions. I like all of these. But when I met you back then, it was too early, ……too early. At that time, I didn’t have time to think about anything yet, but my heart was already moved. I hadn’t even thought it through yet, so how could I know why……”

He spoke slowly, feeling sleepy again. She listened quietly without interruption.

I like you not because of your strengths or weaknesses; but because I liked you already, so I will like all your characteristics.

Xu Qin suddenly felt very apologetic, he obviously liked her, but she kept examining him, comparing him.

But now, because of liking him, she was more sensitive, caring.

“Xu Qin.” He suddenly said softly.

“Ah?”

“Talk to me more in the future.” He closed his eyes, as if talking in his sleep.

“……Talk about what?”

“Say what’s on your mind, don’t hold back. Just like before, laugh when you’re happy, and lose your temper when you’re unhappy.” Seeing that she didn’t respond, “En?”

“Okay.”

He hugged her and fell asleep. While half-conscious, he heard her say: “Sometimes I envy those girls whose eyes can talk, and I want to have those kinds of eyes.”

“Why?” He was really sleepy, with eyes closed, murmured.

“When I can’t say what I want to say, my eyes can let people see my happiness and sadness.” But her eyes were always as silent and oppressed as her person.

“You don’t need to have them.” He shifted, buried his head in her hair, and fell into a deep sleep, “I can understand.”

Xu Qin slowly raised her eyes to look at him. He closed his eyes, breathing evenly and long, and fell asleep. His arms were still around her waist.

In the dark of night, he lost the firmness and toughness he had when he was awake, and the soft and fragile side of him was fully revealed in front of her eyes.

His heart beat in her ears, his body temperature spread across her cheeks, his fragrance lingered in front of her body, the feeling of happiness at this moment was like overflowing warm water, filling her heart softly and slowly filling her whole body.

She didn’t know what this sweet taste was for a long time, but now she tasted it.

……

When Xu Qin arrived at the hospital, she was only one minute away from the start of her shift.

Xiao Xi was surprised: “Doctor Xu, you always come fifteen minutes early, what happened recently?”

Xu Qin said: “I get up late these days.”

Xiao Bei: “Are you very tired recently, do you want to sleep for a long time?” Looking at her, “But I think Doctor Xu’s complexion has improved these days.”

Xu Qin: “……”

Xiao Nan: “En, her complexion is rosy and glowy.”

Xu Qin: “……”

She put on her white coat without saying a word.

Xiao Bei: “By the way Doctor Xu, here is the porridge I brought you. Eat a few bites quickly, you won’t have time to eat later. You’ll have to be hungry until noon.”

Xu Qin: “I’ve already eaten.” She gave the money to Xiao Bei, “You don’t need to bring me breakfast from now on.”

“It’s no trouble, Xiao Dong and Xiao Xi’s are all brought by me.”

“I ate at home.” Xu Qin said lightly and left.

The nurses looked at each other.

Xiao Xi: “Doctor Xu wouldn’t be dating, would she?”

Xiao Dong: “No way, she doesn’t seem any different these days.”

Xiao Nan: “Not during work, but when there’s free time now she looks at her phone. She never used to touch her phone, now sometimes she sends messages, and smiles slightly. It’s scaring me to death!”

Xiao Bei: “I’m so curious, what kind of man can make Doctor Xu’s cold face laugh.”

“Ooooh—” Everyone nodded in agreement.

When it was almost noon, the 120 emergency center received a call for rescue.

Someone poured gasoline on a bus and set it on fire. When the ambulance rushed to the bus, it had burned into a big lantern.

Fortunately, the passengers escaped and the firefighters quickly put out the fire.

The injured were sent to the hospital, most of them escaped in time, not very serious injuries, and were gathered together for unified treatment.

When Xu Qin finished taking care of the patient at hand, she suddenly heard a loud voice: “Sister-in-law!”

She didn’t pay attention at first, until the person shouted again: “Sister-in-law!” The voice seemed to be directed at her, and was familiar. Xu Qin turned around and saw Zhai Miao.

Zhai Miao waved and ran towards her.

Xu Qin glanced at her up and down, her clothes were in a mess, and the hem of her clothes had a big burnt hole.

Xu Qin: “You were on the bus too?”

“Yes.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No.” Zhai Miao twitched her chin, which was exactly the same as Song Yan when he was a teenager. She said, “I smashed the glass with a safety hammer and led everyone to escape. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be so free like this now, and you would have to perform major surgery on several people.”

Xu Qin: “……”

However, she remembered the night that Song Yan had taught her the escape and fire extinguishing methods, which really put her at ease.

After Zhai Miao finished speaking, she looked at Xu Qin excitedly. After the two stared at each other for a while, Xu Qin vaguely understood, and praised lightly: “You did a great job.”

Zhai Miao answered immediately: “I’m a family member of a firefighter. It’s too embarrassing for my brother if I can’t do something like this. Sister-in-law, don’t you think so?”

Xu Qin was taken aback. She was worried about the injuries so she didn’t pay attention before, but now she realized that there was something wrong with her title— Song Yan had already told Zhai Miao that they were together?

“You should call me Xu Qin.”

“That won’t do. My ge said, I need to show respect for you, or he will beat me up.”

Xu Qin: “……”

“My parents also said, a younger sister has to be presentable.”

Xu Qin: “……”

So, uncle and aunt also know now? It was clear that they still hated her the last time they met……

“Although I had some disagreements with you before, it was because I treated you as an outsider. Now that we are one family, I won’t be as annoying as I used to be, and you’ll know how good I can be.” Zhai Miao said, “Let’s turn over a new page and forget the past.”

Xu Qin: “……”

One family.

What exactly did Song Yan tell his family?

What she didn’t know was that, in fact, Song Yan didn’t tell his family anything.

Only one day while eating, he simply said: “I am together with Xu Qin now.”

As for the rest, actions spoke for themselves.

Xu Qin said: “Your clothes are burnt, do you want to change into something else, I have a spare here.”

“It’s okay.” Zhai Miao patted the dust on her clothes, “Only the hem is burnt, I can still wear it back.”

Xu Qin frowned slightly, touched her elbow, and touched a smear of light pink powder, which was the same as what she found on Song Yan’s sleeve last time.

“What is this?” Xu Qin asked.

Zhai Miao was taken aback for a moment, then opened her mouth and said: “Chalk. Maybe I smudged it when I was cleaning the blackboard at school.”

Xu Qin was skeptical.

As soon as Zhai Miao saw her expression, she realized that something was wrong. After thinking about it, it must have something to do with Song Yan, so she immediately made up for it: “It may be from home. My dad uses chalk to mark the carpentry.”

“Oh.” Xu Qin nodded, her slightly frowning brows calmed down.

When Zhai Miao saw, she knew that she had guessed right, and she immediately slandered inwardly: Song Yan, Song Yan, it’s fine if you drag me, a young girl to work as your laborer, but I also have to use my ingenuity to help you coax your wife.

He should gift her ten Macs for it to be enough, but after thinking about it, forget it, he should keep the money for his wife.

Looking at Xu Qin again, Zhai Miao sincerely envied her, for having a sister-in-law as good as herself.

What sister-in-law would think about earning money to buy bags for her sister-in-law while she was still in college like her.

Xu Qin saw Zhai Miao looking at her with an unusually cordial and friendly expression, wasn’t used to it, so she looked away slightly, put her hands in the pockets of her white coat, and said: “If you’re okay, then head back early.”

“Okay, you go back to work.” Zhai Miao waved at her.

Xu Qin nodded slightly, turned and left.

Zhai Miao watched her turn and leave, and suddenly remembered the morning after the first snow, the sun was shining and the sky was clear.

She raised her head and asked Song Yan who was sitting on the ladder: “Why are you together? She said yes this time, what if she regrets it later and runs away?”

Song Yan said: “She didn’t know how good it was to be with me before, but she will know in the future.”

If outsiders heard it, they would probably laugh at this man’s self-confidence and arrogance; but Zhai Miao knew that this was true love and commitment.

Zhai Miao looked at Xu Qin’s disappearing figure and sighed, she was sincerely envious of her.

But Xu Qin, this time, don’t let my brother down.

……

After getting off work on Friday, when Xu Qin set out from the parking lot, she took out her phone to call Song Yan, and told him that she was off work as usual and did not have to work overtime.

It took her about ten minutes to drive back, it also took Song Yan about ten minutes to get to her house from his.

Starting at the same time, the two would just happen to meet downstairs.

Most of the time, he arrived earlier, standing downstairs smoking a cigarette while waiting for her. Then the two walked to the supermarket to buy groceries and went home to cook.

But today, when she took out her phone, Xu Qin suddenly remembered that he was the first to arrive every time, so why not wait for him today instead of him waiting for her.

She put away her cell phone and drove out of the underground garage. After driving almost halfway, she called Song Yan at a red light to report that she was off work.

Putting down the phone, thinking of Song Yan’s expression when he saw her later, she couldn’t help but smile a little.

But today there were red lights all the way, not so lucky. But it didn’t matter, it wouldn’t take long.

Xu Qin drove the car into the underground garage of the community and parked, then ran as soon as she got out of the car. She ran to the exit closest to her home, and saw that the night was like a curtain.

In the deep winter of the north, it was after six o’clock in the afternoon, and the sky was very dark.

Through the shadows of trees outside the rain-shielding glass windows, she saw that he had arrived first again, waiting at the entrance of the corridor.

This time, he stood in the shadows outside the street lights, blending into the night, his figure blurred. It seemed that he faced away from the road in the community and faced towards the direction of the residential buildings.

Xu Qin thought about it, walked lightly along the holly bushes, and lurked past.

A few big cycad trees in the flower bed blocked her, making it easier for her to hide.

She slowly approached, and suddenly jumped out to scare him: “Hey!”

But the moment she jumped out of the bushes, she realized that something was wrong, he was not Song Yan.

But, it was too late.

She rushed towards him uncontrollably.

He turned around when he heard her voice, and she threw herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist.

And Meng Yanchen almost instinctively hugged her tightly.