CH 4

Socialising was easy for adults, missing the ever-present trace of awkwardness and bashfulness that children had. After a meal and a drink together, people would become chummy with each other.

It was rather coincidental that Xia Yuan happened to glimpse Tong Ning drinking alone at one side. They knew each other quite well back in university and continued to keep in contact even after graduation. Tong Ning was completely oblivious that Xia Yuan once had a period where he mooned over him, and only assumed that this was a very caring upperclassman. 

Xia Yuan, naturally, wouldn’t dredge up those past affections. It was all fun and games to casually blab about it when drinking with others, but letting the once-ago crush know would be too moronic.

Apart from Tao Xiaodong, these three were medical school graduates, so they had many topics in common. Tao Xiaodong had always respected doctors and the work they did, further with Tong Ning being pleasant company, Tao Xiaodong was able to hit it off with him, lacking any sense of alienation between strangers.

Tao Xiaodong had a way of making others relax in his presence without it feeling greasy. It was an innate gift he had since young. Tian Yi said that he was sincere and attentive. These two aspects normally wouldn’t manifest in someone simultaneously, but when they did, this person would appear very likeable and charismatic.

Similar to the other two at the table, Xia Yuan had scored well enough to be admitted into medicine and was even a top student in his cohort. Most of the friends and acquaintances he made in university were now doctors. Few from their school didn’t become doctors, and even those were like him, still associated in some way with the healthcare industry. 

Xia Yuan also had dreams of being a doctor and wanted to do his part for the medical field. However, in the end, he chose to take the more realistic road. With the drink getting to his head, he recalled the silly and lofty aspirations he had in his youth, and he lamented, “Every step I take is wrong. If I hadn’t gone into pharmaceuticals… I might be like you guys now, angels in white coats.”

“Angels in white coats?” Tian Yi said. “Just from this sentence, I can tell that you’re not cut out to be a doctor. The angels they’re referring to are the nurses.”

“Can’t doctors be angels too?” Xia Yuan eyed them both, sighing, “It’s great to be a doctor. Treating the sick and saving lives, people of immeasurable merit and virtue.”

Tian Yi shot back, “What’s so good about that? It’s a bitter and tiring road, there’s not a single perk at all.”

Xia Yuan had his mood completely dampened by him. He swept a glance around the lot of them, his gaze finally landing on Tong Ning, dressed in a white shirt, next to him. He turned and said to Tian Yi, “Then why don’t I hear Xiao Tong complaining about being a doctor?”

Having his name called, Tong Ning blinked. He seemed to ponder over it seriously for a few seconds before giving a shallow smile. “There really doesn’t seem to be anything good about it.”

“How can that be; how many people have you saved? How many lives have you reclaimed with those hands? You guys are amazing, seriously,” Xia Yuan clinked glasses each of them in turn, and downed his drink.

Tong Ning gently placed the glass on his lips. He slowly sipped his drink, held it in his mouth without swallowing, and looked down at his hands. 

Tao Xiaodong glanced at them as well. They were beautiful.

Tian Yi said, “No one understands our suffering. When it gets busy, we spend tens of hours constantly on our feet. We’re working ourselves into our graves, but they still come back and bite us in the ass with lawsuits.”

“Just quit. Come over and build machines with me,” Xia Yuan said.

Tian Yi shook his head. “No way.” 

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Tian Yi chuckled. He drained the drink in his glass and Xia Yuan refilled it for him. Tong Ning also smiled, while Tao Xiaodong explained from the byline, “He carried dreams of being a doctor in a white coat since young. Dr. Tian has sentiment.”

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There was no other road for them. All those years, it was the only dream that they strived towards. 

A casually brought up topic was just as casually brought to a close.

After, they chatted about some lamentable or amusing hospital anecdotes and talked about their love lives. Tao Xiaodong was unable to find headway into any of the topics that were talked about on this night, so he simply listened. He wasn’t familiar with the hospital, and he also didn’t carry a torch for anyone.

Tian Yi had dated his wife for almost ten years before tying the knot the previous year; they were still in the honeymoon phase of marriage. Xia Yuan was practically an old-hand in the dating scene—his dating escapades were varied and innumerable. Tao Xiaodong wasn’t any blushing maiden in this area as well. After all, he was already in his thirties; it would have been a joke if he hadn’t had his own share of romantic entanglements. However, it was really quite some time since he last dated anyone. He simply hadn’t met anyone suitable.

Basically, it boiled down to him not liking to play around and finding such affairs troublesome. He was attractive. He always seemed to carry a smile in his eyes when he turned his gaze on others; it was charming. The impression that he gave people was that he had the soul of an artist, and to this day, he didn’t have an established partner by his side. 

He was rich and unattached. Someone like this was a walking target that young men and women inevitably gravitated towards like moths to a flame.

It wasn’t that there was a problem with Tao Xiaodong, only that he had matured with the passing of the years and increasingly began to have difficulty bridging the generation gap with the young. The conversation would often get stuck. By all logic, as one of the trendsetters in the tattoo scene, he shouldn’t be lacking in youthful vigour. But the reality was that he really found it too difficult to get along with those younger than him, nor did he have the patience to try.

Moreover, he had his hands full with work. All of his remaining time was devoted to his brother, and so he didn’t have space left for anything else.

“Xiao Tong, are you still getting along well with that guy?” Xia Yuan cracked a pistachio, popping it into his mouth as he asked Tong Ning. 

The corner of Tong Ning’s eyes curved in a subtle radian when he smiled. He asked, “Who?”

“Haven’t you always been attached? Is your relationship still going strong?” Xia Yuan asked him.

Tong Ning picked up a pistachio as well but didn’t crack it. He held it between his fingertips and gently knocked his nail against its shell rhythmically, lapsing into silence. Then, he hummed and said, “We’re doing alright.”

“It’s so rare to see couples like you who are still together after so many years.” Xia Yuan said this very freely, without other designs. His White Moonlight was an infatuation of long ago that he used to harp on about in good fun. Some things were spoken in nostalgia, but he truly didn’t mean anything else by them. 

While Tong Ning wasn’t chatty, he was able to keep up with the conversation just now. But now, he didn’t have much to offer. Those sitting here could read the atmosphere. After exchanging a few glances, they smoothly changed the subject.

About feelings, others could only peer in as outsiders—only those involved would know best.

That night, Tao Xiaodong and Tong Ning formed a good rapport with each other, even exchanging contacts on WeChat before leaving. 

After talking over drinks until midnight, the bar owner helped them call rides, sending them back separately. Tian Yi was very obedient. He didn’t try to return home, staggering behind Tao Xiaodong to his place. Despite being smashed, he still remembered his wife, taking a photo of Tao Xiaodong’s home and drunkenly sending a slurred voice message over, “Wifey, I went to Xiaodong’s place. I didn’t fool around with anyone.”

His wife replied to him a while later, obviously still half-asleep. “Don’t send me messages in the middle of the night. I got it, okay? Prepare for bed and sleep soon. Xiaodong has two brothers over there as well, don’t wake them up with your noise.”

Tian Yi said, “Okie-dokey.”

Tao Xiaodong flung him to the sofa and left him be. He opened the room door, checking in on the two children. Tao Huainan and Chi Cheng had turned in much earlier and were now soundly asleep. With that, he closed the door behind him and kicked Tian Yi, who then rolled off the sofa to go into Tao Xiaodong’s room. 

Neither of them bothered to clean up. They were both wasted and had no grounds to scorn the other. So, just like that, without even changing their clothes, they fell asleep.

Tao Xiaodong had a more free and easy schedule. He’d already told his client last night to come by later the next day, thus, by right, he didn’t need to wake up early. But Tian Yi was different. He still had to clock in at the Radiology Department at eight o’clock sharp.

Tao Huainan and Chi Cheng rose at six o’clock. Chi Cheng checked the doorway. “There are two pairs of shoes.”

Tao Huainan asked, “Is the door closed?” 

Chi Cheng, “Nope.”

“Peek inside.”

Chi Cheng went in for a quick look, then came out and said, “It’s Tian Yi ge.”

Even if Tao Huainan couldn’t see, he still blinked owlishly, saying, “Go and make breakfast first.” 

Chi Cheng went to freshen up and ready breakfast. Then, Tao Xiaodong fumbled his way into Tao Xiaodong’s room, and fumbled his way to the bed. He touched a leg—he pinched it—it was his brother’s. So, he continued to feel around. Tian Yi was awakened by the pinch on his ankle. It itched. He grunted.

“Tian Yi ge, wake up wake up wake up!” Tao Huainan hit his leg.

Tian Yi, not quite awake yet, asked with his eyes shut, “What time is it?”

Tao Huainan said, “It’s already six-ten, hurry up!” 

Tian Yi was still mumbling, “I can make it…”

“You can’t! It’s time to get up, do you know where you are? You’re going to be late!” Tao Huainan continued slapping his leg. “Are you not going to work today?”

Tian Yi dozed for two seconds more before suddenly bolting upright. He looked at Tao Huainan patting him with a messy head of bedhair, and was thoroughly awake. His phone wasn’t by his side, so he asked Tao Huainan, “What time is it, Xiao Nan?”

“It’s six-ten already. Hurry up, hurry up,” Tao Huainan said. 

Tian Yi swore. He lifted his leg and climbed over Tao Xiaodong to get out of bed, rousing the other up in the process. Though Tao Xiaodong didn’t have any plan to rise, Tian Yi pulled him up. “You have to get up as well! I didn’t drive over; you have to send me!”

Tao Xiaodong’s brows creased. “Take my car.”

“No way, I’d still have to return it to you after that, and then I’d have to come back here again. You’ve have to give me a lift sooner or later; hurry up!” Tian Yi was already a foot out of the room as he spoke.

Tao Huainan was too used to this scene; it was the standard drill every time Tian Yi stayed the night. He seriously couldn’t figure out why the other couldn’t just set an alarm before he slept, instead of kicking up a storm every time. 

Ultimately, Tao Xiaodong was harrowed to get out of bed and give Tian Yi a lift. It was the morning peak hour. The traffic in the area of the hospital where Tian Yi worked was unreasonably heavy. Nevertheless, Tao Xiaodong knew these roads like the back of his hand. He knew which route best to take to circumvent the traffic, and thankfully, they made it there before it reached eight.

Tian Yi was a junior doctor in San Hospital’s Radiology Department. Tao Xiaodong often came by to San Hospital for Tao Huainan’s regular eye check-ups.

All the doctors here were excellent. Tao Xiaodong held them in high esteem and got along with some of them as well.

That was the reason why, when Tao Xiaodong heard from Xia Yuan a few days later that Tong Ning’s significant other was Tang Suoyan, he was really quite taken aback. 

But after getting over his initial surprise, he carefully considered the two people, mulling over their appearances and temperaments, and he nodded. “A perfect match.”