A Walk

Hua Yu didn’t ask where she was going. She said directly, “No need. I’ll eat in the cafeteria at noon.”

“It’s not trouble,” Wei Yin tried hard to prove that she could do both. “Dr. Hua doesn’t eat much anyway.”

The corner of Hua Yu’s lips lifted slightly, her tone calm. “I’m too lazy to go home and reheat food. That’s all.”

Wei Yin could only say, “Okay.”

A scratching sound came from the bookshelf. Wei Yin and Hua Yu both turned toward it.

The little turtle they’d brought back from the hospital was wriggling inside the low-mouthed vase.

“There’s no small fish tank at home,” Wei Yin said as she walked over and poked the turtle’s shell, pressing it back down. “It keeps trying to crawl out.”

Hua Yu hadn’t noticed before that Wei Yin had put the turtle in a vase; to be precise, it was a very low, open-mouthed vase meant for full bouquets of little chrysanthemums or baby’s breath. It was mostly decorative, one of the moving gifts Xu Ya Qing had given them when they first moved here.

No one knew where Wei Yin had dug it out from.

“Once the little turtle knows it can crawl out,” Hua Yu said as she picked up a dictionary of just the right size and pressed it over the vase’s opening, leaving only two narrow gaps for air, “it’ll keep trying to crawl out.”

Wei Yin stared intently at the little turtle, still smaller than two knuckles on an adult hand. Her eyes were full of fondness. “Then what do we do? It’s so small. If it crawls out, it’ll get lost.”

Hua Yu picked up her jacket. “Come on. It’s still early. Let’s go buy one at the supermarket.”

“You should rest. I’ll go buy it,” Wei Yin said, hurrying after her. “You just got drunk. You might get dizzy.”

She had never drunk before, but she had seen drunk people; someone with a poor tolerance could feel awful for days after one drinking session.

She didn’t know exactly how Hua Yu felt right now, but Hua Yu was definitely the type with poor tolerance.

“Let’s go together,” Hua Yu said, blinking once. “I’m fine, and you don’t know where the supermarket is.”

As she spoke, Hua Yu had already put on her jacket and was waiting at the door.

Wei Yin quickly ran over.

Walking beside Hua Yu, Wei Yin deliberately lagged half a step behind.

The person ahead of her was wearing a thin long outer jacket, the kind used for summer sun protection. Wei Yin had noticed that Hua Yu had many kinds of sleepwear: long nightgowns, tops and shorts, cotton, lace, chiffon, silk, all sorts of colors. The fabrics were always soft and fairly close-fitting, and looked comfortable at a glance.

And whether she was taking out the trash or collecting a package, she didn’t like changing clothes. She often just threw on a jacket and left, wrapped up from head to toe.

That was very different from the polished, dignified way she dressed for work.

Wei Yin felt as if she had discovered one of Hua Yu’s little quirks, like cracking a hole in a hard Hawaiian nut and peeking at the kernel inside, so different from the shell.

And sweet, too.

Wei Yin narrowed her eyes in contentment.

Hua Yu slowed her pace and turned her face slightly, waiting for Wei Yin to catch up.

Wei Yin bounced forward with a smile, clasping her hands behind her back like a child waiting for praise. “Dr. Hua, I know where the supermarket is. I’ve already walked all around this area.”

Hua Yu’s eyes and brows were gentle as she curved her lips. “Mm. Very good. I’ll take you to look around a bit more.”

Wei Yin skipped two light steps and secretly stepped on Hua Yu’s shadow, delighted.

The evening breeze carried the coolness of summer. Along the road to the supermarket, many households had finished dinner and come out for a walk; the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful.

The supermarket Hua Yu went to was on the other side of the subway entrance by the community gate.

“This is run by a local,” Hua Yu explained to Wei Yin. “It’s a little smaller than the chain stores, but the owner puts a lot of thought into what she stocks. I remember she brought in a batch of ecological tanks once; she even matched the sand and plants herself.”

The owner was a woman in her thirties, lounging in a chair behind the cashier counter and watching a ball game.

When people came in, she usually just glanced over, jiggled the slippers on her crossed leg, and let customers pick for themselves.

When she saw Hua Yu, she set her slippers down properly and stood up. “Dr. Hua, what are you looking for?”

“Last time you brought in a batch of ecological tanks. Do you still have any?”

The woman smiled. “Yes, they’re in the storeroom. I’ll go get one for you.”

“Do you know the owner?” Wei Yin asked softly from behind her.

Hua Yu nodded. “I treated her daughter.”

“Was it also a gland issue?” Wei Yin asked.

Hua Yu shook her head. “Not exactly.”

Hua Yu specialized in gland issues, and Wei Yin was puzzled, but she didn’t ask further.

Soon, the owner brought out a rectangular ecological tank. Inside, it was divided into two sections. One half was water, with golden sand and small pebbles laid beneath it, and two tiny duckweed leaves floating on the surface.

The other half rose an inch above the water. It was covered with turf, and a half-cut flowerpot had been laid on its side to serve as a little house. A few long blades of grass had been placed in the corner as well.

The side facing out was clear glass; the other sides were wrapped in wicker outside the glass. The overall shape was exquisite and practical.

Hua Yu took one look. “This is Tao Tao’s turtle tank, isn’t it?”

It was already fully arranged. They could just take it home and use it.

“Yes, she likes tinkering with this kind of thing,” the owner said, her eyes smiling. “I think this one looks the best. Dr. Hua, take it home.”

Hua Yu didn’t accept it right away. “Does Tao Tao know?”

“She’s asleep. I didn’t call her. If she knew Dr. Hua was here, she’d start insisting on going home with you again.” The owner laughed. “Take it. She’s been saying for a while now that she wanted to give these to you.”

Hua Yu turned to ask Wei Yin, “Is this one okay?”

Wei Yin nodded repeatedly. “It’s pretty. This one.”

“Thank you, boss.” Hua Yu scanned and paid. “How much?”

Before the owner could say, “No need,” Hua Yu was already smiling. “Give me the regular price.”

The owner had no choice but to think for a moment. “Ninety.”

That ninety obviously didn’t include the decorations inside. Hua Yu didn’t say anything; she simply rounded up and scanned one hundred yuan.

“Please thank Tao Tao for me.” After thanking her, Hua Yu took Wei Yin and left.

The owner stood at the door and watched them go. After they turned the corner, Wei Yin looked at Hua Yu.

A little spark of curiosity danced in her eyes.

Hua Yu took the ecological tank from her arms and raised a brow. “What’s on your mind?”

Wei Yin said succinctly, “Tao Tao.”

Hua Yu somehow had the strange feeling that she was being interrogated about who she was seeing; the corner of her mouth lifted. “She had a gland injury. I did the suturing surgery.”

Wei Yin was stunned. “An external injury?”

The gland was the most sensitive part of the human body. An injury there, and it needed suturing too; how much must that have hurt?

Wait—why had Hua Yu ended up in surgery? Gland surgery was still surgery, not part of their differentiation department.

“During residency, you have to rotate through different departments. I’ve been to quite a few,” Hua Yu said with a light smile when she saw Wei Yin’s confusion. “Tao Tao is an omega, with some psychological issues, autism, and severe anxiety.”

Wei Yin asked worriedly, “Why?”

“Because her pheromones are especially pleasant, or rather, especially attractive. It’s a kind of physiological attraction,” Hua Yu said frankly. “I’m very sensitive to pheromones, but they don’t make me uncomfortable. Ordinary alphas would definitely be drawn to her.”

Hua Yu glanced back at the supermarket. “Back then, the owner was still working for someone else and neglected her, which led to her... In short, she was often bullied at school and gradually developed autistic tendencies. Later it turned into anxiety and bipolar disorder, and she used a knife to cut her gland.”

Wei Yin was shocked. “She cut it herself?”

Hua Yu nodded and sighed. “And her mental state was terrible. She refused surgery. I used a lot of methods to get her to let her guard down. After the operation, I helped her apply for an extended hospitalization and stayed with her for a month, until all her indicators stabilized.”

So that was how it was.

Wei Yin turned her head to look at Hua Yu. The professional composure she carried when she spoke about the past, and the compassion and goodwill revealed beneath that professionalism, made every strand of her hair seem full of attraction and sex appeal.

Maybe Hua Yu herself didn’t realize it; the kindness she showed others was pure, with no moral judgment attached, clear and transparent. Even when that kindness was hidden beneath an apparently indifferent exterior, there were still traces to follow.

Hua Yu was more than four years older than her, but the depth of her life was far greater than Wei Yin’s.

The cases she had handled, the people she had saved, the brilliance she had achieved in her career... that was the gap between them.

Wei Yin’s envious, admiring gaze was impossible to miss. Hua Yu let her look at first, and only when they had gone upstairs and gotten home did she finally ask, unable to hold back, “What exactly are you looking at?”

Wei Yin blurted out what was on her mind. “Dr. Hua, you’re amazing.”

Hua Yu had received countless compliments in her life, and Wei Yin’s “amazing” wasn’t especially remarkable in either length or quality among all those flattering words; yet Hua Yu was pleased by it all the same.

“You’re so sweet. What do you want?” Hua Yu leaned back against the dining table, watching Wei Yin scramble around giving the little turtle its new home.

Wei Yin turned back with a smile. “Nothing. I already have plenty.”

The corners of Hua Yu’s lips curved. “Don’t look at me. Take good care of yourself; just remember what I told you. Don’t get sick, and that’s enough.”