Fortunately, I Met You

“You’re overthinking it. He already has a girlfriend.”

Even though Meng Qingyang’s tone was calm, the CEO could tell that she was at least a little interested. He chuckled in response as he personally poured her a glass of water. “Just a girlfriend, not a wife.” Honestly, even if he did have a wife, Meng Qingyang would still be able to easily snatch him away. Just look at how many similar cases there were in the news recently! "As long as you want to, then it’s no big deal. What’s more, I specifically hired this lad as I originally wanted him to oversee a part of the company. However, he thought that it would be better for him to start from the bottom because he just returned from overseas and is still unfamiliar with the inner workings over here. Thus, I put him over where you are.”

“Uncle seems to like him quite a bit?”

“Of course. I met him while working abroad. I can tell that he’s a very steadfast man. In our house, neither your brother nor sister are interested in my business, and you’re the only one who’s willing to help me at all. So, if you can make him our son-in-law and by doing so add a reliable helper to the business, then, as your uncle, I’m all for it.”

Meng Qingyang was resentful after hearing the explanation. “So you’re just looking for someone to help you manage your business!”

“Ah, that’s not what I said. That’s only if you like him.”

Meng Qingyang ignored him, angrily standing up to leave.

She left in a huff. For lack of a better option, her uncle could only call Lin Fan back in. “I don’t know what’s been going on with Qingyang lately, but she’s been very irritable. As young people, you two should have some things in common. If you’re free, please help me out and talk to her.”

Lin Fan smiled. “Alright.”

Honestly, he wasn’t sure what they would even talk about, but after he remembered what Cheng Xi had said, he took the initiative to start a conversation with Meng Qingyang on the way back.

He started off by asking, “Have you not been resting well recently?”

Meng Qingyang’s reply was cold. “What of it?”

Lin Fan smiled as he gestured to his eyelids. “You have big eyebags over here. My girlfriend is a psychiatrist, and she’s very good at treating insomnia and other similar illnesses. Do you want to talk with her?”

Meng Qingyang didn’t reply. After a while, she asked, “Do you like her very much?”

“Hmm?” At this point, Lin Fan had started driving and since her voice was so quiet, he didn’t clearly hear what she said. Naturally, his response was to turn his head around and look at her.

Even though Lin Fan’s facial features weren’t as well defined as Lu Chenzhou’s, he had his own delicate charm. His demeanor was gentle and kind, like a medieval scholar from a book.

Meng Qingyang felt her dormant heart stir. She clutched her chest and asked, “Do you love her very much?”

Lin Fan nodded as he affirmed, “Yes, I do.”

Meng Qingyang unconsciously smiled before turning her gaze towards the hustle and bustle of the outside world. She let her mind wander among the people and cars outside, no longer continuing the conversation.

As Lin Fan and Meng Qingyang were driving back, Cheng Xi had just pacified a patient and was just about to leave when Dr. Su called her again.

Dr. Su was the doctor who Cheng Xi had met when she had accidentally walked into the gynecology department while hiding from reporters. They hadn’t seen each other for a month, and Dr, Su looked even thinner than before, almost as if she would be blown away by any stray wind.

Cheng Xi looked at her carefully, and then seriously said, “Dr. Su, I think that you need to make sure to get some more rest.”

Dr. Su laughed. “As a psychiatrist, you really do have sharp eyes.” She rubbed her temples before saying, “Do you have some free time after work? I’d like to spend some time talking with you.” As she looked at Cheng Xi, she added. “I can pay.”

“I’d be honored. If you need to, feel free to find me at any time.” Cheng Xi gave Dr. Su her address. “I can treat you to dinner this time.”

Dr. Su laughed as she accepted, “Alright.”

As Cheng Xi left the gynecology building, she remembered that she had actually already scheduled to have dinner with Lin Fan, and so she sent him a message. “Something came up this evening. Can we reschedule dinner for another time?”

Lin Fan sent her a crying emoji, and then a simple reply: “Okay.”

Cheng Xi laughed and went to buy some groceries after getting off work. But she still didn’t have enough time to finish cooking before her doorbell rang.

Cheng Xi opened her door and let Dr. Su in. She was wearing casual clothes, and after taking her white coat off and replacing it with a pale blue coat, she no longer seemed as thin or frail. 

“I still haven’t introduced myself properly. I’m Su Feng,” she said.

“Come in, Su Feng!” And then Cheng Xi handed her a pair of slippers.

There was music floating through the house, a soft and relaxing blues tune with a thick and deep bass male voice singing soulful melodies. The living room was lit solely by a small lamp, from which a pale yellow light set the warm tone.

The sofa was very clean and tidy, and a cup of hot tea and a vase of fresh flowers were placed on the coffee table. There weren’t that many flowers in the case—only two or three stalks, but they were arranged beautifully in a white vase patterned with blue flowers. The gentle aesthetic added a delicate and independent beauty to the center of the living room.

All this gave off such a comfortable atmosphere, that anyone who saw it would feel a nearly irresistible urge to curl up on the sofa and fall into a comfortable and restful sleep.

Su Feng smiled happily before turning to look at Cheng Xi. “Thank you for all your effort.”

“It’s no problem. Please, sit first. I’m almost done with the meal, so let me prepare a bit longer.”

Su Feng nodded, and Cheng Xi returned to the kitchen. By the time she was done, Su Feng was already asleep, half-laying down on the sofa.

Cheng Xi smiled, lowered the volume of the music, and brought out a blanket to cover her body. She ate alone in the kitchen, a modest meal of a bowl of rice and a small dish of soup.

After she finished dinner, she read a book on her carpet. Su Feng slept by her side, not for too long though. After about an hour or so passed, she awoke once more.

“Are you hungry?” asked Cheng Xi. When she heard the rustling sounds of movement next to her, she knew that Su Feng had woken up. 

Perhaps Cheng Xi’s tone was too familiar and too natural, but Su Feng had a somewhat perplexed look on her face when she looked at Cheng Xi. After a while, when her mind had cleared up, she said, “I can’t believe I actually fell asleep.” And what a sound sleep it was! She had fallen into such a deep sleep that all her stress seemed to have vanished, and she was able to ignore all the issues normally plaguing her. That one hour nap had felt like a long, fulfilling sleep. Su Feng looked deeply at Cheng Xi as she said, “You’re really quite different from the other psychiatrists I know. No wonder so many people in the hospital say that you’re strange. Of course, I now know that it’s praise for you.”

Cheng Xi laughed. “The food’s still warm. Do you want some? I think you should eat.”

“Alright.”

Cheng Xi served her some food. She could only make simple dishes, so dinner was quite modest, just a soup, some meat, and a dish of sautéed green vegetables.

She was somewhat embarrassed. “These are my best dishes, so please help yourself.”

Su Feng smiled. “At least you have a few dishes that you’re comfortable making, while I have none.” She picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and started eating slowly. Cheng Xi drank a bit of soup while she accompanied her.

Su Feng didn’t eat much. When she was done, she looked at Cheng Xi. “Aren’t you going to ask me something?”

“Yes. I was waiting for you to finish eating first.”

Su Feng looked at her, smiling after a moment’s pause. “You’re really… overturning my understanding of psychiatrists. I thought that, in order to cure an illness, you would first start with a heart-to-heart talk, follow that up with an inspection, and end by prescribing some medicine.”

Cheng Xi asked, “Do you need any of that?”

“No. I just need to sleep and eat more.” After saying that, she stared at the empty bowl in front of her for quite a while. Then she stood up. “I’m going to go. Thank you. Before I leave, I’d like to retract what I said that time. You should be a doctor, and you’re honestly a very good doctor.”

Cheng Xi smiled. “Thank you. That’s the best praise I’ve ever heard. And to think that I even got scolded by our chief today.”

“Your chief doesn’t know what’s what.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

The two shared another laugh as Cheng Xi accompanied Su Feng to the door. From start to finish, Cheng Xi had never asked a single question, but she believed that, no matter what, Su Feng already knew what she needed to do.

Sometimes, the main reason people felt frustrated was because they had forced themselves into a dead end. When someone gave that person a cup of tea, sat her down, and let her have the rest she needed, she would realize that her path forward was blocked off, and that she should turn around.

After all, Su Feng was a smart person.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter