Xie Shang looked at her, "Miss Wen, you're quite expensive."
Miss Wen responded with a stunned "Oh."
A dog was barking at them ferociously from a distance, with no leash on, baring its teeth as if ready to charge and bite.
Wen Changling stepped in front of Xie Shang, stomped at the dog, and let out a sound, "Awoo!"
It sounded fierce.
Xie Shang laughed, "Why are you imitating its bark?"
It didn't even sound like an imitation. Which vicious dog would sound as innocent as a newborn pup?
Wen Changling hastened to explain, "You've just moved here so you don't know, this dog is notoriously vicious on Lotus Pond Street, it particularly bullies the timid and fears the brave. If you're not fiercer than it, it will chase after you and bite your pant leg. It's even torn my pants before."
Oh, it's that one. In Lileitu's Red Wine Estate, she talked about this dog that liked to bite people's pant legs.
"So you were having a conversation with it just now? What did you talk about?" Xie Shang pondered a bit, then tilted his head and asked Miss Wen, "Scram, I'm really fierce?"
Wen Changling: "..."
The notorious dog was called Little Black.
At that moment, Wen Changling had a small wish—Little Black, oh Little Black, go and bite Xie Shang's pant leg, let him experience the sinister ways of society.
However, Little Black only barked at her.
*****
At night, Little Black barked even more fiercely.
Granny Zhu's calico cat inexplicably climbed up a tree.
"Meow."
"Meow."
Huahua kept meowing.
Granny Zhu, whether she was woken up by the noise or had not been asleep in the first place, came out to the yard in her clothes.
Wen Changling was crouching under the wall, watering her succulents.
"Why is it so noisy outside?" Granny Zhu asked.
Wen Changling pruned an overgrown branch, "I don't know who called an ambulance."
It was the fruit shop, their landlord's home.
*****
The next day, Wen Changling had an early morning shift.
She got up very early. After getting ready, she went to the rice noodle shop across the street for breakfast. Midway through her meal, she saw Xie Shang coming over, yawning. Perhaps because he was so tired, his eyes—which were usually mesmerizing when he was alert—were watery.
Wen Changling's heart was briefly disturbed by his attractive appearance.
The place wasn't very crowded at that hour, with plenty of vacant tables available, but Xie Shang sat down directly at Wen Changling's table. He glanced over the menu without even bothering to lift his hand.
"Do you have any recommendations?"
His voice had a bit of hoarseness from just waking up, not whiny but very sexy.
Wen Changling recommended what she was having, "Three delicacies rice noodles."
Xie Shang's eyelids drooped a bit as if he was spacing out, not looking very energized. His hair was damp, probably wet from splashing water on his face.
"Did you not sleep well?"
He ordered a bowl of the three delicacies noodles, "It was too noisy last night."
It must be his first time living in a place without soundproofing.
The two men at the next table were talking about last night.
Big Brother Li, who didn't want his name disclosed, "I heard it was the water heater that had an electrical leak."
Big Brother Zhang, also opting for anonymity, "Is the person still around?"
Big Brother Li sipped his noodles, "They saved his life but he burned his hand."
Big Brother Zhang seemed to take pleasure in others' misfortune, "That guy Dongzi always like to get handsy with women. I say this is karma."
They were neighbors for decades; who didn't know the true colors of others. Nobody knew how many times Boss Tao from the fruit shop had been taken advantage of.
While nibbling on a sticky rice ball, Big Brother Li relished the situation, "That's true. The electric shock was like seeing a ghost, just right to injure his hand, let's see how he dares to take advantage of others now."
Big Brother Zhang and Big Brother Li, who preferred not to reveal their full names, downed their soy milk, much to their satisfaction.
Changling ordered another basket of small buns and a plate of covered vegetables. The sour long beans in the dish were finely chopped and stir-fried with meat, which tasted really good and was appetizing when added to noodles.
Xie Shang's three delicacies noodles were ready.
After he tasted them, Changling asked, "Do they taste good?"
"Not bad."
He ate slowly, making no noise. Despite wearing an expensive outfit, he didn't mind the grease and smoke from the food stall at all. Even when a child from another table spilled soup on his clothes, he didn't care, and first wiped the child's hands with a tissue, asking if the child got burnt.
When he spoke to children, he would squat down to their level, truly gentle.
Changling used the serving chopsticks to move half a plate of sour beans to his own bowl, then pushed the rest to the middle of the table with the plate, wanting Xie Shang to try some.
But he didn't pick any up with his chopsticks.
*****
The Oncology department had two nurses' stations.
After today's day shift, the head nurse held a brief meeting. At this time, there were scarcely any people in the station, so Zhong Yan and Seo Nalin didn't bother to lower their voices when talking.
"Are you really going to switch jobs?"
"Doing the most work for the least pay is pointless," Seo Nalin had a belly full of grievances. "Last week my son had a fever, and I couldn't get even one day off."
Zhong Yan sighed, "Different strokes for different folks. Some people got a week off last week to go abroad on a trip."
They didn't name names, but they understood each other perfectly.
"Can't compare to her, she's got connections."
Zhong Yan had only recently transferred to the Oncology department: "Is she really involved with Yan Cong in that way?"
Seo Nalin spoke with conviction: "Otherwise, what? They are not blood siblings."
"Didn't see that coming, Miss Wen is quite capable."
"She's not really—" Seo Nalin was cut off mid-sentence when the changing curtain across from the lockers suddenly opened.
Miss Wen didn't look angry and calmly explained, "The head nurse approved my leave because I hadn't taken a single day of personal leave in two years. She didn't approve your leave because you had already taken four personal leaves that month, three of which were night shifts, and no one was willing to swap shifts with you."
Seo Nalin's face darkened.
Zhong Yan felt embarrassed, "We didn't mean it that way."
It didn't matter.
Miss Wen didn't care, she came to the hospital to work, not to deal with people. She put away her nurse uniform and then left.
Yan Cong was right outside in the hallway.
On seeing him, her first reaction was concern: "Why are you here? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm here to get medicine." Yan Cong looked thinner than the last time she saw him, his clothes appearing baggy. "Don't be upset, I'll hang out with you."
He had heard the conversation from the duty room just now.
He took a piece of candy out of his pocket and offered it to her: "Here."
He always had candy in his pocket.
That's why Miss Wen didn't like it when others joked about Yan Cong. He was still young, still at the age where candy could coax a smile.
Miss Wen took just one, "I'm not upset."
"Then hang out with me."
Considering his health, Miss Wen wanted to refuse.
Yan Cong knew best how to soften her heart and gently called her by her first name: "I want to go to a bar. My grandfather was very strict with me before. Other than ice hockey, he wouldn't let me touch anything. Now he isn't holding me back, I want to go wild."
Miss Wen avoided personal contact with patients and their families, except for Yan Cong.
Yan Cong reminded her of Ah Na, her younger brother. Ah Na also hated bitterness and loved sweets.
"Then wait for me a moment. A patient's relative left their ID with me; I need to take it to them."
He was easily content around Miss Wen: "I'll wait for you at the main entrance."
Miss Wen ran off to return the ID.
Yan Cong watched her run away and waited at the entrance even after she was out of sight, not leaving, waiting for the two people inside to come out.