Chapter 4, Meeting

He has been extremely exhausted lately, even having to fight for every second of sleep

There's nothing wrong, I'm hanging up...

Meng Yao pointed ahead and said, "The budget hotel in front."

You speak

Oh, just to let you know, I moved in today

The store is not large, but it is kept very clean. At this time, there are only two people present.

The next day at the hospital, just as I was coming out of the duty room, a person suddenly appeared in the corridor, putting an arm around my shoulder. "What time do you finish work today? Come to my place for a meal. My sister has long admired your name and has always wanted to meet you. This girl has no other merits, but she can cook quite well."

The mixed noodle dish is acceptable

I remember you used to be a journalist

Fang Jinghang chuckled and said, "Where have you been messing around?"

Meng Yao lowered her head to look at the menu, "Is sour plum soup okay?"

Ding Zhuo was very persistent, "We still have time—let's go."

As soon as it was unlocked, a message popped up.

Ding Zhuo boarded the subway, and after sitting down, he took out his phone, only to discover that he had a missed call from his friend Fang Jinghang

Whispers came from the neighboring dormitory, and apart from that, there was only the hum of the air conditioning unit.

Ding Zhuo did not leave immediately, looking at her with some hesitation

Ding Zhuo nodded and got up to settle the bill

Dan City is a large city, and at this time, the liveliness only increases rather than diminishes

I had just checked into the hotel when I sent you the message, and I haven't eaten yet

Fang Jinghang smiled, "How come you know my itinerary better than I do?"

Ding Zhuo was wearing a gray T-shirt, the back of which had been soaked with sweat

Ding Zhuo called her name

It is quite a coincidence

Turning my head to take a look, the curtains were not drawn, and a hint of bright sky was visible through the glass window, with the lights of nearby and distant buildings flickering faintly.

What work

Returning to the dormitory, Ding Zhuo sat quietly at the table, smoking a cigarette

Not considering taking the civil service examination anymore

Soon, the red light turned green, and the two crossed the zebra crossing, arriving at the hotel where Meng Yao was staying.

After exiting the subway station, Ding Zhuo paused for a moment, reached into his pocket, and then realized that he had not brought any cigarettes with him

After a moment of silence, Ding Zhuo spoke, "My mom told me that you are coming to Dan Cheng for an interview."

Meng Yao paused for a moment, "... ... Well, let's try changing jobs."

Ding Zhuo sat up from the bed, cleared his throat with a cough, and greeted Meng Yao.

Ding Zhuo pushed open the door and held it open, letting Meng Yao go in first.

Meng Yao asked him: "Are you available now? I live near Central Park, if it is convenient..."

Meng Yao also glanced at his wrist and said, "Shall we go?"

Ding Zhuo had no intention of joking with him and directly asked, "What is it?"

After lying down for a while, he turned over and got out of bed, went to the refrigerator to take a can of beer, lit a cigarette, and plugged in the external hard drive

Fang Jinghang was hanging on himself like this, and Ding Zhuo took a couple of steps out, elbowing him and saying, "Are you weak in the bones? Can't you stand on your own?"

Ding Zhuo approached, and Meng Yao bent down to pick up the two eco-friendly bags placed on the ground. "The hard drive is in the bag, and Auntie has also prepared some sausages and dried goods for you."

He returned a phone call

Ding Zhuo immediately said it was convenient

Today, after much difficulty, I do not have to work the night shift, yet at this moment, I find myself unable to sleep

After a short while, Meng Yao finished eating, and Ding Zhuo also put down his chopsticks, asking her: "Are you full? Would you like to eat something else?"

Wishing you success in your interview

He sat on the chair, slowly sipping his drink, staring at the progress bar of the file copy.

She did not eat dinner in the car; she was originally past the point of hunger, but now her appetite has been stirred up again

Ding Zhuowei lowered his head, making it difficult to discern the emotions in his eyes, and his voice sounded rather calm: "Teacher Feng said to prepare well for next month"

Ding Zhuo let out a sound of "hm"

A planning company that specializes in copywriting

Ding Zhuo fastened the buttons of his white coat, flipped up the collar, and said, "It's hard to say."

Ding Zhuo was about to take her there

Line

Ding Zhuodun paused for a moment and said, "I will call you after I finish work"

The life between the school and the hospital is like a fixed railway track; relying on inertia, it does not deviate from its course

A few months ago, he rented an entire apartment, measuring around 60 to 70 square meters, intending to move in with Su Man and stay there during his breaks

Fang Jinghang hurriedly said: "Wait a moment—are you at school? If not, I can come over and keep you company for a drink."

Shall I drive your car back to school for you

At this moment, the house has become useless to him, and coincidentally, Fang Jinghang and his sister, who has just graduated from university, are preparing to share a rental. Therefore, Ding Zhuo decided to sublet the house to them

Have you had dinner?

He got off work at 8 o'clock, went home to take a shower, and fell asleep immediately. He slept in a daze and woke up feeling thirsty

The newly arrived intern nurse at the hospital gasped in shock, staring at the two of them with fear

After Ding Zhuo finished reading, he remembered that his mother had greeted him at noon, mentioning that Meng Yao would bring the external hard drive for him. He had followed his mentor to perform a surgery in the afternoon, and after finishing, he went home to sleep, completely forgetting about it

Ding Zhuo said directly: "Let's go, I will treat you to a late-night snack"

Ding Zhuo received a text message at 9 PM

Ding Zhuo steadily caught it, tucked it into his jacket pocket, and turned to head towards the hospital room

Meng Yao hurriedly said, "You go ahead and speak."

In the summer, Dan City is hot, even more so than Zou City. By evening, the heat from the concrete ground has not yet dissipated, and waves of warmth continue to hit people's faces

It became quiet again for a moment

Fang Jinghang smiled at the nurse, stood up straight, adjusted his clothes, and said, "I am going back"

Ding Zhuo works at the affiliated hospital of Dancheng Medical University, and is currently pursuing a doctor's degree. The school is close to the hospital, and he usually resides in the doctor's degree building, which is just a five-minute walk from his workplace.

In a moment, both individuals spoke simultaneously

Everything has been tidied up, and Ding Zhuo lay down on the bed

Meng Yao smiled and said, "It's nothing, I have it in the box, and it's not heavy."

Well

The topic inevitably always returns to Man Zhen.

Ding Zhuo glanced at her and then noticed that her head was drenched in sweat, "Just arrived?"

He went to the nearby small supermarket and bought a new bag, also replenishing the missing items such as shower gel and toothpaste—during this period, life has been somewhat muddled, yet the habits formed over the years push him to keep moving forward

The progress bar barely moves a little after half a day, the alcohol makes my throat bitter, the night is deep and still long

Ding Zhuo was too lazy to argue with him and directly hung up the phone

Well

Neither of the two spoke, engrossed in eating noodles

Ding Zhuo looked into the distance at the flow of traffic and asked, "Where do you live?"

Meng Yao poured two cups, pushed one cup in front of Ding Zhuo, and drank more than half of the other cup in one go.

After placing the order, the waiter quickly brought over a pitcher of chilled sour plum soup

Then let's go, there is a noodle shop ahead that has a decent taste, it closes at 11

Line

Meng Yao hurriedly said, "No need to see me off, it's very close. You can go directly to take the subway to avoid missing the last train."

She is wearing a loose-fitting white shirt, tucked into the waistband of her jeans, and on her feet are a pair of white canvas shoes

Tomorrow at 9 AM

Meng Yao hesitated

Meng Yao picked up a pair of chopsticks, selected a bit of noodles, took a bite, found it a bit spicy, but the flavor was quite good

Ding Zhuo then said: "My mother sometimes acts without thinking; she let you bring such a heavy item over. I appreciate the trouble you went through on the way."

Meng Yao's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, waited a while, and then nodded.

Meng Yao turned her head, glanced for a second, and waved at him

Meng Yao lowered her head and took a sip of sour plum juice. After a moment, she asked, "The art exhibition you mentioned last time..."

Meng Yao took a piece of paper out of her bag and wiped the sweat from her face

After finishing a cigarette, he took a shower and, upon coming out, prepared to go to bed. He noticed the bag on the table, walked over, took out the sausage, and placed it into the old refrigerator that he usually used to chill beer.

Ding Zhuo hurriedly extended his hand, "I will carry it."

Ding Zhuo shook his head, "Two bowls of pea noodles—what to drink?"

Upon arriving at Central Park Station, exit through Exit 2, and you will immediately see Meng Yao standing under the streetlight ahead

Meng Yao looked at the bag he was holding and said, "Auntie mentioned that the sausages are vacuum-sealed, but since the weather is hot now, they can spoil easily, so you should keep them in the refrigerator"

Meng Yao let out a faint sigh

Meng Yao nodded slightly, feeling a bit bittersweet, and did not speak.

One has traveled a long distance to arrive in Dan City, and it is unreasonable to require them to take another subway trip specifically to deliver something to him

Two individuals are walking on the sidewalk, while vehicles continuously speed past them on the adjacent roadway, leaving behind a hurried sound.

Fang Jinghang took the car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to him, "I almost forgot."

Ding Zhuo got up, washed his face, changed into a clean set of clothes, and went out to take the subway

Pushing open the door, the air outside, tinged with moisture, rushes towards me

What the hell are you talking about? Don't you have a surgery tomorrow morning?

Walk out for three to four hundred meters and you will reach a noodle shop.

Fang Jinghang smiled, waved his hand, and started to walk back. After taking a few steps, he turned around and said, "Wait a moment."

Ding Zhuo carried two bags in one hand and walked ahead, while Meng Yao followed behind him

After a while, two bowls of pea and miscellaneous noodle soup were brought to the table.

He couldn't tell whether it was late at night or early morning for a moment, and reached out to grab the phone on the cabinet.

Ding Zhuo stopped in his tracks

Two bags were lifted and weighed, and they felt quite heavy

Ding Zhuo raised his wrist to check the time on his watch

Meng Yao nodded slightly

Ding Zhuo as well

At a traffic light, Meng Yao glanced at Ding Zhuo.

The waiter handed over the menu. Meng Yao scanned it and asked Ding Zhuo, "What's good to eat?"

In the red broth lies alkaline noodles, accompanied by peas and beef as ingredients, sprinkled with a bit of chopped cilantro, presenting a vibrant array of red and green, which is very appetizing

Ding Zhuo nodded, "Okay, then you should go rest early."

Meng Yao stopped and said, "Thank you, just leave it here."

Fang Jinghang smiled happily, "Do you know whether I am soft or not?"

Meng Yao smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps the salaries are higher in big cities."

A few days ago, the laptop hard drive crashed. After it was repaired, I had to retransmit and back up the data.

Meng Yao smiled and expressed her gratitude

"Then I'll have a bowl of noodle with pea and pork," Meng Yao was about to hand the menu to a nearby waiter when she paused and asked Ding Zhuo, "Have you tried it before?"

Ding Zhuo nodded, "The interview is tomorrow"

He frowned slightly, with the night blending with the lights reflecting in his eyes, making him appear burdened with worries.

Fang Jinghang sensed that he was not in a good mood, "What’s wrong? Did you get scolded by your supervisor during the surgery today?"

Ding Zhuo directly made a phone call, and it was quickly answered on the other end