Jiang Chen sat upright, not daring to move a muscle. She was too close—so close that even the slightest movement might make contact with her body. Yet deep down, he longed for that touch.
Wen-xian's hands were as soft as a spring breeze, gently dabbing Jiang Chen's wounds.
The gauze, soaked in medicinal liquid, was applied with the utmost care—she feared causing him pain.
At times, her hands—or even the soft swell of her chest—would brush his cheek, intentionally or not.
Each touch sent a tingling heat across his skin, like countless ants crawling over it.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, secretly savoring her scent.
"Does it hurt?" Wen-xian asked, leaning in, her eyes filled with concern.
"I'm fine," Jiang Chen replied with a guilty smile, worried she might see through his thoughts.
She seemed to know what he was thinking. As she continued dressing the wound, she tilted her head and whispered slyly,"What are you smelling?"
Jiang Chen flushed with embarrassment.
"N-Nothing," he stammered.
Wen-xian didn't push further. Instead, she leaned even closer, her chest nearly touching the tip of his nose.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked.
"I… kind of did."
"She must be pretty?"
"She wasn't ugly, but… Sister Wen, you're much more beautiful." Jiang Chen gathered his courage to speak the truth.
Just as she finished bandaging, Wen-xian raised her hand and gave his cheek a soft pat.
It was more of a caress than a slap. With a playful scold, she said,"Nonsense! Don't compare me to some girlfriend."
"But it's true…" Jiang Chen said, a bit stubborn.
"You..." Wen-xian playfully chided, then began gathering up the medicine and gauze. "You haven't eaten dinner, have you? I'll cook something. Wait here."
Jiang Chen felt awkward being treated to a meal on his first visit.
"Sister Wen, let me treat you to dumplings outside," he offered, quickly standing up.
Wen-xian glared at him, pressed down on his shoulders, and made him sit again.
"Be good!"
She turned and went to the kitchen.
Twenty minutes later, she returned with dishes in hand:
A plate of scrambled eggs with chives, stir-fried shredded potatoes with green peppers, a dish of steamed dumplings, and a bowl of millet porridge.
"What are you staring at? Eat!" she said, handing him chopsticks.
It had been so long since he'd tasted food that felt like "home."
Jiang Chen dug in with big bites.
Wen-xian sat nearby, watching him eat with amusement.
"Jiang Chen," she said quietly, "why did you end up treating people on the street?"
The question brought up painful memories.
He paused, chopsticks mid-air, then replied softly,"Because… there was no other path left."
"No other path?" Wen-xian looked at him with tender, almond-shaped eyes.
When their eyes met, it was like a jolt of electricity.
The weight of the past came crashing down—he wished he could throw himself into her warm, soft embrace and cry.
Life was hard.
Too hard.
To be born human is to suffer.
Not wanting her to see his weakness, Jiang Chen turned toward the window.
"My parents are both sick. We've borrowed a lot of money over the years for their treatment. Even my college tuition and living expenses were all loans. Now that I've graduated, I wanted to earn money to pay off our debts, but Xu Wenbin got me fired. Besides healing people, I have no other skills. What else can I do?"
Wen-xian bit her lip, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"You have such brilliant medical skills, yet they fired you… Good land ruined by pigs, a good position taken by a villain. This world is so unfair."
Jiang Chen gave a bitter smile."It is what it is. I'm just one man, weak and alone…"
"Silly," Wen-xian suddenly chided him. She reached out and gently stroked his hair.
"You're a good man. Your day will come. If you ever need help, tell me. If I can help, I'll give it everything I've got."
Jiang Chen reached out and held her hand.
She let him hold it, tenderly.
He cupped both hands around hers as if cradling a treasure.
For the first time in years, he felt like he had someone to lean on.
Their hands remained entwined for a long time.
Eventually, Wen-xian gently pulled hers back and softly said,"Practicing medicine like this on the street is illegal. What if the police catch you one day?"
"I know," Jiang Chen said quietly. "But I have no choice."
"You can't keep doing this," she said, locking eyes with him."You need a real doctor's job. Restart your path."
"But my record says I was fired. Any hospital will check with the Health Bureau. That door is closed."
Wen-xian thought for a moment, then clapped her hands.
"I've got it! The old village doctor in my hometown passed away last month. The clinic is empty now. Jiang Chen, why don't you come to our village as the village doctor? The pay isn't much, but it's a start. Later, you can see what comes next."
Jiang Chen was surprised. "Where's your hometown?"
"Peach Blossom Village."
"Sounds nice."
"It's more than just nice. The villagers are kind, the mountains are full of peach blossoms, and the seasons are beautiful," Wen-xian beamed."Most importantly… no one will check whether you were fired."
"Alright, Sister Wen. Sounds good."
Wen-xian was delighted. She reached out and patted his cheek like a child."Then it's settled!"
"How far is Peach Blossom Village from here?" Jiang Chen asked.
He was worried it might be too far—seeing Sister Wen wouldn't be easy.
"It's not exactly close. About two hundred kilometers, deep in the mountains."
"Oh… that's a bit far," Jiang Chen muttered.
"Far from who?" Wen-xian asked with a playful smile.
It was more of a prompt than a question.
Seeing her expectant gaze, Jiang Chen mustered the courage to say,"It'll make seeing Sister Wen harder."
That was exactly what she wanted to hear.
Wen-xian giggled."You silly! You think I wouldn't come with you?"
"You… But your daughter Lili is still in Jiangcheng. She's about to start school. The schools here are better."
"I used to work away from home. Lili's always been raised by her grandma. She's more used to living with her."
Jiang Chen's heart raced.
Sister Wen… wants to go to Peach Blossom Village with me…
"Sister Wen, then… can you call the village? If they're okay with it, let's leave tomorrow!"
Jiang Chen said quickly, afraid she might change her mind.
"Sure! The village chief is my second uncle. It'll be no problem. Besides, you're a top university graduate—they'll be thrilled!"