Marriage at Thirty - Chapter 18

“I don’t need it tonight, I want to finish this painting today. Maybe next time, Dr. Fu.” Lin Ran apologized, pointing to her digital tablet, where the vibrant colors were already mostly completed.

“Alright, get some rest early when you finish up,” Fu Linling said.

“Mm.”

Lin Ran heard the sounds of her washing up. Footsteps occasionally echoed outside, softening slightly each time they passed the study door.

A moment later, the footsteps approached the study.

A glass of hot milk was placed on the shelf beside her.

“Thank you.” Lin Ran looked at the milk, looked up, and smiled. “You sound just like my mom. For a second, I thought my mom had come.”

To Fu Linling, that wasn’t exactly a compliment. On a whim, she pinched Lin Ran’s cheek, then quickly let go: “Does your mom do that?”

“She does. That’s what she does when I don’t behave.”

Fu Linling: “…”

Lin Ran smiled and looked down to continue painting. Only after she heard Fu Linling return to the bedroom did she stop writing, touch the spot that had been pinched, and smile softly.

She pulled an all-nighter and finally finished the painting. She slept until past eleven and woke up to find breakfast again prepared by Fu Linling on the table: steamed buns and two small plates of side dishes. The note reminded her to heat the buns in the microwave before eating.

But she was lazy.

She made do with the cold buns and ordered takeout. While waiting, she got a call from Fu Linling, asking if she had taken her medicine.

“I haven’t eaten lunch yet. I’ll drink it after I eat,” Lin Ran said.

“What are you having for lunch?”

“Spicy hot pot (Malatang).”

Fu Linling frowned: “That’s not good for your health.”

“I really couldn’t think of anything else to eat, so I had to order something with flavor.” She admitted that ordering takeout every day was a struggle. Home-cooked meals rarely got boring, but ordering takeout every day was hard to tolerate; she never knew what to eat.

“Have you already ordered?”

“Mm, it’s almost here.” Just then, the doorbell rang. She immediately got up. “Speaking of takeout, it’s here. I’m going to eat now.”

Fu Linling hung up the phone and pondered for a moment. She looked at the orthopedic doctor sitting diagonally across from her, who brought a packed lunch from home every day and heated it up in the cafeteria microwave.

“Dr. Li, where did you buy that lunch box?” Fu Linling asked.

“This one? My wife bought it online.”

“Could you send me the link?”

“Sure, I’ll ask my wife.”

A while later, the link was sent to her WeChat. When placing the order, she deliberately checked the “in-person signature required” option. The thought of troubling Mrs. Fu to sign for her again made her happy.

In the last two days, Lin Song seemed very restrained. Even the nurses had noticed that the normally eager intern had been noticeably quieter.

During a root canal procedure, Fu Linling asked him to hand her a No. 1 root canal file, but he grabbed a No. 2. The nurse quickly reminded him.

After finishing the procedure, Fu Linling took off her gloves and simply said, “Focus on your work.”

“Um… I need to use the restroom.” Lin Song turned and ran out.

Nurse Qin stepped out to call the next patient and came back whispering: “He’s having an emotional moment (emo) by the window.”

Fu Linling was confused: “I didn’t say anything harsh, did I?”

“He’s young; he has a sensitive ego,” the nurse nodded.

Fu Linling glanced at the next patient, who was coming in for the third stage of root canal treatment, which would likely take a while. She decided to go to the restroom and saw Lin Song still standing by the window when she returned.

Lin Song saw her too and looked down awkwardly: “Dr. Fu…”

“Did you… never get criticized before?” Fu Linling asked.

Lin Song shook his head vigorously, stammering: “I’m just afraid you hate me. My dad said the wrong things last time.”

Fu Linling’s early departure last time had angered his mother, who believed Lin Ran and Zhang Wu had instigated it. She concluded that Dr. Fu would never help Lin Song and might even take revenge, which left him distracted at work for the past two days.

“If you think I’m that kind of person, you can apply to switch supervising doctors,” Fu Linling said sincerely. “I will sign the application. You can work with a teacher you feel more comfortable with. Wouldn’t that help you focus more on your work?”

Lin Song pursed his lips. After a moment of thought, he shook his head again. The internship period was almost over, and switching doctors would be more troublesome.

“I’m sorry. I won’t be like this anymore,” Lin Song said, turning and running back to the clinic.

Fu Linling watched his retreating back and sighed inwardly.

He’s truly a child raised with too much pampering.

Lin Ran wouldn’t be like that.

She dealt with her parents’ emotional change, the discovery of a younger half-brother, and transferring schools alone during the crucial final year of high school—yet she still faced new environments with a smile. It seemed nothing could defeat Lin Ran, except her Achilles’ heel, which was Zhang Wu.

Near the end of her shift, Lin Ran called her: “Lian Fang wants to come over to hang out. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then should we go out for dinner tonight?”

“If she doesn’t mind, we can eat here. I’ll buy some groceries on the way back.”

“Won’t that be too much trouble for you?”

“It’s not troublesome; it’s only one or two extra dishes. Does she have any dietary restrictions?”

“She doesn’t like lotus root or eggplant. Oh, and she might bring a child over, so could you pick up some children’s milk too?”

“Okay. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What do you not like to eat?”

“I don’t eat chives, cucumbers, bitter gourd, wax gourd, pumpkin…”

A picky eater, Fu Linling thought.

After Lin Ran finished, Fu Linling asked: “What kind of milk do you drink?”

“Any kind is fine. Just choose what you think is best,” Lin Ran chuckled.

Fu Linling hung up the phone and turned around to see the nurse and a few interns staring at her, dumbfounded.

“What is it?”

“Dr. Fu, do you know how gentle you sounded just now on the phone?” the nurse asked.

The interns all nodded, smiling ambiguously.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable! When an ancient tree blossoms, you just can’t handle it!” Nurse Qin laughed loudly.

“Nonsense,” Fu Linling coughed. “Hurry up and prepare the operating room.”

The surgery took a while. Fu Linling rode her electric scooter to the supermarket to buy groceries and knocked on the door, carrying several large bags.

“Why did you buy so much?” Lin Ran opened the door and reached out to take the bags.

Unexpectedly, a stuffed toy was suddenly thrust into her arms.

She subconsciously hugged it, looking down to see a grinning doll.

“Is this for Lian Fang’s child?”

“No, it’s for you.”

Lin Ran paused. Lian Fang suddenly popped her head out from behind her, teasing: “Tsk, tsk, tsk, I’m jealous. Fu Linling, do I get a gift?”

Lin Ran saw Fu Linling’s expression falter for a moment. She clearly hadn’t prepared one. Then, Fu Linling seemed to have an idea. She rummaged through a plastic bag for a long time and pulled out a box of chocolates that came with a free bowl.

Fu Linling unwrapped the chocolate and gave the bowl to Lian Fang.

“…Thank you,” Lian Fang said. “And that chocolate you have there…” she asked, eager to try.

Fu Linling slipped the chocolate back into Lin Ran’s arms: “This is her reward for taking the medicine.”

Lian Fang looked at the triumphant Lin Ran: “Now I really am jealous.”