The next day when it was nearly time to get off work, Meng Gu called to say he could only leave later.  He will take his dinner at the hospital and told her to take her dinner first.  Chen Ruo Yu agreed and said that after her dinner, she will go to the hospital to wait for him. 

After the two people had agreed on the arrangement, Chen Ruo Yu made a trip home after work.  When she left her home and was going to meet up with Meng Gu, she saw Lu Bao Ni pacing back and forth outside the district entrance.  

Chen Ruo Yu had a deep impression of Lu Bao Ni and could recognize her with a glance.  Lu Bao Ni looked hesitant and nervous.  Lu Bao Ni looked up and when she saw Chen Ruo Yu, she was stunned for a moment, then she turned around and ran away. 

Chen Ruo Yu wondered what was wrong with the girl.  In the end, Lu Bao Ni did not run far away but suddenly turned back, ran towards Chen Ruo Yu and said.  “If you see Zhou Zhe, please don’t tell him that you’ve seen me.”

Chen Ruo Yu was surprised and nodded subconsciously.

Lu Bao Ni stressed again.  “You must not tell him.”

This time, Chen Ruo did not nod and looked at the girl suspiciously.

Lu Bao Ni hurriedly said.  “I didn’t do anything bad.  It is just that I don’t want him to know that I had come here to look for him.  I mean, I shouldn’t have come to look for him, so it is better not to let him know.”  She blushed and was so nervous that she stammered.

“Oh.”  This time, Chen Ruo Yu understood.

“Will you promise not to tell him?”  Lu Bao Ni asked.

“Um…….”  Chen Ruo Yu answered.

Lu Bao Ni breathed a sigh of relief.  “Then I’ll leave now.  Sorry about this.  Goodbye.”

Chen Ruo Yu nodded and walked in the direction that Lu Bao Ni left.  She was walking to the bus stop and Lu Bao Ni was also going to the bus stop.  The two of them walked for a short distance and when they found that they were going in the same direction, they smiled politely at each other.

Lu Bao Ni was a little nervous and did not talk to Chen Ruo Yu while they waited for the bus.  Chen Ruo Yu looked at her and suddenly asked.  “Do you like Zhou Zhe?”

Lu Bao Ni jumped with fright and she blushed.  She did not know what to do. 

“Oh, I know.”  Chen Ruo Yu nodded.

“I…….No…….”  Lu Bao Ni tried to explain but when she looked at Chen Ruo Yu’s expression that showed she did not believe her, Lu Bao Ni anxiously grabbed hold of Chen Ruo Yu’s hand.  “Please, don’t tell him.”

Chen Ruo Yu looked at her and thought of that time when she first pursued Meng Gu and the misery she felt.  She could not help but ask.  “You came here to look for him to make a confession?”

Lu Bao Ni said.  “I…….I don’t know what to say to him.  I just came over.”

“You came over and you regretted.  Now, you want to leave?”

“He……I……..”  Lu Bao Ni muttered.  “He plans to go back to his hometown.  If I tell him this, it seems it will give him more problems.  He is a good man.  But if I don’t tell him, I’m afraid I will never have the chance to tell him.”

“Then you should tell him.”

Lu Bao Ni shook her head.  “It is better not to tell him.  In fact, my family hopes that I won’t look for a partner from another city.  Even if I tell him, it is meaningless and also he may not like me.”

“The last time he was very anxious about you and came out to look for you.”

Lu Bao Ni was a little surprised.  She probably did not expect Chen Ruo Yu to know about this.  “He is very good to everyone.  Maybe he thought I had a problem and it was just a way of expressing his concern.”

Chen Ruo did not know what else to say and Lu Bao Ni lowered her head without speaking.

After a while, Chen Ruo Yu finally could not control herself and ask.  “Bao Ni, can I call you Bao Ni?”

Lu Bao Ni looked up at her and nodded.

Chen Ruo Yu said.  “Let me tell you.  Initially, I also liked a doctor with very good conditions and his conditions were so much better than mine.  I hesitated for a long time then gritted my teeth and I boldly pursued him.”

Lu Bao Ni looked at her and waited for her to continue.

“But he rejected me and I failed.”

 “Oh.”  Lu Bao Ni dropped her head and felt defeated.

“But later, he pursued me and now we are together.”

“Ah?”  Lu Bao Ni was surprised and raised her head.

Chen Ruo Yu said.  “My meaning is that if at that time, I was not determined to pursue him, we will not be together today.  Although there was failure in the process, at least I gave myself a chance to try.  Are you willing to accept failure without even trying?”

Lu Bao Ni opened her mouth and stood there blankly.

At this moment, Chen Ruo Yu saw her bus arriving at the stop.  She pointed at the bus that was slowly stopping and said.  “I have to leave.”

Lu Bao Ni reacted and cried out urgently.  “Can you leave me your number?  I……I don’t have anyone to talk to.”

Chen Ruo Yu told her the number and Lu Bao Ni thanked her.  She waved as she got on the bus. 

Chen Ruo Yu was in a good mood.

Who will understand the feelings of a girl who is secretly in love?  She……she understands very well…….

She wanted to sing again.  If Bao Ni is as lucky as her, and in the end, if she can be together with the person she likes, that will be so good.   And in this way, Zhou Zhe can be considered as he had found his other half, then her parents will not have anything else to say about her.  She also wondered how long she will have to wait before she dares to take Meng Gu back to her home. 

When Chen Ruo Yu arrived at the hospital, as usual, she waited in the Atrium Garden.  She called Meng Gu and he told her he needed at least another ten more minutes before he could come down.  Chen Ruo Yu did not mind and let him work with ease.

When she hung up, she walked around the garden alone by herself.  The weather had turned cold and there were not many flowers left blooming.  All that was left were green leaves that were growing with vitality.  Chen Ruo Yu suddenly felt that nature is full of reality.  Look, the plants are telling her that no matter how beautiful the flowers, in the end only the branches are able to sustain till the end.

She, as a green branch is better than those rotten peach blossoms.

Just as she was thinking about this, she caught sight of a rotten peach blossom from the corner of her eyes and it was one that pricked the eyes.  Qi Yao was wearing a white coat and she was walking through the Atrium with another female doctor. 

Chen Ruo Yu was surprised.  Did this woman get transferred to this hospital?  Had she become a colleague of Meng Gu?

At this time, Qi Yao also saw her.  She seemed to recognize Chen Ruo Yu and halted her steps to look at her.

That look…….

Chen Ruo Yu thought ~ Where in life does one not meet?  And when they meet, only the thought of giving her a kick emerged.  These words should be said to describe this scene when the two women meet.  She wondered whether Qi Yao knew about her and Meng Gu’s relationship.

Chen Ruo Yu straightened her back and stared back at Qi Yao.  She felt that as Meng Gu’s current girlfriend, she must not lose to his ex-girlfriend in terms of imposing manner otherwise where will her family’s Mr. Tyrannosaurus put his face?

However, Qi Yao did not come forward to acknowledge her.  She only just gave Chen Ruo Yu a few deep glances before she followed the footsteps of the other female doctor and together they walked away.

Chen Ruo Yu bit her lips.  This is the first time she had met Qi Yao after her relationship with Meng Gu was confirmed.  Actually, it is impossible for her not to mind about the other woman. 

She knew that Meng Gu had deep feelings for Qi Yao in the past. 

She knew about Meng Gu’s two failed relationships because of his previous relationship with Qi Yao. 

And she also knew why Meng Gu did not marry even though he was already 30 years old.

Well, with all these facts laid out, it proves that this woman is really like a cold virus.  She looks like she will only give a headache, a blocked nose and discomfort but in actual fact, if care is not taken, she can really kill.

Chen Ruo Yu touched her bag.  Meng Gu’s salary card gave warmth to her wallet and gave calm to her heart.  That man had even given her his salary card, so what is she afraid of?

Mr. Peach Blossom Forest is so smart, so he must know that the blooming period of flowers is not long and only the green branches can last.

Chen Ruo Yu secretly gave encouragement to herself in her heart.   She stared at the green branches distractedly and did not know how long she stayed in that position.  Suddenly she felt someone poked her head and when she turned her head to look, she saw the handsome smiling face of Meng Gu.

“Hai, girlfriend!  You look so cute when you are in a daze.”

Yo…….such sweet talk…….

Chen Ruo Yu quickly helped to encourage him.  “How cute am I?”

“As cute as Chen Ruo Yu.”

His answer really sounded good as if he was praising her again.  Chen Ruo Yu felt happy and smiled and after smiling, she realized he had said she looked cute in a daze.

Huh……he is full of tricks.  He had not praised her at all.

“Dr. Meng, let me remind you that your observation period has not yet passed.  Yesterday, you had made a big mistake and just now I found a pigtail*.  Tell me, how are you going to handle it?”

(Pigtail here means a mistake or shortcoming that may be exploited by others or a vulnerable point.)

“Just now there was a pigtail?”  Meng Gu was mystified.  “Then let me first settle it.  Tell me what it is.”

Huh……so eager?

His attitude made Chen Ruo Yu seemed somewhat unreasonable.  She bit her lip and said.  “You and Qi Yao are working in the same hospital.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Qi Yao?  Oh, our two hospitals are conducting an exchange program.  Their hospital had sent doctors here to do short-term training only.  The last time, I have already mentioned to you that our hospital was conducting a temporary special exchange program and you scolded me.  You also told me off saying that it was enough for me just to attend the exchange program and why I still bother to look for you.”

“But you didn’t mention anything about Qi Yao.”

Meng Gu wanted to speak but shifted his eyes to look behind Chen Ruo Yu. 

Chen Ruo Yu felt her heart jumped, turned her head around and saw Qi Yao standing not far away.

“What is wrong with the two of you?  I heard you mention my name.”  Qi Yao had already taken off her white coat and she was wearing a light yellow trench coat.  She lifted her eyebrows and smiled. 

Such a beautiful woman! 

Chen Ruo Yu’s heart tossed aside Qi Yao’s pretentious act and felt even angrier at Qi Yao’s glee and her act of coolness witnessing the two of them quarreling over her.

“Heard your name?”  Chen Ruo Yu spoke first without waiting for Meng Gu to speak.  “Who are you?”

Meng Gu coughed behind Chen Ruo Yu.

The two women turned their heads to glare at him and after that, they turned back their heads to stare at each other.    

“I am Qi Yao.”  Qi Yao knew Chen Ruo Yu was pretending but she also did not want to lose face.  “We have met in Meng Gu’s house, have you forgotten?  I’m Dr. Meng’s old friend.  You must have heard of me.”

“You are called Qi Yao?”  Chen Ruo Yu ignored the words ‘old friend’ and reconfirmed her name again as if she did not hear clearly just now. 

Meng Gu let out two dry coughs again.

This time, the two women did not bother about him and just stared at each other.

“Yes, I’m Qi Yao.”  Qi Yao said each word clearly again.  She was tall and had an imposing manner. 

Chen Ruo Yu raised her chin but her height and temperament were not comparable to the other woman.  She knew her momentum was not as good as Qi Yao and she did not intend to compare and said.  “Your name is really strange.”

Meng Gu again coughed.

Chen Ruo Yu turned around to look at him and then turned back.  “Just now we were not talking about you, you’ve got it wrong.  Obviously, we were talking about taking medicine.  Taking medicine…….not Qi Yao.”

(The pinyin for ‘taking medicine’ is Chi Yao which is similar to the pinyin for Qi Yao.)

Qi Yao pulled her face taut and Meng Gu burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?”  Chen Ruo Yu glared at him.  “You have been coughing and it is better for you to take your medicine as soon as possible.”

“Okay, okay……let’s go and buy medicine.”  Meng Gu grabbed Chen Ruo Yu’s hand.  “Look how terrible your Mandarin is?  You can’t even pronounce properly the words ‘Chi Yao’ and ‘Qi Yao’.”

“Who said so?  Obviously, I said it clearly.”  Chen Ruo Yu did not look at Qi Yao and pulled Meng Gu away.  While they were walking away, they were still talking.  “It was you who didn’t hear clearly.  You should take your medicine.” 

Qi Yao stood behind them and glared at their retreating backs.