When she walked to the entrance of the service center, she saw someone.

Su Tang.

She was wearing a beige trench coat, her hair let down, her makeup exquisite, her lips painted with bright red lipstick.

"Clara, long time no see."

"Why are you here?"

"I've come to Anhe," she said. "I resigned from the First Affiliated Hospital in Qiyan. Attending physician, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Anhe People's Hospital."

Anhe People's Hospital, Cardiothoracic Surgery.

The same department as Julian.

"Does Julian know?"

"He does. During the interview, he was one of the interviewers, and he voted in favor."

Clara's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.

"Is that what you came to tell me?"

"Not entirely." She took a step closer.

"I came to tell you that I won't give up. You gave up on him in Qiyan, but I didn't. I've loved him for three years, and I won't back down just because of you."

Clara looked at her and suddenly felt very tired.

"Su Tang, he is not an object."

"I know." Her eyes reddened. "But if I don't try, how would I know?"

She turned and left.

Her high heels clicked against the concrete pavement.

Clara stood where she was, watching her silhouette.

The wind blew by, very cold.

That afternoon, Clara sent a message to Julian.

【Su Tang has come to Anhe, did you know?】

He didn't reply for a long time.

【I know.】

【You voted in favor?】

【I voted for her professional ability.】

She didn't reply again.

When he came to pick her up that evening, the car was very quiet.

Julian’s fingers were gripped tight on the steering wheel.

"Clara, I will handle this."

He didn't say it directly, but Clara knew what he was talking about.

"How will you handle it?"

He was silent for a while. "Give me some time."

She went upstairs without looking back.

He didn't send any messages that night.

The next morning, there was no porridge on the steps.

There wasn't any on the third day either.

Clara told herself that he had probably thought it through.

Perhaps Su Tang was right; he should stay in cardiothoracic surgery—that was where he belonged.

Not revolving around her every day, delivering porridge, waiting for her to get off work, and doing things he had never done before.

On the fourth morning, when Clara went out, she was stunned.

Julian was standing downstairs.

He wasn't delivering porridge.

He was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and he was holding a document folder.

"Clara, I have something to tell you."

"What?"

"I've resigned from the Anhe People's Hospital."

Clara was stunned.

"What did you say?"

"I resigned," he said again. "I'm not doing the cardiothoracic surgery job anymore."

"Julian, have you lost your mind?"

"No. I've thought about it very clearly."

He handed the document folder to her.

Clara opened it and looked—it was an employment contract.

Anhe Funeral Service Center.

Position: Administrative Logistics.

Chapter 20

Clara looked up at him, her mouth opening and closing; she didn't know what to say.

"You're a cardiothoracic surgeon, and you're coming to do administrative logistics?"

"Being a cardiothoracic surgeon is in the past. This is what I want to do now."

"Why?"

"Because Su Tang is at the Anhe People's Hospital. I don't want you to think about her every day, I don't want you to worry, and I don't want you to think there is anything between her and me."

"Do you know what you are doing? You are throwing away a profession you’ve studied for over a decade!"

"I know." His voice was calm. "But I know even better that if I stay there, you will get further and further away from me."

He looked at her.

"Clara, I said it before: there are cardiothoracic surgery departments everywhere, but there is only one you."

Clara stood there, clutching the employment contract, tears swirling in her eyes.

"Julian, are you sick in the head?"

"Perhaps. It’s incurable."

"You—"

"Clara, this isn't a sudden impulse. I’ve been thinking about it for several days. You work at the service center, and I'll do administrative logistics here, so I can see you every day."

"I can wait for you when you work overtime, I can take care of you when you're tired, and I can even come into your studio."

"Aren't you afraid of what others will say? A dignified associate chief physician of cardiothoracic surgery running to a funeral home to do admin?"

"I'm afraid," he said. "But I'm more afraid of losing you."

Clara's tears fell.

She lowered her head, desperately trying to hold them back, but she couldn't.

Three years.

When she was in Qiyan, she waited for him every day, waiting for him to look at her, waiting for him to say a word of concern.

She could wait for nothing.

Now, for her, he had resigned from his cardiothoracic surgery job.

He gave up the things he loved most.

He came to the place where she worked.

He went from being a "gatekeeper of the living" to a colleague of the "ferryman of the dead."

"Julian, have you really thought this through?"

"I have."

"You won't regret it?"

"I won't."

"You're lying. You will definitely regret it later."

"Then we'll talk about that later." He reached out and wiped the tears from her face. "At least for now, I don't regret it."

His hand was very warm.

As warm as it had been before.

But this time, Clara didn't pull away.

Because she knew how far he had walked to get close to her.

From Qiyan to Anhe, 400 kilometers.

From cardiothoracic surgery to the funeral service center, it was a turning point for his entire career.

From making her disinfect her hands three times, to walking into the room where she worked.

He had walked ninety-nine steps.

The last step was hers to take.

"Julian."

"Yes."

"Have you finished the onboarding procedures?"

"Not yet. Gu Ye said to wait until you agreed."

"Agreed to what?"

"Agreed for me to work here. He said this is your territory, and you have the final say."

Clara looked at him, and he looked at her.

Sunlight fell through the gaps in the leaves, dappling his face.

There was light in his eyes, bright and steady.

It was no longer the hollow, indifferent light of before.

It was a serious, firm, and expectant light.

"Come to work tomorrow," she said.

He was stunned: "What did you say?"

"I said come to work tomorrow. Administrative logistics, three-month probation."

He stood where he was, his eyes slowly reddening.

"Clara—"

"Don't cry; if you cry, you don't have to come to work."

He sniffled, forcing the tears back.

"I'm not crying."

"Your eyes are red."

"The wind is strong."

In the summer of Anhe, there was no wind.

Clara turned around and walked toward the service center.

After a few steps, she stopped.

"Julian."

"Yes."

"For breakfast tomorrow, I want to eat Xiao Long Bao. You should learn how to make them."

There was a second of silence behind her, then his voice came.

"Okay."

Filled with a smile.

Clara turned around; he was already smiling.

His eyes were crinkling, the corners of his mouth lifted high.

He looked like a different person from the Julian in that marriage registration photo.

He looked like a different person from that indifferent surgeon in Qiyan.

The current him was the Julian of Anhe.

The Julian who was willing to give up everything for her.

The Julian who would learn to make Xiao Long Bao for her.

The Julian who was worth her trying one more time.

Chapter 21

The next day, Julian came to work.

He was wearing a dark blue shirt, his hair was cut short, and his beard was shaved clean.

He stood at the entrance of the service center, carrying two paper bags in his hands.

One contained

xiaolongbao

(soup dumplings), and the other held soy milk.

"Your breakfast." He handed them to Clara.

"I learned how to make them. They don't look very good, but they're edible."

Clara opened the paper bag. The shapes of the dumplings were crooked; some were open, and others were stuck together.

It was obvious that they were made by a novice.

"Where did you learn this?"

"From videos online. I made four batches; I threw away the first three. This is the fourth batch, it’s barely passable."

"What time did you sleep last night?"

"Three in the morning."

"You still have to work today."

"Mm, but I wanted you to have something warm to eat."

Clara picked up a dumpling and took a bite.

The skin was a bit thick, the filling was a bit sparse, and the taste was average.

But she ate them all.

"Is it good?" His eyes were full of anticipation as he spoke.

"It's okay."

Upon hearing this, he smiled with satisfaction.

Gu Ye walked out from inside and froze when he saw Julian.