After her dramatic cousin stopped acting up, the aloof doctor got anxious.

She screamed internally.

She wanted to go too; she really wanted to go.

In the real world, she wanted to go to Dali, but never had the chance.

She dreamed of seeing the sunrise over Erhai Lake, the sunset over Cangshan Mountain, the alleyways of the ancient city, and those popular photo spots that she had seen countless times online.

but,

Internship, then full-time employment.

The two words were like two buckets of cold water poured over her head, extinguishing the small flame in Shen Ruo's heart until it didn't even emit a wisp of smoke.

She's still in her internship, so let alone taking a vacation, Head Nurse Lin wouldn't even allow her to ask for a day off.

Planning a two-week trip to Dali?

You're dreaming.

She's not even sure if she'll be able to get a full weekend off, yet she wants to go to Dali?

Shen Ruo looked at Shen Yulan with obvious envy.

His face clearly conveyed the message: I also want to go.

Shen Yulan felt her heart soften under her gaze.

The child's eyes are exactly the same as when she was a child and wanted a toy but didn't dare to ask.

Their round eyes were filled with longing, but they didn't say a word. They just looked at you so pitifully that it melted your heart.

"Want to come along?"

Shen Yulan asked with a smile.

Shen Ruo's eyes lit up instantly, her mouth opened, and the word "good" was already on the tip of her tongue, about to burst out.

Then she remembered her bank account balance.

The word "good" hovered on her tongue, only to be shut down by a cold bank text message.

She lives with her aunt now and doesn't have to pay rent, but her daily expenses, transportation costs, and the occasional meal out with colleagues mean that if she can save a few hundred yuan at the end of the month, it's considered that she's been very frugal.

Going to Dali?

Airfare, accommodation, car rental, meals, attraction tickets, souvenirs—this trip alone would easily cost five or six thousand yuan. It would take her half a year to save up five or six thousand yuan.

Shen Ruo's eyes darkened.

"Never mind, Auntie, I won't go. My internship isn't over yet, so it's not appropriate for me to ask for leave."

That's half true and half false.

It's true that it's difficult to take leave during an internship, but the lie is that her biggest obstacle wasn't the internship itself, but being poor.

Poverty, the fairest thing in the world, chases after you regardless of whether you were in the book before or after, never leaving you.

Who is Shen Yulan?

Having lived for over fifty years, I have met countless people.

She saw right through the child's thoughts.

They were short of money but too embarrassed to ask.

Shen Yulan waved her hand and said, "Let's go together. I'll cover all the expenses."

These words were spoken with great confidence and conviction.

Taking my niece to Dali is like going to the supermarket downstairs to buy groceries for her.

Shen Ruo's heart skipped a beat.

All-inclusive?

A free trip to Dali, with no money and someone to accompany you—she wouldn't even dare to dream of such a good thing in the real world.

"good……"

The word "good" had barely left his lips when it was cut off by a cool voice.

"You can't take half a month off during your internship unless you want to quit."

Shen Ruo forced the words "good" back into her stomach, almost making her choke.

Qi Wenshen was telling the truth.

She had read the internship regulations of the First People's Hospital of the city. If a person takes more than five consecutive working days of leave, their internship qualification will be automatically cancelled, without any room for negotiation.

This is hospital policy; it's not that anyone is deliberately making things difficult for her.

Shen Ruo gave Qi Wenshen a resentful look.

Qi Wenshen met that glance without changing his expression.

Don't even think about leaving someone here.

Shen Yulan also said, "Oh dear, that's true. There's no way anyone can change the hospital's rules. It's a pity you can't go then. Maybe next time."

Shen Ruo smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I don't really want to go either, really."

Qi Wenshen's smile deepened as he looked at her stubborn expression.

"You'll get a vacation after you're officially hired. Save it up and go back later."

Shen Ruo: "..."

Is he just making empty promises to her?

But this pie in her eye really touched her heart.

"Okay, it's settled then. I'll save up for my vacation and go have a blast."

"Yes, your aunt will accompany you, and all expenses will be covered."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Qi Wenshen mentally sighed, "..."

Mom, the seat next to Shen Ruo is mine.

After dinner, Shen Ruo helped her aunt wash the dishes. When she was finishing up, she told Shen Yulan to sit down and watch her TV series.

Shen Yulan went to wash a plate of grapes.

"Ruoruo, come and have some fruit."

"Here it comes, here it comes."

Shen Ruo dried her hands, ran out of the kitchen, sat down on the sofa, and reached out to grab a green grape.

The green grapes are large, bright green, and crystal clear. When you bite into one, the juice bursts in your mouth, refreshing and sweet.

Shen Ruo took another one and handed it to Shen Yulan, "It's so sweet, Auntie, you should try it."

Shen Yulan smiled and accepted the gift, then casually took a banana and handed it to Qi Wenshen, who was looking at his phone at the other end of the sofa.

"Son, have a banana."

Qi Wenshen took the banana, but didn't eat it. He put it aside and continued looking at his phone.

Shen Ruo glanced at his phone screen; he seemed to be reading some kind of medical article. The dense text made her eyes hurt after just one glance, so she quickly looked away and focused on eating her green grapes.

The three people sat in the living room, eating fruit, watching TV, and chatting casually.

The show that Shen Yulan was watching updated tonight. She watched it intently, and Shen Ruo also glanced at it a few times. She found that it was one of those melodramatic dramas about a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fighting. The daughter-in-law and mother-in-law had been arguing for three episodes and still hadn't finished.

"Is this screenwriter out of material? A car crashed three times, and each time it didn't kill anyone. Is this car made of tofu?"

Shen Ru muttered to herself.

Shen Yulan, on the other hand, watched with great interest, completely unconcerned about the logical flaws.

When she got excited, she even angrily cursed, "This mother-in-law is too much! If I had a mother-in-law like that, I couldn't live a single day without her."

After the episode ended, Shen Yulan stretched and checked the time; it was almost nine o'clock.

She stood up, stretched her neck, and said, "Okay, I'm done watching. I need to pack my bags. I'm leaving tomorrow, and I haven't packed anything yet. I'll go and pack while it's still early."

Shen Ruo also stood up, "Auntie, let me help you."

Shen Yulan reached out and pressed her back onto the sofa. "No need, no need, you've been working all day and you must be exhausted. Just rest. I can handle it myself. It's not like I have much stuff, just one suitcase."

Before Shen Ruo could say anything more, Shen Yulan had already stepped onto the stairs in her slippers.

"Then I won't bother with it, Auntie."

Shen Ruochong called out from upstairs.

"I don't care, you just rest."

Shen Ruo sat cross-legged on the sofa, scrolling through short videos on her phone.

Qi Wenshen came over and sat next to her.

The two were separated by a cushion.

Shen Ruo glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then pretended to continue looking at her phone.

Qi Wenshen held the peeled banana to her lips.

Shen Ruo glanced upstairs. Her aunt's door was closed, and she could vaguely hear voices coming from inside; they were probably talking on the phone.

She opened her mouth and took a bite. The banana was sweet and soft.

"Hmm, this banana is delicious too."

She chewed twice and swallowed, just as she was about to take a second bite, when Qi Wenshen turned his head, his lips almost touching her ear, and his voice was so low that only she could hear it.

Shen Ruo almost choked.