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

Zhou Lan stared at her blatant attempt to cover up her embarrassment for a couple of seconds before slowly realizing what she meant.

So this girl was just pretending to buy a gift; her real purpose was to buy something else.

Buying gifts was just a pretext; the real purpose was to bring her out as a cover.

She hadn't planned to buy Xiao Chen a gift in the first place. She had intended to come here from the beginning, but she was too embarrassed to come alone, so she dragged Xiao Chen along for encouragement.

Zhou Lan stood on the street with her hands on her hips, looking at Shen Ruo's face, which was still flushed. She shook her head and sighed, "Shen Ruo, I really misjudged you. I thought you were the kind of innocent little rabbit, but I didn't expect you to be the one with the most cunning mind."

Shen Ruo did not refute, because Zhou Lan was right.

She was accompanied by Zhou Lan.

Zhou Lan grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently, "Shen Ruo, you've changed. You used to blush when you catheterized male patients."

"...I blush now too."

Shen Ruo turned away and ignored her.

Zhou Lan caught up and took her hand. "Hey, do you know how to use it? Do you need your older sister to explain?"

"Zhou Lan".

"You really won't listen?"

"Please, stop talking."

"It's free."

Shen Ruo covered her mouth this time.

Zhou Lan stared wide-eyed.

open.

Shen Ruo, "Stop talking nonsense."

Zhou Lan nodded.

Breathing in the fresh air, she thought, "You don't appreciate kindness."

"No need, thank you."

Qi Wenshen glanced at the spending notifications on his phone, his fingertip pausing for a moment.

A customer spent 238 yuan at a sex toy store.

He stared at the line of text for a few seconds, making sure he hadn't misread the shop name, his expression unreadable.

That young woman, did she buy those things to prepare for tonight?

Qi Wenshen reached out and loosened his collar, feeling that it was a bit hot in the office.

No, it's not heat, it's dryness.

He glanced down at the shop name again, then logged out, locked the screen, and placed his phone face down on the table, out of sight, out of mind.

After a while, he turned his phone over again and opened Shen Ruo's WeChat chat window.

She sent me her location; it was an address in the suburbs, Xiao Chen's house.

He then checked the location again, saw the distance: 32 kilometers, which would take 40 minutes if there was no traffic.

Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly today; every step I took required my utmost effort.

It was so slow that he felt the day would never end.

A sense of irritation still rose in Qi Wenshen's heart.

Is it absolutely necessary to go to a friend's birthday party?

The message was never sent.

She needs friends, she needs social interaction, and she needs a normal life outside of him and her aunt.

Reply to her: 【I'll pick you up later.】

After sending the message, he put his phone in his pocket, got up, and walked to the window.

Outside the window is the rooftop of the inpatient building, and further away is the city skyline, a hazy gray expanse.

He stood there for a while, then suddenly lowered his head and chuckled softly, so softly that only he could hear it.

When did Qi Wenshen become so clingy?

……

A bread truck stopped in front of a three-story building.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Shen Ruo saw a middle-aged couple standing at the door through the car window. The man was wearing an apron, and the woman was holding a spatula. The two of them were waving at the car with smiles on their faces.

"We've arrived! We've arrived! We've arrived!"

Xiao Chen was the first to jump out of the car, and shouted back into the car, "Get out quickly, get out quickly! My mom's braised pork is delicious. You're not allowed to leave until you eat three bowls of rice today."

Shen Ruo was the last to get off the bus, still carrying the cake box she had bought on the way.

She looked around the Chen family's yard and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Is this the suburbs?

This is clearly a paradise on earth.

The three-story building has white walls and red tiles. Two rows of roses are planted in front of the door, and a grape trellis is built in the corner of the yard. Several bunches of green grapes are hanging on the trellis. They are not ripe yet, but they make people feel happy just looking at them.

Outside the courtyard was a peach orchard, the peach trees' branches and leaves shining green in the setting sun, and the air filled with the scent of earth and grass.

In her real world, this kind of place would be a guesthouse that requires payment to stay in.

Xiao Chen's parents were even more enthusiastic than Xiao Chen described.

As soon as they entered, Mrs. Chen greeted them warmly, "Oh, you're here! Please have a seat. The tea is ready, and there's fruit on the table. Please help yourselves."

Mr. Chen rubbed his hands together and kept saying, "The food will be ready soon, very soon. You should have some fruit to tide you over."

On the table was a large plate of sliced ​​watermelon, a dish of peanuts, a dish of melon seeds, and a pot of brewed tea, the tea still steaming, as if it had been brewed at the perfect moment.

Seeing this scene, Shen Ruo felt a warmth in her heart.

In her past life, she was a poor, uncared-for worker who only went back to visit her mother during holidays. She had never been treated so warmly outside.

This feeling of being treated like a VIP is both unfamiliar and touching.

Zhou Lan was already sitting on the sofa, holding a slice of watermelon in her hand, munching on it and splashing juice everywhere.

"Xiao Chen, where did your mom buy this watermelon? It's really sweet."

"I don't know, my dad bought it."

Xiao Chen was peeling an apple next to him.

Several colleagues sat down one after another, and the area around the coffee table immediately became lively.

Shen Ruo found a seat and had just picked up a slice of watermelon when she heard Chen's mother's voice from the kitchen, "Xiao Chen, take them to the peach orchard by the door for a stroll. The dishes won't be ready for a while."

Xiao Chen responded, put down the apple in his hand, and waved to them, "Come on, come on, I'll take you to see my peach orchard. The peaches are ripe, pick as many as you like, it's free."

"Really?"

Zhou Lan's eyes lit up, and she was the first to stand up.

"Would I lie to you? Let's go."

The group went out with great enthusiasm. Xiao Chen led the way, while Shen Ruo walked at the very back.

The peach orchard is just outside the courtyard, less than fifty meters away along a gravel path.

Each person carried a small bamboo basket, which Chen's mother had just given them. They were small and exquisite, and looked quite presentable when slung over their arms.

Zhou Lan was the first to rush into the peach orchard, standing on tiptoe to reach the biggest peach on the branch. "I want the big one, this one is good, this one is mine."

The other colleagues also dispersed, and the peach orchard was immediately filled with chatter and laughter.

Shen Ruo didn't rush to pick them. She slowly walked around the peach orchard, observing which trees had the best-looking peaches.

Having chosen her target, she reached out and picked one up, weighing it in her palm. It felt heavy and had a faint, sweet fragrance.

She put the peaches into the basket, and picked two more, choosing the kind that were large, evenly colored, and slightly soft when squeezed, as these are the sweetest.

Three now.

The thought that popped into Shen Ruo's mind was...

Take these back for Qi Wenshen to try; he's definitely never eaten peaches that have just been picked from the tree.

It's a pity my aunt isn't home, otherwise she would definitely like it.

My aunt loves peaches the most. Last time she bought a box at the fruit store and finished it in three days.

Shen Ruo picked three more.

She was bending down to reach a peach hidden under a leaf when she suddenly felt an itch on the back of her neck.

It felt like something was crawling on her skin, making her itch so badly that she shuddered.

Shen Ruo instinctively reached out and slapped the back of her neck.

Zhou Lan peeked out from behind the two rows of peach trees next door. "What's wrong?"