Chapter 25: A Rare Handsome Man in the Entire Village

Alright, she forgot that this was a term with ambiguous meanings. She also forgot that this was the 1980s.

This wasn’t the modern era, where internet slang was everywhere.

Holding her bowl and chopsticks, Xia Ruanruan earnestly nodded. “I understand now. I won’t say it again.”

Huo Beiqing nodded in satisfaction and added more food to her bowl.

Xia Ruanruan quickly covered her bowl. If he kept serving her food, she wouldn’t be able to finish it!

Huo Beiqing, looking calm, simply said, “Eat.”

“Mm-hmm!” Xia Ruanruan immediately stuffed her mouth like a little hamster, eating with full effort.

Watching her eat so enthusiastically, Huo Beiqing felt like the food tasted even better.

After dinner, Xia Ruanruan got up to wash the dishes, but Huo Beiqing stopped her. “Go tidy up your bed.”

Since all her bedding was new, the room needed some organizing.

But Xia Ruanruan hesitated. “You cooked, so I should—”

“It’s fine, I have nothing else to do anyway.”

“Then, I’ll trouble you, Dr. Huo! Love ya!” Xia Ruanruan raised her hands above her head to form a big heart.

Huo Beiqing: What exactly is she learning at school every day?

But… this wasn’t bad. It was kind of cute.

Turning away, Dr. Huo went to wash the dishes with a faint smile.

From then on, Xia Ruanruan and Huo Beiqing started living together in their shared household arrangement. At first, Huo Beiqing still came home on time in the evenings, but soon, he started returning very late.

Sometimes, he came back so late that Xia Ruanruan was already asleep.

One morning, Xia Ruanruan woke up and saw something placed on the sofa in the living room.

When she saw what it was, her sleepy eyes widened in surprise. “Ah—!”

Huo Beiqing, exhausted, walked out of his room. He had finished a late-night surgery and had the morning off, so he was still catching up on sleep.

Xia Ruanruan’s sudden yell jolted him awake.

Seeing his tired expression, she realized what had happened. Covering her mouth, she mumbled apologetically, “Sorry, I got too excited.”

Huo Beiqing knew why she was excited—it was because of the guitar.

His cousin had sent it to the hospital yesterday afternoon, but he had been too busy, so he could only bring it home after his shift.

When his cousin dropped it off, she had even teased him, “Since when did you start being interested in this kind of thing?”

“But honestly, it’s not easy to get one of these. This one was found by Gu Xishen. If you were relying on me, you’d still have to wait a while.”

At the mention of Gu Xishen’s name, Huo Jingshan pursed her lips slightly, her expression somewhat unnatural.

Huo Beiqing pretended not to notice and simply said, “Let’s all meet up sometime.”

Huo Jingshan smiled. “We definitely have time—it’s just you, the busy one…”

Before she could finish, a nurse knocked on the door. “Dr. Huo, your surgery is in fifteen minutes.”

Huo Jingshan sighed helplessly. “Alright, I won’t keep you from your work. I’m heading out.”

Huo Beiqing nodded and didn’t try to make her stay.

He and his cousin were only a year apart. Since his aunt had passed away early, she had practically grown up in his house, so their relationship was like that of real siblings—they didn’t need to be overly polite.

By the time he brought the guitar home, it was already late at night.

He had considered knocking on Xia Ruanruan’s door to let her know, but in the end, he decided against it.

He figured she’d see it in the morning anyway.

He knew she would be happy, but he hadn’t expected her to be this happy.

Seeing Xia Ruanruan so overjoyed, the exhaustion on Huo Beiqing’s face lessened significantly.

Lifting his chin slightly, he asked in his hoarse morning voice, “Take a look. Do you like it?”

Xia Ruanruan carefully approached the sofa, lightly strummed the guitar strings, then picked it up and ran her hands over it. Finally, she nodded vigorously. “I love it, I love it, I absolutely love it!”

She had originally wanted to play a few notes, but then she remembered—she had just received the guitar and didn’t even know how to play it yet. So, she put it back down.

Turning around, she looked at Huo Beiqing apologetically. “Did I wake you up?”

“I was just too excited when I saw it. You… you should go back to sleep. I’ll be heading out soon,” Xia Ruanruan said, making a zipping motion over her lips.

Then, as if she remembered something, she motioned for him to wait. She ran back to her room and quickly returned with a pair of slippers.

Handing them to him like she was presenting a treasure, she said, “Dr. Huo, try these on. They should fit this time!”

“I told the granny at the market that you needed a size 43. She even complimented you, saying you must be really tall and strong.”

At this point, Xia Ruanruan started showering him with praise. “I nodded proudly and told her, ‘Of course! Our Dr. Huo isn’t just tall and strong—he’s also one of the most handsome men in the entire village!’”

“The elderly lady was really envious when she heard that. She kept telling me that if I had the time, I should bring you over so she could take a look at you. She said she’s lived most of her life and wants to see just how handsome the most good-looking man in the area truly is!”

As Xia Ruanruan spoke, she squatted down and placed the slippers in front of Huo Beiqing’s feet. “You’ve been coming home so late these past few days that I forgot to give these to you.”

“Try them on and see if they fit.”

Her petite figure squatted at Huo Beiqing’s feet. After speaking, she tilted her head up, her bright eyes looking at him expectantly. Huo Beiqing’s gaze deepened slightly.

He extended his foot.

“Wow, perfect fit! Just right!”

“Then keep them. I’m heading downstairs—Doctor Huo, do you want anything to eat?”

Huo Beiqing had been quite sleepy, but at that moment, he nodded.

Xia Ruanruan made a simple bowl of egg noodles as usual.

A fried egg sat atop the noodles, blanched greens arranged neatly on the side, and a drizzle of sauce completed the dish. Having a bowl of this in the morning was quite satisfying.

Huo Beiqing finished his bowl, but he still felt like he hadn’t had enough.

Xia Ruanruan had some leftovers, and he was about to pull her bowl over to finish it. But before he could, Xia Ruanruan swiftly grabbed both bowls, stacked them together, and said, “I’ll wash these. You go back to sleep!”

Huo Beiqing: “…”

He had no choice but to get up and walk step by step back to his bedroom and bed.

Xia Ruanruan quickly washed the dishes, then grabbed her guitar and headed out.

The school did offer some music lessons, though the teacher only knew the basics. But that was enough.

With those basics, the rest depended on her natural talent.

She carried the large guitar on her back as she ran outside, drawing plenty of attention along the way. But she didn’t mind.

After all, she used to be a superstar—wherever she stood, she was the center of attention. Why would she be afraid of people staring at her?

On the contrary, she enjoyed the spotlight and the glow of the stage.

She thrived in a life filled with flowers and applause.

That was also why she wanted to take the college entrance exam and continue her studies.

The school’s music teacher was also quite fond of her guitar. He told her, “This guitar isn’t cheap.”

The teachers at the school were aware of Xia Ruanruan’s background. When he said that, his eyes held only admiration—no other emotion.

The music teacher patiently taught Xia Ruanruan some basic skills.