“Um, is it on the desk in the study?” Pei Qi asked about the location of the USB drive. “It’s not a problem; there’s a subway station right next to He University, and it’s only a few stops from home. I’ll go get it now. Can Doctor Guan wait?”

He didn’t think it was troublesome; after all, Doctor Guan often picked him up and dropped him off, and made him delicious braised beef with potatoes.

“Okay, thank you. I really need it,” the magnetic voice on the phone said. Soft and gentle. It made Pei Qi’s ears itch slightly.

After hanging up, he hurried to the subway station. It was a little after three; it wasn’t rush hour yet, so it wasn’t too crowded.

It took almost an hour for him to get to the hospital with the USB drive. Having the experience of delivering the buns, he could already find the department where Doctor Guan worked. He turned into the inpatient building and took the elevator directly to the 19th floor.

It was completely different from his first time on the 19th floor. Now, there were patients walking around with IV poles, nurses coming and going, and groups of doctors in white coats coming out of the offices.

Among the group of doctors, Pei Qi immediately saw Guan Yue. It wasn’t because he was familiar with him; it was mainly because the man was exceptionally tall.

The little capybara stood still, watching the nearby doctors approaching. He swallowed unconsciously.

The distance shortened, and Pei Qi, feeling intimidated, instinctively stepped aside to make way. The group was about to pass him, but Guan Yue suddenly stopped in front of the young man. The others also stopped.

“Why aren’t you wearing a mask?”

“I… I was in a hurry,” Pei Qi felt like he was being stared at; he lowered his eyes, not daring to look up, taking the USB drive from his pocket. “R…right, here you go.”

“Thank you.” The man took the small device. “My workstation is the third one from the entrance; there are masks in the drawer.”

“Okay.” The little capybara nodded.

Guan Yue: “Sit and wait for me. I’ll finish my rounds, and then we’ll go back together.” These words made it difficult for those around them not to think about their relationship.

The little capybara’s mole behind his ear turned red; he quickly went to the office: “Okay.”

He heard someone behind him teasingly ask: “Doctor Guan, this is…”

Pei Qi was too embarrassed to listen; he quickly hid in the office. Luckily… luckily, no one was in the office now.

After standing under the office’s central air conditioning and blowing cold air for a while, he found a mask in Guan Yue’s drawer and put it on. Finally calm, he sat in Guan Yue’s usual chair, facing his computer, which displayed medical records he couldn’t understand.

The young man propped his chin, not knowing how many minutes had passed. He heard footsteps outside and poked his head out.

A young man in a white coat, grinning widely, entered: “Hello, sister-in-law!”

Pei Qi was glad he was wearing a mask; it prevented him from being too embarrassed. The young doctor had already reached the desk.

“My name is Lü Dongyi. Sister-in-law, call me Xiao Lü, or Xiao Dong.”

Sister-in-law? Sister-in-law?! Pei Qi couldn’t process it. He instinctively pulled his mask higher, feeling a little uneasy as he stood up: “Hello.”

At that moment, Guan Yue and several other doctors entered.

“Tianyu, pay more attention to bed 31 tonight,” the man was talking to another doctor.

“Okay.”

Then, everyone’s gaze fell on Pei Qi. Pei Qi felt like some kind of rare and strange creature. He had to say something.

“Every… everyone, hello,” the little capybara said weakly.

He received a resounding reply: “Hello, sister-in-law.”

Pei Qi froze; there were no small actions that could save him now. He could only give Guan Yue a pleading look. The man was standing farthest from him, looking detached and enjoying the show. The little capybara felt a little angry.

“Sister-in-law, when did you guys get your marriage certificate? You were so secretive,” Lü Dongyi leaned forward. “Brother Guan was really good at keeping it a secret.”

“Yeah, you have to treat us to dinner; it’s such a big event,” the doctor named Tianyu chimed in.

“Aren’t you on duty tonight? Okay, I’ll treat you tonight,” the bystander finally spoke.

Tianyu shouted: “No, no. Wait until I’m off.”

Lü Dongyi: “And me too.”

Another older doctor laughed: “We’ll have to carefully check the schedule to figure out the date.”

The man at the back walked towards the young man, reaching out and taking his slender wrist: “Let’s go.”

Lü Dongyi: “Already leaving?!”

Guan Yue ignored him, leading the young man out.

“Bye, sister-in-law!” Lü Dongyi shouted from behind.

The little capybara was again grateful for his mask, though his already red ears betrayed him. Guan Yue’s peripheral vision caught sight of the young man’s flushed ears; the corners of his lips curled up under the mask.

He led the young man to the changing room door before letting go: “I’ll change my clothes; wait for me here.”

Pei Qi: “Okay.”

Soon, the man came out in civilian clothes. Summer attire: a light blue shirt over a white undershirt, revealing his long neck, collarbones, and the rise of his chest hidden under the thin white undershirt. A case of hiding in plain sight.

Pei Qi quickly looked away. Cough, cough… it was like those men in the manga he’d read in college.

Guan Yue: “What do you want to eat tonight?”

They were standing in front of the elevator.

Pei Qi: “Anything is fine.”

“Ding”—the elevator doors opened. No one was inside. They both stepped in.

Pei Qi finally recovered from the scene he’d inadvertently glimpsed and remembered to ask the important question: “So, did you tell them about our marriage?”

Guan Yue was completely unconcerned: “They’re very gossipy; they guessed.”

Pei Qi: “And you didn’t deny it?”

“It’s a fact; why would I deny it?” the man replied.

Oh, right…

Pei Qi pursed his lips: “But now they all know.”

That’s exactly what he wanted. The man calmly watched the descending elevator numbers: “They know. I’m the one who should be worrying about the consequences. Why are you worried?”

“Then… what are the consequences?” The little capybara turned his head, looking at the half-covered face of the man wearing a mask.

“The consequences are…” the man’s tone dropped, but his eyebrows rose.

Pei Qi’s throat tightened, thinking there would be serious consequences: “What?”

But on second thought, doctors aren’t priests. Getting married shouldn’t violate any professional regulations. Um…

“When others in our department get married, they treat everyone to a meal and give out wedding candies. Then…” the man paused, “you’ll need to be there.”

Pei Qi: “That’s it?”

“What did you think would happen, Teacher Pei?”

The elevator “dinged” again, and the doors slowly opened.

Pei Qi stepped out of the elevator, laughing, trying to deflect attention. He was embarrassed to say he’d been imagining a priest being expelled from his sect.

By the time they got back to the apartment, it was almost seven o’clock. He’d been busy these days, and even when he got home, he didn’t have time to let his mind wander. He was hunched over his laptop in the living room, typing away.

During today’s lecture, a student had asked several questions about making paste and the different types of paste. He thought he could create a mind map with annotations, making it easier to understand. Paste, in the restoration process, seemed both insignificant and ubiquitous. It was good to explain it in detail.

Guan Yue leaned against the wall in the living room, casually mentioning: “Busy lately?”

“It’s okay. I’m preparing for the lecture,” Pei Qi said, still typing.

“You can go to the study; is it comfortable here?”

The little capybara was nestled in a corner of the sofa with his laptop on his lap.

Guan Yue: “That posture is bad for your neck.”

Pei Qi said without thinking: “Doesn’t Doctor Guan use the study every night?”

The man’s gaze fell squarely on the young man: “My study isn’t small; it can hold two people.”

Pei Qi knew that, but he was still worried that the clatter of his keyboard would disrupt the other person’s thoughts.

“I think it’s more… efficient here,” he paused slightly, uttering a nonsensical statement.

Guan Yue: “…”

The man left; the sound of the door closing followed. A “bang.” It seemed to carry a little emotion, but the little capybara, engrossed in his “paste project,” didn’t notice. He still had to finish this point and fill out the unit’s monthly repair summary.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but it hadn’t been long. Because his mind map wasn’t finished yet.