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ᰔ My spring has arrived. ᰔ
“Good evening, listeners. The Zhangshan Meteorological Station issued a red rainstorm warning at 4:16 PM on November 20, 2029. It is expected that in the next three hours, the Yushan area will experience heavy rainfall exceeding 100mm, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds. Please travel cautiously and take preventive measures…”
The SUV was cruising smoothly on the highway. Yu Ran switched the radio station, and a piece of soothing light music flowed through the quiet car cabin.
Outside, the wind howled, dark clouds gathered, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the western sky, followed by deafening thunder. The weather in Zhangshan this year was highly unusual.
The strong wind blew various obstacles into the air, obstructing visibility. Due to the severe weather, two accidents had already occurred on the highway. Yu Ran steadily changed lanes and exited the highway at the next exit.
She drove to the nearest café, serendipitously named “Rainy Day Café.”
—–
At six o’clock, it was still early before closing time. Yu Ran pushed the door open, triggering the crisp sound of wind chimes.
The lady boss, who was drowsily lifting her brows, became alert the moment their eyes met.
Yu Ran felt as if she had been electrified. Her heart, dormant for more than ten years, trembled unexpectedly at this slight touch.
“Good evening, what would you like to drink?”
Yu Ran looked at the lady boss and knew she was being asked, but she remained silent, her gaze fixated on the lady boss’s face since she walked in.
It was a rare and delicate face, like a budding snow lotus on a mountain.
The lady boss’s eyes were also beautiful, clear and bright like a lake, exuding a faint purity.
However, there was a faint mole at the corner of her eye, made more alluring by the dim lighting.
Yu Ran regained her composure and smiled politely, “Sorry, I was distracted just now. I’m not familiar with coffee, so you can make a cup with the flavor you think is best.”
The lady boss seemed to be introverted. She lowered her head to avoid Yu Ran’s gaze and asked, “Do you usually prefer American or latte?”
“American.”
As Yu Ran answered, her phone rang. She sat by the window to take the call.
Unbeknownst to her, the storm had begun to pour down.
The call was from a colleague arranging the department’s schedule. Yu Ran had performed several surgeries recently, and tomorrow she had a major surgery for severe scoliosis. To be honest, she shouldn’t be drinking coffee tonight.
But she…
This spot faced the bar counter, and Yu Ran only needed to look up to see the woman attentively making coffee.
Perhaps because the “Rainy Day Café” was so aptly named, the café gradually filled up with people. The door opened and closed repeatedly, letting in the cold wind and causing the wind chimes to sway with a crisp sound. The female owner quietly lowered her head, shaking ice and drawing patterns in the drinks.
Throughout an entire dreary evening, Yu Ran efficiently completed many tasks. She always remained emotionally stable, never complaining about life or work, and wasn’t enthusiastic about any sudden little surprises. But at this moment, she suddenly felt a bit grateful for the weather.
The instant the coffee was handed over, their fingertips barely touched. Yu Ran knew that she might be sleepless all night.
The female owner’s ears were red, her face was also flushed. Yu Ran glanced at her name tag, Shen Suhui, a name that felt very familiar.
Yu Ran didn’t think much of it and didn’t ask. It was probably because the phrase “tracing back” from high school literature was so well-known that it felt familiar.
The coffee tasted briskly sweet at first sip, with a rich aroma. However, the aftertaste had a slight sourness, with the characteristic bitterness of an Americano.
Yu Ran frowned slightly, contemplating the significance of Shen Suhui making this coffee for her. When she looked up and met Shen Suhui’s eyes, the other quickly averted her gaze.
Although it wasn’t polite, Yu Ran clearly felt that the female owner was also observing her.
The rainstorm came and went quickly. Now, only a continuous drizzle fell from the sky. It was time for Yu Ran to leave.
She walked over, knocked on the bar counter, and smiled at the female owner. “The coffee is very good. May I ask what kind of coffee it is?”
Shen Suhui replied, “Plum Sparkling Americano.”
So it was a Plum Sparkling Americano.
Yu Ran paid and prepared to leave.
“Wait.”
Yu Ran turned around, “Anything else?”
—–
The indoor air conditioning was set too high, making Shen Suhui’s face very flushed. She hid her right hand behind her back. Yu Ran didn’t see her tightly clenched fingers. After a moment of inner struggle, Shen Suhui looked up and met Yu Ran’s friendly gaze.
She said, “The rain hasn’t stopped yet. Why not wait until it stops before you leave?”
She kept smiling, looking very kind, and would treat every customer who patronized her business well.
Yu Ran smiled, “No, thank you.” Even though she wanted to stay until closing time.
“Then take this umbrella. In this weather, getting wet might give you a cold.” Without waiting for a response, Shen Suhui took out a transparent umbrella and handed it to her.
“If you give me your umbrella, what about you?”
“This is for customers… I have my own umbrella.”
“Thank you. I’ll return it tomorrow.”
Yu Ran took the umbrella and briskly turned to leave.
The car was parked in a side spot opposite the café. Yu Ran didn’t open the umbrella Shen Suhui gave her. She hurriedly got into the car and naturally didn’t know that after she left, Shen Suhui watched her back for a long, long time.
“Tomorrow.”
Shen Suhui softly repeated this word. This was the first time in fourteen years she began to look forward to tomorrow.
—–
At 7:50 AM, the orthopedic doctors’ office started the shift change. Yu Ran, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, had already yawned over ten times in just ten minutes. Yes, she had tossed and turned until four in the morning before falling asleep for a while.
“Did you go out stealing last night? You look so haggard. Don’t forget you have a scoliosis surgery later, and it’s physically demanding.”
The speaker was Jian Ming, another female attending doctor in the department, four years older than Yu Ran. Both were considered rare “precious resources” in orthopedics.
This “precious female attending” was one of two at Zhangshan First People’s Hospital, so the director and other colleagues were very protective of them. This directly resulted in Yu Ran daring to open a food delivery app to order coffee under Director Yin’s nose during his briefing.
After the shift change, Yu Ran and Director Yin didn’t participate in the rounds. They finished packing up and went directly to surgery.
The surgery was very successful. When Yu Ran returned to the office, she threw away the half-finished coffee, feeling that today’s coffee wasn’t quite right.
“Why are you staring at that umbrella in the corner all day? What’s the point of leaving it there?”
“It rained yesterday, and a kind person lent it to me.”
“Oh… it did rain a lot yesterday. But who was this kind person? A friend?” Jian Ming pondered seriously, “You’ve only been back from the US for less than a year, and I haven’t heard of you having any friends… Is it Jiang Shiluo?”
“No, it’s a newly met friend.”
“Alright. How about staying a bit later after work? I have an intern who wants to ask me an academic question. She hasn’t come back from surgery yet, so could you help her? I need to pick up my daughter from kindergarten on time.”
“Not today.”
“Why?”
“I need to return an umbrella.”
“…It’s still raining! Returning an umbrella isn’t urgent. Does your new friend need it?”
“…”
Seeing Yu Ran’s smug expression, Jian Ming had a sense of understanding, “Alright, it seems like the iron tree is finally blooming.”
Though she didn’t agree, Yu Ran stayed to help the intern with her academic problem.
It rained lightly all day. Yu Ran drove to the café, and by then the rain had stopped. The city was damp, with beautiful golden maple leaves covering the ground, and a rain of maple leaves swirling in the wind.
Yu Ran thought for a moment and left the umbrella on the passenger seat.
She went empty-handed, and when she pushed the door open, she saw a hint of surprise in Shen Suhui’s eyes.
“You really came.”
“Yes, I really like your coffee…” Yu Ran walked to the bar and naturally started chatting with Shen Suhui, “I ordered a black coffee this morning to wake up, but I didn’t like it much, so I threw it away…”
“Could it be the type of coffee beans?”
Yu Ran frowned, pretending not to understand, “Does that make a difference?”
“Of course.” Shen Suhui’s eyes sparkled, and she spoke quickly. Yu Ran felt she was much more lively than yesterday.
“The origin of the coffee beans, the processing method, and the roasting level all affect the flavor of the coffee. Light roasts have higher acidity, medium roasts have some acidity and aroma, while dark roasts become bitter…”
Yu Ran watched her speaking, a smile inadvertently forming at the corner of her mouth. Shen Suhui finally noticed the odd look in her eyes and froze.
“Is there… something on my face?”
“No, it’s very clean.” Yu Ran looked away. “I’ll have a cappuccino tonight.” She couldn’t afford to lose sleep again.
“Oh, right. I left in a hurry after work and forgot my umbrella. Can I bring it to you tomorrow?”
“Sure.” Shen Suhui’s tone lightened. She was eager for Yu Ran to come back. “But your dark circles are heavy. Did you have insomnia last night? You don’t have to order coffee when you come. I’ll treat you to hot milk.”
When the hot milk was served, steam rose from it. Shen Suhui looked into Yu Ran’s eyes, “I hope you have sweet dreams tonight.”
“…Thank you.”
The most ordinary words stirred ripples in Yu Ran’s heart.
Ever since joining the hospital, night shifts and being called for emergency consultations during sleep had become routine. Even though they had only met a day ago, Shen Suhui already knew what she lacked most.
—–
Afterward, Yu Ran braved all weather conditions, visiting the café more and more frequently.
Yu Ran had been mature and steady since childhood, with a mindset more sensible and mature than her peers. She graduated from the top medical university in the country at twenty-two, then went abroad for further studies. She worked in a public hospital in the U.S. for four years and returned to China last year.
During her years abroad, she experienced a lot and understood many emotions. She knew she had fallen in love at first sight. Before meeting Shen Suhui, no one had ever stirred her emotions like this, except on the operating table.
Timing is crucial in love. Love at first sight is not unreliable. Even if it’s based on physical attraction, it still counts as love at first sight.
“These past two weeks you’ve been in such a hurry after work. Are you really in love?” Jian Ming walked with Yu Ran into the parking lot. Yu Ran pressed her car key, and the SUV responded in the distance. Yu Ran quickened her pace.
“Not yet, but I’m sure my spring has arrived.”