Auscultation

[The joy of youth tends to hide amid the passage of time. She waited years for him.] The little boy who used to get into fights and then collapse into her arms suddenly grew up. He got into the university she had mentioned, came to the hospital where she worked, and spent every day clinging to her side. On the first day, Fu Qinhuai sat across from her. Li He asked, “Where does it hurt?” He replied, “Doctor Li, my chest feels tight.” The next day, she asked, “What’s wrong with you this time?” He replied, “My leg hurts.” “Then why are you clutching your stomach?” … Many days later, the shameless man showed up for an appointment with a bunch of white roses, grinning. She had gotten wise to him. “Are you allergic to pollen today?” He replied, “No.” “Then why is your face so red?” He held the flowers out to her, lowered his head, and admitted, “Yes, I’m allergic to pollen.” … Sharp-tongued and indifferent by nature, she immersed herself in medical books and case files, yet somehow came to see him as an exception. Under the bright sun that day, Fu Qinhuai thought of her eighteenth birthday. As he had in the past, he leaned against her and murmured, “Sis…”