Delivery has arrived.

In the days that followed, Xu Mingjie continued to come to the clinic to collect payments. After several days of practice, Tang Yiyi’s speed at dispensing medicine had become much faster. After dispensing the herbs, she would deduce the patient’s condition from the prescription, then confirm her suspicions with Xu Mingtang. As it turned out, her deductions were always correct, which brought her increasing joy and satisfaction.

While she performed acupuncture on Qin’s mother, she also used acupuncture to help the wife of Boss Fan with dampness reduction and weight loss. As thanks, Boss Fan’s wife gifted her several pots of plants to decorate the clinic, making it look fresh and pleasing to the eye.

Later, Xu Mingjie told her that Wendy was upset with her for not explaining Qin Baike’s situation clearly before introducing them, and now even Xu Mingjie’s friends were ignoring her. “Sigh, it was a good intention gone wrong.” This incident greatly dampened Xu Mingjie’s enthusiasm for matchmaking.

“That day, Qiao Ting must have eavesdropped on us in the supermarket and went over that evening to stir up trouble. Guess why that child dislikes Baike so much?”

“I have no idea. Baike never competed with her for her father’s affection.”

“I asked her slowly afterwards, and she finally said it was because Baike wouldn’t tell her the secret recipe for his father’s chili oil. That’s why she hates him.”

“The secret recipe? A recipe passed down in secret? So Baike’s father doesn’t know it, yet his noodles taste just like Qin’s?”

“Whenever Xiang Shengli makes chili oil, he buys ingredients from Baike, all ground into powder.”

“Uncle Xiang never learned the recipe during all those years as a son-in-law?” Tang Yiyi asked curiously.

“It’s passed on by word of mouth, one generation to the next. Baike’s grandfather told Baike’s mother, and his mother only told her son.”

“But why would Baike really charge Uncle Xiang? That’s his father, they lived together for fifteen years.”

“There’s definitely more to it. From what I know about Xiang Shengli, he’s incredibly kind. Years ago, he’d had enough of Baike’s mother, but because Baike’s grandfather had shown him great kindness, he endured it until the grandfather passed away and then left.

“He’s that kind of person. Even after leaving, he still cares about Baike’s upbringing. Now Baike’s mother is ill and hospitalized, and hiring caregivers costs money. He probably wants to help, but now he has his own family and can’t give money openly, so buying the recipe serves as an excuse, and his current wife won’t mind.

“They’re father and son; Baike has always had a close relationship with his father, and I’m sure they understand each other perfectly.”

“So Baike has such a good father, and Baike himself is also a kind soul.”

“Yes, Xiang Shengli loves his son dearly. Why else would he insist on returning to Magnolia Lane to open a noodle shop?”

“Was it just to see his son more often?”

“Not entirely. Three years ago, when Baike was discharged from the army, he had trouble sleeping for quite a while, so he opened his noodle shop at night. Since he couldn’t sleep anyway. Xiang Shengli found out and returned. Qin’s noodles were Baike’s grandfather’s pride; he didn’t want Qin’s to decline under Baike’s management. When he returned, he started the ‘King of Noodles’ brand, and Baike shifted Qin’s focus to pork knuckle noodles. The two truly have a tacit understanding.”

“Auntie, you really see through people!”

“My grades weren’t great back then, only in science. My humanities were excellent, and I’m sharp at judging people and situations,” Xu Mingjie said proudly.

“Hehe.” Tang Yiyi gave a sheepish laugh.

Xu Mingjie glanced at her sensitively. “Why are you laughing like that? You’re thinking I misjudged Wendy and introduced her to Baike, right?”

“……”

“That was my first time meeting Wendy. I’d only heard her aunt mention her. I did tell her that Baike had a mother, just not that his mother was paralyzed. Baike handled it well, with a hired caregiver. Even if they ended up together, she wouldn’t have to serve her personally. I thought, if they really had a connection, she’d find out in time. But do you know why she was so angry?”

“Why?” Tang Yiyi couldn’t see any other reason.

“Because Baike didn’t like her.”

“Baike never said a word to her. How could she know?”

“Hehe, she’s thirty-one and has met countless people. She can tell. Before, she always rejected others. This time, she has wealth, looks, and a good figure. She finally agreed, but a noodle shop owner rejected her. How could she not be furious?”

“Makes sense. If I were a man, I’d like her too. But I’d tell her to cut back on the perfume first.”

“Exactly,” Xu Mingjie pursed her lips, “She sat here for only a short while, but the scent lingered for a whole day.”

Tang Yiyi couldn’t help but laugh. “That perfume isn’t cheap.”

In the morning, the medicinal herbs Xu Bin ordered arrived before he did. Zuo Chengjiang opened the packages one by one and nodded, “Good quality.”

Tang Yiyi picked up a stick of Prince Ginseng. “Master Zuo, this one is dirty and looks nothing like the ones in the premium box. Is it really good?”

Zuo Chengjiang smiled. “This is what real Prince Ginseng looks like. Whitening it isn’t easy; you could use sulfur smoke for that, but Xu Bin does things properly.”

In the afternoon, Xu Bin returned to the clinic and sorted the herbs with Zuo Chengjiang, spending the whole afternoon before finally finishing.

At dinner, he told Xu Mingtang he’d secured two long-term suppliers. He’d visited their warehouses; though not large, the quality of their herbs was good.

The old man Professor Huang mentioned, who uses herbal remedies, now mostly stays home. He doesn’t have a medical license, but those who seek him out get treated with herbs. Now, some medicinal herbs have commercial value, so people gather them recklessly, and many have become extinct.

His grandson is now learning to recognize herbs from him, which makes the old man happy, feeling there’s someone to carry on the tradition.

Xu Mingtang sighed; herbs are the most accessible folk medicine, but fewer and fewer people know how to use them.

Xu Bin was more optimistic. “People who need and love it will learn. Don’t worry, as long as there’s money to be made, it won’t die out easily.”

That evening, another torrential rain poured down. Tang Yiyi held up her umbrella to see him off. He got in his car, rolled down the window, and said, “Yiyi, your way of studying is awesome. I actually read a lot on this trip, more than I’d managed in a month before. Fine, you’re my senior now. That’s settled.”

Tang Yiyi stared at him speechless. Girls with fragile hearts like Xiaoxiao really do need kind-hearted boys like him.

The rain grew heavier, and thunder rumbled in the distance—the first thunder she’d heard that year. Tang Yiyi huddled in her room to study. She hadn’t written any prescriptions lately, so she worked backwards, deducing symptoms from Xu Mingtang’s prescriptions and comparing them to the symptoms written at the top. Almost every prescription yielded some unexpected insight.

By the time she finished, it was past ten o’clock. Her stomach was, as usual, painfully hungry, but the storm outside was ferocious, lightning flashing, thunder threatening. She had always been afraid of thunderstorms, hiding in her grandmother’s arms as a child, later burying her head under the covers.

Tonight, she wouldn’t dare venture out for anything.

She took out the snack bag Qin Baike had bought for her, now reduced to a single packet of dried plums. She tore it open and popped one in her mouth—sweet and sour, making her even hungrier.

She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her feed, only to see people flaunting their barbecue, adding to her misery. Her stomach growled. She opened Liu Xin’s WeChat and sent him a picture of herself starving.

Liu Xin quickly replied: Come down and eat.

She said: Thunder, I’m scared.

Liu Xin: With thunder, even delivery stops.

She said: Who would come in such heavy rain?

Liu Xin: A hungry cat or two.

She replied: I’ll sleep. If I sleep, I won’t feel hungry.

She clicked the link for King of Noodles to vote. Qin’s had climbed to fifteenth place, halfway through the competition; more effort was needed.

Afraid of lightning, she didn’t dare shower. What if she got electrocuted? She burrowed under the covers, growing sadder with each thought—alone in this city, with no one to call and cry to.

She imagined Wang Yufeng sweet-talking the junior student, and tears began to flow uncontrollably, sobbing aloud.

Just as she was crying her heart out, she thought she heard someone knocking on the door. Surely it was an illusion, but she poked her head out from the covers. There was indeed someone; probably her master, she thought.

Wiping her tears, she opened the door—and was stunned. Qin Baike stood at the doorway, raincoat on, holding a lunchbox. “Your delivery’s here!” he said.

Qin Baike stepped inside and handed her the lunchbox. “Quick, eat it before it gets soggy.” She opened the lid—it was King Noodle. Overcome with joy, she teared up again, grabbed her chopsticks, and ate hungrily.

Qin Baike took off his raincoat, rolled it up and placed it by the door, then stood up and inspected the edges of the room.

Tang Yiyi asked, “What are you looking for?”

“No leaks.”

“This place looks better than I expected.”

“Straw-compressed building materials, patented.”

“You know about that?”

“A friend of my comrade sells it. I introduced Xu Bin.”

“You’re impressive.” Tang Yiyi sat at the stool, enjoying her noodles.

“Were you crying when I came in?” Qin Baike sat beside her, tilting his head to look.

Tang Yiyi glanced nervously at him, buried her head in her noodles, and said nothing. Suddenly, a huge flash of lightning lit up the room. Instantly, she squeezed her eyes shut and shrank, bracing for the thunder.

As the thunder rumbled, Qin Baike reached out to cover her ears.

His hands were big, warm, and strong, nearly enveloping her entire head.

She looked up at him, stunned. His expression was calm, as if this was the most natural thing in the world. The thunder was muffled outside his hands. The terror she’d expected vanished in a heartbeat.

Qin Baike lowered his hands. “So you really are afraid of thunder. Silly girl, eat up.” Tang Yiyi blinked, gathered herself, and resumed eating, but the taste was gone; her heart thumped wildly.

Qin Baike poured her a glass of water. “King Noodle takeout has no soup. Drink some water.”

Tang Yiyi dared not meet his eyes, took the cup, and drank it all in one gulp. She finished the noodles in two bites, but swallowed too quickly and started hiccupping.

Qin Baike poured her another glass. “Swallow slowly.” She hiccupped and sipped water. She knew this method, but whenever she was nervous, she got hiccups, and drinking water never helped.

“What were you crying about before I came?” Qin Baike asked.

“I…hic…Baike, you…hic…don’t ask…”

“If you ever need someone to talk to, come to me. I’ll help you.”

Tang Yiyi looked at Qin Baike’s sincere face and hesitated. “Hic…Baike, next time, hic…when there’s thunder, come keep me company, hic…okay?”

Qin Baike found it amusing. He couldn’t understand why thunder was such a big deal, but seeing her hopeful eyes, he finally nodded. “Alright. The shop doesn’t get much business in this weather anyway.”

Another round of thunder struck. Tang Yiyi jumped onto the bed, sat cross-legged, and wrapped herself head to toe in a thin blanket, leaving only her face exposed, like a meditating monk.

Qin Baike couldn’t help but laugh. He reached through the blanket to cover her ears. She gazed at him, still hiccupping. Outside, the storm raged, lightning flashed, thunder roared, as if a train were rushing over the roof.

Under Qin Baike’s amused gaze, Tang Yiyi shyly closed her eyes, the corners of her lips curling involuntarily.

Without realizing it, her hiccups stopped. The two sat facing each other, without a word, yet Tang Yiyi felt a warm current flowing through the air, filling her with happiness. Even the thunder, once terrifying, now sounded like a symphony.

The storm gradually subsided, rain softened. Qin Baike withdrew his hands and pulled the blanket from her head. “Why are you so afraid of thunder?”

“It’s so loud, it feels like the sky’s about to fall. Once, I saw on TV that someone was struck by lightning and died, and I got even more scared.” Her voice grew quieter. She knew she wasn’t a child anymore, but some fears are deeply rooted, hard to change.

He lifted his hand, intending to ruffle her hair and offer some comforting words, but halfway through he withdrew. “I have fears too, things that tormented me for a long time. Don’t be afraid. On stormy nights, I’ll come and keep you company.”

“Okay.” She was both happy and expectant.

“It’s late, go wash up and sleep. I’ll head downstairs.” With that, he got up and walked to the door.

Tang Yiyi jumped from the bed, remembering something. “Baike, how did you get in? Master and the others must already be asleep.”

“Come see me out, and you’ll know how I came in.”

He picked up his raincoat at the door, didn’t bother unfolding it, opened the door, and stepped out.

Tang Yiyi followed. He walked to the railing, tossed the raincoat down, grabbed the railing with both hands, placed a foot lightly atop it, twisted his body in midair, and landed outside the railing. He faced her, a dumbfounded look on her face, and smiled. “Get inside, don’t get wet.” With that, he let go and jumped.

Tang Yiyi rushed to the railing and watched him land safely, knees bent, then straighten and wave up at her, signaling her to go back inside. He bent to pick up his raincoat and entered the building.

Tang Yiyi stared at the three-meter drop; the bowl of King Noodle in her stomach burned like wildfire.