When I'm on the night shift, all the department heads can't sleep.

When Lin Ye returned to the dormitory, Ma Hao had not yet come back.

The lights were off inside, with only a sliver of streetlight filtering in through the curtains. A half-full glass of water sat on the table, and Ma Hao's coat was draped over the back of a chair, sleeves hanging down, as if he had just run out.

Lin Ye stood at the door changing his shoes, his phone lit up in his hand.

He received his mother's voice message as soon as he left the restaurant, but he didn't open it the whole way.

It's not that I'm too busy.

He couldn't explain what he was grinding away at.

He only turned on the voice message after sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Okay, then drive carefully on the road tomorrow. It's okay if you miss the banquet, as long as you get back."

Eight seconds.

There was no follow-up, nor was there any question about what time he would arrive.

Lin Ye listened to that voice message again.

After listening to it a second time, the phone screen went dark, and he finally looked down and replied.

I'll try to be early.

The message had barely been sent when the mother replied.

Your dad said, "Don't dress like you just got off work and are doing rounds."

Lin Ye glanced at the white shirt he was wearing.

The collar was wrinkled, and the cuffs still smelled a bit like the cooking fumes from the restaurant.

【Then I'll wear something more human-like tomorrow.】

The mother replied quickly via voice message.

"You're getting cheeky."

There was a hint of laughter in her voice. There was a sound of a spatula hitting the edge of a pot behind them. The father asked from a distance, "Is he coming back?" The mother ignored him, only adding into her phone:

"Go to bed early. Don't miss your stop because you're asleep on the bus."

After hearing this, Lin Ye's anxiety slowly subsided.

He was about to send a message to Qin Hai when Ma Hao's call came in first.

The wind is blowing hard over there.

"Brother Lin, have you arrived at the dorm yet?"

"arrive."

"Okay." Ma Hao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'll cover for you from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. I really have to leave after 2 p.m., I have something to do."

Lin Ye said, "I'll pay you back next Tuesday."

"Returning to class is returning to class," Ma Hao said immediately. "Meat is meat. Don't confuse the two."

Lin Ye leaned against the headboard and smiled.

"Know."

"You found out too quickly, I'm scared." It sounded like Ma Hao had gone downstairs; the wind had died down. "Did Teacher Qin ask?"

"Just as I was about to ask."

"Then ask him now," Ma Hao said in a low voice. "If he starts swearing, don't put it on speakerphone. I want to get a good night's sleep."

Lin Ye didn't hang up the phone; he directly opened Qin Hai's chat window.

[Teacher Qin, could Ma Hao cover for me from 10 AM to 2 PM tomorrow? I'll pay him back later.]

After the message was sent, the dormitory fell silent.

Ma Hao didn't say anything on the other end of the phone.

Half a minute later, Qin Hai replied.

[I understand. Just don't disappear suddenly.]

Another one followed.

Also, don't dress like you're going on rounds.

Lin Ye looked at the words and couldn't help but laugh.

Ma Hao immediately asked, "What happened? Did he insult me?"

"No," Lin Ye said. "Teacher Qin also told me not to dress like I'm going to do rounds."

"Also?" Ma Hao's voice immediately relaxed.

"My dad just said the same thing."

"Then you're finished," Ma Hao said. "If you're still wearing a white shirt tomorrow, neither your family nor Corey will accept you."

Lin Ye placed his phone on his lap.

Ma Hao added, "Also, don't go back empty-handed. The fruit shop downstairs should still be open. Buy a box of milk and some apples."

"How come you know me better than my mom?"

"My mom raised me to be like this," Ma Hao said. "Don't think it's too much trouble. What Auntie wants isn't the box of milk, it's the moment you bring the things in."

Lin Ye didn't reply.

Ma Hao didn't urge him, and only added a sentence after a while.

"Just think of it as giving yourself courage. Going back empty-handed will only make you look like you're going to a consultation alone, surrounded by relatives."

That's actually somewhat useful.

Lin Ye stood up.

"I'm hanging up, I'm going downstairs."

"Don't choose the biggest apples, they're expensive."

"Go to sleep."

"Meat remembers."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Ye put his shoes back on and went downstairs.

The fruit shop owner was collecting plastic crates at the entrance. When he saw him come in, he moved the crates aside.

"What should I buy?"

Lin Ye stood in front of a row of apples and boxed milk, but didn't take any for a moment.

"I'm going home tomorrow for the wedding banquet and to see my parents. What should I bring?"

The boss looked up at him.

"Visiting Mom and Dad? Then let's keep it simple. This box of milk is easy to carry, and a few apples will look nice on the table when we get home."

Lin Ye took a box of milk and picked out a few apples.

When he paid, the shopkeeper glanced at his shirt.

"Just got off work?"

"I guess so."

"doctor?"

"At the hospital."

The shopkeeper tied the bag of apples tightly and handed it to him.

"Young people, don't always stay up late. If you ruin your health, your parents will worry about you."

Lin Ye thanked him.

The milk box isn't heavy, but my fingers still ached from carrying it for a while.

As he walked down to the dormitory building, he suddenly remembered his mother's words, "It's enough that you're back."

He used to think that these words didn't carry much weight.

When I actually stood downstairs carrying the things, I realized they were quite heavy.

Back in the dormitory, Ma Hao was already inside.

He saw the milk box and the apples and nodded first.

"Okay. He's like a son who comes home now."

Lin Ye hung the bag of apples on the back of the chair.

"You haven't used up your credit limit for being a smart aleck yet?"

"The last sentence for tonight." Ma Hao pushed the notebook in front of him.

There are three lines written on it.

Lin Ye goes home.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

meat.

The last character is written the largest.

Lin Ye looked at it for two seconds.

"Quite formal."

"So you won't try to get away with it." Ma Hao put the notebook away, glanced at him again, and said, "Don't rush back tomorrow. If you really can't make it by 2 o'clock, just let me know in advance. I can buy you ten minutes or so."

Lin Ye paused for a moment.

"Didn't you say you had something to do after 2 PM?"

"I do have something to do." Ma Hao lay back on the bed. "You only go back a few times a year? If Auntie just brought the soup up and you just grabbed your bag and ran off, that's really not right."

Lin Ye was a little slow in opening the cabinet door.

He pulled out a dark short-sleeved shirt, folded it, and put it in the bag.

Ma Hao muttered to the person in the opposite bed, "You'll definitely get asked about your boyfriend when you get back."

"Um."

Ask about salary.

"Um."

"When will you be officially admitted to the hospital?"

"They'll definitely ask that too."

"So you've switched from a dinner with classmates to an exam hall with relatives."

Lin Ye zipped up the bag.

"At least we don't have to write a medical history."

"That's hard to say." Ma Hao rolled over. "Your mother might remember it in more detail than the medical history."

Lin Ye turned off the overhead light, leaving only the small table lamp on the side of the table.

The milk box and apples were placed by the door.

The clothes were also placed by the door.

He moved the alarm clock forward by ten minutes and then placed his phone face down next to his pillow.

After the room quieted down, Ma Hao's voice came from under the covers.

"Brother Lin."

"Um?"

"Eat properly tomorrow. Don't sit there halfway through and then look like you're about to be called away by phone."

Lin Ye looked at the box of milk by the door.

After two seconds, he said, "I know."

This time, he didn't go to check on tomorrow's shift.

Before he closed his eyes, he thought of his mother's words.

It's fine as long as they come back.