The next evening, Ethan Shaw went out alone to meet Vivienne Brooks and pick up his ID card. This time, he didn’t report his whereabouts to his mother, Lucy Archer, as he had done before.

“Dr. Brooks, thank you,” Ethan Shaw said, taking the ID card and putting it in his bag.

On the tree-lined avenue outside the hospital, the sound of the sycamore trees rustling filled the air, and the dim streetlights cast shadows above them.

Vivienne Brooks noticed his downcast mood and asked, “Have you felt any improvement after taking the medicine for the past two days?”

“A little,” Ethan Shaw answered briefly.

Vivienne Brooks smiled slightly. “How about having dinner together?”

Ethan Shaw snapped out of his thoughts, suddenly realizing that this person, aside from being his treating doctor, was also his matchmaker.

“I’ll pass. Goodbye,” Ethan Shaw said, greeting her and turning to leave.

Vivienne Brooks reached out and stopped him. “I’m inviting you to dinner, just to chat.”

As soon as Ethan Shaw had physical contact with Vivienne Brooks, his face turned red, and his heart began to race.

“If it were Nina Harper or Maya Turner, would they be able to invite you for dinner?” Vivienne Brooks teased.

When Ethan Shaw heard the names of the other two matchmakers, he became even more embarrassed.

“How do you know them?” Ethan Shaw tried to deflect.

Vivienne Brooks responded calmly, “We’ll talk about it over dinner. You’re somewhat of a celebrity at St. Lawrence Hospital.”

At an Italian restaurant, Ethan Shaw quietly sat across from Vivienne Brooks, staring down at the cheesecake in front of him.

At that moment, he didn’t even want to hide his vulnerability or helplessness. He felt like this person had already seen him at his worst, seen him at his most embarrassing—unable to control his bladder. There was no point in pretending anymore.

“Am I really famous at St. Lawrence Hospital?”

Ethan Shaw didn’t care about the answer; he just needed to ask something that could give him a sense of presence, even if the question was trivial.

Vivienne Brooks, noticing his bad mood, responded with a playful tone, “So, all the single female doctors at St. Lawrence Hospital—have you been set up with all of them?”

Ethan Shaw laughed and suddenly felt his skin thickening. “Yeah, but I can’t seem to marry any of them. My mom’s desperate.”

Lucy Archer only cared about quickly finding someone suitable for him to marry and never considered whether her son had any dignity.

Vivienne Brooks, who had just returned to the country, didn’t know the full story at first. It was only after the matchmaking that she realized she was the “new fish” in the St. Lawrence Hospital pond, and that’s how Lucy Archer had managed to catch her.

"Why did you tell Dr. Monroe that you couldn't talk to me?" Vivienne Brooks couldn't resist asking.

Ethan Shaw smiled without replying. He felt that Vivienne was just pretending not to know the answer.

Vivienne Brooks continued, "I remember we didn't talk much that day."

"Then let's talk today. What do you want to discuss?" Ethan Shaw replied, his tone more relaxed. Since quitting his job, he had found a certain courage in letting things go.

Vivienne Brooks paused for a moment, then randomly asked, "What are you like when you're working?"

"I’m unemployed now. I just quit," Ethan Shaw answered with a wry smile.

Vivienne Brooks smiled gently, her curiosity piqued. She sensed a challenge in Ethan Shaw’s demeanor—he seemed to be deliberately cutting off the conversation to prove that they couldn’t get along.

"Do you like sweets?" Vivienne Brooks glanced at the osmanthus sugar cake and cheesecake on his plate.

Ethan Shaw grinned, his face softening with an almost innocent, unguarded expression. No one, aside from his father, Alexander Shaw, had ever cared about whether he liked sweets.

"You’re not going to tell me eating too many will raise my blood sugar, are you?" Ethan Shaw joked.

Vivienne Brooks laughed lightly, seeing him let his guard down a little. "Well, not really. You’re not exactly soaking in a honey pot."

"When I was a kid, I once ate a kilogram of milk candy in a single day," Ethan Shaw said, suddenly looking very cheerful.

"Didn’t you get cavities?" Vivienne Brooks laughed.

Ethan Shaw playfully raised an eyebrow. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I still don’t have a single cavity."

Vivienne Brooks smiled, "In medicine, there's a theory that genetics play a more important role in health than lifestyle choices."

Ethan Shaw chuckled, "Dr. Brooks, I have to disagree with you. My parents both had rotten teeth when they were young."

Vivienne Brooks didn’t argue. Instead, she smiled and said, "Well, congratulations then—you're even better than your parents."

Ethan Shaw’s face darkened slightly. That phrase reminded him of a time when his parents, Alexander and Lucy Shaw, praised his older siblings, Jonathan Shaw and Lin Xiyan, during a visit. Ever since he was nine, no one had ever praised him.

"Dr. Brooks, if my condition hasn’t healed yet, does that mean I can’t drink alcohol?" Ethan Shaw asked, suddenly feeling the urge to drown his worries in a drink.

"It’s better not to," Vivienne Brooks replied. "Alcohol can affect your control over the sphincters."

Ethan Shaw laughed, "Please don’t use medical terms like that, or I’ll lose my appetite. Last time, a doctor told me at the dinner table how many bacteria I was swallowing in a single bite."

Vivienne Brooks, seeing his directness, didn’t shy away. "Do you only go on dates with doctors?"

Ethan Shaw raised an eyebrow. "You’re underestimating me. I've been set up with plenty of teachers, too. Not just doctors."

Vivienne Brooks chuckled, not replying.

"My mom gave me a task: I have to get married within a year, or I’ll be considered expired, like something past its shelf life," Ethan Shaw continued to self-mock.

These harsh words were the first time he had said them aloud. He felt that Vivienne Brooks had already seen him at his worst, so there was no need to hide anything anymore.

"I still think you're quite fresh," Vivienne Brooks replied casually.

In an instant, Ethan Shaw blushed all the way to his neck, realizing the double meaning in her words.

Vivienne Brooks, watching the man who had just been full of self-deprecating humor, now suddenly embarrassed by a simple compliment, found the contrast amusing.

"I’m in my late twenties, too. Many of my classmates are already married, but I just started working," Vivienne Brooks shared, giving him a glimpse into her life.

"That's probably because you spent too much time reading books and doing research," Ethan Shaw joked.

The dinner stretched into over three hours, with the two of them exchanging words effortlessly. By the time they left the restaurant, they realized the storm had gotten worse outside—strong winds, flashing lightning, and all.

"The weather forecast said there’s a typhoon coming," Ethan Shaw muttered.

Vivienne Brooks pointed to the parking lot. "My car is over there. I’ll give you a ride."

"Alright," Ethan Shaw agreed, not refusing.

Vivienne Brooks opened the umbrella, hooked her arm through Ethan Shaw’s, and the two of them dashed toward the car.

Halfway there, the wind blew the umbrella apart. Vivienne Brooks ended up huddling in Ethan Shaw’s arms as they struggled to reach the car, both soaked by the rain.

Once inside the car, they complained about the terrible weather while searching for tissues.

As Ethan Shaw lowered his head, he realized he might as well have been wearing a sheer shirt—the rain had soaked through his clothes, and his chest was visible.

Vivienne Brooks, equally drenched, had her wet lingerie faintly visible beneath her soaked dress.