In the west wing, Jiang Lian has had a persistent high fever ever since he fell into a coma, and he has not yet regained consciousness.

Looking at the burns on his legs, Yun couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face.

She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling helpless about her future.

If her husband's leg is crippled like this, what will she do in the future?

...Jiang Liu tried her best to put aside the unpleasantness from earlier and to appear as normal as possible.

She glanced at Qiu Dafu's slightly tired face and became even more determined to marry him.

"You're back."

"Hmm." Qiu Dafu approached Jiang Liu, his gaze falling on her bare hands covered in chilblains.

Seeing her clumsy way of chopping vegetables, Qiu Dafu washed his hands, took the knife from her hand with his right hand, and said, "Let me do it."

"You can cook?" In Jiang Liu's mind, most men don't know how to cook.

"I know a little." Qiu Dafu felt that even if he wasn't very good at it, his cooking was still better than Jiang Liu's.

"Alright, let me try your cooking."

"Okay." Qiu Dafu nodded and smiled, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.

Thinking of the Xu family, Jiang Liu asked, "Are the Prefect and Miss Xu still safe?"

Qiu Dafu nodded: "Don't worry, they are safe."

Prefect Xu had served as an official for many years and had many loyal confidants.

It was his close associates who saved his family and took them in.

The first thing Prefect Xu did after leaving his post was to reunite with his family.

Qiu Dafu took a bottle of frostbite cream from his pocket with his left hand and placed it in Jiang Liu's palm. "This is for you."

"A gift for me?" This was the second time Qiu Dafu had given her something. Jiang Liu accepted it, her heart filled with warmth.

She liked anything he gave her.

The gift may be small, but the sentiment is deep. Jiang Liu knows that Qiu Dafu is short of money.

She didn't expect him to give her anything fancy; as long as he was devoted to her, that was enough.

As soon as Jiang Liu finished speaking, she looked up and saw her father's stern eyes staring at her.

"Liu'er, men and women should not touch each other. You two are alone together, so it's best to keep your distance and avoid gossip."

Jiang Liu's father had witnessed their interaction through the window and was naturally displeased.

Jiang Liu: "..." How could she get her father to accept Qiu Dafu? Thinking about it, it really gave her a headache.

Qiu Dafu's subordinate paused slightly, looked up at Jiang's father, whose eyes were unfriendly and filled with contempt.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute, nodded slightly to Jiang's father, and said, "Uncle Jiang."

Father Jiang didn't even glance at Qiu Dafu, and said to him, "Qiu Dafu, you saved our Jiang family, but you can't use that to force Liu'er to marry you."

I believe you are a decent person; don't make me look down on you!

Jiang's father's words caused Qiu Dafu's previously joyful mood to plummet to rock bottom. The stark contrast between his previous and current state chilled him to the bone.

"Uncle Jiang, you misunderstand. I did not use this to force Liu'er to marry me."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and continued chopping vegetables.

He looked normal, but his hands, which were chopping vegetables, seemed to have lost their strength.

Father Jiang's contempt deepened: "Hmph, anyone can say nice things. Our Liu'er is easily swayed."

"Father, please stop!" Jiang Liu had never talked back to her father like this before.

Father Jiang: "What? I'm not even old yet, and you already find me annoying!"

Jiang Liu was seething with anger and turned her head away without answering.

Feeling humiliated by his daughter, Mr. Jiang stormed back into the house.

Jiang Liu breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Qiu Dafu with an apologetic expression.