Chapter 67 Care at the bedside

That embrace, filled with a sense of security and tears, seemed to drain Su Wanqing of her last bit of strength, breaking down her days of frayed nerves. In Huo Tingxiao's firm, warm embrace, she cried and cried until she fell into a deep sleep. Her breathing gradually became even and long, though tears still clung to the corners of her eyes. Occasionally, she would tremble uncontrollably in her dreams, as if she hadn't completely escaped the nightmare.

Huo Tingxiao felt the change in weight of the person in his arms and her gradually steady breathing. He gently lowered his head and looked at her sleeping face, which still had the lingering trace of fear but was unusually gentle. The hardest corner of his heart seemed to be hit hard by something, feeling sour and tender.

He didn't dare move too much, fearing to wake her. In this awkward position, he very slowly and carefully adjusted it, allowing her to rest more comfortably in his arms. Then, he sat motionless on the sofa, holding her like a dragon guarding a rare treasure, his gaze fixed on her face, as if he wanted to deeply engrave her image into his heart.

Time flows slowly in silence. The moonlight outside the window gradually fades, and the lights in the room are dim.

After an unknown amount of time, Huo Tingxiao moved his numb arm very slightly. Just as he was about to try to carry her back to the bedroom, Su Wanqing in his arms suddenly frowned, uttered a vague, painful mutter, and curled up her body. Fine beads of cold sweat oozed from her forehead.

Huo Tingxiao's heart suddenly tightened, and he immediately reached out to touch her forehead - it was scorching hot!

She has a fever!

Yes, after experiencing such a big shock and kidnapping, and being blown by the wind, his emotions were up and down, it would be strange if he didn't get sick.

Huo Tingxiao's brows knitted together instantly, a trace of regret and heartache flashing across his eyes. He no longer hesitated, carefully picking her up and carrying her sideways. He quickly walked to the master bedroom, gently placed her on the bed, and covered her with the quilt.

Then he immediately turned around and went out, took out the medicine box, found a thermometer and fever-reducing medicine. He soaked a towel with warm water and applied it to her forehead with a slightly clumsy but extremely gentle motion, trying to cool her down.

The thermometer shows 38.8 degrees.

Huo Tingxiao's expression turned even uglier. Following the instructions, he carefully helped the comatose Su Wanqing to her feet, fed her the fever-reducing medicine, and patiently gave her a few sips of water.

During the whole process, Su Wanqing was in a semi-conscious state and cooperated very well, only occasionally making slight moans due to discomfort. Her long eyelashes trembled wetly, making her look fragile and pitiful.

After feeding her the medicine, Huo Tingxiao didn't leave. He pulled a chair over and sat beside the bed, watching over her in the dim light of the bedside lamp.

From time to time, he changed the warm towel on her forehead, and from time to time he reached out to test the temperature of her forehead. His movements were focused and patient, completely different from his usual cold and murderous image.

In the second half of the night, Su Wanqing's body temperature seemed to drop a little, but she began to feel cold again. Her teeth chattered from the cold and she shivered all over.

Huo Tingxiao got up without hesitation, went to the guest room and brought back another thick quilt, covering her tightly with it. But it didn't seem to have much effect.

He looked at her curled up in the quilt with a pale face, brows furrowed, and stood there in silence for a few seconds.

Then, he did something that his sober self would never have imagined—

He took off his coat, shoes and socks, lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down on it. Then he reached out and gently but firmly held the shivering little body in his arms.

His body temperature was high, like a natural furnace. Su Wanqing, in her coma, seemed to instinctively sense the source of heat and subconsciously burrowed into his warm, broad chest, seeking the most comfortable position, while her cold limbs gradually clung to it.

Huo Tingxiao's body instantly stiffened like iron!

With a soft and sweet girl in his arms, the unique fragrance of a young girl mixed with the faint smell of medicine lingered at the tip of his nose. Her soft hair rubbed against his jaw, bringing waves of subtle, heart-pounding itch... All this was undoubtedly a huge shock and test for him, a man who had never been interested in women and even disliked close contact.

His breathing suddenly became heavy, and all the muscles in his body were tense. He dared not move, as if what he was holding in his arms was not a person, but a bomb that was about to explode.

However, when he felt the trembling in her body gradually subside, her breathing became even again, and she even made a satisfied, subtle purring sound like a kitten, his tense body relaxed very slowly, bit by bit.

An indescribable, unfamiliar warmth quietly spread in his cold chest.

He held her stiffly but persistently, warming her with his body temperature until the sky turned white, until her body temperature completely returned to normal and she fell into a deep sleep, then he carefully pulled his arm away and got up from the bed.

Despite not sleeping all night, his eyes were unusually clear, even with a hint of gentleness that he himself was not aware of.

For the next two days, Su Wanqing had intermittent fever, was weak, and spent most of her time in a coma.

Huo Tingxiao, on the other hand, completely turned down all non-essential work and meetings, temporarily relocating his headquarters to his home study. While remotely handling urgent military affairs and tracking down the mastermind behind the kidnapping (Lin Weiwei's leads were clear, but lacked direct evidence, and the involvement of Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lin necessitated a more cautious investigation), he also remained closely guarding Su Wanqing.

He personally took her temperature, fed her medicine, gave her water, and changed her towel.

He asked Assistant Chen to find the best dietary recipe, and personally supervised the kitchen to cook light and nourishing porridge and side dishes, and then fed her mouthful by mouthful.

He even learned how to more gently massage her wrists and ankles, which were still a little red and swollen.

His movements, initially clumsy and stiff, became increasingly skilled and natural. Although he still spoke little and his face was expressionless, every subtle movement of his revealed an unprecedented patience and focus.

When Su Wan was awake, she would often see him sitting by her bed, working on documents, or just staring at her silently, his eyes hard to discern, yet no longer cold. Whenever she made the slightest movement, he would immediately glance over and whisper, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Or do you want some water?"

This meticulous, silent yet real care, like a stream of warm current, quietly seeped into Su Wanqing's wounded heart.

The ice in her heart had already melted away, largely thanks to that life-or-death crisis and his clumsy yet sincere care. However, the pain and uncertainty of having been deeply hurt still made her somewhat hesitant to respond, and she could only passively accept his care. Occasionally, she would whisper a soft "thank you" when he fed her medicine, or no longer subconsciously duck when he tucked her in.

That afternoon, Su Wanqing's fever finally subsided, and she felt much better. She leaned against the headboard, sipping the warm water Huo Tingxiao handed her.

Huo Tingxiao sat on the edge of the bed, holding a document that needed his urgent signature, but his eyes drifted towards her from time to time.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling softly and quietly on her face, which was still pale but had regained its vitality.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, raised her head and looked at him, her voice still a little weak, but with a hint of hesitation and worry: "That day... when you fired the gun... would there be any trouble?"

She remembered that he had shot and wounded the kidnapper without hesitation in order to save her. Although it was to save someone, he had used a gun after all, and she was worried that this would cause him disciplinary trouble.

Huo Tingxiao paused for a moment when he heard this. He raised his head and met her worried gaze, his eyes slightly moved. He hadn't expected that she was still worried about this even though she was sick.

"No," he answered succinctly, his tone reassuring. "It's an emergency, and it complies with regulations. We've taken care of it."

In fact, there were indeed some procedural inquiries, but he suppressed them with thunderous means and sufficient reasons. No one would embarrass a young general who was eager to save his wife and had just made great achievements over such a matter.

"Oh...that's good." Su Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her head, and continued to sip water, but her ears were slightly red. She didn't know why she suddenly asked this.

Huo Tingxiao looked at her like this, a faint, almost invisible smile flashing across his deep eyes. He put down the documents and pen and suddenly reached out his hand to her.

Su Wanqing shrank subconsciously, thinking he was going to do something again.

However, his hand simply fell on the top of her head very gently and rubbed it. His movements were still a little stiff, but full of soothing meaning.

"Don't think too much." His voice was low. "It's important to take care of your health."

After saying that, he withdrew his hand and picked up the document again, as if the slightly intimate gesture just now was just her illusion.

Su Wanqing stared blankly at his cold yet focused profile, feeling the warmth of his palm remaining on the top of her head. Her heart seemed to be gently bumped by something, and a sour, astringent yet slightly sweet emotion quietly spread.

The careful care at the bedside is silent but speaks louder than words.

It may not be able to heal all the hurt and estrangement immediately, but like the most effective adhesive, it is quietly mending those broken cracks bit by bit.

The iceberg melts, slowly but surely.

And some emotions that grow quietly also break out of the ground and grow quietly in the weak dependence and clumsy protection.