punish

After staying in the hospital for more than half a month, and with all his indicators stable and within the normal range, the doctor finally nodded in approval, and Qi Shuo was able to be discharged and go home to recuperate.

The fractured leg will need at least two more months before the cast can be removed. Although the wounds on the shoulder and back are healing well, the recovery of the deep muscles and ligaments will take longer. The patient cannot lift heavy objects or engage in strenuous activities.

The day I was discharged from the hospital, the weather was beautiful. The sunlight was no longer so harsh, and dappled light and shadow filtered through the leaves.

Xiao Jue drove, while Lin Ye and Tan Huaiyu carefully helped Qi Shuo from his wheelchair into the car, one on each side. Qi Shuo's left leg was still in a thick cast and was fixed to a special brace, making it very difficult for him to move.

He was wearing loose cotton loungewear, and his face was still a little pale, but he was in much better spirits than before. At least his deep eyes had regained their former calmness, but when he looked at Tan Huaiyu, they would unconsciously soften a bit.

The car slowly drove into Yucaiyuan. The familiar old building, the familiar corridor. But for Qi Shuo, this journey home felt exceptionally long and... frustrating.

He needed help with every step, and each step reminded him of his weakness and helplessness.

Finally, upon entering, I was greeted by a long-lost, homey scent, a blend of sunshine, greenery, and cleanliness.

Tan Huaiyu returned early and cleaned thoroughly; the windows were open for ventilation, the floor was spotless, and everything was in perfect order.

The spacious, soft sofa they had chosen together, covered with clean cushions and a light blanket, seemed to be waiting for its owner to return.

With the help of Tan Huaiyu and Xiao Jue, Qi Shuo slowly moved to the sofa, carefully sat down, and placed his injured left leg on a raised footstool.

He leaned back into the soft cushions and let out a barely audible sigh. No matter how clean and comfortable a hospital is, it's never home.

Only when I returned here, smelled the familiar scents, and saw Tan Huaiyu's busy figure, did my heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long amidst pain and the hospital environment, finally settle down.

"Are you tired? Do you want some water? Or should you lie down and rest for a while?" Tan Huaiyu almost immediately squatted down in front of him, looked up at him, and asked a series of questions with undisguised concern and tension in his eyes, as if Qi Shuo were some porcelain doll that would break at the slightest touch.

"It's alright, just sit for a while." Qi Shuo shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the washed fruit and warm tea on the coffee table, then looking at Tan Huaiyu's face, which was noticeably more energetic than when he was in the hospital, but still thin. "You should rest for a while."

"I'm not tired," Tan Huaiyu said immediately, getting up to pour water and then bringing medicine. He watched Qi Shuo take it, his movements as practiced as if he had rehearsed it a thousand times.

Xiao Jue and Lin Ye helped put away the things they brought back from the hospital and gave them a few more instructions. Seeing that Tan Huaiyu was taking care of everything, they knew they couldn't help, so they said goodbye and said they would come back to deliver dinner later that night.

The door closed, leaving only the two of them in the room.

The air suddenly became quiet. Only the occasional chirping of birds outside the window and the regular ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

Qi Shuo leaned back on the sofa, his gaze following Tan Huaiyu. Tan Huaiyu seemed to be constantly busy. First, she checked the air conditioner temperature, then looked at the food in the refrigerator, and then began to organize the medicines and medical records she had brought back from the hospital, all while muttering to herself about the menu and rehabilitation arrangements for the next few days.

"Tan Huaiyu." Qi Shuo finally couldn't help but call out to him.

"Hmm?" Tan Huaiyu immediately stopped and turned to look at him. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? What do you need?"

"Come here." Qi Shuo patted the empty spot on the sofa next to him, his words concise and to the point.

Tan Huaiyu put down what he was holding, walked over, but didn't sit down. Instead, he stood in front of him, leaned slightly forward, and carefully observed his complexion: "Are your legs sore from sitting for so long? Shall I help you to bed?"

Qi Shuo didn't answer, but simply reached out and grabbed Tan Huaiyu's wrist, gently pulling him. He was much weaker after his injury, but Tan Huaiyu didn't dare to struggle too much for fear of touching his wound. He could only follow the pull and sit down next to Qi Shuo, but still carefully maintained a little distance, afraid of bumping into him.

"Stop your busy schedule," Qi Shuo said, looking at him. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable meaning. "Sit with me for a while."

Tan Huaiyu looked at his calm profile, hesitated for a moment, and finally relaxed her body, slowly leaning back into the sofa, but her body was still slightly tense, as if she was ready to get up at any time.

Qi Shuo didn't speak again, but closed his eyes again, as if he were dozing. But his right hand slowly moved and covered Tan Huaiyu's hand at his side, and then his fingers squeezed between Tan Huaiyu's fingers, interlocking.

Tan Huaiyu's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed completely, and his fingers gently clenched back.

The warmth of their palms touching, and the quiet, undisturbed moment of companionship, finally gave his tense nerves a moment's respite. He closed his eyes and gently rested his head on Qi Shuo's uninjured right shoulder.

Sunlight streamed through the window, warmly bathing the two of them. Neither spoke, they simply held each other's hands quietly, listening to each other's breathing, savoring the tranquility of surviving a disaster and finally returning home safely.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by Tan Huaiyu's meticulous, almost outrageous, "care," which quickly turned into a "sweet burden."

During his time recuperating at home, Qi Shuo was forced to live a life of luxury, where everything was done for him.

Tan Huaiyu strictly followed the doctor's orders and even added extra medication on his own.

Qi Shuo wanted to pour himself a glass of water, but as soon as his hand touched the glass, Tan Huaiyu rushed over like a gust of wind: "Let me do it! Don't move!" Then he snatched the glass, tested the temperature, and held it to Qi Shuo's lips, almost feeding him directly.

Qi Shuo wanted to go to the balcony for some fresh air. He had just tried to stand up by supporting himself on the sofa armrest when Tan Huaiyu immediately dropped the vegetables he was picking and rushed over to support him, saying, "Slow down, slow down! I'll help you! The doctor said you can't exert yourself!"

Qi Shuo looked at the food laid out on the table and wanted to pick up his chopsticks, but Tan Huaiyu had already piled his favorite dishes into his bowl, making a small mountain: "Eat more of this, it's good for calcium." "This is nutritious and good for the wound." Then she looked at him expectantly, as if he would be committing a heinous crime if he didn't finish it.

Taking a bath at night became a major undertaking. Tan Huaiyu was extremely strict and absolutely forbade Qi Shuo from doing it himself. He would prepare hot water in advance, adjust the temperature, then help Qi Shuo sit on the specially made waterproof stool in the bathroom, help him take off his clothes, and then wrap the cast on Qi Shuo's leg tightly with plastic wrap and waterproof tape to ensure that not a single drop of water could get in.

Then, he took a soft towel and carefully and gently washed Qi Shuo's body, avoiding the wounds and cast. He was very careful with every movement, his ears were red, but he tried to remain calm.

Qi Shuo initially felt uncomfortable, but looking at Tan Huaiyu's nervous and serious expression, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He could only stiffly let Tan Huaiyu do as he pleased, but his gaze grew deeper and deeper.

What frustrated Qi Shuo the most was that Tan Huaiyu seemed to treat him like he was made of glass, not letting him do any "heavy or tiring work." This "heavy or tiring work" included, but was not limited to: changing the channel with the remote, bending down to pick up things that had fallen on the floor, and even trying to reach out and hug him…

Qi Shuo lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling like he was being worn down by this "meticulous" care. He was an action-oriented person, used to handling everything himself, and this near-paralyzed state made the pent-up frustration and irritability in his heart start to fester again.

That afternoon, Tan Huaiyu was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Qi Shuo was leaning back on the sofa reading a book, but after a few pages, he became somewhat absent-minded. He put down his book and his gaze fell on the busy figure at the kitchen doorway.

Tan Huaiyu, wearing an apron, was chopping vegetables with his head down. His profile was soft, and the sunlight gave him a fuzzy golden edge. He seemed to have lost some weight, but his waist was still slender, swaying slightly with each chopping motion, outlining a beautiful curve.

A strange heat and longing surged up without warning. During their hospital stay, pain and weakness consumed most of their energy, and due to the limited environment, the two had almost no intimate contact.

At most, it's just holding hands, hugging, or a kiss on the forehead. But at this moment, back in their own private space, watching their loved one's busy figure, the dormant instincts of a healthy man seem to be quietly awakening within them.

Qi Shuo put down his book, looked towards the kitchen, and called out, "Tan Huaiyu."

"Hey! What's wrong?" Tan Huaiyu immediately put down the knife, wiped his hands, and walked over quickly, his face showing his usual concern. "What do you need? Water? Or..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Shuo reached out, grabbed his wrist, and gently brought him in front of him.

"Come here." Qi Shuo's voice was lower than usual, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness.

Tan Huaiyu was puzzled, but she still obediently moved closer, half-squatting in front of the sofa and looking up at him: "Hmm?"

Qi Shuo didn't speak, but simply raised his uninjured right hand and touched Tan Huaiyu's cheek.

His fingertips felt warm and soft, his skin smooth. His thumb gently caressed Tan Huaiyu's slightly dry lower lip, the movement carrying an almost intimate undertone.

Tan Huaiyu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, his ears began to turn red, and his eyes flickered, as if he understood Qi Shuo's intention. He slightly turned his head to avoid Qi Shuo's fingers, his voice somewhat flustered: "No...you, you should rest well..."

"Give me a kiss." Qi Shuo said succinctly, his fingers reaching out to pinch his chin, forcing him to turn and look at him. His gaze was deep, churning with a clear desire and an undeniable dominance.

Tan Huaiyu's face instantly turned bright red, even his neck flushed crimson. He looked at Qi Shuo's handsome, aggressive face so close to his own, his heart pounding, but reason still struggled within him: "No... the doctor said you can't... you can't get emotional, you can't... do strenuous exercise..."

"A kiss doesn't count as strenuous exercise." Qi Shuo rejected his reasoning, gently lifting his chin with his fingers and lowering his head to kiss him.

Tan Huaiyu suddenly shrank back, dodging the attack, and at the same time reached out and pressed down on Qi Shuo's other shoulder: "It really won't work! Qi Shuo, your injury hasn't healed yet, you need to rest properly! Wait, wait until you're better before we talk about it..."

Being rejected time and time again, coupled with the frustration of being treated like a king but having no real power for days, caused Qi Shuo's dissatisfaction to suddenly ignite.

He looked at Tan Huaiyu's face, which was filled with "for your own good" and nervousness, and his eyes suddenly darkened, a dangerous storm surging within them.

"Tan, Huai, Yu." He called his name slowly and deliberately, his voice turning cold and carrying a hint of danger.

Tan Huaiyu felt a chill run down her spine when she saw his gaze and instinctively tried to back away, but Qi Shuo was still holding her wrist.

The next second, Qi Shuo pulled hard. Tan Huaiyu was caught off guard and cried out in surprise. He lost his balance and was pulled down by Qi Shuo. In his panic, he used his hands to brace himself against the sofa on either side of Qi Shuo's body so that he would not fall directly on him. However, their faces were already so close that their noses were touching and they could hear each other's breaths.

"You..." Tan Huaiyu was both shocked and anxious. Afraid of pressing on his wound, she tried to get up, but Qi Shuo used his intact arm to tightly hold her waist, making her unable to move.

Qi Shuo didn't give him another chance to speak. He looked up and, with precision and ferocity, kissed his lips, which were always refusing and incessantly chattering.

This kiss carried a clear sense of dissatisfaction, punishment, and a long-suppressed, burning desire.

He no longer probed gently, but instead aggressively penetrated, sucking and biting, as if he wanted to release all the pent-up frustration and longing he had felt during this time through this kiss.

His tongue swept across every inch of Tan Huaiyu's mouth, hooking around the tip of his trembling tongue and sucking hard with an almost predatory force.

"Mmm...!" Tan Huaiyu was caught off guard by the sudden, intense kiss, his mind going blank. He could clearly feel Qi Shuo's anger and desire, and he could also feel the irresistible force of the arms wrapped around his waist.

He wanted to struggle, but was afraid of touching his wounds, so he could only passively endure this affection that carried a sense of punishment. His body gradually went limp and his breathing became erratic.

Qi Shuo's kiss gradually changed from fierce to tender, but it still carried an undeniable possessiveness.

He sucked and nibbled at Tan Huaiyu's lips, licking his teeth, until he felt the person in his arms was no longer stiff and began to respond awkwardly and cautiously. Only then did he slightly reduce his strength, but the kiss was still deep and long.

After a long while, until both of them were out of breath, Qi Shuo slowly stepped back a little, but his forehead was still pressed against Tan Huaiyu's, and their noses touched.

He looked at Tan Huaiyu's lips, which were red and moist from his kisses, her eyes, which were misty and tearful, and her cheeks, and the storm in his eyes gradually subsided, turning into a deep, satisfied dark color.

"Still dare to hide?" he asked in a hoarse voice, his thumb once again stroking the swollen lips.

Tan Huaiyu was breathing heavily, her eyes still somewhat unfocused. Hearing his words, she subconsciously shook her head, then nodded, and finally, in despair, buried her burning face in Qi Shuo's neck, her voice muffled, tinged with sobs and grievance: "You...you're bullying me...you were doing it for your own good..."

Qi Shuo tightened his arms around Tan Huaiyu's waist, pulling him closer to his chest, feeling his body tremble slightly and his warmth. He lowered his head and kissed Tan Huaiyu's sweaty temples, his voice deep and clear:

"This is what I consider good."

Tan Huaiyu's body stiffened, and then she hugged him even tighter, burying her face deep in his neck, and stopped talking.

Sunlight streamed in from behind them, casting their embracing figures onto the polished floor.