Zhou Qiqi felt like a cluster of lotus flowers in a pond. In early summer, a sudden rainstorm hit her, causing her leaves to sway left and right, and even the water in the pond became hot.
She curled her toes, the soles of her feet rubbing against the sheets, the rough texture of the cloth tickling her, but her body was too weak to exert any strength, so she could only let Shen Huaichuan's kisses fall like raindrops.
Her nightgown had long since slipped down to who-knows-where, and the moonlight from the window illuminated Shen Huaichuan's movement as he reached out to take off his vest.
His arm was stretched out straight, and his sleeve brushed against Zhou Qiqi's collarbone, causing a slight tickle.
Just then, he suddenly coughed softly, his chest vibrating against her heart, the sound muffled as if it were stuffed with cotton.
Zhou Qiqi's heart tightened, and her fingertips instinctively pressed against his chest.
Through his sweat-soaked vest, I could feel his ribs were taut.
Before his rib fracture had fully healed, Shen Huaichuan had been working non-stop for the past few days to prepare for the field training program, and now his shoulders were trembling from coughing.
Zhou Qiqi felt extremely distressed.
But he also knew that the reason for calling a halt now was because of his health, and Shen Huaichuan would definitely not agree.
She rolled her eyes, her eyelashes brushing against the tip of his nose, and deliberately softened her voice.
"Huaichuan, next time...please come again next time, okay?"
As she spoke, she gestured towards her chest, where a few scattered red marks tinged with a pale pink under the light.
She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and reached out to block his hand from covering her mouth.
"I have no strength left, and this...it hurts so much, please..."
Shen Huaichuan's gaze fell on those marks, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.
The darkness in his eyes was almost overflowing, but when he saw Zhou Qiqi's wet eyes, he forcefully suppressed that bloodlust.
He leaned down and kissed her burning cheek, his voice hoarse as his lips brushed against her earlobe.
"Okay, I'll do whatever my wife says. I'll come back tomorrow."
"Don't shout!"
Zhou Qiqi pressed her fingertips against his lips, but he took them in his mouth and gently sucked on them.
He brushed the strands of hair that were stuck to her face, his fingertips brushing against her sweaty temples.
"What should I call you? Baby? Or..."
Before he could finish speaking, he kissed her again.
This kiss was somewhat restrained, as if afraid of breaking the person in his arms, and he released her after a short while.
The two breathed heavily, nose to nose, and sweat trickled down Zhou Qiqi's forehead and temples, making her neck itchy.
"I'll go get some water."
Shen Huaichuan spoke first, his voice still a little hoarse.
He picked up the enamel basin from the ground, added half a basin of warm water to the thermos, and then wrung out a towel.
When he returned to the bedside, Zhou Qiqi was covering herself with the corner of the blanket. When she saw him coming over, her face turned red instantly.
"I can do it myself..."
"Don't move."
Shen Huaichuan squatted by the bed, folded the towel into small pieces, and first wiped her neck.
The towel was at just the right temperature and had a faint scent of soap. He wiped very slowly, gently massaging along the curve of his collarbone with his fingertips, and softening his touch whenever he encountered red marks.
After she changed into a clean nightgown, Shen Huaichuan took a basin to wipe himself.
When he bent over, the muscles in his back were taut and straight, making Zhou Qiqi swallow hard.
Just as Zhou Qiqi was about to remind him to be careful of his wound, she heard a "plop" sound. His hand holding the basin slipped, and half a basin of water spilled onto the quilt he had placed at the foot of the bed.
"Ouch!"
Zhou Qiqi quickly lifted the blanket to check; the dark green blanket was soaked and water was dripping from it.
There were only two quilts at home to begin with, and Shen Huaichuan's quilt was "borrowed" from Commissar Lei's house, so there really weren't any extra quilts.
Zhou Qiqi had no choice but to let Shen Huaichuan share the same blanket with her.
They've been married for three months, and this is the first time they've actually slept in the same bed.
The two lay down shoulder to shoulder, with only a palm's width of space between them.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the bed.
After what had just happened, neither of them felt sleepy for a while.
Zhou Qiqi turned her head to the side and reached out to poke Chen Huaichuan's arm.
"Now you can tell me, right? What exactly caused the argument today?"
She now understood that Shen Huaichuan wasn't angry about what happened that day at all; she had simply brought trouble upon herself.
Shen Huaichuan turned his head, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
Why didn't you tell me about the grievances you suffered in the square today?
"Wronged?"
Zhou Qiqi was stunned for a moment, then turned over to face him. "When did I suffer any injustice?"
Shen Huaichuan turned around as well, "It's about Lin Yao bullying you..."
"She? She bullied me?"
Zhou Qiqi rolled her eyes smugly.
Then she recounted in detail what had happened in the square that afternoon: she, Deng Cuixiang, and Zhu Yingying had fought off four gossipy women, as well as the story of Lin Yao and Xu Zao, the two sisters-in-law.
She spoke with great enthusiasm, even stretching out her little arm and waving it.
"With my strength, I'd be being polite if I didn't beat her senseless. How could I let her bully me?"
"Quickly pull back inside, don't catch a cold."
Shen Huaichuan quickly tucked her arm under the covers.
Zhou Qiqi put her hands under her head and asked, "Who told you this nonsense?"
Shen Huaichuan didn't mention Battalion Commander Jiang's name, but silently added him to the roster for this field training and team competition.
He reached out and touched Zhou Qiqi's still slightly damp bangs, gently pressing his fingertips between her eyebrows.
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