Jiang Wanqing brought back two kettles of hot water, closed the door, poured the hot water into a basin printed with blooming peonies, and steamed it. She then added some cold water and wet a towel.
"I'll help you wipe it off, take off your clothes."
For an old married couple like them, this was just a small thing to do, but Cheng Ran hesitated and wanted to take the towel from his hand.
"I'll do it myself."
She raised her hand to avoid him, looked at him, and coldly refused, "You can't even get out of bed and walk yet, how are you going to wipe your back by yourself?"
He froze, his Adam's apple bobbing, unable to answer for a long time. Jiang Wanqing then lifted his cup.
"Let's keep things separate. Stop being so dramatic. Should you take your clothes off yourself, or should I?"
When she asked again, Cheng Ran felt a bit pressured. If he refused again, it would seem like he didn't appreciate her kindness, and it would also make her feel distant.
With a determined effort, Cheng Ran took off his clothes, revealing his strong and muscular upper body.
Jiang Wanqing carefully wiped him clean without changing her expression. Next, her legs...
"Wait! I'll do the next step myself."
The moment her hand touched his waistband, Cheng Ran pressed it down, his eyes reddening as he shook his head.
"I can wipe my legs myself, Wanqing, you should rest."
Her eyes flickered, she pursed her lips, placed the towel in his hand, and replied with an "okay."
Do you need me to turn off the light?
"Hmm," he replied in a muffled voice.
She respected his request, turned off the light, and turned her back to him, waiting for him to finish washing himself.
One minute... two minutes...
After about five minutes, the rustling sound stopped, and Cheng Ran hooked her finger.
"That's fine."
"oh."
She turned on the light, turned around, washed the towel, and poured out the water.
"Then I'll go take a shower and come back."
"good."
He watched her leave again, then looked down and frowned.
Just now... still no response... As expected, even if she were by his side, given his recent injury, a miracle wouldn't happen. He couldn't help but feel down and frustrated.
If he had been more careful when rescuing people, even if he had suffered serious injuries, things wouldn't have turned out like this...
late at night--
The ward was very quiet, with a faint smell of disinfectant in the air. Jiang Wanqing was a light sleeper and woke up several times during the night.
First, the cot is not comfortable to sleep on, and second, I have things weighing on my mind, so I can't sleep soundly.
As she turned over for the tenth time, Cheng Ran opened his eyes and tapped on the edge of the bed.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
She turned to face him: "I'm just not used to it. I fell asleep when I was sleepy."
"I'll switch with you."
Cheng Ran was about to switch beds with her when Jiang Wanqing quickly got up to stop him.
"What are you doing! You're a patient, why would I take your bed? What will the doctor think of me when he comes for rounds tomorrow? Besides, it will affect your recovery. I can overcome this difficulty. Can you calm down?"
He grabbed her hand, pulled her onto the hospital bed, and moved aside to make way for her.
"Then let's sleep together, that way neither of us will feel wronged."
Jiang Wanqing was speechless for a moment. After a while, he pulled her into his arms again. His breath was still familiar, his arms were still strong, and every breath he took touched hers.
She inexplicably felt at ease, stopped struggling, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gradually fell asleep.
Jiang Wanqing woke up first after sleeping soundly until dawn. The two of them had slept in each other's arms all night. She slightly raised her neck and looked at his face.
My fingers moved lightly, slowly sliding down his face...
It was morning now, which would have been the time when his reaction was strongest. She wanted to see if his body was really as badly damaged as the doctor had said.
Jiang Wanqing kept her eyes on his, afraid that he would suddenly wake up and prevent her from examining him.
She moved very gently; when her fingertips accidentally touched her lower abdomen, she quickly pulled them back and continued moving downwards.
"Wanqing, what are you doing?"
Cheng Ran suddenly opened his eyes, quickly pressed down on her hand, shook his head, and looked serious.
Do you think I could resist you if I could?
He knew best whether he felt it or not. In fact, he had been awake for a long time, and had been brewing and feeling. He hoped to find his former impulsiveness and sense of power, but he couldn't. A trace of sadness appeared in his eyes.
Jiang Wanqing kissed his lips, then the tip of his nose and his face, her voice gentle.
"It will get better, it definitely will."
She pulled her hand back, threw off the covers, got out of bed, and casually tied her hair up.
"I'll get you breakfast. What would you like to eat?"
"Whatever you eat, I'll eat."
"Okay, then I'll take care of it."
Jiang Wanqing smiled and took the lunchbox outside.
Not long after she left, Dr. Huang came to check on the patient. He saw the cot on the floor, but didn't say much. He just asked about Cheng Ran's injuries.
"How are you feeling today? Does it make a difference if your spouse is with you?"
Cheng Ran remained silent, but his expression told the doctor everything.
"Are there any precedents for recovery in my case?" he asked rhetorically. "Perhaps... transferring to another hospital... is that possible?"
"Commander Cheng, I've never encountered a situation like yours before. Even if I had, it wasn't during recovery in the hospital. Some people recover after going home, relaxing, or encountering someone who can give them a high level of stimulation."
When can I be discharged from the hospital?
"ah?"
The doctor was still reeling from his erratic train of thought, paused for two seconds, and then came to his senses.
"Oh, your leg injury isn't serious. You can go back to rest anytime."
"Discharge me tomorrow, I want to go home."
"But……"
"No buts. I don't want to stay in the hospital anymore. It's too depressing here. Every moment I'm here reminds me of my injuries. Like you said, going back might help me distract myself. Let's do it this way."
Cheng Ran was determined to be discharged from the hospital. The doctor considered it for a while, but still left some room for negotiation.
"Commander Cheng, how about this? Our attending physician isn't comfortable with you being discharged immediately. Let's observe you for two more days, and I'll process your discharge after two days. How does that sound?"
"I……"
Before Cheng Ran could answer, Jiang Wanqing returned with breakfast and overheard the doctor's words, immediately responding.
"Let's listen to the doctor. We won't leave the hospital tomorrow. We'll wait two more days, which will give me time to take care of him."
She glared at Cheng Ran, suppressing his desire to be discharged from the hospital immediately.
"Alright, it's decided then. Comrade Jiang, thank you for taking care of Commander Cheng. I'll go check on other rooms now."
"Okay, goodbye doctor."
She nodded and saw the doctor out, then walked to the bedside, put down the breakfast, and stared intently at Cheng Ran.
“I know you’re afraid of trouble and want to be discharged as soon as possible, but if you’re not even willing to trouble me, who else can you trouble? I’ll feel at ease going back once you can walk again, and by then I should be able to get back to my own business.”
He opened his mouth, wanting to say that he might feel less burdened after going back, but she was adamant and even helped him tuck the blanket in.
"You're not allowed to argue with me."
In the end, Cheng Ran compromised. To put her mind at ease, he agreed to let her stay in the hospital for a couple more days.
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