After some time, the moon outside the window hid behind the clouds.
The noise inside the house finally stopped.
Lu Linchuan held her in his arms, his sweaty chest pressed against her sweaty back, and one leg domineeringly straddled hers, encircling her completely in his embrace.
Su Wantang was so tired that she didn't want to move a single finger, and her eyelids felt so heavy that they seemed glued on.
In a daze, she heard the man whispering in her ear over and over again in a husky, exceptionally sexy voice.
"Wantang...my..."
"I love you."
These three words, like a warm current, instantly flowed through my limbs and bones.
She rolled over, finding a comfortable position in his arms, and an uncontrollable smile crept onto her lips.
“Lu Linchuan,” she replied in a hoarse voice, “I love you too.”
The man's arms tightened around her even more.
The next morning, Su Wantang woke up to a series of crisp knocks on the door.
She opened her eyes; the spot beside her was empty, still warm to the touch. From the courtyard came the resounding commands of Lu Linchuan leading his soldiers in their morning exercises, each shout powerful and resonant.
Sunlight streamed through the paper window, making it feel warm and cozy.
She stretched, feeling sore all over, as if her bones were being crushed.
This man is truly born in the Year of the Ox.
"Who is it?" she called out.
"Dr. Su, it's me, Liu Fen." A timid voice came from outside the door.
Su Wantang was taken aback, and quickly put on her clothes and got off the kang (a heated brick bed).
When I opened the door, I saw Liu Fen standing there holding her child. She was still very thin, and her complexion was still sallow, but her eyes were completely different from yesterday.
Yesterday, those eyes were filled with deathly stillness and insane hatred, but today, although there is still cowardice in them, there is also a hint of cautious hope, as if they are trying to grasp at something.
"Sister-in-law Liu Fen, come in quickly." Su Wantang ushered her into the house.
"I...I didn't disturb you, did I?" Liu Fen stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, her baby girl sleeping soundly in her arms.
"No, please sit down." Su Wantang poured her a glass of hot water. "Why did you come so early?"
Liu Fen held her water glass, head down, seemingly preparing herself mentally. After a while, she finally looked up, her gaze fixed intently on Su Wantang.
“Dr. Su, you said yesterday that I have to rely on myself.” Her voice was not loud, but very clear. “I thought about it, and I don’t know anything. Without a man and without that home, I might not be able to survive.”
Su Wantang's heart sank.
“But,” Liu Fen’s tone shifted, a light flashing in her eyes that surprised Su Wantang, “I want to learn something. I want… for you to teach me.”
"What will I teach you?"
“Pediatric massage.” Liu Fen said each word with utmost seriousness, “You said last time that children are weak and that regular massage can strengthen their bodies and reduce illness. I want to learn this. For my daughter, and... for myself.”
She wanted to have a skill that would protect her daughter.
Even if it's just to keep her sick and less suffering, for Liu Fen now, that's the most powerful thing she can do for her daughter.
Su Wantang looked at her and suddenly smiled.
It was a genuine, heartfelt smile.
She was not crushed by despair. This seemingly fragile woman developed a deep-seated resilience after giving up her child.
“Okay, I’ll teach you,” Su Wantang said decisively.
She asked Liu Fen to lay the child flat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and unwrap the swaddle blanket.
"Pediatric massage emphasizes acupoints. Look, this is the Banmen acupoint, located on the thenar eminence of the palm. Regularly massaging this point can strengthen the spleen and stomach, helping children eat better." (This chapter has been completed. Please click to continue reading the next chapter!)
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