Chapter 355 The pain was so bad that she missed eating a steamed bun for dinner. Su Tang's tense body softened the moment she smelled that familiar scent.
She leaned against his firm, burning chest, the sound of his heart pounding like a drum, each beat louder and faster than the last, almost shattering his chest.
Her nostrils were filled with his scent, a mixture of faint pine, biting wind, and clean soap, which overpowered all her senses.
"You scared me to death!" Her voice carried a hint of soft, reproachful reproach that she herself didn't even realize.
Qin Ye did not answer immediately.
He tightened his arms around her, pulling her deeper and more forcefully into his embrace, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.
He buried his face deep in the crook of her neck, greedily and forcefully inhaling her unique, sweet scent, carrying a faint aroma of grass and herbs.
The heart that had been hanging in suspense ever since he received the mission and learned that she was coming to this godforsaken place, the heart that had been clenched in agony when he saw her injured during the day, finally settled down at this moment.
"I'm sorry," his muffled voice finally came from beside her neck after a long while, tinged with suppressed hoarseness and lingering fear, "I've been waiting impatiently."
It's almost 3:30 now, and every minute and second of this past half hour has been torture for him since the agreed-upon time of 3:00.
He was afraid she wouldn't be able to get out, afraid she would be discovered by her roommates when she did, afraid she would run into the patrolling sentries... Countless terrible possibilities flashed through his mind.
"I ran into a little trouble, but I got rid of it." Su Tang could feel his slightly trembling body and the worry that was almost overflowing. The little bit of nervousness she felt from being frightened instantly vanished.
She gently patted his broad back, as if soothing a restless, large beast.
Qin Ye loosened his grip on her a little, but still couldn't bear to let go. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands and examined her carefully in the faint moonlight filtering through the leaves.
His Tangtang has lost weight and gotten a bit darker. Her once fair and delicate face, which looked like it could be pinched to release water, is now a healthy wheat color. She has lost some of her delicate features and gained more of a heroic and simple beauty.
But his gaze eventually fell on her left arm.
During the day, in the infirmary, he personally massaged her through her training uniform, and he still remembers the feel of the bruised lumps clearly.
"Does it still hurt?" He lifted her injured arm, his voice low and hoarse, no longer the icy tone he used during the day, but filled with suppressed worry and longing, every word wrapped in an intense, unyielding heartache and self-reproach.
Hearing his voice, tinged with grievance and guilt, Su Tang instantly felt all the suffering she had endured during the day and all the anger she had been holding in.
This guy, even though he did nothing wrong, always feels that it's his responsibility.
She snuggled closer to him, finding a comfortable position, and said lazily, "It hurt quite a bit, so much so that I skipped a steamed bun for dinner."
Qin Ye's heart clenched instantly.
“However,” she changed the subject, looking up at him, “I was touched and massaged in front of dozens of people in the entire camp by our imposing Instructor Qin, but I’m feeling much better now. Everyone’s saying that I, Su An, have had a stroke of good luck, getting ‘special treatment’ from the devilish instructor himself.”
"You're such a chatterbox." Qin Ye hugged her slender waist, tightening his embrace. Realizing she was teasing him, his self-reproach subsided slightly. A tender smile, unnoticed even by himself, curved his lips as he lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead.
The two embraced quietly, enjoying this hard-won tranquility.
After a long while, Qin Ye gently released Su Tang again, picked up her injured arm, and examined it carefully.
Under the moonlight, the terrifying bluish-purple color had faded by more than half, leaving only a faint trace.
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