The soldiers nodded, and although they were upset, they obeyed the order.
Jiang Linchuan saw Xu Xinghe standing in the corner of the corridor, paused, walked over and asked softly, "What are you doing here?"
“I heard a commotion outside and came to check... I’ve always had a good impression of Zhou Chengmu. On my first day at the military headquarters, he came over and helped me set up the heated kang bed in my room. He also helped me a lot later.”
Remembering how Zhou Chengmu squatted by the kang (a heated brick bed) patiently adjusting the flue, and then looking at the person lying in the emergency room now, she felt a little sad.
Jiang Linchuan reached out and gently patted her back, his tone tender, "Don't worry too much. Didn't the doctor say that with luck he can recover to 70-80%? We'll keep a close eye on his recovery. He'll be fine. You go back to the courtyard first; I'll take care of things here."
Xu Xinghe nodded, knowing that she couldn't be of much help here, and could only leave first.
But after returning to the courtyard, she kept thinking about Zhou Chengmu as she looked at the pot on the stove.
He has no family or partner in the military. Now that he's injured, I can visit him as a friend.
In the evening, Xu Xinghe went to the military canteen and asked someone to make him a bone broth.
After cooking, she put it in a thermos and went to find Jiang Linchuan, who was working on documents in his office. "Linchuan, shall we go see Zhou Chengmu tonight? He must be lonely in the hospital all by himself. I made some bone broth. Let's visit him as friends, and it will make him feel better."
Jiang Linchuan looked at the thermos in her hand and then at her serious eyes. His heart warmed, and he put down his pen. "Okay, let's go together after I finish processing these documents."
When the two carried the thermos to the ward, it was already dark, and only a dim lamp was on in the ward.
Zhou Chengmu lay on the bed, his left leg fixed to a brace, his face even paler than during the day.
He was tall with dark brown skin from years of training. His features weren't particularly refined, but he exuded an honest and simple charm. His eyes drooped slightly at the corners, making him look exceptionally innocent when he wasn't speaking.
At this moment, he was staring blankly at the ceiling with his eyes open, not even disturbed by the footsteps of the two people entering.
"Zhou Chengmu," Jiang Linchuan spoke first, "Xu Xinghe and I came to see you, and we brought some bone broth from the cafeteria. Have some to help you recover."
Zhou Chengmu then slowly turned his neck, his gaze first falling on Jiang Linchuan without any reaction. But when his gaze swept over Xu Xinghe, his body suddenly stiffened, and the curve of his eyes seemed to tighten even more.
The next second, his previously empty eyes suddenly turned red, and his eye sockets became wet at a visible speed. He quickly turned his head away, not wanting the two of them to see his loss of composure, but his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, and he made a suppressed sob.
Xu Xinghe didn't notice his unusual behavior, assuming he was just feeling unwell due to his injury. She walked over and placed the thermos on the bedside table. "Comrade Zhou, the bone broth is still warm. Shall I get you a bowl? The doctor said you need to replenish your nutrition, which will be good for your recovery."
She didn't see that the moment Zhou Chengmu heard her voice, his fingernails almost dug into his palm.
From the very first day Xu Xinghe arrived at the military headquarters, the moment he saw her for the first time, he secretly fell in love with this dazzlingly beautiful girl.
He knew he came from an ordinary background and had little education, so he could only train desperately and carry out missions, hoping to accumulate more military merits and get promoted as soon as possible. Once he had the confidence, he might be able to muster the courage to express his feelings to her.
He even secretly planned that if he could stay in the army, he could settle down at the military headquarters and maybe even become her neighbor...
But now, everything is ruined!
The leg injury will most likely leave lasting effects, and the army will definitely not be able to keep him. He will become a cripple who can only live on the meager compensation given by the military and go back to his hometown in the countryside to live out his life.
With this kind of self, let alone pursuing Xu Xinghe, I even felt inferior just standing next to her.
"Thank you." Zhou Chengmu's voice was terribly hoarse, as if it had been sanded.
Xu Xinghe ladled a bowl of soup for him and placed it beside him, her tone unusually earnest, "Comrade Zhou, don't be so downcast. The doctor said it's just a possibility of long-term effects, not a certainty. I still have some wound medicine I brought from Shanghai. I'll bring it over tomorrow and have the doctor take a look. If we can use it on your leg, maybe a miracle will really happen?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengmu abruptly raised his head, his previously reddened eyes instantly brightening.
He stared intently at Xu Xinghe, his voice trembling slightly, "You...you're telling the truth? Your medicine can really cure it?"
He remembered Xu Xinghe's frostbite cream, which was so effective. If she really had a medicine that could treat bone injuries, maybe his leg could really be saved!
"I can't guarantee I can cure him, but I can at least help in some way." Xu Xinghe smiled and nodded, seeing the renewed hope in his eyes. "I'll bring the medicine over first thing tomorrow morning, and we can have the doctor evaluate him first, okay?"
Looking at her gentle smile, Zhou Chengmu's despair gradually dissipated.
He nodded vigorously, his eyes reddening again, but this time with gratitude, not sadness. "Comrade Xu, if... if you can heal my leg, my life is yours! I'll do whatever you ask!"
Xu Xinghe was amused by his serious expression and gently waved her hand, "Don't say that, we're friends. It's only right for friends to help each other, why risk your life? You should drink the bone broth and get some rest afterward."
Jiang Linchuan stepped forward and patted Zhou Chengmu on the shoulder, "Take good care of your injury and don't think too much. Your leg will definitely recover."
Zhou Chengmu nodded vigorously, looking at Xu Xinghe and Jiang Linchuan, his expectations for the future rekindled.
Perhaps things aren't as bad as he thinks.
Perhaps he still has a chance to stay in the military and continue to protect everything he loves!
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