The feeding process became extremely quiet and slow.
Occasionally, because Mu Xinrong could only use his left hand, his movements were a little clumsy, and a little bit of porridge in the spoon accidentally spilled onto Chao Youye's chin.
"Ah!" Mu Xinrong cried out softly, immediately put down the bowl and spoon, and wanted to get a tissue.
"It's okay." Chao Youye's voice was filled with a hint of smile. He tilted his head slightly and naturally used the back of his uninjured right hand to casually wipe off the rice paste.
His movements were so natural, as if he was just brushing off a speck of dust. He looked back at Mu Xinrong, his eyes soothing, "Continue."
Mu Xinrong looked at him with a softer expression. He picked up the tissue and this time gently and carefully wiped his chin.
Finally, the small bowl of porridge was finished.
"Do you want more?" Mu Xinrong put down the empty bowl and asked softly.
He shook his head at Youye.
"That's enough. It's very comfortable." He looked at Mu Xinrong, his eyes falling on his right arm, which he had hardly moved.
"You should eat and take medicine."
Mu Xinrong then remembered himself. His stomach was indeed empty.
He nodded: "Well, I'll go eat later. Why don't you lie down and rest for a while?"
Chao Youye didn't object. Mu Xinrong immediately stood up, carefully supported his right arm and back, and helped him adjust the angle of the bed, allowing him to slowly lie down from a semi-sitting position.
In the process of lying flat, the injured part of his left arm was inevitably affected. Chao Youye frowned slightly and his breathing became slightly stagnant for a moment, but he did not make any sound.
Mu Xinrong keenly captured this subtle change.
He quickly adjusted the pillow to make sure he was comfortable, then nervously asked, "Did you touch your arm?"
"No, it's just a little bit of a pulling feeling, it's normal." Chao Youye looked at his nervous look and comforted him.
He lay down, his eyes fixed on Mu Xinrong's face, "Go eat something."
"Okay!" Mu Xinrong responded, tucking in the corner of the quilt for Chao Youye. His eyes fell on his left arm which was fixed with plaster, and his eyes were full of worry.
"Your arm...what did the doctor say during the rounds? Can you feel the nerves...?"
Chao Youye's eyes also turned to his left arm. He was silent for a few seconds, as if he was feeling something.
Then, he slightly moved his plaster-wrapped fingers—only a very faint, almost imperceptible tremor. "A little," he replied calmly. "My thumb and index finger... I can feel a little numbness and tingling, but I can't move them. The doctor said it takes time for the nerves to recover, and there's no rush."
Mu Xinrong leaned over and placed a gentle, soothing kiss on Chao Youye's uninjured right arm.
Then he picked up the remote control on the bedside table: "Would you like to watch some TV? Or listen to some music?"
"Yeah." Chao Youye responded.
Mu Xinrong turned on the TV and tuned it to a channel playing a soothing documentary.
The picture shows the vast African grasslands, the camera chases the migrating wildebeests, and majestic background music flows out.
He placed the remote control where Chao Youye could easily reach it with his right hand.
"I'm going out to eat something and will be back soon. Just ring the bell if you need anything." Mu Xinrong pointed to the call bell on the bedside table.
"Go ahead." Chao Youye's gaze shifted from the TV screen to him, "Eat slowly."
Mu Xinrong nodded, then turned and walked out of the ward, closing the door gently.
Chao Youye was the only one left in the ward. The documentary's narrator spoke in a low voice about the laws of nature.
But his eyes weren't focused on the screen. He tilted his head slightly, looking at his immobilized left arm, trying to focus his mind, to sense and move the wrapped finger.
Fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead due to excessive concentration, but what responded to him was still the suffocating numbness and the faint tingling deep inside.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forced himself to suppress the irritation.
He opened his eyes again, looking out the window at the bright sunshine. For Xinrong, for the pure light in his eyes, he had to get better. He had to.
Mu Xinrong came back soon, holding a plate with a bowl of chicken porridge similar to the one he had just fed Chao Youye, as well as a few light side dishes and a small cup containing pills.
"I'm done eating." He said softly, put the plate on the round table by the window, then walked to Chao Youye's bed and naturally reached out to touch his forehead.
"The temperature is normal."
"It's time to take medicine." Mu Xinrong handed the pill to his lips, holding a glass of water in his other hand.
Chao Youye obediently opened her mouth, put the pill in his hand, and then swallowed it after drinking a few sips of water.
The bitter taste of medicine filled his mouth and he frowned slightly.
Mu Xinrong immediately took out a small individually wrapped milk candy from his pocket.
"Here, it can help you to reduce the bitterness." He peeled off the candy wrapper and handed the round milky white candy to Chao Youye's lips, his eyes sparkling with a little pride.
Chao Youye was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth and let Mu Xinrong gently put the candy with a milky aroma into his mouth. The sweetness quickly melted on his tongue.
"...Where did it come from?" he asked vaguely.
"I asked the nurse for it." Mu Xinrong smiled a little embarrassedly, "I said you were afraid of suffering."
He put away the medicine cup and water glass, then dragged a chair over and sat down beside the bed. He picked up his bowl of warm porridge and began to eat it in small sips. The discomfort in his right arm made him move a little slowly.
Chao Youye held a candy in her mouth, her eyes fixed on him gently as she watched him drink his porridge quietly.
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