Chapter 27: Being in the same room, awkwardness and rising temperature
After the military doctor left, Su Wanqing and Huo Tingxiao were the only ones left in the living room. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and a lingering sense of tension, a sense of having survived a catastrophe.
Huo Tingxiao's right arm was in a sling, and his face was still a little pale, but the hardness between his brows had mostly recovered. He stood up, without looking at Su Wanqing, and walked straight towards the stairs.
Su Wanqing subconsciously stood up and looked at his slightly stiff back. She opened her mouth, but the words "Do you need help?" rolled in her throat before she swallowed them back. She knew that with his pride, he would never show weakness or accept help at a time like this.
He walked up the stairs step by step, his steps slower and heavier than usual. His injured right arm was obviously in pain, but his straight back did not bend at all.
Su Wanqing followed him silently, keeping a few steps away. She didn't dare get too close and annoy him, but she couldn't help but worry whether he would stumble due to the inconvenience.
Reaching the second floor, Huo Tingxiao paused at the bedroom door. His master bedroom was at the end of the corridor, his second bedroom on the other side. He tilted his head, his eyes quickly sweeping over Su Wanqing, who was following not far away, his expression complex and difficult to discern.
Then, he did something that surprised Su Wanqing - instead of walking towards his master bedroom, he turned around, pushed open the door of the second bedroom, and walked in.
Su Wanqing stood in the hallway, bewildered. He'd gone to the second bedroom? Was it because she had her things in the master bedroom and he felt uncomfortable? Or was it...something else?
She was debating whether to return to the master bedroom or do something else when the door to the second bedroom suddenly opened a crack. Huo Tingxiao stood inside, only half his face visible, his brows slightly furrowed. His voice remained cold, but with a subtle hint of hesitation: "The medicine is on the table. The instructions... can't be read clearly."
After saying that, without waiting for Su Wanqing to react, the door was gently closed again.
Su Wanqing stood there, her heart skipping a beat for no apparent reason.
He... was he asking her for help? Even if it was in an extremely awkward, almost commanding way.
"Can't see clearly"? Yes, his injuries were to his right shoulder and arm. He is right-handed, so it is indeed inconvenient for him to operate with his left hand. In addition, the instructions for some oral medications have very small print.
A subtle emotion spread in her heart, a mixture of surprise, a hint of joy, and more of helplessness.
She took a deep breath, walked to the door of the second bedroom and knocked gently.
There was silence for a few seconds before a deep voice came out: "Come in."
Su Wanqing pushed open the door. The second bedroom was simpler than she'd imagined, almost like a high-end hotel. Apart from the necessary furniture and bedding, there were almost no personal belongings. Huo Tingxiao was sitting on the sofa by the window, his injured right arm resting carefully on the armrest, his left hand clumsily trying to tear open the aluminum foil of a sheet of anti-inflammatory medicine.
Under the light, the lines of his profile were still cold and hard, but the slightly furrowed brows and the faint traces of sweat on his forehead revealed his discomfort and patience.
Su Wanqing walked over quickly and said softly, "Let me do it."
She didn't look at him, but naturally took the pills from his left hand, carefully read the instructions, then took out two pills neatly, picked up the water cup on the table, tested the water temperature, and found it was just right before handing it to him.
Huo Tingxiao didn't take it immediately. He looked up at her, his eyes deep and emotionless. Then, he reached out his left hand, took the pills and the cup of water, and tilted his head back to swallow. His Adam's apple rolled, and the swallowing movement seemed to cause the pain, causing him to frown slightly.
There was a silent awkwardness in the air, yet strangely there was also a subtle atmosphere that was different from the previous cold confrontation.
"There are also external sprays and oral painkillers. The military doctor said to use them after four hours." Su Wanqing picked up the other two medicine bottles, looked at the labels, and added softly.
"Yeah." Huo Tingxiao responded softly and put the cup back on the table. He subconsciously tried to loosen his collar with his left hand, but the movement was awkward because his right arm was fixed.
Su Wanqing saw it, hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward and asked softly, "Do you need... help?" Her fingertips curled up slightly, and she was a little nervous.
Huo Tingxiao's body stiffened imperceptibly. He looked up at her, his gaze sharp and scrutinizing, as if trying to determine the meaning behind her words.
Su Wanqing met his gaze, her eyes clear and without any evasion, only pure inquiry and a hint of barely perceptible concern.
After a few seconds, he looked away almost imperceptibly, his jawline tensed, and he nodded very slightly...
This was an extremely difficult but clear acquiescence.
Su Wanqing's heartbeat quickened. Cautiously, her fingertips trembling, she reached out and touched the top button of his uniform. The cool metal button, through the fabric, felt the warmth of his skin against her neck.
She held her breath, moving very gently, afraid of touching his wound. She unbuttoned his shirt, then the first button, then the second button...
They were so close that she could smell his fresh breath mixed with a hint of medicine and feel the slight rise and fall of his chest. His eyes were elsewhere, but she could sense the tension and discomfort in his body.
This kind of close contact with a hint of intimacy was too strange and inappropriate for two people who had always been separated by an ice wall.
After finally untying the restraints on his collar, Huo Tingxiao seemed to let out an inaudible sigh of relief.
"Thank you." He uttered these two words, his voice low and hoarse, still without any emotion, but no longer a cold command or rebuke.
"You're welcome." Su Wanqing also breathed a sigh of relief, her cheeks a little hot, and she quickly took a step back to keep some distance.
The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence again, but the tense and cold atmosphere seemed to have dissipated a lot.
"You... go to bed early." Su Wanqing felt that she couldn't stay any longer, so she said in a low voice and turned to leave.
"Wait." Huo Tingxiao suddenly spoke.
Su Wanqing paused and looked back at him.
He pointed to the bottle of topical spray and painkillers on the table: "These, four o'clock." Meaning that they will be needed at four o'clock.
Su Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood what he meant. The military doctor had instructed to administer the medication in four hours, and it was already past ten at night. Four o'clock... was four in the morning. Was he telling her that she needed to come in the early morning to administer the medication?
Her cheeks grew hotter, her heart pounding like a drum. At four in the morning, she entered his bedroom...
this……
Huo Tingxiao seemed to realize that this request was a bit inappropriate and awkward. He frowned and added in a firm tone, "Forget it if it's inconvenient. I can do it myself."
These words sounded like they were giving her a way out, but in reality, they carried a habitual coldness and distance, as if the brief relaxation just now was just an illusion.
Su Wanqing looked at his awkward yet forced expression, and her shyness and hesitation were suddenly suppressed by an inexplicable emotion. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "It's okay, I'll set an alarm. Get some rest, Commander."
After saying that, she stopped looking at him, walked out of the second bedroom quickly, and closed the door gently.
Leaning against the cold corridor wall, Su Wanqing dared to take a deep breath. Her cheeks were burning and her heart was still beating rapidly.
Being in the same room together was extremely awkward, yet... inexplicably, I felt as if a corner of the ice had melted silently.
Four o'clock in the morning.
The alarm clock rang on time. Su Wanqing woke up immediately and got out of bed without hesitation. She put on a coat and fixed her hair before gently pushing open the door to the second bedroom.
There was only a dim nightlight in the room. Huo Tingxiao seemed to be asleep, lying motionless on the bed. But when she approached, he immediately opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and clear in the dim light, without the slightest hint of sleepiness. Obviously, he had been forcing himself to sleep lightly, or perhaps he hadn't fallen asleep at all.
Su Wanqing didn't ask any more questions, but just said softly: "Commander, it's time to take the medicine."
"Hmm." He responded softly, supporting himself with his left hand and trying to sit up, but the movement was a little strenuous.
Su Wanqing subconsciously took a step forward and held onto his uninjured left arm, lending him strength. Her fingers touched the firm muscles of his arm, and both of them froze almost imperceptibly.
After helping him sit steadily, she immediately released her hand, picked up the spray, shook it according to the instructions, and carefully sprayed it on the red and swollen area on his right shoulder. When the cool liquid touched his skin, he almost took a breath of cold air.
Then she poured out the painkillers and handed over warm water.
During the entire process, the two of them barely made eye contact. Silence spread across the dim room, but it was no longer the cold awkwardness of the beginning. Instead, it fostered an indescribable... tacit understanding and subtle tension.
After finishing the medicine, Huo Tingxiao lay down again, closed his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's my duty." Su Wanqing answered softly and tucked the corner of the quilt for him. Her action was so natural that even she was stunned for a moment.
She carried the water glass and medicine bottle and tiptoed out of the room.
The moment she closed the door, she leaned against the wall, listening to her still rapid heartbeat, looking out the window at the deepest darkness before dawn, but the corners of her lips involuntarily curved up into a very shallow arc.
This night was both awkward and heated.
There seemed to be a crack in the ice wall.
And there is light, quietly seeping in from there.
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