The commune hospital wasn't far away; it only took about ten minutes to walk there.
Xu Zhenzhu hurried into the back of the hospital ward.
The hospital wasn't large; the so-called inpatient department was just a row of three wards.
Some patients who cannot go home temporarily and need treatment stay here.
In this day and age, not many people can afford to stay in a hospital ward.
Lu Kai was not worried about money. In fact, he stayed in a private room so that no one would disturb his peace and quiet.
Xu Zhenzhu went straight to Lu Kai's room after entering the inpatient department. Perhaps because she was in a hurry, the ward door was ajar, which made it convenient for Xu Ningyan to peek from outside.
Peeking through the crack in the door, Lu Kai was lying on the bed. He looked quite refined, wearing glasses, with a hint of arrogance and aloofness in his eyes, appearing utterly disdainful.
Whether it was the psychological effect of reading the book or knowing that they would definitely be on the opposite side in the future, Xu Ningyan looked at Lu Kai's face and felt that this person was annoying no matter how she looked at him, as he seemed to hit all her sore spots.
When Lu Kai saw Xu Zhenzhu enter, he only managed a half-smile. But when he saw the redness and swelling on her face that wasn't completely covered up, his expression immediately changed.
"Pearl, what happened to your face?"
Xu Zhenzhu's eyes reddened, and she sat down on the edge of the bed, looking aggrieved. "Brother Lu, I'm afraid I won't be able to come see you or take care of you anymore!"
Lu Kai frowned: "What's wrong? Is it your family's objection? To be honest, it's my fault. You saved my life, and now I'm having to trouble you to take care of me. It's understandable that your family has reservations—"
There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Xu Zhenzhu quickly interrupted him, "Brother Lu, taking care of you is my own choice! And my family didn't object. Yes, she's my niece, sigh—"
He seemed hesitant and reluctant to speak.
Lu Kai's eyes flickered, and he pressed on, "What's wrong with your niece? I've heard you mention before that among your nieces, the one named Siya is the most gloomy. She seems quiet and unassuming, but she's the most malicious behind your back! She's jealous of how well your family likes you and loves to talk badly about you behind your back. Did she say something again?"
Xu Zhenzhu bit her lip, tears rolling down her cheeks as she choked out, "Brother Lu, I don't understand why Siya just doesn't like me. I know she wasn't loved by her parents when she was little, and she was sent to the countryside to be raised when she was three. Because of that, I feel the most sorry for her among my nieces, and I never forget to share any good food or drink with her."
"My family wouldn't let her go to school, and I had to persuade my mom to let Siya go to school with me. Her grades weren't good, and she couldn't continue after finishing elementary school. Seeing that I was in middle and high school made her unhappy, and she kept saying that my family was biased—"
“That’s fine, I’m the aunt and she’s the junior, so I’m just being accommodating. But, but this time, because I saved you, brought you to the hospital and took care of you, she got upset again! She made a huge scene at home, saying that the family is biased, that she’s spending money on outsiders, and that she wants to separate the family.”
“She’s a young woman, how will she survive if she separates from the family? We all tried to persuade her, but she wouldn’t listen to a word. She held a knife to us and threatened to kill the whole family if we didn’t separate. She set the house on fire. My mother had no choice but to give her money and food, and let her have her way.”
"I was on my way to the hospital to take care of you when I ran into her. She immediately started calling me shameless, saying I was throwing myself at an outsider, ruining my reputation, and dragging her down with me! I tried to defend myself, and then she hit me. My face and body are covered in bruises from her blows, boohoo—"
She spoke while tears streamed down her face, looking utterly pitiful.
Lu Kai was heartbroken and, disregarding the proper boundaries between men and women, grabbed Xu Zhenzhu's hand: "Zhenzhu, I'm so sorry. You're the kindest girl, and it's all because of me that you've suffered! Don't worry, once I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll have my parents propose marriage to you. I promise I won't let you ruin your reputation—"
Xu Zhenzhu was overjoyed, finally hearing Lu Kai say those words.
Her face flushed red with shyness. She glanced at Lu Kai bashfully and lowered her head, saying, "Brother Lu, I'll do whatever you say!"
YUE～
Xu Ningyan was almost disgusted to death by this despicable couple outside the door!
The man is blind and the woman is cheap!
Xu Zhenzhu's words are truly a distortion of the truth.
In the Xu family, she was the one who bullied the original owner, Xu Siya, the most. How thick-skinned and black-hearted she must be to say such a thing as turning the tables.
And Lu Kai, is this the suspension bridge effect?
Given his circumstances, having lost a leg and been rescued, how could he so easily fall in love with the girl who saved him, and want to marry her after only a few days?
If a dog saves him, would he marry that dog?
But how did Xu Zhenzhu know that it was he who beat her up? Or did she not know it was him at all, but habitually shift the blame onto him?
It's definitely a habitual attempt to shift blame!
Since that's the case, then I won't hold back; I should at least retaliate in kind.
Xu Ningyan was making plans in her mind.
The two held hands and poured out their hearts to each other for a while before Xu Zhenzhu came to her senses first.
She shyly pulled her hand away from Lu Kai's: "Brother Lu, you rest for a while, I'll go wash your clothes!"
Lu Kai released Xu Zhenzhu's hand and revealed a smile that he thought was charming and wicked, but was actually lewd and greasy: "Then I'll have to trouble Zhenzhu."
The two smiled at each other, and the ward was filled with the sweet and sour smell of love!
Xu Zhenzhu squatted down and pulled an enamel basin out from under the hospital bed. Inside were Lu Kai's clothes, including his underwear.
Xu Zhenzhu didn't try to avoid suspicion; she carried the basin, picked up the soap, and went out.
Xu Ningyan quickly slipped into the next ward.
Watching Xu Zhenzhu carry the basin toward the river next to the hospital where clothes are washed, she slipped out of the ward and glanced at Lu Kai inside.
Lu Kai was still lying there, his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought, rubbing his fingers together, a smug smile on his face.
Xu Ningyan found it an eyesore and quickly followed Xu Zhenzhu.
A section of the river used for washing clothes passes right next to the hospital. To make it easier for hospital staff to wash and scrub, they even built special stone slabs along the riverbank.
Besides Xu Zhenzhu, several other middle-aged women were also washing and cleaning by the river.
Seeing that Xu Zhenzhu was washing men's clothes, the group of middle-aged women exchanged glances: "These are the clothes of that young man who broke his leg and lives in a single room, right? Girl, what's your relationship to him?"
Xu Zhenzhu blushed and shyly said, "I'm his girlfriend!"
"No wonder you washed his underwear! You're a lucky girl. Your boyfriend must be from the city, right? He looks rich. Look at his clothes, tsk tsk, not a single patch on them, even his underwear is almost new!"
Xu Zhenzhu felt smug, and a hint of pride showed on her face as she washed clothes and listened with a smile to several older women praising her and Lu Kai.
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