Chapter 118
A week later, everyone except Zhan Hantao had stabilized. Iris entered the ward carrying a lunchbox, where Zhuang Zhuoyuan had already adjusted the bed height and was sitting on it waiting for her.
"Are you feeling any better today?" The burns on her limbs are the hardest to bear. Although they are not severe, Iris feels heartbroken every time she sees them.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan said sweetly, "My wife visits me three times a day, and spends three hours with me each time. I couldn't be better."
"Still being cheeky!" Now that he was injured, she only dared to talk to him, and even hugging him was done cautiously. Iris poured out the soup that the housekeeper had cooked, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to Zhuang Zhuoyuan spoonful by spoonful. Suddenly, she felt a sense of disorientation and thought that there was a giant version of a glutinous rice ball in front of her. Then she felt as if she and Zhuang Zhuoyuan had switched places during her postpartum period, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan eagerly awaited his wife's joy. Ever since he woke up, he had been terrified of Iris's frowns and tears. These past few days, he had finally seen her smile, and he had to keep asking her about her happiness. Iris was thinking of ways to tease him: "I was just thinking about how you forced me to drink soup when I was in postpartum confinement. Now the tables have turned, and you have to obediently drink this big bowl of loving soup."
Zhuang Zhuoyuan let out a wail in agreement, but he didn't give up fighting for his rights. Just as Iris was feeling happy, he leaned forward and kissed her.
“What is this?” Iris asked, hands on her hips.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan smiled slyly: "Have you forgotten how I coaxed you back then, giving you a kiss and feeding you..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Iris quickly stopped him. She didn't want Zhuang Zhuoyuan to have any more thoughts about kissing and feeding him. There had been quite a few visitors these past few days, and if they saw this scene, he would really lose all face.
“Our Mrs. Zhuang is already well-known.” Zhuang Zhuoyuan decided to take this good opportunity to tell her the truth. “When you came to see me that night, didn’t you notice that there was a security camera at the entrance of our building? When I went back that day, everyone started talking about it. Mrs. Zhuang is so beautiful and charming. No wonder Mr. Zhuang is so fond of his wife.”
"You're talking nonsense again!" Iris blushed instantly, really wanting to push Zhuang Zhuoyuan. But since Zhuang Sir was now incredibly precious, she could only write down all the debts she needed to collect, one by one, to settle with him later.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan was already prepared to back down. He was mysterious, keeping Iris in suspense for a long time before finally asking her to open the bottom drawer of the bedside table. Iris was genuinely curious; her husband's hands were wrapped in bandages, and he even needed her help to eat. What kind of surprise could he possibly have in store for her?
The result was quite unexpected. Quietly lying in the drawer was a bunch of sky-blue paper star flowers. Iris paused for a moment, then excitedly picked them up, examining them closely with shining eyes: "I like it, BB! Where did you get it? It's so pretty!"
"Give me a kiss and I'll tell you." He'd just finished a bowl of soup, but hadn't even gotten a kiss. Zhuang Zhuoyuan wasn't about to let this opportunity to give his wife "full control" slip by, making countless requests at each point to pass the long day. Iris, annoyed by his clinginess, held the bouquet silently, lost in thought about the helpers Zhuang Sir could summon. At this moment, guessing was far more interesting than kissing.
"Such beautiful flowers, it seems our stars can't compare to the brilliance of your bouquet." A knock sounded at the door, and Larine and Xie Jiaxing entered one after the other. Iris raised an eyebrow at them, keenly sensing an affair. She rolled her eyes, remaining silent, waiting for them to mention the shooting star from the previous night.
Unaware of the huge pitfall ahead, Larine, in high spirits, handed Iris a stack of specially prepared star charts, boasting about her thoughtfulness: "Even though your whole family wasn't there, I still documented the entire process and made wishes for everyone. Iris, what do you think? Wasn't I a good friend?"
“Worth it! Of course it’s worth it! Larine, you’re my favorite baby.” Iris responded immediately, blowing a kiss and pressing the two gifts close to her chest: “Today I’m the happiest person in the world!”
"You childish brat!" Larine retorted without hesitation, but couldn't help but smile. She always fell for this kind of thing, even if the sweet words were mostly fake. Who wouldn't be happy to hear nice things? Iris secretly glanced at Xie Jiaxing out of the corner of her eye. Well, Shi Tou Xing had completely turned into a stone—a wife-gazing stone that stared intently at her husband.
With a wink, Zhuang Zhuoyuan immediately received his wife's signal. He suppressed his unnecessary jealousy, perked up to watch the show, and cooperated with Iris in setting a trap for the two in front of him: "The photos are very professional, Xingzai, they're just as good as yours."
The photos were indeed taken by him, but since Larine sent them out today, it's best for her to decide whether or not to admit it. Xie Jiaxing didn't answer, and subconsciously looked at Shu Zili. Well, Iris caught him red-handed again. She suppressed a laugh and deliberately stirred things up: "These photos are much better than the ones Ah Xing uploaded to his blog before."
Larine shrugged and gave a very PR-savvy answer: "I haven't seen it, so I can't compare."
A slight smile played on her lips. Iris, observing closely, keenly caught this moment. Knowing her sister well, she immediately understood that the sister was aware of her probing. So she stopped playing games and asked directly, "I remember someone telling me that you can keep me company, but you can't randomly ask other people out."
"Is this what British directness is like?" Larine chuckled, demonstrating for her, "Ah Xing is none other than someone we've been trying to get close to, and it's working out as you wished, isn't it?"
Their hands were linked, Larine poised and confident, while Xie Jiaxing seemed somewhat awkward and unsure of himself, as if he hadn't expected to be in such a public position. In truth, after just one pleasant night together, like ordinary friends, Xie Jiaxing was completely unsure whether his standing in Larine's heart had risen.
“Smile, Ah Xing,” Iris teased, “Our Larine is a good girl, you should cherish her.”
The hand quickly withdrew from his arm, and Xie Jiaxing was startled again. In the blink of an eye, he saw Larine stomping her feet and acting coquettishly with Iris: "Iris, you really sound like an old mother eager for her daughter to get married." The two started playfully bickering, and he didn't pay much attention to their subsequent conversation. At this moment, Shi Touxing was focused on capturing and identifying the strange feeling arising in his body. It wasn't that he hadn't had girlfriends before; his job as a police officer had exposed him to many different types of women from various industries. But Larine felt different to him at this moment. He couldn't accurately describe it all; he only knew that, while he hadn't been particularly fond of girls acting coquettishly before, he found Larine especially adorable at this moment.
"Oh, now I know how everyone feels seeing us showing affection." Zhuang Zhuoyuan reached out and called to his wife. Despite his tone of disdain, Mr. Zhuang's actions were quick, hooking his fingertips together to hold Iris's hand.
It's too greasy, really too greasy.
Larine wailed that she couldn't stay any longer and turned to leave, though she actually wanted to visit Alice again. Zhang Jiguang was still in the ICU and would have to wait until his condition stabilized before being transferred to a regular ward. Alice was taking care of him around the clock, and her emotions had only calmed down in the last couple of days. Iris had just come over from there and, after checking the time, urged them, "You'd better hurry if you want to see Alice, otherwise she'll be handing over her shift to Zhang's mother after she finishes eating. Yesterday, Zhang's mother and I persuaded her for a long time before she finally agreed to take turns staying at the hospital with them."
"Wouldn't that be too tiring? Do you need a caregiver? I can help you find one." In just a few words, Larine asked with concern. She really wanted to help, even if it was just a little bit.
Iris smiled and waved her hand: "You can organize the discharge party later. My mom has already found caregivers for us. Each of the hospitalized guys will have one by their side. Our family will also pay for it as our support for the police force."
Since the elders had made the arrangements, the younger generation naturally couldn't interfere. Larine nodded and then asked, "How is Mr. Zhan doing? Is it convenient for us to visit him now?"
"Tao hasn't woken up yet, but all his vital signs are stable. The doctor said he suffered brain damage in the explosion, and it's uncertain when he'll wake up, but the overall situation is optimistic. Pauline and Uncle Chao are with him during the day, and my sister will come over in the evening."
Larine breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Xie Jiaxing: "Now you can rest assured. We'll go to Alice's place first, and then go see Zhan Sir to give them all the amulets we asked for."
They'd even visited temples together, climbing more than just one mountain. It seemed their relationship was progressing much faster than she'd imagined. Iris was completely relieved; nothing seemed to bother her anymore. This accident was truly unfortunate, but within misfortune lay countless blessings. She was content; as long as she was alive, nothing else mattered.
Fortunately, Zhuang Zhuohua now shares the same thoughts. The painful past is replaying itself, and while Zhuang Zhuoyuan is still unconscious, Iris is particularly worried that Zhuang Zhuohua's emotions will collapse again. Zhan Hantao helped her through Ah Bang's situation, but if Zhan Hantao can't save her, Iris truly doesn't know how to help Zhuang Zhuohua. Fang Yongbin has to stay at the police station to assist with the follow-up matters, and Iris doesn't have time to think further. After a quick glance around, she first sends Derek, whom Jennie dislikes, to keep an eye on things. She takes a moment to call Edgar, asking him to be ready to come and help at any time. In the following days, whenever she has free time, she goes to the next ward to check on her, and over time, Zhuang Zhuohua understands her intentions.
Looking at her equally haggard sister-in-law, who was trying her best to comfort her, Zhuang Zhuohua forced a smile, placed her hand on Iris's cheek, and told her not to worry. She said, "Ah Tao is still alive. I'll wait for him to wake up. He'll be alright."
Even though it was a conversation that happened two days ago, Iris still felt like crying. Comparing it to her past and recalling the difficult period of therapy she went through, it was truly remarkable that Chong Cheuk-wah had been so strong and made it this far. Overwhelmed with emotion, a complex mix of thoughts welled up inside her. As she smiled and said goodbye to Larine, her heart unconsciously drifted to another ward.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan assumed she was tired, touched her palm, and handed Iris a good luck charm: "Go back and keep Tangyuan company, take a nap with him, I can manage on my own."
“Tangyuan has Mommy with her.” Iris packed her things, tidied up, and sat back down on the bed, her voice filled with longing. “I just want to be with you, I just want to sleep with you.” Normally, she would have already nestled against his chest, counting his heartbeats. Now, she could only admire him from afar. Iris felt an itch of longing seeping from her very bones, slowly consuming her. She had never felt this longing when they were thousands of miles apart. She stared intently at Zhuang Zhuoyuan, their pinkies intertwined, their wedding rings gleaming warmly. “Husband, I think you no longer need to worry about my three-month curse. I will love you every single day.”
You are right in front of me, and I miss you a thousand times over.
Of all the worlds in the universe, you will always be the one I love the most.
END.
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