38th Parallel
That deep kiss, which carried a punitive undertone, was like a watershed moment.
This not only made Tan Huaiyu realize more clearly that his patient's needs and temper had not diminished in any way due to the injury, but also allowed Qi Shuo to reaffirm through his actions that even with limited mobility, he was still the same Qi Shuo who held the initiative and was not easily disobeyed.
However, this did not change Tan Huaiyu's core policy of "protecting Qi Shuo as a rare animal." He simply adjusted his strategy, changing from "strict prevention and absolute rejection" to "conditional, restrained, and situation-based compromise," and engaged in a silent, routine contest with Qi Shuo regarding behavioral norms during his convalescence.
Qi Shuo wanted to use his cane to go to the balcony to sunbathe. Tan Huaiyu would immediately put down what he was doing and follow closely beside him, his arms loosely wrapped around his sides, his eyes fixed on Qi Shuo's feet and cane, muttering, "Slow down, slow down, don't put weight on your left foot, shift your weight to the right... Steps! Watch out for the steps!"
Qi Shuo stopped and turned to look at him: "I can do it myself."
Tan Huaiyu said with a serious expression, "The doctor said that you are not stable when you walk now, and you are prone to secondary injury. I have to keep an eye on you."
Qi Shuo: "You're giving me the creeps."
Tan Huaiyu: "That depends on the situation."
Finally, under Tan Huaiyu's ever-present gaze, Qi Shuo would usually complete the "long journey" from the living room to the balcony with a slightly stiff demeanor. Then he would sit in the rattan chair and watch as Tan Huaiyu immediately went to get him a blanket, pour water, and arrange fruit, bustling around like a bee.
Qi Shuo watched, his frustration often replaced by a helpless amusement. Oh well, let him be.
Contest Two: Testing the Boundaries Regarding "Intimate Contact"
Since that forceful kiss, Qi Shuo seems to have developed a taste for it. No longer satisfied with simple hand-holding and hugging, he has begun to consciously make some attempts to explore the possibilities.
For example, when Tan Huaiyu finished bathing him at night and was about to help him out of the bathroom, Qi Shuo would suddenly stop, put his arm around Tan Huaiyu's shoulder, pull him closer to him, lower his head, brush his nose against Tan Huaiyu's still damp neck, take a deep breath, and say in a low voice, "Smells so good."
Tan Huaiyu froze, her ears turning bright red instantly. She frantically tried to push him away, but dared not use force: "Stop fooling around... Be careful not to slip... Go outside quickly, it's very humid..."
Qi Shuo remained unmoved, instead gently touching his reddened earlobe with his lips. Feeling the obvious trembling of the person in his arms, he barely managed a slight smile before being slowly helped out. He'd gotten a little interest in return.
For example, when the two of them were watching a movie on the sofa, Qi Shuo would pretend that his arms were sore and ask Tan Huaiyu to massage them. As he massaged, his hands would become restless, slipping under Tan Huaiyu's clothes and gently tracing his fingertips across the sensitive skin on his waist.
Tan Huaiyu jerked back as if burned, her face flushed as she glared at him: "Qi Shuo!"
"Hmm?" Qi Shuo looked innocent, even with a hint of sickly self-righteousness. "It's a little itchy, scratch it for me."
Tan Huaiyu was so angry she wanted to bite him, but seeing his "I'm the patient, so I'm the boss" attitude, she couldn't do anything about it. In the end, she could only sit a little further away, sulking, and use a pillow to separate herself from him.
Qi Shuo didn't press the matter, but just looked at him intently, his eyes conveying a clear message: you can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth.
Contest Three: Prohibitions and Counter-Prohibitions Regarding "Work"
This is where the conflicts are most concentrated.
Qi Shuo, by nature restless, had been lying in bed for half a month, and his bones were practically rusting. He started worrying about the situation at the factory, the machine that hadn't been repaired, and the upcoming shift schedule. He asked Tan Huaiyu to bring him his phone and the professional book on mechanical repair.
Tan Huaiyu reacted as if facing a formidable enemy, firmly objecting: "No! The doctor said you need to rest! You can't overexert yourself! You can't read anything with lots of text!"
Qi Shuo: "I'm just taking a look."
Tan Huaiyu: "Looking at it is also not allowed! Radiation is bad for the eyes! It will affect my rest!"
Qi Shuo frowned, his voice turning serious: "Tan Huaiyu, I am not a cripple."
Tan Huaiyu was startled by the coldness in his tone, and her eyes instantly reddened. But this time she was unusually persistent, biting her lip and holding her phone and book tightly to her chest: "I know you're not a cripple, but you're a patient now! Patients should listen to doctors! There's Old Li and the director at the factory, so you don't need to worry about them. The only thing you need to do now is to take good care of your health."
The two remained locked in a stalemate. Qi Shuo looked at Tan Huaiyu's reddened eyes and stubborn gaze, which contained concern, worry, and an almost obsessive fear of loss.
The slight irritation in his heart was gradually extinguished by that gaze, leaving only helplessness and... a touch of bittersweet heartache.
In the end, Qi Shuo compromised. He looked away and said calmly, "Whatever."
But he didn't really give up. While Tan Huaiyu was cooking in the kitchen or hanging clothes on the balcony, he would quietly use his old, long-unused laptop to connect to his phone's hotspot, quickly browse messages in the work group, or glance at posts on professional forums. He would only stay on the phone for a short time, closing the laptop as soon as he heard Tan Huaiyu's footsteps.
Tan Huaiyu had actually noticed something, but every time he "caught" Qi Shuo, seeing him quickly close the page with a calm but slightly unnatural expression, he swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue.
He could understand Qi Shuo's restlessness and unease. As long as he didn't use his eyes for too long or overwork himself, he would turn a blind eye.
She would quietly place a stewed wolfberry and pork liver soup, or blueberries (good for the eyes), in front of Qi Shuo, showing him through her actions that she knew, but he should do it in moderation.
Contest 4: On the channeling and concealment of "emotions".
The injury brought not only physical inconvenience but also psychological pressure. The recurring pain, the lack of freedom of movement, the uncertainty about the future recovery, and the growing guilt towards Tan Huaiyu all weighed heavily on Qi Shuo's heart like invisible stones.
He was used to processing everything on his own, and even though he frowned more often and slept less, he rarely brought it up.
But Tan Huaiyu could sense it. He could feel the silent anxiety and dejection in Qi Shuo's more suppressed groans when he turned over in bed at night, in his longer silences when he stared out the window in a daze, and in his occasionally unconsciously clenched fists.
Tan Huaiyu wouldn't directly ask "What's wrong?" because he knew Qi Shuo wouldn't tell him. He would only try to resolve the situation in a more clumsy and gentler way.
For example, when Qi Shuo was rubbing his knees in frustration because of numbness in his legs, he would put down what he was doing, walk over, squat down, and gently massage his calves and ankles with a technique he had specifically learned from Kangfu Science. "Will this make you feel better?" he asked, looking up at him with clear eyes.
For example, when Qi Shuo wakes up again from a nightmare about the factory accident, drenched in cold sweat, Tan Huaiyu will immediately wake up, without turning on the light, just hug him tightly, gently patting his back with one hand, interlocking their fingers, and whispering in his ear again and again, "It's okay, Brother Shuo, it's all over, I'm here, we're all fine..."
For example, he would "casually" bring up some lighthearted topics. Qingran has recently made progress in her puzzles, and Shen Ci took her to see a children's play, which made her extremely happy.
Qin Zhou made another fool of himself during training. Xiao Jue took on an interesting case... using these vivid fragments of life to gradually dispel the gloom brought by the hospital ward and the pain.
Occasionally, he would act spoiled. When Qi Shuo refused the tonic soup he offered again, or showed obvious displeasure at his overprotectiveness, Tan Huaiyu would lower his eyes, his long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, and say in a low voice, tinged with grievance: "Can't you... be a little more obedient? Seeing you like this makes me feel even worse than you do..."
This trick is often more effective than any logic.
Seeing him like this, Qi Shuo felt all the frustration and resentment in his heart turn into a silent sigh. He then took the bowl of soup and drank it silently.
Or, reach out, pull him close, and gently hug him, resting your chin on his head. Say nothing, just use your body heat and heartbeat to convey a silent apology and "I understand."
In this contest, there are no absolute winners, nor are there any true losers. There are only two people clumsily and cautiously adjusting their way of getting along in the face of pain and vulnerability, searching for a balance that can both meet their healing needs and soothe each other's emotions.
Tan Huaiyu learned to strike a balance between "overprotection" and "necessary respect," and also learned to express her care in a gentler way. Qi Shuo, on the other hand, began to try to accept and rely on Tan Huaiyu's care while maintaining his independence, and also learned to confirm their relationship and existence in a more direct way.
The late summer sun grew gentler day by day. The pothos on the windowsill sprouted new buds.
The fractured leg still felt heavy, and the wounds on my shoulder and back would occasionally itch. But the days passed by one by one in this mundane routine, filled with "struggles" and compromises.
The pain is slowly healing, and the emotions are settling in the subtle details.
Home remains the warmest place where one can let go of all pretense and bravado.
Nighttime is the main battlefield for this "contest." The many restrictions and precautions of the day seem to be quietly broken in the darkness and in bed, and in another form, they seem to become more subtle and...ready to erupt.
Initially, Tan Huaiyu was extremely cautious. Qi Shuo had a cast on his leg and couldn't move around easily, and his shoulder and back wounds also required careful attention. Tan Huaiyu insisted that the two of them share two thin blankets, and in the middle of the large bed, they used a rolled-up air-conditioning blanket to create a "38th parallel." He slept on the inside side against the wall, with his back to Qi Shuo, his body taut, like a sentry ready to deal with any "transgressions."
"No moving around at night, no pressing on your legs, and no... no doing anything else." Tan Huaiyu solemnly reiterated the "bed rules" before lying down, his ears faintly red in the darkness.
Qi Shuo leaned against the headboard, watching his tense expression, and didn't say anything, only raising his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.
The first night passed peacefully. Tan Huaiyu was tense for most of the night, and only dared to relax slightly when she heard Qi Shuo's steady and long breathing behind her, and then fell into a deep sleep in extreme exhaustion.
On the second night, Tan Huaiyu was half asleep when he felt a heat source getting closer behind him.
He woke up with a start and found that Qi Shuo had somehow moved to the edge of the "38th parallel," his arm even crossing the line and loosely draped over his waist. Tan Huaiyu immediately reacted as if he had been burned, carefully and little by little moving that arm away, and then pulling his blanket in further to re-establish the boundary.
In the darkness, he heard Qi Shuo seem to hum very softly, turn over, and sleep with his back to him. Tan Huaiyu breathed a sigh of relief, but inexplicably felt an emptiness in his heart.
On the third night, Tan Huaiyu was awakened in the middle of the night by a rustling sound and a suppressed groan. He turned around abruptly and, by the dim light of the street lamp outside the window, saw Qi Shuo with a furrowed brow, fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and his left leg seemingly wriggling unconsciously due to an uncomfortable position.
"A-Shuo?" Tan Huaiyu was instantly wide awake and immediately leaned over, her voice hoarse and anxious from just waking up, "Does your leg hurt? Or is something else bothering you?"
Qi Shuo didn't open his eyes, only mumbled an "hmm", his brows furrowed even more, and his breathing became somewhat unsteady.
Tan Huaiyu's heart clenched immediately. He disregarded everything else, instantly throwing off his own blanket and crossing that ridiculous "38th parallel" to touch Qi Shuo's forehead—it wasn't hot. He then carefully adjusted the soft pillow under Qi Shuo's legs, trying to make him more comfortable. His cold fingers inadvertently brushed against the exposed skin of Qi Shuo's calves.
Qi Shuo's body trembled almost imperceptibly.
"Is this better?" Tan Huaiyu propped herself up and moved closer to him, observing his expression in the dim light, her warm breath brushing against Qi Shuo's neck.
Qi Shuo still didn't open his eyes, but his tightly furrowed brows seemed to relax a little. He made an almost inaudible "hmm" sound, and then his right hand, which wasn't in a cast, accurately reached out from under the blanket and grasped Tan Huaiyu's wrist, which was still resting by his leg.
His palms were warm, calloused, and though his strength was not great, they carried an air of inescapable force.
Tan Huaiyu froze, wanting to pull his hand away but afraid of involving him. In that moment of hesitation, Qi Shuo exerted a little force in his arm, pulling him closer to himself.
"Cold." Qi Shuo finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse from just waking up, with a hint of weakness that was barely perceptible. His eyes were closed, and his eyelashes cast small shadows in the dim light, making him look somewhat... pitiful.
Tan Huaiyu's heart felt as if it had been gently tickled by a feather, both soft and astringent. The "38th parallel," the "strict defense," all vanished into thin air at that moment.
He hesitated for a moment, but eventually complied and lay down gently in the position that had pulled him over. He didn't lean completely into Qi Shuo's arms, but his body was already pressed tightly against that "defense line," and he let Qi Shuo hold his arm.
Qi Shuo seemed satisfied. He held his hand tightly, stopped struggling, and his breathing gradually became steady and long again.
Tan Huaiyu lay stiffly for a while, feeling the body temperature and steady heartbeat beside him, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed. The darkness and silence amplified all his senses; he could smell the clean medicinal scent and unique aura on Qi Shuo, and feel the reassuring warmth from his palm.
As if possessed, he gently turned over to face Qi Shuo, and then, extremely slowly and carefully, gently placed his right leg next to Qi Shuo's left leg, which was in a cast, as if this could alleviate some of his discomfort.
He didn't see that in the darkness, Qi Shuo's lips curved upwards in a barely perceptible, triumphant arc.
That night, the 38th parallel became a mere formality.
From then on, the "battle" at night entered a new phase. Tan Huaiyu no longer deliberately drew boundaries, but still adhered to certain "principles".
For example, you must lie flat or on your right side, and avoid putting pressure on the injured leg. For example, kissing is allowed, but only above the lips, and should not be intense. For example, you can hold hands, but you cannot touch indiscriminately.
Qi Shuo adopted a strategy of "selective compliance and opportunistic breakthrough".
He would lie flat on his back "obediently," but his arms would stubbornly stretch out, insisting that Tan Huaiyu use them as a pillow, or he would pull her into his arms. He would say, "I have nowhere to put my arms, it's uncomfortable to hang them like that."
He would "restrain" himself by only touching Tan Huaiyu's forehead or cheek when saying goodnight. But when Tan Huaiyu was half-asleep and his consciousness was hazy, he would lean in and kiss his lips, a light touch, a quick kiss, and by the time Tan Huaiyu realized what was happening and glared at him, he had already closed his eyes and was breathing steadily, as if he had just been sleepwalking.
As for the hands… Tan Huaiyu was extremely vigilant about protecting the key areas. Qi Shuo's right hand seemed to have its own consciousness.
At first, he simply held Tan Huaiyu's hand, but later it would unintentionally slide to his waist, his fingertips lightly tracing the thin fabric of his pajamas. Tan Huaiyu would immediately grab his wandering hand, pressing it back to its original position, and whisper a warning: "Qi Shuo!"
Qi Shuo would innocently mumble, "I was asleep, I don't know," and then tighten his grip on Qi Shuo's hand.
What Tan Huaiyu found most difficult to resist was that Qi Shuo seemed to have mastered a technique of "profiting from pain".
When he was sternly rejected because of some "demand", or when Tan Huaiyu insisted on his principles and refused to back down, he would furrow his brow almost imperceptibly and let out a suppressed groan, as if caused by discomfort. Or when adjusting his posture, he would deliberately make his movements slow and difficult.
At times like these, all of Tan Huaiyu's principles and defenses would crumble instantly. He would immediately lean over and ask anxiously, "What's wrong? Is your leg hurting again? Or is your wound uncomfortable?"
Qi Shuo didn't answer directly, but looked at him with his eyes, which seemed particularly deep in the dim light, and were filled with weariness and "vulnerability," and then whispered, "It's okay, you go to sleep."
This made Tan Huaiyu feel more soft-hearted and guilty than if he had made a direct request. He would take the initiative to move closer and gently massage his arms or shoulders, or tacitly allow him to be "slightly" too intimate, such as a slightly longer kiss on the forehead, or allow his hands to linger on his waist for a while longer.
Of course, Tan Huaiyu wasn't entirely without a chance to fight back. He discovered that although Qi Shuo appeared calm and composed on the surface, he seemed to have little resistance to Tan Huaiyu's unconscious approach and aura.
For example, when he gets into bed after taking a shower at night, still warm from the water and smelling the refreshing scent of shower gel, he can clearly feel Qi Shuo's body tense up almost imperceptibly for a moment, and his breathing becomes slightly heavier.
For example, when he sleeps on his side, the back of his neck and ears are completely exposed to Qi Shuo's breathing. Sometimes, if he moves unconsciously, his hair or ear brushes against Qi Shuo's chin or lips, and he can feel the person behind him suddenly stop breathing. Then, the arms around his waist will tighten silently.
After discovering this weakness, Tan Huaiyu would occasionally retaliate.
For example, when Qi Shuo tried to "cross the line" again, he would suddenly turn around, face to face, almost touching nose, and then look at Qi Shuo with his eyes that were still bright in the dark, with a hint of cunning and grievance, and whisper: "If you move again, I'm going to sleep on the sofa."
He knew Qi Shuo wouldn't really make him sleep on the sofa. But he also knew that his appearance had a strange kind of power over Qi Shuo.
Sure enough, Qi Shuo's movements stopped, and his deep eyes locked onto him in the darkness, churning with complex emotions: restraint, helplessness, doting, and a hint of displeasure at being "counterattacked."
After a few seconds of confrontation, Qi Shuo would usually look away first, or end the confrontation with a light kiss on his lower lip that carried a hint of punishment, before pulling him closer into his arms and saying in a muffled voice, "Go to sleep."
Tan Huaiyu would then secretly curl the corners of her mouth in his arms, and then close her eyes with peace of mind.
The "contest" at night, though without gunpowder, is fraught with undercurrents. It is a cautious probing, an unspoken compromise, a tug-of-war between desire and restraint, and also proof that love grows stronger and more intimate amidst pain.
That "38th parallel" no longer exists.
Instead, there was the warmth of bodies embracing tightly in the darkness, the intertwined breaths, the clasped hands, and a silent exchange full of tension, even in silence.
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