Su Jinhui looked at her in confusion.
“When I was little, they accused me of stealing. Every time they saw me, they would throw mud at me. I hated the person who framed me, but now the ones slandering you are your own family, and yet you’re so open-minded… it actually made me see things clearly,” Ah Hua said sincerely.
Su Jinhui listened patiently and carefully placed pieces of fish, free of bones, into her bowl. “Don’t overthink things. If you do, you’ll just fall into someone else’s trap.”
After lunch, Ah Hua left the ward.
It should have been naptime, but Su Jinhui didn’t feel sleepy at all.
She took the newspaper and entered her space, wanting to see if there were any hidden functions left to explore.
The space still looked like her research lab, but now a fountain appeared to the left of the entrance, surrounded by a white mist of unknown origin.
Curiosity drew her closer. The water sparkled clearly, trickling gently—it was living spring water.
Su Jinhui cupped some water in her hands and took a sip. The taste was sweet and refreshing, unusually delicious.
She drank a larger mouthful. Moments after swallowing, her fatigue melted away, leaving her feeling completely rejuvenated.
A notification sounded again: “This is Spiritual Spring water. Daily drinking not only relaxes muscles and promotes blood circulation, but also beautifies and nourishes the skin!”
Su Jinhui’s heart leapt—this was a real treasure.
Since waking from her faint, her arms had often ached. She quickly drank more, and indeed the pain subsided.
If she could get Yan Li’an to drink more, his recovery would surely be faster.
“Jinhui! Jinhui!”
With the sound of knocking, Ah Hua’s voice called out. Su Jinhui hurried out of the space and opened the ward door, pretending to have just woken up with a yawn.
“Deputy Commander Yan is awake! You should go see him!” Ah Hua said excitedly, having rushed to deliver the news.
Su Jinhui didn’t hesitate and immediately went to his ward.
“Jinhui, you came.” Yan Li’an’s pale face showed a faint smile.
On the operating table, even while unconscious, he could hear sounds around him. Yet an overwhelming force pressed down, preventing him from opening his eyes or moving.
He knew Su Jinhui was his savior.
“Do you feel any discomfort?” Su Jinhui asked, lifting the covers and unbuttoning his clothes to examine him.
Yan Li’an’s earlobes flushed crimson. Even though he knew she was checking his wounds, his mind couldn’t help wandering…
“Hm?” Su Jinhui softly reminded him.
He snapped back, clearing his throat awkwardly. “No… nothing.”
Su Jinhui, unaware of his fluster, focused on examining the wound. It was slightly red, showing some inflammation.
But her surgery had been meticulous—there shouldn’t be any infection.
She leaned closer to get a better look…
Ah Hua rushed in with bandages and ointment, eyes wide, quickly spinning around to leave, muttering, “Don’t look, don’t look, I didn’t see anything!”
“Ah Hua, give me the medicine,” Su Jinhui said, only seeing her back.
Flushing, Ah Hua handed over the supplies, ran out of the ward, and made sure to shut the door tight behind her.
“This girl is weird,” Su Jinhui muttered to herself.
Watching the whole scene, Yan Li’an naturally understood what had happened. A hint of joy touched his brows, and a subtle smile tugged at his lips.
With Ah Hua gone, Su Jinhui took over the dressing change.
“I’ll help you sit up,” she said, supporting his elbows as he sat.
While she dipped cotton in medicine, Yan Li’an unbuttoned his jacket and removed it himself.
She happened to glance at his broad, fair back, marked with several grim scars. Though healed, they were still shocking to see.
Instinctively, Su Jinhui reached out to gently touch the scars, her heart tightening.
He noticed her gaze. “Sorry, they’re ugly. Didn’t scare you, did they?”
In the past, he barely cared about the scars—what did it matter as long as he didn’t die?
But now, he felt a subtle worry… afraid Su Jinhui would be frightened, or even disgusted.
Su Jinhui smiled. “Of course not. These are your medals. Let’s apply the medicine.”
She half-squatted for convenience. As her breath swept over the wound, his muscles tensed involuntarily.
Her eyes caught the outline of his abs—one, two, three… seven, eight—exactly eight, perfectly formed.
She silently marveled: no wonder he looked like a novel’s male lead, truly deserving of the title.
“Jinhui?”
His soft reminder brought her back to reality. She hurriedly focused, applying the ointment.
Damn it—he was distracting her, seducing her, plain and simple.
Her fingers brushed against his body unconsciously. Yan Li’an’s heartbeat surged like a generator on the island, even faster than that.
“Raise your arm.”
Su Jinhui, focused, didn’t notice his reaction, and continued wrapping the bandages.
Yan Li’an stretched his arm obediently. She wrapped the bandage around his back, her hair brushing his nose, bringing the scent of lily soap. His tense nerves relaxed involuntarily.
Before he even realized it, the bandaging was done.
He dressed and asked what had been on his mind. “Did you study medicine before?”
From both her surgical and bandaging skills, Su Jinhui’s expertise surpassed even professional military doctors.
Military doctors were elite, selected through rigorous processes, yet here was a young woman with such incredible skill—it defied belief.
Su Jinhui stiffened, thinking quickly, then lowered her head, feigning innocence. “You know, I didn’t grow up with my parents. To survive, I had to rely on myself and work harder than others. Luckily, I’ve always been interested in medicine, so I gained some small experience…”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought up your injuries,” Yan Li’an quickly apologized, though something still felt off.
“Do you believe me?” Su Jinhui asked, taking the opportunity.
Without hesitation, Yan Li’an answered, “I do.”
She froze. His steadfast gaze made her feel a bit uneasy, and she quickly averted her eyes.
“Good. From now on, your treatment, eating, and everything else is on me. I’ll make sure you recover as quickly as possible, but you must follow my plan, or I’m not responsible.”
Since she wanted to use the spring water to aid his recovery, the first step was to let the water naturally become part of his daily life, so he would drink it unconsciously.