Ruan Qiu stared at the girl’s youthful and pretty face, and then looked at the man on the hospital bed. It was no exaggeration to say they looked like a handsome man and a beautiful match.
However, the girl’s attitude was simply too unpleasant.
Ruan Qiu was easygoing with everything except being pushed around.
“Little sister, you had better hurry up and call the doctor, or your Deep Brother is going to hurt to death,” Ruan Qiu reminded her.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Zhuzhu remembered that what she was supposed to be doing right now was calling a doctor. She glared at Ruan Qiu, let out a huff, and hurriedly went off to fetch one.
Ruan Qiu walked into the room and stuffed the clothes under Zhou Yishen’s pillow.
“I packed two pairs of underwear for you. When your body feels a bit better, you can change and wash them.”
Ruan Qiu spoke naturally, but Zhou Yishen’s face turned completely red.
Although Zhou Yishen was not an overly rigid person, having his wife so casually discuss such private matters made him feel as if his body and mind were boiling over.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” Ruan Qiu assumed Zhou Yishen’s face was flushed because of pain.
“No, I can bear it.”
Xiang Zhuzhu had already brought over Dr. Zhong.
“Let me take a look.”
Dr. Zhong examined Zhou Yishen’s wound and asked a few questions about his temperature and other conditions.
“I am doing okay, no fever, just a really painful wound.”
It was genuinely painful, hurting to the point that his chest was spasming, but he still gritted his teeth and endured it.
“You did not get an anesthetic injection, so it is bound to hurt. If you cannot stand it, I will prescribe you some painkillers.”
Zhou Yishen shook his head. “No need. I can manage.”
Dr. Zhong looked at Ruan Qiu. “When taking care of the patient, be careful not to touch his wound. Also, the wound must not get wet, and when changing the dressing, be as gentle as possible.”
“I have made a note of it.”
Dr. Zhong gave a few more instructions before leaving the hospital room.
Xiang Zhuzhu, standing nearby, grew rather impatient. She looked at Ruan Qiu and asked, “Are you staying here to take care of Yishen?”
“That is right. I am his wife. If I do not stay to take care of him, who will?” Ruan Qiu asked back deliberately.
Any thoughts of trying to matchmake the two of them vanished instantly.
Xiang Zhuzhu felt deeply aggrieved. “If anyone stays, it should be me!”
Ruan Qiu offered an “Oh.” “Zhou Yishen and I have already submitted our marriage registration. I am his proper wife. Is it not a bit inconvenient for a young lady like you to stay here?”
Panicking, Xiang Zhuzhu pointed at Zhou Yishen and said anxiously, “Him. Deep Brother kissed me before! He said he would take responsibility for me.”
Ruan Qiu widened her eyes, looking at Zhou Yishen as if she had just heard some earth-shattering news, seeking verification of whether it was true or false.
“She fell into the water, I rescued her, and I performed artificial respiration.”
Zhou Yishen found it very difficult to understand Xiang Zhuzhu’s behavior. Putting her aside, if it had been anyone else at that moment, he would have saved them just the same and performed artificial respiration just the same.
Artificial respiration was artificial respiration. It was fundamentally not a kiss.
Ruan Qiu scrutinized Xiang Zhuzhu. Judging by her appearance, she looked like a college student who should not hold such a distorted understanding of artificial respiration. Most likely, it was because she liked Zhou Yishen that she insisted on twisting artificial respiration into a kiss.
Xiang Zhuzhu, however, flushed a pale shade of red from anxiety.
“Deep Brother, that is not what you said back then. In front of my mother, you clearly said you would take responsibility.”
Zhou Yishen had a splitting headache. Just how on earth was he supposed to make this person understand?
He had never uttered any such words.
Seeing that Zhou Yishen was in a difficult spot, Ruan Qiu raised her hand to stop Xiang Zhuzhu. “Say no more. Can you not see that your Deep Brother’s wound is hurting badly right now? Let him get some proper rest.”
Only then did Xiang Zhuzhu rein in her little temper. “Alright then. Deep Brother, get some good rest. I will come to visit you another day.”
With that, she left the ward looking deeply reluctant to part.
The ward grew quiet once more.
Ruan Qiu sat by the bedside and checked Zhou Yishen’s injuries again, feeling a bit more at ease.
“What is the deal with this Xiang Zhuzhu?” Ruan Qiu asked, having nothing better to do and simply trying to make conversation.
“She fell into the water, I rescued her, and she latched onto me.”
“Then how did she know you fell ill?”
In this era without mobile phones or convenient tools, it was impossible to get the news so quickly.
“Director Tian is her mother.”
Ruan Qiu experienced a sudden flash of enlightenment. No wonder that Director Tian had held such intense hostility toward her.
If Director Tian was targeting her simply because Tian Ruanruan mentioned she came from the countryside, it would have seemed a bit crude. Now it made complete sense; the real reason was that she had stolen the director’s ideal son-in-law, and the director was venting her anger right here.
“I understand.”
“Understand what?”
“When I first arrived, Director Tian found fault with me no matter what I did. I was still puzzled and had no idea why, but now I know.”
Zhou Yishen grew instantly alert and tried to sit up, but Ruan Qiu pressed him back down.
“Lie back down. Do not get excited, you have wounds on your body.”
“Why did you not tell me about these things before?” Zhou Yishen never imagined that Director Tian would take her anger out on Ruan Qiu because of Xiang Zhuzhu.
“Minor issues, not worth mentioning. Besides, did I not start working normally anyway?”
In the face of genuine capability, deliberate suppression is always futile.
Zhou Yishen gazed at Ruan Qiu. No matter how he looked at her, she did not look like someone who came from the countryside. That composure, that calm demeanor, it simply did not fit the image of a rural background.
Precisely because her actions had been a bit too bold, their marriage application had been delayed and could not get approved.
The division commander had talked to him, telling him to treat Ruan Qiu’s status properly and then write up a formal report to submit, otherwise the marriage application could not be processed.
It seemed he would have to write a letter back home to his adoptive parents to find out what was actually going on.
Zhou Yishen kept these thoughts to himself and did not tell Ruan Qiu.
To be honest, taking care of a patient was a first for Ruan Qiu.
In her past life, she was an orphan with no family, and because her profession was a forensic pathologist, she did not even have a boyfriend.
After transmigrating here, she suddenly had a marriage partner. Regardless of whether it was real or not, their interaction was genuine.
Zhou Yishen was sick, and far too many people came to visit him. Several batches of visitors arrived throughout the morning, and even the division commander came to express his regards.
Zhou Yinian came in the afternoon, accompanied by Tian Ruanruan, bringing some canned fruit.
“Older brother, are you alright?”
When Zhou Yinian saw Zhou Yishen lying on the hospital bed, his heart was filled with endless joy, yet on the surface, he had to put on a deeply aggrieved expression. “How did you manage to get yourself into this state?”
“I am fine. Bleeding and getting injured is normal for a soldier, nothing to make a fuss about.”
In his heart, Zhou Yinian cursed, wishing he would just drop dead if he was not paying attention.
“Older brother, you must get well soon. Dad and Mom are deeply worried about you at home.”
Mentioning home-made Zhou Yishen think of Ruan Qiu, so he asked, “I want to write a letter home to ask about Ruan Qiu’s situation.”
Zhou Yinian instantly grew a bit alert.
Had Zhou Yishen discovered something, or did he know that the person Ruan Qiu was supposed to marry was actually him?
“Older brother, what is wrong with Ruan Qiu?”
Zhou Yishen thought for a moment and said, “Our marriage application has not come down yet. I need to clarify the situation and then submit an additional document. But since I had no idea beforehand that there was such an arranged match, I want to write home and ask Dad and Mom when they set up this marriage for me.”
Zhou Yinian immediately cut in to stop Zhou Yishen. “Older brother, you are injured and it is inconvenient for you. I will write this letter for you.”
He had to write a letter to instruct his parents on how to patch up this lie; he could not let anyone find out that the person Ruan Qiu was supposed to marry was himself.
Especially Tian Ruanruan. Once she found out about this, everything he had done would be wasted in vain.