The corridor outside the operating room was bitterly cold.
The paint on the walls was peeling and mottled, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant. The window at the end of the hallway didn’t close properly, allowing gusts of icy wind mixed with snowflakes to seep inside.
Outside, heavy snow swirled, and the howling wind carried eerie, mournful cries.
The surgery had already lasted four full hours, stretching well past lunchtime.
Li Jiao sat on a long, peeling wooden bench, wrapped in Qin Lie’s dirty army coat, her body curled into a small, tight ball.
She had been raised delicately, the kind of girl who would cry for hours over a scraped knee.
Now, her hands and feet were numb from the cold, her lips tinged blue, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
Yet she hadn’t moved an inch.
Her eyes remained fixed on the red light above the operating room door.
In her heart, she had pleaded with every god and deity she could think of—if only Qin Lie could be alright, she’d willingly give up ten years of her own life!
Finally, with a soft click, the red light went out.
The operating room door swung open, and Director Wang emerged, looking utterly exhausted.
He removed his mask and let out a long, weary sigh.
Li Jiao sprang to her feet, but her legs, numb from sitting too long, nearly gave way, and she stumbled, almost collapsing to the floor.
Catching herself against the wall, her voice trembled uncontrollably. “Doctor, his… his leg…”
“It’s saved,” Director Wang said, looking at the shivering young woman before him with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
“That boy is lucky. And it’s thanks to you being willing to spend money on the good medicine. We cleaned out all the infected tissue, fixed the shattered bones with steel pins, and reconnected the nerves.”
Hearing this, the tightly wound string in Li Jiao’s mind finally loosened. Her legs went weak, and she nearly fell to her knees as tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
“That’s good, that’s good.”
“However,” Director Wang’s tone shifted, his expression turning serious, “as the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to mend a broken bone. And his case is even worse—a comminuted fracture with infection. For the next three months, he absolutely must not put any weight on that leg. Eating, drinking, and even using the bathroom should be done in bed as much as possible. Whether he can walk normally again depends entirely on how well he recovers during this period. If he pushes it again, not even the greatest immortal could save that leg.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I absolutely won’t let him move recklessly. If I say so, he won’t be able to lift a finger.”
Li Jiao nodded emphatically, etching the doctor’s instructions firmly into her mind.
Night fell, and the hospital room grew quiet.
Qin Lie awoke to a piercing, bone-deep pain.
The anesthesia had worn off, and it felt as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at his bones, the agony making cold sweat pour down his back.
With great effort, he opened his eyes. In the dim, yellowish light, Li Jiao’s slender figure suddenly came into view.
Li Jiao was utterly exhausted and had fallen asleep right there, slumped over the edge of the bed.
But both her hands were wrapped tightly around his larger one, the one with the IV drip.
Her hands were small, soft, and not particularly warm, yet she was still trying her best to warm his icy fingertips with her own body heat.
Qin Lie turned his hand slightly, gripping hers with a bit of force, greedily savoring the sensation in his palm.
Everything that had happened today felt like an absurd yet beautiful dream.
From her smashing Li Wenbo with the enamel mug, to fighting her sister-in-law to protect their money, to spending everything they had to save his leg…
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Qin Lie’s lips. His Jiao Jiao had blocked off all her escape routes. If she ever tried to back out now, he wouldn’t let her go…
As if sensing Qin Lie was awake, Li Jiao drowsily opened her eyes.
The moment she saw Qin Lie was awake, her eyes instantly lit up. She reached out to touch his forehead. “You’re finally awake? Does it hurt? Are you hungry?”
Before Qin Lie could speak, she eagerly brought over an aluminum lunchbox from the nearby warmer.
As soon as she opened it, a rich, sweet aroma of brown sugar wafted out.
Inside lay three plump, white poached eggs in a bright red broth, with a few large dates floating on top.
Qin Lie was taken aback.
This was the kind of premium treatment usually reserved for postpartum mothers.
He instinctively glanced at Li Jiao, a flicker of complexity flashing in his eyes.
Was she being so good to him to make him feel guilty, or to make him fall even deeper?
Li Jiao pushed the lunchbox closer, frowning slightly. Why wasn’t the man reacting?
She had asked someone to keep an eye on him after he came out of surgery, then rushed to the hospital cafeteria herself. She’d slipped the head cook two food ration tickets and an extra yuan as a premium just to get him to make this special meal.
When the cook found out it was for her husband, he’d even praised her.
“Eat up, it’s still warm,” Li Jiao scooped up an egg, blew on it, and brought it to his lips.
Qin Lie stared at the egg, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as the steam brushed his lips. But he forced himself to turn away.
“I won’t eat,” he said hoarsely, his voice dry from just waking up. He even put on a pitiful, humble act. “I’m not hungry. Keep the money for yourself—buy something nice to eat or save it for your train ticket back…”
He knew Li Jiao wouldn’t leave now, but he deliberately said it anyway.
Only by pushing her away again and again, then watching her worry and bristle for him, could he feel a sliver of security.
“Qin Lie!” Li Jiao’s temper flared instantly.
She pressed the spoon against his lips, careful not to use too much force, but still managed to shove it into his mouth.
The egg white wrapped around the yolk, effectively silencing Qin Lie’s attempts to resist and refuse.
“Mmph.” Qin Lie was forced to hold it in his mouth. The sweet syrup trickled down his throat, bringing waves of warmth.
“Shut up and swallow it,” Li Jiao’s eyes reddened as she glared at him angrily, like a bristling kitten. “Qin Lie, listen to me. Before, I was blind and foolish—I couldn’t tell good from bad, and I treated your sincere heart like dirt. But now I’ve come to my senses.”
“In this lifetime, as long as you don’t drive me away, I’m sticking with you. Even if you’re crippled, I’ll accept it. Even if you’re blind, I’ll stay by your side.”
“Your leg was broken because you were providing for me. It’s only right that I take care of you for the rest of my life.”
Li Jiao sniffled, tears threatening to fall again, but her tone carried a hint of willful threat. “If you dare say something as awful as using money to buy a ticket back to the city again, I’ll… I’ll jump into the river! I mean it!”
With the egg still in his mouth, Qin Lie stared at the young girl before him, who was swearing fiercely to prove her resolve. His heart clenched violently.
Qin Lie slowly swallowed the egg, his dark eyes fixed intently on Li Jiao, as if trying to etch her appearance at this moment into his very soul.
Since his Jiaojiao had come to him of her own accord and made such a vow, then in this lifetime, she could only belong to him alone.
Qin Lie slowly raised the hand that wasn’t hooked up to an IV and cautiously touched Li Jiao’s cheek, still wet with tears.
The rough calluses on his fingertips brushed against her delicate skin, while her tear-filled eyes now overflowed with genuine sincerity.
“No more, I won’t say it again.”
His eyes reflected her entire being. Even if this were yet another deception, he would stop at nothing to make it real.