If this kind of injury were on Gu Huaizheng's own body, it wouldn't be worth mentioning at all.
But for some reason, seeing it on Shen Yitang's hand made his heart ache terribly.
In his anxiety, his voice involuntarily grew louder: "Why didn't you say anything when it got this bad?"
Shen Yitang's voice trembled with tears: "I'm in so much pain, and you're still yelling at me!"
"I'm not—I wasn't yelling at you." The usually decisive Regiment Commander Gu was at a loss for what to do in that moment.
Instinctively, he leaned toward her wound, wanting to blow on it for her.
Shen Yitang grew alarmed: "Gu Huaizheng, if you dare get any spit on my wound, you're done for."
Gu Huaizheng gave a wry smile.
She must be remembering that time shortly after she first arrived here, when she got a huge mosquito bite and he casually dabbed some saliva on it to apply to her!
By now he already knew her temperament well—how would he dare do such a thing in front of her again?
"Silly girl!" Gu Huaizheng couldn't help but ruffle her hair before getting up and walking away.
"Gu Huaizheng!" Shen Yitang glared at him angrily. "I just washed my hair."
Who knew if there was oil on his hands, and he went around touching other people's hair like that.
Gu Huaizheng found the medicated oil and cotton swabs in the drawer, then came back to sit beside her: "Give me your hand, let me put some medicine on it."
"Be gentle, it hurts!"
"Now you know it hurts? When you were cleaning the kitchen, destroying the evidence, washing clothes, and washing your hair—why didn't I hear you crying about the pain then?"
"Gu Huaizheng!"
Don't hit people in the face, and don't expose their shortcomings when scolding them—didn't he know that?
After Gu Huaizheng finished applying the medicine, he suddenly used his strength to lift her entire body from her seat and set her down on his lap.
Shen Yitang let out a soft cry: "What are you doing!"
Gu Huaizheng wrapped one arm around her, gently cradled her slender hand with the other, examined it carefully for a moment, then brought it to his lips and gave it a solemn kiss.
Only then did he raise his eyes and look at her seriously, saying: "Don't do it anymore. I don't care whether you cook for me or not. If you hurt yourself again, I'll be heartbroken."
Hearing him say something so mushy so seriously for the first time, Shen Yitang felt a bit uncomfortable.
She furrowed her brows: "Put me down now. You haven't bathed—you smell terrible."
Gu Huaizheng burst into hearty laughter. Not only did he refuse to put her down, he deliberately rubbed his chin against her neck: "I'm going to stink you up on purpose. Don't move, I'll feed you."
He picked up his chopsticks, took some food, and placed it at her lips.
Shen Yitang refused to eat: "What does this look like?"
If she wouldn't eat, he wouldn't leave it at that—he just held it there, his big hand like an iron clamp, tightly encircling her waist so she couldn't move.
Shen Yitang had no choice but to open her mouth and eat.
And so, one bite of food, one bite of rice—Gu Huaizheng fed her with complete satisfaction: "Your hand was hurt cooking for me, so it's only right that I feed you."
Shen Yitang: …
"Regiment Commander Gu, Sister Shen…" With Jiang Shuying's hearty voice ringing out, the courtyard gate was pushed open.
The two of them sitting there—one holding the other while eating—stared blankly at Jiang Shuying, who stood in the doorway holding a winnowing basket.
Uh, it seemed like people here didn't have the habit of knocking before entering someone else's home.
"Well, um, we dried some vegetables in the countryside—they're quite tender. I brought some over for you two to try…"
Shen Yitang was already too embarrassed to show her face.
Gu Huaizheng replied as if nothing had happened, "Then I'll thank sister-in-law. Just leave it there. Is there anything else?"
"Ah, no, nothing. You two take your time eating, I'll be going now."
Jiang Shuying hurriedly set the basket on the table in the courtyard. A few pieces fell out, but she didn't even bother to pick them up. She rushed out in a fluster, then suddenly turned back and closed the courtyard gate behind her.
Only then did she let out a long breath.
Good heavens, these young newlyweds really knew how to have fun.
When she got home, flustered and unsettled, Jiang Shuying's face was still red.
Her husband Liao Mingcheng was sitting at the table, nibbling on fried peanuts and taking sips of liquor with little "zir zir" sounds.
"Back so soon? They didn't pay you any mind, did they? I told you already—that young lady from a fine family wouldn't spare a second glance for country folk like us. Stop going over there and making a fool of yourself."
Jiang Shuying rolled her eyes. "Who said they didn't pay me any mind? They were in the middle of eating, and I had the good sense not to disturb them."
Then, getting excited, she said, "Do you know how they eat their meals?"
Liao Mingcheng: "They just eat, the same way everyone eats. How else would they eat?"
"That's not it at all! Let me show you!" Jiang Shuying walked over, yanked Liao Mingcheng's arm aside, and plopped herself down on his lap.
Liao Mingcheng was taken aback. "Woman, what in the world are you doing? In broad daylight, have you no shame?"
Jiang Shuying grabbed his hand. "Quick, pick up a peanut and put it in my mouth."
Liao Mingcheng flung his chopsticks down. "Dream on! You want me to feed you? What's next, you want me to carry you to the sky?"
Jiang Shuying: "Hmph, that's exactly why Regiment Commander Gu could marry a pretty wife and you couldn't!"
"Pah! I wouldn't want a wife like that anyway! Wait… are you saying that's how they eat at their house?"
"You bet! The two of them were pressed up close together, feeding each other bite by bite. You have no idea how affectionate they were!"
Liao Mingcheng snorted. "Decadent bourgeois habits!" Suddenly feeling goosebumps all over, he quickly pushed Jiang Shuying away. "Stay away from me. Don't pull that stuff on me."
Jiang Shuying curled her lip. "Then don't you dare touch me in bed tonight either."
Meanwhile, in the courtyard next door.
"Gu Huaizheng, you just ate with my chopsticks!"
"It's fine, I don't mind."
"I mind you."
"Don't be so fussy. It's not like you've never kissed me before."
They managed to finish their meal in a sticky, clingy fashion.
Gu Huaizheng naturally took on the job of washing the dishes and cleaning up.
Shen Yitang had already bathed before he came back, but she felt that being held by Gu Huaizheng, who hadn't bathed, had gotten her dirty, so she asked him to heat up water so she could wash again.
Using her injured hand as an excuse, Gu Huaizheng shamelessly insisted on helping her bathe.
Shen Yitang looked at him with puzzlement. "You can look but not touch. Aren't you just torturing yourself?"
"Mind your own business. I'm happy to."
Actually, Gu Huaizheng wanted to say that even though he couldn't truly have her, there were still plenty of ways to satisfy his craving.
But seeing her cold, untouchable expression, he rubbed his nose and couldn't bring himself to say those words.
Forget it. She had finally started treating him a bit better. If he angered her and she wouldn't let him back in bed, that would be bad.
There would be plenty of time ahead. He'd wait until the moment was right.
Jiang Shuying never expected Shen Yitang to come looking for her.
And she came right when Jiang Shuying was about to start preparing dinner.
She came without saying what she wanted, and instead struggled to make small talk with her, awkwardly grasping at topics.
Clearly, she wasn't the type to be good at this kind of domestic chit-chat.
Jiang Shuying felt exhausted just watching her.