Just after Cheng Baichuan finished his examination, a nurse wheeled him back to his hospital room.
The moment he entered, an adorable little girl wrapped her arms around his leg and called out, “Daddy.”
“Da~ddy~ Ah~ Ah~”
Cheng Baichuan was utterly confused.
Who was this little girl? Why was she calling him Daddy?
He clearly didn’t know her, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward her. Even his voice unconsciously softened.
“Little one, what did you say?”
“Ah~ Ah~ Ah~ Da~ddy~”
Cheng Baichuan was at a complete loss.
What was he supposed to do?
“She’s saying Daddy doesn’t hurt, and Nono will blow on it for you.”
Li Wanqing put down the washbasin and picked up her daughter.
“Nono, be good. Daddy is injured, so he needs to rest properly.”
Cheng Baichuan stared at her in surprise.
“Li Wanqing?”
Li Wanqing gave a faint “Mm.”
After Little Wu had explained everything to her on the way there, she finally understood why this man had been out of contact for two years.
Back then, he had been called away for an emergency mission. After returning to his unit, he had only had time to instruct the logistics department to send his allowance to his family on schedule before leaving again.
Later, he had earned great merit during the mission, but he had also been seriously injured and remained unconscious ever since.
Because the mission had been highly classified, his family could not be notified until the mission was completely finished.
That was why, for the past two years, they had only received his allowance without receiving any news from him.
What could Li Wanqing possibly say?
She couldn’t exactly yell at a hero who had earned great merit, especially when he was currently a wounded soldier.
Perhaps because he had been unconscious for so long, the man sitting in the wheelchair had a pale face and a thin, frail figure.
He looked nothing like the great hero who had once charged fearlessly into battle.
“Her name is Nono?”
Cheng Baichuan murmured, his voice carrying a hint of emotion.
“My daughter?”
Li Wanqing nodded.
“Yes. Her name is Cheng Nuo. She’s your daughter. She’s almost sixteen months old, and she was born prematurely.”
Cheng Baichuan: “…”
Was she afraid he would suspect that the child wasn’t his?
If that were the case, would he even be a man?
“You’ve had a hard time these past two years.”
For a moment, Cheng Baichuan didn’t know what else to say.
When he had married Li Wanqing back then, much of it had been out of a sense of responsibility.
He had completely neglected her for the past two years, so she must have suffered a great deal.
He didn’t ask why the child had been born prematurely, but he could more or less guess.
It was probably related to his family.
Originally, he had planned to arrange for Li Wanqing and their daughter to join him at the military district once his mission was over.
He just hadn’t expected something like this to happen.
Li Wanqing glanced at him.
“Why aren’t you asking why your parents didn’t come?”
When the Cheng family received the news back then, they had been told that he was in critical condition.
Not a single member of the Cheng family had come.
Didn’t Cheng Baichuan find that strange?
“Aren’t they resting at the guesthouse?”
Cheng Baichuan looked confused.
After learning that the regiment commander had accidentally passed along the wrong information, he had asked Little Wu to reserve two rooms for them at the nearby guesthouse.
Since he hadn’t seen them, he had assumed they had gone to the guesthouse.
Li Wanqing: “…”
Li Wanqing told him everything that had happened at Renxing Brigade.
Then she held her daughter and looked at Cheng Baichuan warily.
“I’ve already signed the severance-of-family-ties agreement on your behalf. If you want to acknowledge them as your family again, I won’t stop you. But you have to agree to divorce me.”
“Nono will stay with me too. Don’t even think about taking her away.”
Cheng Baichuan: “…”
He really wanted to crack this woman’s head open and see what kind of ridiculous things were going through her mind!
“I won’t agree to a divorce.”
Cheng Baichuan gritted his teeth.
“And don’t even think about taking Nono away.”
This was his daughter!
He would never have to envy Old Liang’s daughter again.
His own daughter was much prettier than Old Liang’s!
“Then you don’t blame me?”
Li Wanqing was somewhat surprised by his reaction.
His own family had abandoned him.
Wasn’t he even angry or heartbroken?
Cheng Baichuan shook his head.
“I don’t blame you. Since they don’t want me anymore, cutting ties with them is fine.”
Li Wanqing pursed her lips, secretly admitting that she was actually a little happy.
When Little Wu returned with lunch, he saw the very same cold-faced, fearsome soldier who usually struck terror into the hearts of his men grinning from ear to ear as he held his daughter.
The moment Cheng Baichuan saw him enter, his expression immediately changed, and he returned to his usual stern, expressionless face.
…
After lunch, both Nono and Cheng Baichuan needed a nap.
Li Wanqing took the opportunity to find the doctor and ask about Cheng Baichuan’s current condition.
Although he had regained consciousness, he had been lying in bed for nearly two years, so all the functions of his body would need time to recover.
His limbs were especially weak. He currently couldn’t exert much strength, and he couldn’t stand on his legs yet.
The doctor also tactfully suggested that, given his condition, it would be best for him to be discharged from active military service and recuperate.
Li Wanqing’s feelings were complicated.
She didn’t really care whether he remained in the army or transferred to civilian work.
She was only afraid that he wouldn’t be able to accept it.
“Does he know about this?” Li Wanqing asked.
The doctor shook his head.
“The military district commander’s intention is not to tell him yet. They want to wait and see how much function he can recover through rehabilitation before making a decision.”
Li Wanqing understood.
It wasn’t easy for the military to train an excellent soldier, and they certainly didn’t want Cheng Baichuan to be left with regrets.
When she returned to the hospital room, Li Wanqing noticed that there were two more men in military uniforms inside.
Together with Little Wu, the three men were gathered around Cheng Baichuan’s bed, speaking quietly about something.
Li Wanqing assumed they were discussing official matters and was about to leave when she suddenly heard Cheng Baichuan let out a suppressed growl.
“Commander Yu, be gentle. You’re going to wake my daughter.”
Li Wanqing: “…”
“What are you doing?”
The moment the three men heard her voice, they suddenly stepped back.
Only then did Li Wanqing see that Cheng Baichuan was holding Nono in his arms.
His posture was a little awkward, but the little girl was sleeping soundly.
When had this man picked up their daughter?
Yu Guohua cleared his throat and asked with a smile,
“You must be Comrade Li Wanqing, Captain Cheng’s wife?”
“I am. And you are?”
Li Wanqing didn’t know who he was, but she guessed that he was probably Cheng Baichuan’s superior.
“Wanqing, this is Commander Yu Guohua.”
Cheng Baichuan introduced him, then introduced the other man as well.
“And this is Political Commissar Feng Qingsheng.”
Li Wanqing greeted them both.
“If you have something to discuss, I’ll take Nono outside.”
She reached out to take Nono, but just as her hands were about to touch the child, Cheng Baichuan carefully shifted backward.
“She’s sleeping soundly. There’s no need to move her. Besides, Commander and Commissar Feng are leaving anyway.”
…
He had only touched the little girl’s cheek!
Was this brat really holding a grudge over that?
Yu Guohua glared at Cheng Baichuan before smiling.
“Exactly. We were just about to leave. Get some good rest.”
You little brat.
Just wait until you recover and return to the army. I’ll make sure to teach you a proper lesson!
Just before leaving, Feng Qingsheng reminded him,
“You still haven’t submitted your marriage application. Remember to take care of it.”
With that, he left.
Seeing that the situation was getting awkward, Little Wu followed him out.
“Heh. So we haven’t even submitted our marriage application yet?”
Li Wanqing gave Cheng Baichuan a fake smile.
So the original owner had suffered so much for him and even given birth to his child.
And she still hadn’t even gotten a legal marriage certificate?
Cheng Baichuan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
“This… Can I even explain myself?”
Li Wanqing sat down on the chair beside him, crossed her arms, and slightly raised an eyebrow.
“Go ahead.”