Li Wanqing picked up her daughter and placed her on her lap, bringing their eyes level with each other.
They stared at each other for quite a while, until Cheng Nuo began to feel nervous.
【Wah~ wah~】
【Mama’s eyes look so scary!】
Li Wanqing: “……”
That wasn’t the kind of gossip she had wanted to hear.
The corners of Li Wanqing’s mouth twitched. She put on a kind smile and asked, “Nono, have you seen that Grandpa before?”
Cheng Baichuan raised an eyebrow.
Why was his wife acting silly?
How could Nono possibly have met Commander Cheng?
Nono blinked her big eyes and shook her head.
【Never seen him~ Never seen him~ I didn’t see him in my previous life or in this life.】
Li Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, overly dramatic plots only existed in TV dramas and novels.
She had actually thought Cheng Baichuan and Cheng Chi were about to have some ridiculously dramatic family-reunion scene!
Since Nono hadn’t seen him in her previous life, she must have been overthinking things.
Putting her curiosity aside, Li Wanqing began playing with her daughter.
Her daughter’s laughter, as clear as silver bells, filled the hospital room. Even the smell of disinfectant seemed to become fresher.
……
During the doctor’s rounds, Li Wanqing asked Doctor Huang about Cheng Baichuan’s discharge.
“Given Battalion Commander Cheng’s current condition, he can be discharged. He’ll just need regular follow-up examinations and rehabilitation.”
Doctor Huang thought for a moment before adding, “When he’s at home, it would be best to massage his arms and legs to help improve circulation and keep his muscles and joints flexible.”
Li Wanqing asked about a few more things she needed to pay attention to and carefully wrote everything down.
A good memory was no substitute for writing things down. It was simply her habit when handling important matters.
After all, she had no experience taking care of someone recovering from an injury, so she wanted to ask as many detailed questions as possible.
Li Wanqing probably never imagined that what was merely a habitual way of doing things would look to others like proof of how deeply she loved Cheng Baichuan.
Once she had finished writing everything down, she stretched her neck.
At that exact moment, her eyes met Cheng Baichuan’s deep gaze.
Li Wanqing: “……”
What kind of look was that?
He looked as though he had seen a ghost!
Cheng Baichuan felt a strange, indescribable sensation in his heart.
On one hand, he was delighted by Li Wanqing’s concern.
On the other, he was puzzled by how much she had changed.
When they had gotten married, it had been a matter of responsibility for him…
For Li Wanqing, it had merely been a way to escape Zhang Yong’s harassment.
He had been out of contact for two years, yet Li Wanqing had raised their daughter for him. He was deeply grateful to her.
Regardless of her reasons, he would treat her well from now on.
But what was the reason for her taking such meticulous care of him?
Was it simply because of Nono?
At the thought of this, Cheng Baichuan suddenly felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart.
……
“Can we be discharged tomorrow morning?”
Li Wanqing couldn’t stand being stared at without him saying anything, so she quickly changed the subject.
Cheng Baichuan nodded.
“Xiao Wu said everything has already been arranged at the family housing compound. We can go straight home after we’re discharged.”
At the words “go home,” Li Wanqing paused slightly before smiling.
“Okay. We’re going home.”
In her previous life, the car accident had not only taken away her chance to become a mother. It had also taken away the parents who had raised her.
After that, no one had ever told her, “Let’s go home.”
Cheng Baichuan didn’t understand why she suddenly smiled, but the warmth in her smile deeply touched his heart.
Many years later, when he looked back on that moment, that smile would remain vivid and clear in his memory.
“There might still be some things we haven’t bought yet. Once we get back and take a look, we can buy whatever we need together.”
Li Wanqing nodded.
“I’ll make a list when the time comes.”
The two of them discussed things back and forth, somehow creating the harmonious feeling of an old married couple.
Xiao Wu was playing with Nono nearby and unconsciously lowered his voice.
Xiao Wu went to the cafeteria to get dinner for them.
After they finished eating, Xiao Wu took Nono downstairs to play in the courtyard, while Li Wanqing brought back a basin of hot water.
“What are you doing?” Cheng Baichuan asked in confusion.
“Obviously, I’m going to massage your arms and legs! Didn’t Doctor Huang say so this afternoon?”
The water was a little too hot, so Li Wanqing added some cold water until it was warm enough to promote circulation without being too hot to touch.
Cheng Baichuan froze for a moment.
Just imagining what was about to happen made his heartbeat suddenly speed up.
“Why don’t we wait until later? There’s no need to rush.”
Li Wanqing immediately disagreed.
“It’s already been delayed for nearly two years. If you start the massages even one day earlier, you might recover one day sooner.”
Cheng Baichuan had no way to argue against that.
If he refused again, he would truly seem ungrateful.
But the more he thought about what was about to happen, the harder his heart pounded.
Even his face began to heat up.
After adjusting the water temperature, Li Wanqing looked up and saw that his face was bright red.
She almost laughed.
His fair complexion made his blush especially obvious.
“If you’re embarrassed, I can call a nurse to do it instead.”
“No!”
Cheng Baichuan looked slightly embarrassed.
Compared with calling a nurse, he would rather have Li Wanqing do it.
After all, she was his wife, wasn’t she?
Li Wanqing suppressed her laughter.
“Then take off your clothes and pants.”
“What? Take off my clothes?”
Cheng Baichuan gripped his clothes tightly and swallowed, looking utterly incredulous.
Li Wanqing was practically laughing her head off inside.
Hadn’t they already… done that?
How could he still be shy?
“The doctor said the muscles and meridians need to be warmed with hot water before the massage. How am I supposed to warm them through your clothes?”
Li Wanqing put on a serious expression, as though there were no room for discussion.
But a mischievous glint danced in her eyes.
Cheng Baichuan, still caught in an internal battle, failed to notice it.
The doctor really had said something along those lines, and Li Wanqing’s reasoning made sense.
She was doing everything she could to help him recover as soon as possible.
Yet he was still letting his mind wander!
Cheng Baichuan felt deeply ashamed.
He was actually less open-minded than a woman!
Seeing that Cheng Baichuan’s face was practically burning, Li Wanqing couldn’t help reflecting on her behavior.
Had she teased him a little too much?
Just as she was about to explain, Cheng Baichuan suddenly looked serious and resolute.
“Do I really have to take off both my clothes and pants?”
Li Wanqing: “……”
Oh no!
She really had taken the teasing too far!
She had only intended to follow the doctor’s instructions, but somehow she had dug herself into a hole.
And this was the kind of hole she might never be able to climb out of!
At this point, if she told him to warm and massage himself, wouldn’t that make her the one who had started things and then backed out?
“Ahem!”
Li Wanqing cleared her throat.
“That’s what Doctor Huang said. But…”
“If you feel uncomfortable, you can change into a tank top and shorts.”
Cheng Baichuan breathed a huge sigh of relief.
That was much better!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before he realized that whether he took off his clothes or changed into something else wasn’t actually the important part.
The real test was the sensation of those small hands moving over his arms and legs.
It was comfortable yet accompanied by a tingling sensation that made him shiver.
His muscles instinctively tensed.
Smack!
“Relax a little!”
Li Wanqing lightly patted his arm.
He had been lying in bed for nearly two years, yet the muscles on his body were still strong and well-defined.
His entire body was so tense that his muscles felt rock-hard.
It would have been better if Li Wanqing hadn’t said anything.
The moment she did…
Cheng Baichuan became even more nervous!
Li Wanqing: “……”