He Chunli was in a state of confusion and completely forgot the purpose of her outing. She hurriedly ran back to the ward, holding her unwashed lunch box, and slammed the door shut.
Even this didn't seem enough to give her a sense of security. She turned around, pressed her back against the door, placed her left hand on her chest, and took several deep breaths.
The moment He Chunli walked in, Lin Laoshi, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes. He didn't move but narrowed them slightly, staring at He Chunli and taking in all of her movements.
Looking at He Chunli's pale face and slightly trembling legs, Lin Laoshi was extremely puzzled. She had only been out for two or three minutes. What had happened in such a short time to make her react so strongly?
"What's the matter? You don't look well," Lin Laoshi asked calmly.
It seemed that He Chunli had just remembered Lin Laoshi's presence in the ward. A trace of annoyance flashed across her face, but she quickly covered it up. She raised her left hand to brush the hair from her cheek, avoiding Lin Laoshi's gaze, and hastily made up an excuse: "I… I think I have a bit of heatstroke. I'm not feeling well…"
She clearly didn't want to talk about it, and Lin Laoshi didn't rush to expose her. "Oh, then put down the lunch box and sit for a while."
Only then did He Chunli realize she was still holding the greasy lunch box of chicken soup she had just eaten. She quickly lowered her head and, to her dismay, discovered that the soup had stained her beautiful white dress.
White dresses looked good when worn, but they were delicate. Even a small stain would stand out. He Chunli was irritated. She quickly put down the lunch box, picked up a towel, and wiped at the stain on her clothes.
Lin Laoshi glanced at her again. It was obvious that she was absent-minded. What had happened while she was out?
Lin Laoshi pricked up his ears, listening for any unusual sounds outside. Sporadic voices came from the next ward and the corridor, along with some scattered footsteps passing by. Everything sounded ordinary and normal, no different from usual.
This was He Chunli's first time at the military hospital. She didn't know anyone else here except him. What could have caused such a strong reaction?
Lin Laoshi was full of doubts. He glanced at He Chunli and deliberately tested her. "It's hard to wipe with a dry towel. You should dip it in some water first. It's easier to clean when the stain is fresh. Once it dries completely, it'll leave a mark."
He Chunli looked at the stain, still yellow even after all her wiping. She really couldn't bear to see such a beautiful dress ruined, so she stood up and said, "Okay, I'll go wipe it."
Lin Laoshi stared at her back for two seconds as she walked out. She left right after I mentioned it, meaning there's nothing outside that scared her. Then why did she react so strongly just now? Forget it, I'll ask the nurse later if anything unusual happened on this floor at noon. Then I'll have my answer.
She went to the sink, dipped some water on the towel, and wiped at the stain on her dress. Then she splashed two handfuls of cold water on her face. He Chunli's nervous excitement gradually subsided, and she calmed down. She began to think about how Jiang Yuan had ended up with Lin Laoshi.
Did they start now, or later? Reason told He Chunli that nothing had happened between them yet. Lin Laoshi had been in a coma for the first three days after being admitted to the hospital. As soon as he woke up, she had been by his side the entire time. What could have happened between them under her watch?
But their hometowns were hundreds of miles apart. At that time, transportation was not well-developed, and people rarely moved between places. After Lin Laoshi returned home to farm, how had these two people, who had nothing to do with each other and were separated by such a distance, gotten together?
So she couldn't rule out the possibility that something had happened between them behind her back.
Besides, in her previous life, Jiang Yuan had a fiancé, yet she had still ended up with Lin Laoshi. This meant that even if He Chunli hadn't sown discord between them, Jiang Yuan and Yu Mengshu wouldn't have lasted long and would have broken up sooner or later. She really had no reason to regret it.
What she had to do now was keep a close eye on Lin Laoshi, prevent him from dying, and never let them be alone together. Moreover, she had to help Lin Laoshi recover as soon as possible, return home quickly, and cut off all contact between them. As long as she didn't elope with Juan, lived a stable life with Lin Laoshi, and gave him a big, healthy son in a year or two, what did it matter if Jiang Yuan showed up later? She refused to believe that Lin Laoshi would give up his son for such an ordinary-looking woman.
Soon, Lin Laoshi noticed changes in He Chunli. The most obvious was in how she took care of him. She became much more attentive and no longer tried to slack off or push responsibilities onto the nurses. At first, Lin Laoshi thought her change was because his condition had improved, making it easier for her to care for him. So when He Chunli wanted to pick peaches, she took over the task of looking after him.
But soon, Lin Laoshi realized he was wrong.
After dinner, He Chunli went back to the guesthouse, took a shower, changed her clothes, and returned to the ward, saying she was worried about him and wanted to stay overnight.
Lin Laoshi was speechless. I was bedridden and unable to move before—why didn't she stay overnight then? Now that he could get up and walk a little, she suddenly wanted to keep watch? Who would believe such nonsense?
Her unusual behavior made Lin Laoshi even more curious. The next morning, when He Chunli went to the restroom and the young nurse came in to give him an IV, Lin Laoshi seized the opportunity.
"Xiao Jiang, did anything happen on this floor yesterday at noon?"
The young nurse hung the IV bottle on the stand, bent down to remove the air from the needle, and quickly inserted it into the back of Lin Laoshi's hand. Only then did she have time to respond. "No."
No? Nothing at all?* He Chunli's reaction said otherwise. Lin Laoshi broadened his scope. "What about the hospital? Did anything big happen yesterday?"
The young nurse secured the needle with tape and replied, "Captain Lin, what exactly are you asking about? Nothing unusual happened in the hospital yesterday. It was just like any other day."
Lin Laoshi nodded. "I see. Thanks, Xiao Jiang."
"Captain Lin, no need to be polite. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work. There are many patients waiting." Nurse Xiao Jiang picked up the tray and turned to leave.
Just then, He Chunli returned from the restroom and saw them chatting. Alarm bells rang in her mind. I was only gone for a few minutes, and they're already talking like this? It turned out she wasn't overthinking it—there was something fishy going on between them.
Suppressing her panic and anger, she forced a smile and said, "Xiao Jiang, I think someone was calling for you outside just now."
The hospital was busy, and nurses were constantly being called for. Jiang Yuan didn't suspect anything. She picked up her tray and hurried out, saying, "Thanks for the reminder, Sister Lin."
Jiang Yuan hadn't seen He Chunli's expression, but Lin Laoshi, lying in bed, had. He had clearly seen the momentary ferocity in her face, her eyes practically spitting fire.
It seemed that the anger was not directed at him but at Nurse Xiao Jiang. Lin Laoshi knew that the two of them did not get along well because Nurse Xiao Jiang was too enthusiastic and had a strong sense of justice. She did not like some of He Chunli's behaviors and sometimes gave He Chunli a bad look. He Chunli also disliked her very much.
But this little incident shouldn't be enough to make He Chunli so upset, right?
"What were you talking about with Xiao Jiang just now?" He Chunli walked to the bedside and asked, pretending to be indifferent.
However, the sourness in her tone was still noticed by the sensitive Lin Laoshi.
Lin Laoshi frowned almost imperceptibly and said evasively, "It's nothing. I just asked Xiao Jiang casually how my injury is and when I can be discharged from the hospital."
Being discharged from the hospital was what He Chunli desperately wanted because, in this way, she would not have to take care of Lin Laoshi in the hospital, and she would not have to worry about anything happening between Lin Laoshi and Jiang Yuan.
So when she heard this, she immediately couldn't wait to ask, "What did Xiao Jiang say? I've been here for half a month, and my mother must be worried to death at home."
Lin Laoshi shook his head. "Xiao Jiang said that I'm recovering well, but you still have to ask the doctor about this. Let's wait for the doctor to come for rounds and ask."
The doctor is coming to check on the patients, and there are so many patients—I don't know when he will see us! He Chunli was a little restless. She looked toward the door of the ward, then turned to Lin Laoshi and said, "Why don't I go ask the doctor?"
Lin Laoshi saw her anxiety and was filled with doubts. Why did He Chunli suddenly want him to be discharged from the hospital so urgently? His health had not yet recovered, and he was staying in a military hospital. They didn't have to pay for his medical treatment or food, and even He Chunli didn't have to pay for her stay in the guesthouse.
Given this opportunity to take good care of his body without spending any money, she would have wanted him to stay in the hospital longer. After all, after being reborn, she wanted to spend her whole life with him. If his health was not good or if he had some sequelae, it would only harm He Chunli, not benefit her.
"No need. The doctor should be starting his rounds now. He's quite busy. Let's just wait for him patiently in the ward. It will be our turn soon," Lin Laoshi advised.
He Chunli thought about it and realized that this was the truth, so she didn't insist.
The two waited for more than ten minutes, and Doctor Miao, in a white coat, came over, checked Lin Laoshi's condition, and said approvingly, "You've recovered well. Keep it up!"
Hearing this, He Chunli's face lit up with joy, and she asked anxiously, "Doctor, since he's recovering well, when can Ah Shi be discharged from the hospital?"
Doctor Miao frowned after hearing this and said, "Captain Lin's injuries have only improved slightly. Discharge now will not be conducive to his recovery. He needs more treatment for a while."
Hearing this, He Chunli was extremely disappointed.
When Dr. Miao saw this, he shook his head, said nothing, and left the ward.
He Chunli's behavior was so obvious that it was hard for Lin Laoshi to ignore it. He thought about it carefully, and it seemed that He Chunli had been acting strangely since yesterday at noon, but according to Xiao Jiang, nothing special had happened yesterday.
Then her abnormality was most likely due to someone in the hospital!
Who is this person? After thinking about it, Lin Laoshi felt that the source was most likely himself because He Chunli didn't know anyone else here. It was impossible for her to be so hostile to Xiao Jiang because of other people and things.
Whether it is true or not, just test it, and you will know!