Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Huo Shaoheng placed her onto the ground carefully. First, he let her legs just touch the ground without using much strength. Then, after making sure that her legs were fine, he supported her by the waist and tried to have her stand up on her own.
Gu Nianzhi held on to his arm and rotated her ankles slightly on the ground. Only when she felt that her ankles were fine did she placed her full weight onto them and stand up. She gradually and slowly straightened her back.
Stretching herself out, she realized that although she still felt weak all over, the discomfort she felt yesterday wasn’t there anymore. Her back did not have the prickly sensation she’d felt each time she tried to move yesterday as well. Then, looking down at her ankle, she saw that it wasn’t swollen anymore.
“Brother Chen, your skills are really amazing!” Gu Nianzhi kicked her legs around; she could even do squats. She then tiptoed and spun herself around.
Huo Shaoheng watched at her move, all the while checking her ankle repeatedly.
It looks like she really recovered, he confirmed.
Chen Lie looked looked at her like she was his child; his most prized project.
“Okay. Stop jumping.” Huo Shaoheng pursed his lips and grabbed Gu Nianzhi by the waist again. The lift doors slid open, so he carried her into the lift as well.
Gu Nianzhi felt uneasy. “I can walk by myself,” She whispered.
“Yes, but you’re still unable to walk now.” Huo Shaoheng said back, loud enough for Chen Lie to hear as well. “Remember: you are not fully recovered yet.”
Gu Nianzhi and Chen Lie were stunned for a moment, but Chen Lie reacted faster. He winked at Gu Nianzhi, saying, “Yes, yes. You’re not fully recovered yet. It’s really, really serious. That’s why you have to return home to rest!”
Even though Gu Nianzhi had no idea what was going on, she knew that Huo Shaoheng and Chen Lie would not take matters like her health as a joke. Therefore, she decided to listen to them. Hugging Huo Shaoheng’s neck, she pretended to be in pain and looked at Chen Lie out of the corner of her eyes.
“Is this good enough?”
“Yes, good girl!” Chen Lie followed Huo Shaoheng out of the hospital, towards his mansion.
Since it had been a last minute decision to bring Gu Nianzhi back home, Huo Shaoheng did not have time to get the people to prepare a bed to push her in. Instead, he carried her all the way back to their place.
Even though the hospital and his mansion were within the same compound, the area was enormous. It normally took about 30 minutes for a person to walk from the hospital to Huo Shaoheng’s mansion.
However, Huo Shaoheng was walking faster than usual. He was way faster than Chen Lie had been when carrying Gu Nianzhi in his arms.
After Gu Nianzhi entered the mansion, Chen Lie was still jogging breathlessly behind them. After a while, he finally caught up. Panting heavily, he asked, “Mr. Huo, I think your body is rather unique as well. When can I do a thorough check for you?”
Huo Shaoheng ignored him and carried Gu Nianzhi upstairs to her room, which was the 3-room suite directly opposite his master suite.
Chen Lie didn’t follow. He was perspiring like crazy, so he went to the kitchen in search of some water to quench his thirst.
After setting her on the bed, Huo Shaoheng went to the bathroom and turned on the water in the bath. Coming out from the bathroom, he asked, “Can you bathe on your own?”
Gu Nianzhi’s face turned a bright crimson all of a sudden. Biting her lower lip, she actually wanted to say teasingly: “Would you bathe for me if I can’t?” But looking into his deep eyes, she decided against it. She merely nodded and replied, “Yes I can.”
Huo Shaoheng let go of her hands slowly, a. He refrained from acting on the intense love and worry nestled within him.
Gu Nianzhi looked at him, but couldn’t see any emotions on his calm face.
“Huo Shao, is something wrong? You’re watching me so closely.” Gu Nianzhi paced around the room to make sure that she was really okay.
Stopping in front of Huo Shaoheng, she waved in his eyes. “Hey! Are you listening to me?”
Huo Shaoheng gripped her hand. “Go and have a bath. And, Yes, there are some things going on. A matter that requires some people to bear the responsibilities.”
What responsibilities? Gu Nianzhi thought. She asked out loud, “Is it because of Miss Xu?”
Huo Shaoheng nodded. “She has made far too many mistakes. When she forced us to stop our car the other time, I had already let her off too easy. I had no idea she would have pushed her limits to this extent.”
Gu Nianzhi hung her head and sighed.
“Yeah, I understand.”
Gu Nianzhi felt upset the moment she was reminded that Xu Piaohong had been the army’s ideal marriage partner for Huo Shaoheng. She did not pretend to be gracious and ask Huo Shaoheng to let Xu Piaohong off, nor did she attempt to badmouth Xu Piaohong to worsen her punishments.
Most likely, Xu Piaohong’s mistake involved work, and was not a personal offense.
Gu Nianzhi would never have a say in Huo Shaoheng’s private work matters. She quickly changed the topic. “Okay then, but Huo Shao, you owe me a plate of fried rice with egg.”
She rubbed her stomach, and grumbled, “I’m so hungry! It feels like I haven’t eaten in days!”
“It’s not days. It’s one day and one night.” If Gu Nianzhi didn’t remember, Huo Shaoheng did, in painstaking detail. “Go and have a bath. I’ll go and make you your fried rice with egg.”
Feeling happy, Gu Nianzhi walked to Huo Shaoheng and placed her arms around his neck.
Huo Shaoheng lowered his head, and their lips touched. It was just a fleeting kiss, nothing more, but it closed off the loneliness that had followed the both of them the last couple of days.
Gu Nianzhi was the one who let go first. Huo Shaoheng hugged her by the waist touched his forehead to hers.
“Why did you not deepen the kiss?”
“Because I need to go for my bath.” Gu Nianzhi tried to pry his arms away. “And, I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”
Huo Shaoheng rolled his eyes.
Gu Nianzhi smiled slyly and entered the bathroom.
Very soon, the sound of running water could be heard from the bathroom. Gu Nianzhi’s sweet humming rang out.
Smiling to himself Huo Shaoheng walked out the door. He was so happy to have her back beside him.
…
After she was done with her bath, she came out from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her.
Towel drying her hair, she opened the bathroom door and went to her bedroom to change.
As she got dressed, she heard Huo Shaoheng calling from her bedroom. “Nianzhi? The fried rice is done. It’s in the common area.”
Gu Nianzhi ran out after putting down her hair dryer. “Huo Shao, where are you going?”
He heard Gu Nianzhi running over. He turned around and looked at her. “I need to settle some things at work. Go to bed after you’re done eating.” He reminded her again and said, “You’re to rest, understand?”
Gu Nianzhi nodded and then realized that it was already Monday the next day. What would she do about school? She worried.
“Huo Shao, how long will it take for my injuries to recover fully?”
“At least a week.”
Both of them thought of He Zhichu at the same time.
He would definitely come straight to their place to check on Gu Nianzhi if she was to apply for sick leave for a week.
Not wanting to mention He Zhichu in front of Gu Nianzhi, he merely said, “I will get Big Xiong to apply for sick leave for you. You handle your schoolwork with your friends.” He hugged her quickly and then left.
Gu Nianzhi sighed, but upon seeing the delicious fried rice on the table, she forgot everything and began eating happily.
…
Huo Shaoheng walked to level one. He was going to settle some work in his office, when Zhao Liangze’s call came through.
Huo Shaoheng put on his Bluetooth earpiece.
“Yes?”
After asking about Gu Nianzhi’s injuries, Zhao Liangze said, “Mr. Huo, Deputy Chief of Staff Xu and his wife insist on visiting Nianzhi. They say that they want to apologize to her.”
“Reject them.” Huo Shaoheng did not even have to think twice. “You have to tell me this?”
Zhao Liangze laughed weakly. “Well, they’ve come with General Ji.”
He had no problem rejecting the Deputy chief of staff, but General Ji was a different story altogether. He needed Huo Shaoheng to make the decision.
