Chapter 47

She glanced back a few times, noticing that the halo of light kept following them.

In the darkness, her expression grew serious.

By the time they got home, it was very late, and Xiao Jie was still waiting up.

Seeing Cheng Jingmo carrying Yu Xiangnian, he asked, “Auntie, what happened to you?”

“I twisted my foot,” Yu Xiangnian said. “It’s nothing serious. Go to bed, you have school tomorrow.”

Liu Zhen came from the house with a bottle of medicinal wine, “This is the medicinal wine made by Old Xiao. It’s for treating injuries. Rub it on your foot and massage it. It’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Cheng Jingmo accepted it with thanks and sent Xiao Jie back to his room to sleep.

In the living room, it was just the two of them.

Cheng Jingmo said, “Your knees are scraped. You shouldn’t bathe tonight.”

“I’m covered in sweat and need to clean up,” Yu Xiangnian replied.

Cheng Jingmo took the hot water from the coal stove to the bathroom. After a short while, he returned, picked up Yu Xiangnian’s pajamas, and carried her to a small stool in the bathroom.

“Call me when you’re done,” he said before closing the door and leaving.

Yu Xiangnian checked the water temperature; it was just right. She thought, this man isn’t a block of wood after all!

While Yu Xiangnian took her bath, Cheng Jingmo took a cold shower under the outdoor faucet in the small courtyard.

After Yu Xiangnian finished her bath, she put on her clothes and asked Cheng Jingmo to carry her back to the bed in the bedroom.

She had examined her injuries earlier: her knees and elbows were scraped, and her ankle had soft tissue damage. None of the injuries were serious and would heal with a few days of rest.

Just as she was about to go to sleep, Cheng Jingmo knocked on the door and entered with medicinal wine, alcohol, and cotton.

Yu Xiangnian saw Cheng Jingmo’s intent and eyed him warily, “Don’t come over here!”

Cheng Jingmo placed the items on the writing desk beside the bed. “The scrapes need to be disinfected, or they could become infected.”

“If you use alcohol to disinfect, it’ll hurt like crazy!” Yu Xiangnian said, although she was a doctor, she was still afraid of pain. “I’ll be fine in a couple of days. You don’t need to worry.”

Cheng Jingmo knew Yu Xiangnian was delicate, but there was no other way, “It will hurt a little, but you have to bear it.” He then opened the alcohol.

“It’s not a little pain, it’s a lot!” Yu Xiangnian, frightened, shifted further into the bed. “Such wounds should be disinfected with hydrogen peroxide, not alcohol!”

Cheng Jingmo held the cotton soaked in alcohol and said, “Lift up your pants leg. It will only hurt for a short while. Just endure it.”

Yu Xiangnian knew how painful alcohol disinfection could be. She glared at him, threatening, “I can’t stand it! Cheng Jingmo, if you dare to use alcohol, I’ll hold this against you!”

Cheng Jingmo’s hand holding the cotton paused.

Yu Xiangnian quickly changed her tone to a more conciliatory one, “I’ve already rinsed the wound with clean water and dried it. It won’t get infected. Trust me, Cheng Jingmo.”

Seeing Cheng Jingmo’s softened expression, Yu Xiangnian continued, “I’ve watched my mother handle wounds since I was young. I know what to do and guarantee it won’t get infected!”

Finally, Cheng Jingmo put down the cotton and picked up the medicinal wine Liu Zhen brought. “You should apply this medicinal wine to your sprained area.”

Yu Xiangnian knew about such medicinal wine. She leaned against the headboard and extended her foot, “Just apply the medicinal wine. Don’t rub it.”

Cheng Jingmo sat at the edge of the bed and began applying the medicinal wine to her ankle with cotton. “Rubbing helps it heal faster.”

Yu Xiangnian corrected him, “Cheng Jingmo, that’s not scientifically accurate. Rubbing actually worsens the injury. This kind of injury just needs to be rested.”

Cheng Jingmo replied, “During training, if we sprained something, we’d just apply medicinal wine and rub it, and it would be fine.”

You try to explain the science, and he responds with experience!

Not wanting to argue further, Yu Xiangnian simply extended her left foot onto Cheng Jingmo’s thigh, “Then you can rub this foot!”

Unlike her other swollen foot, this one was white as jade, slender and long, with toes resembling tender lotus buds, and the toenails had a pinkish tint.

How could her feet be so beautiful too?

The foot dangled lightly and temptingly on his lap.

Cheng Jingmo’s gaze darkened. He gently grasped her foot and began to massage it.

Yu Xiangnian was surprised.

She had only made a joke, not expecting this straightforward man to actually give her a foot massage, and it was quite comfortable.

When Cheng Jingmo applied pressure to the sole of Yu Xiangnian’s foot, it tickled her, causing her to curl her toes and laugh with a “giggling” sound.

The smooth little foot wiggled restlessly in his palm. Cheng Jingmo felt a shameless change in a certain area and asked in a deep voice, “Is it okay now?”

Yu Xiangnian, naturally unaware of Cheng Jingmo’s reaction, withdrew her foot, still laughing as she said, “Yes, it’s good now.”

Cheng Jingmo stood up awkwardly. “Then I’ll leave. Call me if you need anything.”

Yu Xiangnian waved him off. “Good night.”

With pain in her knees and foot, Yu Xiangnian lay in bed for a while, unable to fall asleep.

Everything that happened today showed her that Cheng Jingmo did care about her, even if just a little.

Thinking about the intimate interaction of him massaging her feet made Yu Xiangnian excited, but she soon winced in pain.

In the other room, Cheng Jingmo also tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Tonight, Yu Xiangnian had once again overturned his perception of her.

Not only did she know first aid, but her calmness, focus, and relentless dedication while saving someone made him unconsciously attracted to her, unable to stop wanting to watch her.

But when they got home, her delicate nature reappeared.

Thinking of her fearful look at the bottle of alcohol, Cheng Jingmo silently smiled in the darkness.

The next day.

Yu Xiangnian lay in bed, reluctant to move until she heard some noise from outside.

She got up, hopping on one foot while leaning on the wall, and made her way to the living room, where she saw Cheng Jingmo busy in the kitchen.

It was only morning, and Cheng Jingmo, who usually got off work at 5 PM, was already home?

“Cheng Jingmo, what are you doing here?”

“I came home to cook,” Cheng Jingmo replied as he walked out of the kitchen.

Cooking?

He specifically came back to make food for her!

Yu Xiangnian was very pleased, grinning widely as she said, “Oh, I’m fine with just a little something. Don’t let it affect your work.”

“I only took the morning off. I’ll work in the afternoon,” Cheng Jingmo said. “I’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

“No need, I can manage on my own.”

It was just a minor injury, not something that made her disabled.

Yu Xiangnian didn’t pay much attention to Cheng Jingmo, only hearing him busy in the kitchen with clanging and banging for the entire morning before finishing the meal.

He specifically placed a small bowl of soup in front of Yu Xiangnian.

Yu Xiangnian looked at the bowl, which contained meat and some unfamiliar herbs, and asked, “What is this?”

“Pig’s feet boiled with herbs.”

“Where did you get these things?”

“I bought the pig’s feet, and the herbs were given by Sister Liu Zhen.”

Yu Xiangnian thought of the saying “eat what you want to supplement,” feeling somewhat helpless. She jokingly asked, “Did you buy the pig’s right foot?”

Cheng Jingmo replied seriously, “Yes.”

Yu Xiangnian was really tempted to laugh at his serious demeanor. “Pig’s feet all look the same. How can you tell the left from the right?”

Cheng Jingmo maintained his serious expression. “You can tell.”