Chapter 3: Returning the Favor

In a sharply pressed military uniform radiating authority, a middle aged man appeared with his guard.

Xu Muzhou stood at attention and saluted.

Commander Xiao nodded. “How’s Qingru?”

“She’s still in surgery.”

“Thank you for your help today. Stop by the house sometime so Qingru can thank you personally.”

“Just doing my duty, sir.”

Commander Xiao’s gaze was full of approval. Xu Muzhou, a talented pilot, had already made a name for himself at twenty-two. With his character and integrity, his future looked limitless.

He nodded again and stepped over to his wife.

With her husband’s arrival, Mrs. Xiao finally felt reassured. “Old Xiao, Qingru is only eighteen. She has her whole life ahead of her. If anything happened to her…”

Commander Xiao patted her shoulder, interrupting her. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. No news is the best news.”

His usual stoicism was tinged with worry as he glanced toward the operating room.

From the moment Xiao Qingru entered surgery until it ended, two full hours passed.

When the doctor finally emerged, Xu Muzhou immediately approached him. “Doctor, how’s Comrade Xiao?”

“The surgery was a success. She needs three days under observation. If all goes well, she can go home.”

Xu Muzhou thanked the doctor, visibly relieved. His back was cold with sweat he hadn’t realized he’d been so tense.

Mrs. Xiao patted her chest in relief. “Thank goodness. Let’s not go through this again I can’t handle the stress!”

“What are you saying?” Commander Xiao’s tone was gruff, but his expression softened. Their guard knew this dynamic well no matter his reputation outside, Commander Xiao was still just a husband at home.

Just then, the operating room doors opened once more, and the nurse wheeled out Xiao Qingru.

Xu Muzhou didn’t step forward, but he glanced at her from a distance. Her face was still pale as always, but she was awake.

That’s enough, Xu Muzhou thought.

The guard had already taken away Qingru’s belongings, and there was nothing left for him to do. After a moment’s hesitation, the tall man turned and left.

Xiao Qingru was brought to a single room ward with the best conditions.

The anesthesia hadn’t fully worn off. She could hear people speaking around her, but she couldn’t focus, feeling as though she might drift off at any moment.

“Comrade Xiao, you can’t sleep just yet,” the nurse reminded her gently.

Trying to keep her eyes open, Qingru murmured but only managed to keep them open for a few seconds before her eyelids drooped again.

“Keep talking to her,” the nurse instructed her family. “She shouldn’t sleep yet. After two hours, if everything’s fine, then she can rest.”

“Of course, thank you.”

“It’s our duty to serve the people,” the nurse replied.

After setting up the IV and giving further instructions, the nurse left the room.

Mrs. Xiao bent down and gently patted her daughter’s face. “Qingru, don’t sleep just yet. Let’s talk.”

In a daze, Xiao Qingru murmured something incoherent, tears slipping from her closed eyes. Only the name “Jiang Chuan” could be made out.

Commander Xiao slammed his fist onto the table. “What happened? What do you mean Jiang Chuan left Qingru by herself?”

Mrs. Xiao clenched her teeth. “He must have been off taking care of someone else’s problems.”

She shook with anger. “Thank goodness Qingru’s okay. If anything happened to her, I’d never forgive him.”

If he took her out, he should have looked after her. What was he thinking, leaving her alone in the snow? Even if he couldn’t stay, he could’ve asked a neighbor to check on her.

That heartless man! They grew up together and were even engaged! How could he be so cruel?

Seeing their daughter’s silent tears broke the couple’s hearts.

Mrs. Xiao, more emotional, spoke up, “I said we should break the engagement, but you said we shouldn’t go back on our word. If we’d separated them earlier, this wouldn’t have happened!”

Commander Xiao couldn’t meet his wife’s eyes and stammered, “If he hadn’t taken her out, she’d have been alone at home, which could’ve delayed treatment even more.”

“That still beats lying in the snow! Women’s bodies are different from men’s. The cold affects them worse!”

Commander Xiao sighed. “It’s not like Qingru wanted to cut ties with Jiang Chuan either. What could I do force them to stay together?”

Mrs. Xiao brushed away her daughter’s tears, “Jiang Chuan isn’t dependable, Qingru. Let’s forget about him, alright?”

“Alright… forget him,” Qingru murmured.

The couple exchanged a look how much had she suffered to say something like that?

Elsewhere, Jiang Chuan had been attending to Du Wanqiu at the hospital, rushing about arranging doctors and payments.

Labor wasn’t instantaneous, and by the time everything was set, several hours had passed. Once Du Wanqiu was settled in the delivery room, Jiang Chuan finally headed back to the compound.

However, Xiao Qingru was no longer there.

As he prepared to check the hospital, a man suddenly blocked his way.

Jiang Chuan recognized Xu Muzhou, the feisty pilot from Beijing, and a close friend of Xiao Huaishu.

They had once shared a meal, and Jiang Chuan had thought well of him, but any good will vanished at the sight of Xu blocking his path.

“What’s this about?” Jiang Chuan asked, his tone cold.

“Nothing much just wanted to have a little ‘sparring session’ with you.”

“I don’t have time for this today. If you want to spar, we can arrange it another time.”

“No, I want to do it today.”

Xu wasn’t backing down. Jiang Chuan’s temper flared. “Brawling is against regulations.”

Xu scoffed, “Who’s brawling? I said sparring!”

Without waiting for Jiang Chuan’s reply, Xu punched him square in the stomach. Fueled by anger at Xiao Qingru’s fragile state, he delivered each blow fast and precise, targeting places others wouldn’t see.

Jiang Chuan wasn’t one to back down, having grown up in the military compound and now in service himself. They quickly exchanged blows, each refusing to yield.

The commotion drew the attention of a nearby patrol, who quickly intervened.

“Brawling is against regulations. Come with us and be disciplined.”

Xu rubbed his mouth nonchalantly. “Who was brawling? We were just sparring. Go ahead and ask him.”

Though Jiang Chuan ached all over, he still had to rush to the hospital. Be grudgingly, he went along with Xu’s excuse.

“That’s right. We were sparring. Look, neither of us is injured how could it be a brawl? We were careful.”

After some haggling, they managed to evade further trouble.

Jiang Chuan glared at Xu Muzhou. “I won’t forget this. Courtesy demands reciprocity.”

Xu Muzhou smirked, finally feeling satisfied. “I’ll be waiting.”