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The meal they shared was warm and cozy—just like an ordinary married couple chatting casually over dinner. Gu Jinghong didn’t talk much; most of the conversation came from Su Ying, but he always responded.
What Su Ying didn’t know was that in Gu Jinghong’s home, talking during meals was strictly forbidden. The rule was “no talking while eating, no speaking before bed.” His family had always been highly disciplined. All his siblings were raised under such strict traditions.
But he liked hearing Su Ying talk.
She worked during the day, and aside from mealtime, there really wasn’t much time for the two of them to chat.
Suddenly, Gu Jinghong asked:
“What exactly is your job?”
Su Ying paused slightly, still holding her spoon, then smiled at him.
“I work in the hospital’s logistics department… basically just doing odds and ends.”
Gu Jinghong frowned.
“Ye Guanjun arranged for you to do menial work in logistics?”
Su Ying fed him a spoonful of rice.
“It was probably arranged on the hospital’s side. It’s fine. If I really can’t handle it, I’ll just quit. Back then, I urgently needed a job because I was afraid Mom and I wouldn’t survive in Jiangcheng. But now I have you supporting me, and Mom has some money too. I can take my time finding a better job—or figure out some way to earn money myself. Either way, it won’t be as desperate as before.”
She picked up a cup, placed the straw by Gu Jinghong’s mouth, and gently helped him take a few sips of warm water.
“Don’t worry about me. Actually, I want to talk to you about your condition. I’ve looked through your medical records. You suffered a spinal cord injury from a bullet that severed the nerves. Technically, current medical technology can’t treat it. But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. It’s risky, yes, and I don’t have a treatment plan yet, but… I’ll think more about it and consult some medical texts.”
Gu Jinghong listened attentively.
He suddenly felt that she sounded very professional.
“Where did you learn all that?”
Even in Beijing, very few medical professors knew this condition well. And yet this village girl, Su Ying, spoke with such clarity.
She laughed awkwardly.
“Heh, I just read about it in some medical books… and heard a bit from my mentor.”
“Your mentor? The barefoot doctor?”
Su Ying had no choice but to nod. Claiming a village doctor knew about this kind of injury was a stretch—it sounded far-fetched. If he had that kind of skill, he’d already be working in a big hospital.
“My mentor was just passing through our village… I guess I got lucky. Really lucky. Um, I’ll go peel you a pear. Fruit helps digestion after meals!”
She abruptly stood and rushed off, not even finishing the chicken leg on her plate.
Gu Jinghong had seen all kinds of people in his life. How could he not recognize her clumsy evasiveness? He smiled helplessly but didn’t expose her.
While peeling the pear, Su Ying scolded herself internally.
I should’ve come up with a better excuse. That was full of holes!
Oh well. If Gu Jinghong asks again, she’ll just deny everything.
What’s he gonna do—jump up and hit me?
That evening, she helped Gu Jinghong clean his body as usual.
As always, he tightly shut his eyes, rigid as a board, barely moving his head.
Su Ying paid special attention to the upper thighs and buttocks—those areas were the most prone to pressure sores. She even applied some talcum powder to keep the skin dry. After everything was done, she let out a long breath.
When she looked up, she saw that Gu Jinghong’s brows were furrowed.
His eyes were closed, but his face and ears were bright red.
She hadn’t thought anything of it before—but now, seeing his expression, her own face started to heat up.
“Well, sleep early. I laid out a clean incontinence pad for you—I’ll wash it tomorrow.”
She lowered her head to tuck the quilt around him.
Gu Jinghong’s heavy breathing and the warmth of his breath brushed against her cheek.
Su Ying’s heart involuntarily skipped a few beats.
Carrying the basin outside, Su Ying finally let out a long sigh.
Am I an animal?!
She berated herself inwardly.
How could I feel anything for a paralyzed man? I must be going crazy. I don’t care how good-looking he is—I can’t be seduced by that. He’s paralyzed!
After taking a shower and washing off the unease, she felt better.
But before going to bed, she couldn’t help sneaking into Gu Jinghong’s room to check on him.
He was already asleep, blanket neatly in place.
Su Ying slipped her hand under the quilt to check.
Gu Jinghong’s face immediately tensed up.
“This quilt is too thick,” she murmured softly.
“Let me see if there’s a lighter one. You’ll overheat in this.”
Muttering to herself, she tiptoed out.
Gu Jinghong opened his eyes.
The whole room still lingered with Su Ying’s faint fragrance.
He had never realized that soap could smell this good—he couldn’t help but take a few deep breaths.
Hearing footsteps returning, he quickly shut his eyes.
Su Ying came back carrying a thinner blanket.
She gently replaced the heavy quilt with the lighter one, tucked him in, then left with the thick blanket in her arms.
“I’ll wash it tomorrow. Let it air out first.”
She mumbled to herself, placing the blanket on a chair before heading to her own room.
She slept quite well—though in the middle of the night, her stomach felt uncomfortable.
She kept wanting to gag, but after propping herself up with a pillow for a while, it passed.
Sweating heavily, she drifted back to sleep.
But Gu Jinghong barely slept at all.
The next morning, when Su Ying came in to change his incontinence pad, she saw the dark circles under his eyes.
“Did you not sleep well last night? Are you feeling sick? You look terrible.”
His sharp, chiseled face looked even more gaunt with the dark rings around his eyes.
The stubble on his chin had grown longer overnight, making him look even more worn and rugged.
“I’ll shave you after brushing your teeth.”
“No need. Wait for… Ye Guanjun and the others to do it.”
Su Ying glanced back at him.
Gu Jinghong looked away, avoiding eye contact.
“You can’t rely on them for everything, you know? Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I’ve shaved people before.”
Gu Jinghong whipped his head around.
“What did you say?”
Su Ying was already walking out with the soiled pad, leaving Gu Jinghong behind with a cold expression, staring at the door.
Su Ying was very gentle as she helped him rinse his mouth.
Afterward, she lathered up some soap and began shaving him carefully.
As she worked, she chatted softly:
“Once I’m done shaving you, I’ll wash your face and hair too. You’ll feel nice and refreshed.”
Gu Jinghong remained silent, his face cold.
Su Ying focused on her task, unaware that he was even more withdrawn than usual today.
She was too nervous—afraid of nicking his skin.
Back when she worked as a nurse, she had shaved patients before—but always with electric razors that didn’t cut. This was a manual razor, and she had to be very careful.
With such a handsome face, even the smallest scar would be a pity.
“Don’t move, okay? I’ll be super careful. Nice and gentle.”
Hearing her speak in such a soothing, coaxing tone, Gu Jinghong’s expression grew darker.
“Is that how you coaxed the other guy when you shaved him too?”