Chapter 36

She didn’t care if he was in the middle of taking off his shirt, she went straight in, looked at Lu Jingzhe, and anxiously asked:

“Your hand…” She paused and continued, “Did you get hurt when you saved me just now?”

Lu Jingzhe’s shirt was halfway off, revealing his arms, with clearly defined muscle lines, broad and firm shoulders, as if possessing endless strength.

Seeing Xia Qingning come in, he didn’t feel embarrassed or awkward. In the past, when he was in the field army, he often bled and got injured, and the female nurses in the army would treat him, so he was used to it.

He simply replied calmly, then continued taking off his shirt.

Seeing that he was having trouble taking off his shirt with one hand, Xia Qingning hesitated for a moment, took a step forward, and said:

“Let me help you.”

Seeing that he didn’t object or seem unhappy, Xia Qingning reached out to help him take off his shirt. When she was taking off the sleeves, she was extra careful. When she finally took off the whole shirt, Xia Qingning was stunned.

She saw a long scar on his left shoulder, winding from his neck to his shoulder blade.

Perhaps due to the limitations of medical equipment and stitching techniques at that time, the scar looked quite hideous, standing out against his fair skin.

Seeing that she didn’t react for a long time, Lu Jingzhe realized something and asked in a deep voice:

“Scared?”

Xia Qingning snapped out of her shock and quickly shook her head. After shaking it, she realized he was facing away from her and couldn’t see, so she quickly replied:

“No.”

Previously, she had only seen soldiers bleeding and getting injured in textbooks or TV shows and movies, where they were selfless and courageous in the face of death. Now, seeing his scar up close, she truly understood the nobility and greatness of their spirit.

Suddenly, she didn’t find the scar hideous or scary anymore. It was a monument to his admirable spirit, an immortal badge of honor.

Xia Qingning couldn’t help but reach out and gently touch the raised scar. Her touch was light, as if she was afraid of hurting him. Her voice was hoarse as she sincerely praised:

“You’re amazing! You’re incredible!”

When her hand touched Lu Jingzhe’s skin, he involuntarily froze. Her hand was soft and smooth, her skin slightly cool, as it gently glided across his skin, creating ripples.

At this moment, she was calm and sincere, while he was unusually hot, his mind racing.

Just as he was about to turn around and grab her hand, Xia Qingning finally stopped. Looking down, she saw a large piece of skin broken on his elbow, the scrape marks clearly visible. The bleeding hadn’t stopped, and blood was still seeping out.

She hadn’t realized he was hurt so badly, but he hadn’t made a sound. If he hadn’t saved her, he wouldn’t have been injured like this.

Thinking about this, Xia Qingning felt guilty and said to him sincerely:

“I’m sorry, I caused you to get hurt.”

“It’s fine.” Lu Jingzhe replied in a deep voice, pausing for a moment, as if comforting her:

“Just a minor injury, it’s nothing.”

Compared to the battlefield, where people often lost limbs, a little scrape was nothing to him.

The more she said that, the more guilty Xia Qingning felt. She said to him in a low voice:

“Let me treat it for you.” Then she opened the nearby cabinet and took out alcohol swabs and gauze.

Lu Jingzhe was a little surprised that they had these supplies at home.

He usually wouldn’t bother with such a minor injury, and it would heal on its own quickly. But seeing Xia Qingning’s bright eyes and her guilt, he couldn’t refuse.

“It might sting a little, bear with it.” Xia Qingning dipped a swab in alcohol, bent down, and gently wiped it for him, even blowing on it softly to ease the pain.

Lu Jingzhe looked down, his gaze falling on her profile. He saw her focused and careful, her small, upturned nose slightly wrinkled, her pursed lips slightly tense, looking incredibly cute.

The alcohol on the wound was usually very irritating, but under her gentle blowing, it didn’t hurt at all. At that moment, Lu Jingzhe’s heart suddenly thumped, a feeling of excitement he had never experienced before spread through his body, and his body involuntarily trembled.

“I’m sorry, I hurt you.” Xia Qingning thought it was her fault and quickly apologized.

Lu Jingzhe tried to suppress his emotions, forcing himself to turn his head away, not to look at her. He said in a low voice:

“It’s fine.”

After a while, Xia Qingning finally finished treating it. After applying the gauze, she stood up, put everything away, and turned to see Lu Jingzhe taking a shirt from the closet and putting it on. His movements were large, completely disregarding his injured hand.

Xia Qingning watched anxiously, afraid that he would tear open the bandage she had just applied. She quickly ran to his side, held his hand, and said urgently:

“Don’t move too much, let me help you.”

Lu Jingzhe had already put on one sleeve. Seeing Xia Qingning wanting to help him put on his shirt, he felt uncomfortable and said in a deep voice:

“No need, I’m not that delicate.”

Then he reached out and put on the other sleeve himself. Perhaps he was used to the rough life in the army, and he didn’t consider this a serious injury.

Seeing that he had put it on, Xia Qingning looked around. Thankfully, the bandage hadn’t come undone, so she finally felt relieved. Seeing that he was about to reach out to button the shirt, she quickly said:

“Let me help you button it.”

This time, she was faster than him.

Buttoning the shirt required bending the elbow. Although she knew he could endure a lot of pain and wouldn’t make a sound, that didn’t mean it wasn’t painful. If she could help, she would.

Ever since she saw his scar earlier, she suddenly felt a different kind of emotion towards him. It wasn’t love or admiration, but pure admiration and respect.

They, the soldiers, had silently given so much for the people. Now, she, a member of the “people,” should do something she could for him.

Her fingers were white and slender like spring bamboo shoots. She carefully buttoned the shirt from the bottom to the top. Her gaze, originally focused on the buttons, unintentionally glanced at his waist and abdomen.

He had a thin but strong waist, clearly defined abdominal muscles, and a smooth line of abs that extended downwards, exuding an undeniable allure.

Even without looking at his face, such a physique would be enough to captivate a large number of girls in the real world. And his face was even more outstanding.

Xia Qingning, who had originally had no impure thoughts and only wanted to help him button his shirt, couldn’t help but feel her face flush slightly.

This wasn’t her fault, such a heavenly physique, no normal person could resist it.

Lu Jingzhe was also unaccustomed to being cared for so meticulously. He felt a little uncomfortable, and his muscles involuntarily tensed.

The tensed muscles were even more clearly defined, and even every vein was visible.

Faced with this rare visual feast, it was too difficult for Xia Qingning to pretend to be calm.

She quickly helped him button his shirt, from his abdomen to his waist, then to his chest, and finally to his collarbone. Finally, she buttoned the top button.

Lu Jingzhe said “Thank you” awkwardly. Xia Qingning was about to say “You’re welcome” when she noticed a piece of grass on his hair. It must have gotten stuck when he fell earlier. Without thinking, she took a step forward and reached out to take it off.

His sudden movement surprised Lu Jingzhe. His body, which had never had intimate contact with a woman, instinctively took a step back.

He was tall, and Xia Qingning could only reach his head by standing on her tiptoes. His sudden retreat caused her to lose her balance and she fell directly onto him.

As her hands wrapped around him, her lips brushed against his neck lightly.