Chapter 152

Outside the bathroom, Lu Weiguo and Shen Ziming stood on either side of the door. A male comrade wanted to enter the bathroom, but upon seeing them, he hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to do.

Lu Weiguo cleared his throat, “Comrade, do you need to use the bathroom? Go ahead, there’s no line inside.”

The man, looking nervous, finally walked in.

Shen Ziming glanced at Lu Weiguo, wanting to ask him many questions but not knowing where to start.

He no longer had the right to ask anything about Shi Tingyu.

Lu Weiguo noticed his hesitation but pretended not to.

Before long, Shi Muhuan emerged from the bathroom, looking at the two men like guardian deities without saying anything.

He wasn’t sure if his brother-in-law knew about Shen Ziming’s past with Shi Tingyu.

Lu Weiguo instinctively stepped forward to support Shi Muhuan, while Shen Ziming walked beside them, not pretending anymore.

When the three returned to the ward, Shi Tingyu was peeling an apple.

There were no other people in the ward. Seeing some apples and tangerines by the cabinet, she knew they were her brother’s and had replaced them with fresher ones from her space.

Lu Weiguo helped Shi Muhuan onto the bed. Shi Tingyu watched and couldn’t help but comment, “When I’m old, Weiguo will surely take good care of me.”

Shi Muhuan glared at her, “What nonsense are you talking about? You’re still young.”

Shi Tingyu handed the peeled apple to Shi Muhuan, “Brother, have an apple.”

Shi Muhuan smiled, “I never thought I would get to eat an apple peeled by my sister.”

Shi Tingyu sighed, as if she had often neglected him before.

Shen Ziming had never felt more like an outsider.

To say he didn’t regret the blind date back then would be a lie, but he chose his family. Xiaoyu had become a military spouse, and there was no turning back.

Despite his injury, Shi Muhuan’s appetite was good. He took a big bite of the apple, finding it exceptionally crisp and sweet.

Could it be because his sister peeled it?

Lu Weiguo, seeing his brother-in-law enjoying the apple, picked up another to peel.

Shi Muhuan glanced at Lu Weiguo, appreciating how well his brother-in-law took care of him.

He finished the apple in a few bites before Lu Weiguo finished peeling his.

When Lu Weiguo finally peeled the last piece, Shi Muhuan instinctively reached out for the apple, only to grab empty air.

Lu Weiguo handed the peeled apple to Shi Tingyu, “Wife, have an apple to quench your thirst.”

Shi Muhuan silently put his hand down.

Shi Tingyu noticed and pushed the apple towards him, “Do you want it?”

Shi Muhuan coughed lightly, “You eat it.”

Lu Weiguo then realized his brother-in-law’s embarrassment and said, “Brother, do you want another? I’ll peel one for you.”

“No need, one is enough.”

With nothing to eat, Shi Muhuan began to ask questions.

“Xiaoyu, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you call me beforehand?”

At this, Shi Tingyu couldn’t help but glare at him, “It’s a good thing I didn’t call, or I wouldn’t have known someone was injured.”

Feeling guilty, Shi Muhuan quickly changed the subject, “Did you arrive today? Where are your things? I’ll have Ziming help you get a room at the camp guesthouse.”

Shen Ziming was pleasantly surprised. Since the blind date incident, Shi Muhuan hadn’t asked for his help in a long time. Even when injured, Shi Muhuan told him to leave, saying he could manage on his own.

It was mere politeness.

Very polite, not wanting to trouble him.

Lu Weiguo looked at Shi Tingyu, knowing she probably wouldn’t want to stay at the guesthouse, as it was far from the hospital and inconvenient for taking care of her brother.

As expected, Shi Tingyu said, “Brother, we won’t stay at the guesthouse. I’ll see if there’s a hostel nearby. We’ll stay there for a few days to take care of you.”

Shi Muhuan replied, “It’s just a leg injury. You don’t need to take care of me.”

Shi Tingyu was a bit angry, “You keep saying it’s nothing, but do you want to wait until you’re bedridden before needing someone to take care of you?”

Shi Muhuan fell silent immediately.

Seeing his reaction, Shi Tingyu softened, “We’ll find a hostel or a nearby rental where we can cook. At least we can bring you meals.”

Seeing Shi Tingyu’s determination, Shen Ziming stepped in to help.

“I’ll go check the nearby area for any hostels or rental houses where we can cook.”

With that, he left.

Shi Tingyu wanted to give him money upfront, but he was already out of sight in the blink of an eye.

Forget it, she thought, I’ll give it to him when he returns.

Now that there was no one else around, Shi Tingyu activated the spatial scan function to prevent eavesdropping and told Shi Muhuan about their parents’ situation.

Hearing that their parents weren’t suffering and that their reallocation had hidden reasons, Shi Muhuan felt much relieved.

His eyes reddened slightly. When their parents were first reallocated, his belief had almost wavered.

Luckily, it was just a false alarm.

Shi Tingyu held his hand and said, “Brother, I won’t ask what mission caused your injury. As a military wife, I understand the discipline you must follow. But don’t push yourself too hard next time.”

After a long silence, Shi Muhuan slowly nodded.

With their parents reallocated, he had no other option but to keep taking on missions to accumulate merits, hoping to climb up and clear their names.

Shi Tingyu knew when the movement would end, but Shi Muhuan, born and raised here, didn’t. He had prepared for a long struggle.

Unexpectedly, things turned around, and their parents were now safe.

To lighten the mood, Shi Tingyu changed the subject, “When does the doctor say you can be discharged?”

“In two more days. Then I can go back to the camp to recover.”

Shi Tingyu calculated, “Today is the seventeenth day of the lunar month. Our home visit leave ends on the twenty-fifth day. We can stay for about a week.”

Shi Muhuan was pleased to hear this. He had been feeling a bit lonely on the hospital bed, but now he had someone to talk to.

Around noon, Shen Ziming returned.

“I asked around. The hostel doesn’t allow cooking, so I rented a room on the street behind the hospital where we can cook.”

Finding a suitable place made Shi Tingyu happy, “How much is the rent? I’ll pay you.”

Shen Ziming replied, “Since Muhuan will be discharged in two days, I only rented it for two days. It wasn’t much.”

Shi Tingyu insisted on paying, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll just ask the landlord.”

Shen Ziming wasn’t sure whether to be angry or sad. After a moment, he said, “Two days, one and a half yuan.”

Based on hostel receipts online, the amount was roughly written.

Shi Tingyu immediately took out the money and handed it to him.

Shen Ziming held the money, feeling a dull ache in his chest.

Lu Weiguo glanced at him, then discreetly held Shi Tingyu’s hand, “Thanks for your help today, Comrade Shen. It’s almost lunchtime. I saw a state-run restaurant nearby. Let’s go there for lunch.”