Ayalee: Special birthday treat: 1 full chapter unlocked from each of my translations for everyone to enjoy because it’s my birthday today! Enjoy🎉

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Qin Yao glanced at Xu Yun, puzzled. Why did this woman dislike her? Was it because she was surprised by her embroidery skills, or did she disapprove of her being with Gu Cheng?

“Your embroidery is so beautiful. I don’t have that skill. Young girls should learn more from you.” Xu Yun continued to praise her.

Xu Yun had a soft expression, but her voice was unpleasing. She spoke in a drawn-out, almost patronizing way, even when saying ordinary things, as if she was speaking from the heart.

Qin Yao disliked her proximity. It was clear that her words were insincere, and she was deliberately getting closer. What was she up to?

Qin Yao put her things away, sat at her desk, and picked up a literary magazine, not engaging with Xu Yun. Xu Yun was left feeling awkward.

“Xiao Qin, Head Nurse Ge told me about your situation. I’ve been waiting for you to come to me, but since you didn’t, I decided to come to you today to get some wedding candy from you and Commander Gu,” Xu Yun said.

“I want to share some secrets about being a woman with you.”

Qin Yao waved her hand. “Nurse Xu, thank you for your kind offer, but I am an honest person. I want to face my friends and family in the most genuine way.”

Xu Yun smiled. “Aren’t you worried you won’t pass the probation period?”

“You can pretend for a while, but not for a lifetime. If I can’t pass, then so be it. There are plenty of men on the island,” Qin Yao replied.

“I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap.”

Xu Yun’s face darkened as she walked into the hallway. She was seething. Had her attempt to befriend Qin Yao failed? Qin Yao, this foolish woman, shouldn’t she have treated her like a close sister?

Once their relationship became closer, Xu Yun could easily gossip in front of her, take advantage of the situation, and create trouble with Gu Cheng.

But Qin Yao wasn’t interested in getting close to her.

Xu Yun’s eyes flickered, and another idea came to her. She skipped her nap and began telling everyone how good Qin Yao’s embroidery skills were. “Nurse Qin is amazing at embroidery. She’s making handkerchiefs for Commander Gu.”

“She does such a good job. It’s even more detailed than the royal embroiderers of the ancient times.”

“If you want to learn, you must go and ask her!”

Qin Yao had yet to start her embroidering when her reputation for embroidery spread throughout the hospital. In the duty room, a group of young girls teased, “Xiao Qin, I didn’t know you had this talent.”

“You’re hiding it and not letting us know, huh?”

Qin Yao sneered in her heart. This Nurse Xu really had a big mouth.

“Xiao Qin, can you teach me?”

“Nurse Qin, can you teach me too?”

…

Qin Yao was surrounded by a group of young girls. At this time, everyone had a few handkerchiefs for daily use. Handkerchiefs were not expensive. The cheap ones were just a few cents, while the more expensive ones could cost a few yuan or even more. The cheapest were the white ones, and those with patterns or colors were slightly more expensive. Silk handkerchiefs were the most expensive.

Plain-colored handkerchiefs were cheap, and many people liked to buy them. Some even embroidered their names on them. If they were good at embroidery, they could create patterns, which would add extra value to the handkerchief.

Qin Yao had seen handkerchiefs in the supply and marketing cooperative. Although the patterns were varied, most were in bright, bold colors like “flowers of wealth,” featuring large red or purple flowers. Young girls didn’t like these kinds.

The handkerchiefs in the city department store had elegant patterns, but they were expensive.

Qin Yao’s magnolia flower handkerchief was irresistibly tempting to young girls. The pattern was delicate, and it even had a man’s name embroidered on the edge. They too wanted to make one for themselves or their partners.

“Xiao Qin, this handkerchief is so beautiful. Commander Gu will definitely like it.”

“Commander Gu will praise you for being talented and graceful!”

“Teach me, and I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Qin Yao didn’t explain and just displayed the handkerchief, then refused everyone: “Don’t bother me now. I have no time to teach you. I’m too busy myself. If you need help, go ask Nurse Xu. She’s gentle, kind, and will definitely teach you carefully.”

“I’m still young and don’t have the patience to teach people. If I come across someone clumsy, I’m afraid I’ll lose my temper.”

“Nurse Xu is different. Have you ever heard her scold anyone?”

…

Wasn’t it just praising someone? Qin Yao smiled, adding to Xu Yun’s good reputation. If she were like Zhang Yufei, with such a personality, she would definitely be too timid to refuse requests from others, fearing they’d dislike her.

But Qin Yao wasn’t a pushover. She wouldn’t take on such thankless tasks.

“Go ask Nurse Xu. Do you think she’d refuse you?”

The other women exchanged glances and realized it made sense. After all, Qin Yao was busy with her relationship, and Nurse Xu had a great reputation. It was better to bother Nurse Xu with this.

So a few excited young girls turned to ask Xu Yun to teach them embroidery.

“Nurse Xu, we heard you’re good at embroidery. Could you teach us to embroider a handkerchief?”

Xu Yun had just set herself up for trouble. She was puzzled and asked, “Why don’t you go ask Xiao Qin? She’s really good at it, and her patterns are what you young people like.”

“I’m older than you, so my taste in embroidery is out of date.”

One nurse replied, “It’s fine, Nurse Xu. Teach us something simple, and we’ll all follow you.”

“Xiao Qin still has her relationship to deal with. We don’t want to disturb her.”

“Yes, she’s in a critical stage of dating.”

They spoke in such a considerate tone. For these young nurses, Nurse Xu was the ideal teacher.

Qin Yao was young, but when she was with Commander Gu, his intimidating presence made her feel like she was being inspected by a leader. His cold, distant demeanor made people uneasy.

Some people liked him, while others felt like mice meeting a cat, wanting to shrink away.

Not all girls were eager to throw themselves at men.

“Nurse Xu, you’re not going to be so petty as to refuse us, right?”

“Yes, we came to you because we heard you’re the kindest.”

“Nurse Xu, the moment I saw you, I felt like you were my older sister back home.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Nurse Xu’s smile was starting to fade, and she was frustrated with Qin Yao’s behavior. She tried her best to maintain the gentle and kind reputation she had built, but couldn’t help feeling annoyed. “Alright, alright, I’ll teach you.”

“Just so you know, I’m not as good at embroidery as Xiao Qin.”

The others chimed in, “It’s fine, as long as you’re patient, Nurse Xu!”

“Nurse Xu’s patience and kindness are well-known.”

Xu Yun forced a soft expression, but inside, she was boiling with anger. She felt agitated, and as she handled the needle and thread, the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Suddenly, she pricked her finger, and a bead of blood appeared.

The young girls were shocked. “You pricked yourself, you’re bleeding!”

“It’s that serious! How deep was the needle?”

“Nurse Xu, be careful.”

Xu Yun’s lips trembled as she forced a smile. “I’m getting old, my eyesight isn’t good, and my hands are shaky. Maybe you should go ask Xiao Qin?”

One nurse said, “Nurse Xu, don’t be so modest!”

“Xiao Qin is busy with her relationship. If we surround her like this, it’ll seem like we have ulterior motives, blocking her from dating. We’re all waiting for wedding candy!”

“Take your time, no rush.”

With so many eyes on her, Xu Yun’s face was burning. If she refused to help, it would seem like she was deliberately interfering with Qin Yao’s relationship.

“Nurse Xu, please do us this favor, and Xiao Qin will treat you to wedding candy!”

Xu Yun lowered her head, feeling a tightness in her chest. She wanted to stomp her feet and bang her chest in frustration. She was so angry she could hardly breathe!

*

Qin Yao wasn’t embroidering handkerchiefs in the duty room but had moved to the dormitory. Zhang Yufei knew her basic skills and didn’t mention it or ask who had embroidered the magnolia flower handkerchief.

It couldn’t have been Commander Gu, right?

Qin Yao had originally intended to follow the magnolia flower pattern that Gu Cheng had used, but after embroidering part of it, she felt the design was too complicated. She decided to simplify it and drew a rough sketch, planning to create a creative little yellow duck with cross-embroider.

The cross-embroider technique is simple and hard to mess up. Qin Yao, looking quite the part, embroidered a little yellow duck, adding their surnames, Gu-Qin.

At least, she had managed to whip up a handkerchief, albeit a rather half-hearted one, but it still had a certain charm!

When Gu Cheng came to find her, Qin Yao proudly offered up her handkerchief, “Commander Gu, look at the handkerchief I embroidered!”

“Is it embroidered?” Gu Cheng was delighted, a faint smile appearing on his usually stern face. He touched his nose, trying to hide his excitement.

“Tada!” Qin Yao unfolded her little yellow duck design.

Gu Cheng: “…”

At the bottom right corner of a plain handkerchief was a crooked, chubby little duck, with the words “Gu-Qin” embroidered next to it.

He touched the tiny duck, which was no bigger than his two fingers. The moment he folded the handkerchief, the duck disappeared.

“Why a duck?” Gu Cheng frowned. This wasn’t what he had imagined. Was he supposed to use this in front of others and say it was made by his partner?

Honestly, the duck wasn’t ugly—it was actually quite cute. But it wasn’t suitable for a grown man of 1.8 meters tall. It was better suited for a child in preschool.

Qin Yao replied, “Next time, I’ll embroider you a giant panda!”

Gu Cheng rubbed his forehead, no longer expecting much. “No, make two of them. A pair looks better.”

“Alright,” Qin Yao ground her teeth. Gu Cheng’s reaction annoyed her. Although they weren’t exactly a couple, they were in that ambiguous “more than friends, less than lovers” stage.

Yet her ambiguous partner’s reaction to the handkerchief she made for him was like this.

It felt like a cold bucket of water was poured over her head, and her feelings dropped by thirty points. Qin Yao almost wanted to kick him.

In fact, she did give him a kick. “If you don’t like it, then give it back to me.”

Qin Yao reached to snatch the handkerchief back, but Gu Cheng gripped it tightly. “Once you give it to me, it’s mine. Don’t think about taking it back.”

He tucked the handkerchief into his pocket and tapped her forehead. “Remember, you still owe me eight more.”

“Giant pandas, two of them.”

*

Gu Cheng had received the little yellow duck handkerchief, and based on his usual personality, he would never have carried it around. If others saw it, what would they think? They’d definitely make fun of him.

But this was embroidered by Yaoyao herself!

“I’ve been enchanted…” Gu Cheng thought, feeling strange. Qin Yao had given him two handkerchiefs: one pale pink with a magnolia flower, the first one she had given him and another pale yellow with a little yellow duck.

Surprisingly, he liked the second one more than the first.

He would often play with the fat duck embroidered on it, and by the end of the day, it became a habit. The handkerchief was perfect for daily use. The little yellow duck was in the bottom right corner, and when he held it in his palm, no one could see it.

What he didn’t know was that Political Commissar Zhou had keen eyes: “Is this the handkerchief your partner made?”

Zhao Mingjin, standing beside them, widened his eyes. “Yes, yes, it’s Xiao Qin’s.”

Political Commissar Zhou’s curiosity grew. “I heard your partner is really good at needlework.”

Zhao Mingjin envied him. “Commander Gu, let me take a look.”

The winner takes all, and he and Doctor He had both lost to Commander Gu. Zhao Mingjin wasn’t bothered—he accepted his defeat and was now waiting for the wedding candy.

Gu Cheng’s face remained expressionless, revealing no emotion. He took out both handkerchiefs, unfolded them, and said with a hint of pride, “Xiao Qin made these for me.”

Political Commissar Zhou and Zhao Mingjin stared, looking confused. One handkerchief had a magnolia flower, and the other had a little yellow duck.

The two were completely confused. Could this be embroidered by one person?

Political Commissar Zhou pointed to the magnolia flower. “I like this one. It’s well done.”

“This little duck is so cute,” Zhao Mingjin said, then added curiously, “So, both of these were embroidered by Xiao Qin? Wait a minute, Commander Gu, don’t tell me you embroidered this duck yourself?”

Political Commissar Zhou choked on his own saliva. “Cough, cough, cough—”

Gu Cheng’s face darkened. “It was embroidered by my partner.”

Zhao Mingjin dug deeper. “Why is it a little duck?”

Gu Cheng gave him a faint glance, a thought suddenly flashing in his mind. Crossing his arms, he said nonchalantly, “She said it was embroidered for our future little tiger girl.”

“I’m using it in advance.”

“She’s quite the planner.”

Zhao Mingjin was stunned. “????”