Hao Yun promptly shut his mouth. His crutches moved so fast they left afterimages as he swiftly put distance between himself and the person behind him.

Shen Tang, fighting off dizziness, opened her eyes and immediately noticed He Xu sitting beside her. His tall, straight posture was like that of a pine tree, with a narrow waist and a handsome profile. Her muddled little head was full of questions—who was this?

He Xu had been sitting there for a while. Noticing Shen Tang was awake, he leaned in for a closer look.

“Hey, you look pretty lively,” he remarked.

Shen Tang bit her pink lip and instinctively leaned back, her watery brown eyes filled with wariness.

His eyes darkened slightly, and he let out a soft click of his tongue. “Little coward.”

Shen Tang instinctively retorted, “Who are you calling a coward?”

He Xu: “You. Still feverish?”

Shen Tang smiled, like a pink peach blossom blooming, stunning He Xu for a moment.

“Oh, the coward is talking about me.”

He Xu’s mind quickly processed her words, and he immediately understood her sarcasm.

He pressed his tongue against his back teeth. Had this little coward grown a spine?

He Xu wasn’t one to take mockery lightly. He smirked coldly, then reached out with two fingers and pinched her cheek hard. Only when he saw tears welling up in Shen Tang’s eyes and his own reflection in her brown pupils did he let go.

Feeling his body temperature rising, he cursed inwardly, She’s a damn siren.

“Considering you’re sick, I’ll let it slide this time. Don’t you dare mock me again, got it?”

Shen Tang was timid to begin with, and now, addled by fever, she shrank back at his fierceness and nodded her little head meekly.

He Xu was satisfied. “Also, you still owe me one yuan for the medical fee. Remember to pay me back later.”

The girl tearfully glared at him—he pinched her over just one yuan!

What a horrible person!

He Xu raised an eyebrow. “What’s that look for?”

Shen Tang stiffened, turned her head away, and muttered under her breath, “The look of someone who wants to curse at you.”

He Xu, with his sharp hearing, laughed in exasperation. “Coward. A coward who talks behind people’s backs.”

Shen Tang glared at him angrily but immediately averted her eyes when she met his sharp, dark gaze.

He Xu sneered. A soft, squishy bun like her—he could gobble her up in one bite. How dare she glare at him?

The two sat in silence for a while until Zhou Ling walked into the hospital carrying two lunchboxes.

She figured He Xu, having helped out, probably hadn’t had time to eat lunch, so she first went to the canteen to buy meals for both of them. On the way, she caught a ride with Xiao Li, who was driving by, which was how she made it back so quickly.

“Tang Tang, are you feeling better?”

Shen Tang puffed out her cheeks adorably and replied, “Much better.”

Zhou Ling felt her forehead and thought it was still warm. Later, she would have to ask the cultural troupe leader for leave on Shen Tang’s behalf. A young girl shouldn’t overexert herself.

There was no table nearby, so she handed the lunchboxes to He Xu and Shen Tang and took two spoons out of her bag for them.

“It’s already noon. You two eat first. He Xu, thank you for your help today. Come to our place for dinner tonight. I’ll check later to see if there are any spare ribs left.”

“Auntie, there’s no need to trouble yourself. Comrade Shen isn’t fully recovered yet, and you already have your hands full taking care of the whole family. I won’t come over tonight. I’ll visit another day when I have time. I hope you won’t mind me eating too much then.”

Zhou Ling couldn’t stop smiling. “What trouble? It’s no trouble at all. If you can come, Auntie would be delighted. How about this—come over for dinner tomorrow. I’ll kill a chicken and let you taste my cooking.”

He Xu glanced at Shen Tang, who looked like a dazed goose, and for some reason, he agreed.

Zhou Ling was even more pleased to see him accept.

The women in the residential compound always said He Xu was fierce and ruthless, showing no mercy when disciplining others. But in her opinion, this young man was nothing but well-behaved—polite, considerate, and handsome to boot.

If it weren’t for those gossipy women tarnishing He Xu’s reputation, how could he still be single at twenty-three?

Zhou Ling sighed inwardly. When she turned and saw her niece struggling to open her lunchbox with puffed-out cheeks, she sighed again.

She had once considered introducing her niece to He Xu, but the two had known each other since childhood. If there were any spark, it would have happened long ago.

Especially since her niece had questionable taste—she was oddly fascinated by divorced men with three children. If Zhou Ling tried to set them up, it wouldn’t be matchmaking; it would be starting a feud.

Zhou Ling helped Shen Tang open her lunchbox. Shen Tang then tugged at her sleeve and sweetly offered the lunchbox to her.

“Auntie, you eat first.”

Zhou Ling’s heart warmed. “I’ve already eaten, dear. You go ahead.”

Her niece was so well-mannered—who could ever be good enough for her?

Though still dizzy, Shen Tang was gradually regaining her senses.

She knew her aunt had rushed over too quickly to have eaten and wouldn’t have time to go home later since she’d be staying to accompany her through the IV drip.

After taking a few bites, she handed the lunchbox to Zhou Ling. “Auntie, I’ve had enough. You have the rest.”

Seeing Shen Tang close her eyes in discomfort, Zhou Ling had no choice but to finish the food in the lunchbox.

When Zhou Ling went to wash the lunchbox, Shen Tang suddenly caught the enticing aroma of chicken soup. She sniffed the air and opened her eyes, only to meet He Xu’s amused gaze.

She froze. “C-Commander He?”

“Eat up.”

Seeing that she had regained her senses, He Xu felt a hint of disappointment—the fun of teasing her was gone. When he noticed Zhou Ling returning, he turned and left without another word.

Shen Tang found him rather baffling, but she was indeed hungry. Thinking she could repay him later for the medical fees and the chicken soup, she drank the entire bowl.

The warm, savory chicken soup settled comfortably in her stomach, making her feel much better.

After the IV drip, Shen Tang and Zhou Ling rode their bicycles home.

From out of nowhere, Hao Yun hobbled over on his crutches to stand beside He Xu.

Following He Xu’s gaze, he watched the listless figure of the young girl gradually disappear through the hospital entrance.

He stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Commander, you’re not actually falling for her, are you?”

He Xu shot him a cold glance. “Who are you trying to disgust? Why would I fall for someone who’s already hung up on another guy?”

Hao Yun had been his high school classmate and knew him fairly well. After a moment’s thought, he agreed it was unlikely.

He Xu’s family situation was messy, and he’d had emotional baggage since childhood—he was extremely cautious when it came to matters of the heart.

If he had liked Shen Tang, he would have liked her long ago. There was no way he’d wait until now.

Besides, the two of them had grown up in the same compound.