Xiao Chuan tilted his head and asked, “If I don’t call you ‘brother,’ then what should I call you?”
Wen Yaozu: “Call me ‘Boss’!”
“Boss!”
Xiao Chuan obediently called out.
The next second, Wen Ci raised her hand and smacked Wen Yaozu on the back of the head, shooting him a glare. “Do you have to act like a boss outside of school too?”
“Doesn’t ‘Boss’ sound impressive?” Wen Yaozu muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing at all!” Wen Yaozu quickly denied it. Then, noticing the egg in his sister’s hand, he grinned and said, “I’m hungry. Can I eat an egg first?”
Wen Ci handed him the egg.
Suddenly, the landline in the living room rang. Wen Ci walked over and picked up the receiver, and a male voice she had never heard before came through: “Is this Jingyuan’s wife?”
Wen Ci frowned slightly.
Only someone close to Huo Jingyuan would address him so intimately.
“And you are?”
“I’m Xiao Chuan’s uncle and also Jingyuan’s childhood friend from abroad. My name is Xu Jinghe.”
Wen Ci thought for a moment, then replied bluntly, “Jingyuan has never mentioned you before, so you’ll have to wait until this time tomorrow for me to confirm your identity.”
“I understand. Let’s talk tomorrow then.”
“Alright.”
Wen Ci ended the call politely. After setting down the receiver, she realized that any call able to reach the military family quarters must have been screened beforehand.
“Who was that?” Wen Yaozu asked.
“Probably Xiao Chuan’s uncle.”
After a brief pause, Wen Ci looked at Xiao Chuan and curiously asked, “Is your uncle’s name Xu Jinghe?”
“I think so.”
During the day, Wen Ci stayed at home supervising Wen Yaozu’s studies, making him relearn foundational knowledge from his first year of middle school. At night, she also made him run ten laps.
…
The Next Day
After supervising Wen Yaozu through his ten laps, Wen Ci prepared to head out to visit Huo Jingyuan. At the doorway, she ran into Su Guilan, who wore a stern expression.
“Who did you bring into Elder Huo’s house?”
Yesterday, while getting food at the cafeteria, she overheard people discussing how Wen Ci had taken three portions of food at once. Curious, she wondered if Huo Jingyuan had returned.
Others might not know, but Su Guilan did.
Huo Jingyuan was seriously injured and still in the hospital. His meals were specially prepared by the hospital cafeteria—he had no need for food from the family quarters’ cafeteria.
Wen Ci remained calm. “Is that not allowed?”
Su Guilan’s expression changed instantly. She gritted her teeth and accused, “Huo Jingyuan is still lying in the hospital, and you’re doing things like this? Do you have no shame?”
Wen Ci was baffled.
Then, she quickly realized what Su Guilan was implying. Shaking her head, she laughed out loud. “So you think I brought another man into the Huo family’s house?”
“What else could it be?”
Wen Ci didn’t bother answering. She had no interest in wasting time arguing with Su Guilan. She simply walked past her. “Think whatever you want.”
Watching Wen Ci walk away, Su Guilan clenched her fists in anger. She muttered under her breath, “If she weren’t my biological daughter, I’d report her to the authorities!”
Military marriages were sacred.
Anyone attempting to undermine one would face legal consequences.
After Wen Ci left, Su Guilan glanced toward the Huo family courtyard, her eyes flickering with complex emotions. She was determined to find out who this person was.
The gate was unlocked. Su Guilan pushed it open and stepped inside. The curtains in the two rooms on the first floor were tightly drawn, making her frown.
Looking up at the second-floor bedroom, she noticed that the curtains there were open, with Wen Ci’s clothes hanging on a rack. She narrowed her eyes.
“That’s right. That little kid at most eats half a portion, so why take three portions…?”
Su Guilan’s eyes widened. She tried to remain calm but shook her head, thinking she might have misunderstood Wen Ci. Wen Ci wouldn’t do something like this… right?
Still, she couldn’t help but glance back at the two rooms on the first floor. After some contemplation, she decided to go inside.
As Huo Jingyuan’s mother-in-law, she figured she had every right to enter the house for a cup of water.
Su Guilan reassured herself with this thought.
Then, she stepped inside. The door to the room on the left was slightly ajar, and the sound of a man snoring could be heard. The curtains were drawn so tightly that the room was completely dark.
Suddenly—
“Who are you?”
Wen Yaozu had been sleeping soundly. Exhausted from running laps, he snored without stopping.
As Su Guilan stepped into the room, Xiao Chuan suddenly appeared at the doorway.
“Who are you?”
Startled, he ran straight to Wen Yaozu’s bed, tugged at the blanket, and shouted, “Boss, wake up! There’s a bad person!”
Wen Yaozu groggily woke up.
“What’s wrong?”
Xiao Chuan’s small body trembled. Though he had escaped from the traffickers, the psychological scars remained.
“B-bad person…”
Hearing this, Wen Yaozu instantly became alert. He shot up from the bed and shielded Xiao Chuan behind him, staring warily at the shadowy figure by the door.
Su Guilan reached for the light switch. The dim yellow light illuminated the room, revealing a young boy standing protectively in front of Xiao Chuan. She frowned. “Who are you?”
“You’re asking who we are? I should be asking who you are! Barging into someone else’s home in broad daylight—you must be a bad woman!”
Su Guilan: “…”
…
Meanwhile, Wen Ci arrived at the hospital.
Just as she opened the door to the ward, Huo Jingyuan slowly got out of bed. Hearing the door open, he lowered his head slightly and began counting down in his mind.
“Three, two…”
Before he could finish, Wen Ci spoke up. “Why are you out of bed?”
Huo Jingyuan looked up at her, blinking. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Wen Ci’s gaze dropped to his left hand, which still had an IV attached. He was holding onto the IV stand with one hand, and traces of blood had seeped back into the tube.
She quickly stepped forward, took the IV stand from him, and said flatly, “I’ll go with you.”
“To the bathroom?”
Wen Ci rolled her eyes. “What else?”
Then she mumbled under her breath, “It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”
Not only had she seen it—she had even touched it.
Huo Jingyuan smirked, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He had deliberately waited for Wen Ci to enter before getting out of bed.
The hospital room had a private bathroom. As he reached for his belt, the pain in his hand made him suck in a sharp breath.
The IV needle was large, and daily infusions had left his hand covered in puncture marks.
In a serious tone, he called out, “Comrade Wen.”
Hearing the shift in his tone, Wen Ci glanced at his waist and tilted her head. “Why are you wearing a belt with hospital clothes?”
Typically, hospital pants were loose-fitting to make restroom use easier.
“They’re too big.”
Wen Ci: “…”
She was speechless.
Huo Jingyuan gazed at her languidly, his voice calm but carrying a teasing undertone. “Help me.”
“Help with what?” Wen Ci pretended not to understand.
“Help me undo my belt.”
His tone was nonchalant, but the words sounded suggestive.
Wen Ci’s ears instantly turned red.
She hesitated.
Should she help him or not?
She knew full well—this shameless man was doing it on purpose.
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