Chapter 59

Qian Guosheng stood at the doorway, stunned, raising both hands in protest, his face pale as he defended himself, “I didn’t hit him!”

Without taking time to explain, Qian Jianing quickly called her family inside and shut the door. She crouched down and placed her hand on Li Yujun’s wrist to take his pulse. “He’s unconscious due to blood loss.” She immediately reached out and unbuttoned his military uniform, lifted his wool sweater, and took a quick look inside.

Qian Guosheng was shocked by Qian Jianing’s boldness—was it really okay to lift a man’s clothes like that in broad daylight?

Seeing the blood already soaking through Li Yujun’s shirt, Qian Jianing lowered his clothes. “He’s injured. We have medicine at home. Let’s take him inside and treat the wound.”

Qian Guosheng watched as Qian Jianing buttoned Li Yujun’s shirt back up and finally let out a sigh of relief. He glanced up and down at Li Yujun’s tall frame with some hesitation. “This guy’s at least 180 cm tall. How are we going to carry him?” Standing only 175 cm himself, Qian Guosheng was at a loss in front of Li Yujun. “Maybe we can put him on a board or something?”

“We don’t have a board,” Qian Jianing said, looking down at Li Yujun. “How about I carry him?”

“What?” Before Qian Guosheng could react, he watched wide-eyed as Qian Jianing crouched in front of Li Yujun, one hand supporting his shoulder and the other scooping under his thighs, lifting him up just like that.

Qian Guosheng was completely dumbfounded.

Seeing her family frozen in place, Qian Jianing urged, “Don’t just stand there—cover him with his coat.”

“Oh! Right!” Li Wanzhen scrambled to grab Li Yujun’s coat from the rack and draped it over him. Just as she reached for Qian Jianing’s coat, Qian Jianing had already headed outside.

“Jianing, you’re not wearing your coat!” Li Wanzhen called out, but Qian Jianing had already opened the door and left carrying Li Yujun. Panicked, she chased after her with the coat in her arms.

In fact, ever since carrying scraps left over from making clothes for the God of Wealth, Qian Jianing no longer felt cold. She usually wore a coat only to avoid standing out. Carrying a tall, heavy man now, wearing a coat would only get in the way—this was more convenient.

Since her physical condition had been enhanced and she’d trained under three immortals, Qian Jianing’s strength had become superhuman. Carrying Li Yujun, she strode forward briskly, so fast that even Li Wanzhen, running behind, couldn’t keep up.

Kicking the door open, she slipped off her shoes and laid Li Yujun on the guest bed. She pulled off his shoes and sighed in frustration, “Why did I even take a deposit? Not only do I have to feed him, now I’m treating him too—who do I complain to?”

Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen finally caught up and squeezed into the room, looking worried. “It’s freezing—aren’t you cold without your coat?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been practicing martial arts for years and my body’s strong,” Qian Jianing replied. “I’m going to wash my hands and get the medicine box.”

Watching her rush out, Qian Guosheng murmured uneasily, “Is Xiaomi going to take this guy’s clothes off again?”

Li Wanzhen glared at him. “What nonsense are you thinking? Xiaomi studies traditional Chinese medicine—she’s supposed to treat people. To a doctor, there’s no male or female, only patients.” She rolled her eyes. “Old-fashioned.”

The “old-fashioned” Qian Guosheng didn’t say a word. He quietly stepped up, unbuttoned Li Yujun’s uniform, and neatly hung it up on the rack. But when he tried to take off the wool sweater, he froze—Li Yujun was too heavy to move, even unconscious.

Qian Jianing came over with the medicine box, and Qian Guosheng stepped aside awkwardly. “The sweater’s hard to take off.”

“No need. I’ll just cut it.” Qian Jianing pulled out scissors and cut the sweater clean in half. Qian Guosheng took the ruined sweater and couldn’t resist feeling the fabric—it was soft, comfortable, clearly expensive. He sighed, frustrated. “Should we compensate him for the damage? I wonder if the dinner we earned tonight would even cover this sweater.”

Blood had already soaked into Li Yujun’s shirt. Qian Jianing figured even if they removed it, it couldn’t be salvaged, so she cut that off too. With practiced hands, she turned the shirt into strips, unwrapped the bandages, and finally saw Li Yujun’s blood-covered chest.

She took out iodine from the kit and disinfected the area. A gash, about 7 or 8 centimeters long, had reopened for some unknown reason and was bleeding profusely.

With no sterile instruments on hand, she didn’t dare to stitch it herself. Instead, she sprinkled hemostatic powder on the wound and inserted a few golden needles into different acupuncture points. The bleeding stopped immediately.

She pulled Li Yujun upright. “Dad, help me hold him. I’m going to bandage the wound.”

Though he didn’t look fat, now that he was shirtless, his body was nothing but firm muscle. Qian Jianing wrapped the bandage tightly across his chest and back, tied a knot at the side of his waist, then supported his shoulder. “Okay, Dad, you can let go.”

Qian Guosheng turned around and saw his daughter holding onto the man’s bronzed shoulder, and his face turned pale with shock. “Xiaomi, put him down right now!”

Thinking her father was worried about displacing the acupuncture needles, Qian Jianing gently laid Li Yujun back down and removed the needles, placing them in alcohol. As she pulled the blanket over him, her gaze drifted to his abs. Could you really see muscle definition even while lying down? Were muscles like that soft or hard to the touch?

On instinct, she reached out to touch, but Qian Guosheng quickly grabbed her hand and pulled the blanket tightly over Li Yujun. He felt he ought to teach her the difference between men and women, but couldn’t figure out what to say. All he managed was, “We… we can’t take advantage of people like that.”

Qian Jianing snapped back to her senses, cleared her throat, and said seriously, “I just wanted to check if the bandage was tight enough.”

Li Yujun lay under the blanket, only his head exposed. Because of blood loss, his face had an unusual flush. Qian Jianing touched his forehead—he had a slight fever. Based on his pulse earlier, she returned to the study and prepared a prescription, gathering the herbs from her cabinet. To boost the effect, she used water delivered from Xiantao.com.

After putting the herbal pot on the stove, she picked up the phone and dialed Wang Chenchen’s house. The call was picked up almost immediately. A panicked voice came through: “Hello? Who is it?”

“Chenchen, it’s Jianing. Your brother passed out. Come pick him up.”

“Oh my god, he’s at your place?!” Wang Chenchen’s voice was full of disbelief, followed by a flurry of words: “Jianing, please take care of him—we’ll be right there!” True to her impulsive nature, she hung up before Jianing could reply. When Jianing tried calling back, no one answered.

Staring at the buzzing phone, she sighed. “She’ll never change that impatient streak. I wasn’t even finished.” She put down the phone and looked hopefully at Qian Guosheng. “Dad, do you have any oversized clothes?”

Qian Guosheng went to the side bedroom and pulled out a huge thermal shirt from the wardrobe. When he handed it over, Qian Jianing looked at the pilled sleeves and yellowed fabric, and sighed in dismay. “He definitely won’t wear this. It’s my fault for cutting everything so neatly—I forgot to leave him even one undershirt. How are we supposed to let his family take him back like this?”

The Li family didn’t live far and had a car. Before long, seven or eight people showed up—besides Wang Chenchen’s parents, there were also Li Yujun’s parents and his two younger brothers.

Qian Guosheng led them along the cobblestone path to the house. As soon as the door opened, the rich scent of medicinal herbs filled the air. Turning back proudly, he said, “My daughter studies traditional Chinese medicine.”

“I know. She’s in the same class as our Chenchen,” Wang Chenchen’s mother, Li Shuling, said warmly, smiling. “Chenchen always mentions Jianing at home—says she’s doing really well and that the teachers often praise her.”

Like many parents, Qian Guosheng beamed with pride the moment someone complimented his child. “Our Jianing was the top scorer in the college entrance exam. Even back in high school, all her teachers loved her.”

As Qian Jianing came out of her room, Wang Chenchen rushed over and clung to her arm, eyes red with emotion. “Jianing, I can’t thank you enough. You have no idea how crazy our whole family’s been looking for him.”

Li Yujun’s parents also offered their heartfelt thanks. Qian Jianing led them to the guest bedroom and explained the situation. “He fainted because of severe blood loss. I’ve already applied hemostatic powder and re-bandaged the wound. It was an emergency, and we couldn’t get his clothes off in time, so I had to cut them.”

“It’s fine, really, you were saving his life.” Li Yujun’s mother, Chang Xiaoyuan, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “We’re so grateful for your help. Who knows how much more he would’ve bled if not for you.”

Wang Chenchen gently tugged on Qian Jianing’s hand and whispered, “Jianing, how did you find my brother?”

Qian Jianing looked pained. “Remember when your grandfather celebrated his birthday? Your brother left a thousand yuan as a deposit for future meals. Around five this evening, he called to say he was coming over. When he arrived, I noticed he was pale and smelled faintly of blood. I immediately sensed something was wrong. But he wouldn’t answer my questions. So I served him double-steamed chicken soup and three blood-nourishing dishes. He finished eating, but just as he reached the door, he collapsed.”

After she finished, everyone in the room looked visibly tense. Confused, she tugged Wang Chenchen’s hand and asked quietly, “What’s going on?”

Wang Chenchen awkwardly pulled her aside and whispered, “My brother got injured during a mission recently and was sent to the military hospital. The doctor said it was pretty serious.” Qian Jianing nodded. She had seen the deep gash while changing his bandages—definitely a serious wound.

Wang Chenchen looked a little sympathetic. “The doctor told him to avoid certain foods and stick to a bland diet. My aunt enforced it strictly—only allowed him to eat plain congee and boiled vegetables.”

Qian Jianing was stunned. “So your brother sneaked out to eat?” She glanced toward the bed, struggling to believe that the cold, stern-looking man lying there could do something like that.

Wang Chenchen nodded stiffly. “My brother’s a real carnivore. The mission was rough, and he hadn’t had any meat for over two months. Then, after he got injured, they gave him flavorless food. He couldn’t take it anymore. Tonight, the soldier taking care of him brought in some plain congee and boiled cabbage. My brother’s face reportedly turned green. He kicked the guy out of the room. That poor soldier stood guard at the door until the doctor came for rounds. That’s when they discovered the window was open and my brother was gone.”

Qian Jianing swallowed hard. “What floor is his room on?”

Wang Chenchen forced a pained smile. “Sixth.”

Looking at the handsome, cold-faced man on the bed, Qian Jianing felt her image of him shatter into a million pieces.

The Li family huddled to discuss, and after a short while, Chang Xiaoyuan came over and took Qian Jianing’s hand. “You’ve done so much already. We’ll take him back to the hospital now. I’ll come personally tomorrow to thank you.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Auntie.” Qian Jianing smiled sweetly. “Just doing what I can. But it’s cold outside and I don’t have appropriate clothes here for him to change into.”

“No worries. The three brothers are about the same size. We’ll have his two younger brothers give him a shirt and sweater.”

As the smell of medicine grew stronger in the air, Qian Jianing couldn’t help asking, “Should he still drink the medicine I brewed? It needs a little more time to finish.”

Chang Xiaoyuan hesitated. She had always trusted Western medicine more, believing in test results, ultrasounds, and fast-acting drugs. Traditional medicine felt too uncertain—based on pulse readings and symptoms. But this girl had gone to so much effort. It would feel ungrateful to refuse. Thinking of that, she smiled gratefully. “Then let’s wait for him to drink the medicine before we go. Thank you again.”

“It’s no trouble. Standing here isn’t comfortable—why don’t we sit in the living room for a while?”

Chang Xiaoyuan agreed and glanced back at Li Yujun. He looked noticeably better—his face had regained some color, and his breathing was steady. He didn’t look unconscious anymore, more like he was peacefully asleep.

As the group stepped out of the guest room, Li Yufeng stayed behind, pulled out a chunky mobile phone from his bag, and quietly instructed the person on the line to prepare some valuable gifts and bring a set of clothes to Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen.

Meanwhile, Qian Guosheng’s family hadn’t eaten all evening. The adults could bear it, but Qian Jiafeng’s eyes were practically glazed over from hunger. Noticing this, Qian Jianing urged them to go eat in the front yard—everything was ready: the braised pork pot, dumplings, chicken soup piping hot, and tofu pockets just needed five minutes of steaming before being drizzled with sauce.

Li Wanzhen was worried Qian Jianing hadn’t eaten either, but there were too many guests to leave unattended. Qian Jianing gently squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ve got some snacks here. You all go eat.”

The Li family sat on the couch while Qian Jianing went to boil water and make tea. Wang Chenchen hurried to help, looking a bit sheepish. “Sorry for the trouble. We rushed over and didn’t bring anything.”

“No big deal. We’re best friends—don’t be so formal.” Qian Jianing bumped her shoulder lightly. “Besides, if it weren’t for your recommendation to host your grandpa’s birthday banquet here, my business wouldn’t be doing this well.”

“That’s different. Your food is delicious—that’s why business is good. What happened today was a real favor.” Wang Chenchen leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry. If you ever need help, our whole family’s got your back.”

Qian Jianing handed her tea and snacks. “Then start by helping me take these to the living room.” Once Wang Chenchen left, she grabbed some apples and oranges, quickly sliced them into pieces, stuck a few forks in, and brought them out.

Meanwhile, on the loveseat, Li Yujing and Li Yufeng were no longer worried. They were suppressing their laughter, eyes brimming with tears from holding it in. They exchanged glances and stifled giggles. After all, the reason for Li Yujun’s hospital escape was just too absurd. It completely destroyed the stern, unshakable image he had built for years.

Li Yujun’s father, Li Jianguo, looked deeply uncomfortable. At his rank, he could appear on the evening news—and now he was sitting in a young girl’s home because of his son’s foolishness. He felt thoroughly humiliated. Wang Shoucheng, Chenchen’s father, gave his brother-in-law a sympathetic look. He felt just as awkward. No one expected Li Yujun, usually so disciplined, to pull such a stunt. Sure, he’d always loved meat, but to climb out of a sixth-floor hospital room just to eat dinner? It was hard to believe.

Chang Xiaoyuan and Li Shuling tried to lighten the mood with friendly chatter, talking with Qian Jianing about daily life. After about twenty minutes and two pots of tea, Qian Jianing finally stood up. “The medicine’s ready.” Both Li Jianguo and Wang Shoucheng let out a quiet sigh of relief—once he took the medicine, they could finally leave.

Qian Jianing brought out a bowl of steaming, dark brown herbal medicine. Just looking at it, you could tell it wouldn’t taste good. Li Yujing quickly got up and took the bowl, smiling. “I’ll feed it to him.”

Qian Jianing nodded and brought out a plate of candied fruit. “I’ll go with you.”

Everyone except Li Jianguo and Wang Shoucheng followed them back to the guest room. As expected, just like Qian Jianing predicted, Li Yujing called out a few times but got no response. It wasn’t clear whether Li Yujun was asleep or still unconscious. Seeing this, Chang Xiaoyuan grew anxious, regretting not taking him back to the hospital right away and wasting so much time here instead.

Qian Jianing opened a nearby medical kit and took out several golden acupuncture needles. Before Chang Xiaoyuan could react, she had already inserted them into specific points on Li Yujun’s body. Seeing the fine needles trembling, Chang Xiaoyuan shivered.

Before he could ask, Li Yujun slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Qian Jianing and Li Yujing in front of him, he couldn’t help but freeze, clearly confused about how these two ended up together.

Qian Jianing withdrew the golden needle and stepped aside. “The medicine’s ready. Get up and drink it.”

Li Yujun sat up. The moment he saw the room full of people, his face instantly darkened.

Li Yufeng couldn’t hold back his laughter when he saw his elder brother’s changing expression, nearly doubling over. Li Yujun shot him a cold glare sharp as a knife. Normally, Li Yufeng would’ve scurried off like a frightened turtle, but thinking about what Li Yujun had done today, not only was he not afraid—he laughed even harder.

Chang Xiaoyuan gave her younger son a slap on the back, then walked to the bedside with a gentle smile and said to Li Yujun, “Hurry up and drink the medicine so we can go back to the hospital.”

A look of irritation flashed across Li Yujun’s face. “I’m not going to the hospital. I want to go home.”

“No. You need your anti-inflammatory shot,” Chang Xiaoyuan rejected him outright. Thinking of why her son had run off, she softened her tone. “At worst, I won’t make you plain congee anymore. I’ll ask Aunt Zhang to make something tasty for you.” As if afraid he might refuse, she lowered her voice and added, “Your dad and your uncle were frantic when they heard you went missing. They’re here too, sitting in the living room right now.”

Li Yujun’s body tensed at those words. Without a word, he took the bowl from Li Yujing and downed the medicine in one gulp. Though Qian Jianing didn’t know how it tasted, the smell alone told her it couldn’t be pleasant. She handed him the preserved fruit in her hand and looked at him sympathetically. “Here, have a couple pieces to kill the taste.”

Looking at Qian Jianing, Li Yujun suddenly thought of the meal he’d just had. His expression softened visibly. “Thank you.”

It was the first time Qian Jianing saw Li Yujun smile, and she was momentarily stunned. Though the smile was faint enough to overlook, it softened his features and added a subtle charm to his already striking appearance.

Qian Jianing found herself staring, unintentionally locking eyes with Li Yujun. Just then, a voice called from outside—Qian Guosheng shouted, “Jianing, come take a look.”

“Ah, coming!” Qian Jianing gave Li Yujun a smile, shoved the bowl of preserved fruit into his hands, and quickly walked out the door.

In the living room, Qian Jianing was stunned by the sight before her. Qian Guosheng stood there helplessly, clearly unsure what to do. “Two more people from their family came, and they brought a ton of gifts.”

Large and small gift bags were everywhere. A quick glance showed at least seven or eight different seafood gift boxes. The table was full of tea and wine, and the chairs were stacked with even more gifts, completely piled up.

Feeling a bit awkward, Qian Jianing looked at Li Jianguo and said, “That’s really not necessary—it was no trouble at all.”

Li Jianguo waved it off. “It’s the proper courtesy. Don’t refuse.”

Inside, Li Yujun had changed and walked out as well. Now he showed no signs of injury, standing tall and walking with energy.

Qian Jianing saw them off to the main gate. Just as they were about to say goodbye, Li Yufeng suddenly asked curiously, “Wasn’t my brother passed out at the restaurant out front? He’s pretty heavy—how did you carry him over?”

Qian Jianing raised both arms in a princess carry pose and answered bluntly, “I carried him like this!”

Li Yujun froze, then slowly turned to look at Qian Jianing’s slender arms. His face turned green.

Princess carry?!