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Shen Yihuan woke up briefly, then fell back asleep. After all, she had lost a lot of blood and was considerably weak.
Lu Zhou put the clothes she’d changed out of into a basin, went into the bathroom to wash them, hung them on the balcony, and then sat back down.
The young girl slept very peacefully, her features softened, her eyelashes long and curled, two delicate arches for eyebrows, and pale lips. The hospital’s blue and white striped patient gown made her skin appear even whiter, exuding a fragile beauty.
A bit of bandaging gauze peeked out from her collar.
Lu Zhou leaned in gently, lifted it slightly, and placed a kiss there.
His phone vibrated.
It was a text from He Min—Captain Lu, come out for a moment.
Lu Zhou re-tucked the blanket for Shen Yihuan, then slowed down the IV drip. He put his phone back in his pocket, quietly pulled open the ward door, and stepped out.
He Min was standing right outside the door.
Lu Zhou glanced back into the room, lowering his voice: “Let’s talk upfront.”
They walked to the corridor ahead.
He Min said: “Li Wu has confessed.”
Lu Zhou lowered his gaze, his expression growing cold.
He Min hadn’t allowed Lu Zhou to participate in the interrogation process after catching Li Wu. He was afraid Lu Zhou wouldn’t be able to control his emotions. When they had just brought Li Wu back to the car, Lu Zhou had pointed his gun at Li Wu’s head.
He hadn’t hesitated for a second, pulling the trigger. If He Min hadn’t reacted quickly, snatching his hand and making the bullet go elsewhere, Li Wu would probably be dead by now.
He had never seen Lu Zhou like this.
He Min observed Lu Zhou’s expression, then patted his shoulder: “It’s good news. Li Wu has definite information on Gu Minghui.”
“Gu Minghui?” Lu Zhou was startled. “It’s confirmed to be him?”
“Yes.”
He Min took out his phone, scrolled a few times, and handed it to Lu Zhou. It was a photo of a man in a suit, only half of his profile visible, taken during an arms deal. From the angle, it seemed to be a candid shot.
Lu Zhou frowned.
He Min said: “It’s been confirmed by precise facial scanning. It is indeed Gu Minghui.”
Now that Li Wu was apprehended, he knew he had no chance of turning things around. Gu Minghui had clearly harbored resentment against him for a long time. By exposing him, Li Wu might even get a lighter sentence for good behavior, so there was naturally nothing to hesitate about.
Lu Zhou had been investigating Gu Minghui for a long time and had already largely confirmed his suspicions.
But now that he had received the definite answer—that the leader of the other arms group in this territory was Gu Minghui—Lu Zhou still felt an unidentifiable emotion.
He instinctively glanced back at Shen Yihuan’s hospital room.
Lu Zhou pointed to the other person in the photo: “Who is this person?”
“Li Wu said he’s the leader of a poaching syndicate. All his previous firearms and ammunition were bought from them. Later, Gu Minghui poached him, violating their agreement.”
Lu Zhou was silent for a moment, then said: “Find this person first.”
“Yes.”
________________________________________
For the next few days, Shen Yihuan’s sleep and wake times were not very regular.
Perhaps because of the blood loss, she was always sleepy, sometimes falling asleep in broad daylight and only waking up in the dead of night.
But every time she woke up, Lu Zhou was there.
The army seemed to be busy again. He Min often came over, calling Lu Zhou out to discuss the situation.
This time when Shen Yihuan woke up, Lu Zhou had just finished talking with He Min and came in from outside.
Seeing she was awake, he quickly came over, helped her raise the bed a bit, and kissed the corner of her mouth: “Is there anything uncomfortable?”
Shen Yihuan shook her head.
She had indeed been in severe pain when the anesthetic first wore off two days ago, even in her sleep. But now, it was much better; the pain was not obvious, and there was even a slight itch.
“Hungry?”
“Let’s eat some fruit.”
Lu Zhou picked an apple, which had already been washed. He wiped it with paper, peeled and sliced it, feeding it to Shen Yihuan piece by piece, not bothering the nurse’s aide at all.
Shen Yihuan ate while her gaze rested on Lu Zhou.
He was a little thinner than before; his face hadn’t had much flesh to begin with, and now it seemed even more gaunt, making him usually appear sharper. But at this moment, feeding Shen Yihuan apple, his features softened.
Shen Yihuan ate one piece, and Lu Zhou offered a second. She shook her head: “You eat too.”
Lu Zhou then put that piece of apple back in the bowl, not eating it himself.
Shen Yihuan looked at him.
Lu Zhou said, “You eat first. When you’re done, I’ll just eat one.”
She nodded, swallowed what was in her mouth, and Lu Zhou fed her the next piece.
Shen Yihuan looked at him and asked, “You’ve been here with me lately, is the army busy enough?”
“It’s fine, I’ll go over when you’re asleep.”
“Then you don’t have time to rest. I see you have dark circles under your eyes.” Shen Yihuan looked at him as she spoke, feeling a little heartbroken.
Lu Zhou smiled.
He had been living like this these past few days. When Shen Yihuan slept, he would go attend to army matters. The mission was at a critical juncture now. He would estimate when Shen Yihuan was about to wake up, then rush back.
Sometimes, when he rushed back and she wasn’t awake yet, Lu Zhou would just nap by the bedside.
He hadn’t slept lying down these past few days.
He didn’t want Shen Yihuan to worry, so he just said, “I slept on the way here. I don’t sleep much anyway.”
After finishing the apple, Shen Yihuan propped herself up and sat. She didn’t strictly need to stay in the hospital, as her leg wasn’t injured, but Lu Zhou was worried and wanted her to stay a few more days.
“Need to go to the bathroom?” Lu Zhou asked.
“I want to shower.”
Although she hadn’t sweated, Shen Yihuan felt uncomfortable after two days without a shower.
Lu Zhou helped her stand up: “Then I’ll wash you.”
“???” Shen Yihuan stopped, staring straight at him.
Her eyes were saying, Aren’t you too much of a beast?!
Lu Zhou smiled, helping her into the bathroom. Shen Yihuan’s eyes were full of silent condemnation, but her steps obediently followed him into the shower.
The town hospital facilities weren’t very good.
Lu Zhou adjusted the water temperature, then turned to look at the reserved girl standing behind him.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen you before. What are you shy about?” Lu Zhou smiled, pulled her in front of him, and unbuttoned her patient gown.
From the first button to the last.
Shen Yihuan felt her scalp tingle.
Inside was a bra, a comfortable, plain style.
“I-I’ll do it myself.” Shen Yihuan reached her hands behind her back, turning away from Lu Zhou to unhook it.
Lu Zhou’s eyes darkened.
The wound on her chest couldn’t get wet. Otherwise, if it got infected, it would be troublesome for a while, painful, and she would suffer a lot. She probably couldn’t handle washing it herself properly.
Shen Yihuan didn’t refuse to let Lu Zhou wash her.
She was just too embarrassed, keeping her back to him the whole time.
Lu Zhou picked out an exceptionally soft towel.
The bathroom light was a warm yellow, and the steam from the hot water made the atmosphere even more ambiguous and humid. Lu Zhou’s palm was on her.
It didn’t take long; she was washed quickly.
It was only ten minutes, yet Shen Yihuan felt awkwardly as if centuries had passed.
Lu Zhou pulled out a large bath towel and wrapped Shen Yihuan completely from behind. Only then did he move closer, embracing her from behind through the thin towel.
He bent his back slightly, resting his chin on her shoulder.
He kissed her earlobe.
Shen Yihuan shivered.
Lu Zhou chuckled softly, his voice a little muffled and hoarse, with a slight nasal tone: “I’ve wrapped you all up. What are you still shy about?”
Shen Yihuan’s ear tips were red and very hot. Her cheeks, whether from the steam or Lu Zhou’s words, were similarly crimson, red enough to drip blood.
Shen Yihuan blinked rapidly, then turned around, blushing, and glared at him fiercely: “Who said I was shy?”
Lu Zhou chuckled, his tone helpless yet doting: “Alright, no one.”
Shen Yihuan gave a dissatisfied “hmph.”
Lu Zhou said: “I’m the one who’s shy.”
He dried Shen Yihuan, then squatted on the floor, having Shen Yihuan sit on a small chair nearby. He squatted to dry her calves and feet.
Shen Yihuan looked down at the man’s actions.
Her heart melted into a puddle.
“Put your slippers on,” Lu Zhou said, placing the slippers in front of her after drying her.
Shen Yihuan stepped into the slippers, wiggled her legs, and then ordered Lu Zhou to get her patient gown.
She buttoned it up one by one, while Lu Zhou leaned nearby, watching her movements, his expression soft and gentle.
Halfway through, there was a sudden stir outside the door. A male voice asked, “Where’s the patient in this room?”
Shen Yihuan froze. The voice seemed a bit familiar; she must have heard it somewhere, but she couldn’t remember who it was.
She looked at Lu Zhou, who also frowned, looking towards the door, a rare expression of bewilderment on his face.
Shen Yihuan asked: “Who’s outside?”
Lu Zhou paused, his expression a little complex: “Commander Lu.”
“You, your dad?”
“Mm.”
“...”
Shen Yihuan looked down at her disheveled state, then at the misty bathroom. For a moment, she felt like dying.
Outside, the nurse said, “I don’t know, maybe in the bathroom?”
Immediately after, there was a knock on the door: “Shen Yihuan, are you in there?”
Shen Yihuan immediately shut up, pretending she didn’t exist, but unfortunately, Lu Zhou had already answered: “Yes.”
Shen Yihuan: “...”
Lu Zhou helped her button the remaining two buttons, put on her pants, and wiped her wet hair again, then planned to take her out.
Shen Yihuan still sat on the chair, refusing to move, tightly gripping Lu Zhou’s arm, her face full of embarrassment.
Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow at her: “What’s wrong?”
She lowered her voice: “Is it really okay for the General’s son to wash me? Will your dad think I’m a casual woman?”
“No.”
“No, no, no, I don’t want to go out...” Shen Yihuan struggled vehemently.
Lu Zhou was afraid of hurting her, so he simply squatted in front of her: “If my dad says anything about you, just say I forced you.”
“...”
Your idea is truly original!
Shen Yihuan eventually walked out of the bathroom, only to find that Lu Youju wasn’t the only one in the ward. A woman stood beside him, dressed quite luxuriously.
She was stunned.
She heard Lu Zhou beside her explain: “That’s Madam Commander.”
Lu Zhou rarely called Lu Youju “Dad”; both at home and outside, he referred to him as “Commander Lu.” It was natural for him to call his stepmother “Madam Commander.”
Shen Yihuan’s mind couldn’t process it for a moment.
Madam Commander, which meant... Lu Zhou’s stepmother?
She understood then, opened her mouth, and politely said: “Commander Lu, Mom, how did you...”
...How did you come here.
The last few words didn’t come out.
Lu Zhou was also startled by her address, not to mention the two people in front of him.
Shen Yihuan felt blood rush to her face, wishing she could cover her mouth like an ostrich and say she hadn’t said anything, that they hadn’t heard anything.
It was Madam Commander who laughed first. The woman must not have been truly old yet, just over forty, with excellent temperament, and a gentle smile.
“Ah, if you’re willing to call me Mom, I certainly have no objection. But Lu Zhou only calls me Auntie. With your way of addressing me, you’ll have to ask for his opinion first.”
“...”
Lu Zhou chuckled softly, his voice deep: “She can call me whatever she wants.”
The woman was overjoyed: “Alright, then from now on, just call me Mom. You’re very lucky; this ‘Mom’ just made you my only daughter.”
She hadn’t had children after marrying Lu Youju, and the Lu family had always only had Lu Zhou as their son.
Lu Youju reprimanded her: “There you go again, saying whatever comes to mind! If she’s your only daughter, then what’s her relationship with Lu Zhou?”
Shen Yihuan: “...”
She felt a little awkward.
Lu Zhou rubbed her hand, led her to the bedside, and sat her down: “Why did you two come?”
Lu Youju sat on the only chair in the ward: “We just came to see you all. Commander Feng told me that her gunshot wound was sustained because of you?”
Lu Zhou lowered his head: “Yes.”
“As a team leader, you can’t protect a girl, and you let her take a bullet for you?” Lu Youju frowned, his expression serious.
Shen Yihuan couldn’t bear it and interjected: “No, Lu Zhou was just out of the explosion and wasn’t paying attention. I just instinctively rushed over...”
Lu Youju said to her: “Why would you take a bullet for him? He’s a big, strong man; his recovery ability will be worse than yours?”
She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but Shen Yihuan heard a hint of concern in Commander Lu’s words.
Shen Yihuan raised a hand, scratched her hair, lowered her head, and simply gave a soft “Ah.”
Madam Commander slapped Lu Youju’s back: “Why are you being so fierce! My daughter here saved your son!”
How did she become your daughter...?
The two were like a crosstalk performance.
It was as if Commander Lu was a different person from when he came to Lu Zhou’s apartment in Beijing last time.
Madam Commander was indeed worthy of being Lu Zhou’s stepmother. Her temper was nothing like his, a lively and boisterous spirit, still like that of a young girl.
Lu Youju was annoyed by her and couldn’t be bothered to argue.
He directly ignored her and said to Shen Yihuan: “Your application to join the team as a photographer was approved by me.”
“Oh?” Shen Yihuan was startled, “You approved it?”
“Didn’t Lu Zhou tell you?”
Shen Yihuan looked up at Lu Zhou, then shook her head: “No.”
“You’re in this state now, so the follow-up assignment will be temporarily canceled. We can talk about it when you’re well.”
Shen Yihuan: “It’s actually not that serious. It’ll be fine in a couple of days once the stitches are out.”
Lu Youju said: “This mission is more dangerous than we originally thought. Even if you recover, I cannot approve you to continue this trip. We’ll talk about other missions later.”
Through their further investigation in recent days, they discovered that the forces behind Gu Minghui were linked to other countries, and the weapons he possessed were also used by the US military. The various intertwined forces meant that dealing with him would naturally not be as simple as dealing with Li Wu.
Shen Yihuan paused, then had no choice but to say, “Okay.”
Commander Lu and Madam Commander didn’t stay long, leaving at dusk.
“I think Commander Lu and Madam Commander are both really nice. I think I misunderstood them before,” Shen Yihuan said, lying on the bed and holding Lu Zhou’s hand.
“Hm?” Lu Zhou asked, “What did you think before?”
In truth, Lu Youju had indeed never shown concern for Lu Zhou since his birth. When he was young, he was highly ambitious, dedicating himself entirely to his career. He completed missions one after another, earned military merits one by one, and his military rank steadily rose.
His son, meanwhile, grew up alone in the military compound.
Yet, Lu Youju had extremely high expectations of him. He wouldn’t allow Lu Zhou to be anything less than outstanding among his peers, demanding that he always be first from a young age.
Little Lu Zhou was too young then to understand many things.
He didn’t know why his father was always away, nor why he alone didn’t have a mother. He only knew that when he brought home a first-place report card, his father would smile at him.
Later, as he grew older, Lu Youju ascended to the rank of general and gradually understood the importance of family.
But by then, Lu Zhou was no longer close to him. Having spent his life on the front lines, he had no idea how a father should gently communicate with his child.
Thus, the father and son had always lived in this calm, uneventful relationship.
Lu Zhou had not expected Lu Youju’s attitude towards Shen Yihuan today.
...
Shen Yihuan continued: “And I think Madam Commander is very approachable and easy to get along with.”
Lu Zhou smiled: “You called her Mom, of course she’s easy to get along with.”
Shen Yihuan, exasperated, slapped his hand, angrily exclaiming: “Lu Zhou!”
Lu Zhou then soothingly rubbed her palm, leaned down and kissed it, then said softly: “Madam Commander has always wanted a child but couldn’t conceive. She truly likes you.”
Shen Yihuan blinked.
Lu Zhou curved his lips, his expression gentle, and kissed her ring finger: “When are you going to marry into my family?”
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