The next morning, when Qiao Haoyu’s attending physician came in to check on his condition, he was met with an unexpected sight—the husband and wife lying together in the hospital bed. His patient was gazing at the woman beside him with an expression of deep affection.
“Shh!” Qiao Haoyu noticed the doctor’s arrival and gave a quiet warning.
The doctor was so stunned by this gesture that he momentarily froze in place.
What was going on here? Who was the patient, and who was the doctor? Since when did a patient tell a doctor to be quiet? And if he stayed silent, how was he supposed to assess his recovery?
The doctor stared at the unrepentant patient in exasperation. If he didn’t know the young man personally—if he weren’t aware that Qiao Haoyu had just undergone surgery and was still in a weakened state—he might have given him a thorough scolding before storming right back out.
The surgeon who had operated on Qiao Haoyu happened to be an old friend of Zhang Sanjiu and had fought alongside Qiao’s father and Wei’s father during the war. In fact, he had been present the day Qiao Haoyu and Wei Jiajia were betrothed as children.
After the founding of the nation, they had all gone their separate ways. Then, after Wei’s father passed away, the distance between them had become even more permanent.
When Qiao Haoyu first arrived in the area, he had gone to visit his third uncle at the military compound, where he met Doctor Shao, who had been at his uncle’s house at the time. Upon seeing Qiao Haoyu, Doctor Shao immediately remarked on how much he resembled his father—not just in appearance, but even in that same quiet, reserved demeanor.
Now, seeing this side of him—the thoughtful, tender husband—Doctor Shao was caught off guard.
So, the woman lying in the bed must be the Wei family’s little girl. Back when they got engaged, Zhang Sanjiu had been overjoyed, dragging Doctor Shao into a night of celebratory drinking and repeatedly calling out his old friend Wei’s name. When the two finally got married this year, Doctor Shao had been tied up with work and couldn’t make it—something he had regretted ever since.
Seeing the dazed, love-struck look on Qiao Haoyu’s face, Doctor Shao could tell that this kid would never let the Wei family’s girl down. If Old Wei and his wife were still here, they would have been relieved to know they had chosen the right person for their daughter.
With a sigh of resignation, Doctor Shao decided to humor him and stepped forward quietly to check his wound.
“Uncle Shao! I didn’t expect it to be you!” Qiao Haoyu had reacted instinctively when he heard the door open, but now that he looked properly, he realized who had walked in.
“Who else would it be?” Doctor Shao shot him a glance before adding in a low voice, “You got lucky, kid. The bullet lodged right against the bone. With proper recovery after surgery, you’ll still be fit for training. Otherwise, you might have had to give up that ‘elite soldier’ title of yours.”
Hearing this, Qiao Haoyu finally felt a wave of relief. He had been worried that his injury might affect his future in the military.
After finishing the examination, Doctor Shao glanced at the sleeping Wei Jiajia and couldn’t help but tease, “So, this is the Wei family’s girl? Funny, she doesn’t look like she’s here to take care of you—it seems more like you’re the one taking care of her.”
Qiao Haoyu followed his gaze, looking at his wife before replying softly, “She was worried about me all night and hardly got any rest. It wasn’t until dawn that she finally let herself fall asleep.”
Doctor Shao didn’t say anything more. He had only been joking with this serious young man—he hadn’t meant anything by it.
As a longtime friend of both their parents, he sincerely hoped that their marriage would be built on mutual understanding and support, that it would last a lifetime. And judging by the way Qiao Haoyu looked at Wei Jiajia, Doctor Shao could tell that his feelings ran deep. That alone gave him peace of mind.
“Alright, you’re recovering well. There’s no need to worry too much—just rest properly. I’ll be heading out now; I have other things to take care of. A nurse will be in later to set up your IV.” With that, Doctor Shao turned and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him with a gentle touch.
Wei Jiajia had spent the entire night lying at the edge of the bed, barely daring to move. She woke up several times just to check on her husband, fearing that his wound might get infected and cause a fever.
As dawn approached, she finally allowed herself to sleep, knowing that Xiao Shi would be there to watch over Qiao Haoyu. By the time she woke again, Xiao Shi had already gone to fetch breakfast.
“You’re awake?” Qiao Haoyu noticed the moment she stirred.
“…Mm.” Wei Jiajia responded softly, a little embarrassed.
She hadn’t expected to sleep so deeply. Thankfully, Xiao Shi had been there—otherwise, with the way she had been “taking care” of her husband, everything would have been a mess.
“Hurry and wash your face, then eat. Xiao Shi already brought breakfast, and if you wait too long, it’ll get cold. The nurse will be coming soon to set up the IV.” Sensing her embarrassment, Qiao Haoyu’s voice was calm as he urged her, subtly shifting her focus.
Hearing his words, Wei Jiajia quickly set aside her embarrassment and got up.
It was one thing for Xiao Shi to see her like this—he was discreet and wouldn’t gossip, though he might secretly chuckle about it. But if a nurse walked in and found her sleeping in the patient’s bed well into the morning, who knew what they’d say?
She could already imagine it: Look at the poor guy in bed 26. Such a shame—he managed to marry a pretty wife, but instead of taking care of him, she’s hogging his bed and sleeping in like she’s the patient!”
As Wei Jiajia ran through the scene in her mind, she quickly started tidying up, her movements swift and efficient. Her husband, watching from the side, couldn’t help but smirk, while Xiao Shi struggled to contain his laughter, his shoulders shaking with suppressed amusement.
Luckily, Wei Jiajia had no idea that yet another person had witnessed her rather unflattering state—otherwise, she might have exploded on the spot.
Once breakfast was done and Qiao Haoyu’s IV was hooked up, the room fell into a brief lull, leaving both Wei Jiajia and Xiaoshi momentarily at a loss for what to do.
“Comrade Shi, you stay here and keep watch. I’m going out to buy a few things.” She glanced at her husband, now asleep in bed, and whispered to Xiao Shi.
“What do you need, sister-in-law? Just tell me, and I’ll go get it for you.”
“There’s no need. I’ll go myself. The hospital food isn’t nutritious enough, so I want to see if I can find something more nourishing. I’ll buy what I need and cook it myself. If you go, you wouldn’t know what to get anyway.”
Hearing this, Xiao Shi knew there was no way he could help, so he simply reassured her, promising to take good care of Commander Qiao in her absence.
“No need to pick up lunch later. I’ll find a place to cook and bring it back,” she added before grabbing a cloth bag and heading out.
Once outside the hospital, Wei Jiajia asked around for directions and made her way straight to a nearby grocery store.
When she stepped inside, she found the sales clerk lounging on a stool, looking completely uninterested in his job. The shelves were practically empty, with only a few lonely garlic bulbs and some condiments scattered around. Most of the racks were bare.
The clerk glanced up at her briefly and muttered, “What do you want?” in a sluggish tone.
Wei Jiajia: …
Do I even have a choice?
Glancing at the nearly empty shelves, Wei Jiajia offered the shop assistant an apologetic smile, murmured a polite “Never mind,” and turned to leave—only to earn an exaggerated eye-roll from the clerk.
Why even come in if you’re not buying anything? Got too much free time on your hands?
Wei Jiajia was oblivious to the clerk’s internal grumbling. She had only entered to get a sense of what was available and the general pricing so she could retrieve similar items from her personal stockpile. Who would have thought the situation was this dire? The store was practically wiped clean—she couldn’t even find a proper reference for her cover story.
Then again, it wasn’t surprising. These days, if you had food, you kept it for yourself. No one was going to leave anything sitting around for others to grab.
Forget it! She’d just have to be careful about what she took out. If anyone asked, she’d claim she was lucky and happened to run into someone selling goods privately, and she bought everything in one go.
Finding a secluded corner where no one could see her, she slipped into her personal storage space in a flash.
Inside, she walked into a well-stocked supermarket, grabbed a cart, and began selecting items. First, chicken was essential—she’d make a rich chicken soup with it and enhance it with some spirit spring water to help her husband recover faster.
Next was pork. While her husband couldn’t eat it just yet, Xiao Shi still needed proper meals. A good stir-fry would help replenish his energy.
As she picked out groceries, she mentally planned out the meals she’d prepare. By the time she snapped back to reality, her cart was already overflowing.
With a resigned sigh, she packed only the items she needed for today into her cloth bag and left the rest for later use—she’d take things out over the next few days. With everything sorted, she stepped out of her space and back into the real world.
The first priority now was to find a place to cook. Ideally, the hospital cafeteria would be the best option. However, with so many patients to feed, the cooks were already swamped. It didn’t seem right to bother them during mealtime, and if she waited until after the rush, she risked letting Xiao Shi and her husband go hungry. After some thought, she ruled that option out.
Then, she thought of the guesthouse. It was likely to have a small kitchen available. Besides, having Xiao Shi sleep in the hospital corridor every night wasn’t ideal. If she rented a room, at least he could get proper rest, making it easier for them to take turns looking after Qiao Haoyu.
Once the plan was set, Wei Jiajia immediately headed to the guesthouse closest to the hospital, just across the street. The environment seemed decent, and if she cooked here, the food wouldn’t get cold by the time she brought it over.
She walked in, presented her letter of introduction, and booked a room. She also inquired about renting their kitchen.
The receptionist readily agreed. The guesthouse did offer kitchen rentals, though few people ever used the service—most preferred to eat at the state-run restaurant instead. Only those in special situations, like taking care of a sick relative, would need such a facility.
Since Wei Jiajia wanted to rent it, the receptionist had no reason to refuse—after all, it counted toward her monthly performance record.
The receptionist led her to the small kitchen and pointed at one of the stoves. “This is Stove Number One; it’s yours to use. But just so we’re clear, coal briquettes are charged separately. They’re not included in the rental fee.”
It made sense. Everyone used different amounts of fuel, so they had to charge per piece rather than set a fixed fee.
“Understood. Thank you, comrade.”
Wei Jiajia paid the necessary fees, collected the receipt, her room key, and two coal briquettes, then headed toward the kitchen.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Qiao Haoyu woke up to find Xiao Shi sitting by the window, basking in the sunlight. He glanced around, but his wife was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s your sister-in-law?” he asked.
“Commander, you’re awake! Do you want some water? Sister-in-law went out to buy a few things—she said she’d be back in time for lunch.”
Xiao Shi quickly walked over, carefully helping Qiao Haoyu sit up before handing him the cup of water from the table.
After taking a few sips, Qiao Haoyu leaned back and asked, “What did she go out to buy? She’s unfamiliar with this area—what if she gets lost?” His concern was genuine; he worried that his wife might accidentally lose her way in an unfamiliar place.
“Sister-in-law said she wanted to buy ingredients and cook for you herself. She thinks the hospital meals aren’t nutritious enough for your recovery. I offered to go instead, but she wasn’t comfortable with that, so she went herself.”
Hearing this, Qiao Haoyu immediately understood. His wife must have been worried that he wasn’t eating well, which was why she insisted on making the trip herself. This whole hospitalization had already been hard on her.
When Wei Jiajia finally returned, carrying a meal container, she was greeted by the sight of her husband staring at the door with eager anticipation.
“Have you been waiting long? Are you hungry?” she asked, quickly stepping forward. As she spoke, she deftly unpacked the food containers one by one.
“I’m fine. Where did you manage to borrow a kitchen?” Qiao Haoyu asked.
“The guesthouse across from the hospital. I also booked a room there. For the next few nights, Comrade Shi can sleep there while I stay here at the hospital. During the day, we’ll take turns.” As she explained, she looked at her husband expectantly, as if waiting for praise.
“Smart move.” Qiao Haoyu didn’t disappoint—he gave his full approval.
Hearing that his sister-in-law had even booked a room for him, Xiao Shi was momentarily touched. However, he quickly shook his head and refused.
“Sister-in-law, you should rest there instead. You don’t have to give me the key. I’m fine sleeping in the corridor. If the Commander needs anything during the night, I can be there to help.”
“He doesn’t need you at night—I’ll be here. You need proper rest so you can take over for me during the day. Besides, your commander still has to receive multiple IV drips tomorrow, and that will take hours. Someone has to keep an eye on him. If you don’t get enough rest, how will you manage?” Wei Jiajia reasoned.
“Listen to your sister-in-law,” Qiao Haoyu added, putting an end to the discussion.
Since the Commander had spoken, Xiao Shi had no choice but to accept. Holding the braised pork Wei Jiajia had prepared especially for him, he was overwhelmed with gratitude.
As the Commander’s orderly, it was only natural for him to care for Qiao Haoyu while he was hospitalized. What he hadn’t expected was for the Commander’s wife to think so much about his well-being.
Food was hard to come by these days, yet she not only arranged a room for him to rest but also usedher hard-earned ingredients to prepare a meal just for him. Looking at the full meal box, packed with steaming white rice and succulent meat, Xiao Shi turned away, discreetly wiping his eyes before before tucking in, savoring every delicious bite.
Meanwhile, Qiao Haoyu leaned against the bed, gazing at his wife with soft eyes as she carefully fed him, one spoonful at a time. Each bite was filled with care, with warmth—with a love that belonged to him alone.
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