Wu Hua laughed, saying, "Don't worry, Sister Yaqian. My dad is away on a business trip, and my mom just had major surgery, so they won't be back for a while. What, were you hoping to stay over at my place?" Seeing Li Yaqian hesitate, Wu Hua couldn't help but tease her a little.
Li Yaqian tapped Wu Hua on the shoulder. "You! If you keep teasing your sister, just see if I don't set you straight!" As she spoke, she gave him a playful pinch, and Wu Hua let out an exaggerated yelp.
With Li Yaqian's silent consent, Wu Hua carried her upstairs on his back. The second floor wasn't high, but for the already exhausted Wu Hua, every step felt heavy. As he climbed, he had to keep checking to make sure Li Yaqian wouldn't slip.
When they reached his door, Wu Hua gently set Li Yaqian down and let her lean against the wall to steady herself, feeling a wave of relief as the weight left his back.
He opened the door and helped Li Yaqian over to the living room sofa, inviting her to sit.
Worried that her wet clothes would soil his family’s beautiful sofa, Li Yaqian adamantly refused to sit, insisting on showering first.
Wu Hua had intended to apply herbal medicine to her foot before she bathed. Seeing her firm resolve, he said, "Sister Yaqian, wait just a moment. I’ll get the water heating up, and I'll find something of my mom's for you to change into. You should wait for the water to get hot; showering in cold water will make you sick!"
After Li Yaqian nodded in agreement, Wu Hua went to the bathroom to switch on the water heater. He then went into his parents' bedroom to rummage through the wardrobe for something suitable for her to wear.
After searching for a long time without finding anything quite right, he had to settle for one of his mother's cotton pajamas, though it was a bit loose on Li Yaqian.
Seeing that Wu Hua had only brought a pair of pajamas, Li Yaqian secretly chided him for his lack of attentiveness. She took the pajamas and asked, "Wu Hua, where can I change?"
"Use my mom's room," Wu Hua replied. "I'll help you over there."
"No need, I can manage on my own," she said. With that, she hopped on one foot into his parents' bedroom.
Seeing her enter and close the door, Wu Hua went to his own room to change into dry clothes. He pulled out the plastic bag he’d kept his newspapers in, only to find the edges damp. He carefully removed the papers and laid them out on the coffee table to dry.
Not long after, the bedroom door opened. Li Yaqian stood in the doorway on one foot, holding her wet clothes, and said, "Wu Hua, give me a plastic bag. I want to pack these up."
"Don't worry about the wet clothes, Sister Yaqian," Wu Hua said. "Just wash them while you're in there, then hang them up and put the fan on them; they'll dry in no time." As he spoke, he stepped forward to take the clothes so he could carry them to the bathroom.
Seeing this, Li Yaqian instinctively pulled back, looking a bit embarrassed. "No, it's fine. I'll just take them to the bathroom to wash myself."
Pushing past Wu Hua, who was blocking her way, she hopped toward the bathroom.
Wu Hua paused for a moment before realizing why, and he smiled faintly. "Sister Yaqian, the water should be warm by now. It’s inconvenient to shower on one foot—I'll get you a stool."
Li Yaqian felt a warmth spread through her heart. She hopped to the bathroom door and looked back. "Okay, Wu Hua."
She pushed the door open and went in. Wu Hua retrieved a plastic stool from the kitchen and handed it to her at the bathroom door. "Sister Yaqian, the laundry basin is by the wall. The soap, detergent, and shampoo are on the corner shelf. Your leg isn't steady, so be careful not to slip!"
"Got it, got it!" Li Yaqian replied, closing the door with a "bang" and shutting Wu Hua out before he could say anything else.
Wu Hua rubbed his nose, having nearly been hit by the door, shook his head with a wry smile, and headed to the kitchen.
It was already nearly five o'clock. After all the running around, he was feeling hungry. He rinsed the rice, set the rice cooker, and took a piece of raw meat from the fridge. With the green peppers and cucumber he had on hand, he sliced the meat, washed the vegetables, and began to cook.
Back when he was down on his luck, Wu Hua often drank to drown his sorrows. They say men who love to drink are good at cooking, and Wu Hua was no exception—his culinary skills were exceptional. Before long, a plate of meat stir-fried with green peppers and another of sliced meat with cucumber were ready.
Seeing that Li Yaqian still hadn't emerged, he also whipped up a large bowl of tomato and egg drop soup.
After her shower, Li Yaqian emerged smelling fresh. Wearing Wang Shufen’s oversized pajamas, she looked even more charming.
Seeing the basin of washed clothes in her hands, Wu Hua stepped forward to help her hang them, but Li Yaqian gave him a stern look and declined. She asked where she could hang them, and once she knew, she hopped off toward the balcony.
Wu Hua could only bring the fan out to the balcony. Seeing that she only started hanging the clothes once he had stepped away, he turned the fan to the highest setting.
When Li Yaqian returned to the living room, Wu Hua said, "Sister Yaqian, dinner is ready. Come and eat."
Looking at the colorful and fragrant dishes on the table, Li Yaqian asked in surprise, "Wu Hua, did you cook all this?"
"That’s right, Sister Yaqian! Come and try my cooking!" Wu Hua replied.
"I never would have guessed you could cook!" Li Yaqian said.
"Of course! I have plenty of other surprises in store for you," Wu Hua said proudly.
"Wu Hua," Li Yaqian said, "my foot is hurting a bit. Do you have any white spirits at home? I want to rub some on it before I eat."
Wu Hua searched around but couldn't find an already-opened bottle, so he had to open a fresh bottle of Yanghe Daqu. He went to Li Yaqian, who was sitting on the sofa, and said, "Sister Yaqian, let me help you with that. My master taught me how to treat sprains and contusions."
Li Yaqian asked curiously, "You have a master? What kind of master?"
"A martial arts master," Wu Hua said. "Don't tell Dabao about this, though—they don't know."
Hearing this, Li Yaqian was half-convinced. She knew Wu Hua was a skilled fighter—she had heard as much from Dabao—and she knew that martial artists usually knew how to treat minor injuries, so she nodded in agreement.
Wu Hua knelt in front of Li Yaqian, cradled her small, delicate foot, and after applying the spirits, began to examine it carefully.
When he touched the injured area, Li Yaqian winced in pain, telling him to be gentle, and tried to pull back.
After a careful inspection, Wu Hua said, "Sister Yaqian, it’s nothing serious—just a sprained tendon. There’s a knot here. I’m going to press hard to work it out; it’ll be fine once it’s loose, but you’ll have to bear with it!"
As a nurse, Li Yaqian was familiar with medical basics, so she nodded. "Alright, I can take it."
Wu Hua applied a bit more of the white spirits to the knot, rested her foot on his knee, and pressed his right thumb firmly against it. He looked up and said, "Sister Yaqian, I’m going to apply pressure now. Bear with me!"
Li Yaqian let out a nervous, soft "Mmm." Wu Hua pressed down hard with his thumb. "Ouch!" Li Yaqian cried out, her foot twitching violently.