"You said it was for a lifetime, so this lifetime you are only allowed to stay by my side. Don't worry, as long as I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you again—no one else can, and neither can I."
...
As soon as Su Nuohan woke up, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes. It took her a moment to process everything before she spoke, "Where is my brother?"
Gu Junyan looked at her dry, cracked lips. He picked up a cup, pulled her back against his chest, and fed her some water as he said, "You fell asleep, so he went back to the Su Family first. He also asked me to tell you that he is very sorry for hurting you."
Su Nuohan shook her head. She knew her brother hadn't meant it, and besides, compared to the pain her brother had suffered in her past life, her injuries were nothing.
"Alright, don't be sad. Once you recover, you can go back to the Su Family and find him yourself."
Su Nuohan turned her head in surprise, "Do you mean I can go wherever I want now?"
Gu Junyan wiped the water from the corner of her mouth, looking at her bright, expressive eyes and the smile she couldn't hide. His previously tense jaw relaxed. "On the condition that your hand heals properly. Doctor Sun said that if you don't take good care of it, it will leave a scar. My Nuonuo is so pretty—what would we do if she got a scar on her hand?"
Su Nuohan's initially pale face slowly crept with a suspicious blush. *My... Nuonuo?* How could he be so smooth?
Su Nuohan felt like her future days might not be easy. With such a smooth-talking husband, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to control the little devil inside her!
"Did you see that lipstick mark?"
Yesterday, he hadn't expected her to wake up and take care of him, so naturally, he hadn't paid attention to the lipstick on his clothes. Moreover, she hadn't asked, so he assumed she hadn't seen it. But when the third brother spoke just now, she hadn't shown the slightest surprise, so he concluded that she had seen it and simply hadn't mentioned it.
Su Nuohan lowered her gaze. She *had* seen it, but her past behavior made her too afraid to ask. She had no right to question him either, and she was terrified that he might truly be heartbroken and seek comfort from another woman—she was terrified that he wouldn't want her anymore...
Seeing Su Nuohan keep her head down while her eye sockets grew redder and redder, Gu Junyan knew she was overthinking again. He simply reached out, lifted her chin so she had to look at him, and said, "I was in a bad mood yesterday, so when that woman got close to me, I didn't push her away, giving her the chance to leave lipstick on my clothes. Don't worry, I didn't touch her... I—"
Gu Junyan wanted to explain further, but Su Nuohan raised her index finger and placed it against his lips, stopping the rest of his words. "Stop talking, I believe you."
Gu Junyan paused for a second, then nodded and dropped the subject.
"Are you hungry? I had Auntie Yun keep some food warm for you."
Su Nuohan nodded. She had slept all the way until nearly noon, and then, because of her injured hand, had fallen straight back into a deep sleep until evening. Su Nuohan felt like she could eat three bowls of rice right now.
Looking at the century egg and lean pork porridge in Gu Junyan's hand, Su Nuohan pouted. "I want to eat crayfish, soup dumplings, crystal dumplings, sweet and sour pork ribs, braised fish..."
Gu Junyan scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and held it to her lips. "You can eat all of that once you're better. For now, you can only have porridge."
"Oh!"
Su Nuohan pouted again, but she still opened her mouth and ate the porridge from her spoon. Perhaps because she was too starving, the century egg and lean pork porridge actually tasted quite good. Gu Junyan fed her one spoonful after another, and soon the bowl was empty. "Gu Junyan, I want some more."
"Got it, you little foodie." Gu Junyan tapped the tip of her nose, took the bowl, and walked out of the room.
Su Nuohan was happily waiting for her next serving of porridge when her wrist suddenly began to ache. But she hadn't hit the wound, and it wasn't bleeding—why did it hurt so much?
Seeing Gu Junyan walk back in with the porridge, Su Nuohan smiled and opened her mouth, looking as if it were only natural.
Gu Junyan chuckled and resumed his feeding duties.
Su Nuohan felt her wrist hurting more and more, but she still opened her mouth to eat the porridge offered to her.
Gu Junyan had been observing her complexion. Ever since he came back in with the bowl for the second time, her expression had been off. Now she was deliberately keeping her head down, and there was a light film of cold sweat on her forehead. Gu Junyan set the bowl down on the table. Seeing that the porridge hadn't been brought to her mouth for a long time, Su Nuohan raised her head in confusion, running straight into the man's slightly reproachful gaze. "If your wrist hurts, why didn't you say anything?"
"How did you know..."
Seeing Gu Junyan's expression grow even colder, Su Nuohan reached out and tugged at his shirt sleeve. "I thought if I just endured it for a little while, it would pass. I didn't think it would keep hurting."
Doctor Sun had warned him that once the anesthesia wore off, she would be in a lot of pain, which was why he had stayed by her side without leaving for a second—yet he had still realized it too late.
Seeing him pull his sleeve back, Su Nuohan spoke in a small voice, "Are you mad?"
Gu Junyan pressed his lips together and said nothing.
"Won't you stop being mad? I just didn't want you to worry. I know you didn't go to work today because you were worried about me. I'm sorry, I—Mmf!"
Su Nuohan looked at the face inches from her own, her eyes wide open, letting the man plunder her mouth.
"Close your eyes."
Hearing Gu Junyan's low voice, Su Nuohan slowly closed her eyes, cautiously returning his kiss.
When the kiss finally ended, Su Nuohan leaned against Gu Junyan's chest, taking huge gulps of fresh air. She had just thought she might gloriously become the first person in the world to die of suffocation from kissing.
Gu Junyan rested his chin lightly on top of her head, his voice somewhat hoarse, "They say kissing can relieve pain. It turns out to be true."
Su Nuohan looked up, saying in surprise, "It really seems to be true. Just now, it actually didn't hurt at all."
Gu Junyan lowered his head and murmured near Su Nuohan's ear, "Shall we continue, then, and keep kissing until it stops hurting completely?"
Su Nuohan immediately leaned back. "No!"
If they kept kissing until she wasn't in pain anymore, she was afraid she wouldn't die from the pain, but rather suffocate from lack of air.
Seeing the smile on Gu Junyan's face as he looked at her, Su Nuohan suddenly realized she had been played.
"Gu Junyan, you're a bully!" Su Nuohan immediately lay down and pulled the blanket over her head.
"Staying huddled under the blanket is uncomfortable." Gu Junyan gently tugged at the blanket, not daring to use too much force because he knew her hand was holding onto it, terrified of injuring her again.
"No, the moment I come out, you'll bully me." Su Nuohan's voice came out muffled from beneath the covers.