Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Family members were only allowed a short visit to the intensive care unit each day; otherwise, the patients were completely isolated. Even so, Tang Tang refused to leave, waiting outside with unwavering vigilance. Only by keeping a close watch could she avoid worrying that her husband’s life would be taken by the Grim Reaper.
Ji Xiaozhuo was as stubborn as his mother, refusing to leave no matter who tried to persuade him. The little boy seemed tireless, staying from morning till night, accompanying his mother and his unconscious father inside. Wen Nuo was the same, tightly holding Ji Xiaozhuo’s hand and Tang Tang’s clothes, also guarding the man inside— who, though an uncle, was her father in her heart.
This scene was heartbreaking and painful to watch.
Fortunately, fate did not disappoint the mother and her two children. Three days later, Ji Yan woke up as the doctor had predicted. The moment he opened his eyes, as if sensing something, his first action was to turn his head to look out the glass. He immediately saw the three of them staring at him expectantly. After a moment, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his face.
Ji Xiaozhuo’s eyes widened instantly, and he frantically pounded on the glass, calling out, “Daddy! Daddy! Are you awake?”
Wen Nuo also pounded excitedly, unconsciously mouthing the words “Daddy” in unison. Tang Tang covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably, but her eyes were filled with joy.
It was wonderful; her Ji Yan had woken up.
With him awake, Ji Yan’s life had been completely snatched back from the jaws of death. Now everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The elderly man sitting on a bench not far away moved his cane, closed his eyes before anyone could see, and let the moisture in his eyes quietly dissipate.
He said that his Ji Anshan’s grandson, wouldn’t be so easily defeated.
The bodyguard who had served the old man for over a decade, however, keenly sensed the old man’s agitation. He knew better than anyone that this seemingly cold and serious old man actually cared deeply for his grandson, but was stubbornly unwilling to back down, so he could only sit there waiting from afar, secretly longing to go and see him.
The bodyguard cautiously asked, “Grandpa, wouldn’t you like to go up and see him? Getting closer would allow you to greet Ji Yan.”
Grandpa Ji snorted coldly, saying indifferently, “He’s awake, that’s enough. What’s there to greet? What’s there to say?”
The bodyguard inwardly scoffed. At this crucial moment, still so stubborn about saving face. He wondered who it was that rushed to the hospital before dawn every day, skipping their midday nap, making eight hundred trips to the doctor’s office a day, losing several pounds in just a few days.
Truly, suffering for the sake of saving face.
But the guard dared not utter these words aloud, fearing a beating from the old man. Despite his age, the old man was still incredibly strong; the skills of a founding general were no joke.
The guard continued tentatively, “Sir, should we arrange a better ward for Ji Yan? The wards here seem very scarce. If Ji Yan comes out, he’ll probably have to share a room with others, which might not be good for his recovery.”
The old man opened his mouth, wanting to nod, but then held back, his face darkening as he snapped, “Arrange what?! Why should he be the only one who gets arranged? Is he trying to abuse his privileges? Our Ji family doesn’t do that! Besides, he doesn’t even acknowledge the Ji family anymore; he has no right to special treatment! Let him stay wherever the hospital arranges.” Even if they did arrange something, that stubborn brat wouldn’t appreciate it.
The guard had no choice but to remain silent, letting the stubborn old man be as he pleased, wondering who truly cared.
Ji Yan was in good physical condition and had an astonishingly strong recovery ability. After only a few days of observation in the intensive care unit, the doctors transferred him to a regular ward. The hospital arranged a double room for him. His fellow patient was also a soldier who had suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg, a near-fatal incident.
Zhuo Ji originally intended to find someone to get Ji Yan a better single room, but Ji Yan refused. A double room was already quite good; there was no need to increase the hospital’s burden for his own comfort. Those without power and influence often had to beg and plead for a bed, and even then, they might not be able to secure a life-saving one. Those of us with power shouldn’t ask for more.
Tang Tang thought Ji Yan was right and fully supported his decision. After everyone else had left, she whispered in his ear, “Honey, it’s okay. I’ll take good care of you. I won’t let you stay worse than in a single room— no, I’ll make sure you’re even more comfortable than in a single room!”
Hearing this, Ji Yan’s eyes lit up with a smile, and all the pain he felt was soothed by her words.
His wife was truly heartwarming; with her around, even sleeping on the street would be comfortable, because she was so caring.
But why had all the children lost so much weight in the short time he’d been away? Ji Xiaozhuo’s usually chubby cheeks had noticeably shrunk, Nuo Nuo’s already small face was now even smaller, and her complexion was pale; the worst off was Tang Tang, who had lost all the weight she had painstakingly gained. Ji Yan touched her face tenderly, “What happened to you all while you were home? Why are you all so thin?” Knowing Tang Tang’s personality, she shouldn’t have let herself and the children look like this.
Tang Tang immediately glanced at the two children, exhausted and fast asleep beside the bed. The two little ones had indeed lost weight, all due to the recent ordeal. Nuo Nuo’s weight was due to illness and the stress of staying with Ji Yan these past few days; Ji Xiaozhuo hadn’t lost weight before, but these past two days of constantly watching over his father, without eating or sleeping well, had caused him to lose weight as well.
As for herself, Tang Tang touched her face and looked at her arms, only then realizing that she had indeed lost a lot of weight. All the weight she had painstakingly gained had almost disappeared, giving her a feeling of being back to square one. But there was nothing she could do. First, Nuo Nuo was sick, then Ji Yan was injured; she had no appetite whatsoever, only concerned with worry.
Tang Tang sat down next to Ji Yan, wiping his hands and face with a towel while telling him about what had happened with Nuo Nuo. However, she didn’t mention the threats the Liu mother and daughter had made against her. The regimental commander’s wife had said they were going to be reassigned soon, and Ji Yan probably already knew about it. She knew that telling him would likely make him anxious and upset, which would affect the healing of his wound.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yan’s face darkened. He reached out and touched Nuo Nuo’s little face lying beside him, then touched her left ear and asked, “What did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said the nerves in her left ear are completely damaged. It’s uncertain whether it can be cured, but if we bring her in for acupuncture twice a month, her hearing will recover a little. After a while, we’ll get her one of those hearing aids. The doctor said it can help Nuo Nuo hear people talking.”
Ji Yan pursed his lips, his aura somewhat oppressive.
“Don’t get angry, it’s bad for your wound.” Tang Tang quickly grabbed his hand and gently shook it. “You’re still injured. The most important thing now is to heal your wound. Don’t worry about anything else, I’ll handle it. The regimental commander’s wife has already spoken to the political commissar about Nuo Nuo’s matter, and the political commissar has investigated. He will definitely get justice for Nuo Nuo.”
Ji Yan looked into Tang Tang’s innocent eyes, unwilling to tell her about the complexities involved. This matter would likely be treated as a family matter and quickly dismissed. After all, a mother hitting her child wasn’t a political mistake; at most, she would receive some ideological education. It was impossible to teach the Liu family a lesson through this incident.
If that were the final outcome, wouldn’t Tang Tang and the two children be heartbroken?
Ji Yan fell into deep thought.
Just then, another wounded soldier who had just been wheeled away for X-rays returned to the ward. Seeing his new comrade, he hesitantly called out, “Ji Yan?”
Ji Yan’s thoughts were interrupted. He turned to look at the person who called him and immediately recognized him. “Sun Yi?”
“It really is you, Ji Yan! How did you get injured?” Sun Yi quickly pushed his wheelchair over, looked at Ji Yan’s bandaged chest, and gasped. “You were shot through the chest?”
Ji Yan gave a wry smile, tacitly agreeing.
Sun Yi clicked his tongue, but remembering their shared military background, these injuries weren’t anything to be alarmed about. He himself had been in the same situation; his leg had almost been crippled, and his military career had nearly ended.
Injuries were unavoidable in a soldier’s career.
Ji Yan glanced at Sun Yi’s bandaged right leg and, without needing to ask, immediately introduced Tang Tang to him, “This is my wife, Tang Tang.”
Sun Yi then looked at Tang Tang, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. After a moment, he smiled and greeted her, “Hello, sister-in-law. Ji Yan and I were comrades in basic training. We were even bunk beds together back then, and we were very close. It’s just that we went our separate ways later, and we haven’t seen each other for many years.”
“Hello, Brother Sun,” Tang Tang replied, also finding it a coincidence that two comrades who hadn’t seen each other for years were now in the same hospital room. It seemed they could finally catch up, and their hospital stay wouldn’t be so boring.
Thinking of this, Tang Tang said to Ji Yan, “Honey, you chat with Brother Sun for a bit. I’ll go back and cook something to bring over. Call me if you need anything.”
Tang Tang had eaten at the hospital cafeteria before, and to be honest, the food was terrible and not nutritious at all. She could eat it herself, but it was absolutely unacceptable for Ji Yan and the two children. Later, she rented an apartment near the hospital where the children could sleep and rest, and she could also cook three meals a day.
“Okay, take your time coming back, don’t rush.” Ji Yan glanced at the two children beside him. “The children can sleep here. I’ll take care of them. I’ll wake them up when it’s time to eat.”
Tang Tang nodded, greeted Sun Yi again, and then left.
After Tang Tang left, Sun Yi looked at the two children sleeping soundly together and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your family has twins! You’re so lucky!”
Ji Yan smiled and pointed at Ji Xiaozhuo, “No, this chubby boy is mine, and the little girl is my comrade’s child. The two kids get along well.”
Sun Yi said “Oh,” and added, “But you’re still very lucky. Your son is really good-looking; he’ll definitely be just as good as you when he grows up.”
“Because he inherited it from his mother,” Ji Yan joked, patting Ji Xiaozhuo’s face. He thought to himself that if the boy were awake now, he’d be strutting around like a headless chicken.
“You shameless rascal!” Sun Yi laughed and scolded, but he had to admit that Ji Yan wasn’t wrong.
Sun Yi glanced at Ji Yan’s face, which, though haggard, still couldn’t hide his handsome features. He then touched his own face and suddenly felt a wave of despair. He collapsed onto the bed, utterly dejected. “Ji Yan,” he muttered, “how come you haven’t gotten any uglier after all these years in the army? While my face is getting more and more weathered! This isn’t fair!”
Sun Yi and Ji Yan were both top students at military academy, and their military abilities were equally outstanding. However, there was one thing Sun Yi couldn’t match Ji Yan in: appearance. To be honest, Sun Yi wasn’t ugly; by normal standards, he was passable. But standing next to the handsome Ji Yan, he instantly became an ugly duckling. Back in recruit camp, the girls in the performing arts troupe and the military doctors and nurses in the hospital all fawned over Ji Yan, completely ignoring him, a man who was good in every way except for his looks. This always made him want to fight Ji Yan.
Later, after experiencing so much frustration, he consoled himself: “Ji Yan will definitely get uglier with all the training.”
As it turned out, this man was still just as handsome after so many years of military service. In fact, the passage of time had made him even more masculine and attractive to women.
Sun Yi felt that God was being incredibly unfair.
Ji Yan was amused by his words. Seeing his comrade-in-arms whom he hadn’t seen for many years, he was in a good mood and even cracked a joke, “No way, I was born handsome.”
“Damn! Where’s your face?” Sun Yi laughed and cursed again, and then the two of them laughed together, recalling their time in recruit camp, feeling a warm feeling in their hearts.
In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed, but they were still walking on this path. That was good.
“But to be honest, I didn’t expect you to be married already. I thought you would definitely marry after me, or that you would be alone for the rest of your life,” Sun Yi said with a smile.
“Why?”
“You still ask why! Don’t you know what kind of person you are? You always have a long face, never smile, and you don’t even glance at girls. When they’re being nice to you, you act like you don’t know anything, completely ignoring them and making them incredibly heartbroken. Tell me, how many girls’ hearts have you broken?” Sun Yi shook his head and sighed, “I think someone like you is destined to be single forever, but I just don’t understand why those girls still like you. Shouldn’t someone as charming and romantic as me be the first choice?”
Ji Yan smiled and pointed at him, “Then why aren’t you married yet? Someone as charming and romantic as you should have an easy time finding a wife.”
“Ugh, don’t even mention it.” Sun Yi turned listless when the topic came up. “I’ve dated a few, but they all broke up with me because I couldn’t be by their side all the time. It’s not their fault, really. We soldiers are away from home most of the year, and women have to handle everything on their own. Having such a man is practically the same as not having one; women definitely can’t stand that. I’ve come to terms with it now. I’ll just leave it to fate. If I really meet a woman who’s willing to endure this kind of hardship to be with me, I’ll definitely cherish her and spoil her rotten.”
Ji Yan understood and comforted him, “Don’t worry, you’ll meet someone eventually.” Wasn’t it around this time that he met Tang Tang?
Sun Yi, remembering Tang Tang who had just left, asked Ji Yan, “Were you and your wife introduced by your family?”
Ji Yan hesitated for a moment and shook his head. He and the real Tang Tang weren’t introduced by anyone.
Sun Yi was a little surprised. He had originally thought it was an introduction by his family, but it turned out he was the one who dated her. That meant Ji Yan liked her himself. So this was the kind of woman Ji Yan liked?
“I used to wonder what kind of girl you’d like, but I never imagined it would be someone like your wife. I originally thought she’d be a super beauty, the super stylish type.” Sun Yi realized his mistake immediately after speaking and quickly added, “I’m not saying your wife is bad, don’t misunderstand, it’s just…”
Ji Yan smiled nonchalantly, understanding he meant no harm. Tang Tang’s appearance wasn’t exactly beautiful; she’d gained some weight a while ago and looked much prettier, but recently she’d lost it all again, looking quite haggard and unwell.
Seeing that Ji Yan wasn’t angry, Sun Yi was relieved. Seeing that no one else had come, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is your wife the only one here taking care of you? Doesn’t she have to work?”
Ji Yan: “She doesn’t work. The kids and the house need her.”
A housewife? Sun Yi was stunned for a moment, then became even more puzzled. So many beautiful and outstanding girls had liked Ji Yan before, but he had turned a blind eye to them all, making him think that Ji Yan had incredibly high standards. Everyone joked behind his back that Ji Yan’s future wife would definitely be a goddess, including him. But he never expected that Ji Yan would end up marrying someone like this.
To be honest, Ji Yan’s wife wasn’t particularly beautiful, and her personality seemed rather introverted and shy. She didn’t even have a job, a far cry from those beautiful, generous, and capable goddesses who had pursued Ji Yan before. How could Ji Yan have fallen for someone like this?
Sun Yi suddenly had a dark thought: Could it be that Ji Yan’s wife came from a very powerful family? But he immediately dismissed his guess. Ji Yan wasn’t the kind of man who would marry a woman for her family’s wealth.
So why was that? Sun Yi couldn’t figure it out and could only explain it as the wonder of fate.
Around noon, the caregiver who had been looking after Sun Yi came over, bringing him food from the cafeteria and taking his clothes to wash.
The caregiver was hired by his parents. They were busy with work and not yet retired, so they didn’t have time to take care of him and had to hire a caregiver. However, he wasn’t used to having someone constantly by his side, so he asked the caregiver to come and deliver meals in the morning, noon, and evening, and not to come at other times.
Sun Yi wasn’t interested in the cafeteria food and was too lazy to eat it. Since he wasn’t hungry, he planned to wait until Ji Yan ate before eating together, thinking that having a dining companion might make the meal more enjoyable.
However, when Tang Tang brought the food, Sun Yi immediately regretted it.
Why did he have to torture himself by eating with them!
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