Quick Transmigration: I Was Cannon Fodder But Became the White Moonlight

"I'm back."

The four words, each syllable, are crystal clear, yet they seem as fleeting as a dream.

Chen Su froze on the spot, staring blankly at the face in front of her that had shed its youthful immaturity and whose features had become increasingly strong and defined.

Shock, bewilderment, disbelief, and a hint of being caught off guard and embarrassed were intertwined in her eyes.

She had no idea, there was absolutely no warning.

Shen Que saw that she didn't react, but just stared blankly at him with empty eyes.

His gaze swept over the obvious dark circles under her eyes and her haggard expression.

He raised his hand, his fingertips slightly cool, and gently touched her cheek:

"Didn't sleep all night?"

The slightly cool touch snapped Chen Su back to her senses.

She instinctively turned her head quickly, covered her face with her hands, and her voice leaked out muffledly from between her fingers:

"Is it... ugly?"

She never expected him to come back.

After more than a thousand days and nights of separation, she had imagined countless times what it would be like to reunite. Perhaps in some distant future, when they had both become more composed adults, they would calmly exchange pleasantries in a coffee shop or an airport.

It certainly wasn't like this, in the hospital lobby where she had been staying up all night, exhausted, with her hair probably a mess and her face not even properly washed.

"Not ugly."

Shen Que's answer was brief and affirmative, without the slightest hesitation.

He watched her bury her head in her hands like an ostrich, and gave her no chance to back down. He reached out, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and with a little force, pulled her into his embrace.

A familiar embrace, warm and solid.

Chen Su froze for a moment, then, as if she had finally found a foothold, her strong shell that she had been holding on to shattered instantly.

She reached out and hugged his waist tightly, burying her face in his chest, absorbing the reassuring warmth and scent that she hadn't felt for three years.

The fear, exhaustion, and grievances of the past few days, along with the overwhelming shock and indescribable bitterness at this moment, all rushed to her eyes. She bit her lip hard to keep the embarrassing sobs from spilling out.

"How is Grandma?" Shen Que's voice rang out above her head, and he patted her back soothingly.

"It's a fracture, and it's been immobilized with a cast."

Chen Su answered nestled in his arms, her voice still slightly nasal, "The doctor checked me, and there were no other injuries, but I need to be hospitalized for observation for a while."

"Okay," Shen Que responded, tightening his grip on her arm. "Take me to see."

"it is good."

The two walked into the hospital building side by side.

Upon arriving at the ward, two hospital directors and a head nurse were standing at the door.

Upon seeing Shen Que, they came forward to greet him, clearly recognizing him.

The group talked for a while.

Grandma was then safely transferred to a deluxe single room on the top floor of the inpatient department.

The ward was spacious and bright, like a suite in a luxury apartment. In addition to the hospital bed, there was a separate reception area, a rest room for caregivers, a fully equipped bathroom, and even a small refrigerator and microwave.

The environment was quiet and comfortable, a stark contrast to the noisy three-person room we had stayed in before.

There was also a professional middle-aged woman, a senior caregiver temporarily hired by Shen Que. She was experienced and meticulous.

Grandma lay on the brand-new, soft hospital bed, looking at the completely transformed environment, and then at Shen Que, who had rushed back from his journey. She was surprised, but also felt a complex mix of heartache in her eyes.

"Xiao Shen, this is too much of a waste. You even made a special trip all this way back. Thank you for your hard work."

"It's quiet here, which is good for your rest and recovery. Aunt Zhang, the caregiver, is very professional. With her here, Chen Su can feel more at ease and doesn't have to be on edge all the time."

Shen Que spoke calmly and made arrangements so natural and appropriate that it was hard to refuse.

He turned to look at Chen Su, "You need to rest too."

Seeing that both of them looked exhausted, especially Shen Que, whose bloodshot eyes were impossible to hide, Grandma stopped talking and only urged them on:

"Alright, alright, I know you two are filial. Now that everything is arranged, you two should rest! Especially Xiao Shen, you just got off the plane and came straight here, right? Come on, there's a cot over there, go lie down for a while!"

Shen Que nodded, gave the caregiver a few detailed instructions, then looked at Chen Su, who was still somewhat dazed standing by the bed, and reached out to grasp her wrist: "Let's go, rest."

He took her hand and led her to the spacious rest room for caregivers on the other side of the ward.

Chen Su was indeed extremely tired, both physically and mentally at their limits, and she was practically half-supported by Shen Que to lie down.

Shen Que lay down beside her and naturally reached out his arm to pull her close.

Chen Su did not resist. Almost instinctively, she adjusted to a comfortable position, turned to the side, rested her forehead on his shoulder, and unconsciously grabbed the fabric of his chest with one hand.

"Thank you, Shen Que..."

Exhaustion washed over her like a tide, her eyelids felt heavy, and she murmured softly as she was about to fall asleep.

Soon, his consciousness faded, and he drifted off to sleep.

Shen Que did not answer, but looked down at the sleeping face of the person in his arms who quickly calmed down. The eyelashes cast tired shadows under the eyes, and the brows were still slightly furrowed even in sleep.

He raised his other hand and gently brushed away the messy strands of hair from her forehead, his eyes churning with complex emotions.

When he heard her say in a tearful voice, "I'm so scared," after hanging up the video call, he didn't hesitate for a second and immediately started looking up the next flight back to China.

He wasn't entirely clear about the extent of Grandma Chen's injuries.

But he knew that at that moment, Chen Su was afraid and helpless.

He has to come back.

His professor was very surprised when he received the email from him requesting leave at the last minute.

This student from China has been known for his amazing self-discipline and talent over the past three years, never missing a single class or important discussion.

He not only exceeded the required credits, compressing his four-year undergraduate coursework into three years to graduate ahead of schedule, but also took on the responsibility of handling and learning part of the family business.

He has a strong learning ability and quick thinking. His high-intensity and high-efficiency learning and working pace has impressed many professors.

The professor didn't ask any further questions and quickly granted the leave.

During the fourteen-hour flight, Shen Que barely slept a wink.

He dealt with a few urgent emails, reviewed a few reports, and spent the rest of his time looking out the window—clouds, the ocean, and then more clouds.

The image of Chen Su's last look kept replaying in my mind—that forced strength and undisguised vulnerability.

As soon as I got off the plane and collected my luggage, I went straight to the hospital.

They traveled tirelessly, never stopping.

On the way, he contacted his friends at the hospital and arranged a ward and a caregiver.

He did these things very skillfully, as if he had done them countless times.

In fact, during his three years abroad, he had already learned how to solve problems efficiently, no matter how far away he was.

Only now, holding her firmly in my arms, feeling her breath and body temperature, did my heart, which had been hanging in suspense all the way, slowly settle back down.

He was tired too. He closed his eyes, gently rested his chin on the top of her head, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Grandma was lying in the hospital bed, and a traditional opera program was playing on the TV, with the volume turned down very low.

Her gaze, however, involuntarily drifted towards the direction of the ward.

The door wasn't closed properly; there was a crack.

Through the crack, she could see the figures of two young people sleeping in each other's arms.

Shen Que's arm was around Chen Su, who nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly without any guard.

Both of them were exhausted and slept peacefully; you could even hear their very faint, rhythmic breathing.

The old lady watched quietly for a while, and finally just sighed softly. She turned off the TV and closed her eyes to rest.

I slept soundly for ages.

When I woke up, it was already completely dark outside the window.

Chen Su woke up first.

She opened her eyes and found herself still nestled in Shen Que's arms, his arms still wrapped around her. Only a small nightlight was on in the ward, the light dim yet warm.

She stirred slightly and looked up at him.

Shen Que was still asleep, his breathing even and deep.

He looked much gentler when he was asleep than when he was awake, with his brows relaxed and his long eyelashes casting a light shadow under his eyes.

The stubble on his chin was more noticeable, giving him a more mature look.

Chen Su just stared at him for a long time.

Over the past three years, they have video chatted many times, but the images on the screen and the real people in front of them are ultimately different.

Real people have warmth, weight, and the rise and fall of their breath.

She reached out and gently touched his chin with her fingertips; his stubble was prickly.

Then he quickly withdrew his hand, as if he had done something wrong.

Shen Que woke up at that moment.

He opened his eyes, his gaze initially confused, but quickly cleared.

He looked at her, and the two gazed at each other in the dim light.

A few seconds later, he spoke, his voice hoarse from just waking up: "Awake?"

"Hmm," Chen Su said softly, "What time is it?"

Shen Que took out his phone and glanced at it: "A little after eight."

They slept for almost the entire day.

The two walked out of the rest room, where Grandma was leaning against the headboard. She looked much better than during the day. Seeing that they were awake, she smiled and said, "You're finally awake. Are you hungry? Come and eat."

After a quick wash, the two sat down to eat at the dining table attached to the ward.

The food was ordered by Aunt Zhang from the hospital's VIP ward restaurant; it was light yet nutritious.

Grandma has already eaten.

During the visit, the attending physician came in to check on the grandmother, carefully examined the cast on her leg and her recovery progress, said everything was fine, gave a few more instructions, and then left.

After the meal, both of them felt much better.

The ward was quiet, with only the faint sound of a television program coming from inside.

Chen Su looked at Shen Que sitting opposite her, a thousand words churning in her heart, but she didn't know where to begin.

In the end, she simply looked into his deep eyes and softly asked, "How long can you stay?"

"Three days," Shen Que replied.

"So short," Chen Su thought to herself.

But compared to the unexpected and long separation, these three days that came out of nowhere are a precious blessing.

"I miss you so much," she said to him suddenly, very directly.

Without hesitation or pretense, three years of longing found an outlet at this moment.

Shen Que was wiping his hands with a tissue when he heard this and paused for a moment.

He raised his eyes, his gaze fixed intently on her, then reached out and took her hand from the table.

His palms were warm, calloused, as he gently caressed the back of her hand.

"Mmm." He responded softly, paused for a moment, and then spoke again, his voice deeper than before, "I miss you too."

These few simple words, like a pebble thrown into a lake, create ripples.

Longing is like a dam breaking, there's no need to hide it anymore.

The television was still on in the ward, playing a program.

Grandma's eyes were fixed on the screen, and she held the remote control in her hand, but her mind was not on the TV at all.

Her ears were perked up, trying to catch the two children's hushed conversation.

It wasn't until Shen Que said, "After Grandma was discharged from the hospital, that old building didn't have an elevator, so it was inconvenient to go up and down. I looked at a place nearby..."

"No!" Grandma interrupted Shen Que almost immediately without thinking, her voice so abrupt that it startled even herself.

Both of them turned to look at her at the same time.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Grandma's face, but she quickly straightened up and said to Shen Que, "Little Shen, I appreciate your kindness. But I've lived in that old house for decades. I know all the neighbors, and it's convenient for me to go out to buy groceries and take walks. I've grown attached to that place, and I can't just move it away."

She paused, then added, "Once my leg is healed, I'll go back to dancing in the square with my old friends."

Seeing his grandmother's anxious and stubborn expression, Shen Que remained silent for a few seconds and did not insist any further.

He nodded. "Okay. I'll arrange for someone to replace all the lights in the common hallway of your building and also check and reinforce the stair railings."

This time, Grandma didn't object immediately.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. You've gone to so much trouble, Xiao Shen..."

Outside the window, the moon rose, its cool light shining into the ward and casting the shadow of the windowpane on the floor.

Chen Su leaned back in her chair, looking at Shen Que's profile in the moonlight. A corner of her heart that had been empty for three years was being filled little by little.