The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Qiao Xinxin felt a little relieved, but she was still a little worried and asked in a low voice:

"Then...when will he wake up? It's been a whole night."

"It's hard to say," the doctor said patiently, closing the medical record folder. "It could be this morning, or it could be this afternoon. But your brother has a good constitution and gets proper training in the army, so his recovery ability is definitely stronger than the average person. Plus, the hemostatic powder you gave him last night was really effective; not a single drop of blood has seeped from the wound. As long as he doesn't lose any more blood, his body recovers quickly, and he won't die."

Hearing the doctor's words, Qiao Xinxin finally breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: "That's good, thank you, doctor."

After seeing the doctor off, Qiao Xinxin returned to the bedside and sat for a while. Looking at Bai Zhengyuan's peaceful sleeping face, her stomach suddenly growled.

I was so anxious yesterday that I didn't eat much for dinner. Now that I've relaxed, I'm feeling incredibly hungry.

She stood there for a moment, then picked up her coat from the back of the chair and put it on, before tidying her slightly messy hair.

She walked out of the ward, down the corridor and stairs, towards the cafeteria on the first floor.

The state-run canteen at the General Hospital of the Military Region is located on the far east side of the first floor, and breakfast is served from 6:30 to 8:30 in the morning.

When Qiao Xinxin arrived, the hands on the large clock face on the wall were already pointing to almost 7:30. There weren't many people in the cafeteria. The spacious hall had a dozen or so gleaming wooden tables and chairs, and the air was filled with the aroma of millet porridge and steamed buns.

There were three or four people in line at the food window, all of them dressed in hospital gowns or looking like family members.

Qiao Xinxin obediently waited in line. When it was her turn, she took out her meal ticket and change from her pocket and handed them to the elderly woman wearing a white hat at the window.

"Auntie, I'd like a bowl of millet porridge, a steamed bun, and a dish of pickles."

The older woman quickly and efficiently served her the meal.

Looking at the steaming porridge on the tray, Qiao Xinxin suddenly thought that if Bai Zhengyuan woke up later, his stomach would definitely feel empty.

She quickly added, "Auntie, could you please pack another identical one for me, wrapped in oil paper and a mesh bag, so I can take it back to my ward?"

"Okay!" the woman replied, skillfully wrapping the hot steamed bun in thick oil paper, then taking an empty jar, filling it with porridge, and handing it to her in a mesh bag.

Qiao Xinxin carried her tray and found a clean spot by the window to sit down.

The millet porridge was cooked until it was quite thick, with a thin layer of rice oil floating on top. The white steamed buns were also soft and fluffy. Paired with salty and crisp pickles, although it wasn't anything fancy, it was warm and comforting on this cold winter morning.

Qiao Xinxin ate very quickly; in less than ten minutes, she finished a bowl of porridge and a steamed bun.

She wiped her mouth, picked up the packed breakfast, and hurried to the ward.

"Squeak—"

Qiao Xinxin gently pushed open the wooden door of the ward, but when she saw the scene inside, she froze at the doorway.

Bai Zhengyuan had woken up at some point!

He was leaning against the headboard, with two white pillows behind him. Although his face was still pale from recovering from a serious illness, his usually sharp and bright eyes were now open.

The attending physician was standing bent over by the bed, holding a small flashlight and shining it into Bai Zhengyuan's pupils, asking him something. The nurse next to him was scribbling in her notebook.

"elder brother!"

Qiao Xinxin exclaimed in surprise, quickly closed the door behind her, and hurried over.

Hearing his sister's voice, Bai Zhengyuan turned his head to look. His previously tense lips curved slightly into a weak yet incredibly gentle smile:

"Xin Xin, you're back."

His voice was low and hoarse, sounding weak.

Qiao Xinxin walked to the bedside and put down the packed breakfast. Her eyes were a little hot, but she couldn't help but scold her:

"You're finally awake! I was so scared of you, I called you so many times but you wouldn't move."

Bai Zhengyuan looked at his sister's red, rabbit-like eyes and blinked guiltily, "The doctor said you stayed by her bedside all night and barely slept. Why didn't you go back to the guesthouse or home to sleep?"

"Otherwise what?" Qiao Xinxin sniffed, her soft voice tinged with a hint of grievance and stubbornness. "You were so badly injured and rushed into the operating room, where could I go? Even if I went back, all I could see when I closed my eyes was blood. Staying by your side gives me some peace of mind."

The attending physician, who was standing nearby, put away his flashlight and interrupted the siblings' conversation with a smile:

"Battalion Commander Bai, your sister is truly a lucky star. If it weren't for the powder she took out last night, it's uncertain whether you would have survived today, let alone your leg."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhengyuan looked at Qiao Xinxin with some surprise, then turned to the doctor: "Doctor, my injury..."

"Alright, you're awake, which means the most dangerous time has passed." The attending physician signed the record book and instructed, "However, you lost a lot of blood, and your body is very weak now. For the next few days, you must stay in bed and absolutely cannot get up. Try to move around as little as possible, understand?"

"Yes, thank you, doctor." Bai Zhengyuan, being a soldier, answered crisply and decisively.

The doctor handed the notebook to the nurse, but as he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned to look at Qiao Xinxin, and his eyes held a hint of eagerness:

"Um... Comrade Qiao, about the hemostatic powder we agreed on yesterday, when can you prepare it and send it over? If your brother can continue using that medicine for his follow-up dressing changes, the wound will heal faster and prevent infection."

Qiao Xinxin nodded quickly: "Doctor, don't worry, I'll go back at noon today and I'll definitely be able to bring the medicine powder to you this afternoon."

"That's great! Then we won't disturb the patient's rest any longer." The doctor smiled with satisfaction and led the nurse out the door.

The ward fell silent again, with only the brother and sister remaining.

Qiao Xinxin turned around and took out the packaged millet porridge and steamed buns from the bedside table. As she carefully unwrapped the oil paper, she murmured to herself:

"Brother, are you hungry? I just went to the cafeteria on the first floor and bought some millet porridge. It's still warm. You should eat some to tide you over."

Bai Zhengyuan was indeed starving. He hadn't eaten a single grain of rice since he went on his mission yesterday, and the aroma of millet porridge made his stomach rumble.