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

"Hmm, I'm actually a little hungry." Bai Zhengyuan propped himself up on the bed, trying to sit up straight.

"Don't move!" Qiao Xinxin hurriedly pressed down on his shoulders, carefully turned the rocker at the foot of the hospital bed to raise the head of the bed a little higher, and carefully patted and cushioned the pillow behind his back.

Once Bai Zhengyuan was settled, she handed him the steaming enamel bowl and a small iron spoon.

Bai Zhengyuan took the bowl and took a big gulp. The warm rice porridge went down his esophagus into his stomach, instantly bringing a wave of warmth, and a touch of color returned to his pale face.

"What time did you come over last night?" Bai Zhengyuan swallowed the porridge in his mouth and looked at his sister's slightly haggard but still sweet face.

Qiao Xinxin sat back in her chair, resting her chin on her hands, and watched him eat.

"Last night, Brother Lu called home and said you were seriously injured and had been taken to the hospital. I was so scared I almost jumped out of my skin. I didn't care about anything else. Brother, can you be more careful when you go on missions in the future? You're a battalion commander, how could you walk into a trap yourself? Do you know, when you were lying on the operating table last night and the doctor said the bleeding couldn't be stopped, I really thought..."

At this point, Qiao Xinxin's voice suddenly became even more choked up; she just couldn't bring herself to say the ominous word "death."

Looking at the tears welling up in his sister's eyes, Bai Zhengyuan felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in his heart, as if something had stabbed him hard.

He put down his spoon, reached out his large, slightly calloused but very warm hand, and gently stroked Qiao Xinxin's hair, softening his voice:

"Silly girl, I'm alright now, aren't I? This was an accident. Those foreign agents are too cunning; they set up hidden weapons in the cave. I promise you, I'll be extra careful from now on and I'll never get hurt so badly again, so my Xin Xin won't worry, okay?"

Qiao Xinxin sniffed, turned her head away from his hand somewhat shyly, and mumbled an "Mmm".

Bai Zhengyuan drank a few more mouthfuls of porridge, then, as if remembering something, his expression turned serious:

"By the way, you rushed over here last night, you didn't tell Mom and Dad about this, did you?"

Qiao Xinxin shook her head and whispered:

"How could I dare tell them? My parents are getting old. If they knew you were so badly injured, they would have gone crazy last night. My mom's temper is such that she gets high blood pressure when she gets anxious, and she would definitely have cried all night long. So I took it upon myself to tell Brother Lu and Brother Zhou, and asked them not to let it slip when they got back. I lied to my parents and said that I was going to stay at a friend's house for a couple of days and would go back in a few days."

After listening, Bai Zhengyuan's tense shoulders finally relaxed. He looked at Qiao Xinxin approvingly:

"You did the right thing. It was right to keep it from them for now. Mom can't keep things to herself. If she knew I was so badly injured that I almost died, she would be frantic with worry. She's not very healthy to begin with, and she can't take this kind of ordeal. It's not too late to tell them after my wounds have healed and I'm feeling better in the next few days."

Qiao Xinxin nodded, then sighed with some worry:

"That's true, but we can't keep it a complete secret forever. I have to go to the shop to see Mom and Dad at noon today. If I don't show up for several days, Mom will definitely get suspicious. I'll tell them that you got a minor muscle strain during military training and are resting in the hospital for a few days, so they won't worry. It'll also give me an excuse to come to the hospital to take care of you every day. Brother, what do you think?"

"Yes, that's fine too."

Bai Zhengyuan nodded in agreement. He lowered his head and drank a few more mouthfuls of warm millet porridge, then picked up a small piece of crisp pickled vegetables with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.

"Are you coming to the hospital this afternoon? I have to work at the bathhouse tonight. Your body can't handle this back-to-back schedule. Listen to your brother, don't come this afternoon. Just stay home and get some sleep."

Qiao Xinxin was washing the used spoon in the enamel basin when she heard this. She turned her head, raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, and said in an unquestionable tone:

"Sure, why wouldn't I? I'll explain things to my parents at noon and come right over. As for tonight, I have to go to the bathhouse before 7 p.m. I'll talk to Sister He first and ask her to cover for me. I'll come over to keep you company after I get off work."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhengyuan immediately became anxious and tried to stop her by propping himself up on one side:

"How can that be? You're a young woman, spending your days at the hospital and then working at the bathhouse at night. What time do you get off work? And then you still have to rush back to the hospital. Are you trying to wear yourself out? Listen to me, you really don't need to come at night. There are nurses on duty at the hospital. I'm a grown man, I won't die, I'll be fine."

"That won't do!"

Qiao Xinxin slammed the washed spoon down on the table with a soft "thud," her attitude unusually resolute. She took two steps to the bedside, hands on her hips, glaring at him angrily.

"You're badly injured, how can I feel at ease if I don't see you in person? I have to come, whether I'm off work or whatever. Besides, our bathhouse isn't far from here, just a ten-minute walk or a couple of blocks away. I won't get tired!"

Looking at his younger sister's wide, unyielding eyes, Bai Zhengyuan knew that although she seemed gentle, she was incredibly stubborn at heart, and he absolutely couldn't persuade her. He could only sigh helplessly and smile resignedly.

"Okay, okay, whatever you say. But please don't overwork yourself and get sick. It'll be dark when you come over at night, so take the main road and be careful, understand?"

"I know, I'm not a three-year-old anymore, why do you have to nag me every day?" Qiao Xinxin saw that he had given in, and a sweet smile appeared on her face, and her voice softened.

She bent down and quickly tidied up the empty bowls and plates on the bedside table, wrapped them tightly in layers of oil paper that the old lady had given her, and stuffed them into the cloth bag she had brought with her.

"Alright, you lie down and rest for a bit. I'm going back to tell my parents right now. Otherwise, they might start overthinking things if they can't find me at the shop by noon."

Bai Zhengyuan leaned against the pillow, and added somewhat worriedly, "Then you have to be careful with your words, don't say anything too serious, lest you scare our mother badly."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'll make sure they don't panic."

Qiao Xinxin picked up the bag and walked to the ward door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, then turned back and gave him a deep look.

"Brother, close your eyes and rest for a while. I'll come see you again at noon. If you feel sleepy, sleep a little longer, but please don't secretly move that injured leg."