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

"Oh no!" Lu Baizhou slapped his thigh in frustration. "I was so busy enjoying Xin Xin's service that I completely forgot to mention the most important thing!"

The truth about that night at the guesthouse absolutely cannot be delayed any longer.

"When she comes again next time, no matter what, I have to make things clear with her," Lu Baizhou secretly resolved in his heart.

He figured that she would definitely be angry when she heard the truth. After all, so much time had passed, and she had been kept in the dark all this time, even struggling with whether or not to accept him because of it.

"However..." Lu Baizhou thought for a moment, glancing at the thick bandage wrapped around his right shoulder, "I'm a seriously injured person who almost lost my life saving someone. She usually wouldn't even say a harsh word to me, so even if she knows the truth and is very angry, she shouldn't be so cruel to me, an injured person, right?"

The more Lu Baizhou thought about it, the more he felt that his plan to "confess while injured" was extremely appropriate. It was practically a "get-out-of-jail-free card" bestowed upon him by God.

He put his left hand behind his head, leaned comfortably against the pillow, and began to mentally rehearse how he should start the conversation the next time they met, so as not to seem too abrupt and to minimize the hurt.

"Should we exchange pleasantries first and then naturally bring up the topic? Or should we get straight to the point?"

After thinking for a long time, Lu Baizhou felt that with Qiao Xinxin's smart and insightful personality, beating around the bush would only make her think that he was guilty or making excuses.

"It's better to just say it directly. Soldiers have to be decisive and efficient."

Then he would tell her directly: "Xin Xin, actually, the man you were with at the guesthouse that night was me."

If she questions him about why he only told her so late and why he kept it from her all this time, what would happen?

He told the truth: "I wanted to tell you before, but I just couldn't find the right opportunity. And since you didn't recognize me, I thought I'd find a better time to tell you."

Lu Baizhou silently encouraged himself: "Anyway, she's my girlfriend now. She agreed to it herself, it's a done deal, and she can't run away from me. At worst, I'll let her throw a tantrum and let her hit me a few times to vent her anger. How much strength can a little girl like her have? Just think of it as tickling me."

Lu Baizhou lay there, going through the entire confession process in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had made the right decision.

The weight that had been hanging over his heart was finally half lifted. As for the other half, he would have to wait until she came next time, and he could finally say what he wanted to say and see her reaction before he could truly feel at ease.

For the next two days, Qiao Xinxin did as she said, taking time out of her busy schedule to visit him at the hospital, talk to him, and bring him some good food.

The daytime weather was exceptionally good.

The bright sunlight slanted in through the bright glass windows of the ward, casting a warm, golden patch of light on the clean wooden floor, and the air was filled with a lazy comfort.

Lu Baizhou was leaning against the headboard, flipping through a recent training log that the company political instructor had specially given him. Although the wound on his shoulder was not yet due for stitches to be removed, it was healing very quickly thanks to the hemostatic powder specially made by Qiao Xinxin, and was no longer a big problem, although he would occasionally feel a slight pulling pain.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Suddenly, a series of steady, powerful, and rhythmic footsteps came from outside the door.

Lu Baizhou raised his head sharply, and his gaze had just landed on the door of the ward when it creaked open.

The newcomer wore an old military uniform that was slightly faded from washing but ironed without a single wrinkle. He was tall and robust, with broad shoulders and a thick back, and even though he was old, he remained as upright as a pine tree. His gray hair was neatly combed, and his square face, which exuded an air of authority, revealed the sternness of someone who had long held a high position.

When Lu Baizhou saw the person who arrived, he was taken aback for a moment, then immediately put down his training log, sat up straight quickly, and asked with obvious surprise, "Dad? What brings you here?"

Mr. Lu entered the ward, closed the door behind him, and sat down on the chair next to the bed.

His sharp gaze swept over Lu Baizhou's right shoulder, his voice low and powerful: "The classified mission you carried out in the Northwest last month just ended. I barely returned to the military region when I heard the news that you were seriously injured while on a drug bust at the border. So I rushed over to check on you. How are you? How badly are you injured? What did the doctor say?"

"It's nothing serious, don't listen to their rumors," Lu Baizhou replied casually. "I wasn't careful during the retreat and a bullet grazed my shoulder, but it didn't break any bones. It's been treated, and I'm recovering well. The doctor said I can be discharged and rejoin the team after a few more days of observation."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Lu did not immediately respond. He knew his son's temperament all too well; he always reported good news and never bad, and even when he was seriously injured, he would grit his teeth and pretend that he was fine.

His gaze swept around the ward and finally landed on the half-used bottle of "Qiao's Hemostatic Powder" on the bedside table.

Mr. Lu reached out and took the small brown glass bottle, examined the simple label on it from all angles, frowned slightly, and then put the bottle back in its original place.

"Is this a new medicine from the military medical department?" Mr. Lu asked.

"Yes, it's newly arrived." Lu Baizhou nodded, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes as he mentioned the medicine. "It's particularly effective, stopping the bleeding very quickly. If it weren't for this medicine, I might have really had to go through some trouble this time."

Mr. Lu nodded, not delving further into the topic. He looked at his son, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke earnestly, "I had already heard a general report from your regimental commander about the specifics of this mission before I came. You rushed out into the hail of bullets to rescue that new recruit to cover your comrades. That sense of responsibility and courage was commendable! You truly deserve to be a member of the Lu family."

Mr. Lu paused, his tone becoming stern: "But! You need to clear your head! You're a battalion commander now, a commander! You need to take care of your own safety! You have the lives of hundreds of brothers in the battalion on your shoulders. You can't just impulsively throw yourself into the line of fire every time there's danger! What will happen to your soldiers if you fall?"

Lu Baizhou listened to his father's reprimand without arguing, but calmly explained, "Dad, the situation was too urgent at the time. The enemy was firing at full force, and there was no time to think. That soldier was a new recruit who had just joined the company this year and lacked combat experience. If something had happened to him, it would not only have been a loss of life, but it would have been a huge blow to the morale and combat effectiveness of the entire company."