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

She evenly applied the shower gel to his entire back, then moved around to the front and applied a layer to his muscular chest.

She deliberately rubbed her fingers vigorously against his hard pectoral muscles several times, until the originally bronze skin turned slightly red.

Lu Baizhou lowered his head and glanced at the reddened skin on his chest, then raised his eyes to look at Qiao Xinxin, who was earnestly "scrubbing" him with a straight face.

His voice held a hint of helplessness and indulgent amusement: "Xin Xin, are you giving me a bath or peeling off my pigskin?"

"This will teach you a lesson!"

Qiao Xinxin remained unfazed, her hands continuing their work, giving his chest a couple more vigorous rubs. "If you dare to hide anything from me or play tricks on me again, I won't just rub your skin off, I'll rub off a whole layer of flesh!"

Looking at her "fierce" yet adorable appearance, Lu Baizhou wisely shut his mouth and dared not talk back anymore.

After rinsing off all the soap, Qiao Xinxin hung the showerhead back on the wall.

She picked up a clean, soft, dry towel from the shelf next to her and handed it to him: "Here, dry yourself off."

Lu Baizhou took the towel and clumsily wiped himself a few times with his left hand, removing most of the water droplets. Then, he picked up the clean hospital gown placed next to the sink and slowly put it on.

Because his right hand was not functioning properly, he only buttoned the bottom few buttons, leaving the top buttons undone, revealing most of his strong and sexy chest.

He stood up from the plastic stool, turned around, and quietly looked at Qiao Xinxin.

He was more than a head taller than Qiao Xinxin. At this moment, he stood in front of her, his tall figure blocking part of the warm yellow light overhead, casting a shallow, ambiguous shadow between the two of them.

He didn't speak, just looked at her quietly with deep eyes.

Qiao Xinxin felt uncomfortable under his aggressive gaze, and her cheeks began to burn again.

She looked away, about to say, "Go out and lie down as soon as you're done washing," to break the unsettling silence.

Just then, Lu Baizhou suddenly stretched out his intact left arm and gently but firmly embraced her slender waist. With a slight pull, he drew her into his broad and warm embrace.

His movements were very gentle, carefully avoiding putting pressure on his wounded right shoulder. He lowered his head and gently rested his chin on the soft top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Xin Xin. I'm so sorry."

His voice came from above her head, low and deep, carrying a heartbreaking tenderness and apology that he rarely showed in front of others: "I shouldn't have kept it from you for so long, watching you struggle alone. I should have told you the very first day I recognized you."

Qiao Xinxin leaned against his firm chest without any guard up, her nose touching the soft fabric of his hospital gown.

She could clearly smell the faint scent of shower gel on his body after he had just showered, as well as his unique, dry, warm, and incredibly reassuring masculine scent.

She didn't struggle, nor did she push him away.

She leaned quietly against him, listening to the strong heartbeat coming from his chest, and remained silent for a while.

Then, she slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around his strong waist, hugging him tightly in return.

"Lu Baizhou, listen to me carefully." Qiao Xinxin buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled but with an undeniable firmness, "Next time, if you dare to hide anything from me again, I won't talk to you anymore. Yeah, I mean I won't talk to you anymore, I won't cook for you anymore, and I won't talk to you anymore."

Hearing her utterly intimidating "harsh words," Lu Baizhou couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth in a wide smile.

He lowered his head and placed a very light, very precious kiss on the top of her head.

"Okay, I promise. It won't happen again. From now on, no matter what happens, big or small, I'll tell you immediately. I'll never hide anything from you."

When Qiao Xinxin came out of the bathroom, she felt a burning sensation on her cheeks, like a fiery sunset, that just wouldn't go away.

She walked quickly back to the ward, and to hide her unease, she began to pack her things quickly. She neatly put the empty lunchbox and dishes into the large coarse cloth bag she had brought with her.

After packing her things, she carefully checked the large enamel water glass on the bedside table to make sure it was full of warm water before sitting down on the wooden chair next to the bed and letting out a long sigh of relief.

Lu Baizhou had already changed into his clean striped hospital gown and was comfortably leaning against the rocking headboard.

He had just finished showering, and his hair was still wet, not completely dry.

A few strands of black hair, somewhat messy, clung to his full forehead, still dripping tiny water droplets.

This made his usually cold and serious face less sharp and angular, and more relaxed and casual.

He didn't say anything, he just leaned there quietly.

Those deep, dark eyes were fixed on Qiao Xinxin without blinking.

Watching her bustle around the ward like a busy little bee, packing things for him, and noticing her earlobes still slightly red from the hug in the bathroom, a gentle smile, hard to suppress, played on his lips.

"What are you looking at?"

Qiao Xinxin felt a little uncomfortable under his direct and undisguised gaze.

She couldn't help but raise her hand and touch her still burning cheeks, giving him a disgruntled glare.

Looking at her coquettish expression, Lu Baizhou's smile deepened.

He tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of matter-of-factness and undisguised pride, and said with a calm smile, "It's nothing, I just suddenly realized that my eye for people is really amazing. How could I have picked such a beautiful, capable, and caring wife like you from among so many people?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Qiao Xinxin blushed even more at his sudden and straightforward praise.

She gave him a playful glare, then deliberately put on a stern face and scolded, "Your shoulder wound hasn't fully healed yet. The doctor said you can't move around too much. You'd better lie down and get some rest, and stop talking nonsense."

"Okay, whatever you say. Whatever my wife says goes."

Although Lu Baizhou responded obediently, his burning gaze was like a hook, firmly fixed on Qiao Xinxin, not willing to look away for even a second.