Slow to mature after marriage

Mu Siwan didn't understand why Bo Yan was angry again.

She leaned against the headboard and stared at the closed door for a long time.

I guess I still bothered him.

Mu Siwan sighed, picked up the stack of files that Xiao Qin had brought, and began to read them page by page. The words were right in front of her, but she couldn't get them into her head. After reading for a long time, she hadn't memorized a single line.

She put down the file, threw back the covers, and stood up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed.

Her left foot was in a cast, and it still hurt when she landed. She hopped on one leg toward the bathroom, supporting herself against the wall with one hand, each step a struggle.

The ground seemed a bit slippery at the corner.

Her legs buckled and she fell forward.

I didn't fall.

A pair of hands reached out from behind and steadily supported her.

Mu Siwan paused for a moment, then turned her head away.

Bo Yan stood beside her, his hands supporting her arms. His eyes remained indifferent, revealing no emotion.

He looked at her with a frown.

"What are you fiddling with?"

"Go to the toilet."

Bo Yan opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Don't you know how to call for help? He's not here, and neither are the nurses."

Meeting the woman's dark, quiet eyes, he swallowed his words again.

He placed his hand on her waist and helped her walk forward step by step.

With him leading her, Mu Siwan no longer needed to hold onto the wall, and walking became easier than before.

She lowered her head, staring at the road beneath her feet.

The corridor light fell on her profile, making her appear even paler and thinner than usual. Her eyelashes drooped quietly, and her lips were pale.

Bo Yan stared at it, and his heart suddenly softened.

---

Back in the ward, Bo Yan sat down by the bed, picked up an apple, and slowly peeled it.

Mu Siwan stared at his hands. The knuckles were distinct, the fingers long and slender; the blade traced a steady line along the fruit peel, without severing it completely. She thought, if these hands were used to dissect a fruit, they would be incredibly precise.

The plain ring on her ring finger shimmered faintly under the light.

Bo Yan put the peeled apple aside and looked up at her.

"Mu Siwan, I have received your apology."

He paused, then continued—

"But I won't accept it."

Mu Siwan looked up at him, her fingers unconsciously clenching the bed sheet beneath her.

He opened his mouth, as if to explain something.

He raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Who told you you were bothering me?"

These words were unexpected by Mu Siwan, and she stood there stunned.

Bo Yan looked into her blank eyes and softened his voice.

"The reason for this apology is invalid, therefore it is rejected."

Bo Yan handed him the peeled apple she was holding.

Mu Siwan took it and looked up at him again.

"But--"

"But," the man continued, "you still have to apologize to me."

He moved forward slightly and looked directly into her eyes.

"Because you got injured and didn't tell me right away."

"I'm very angry about this, Mu Siwan."

"You said you were afraid of bothering me, so I want to tell you clearly now, you won't."

"Nothing related to you will bother me, because you are my wife."

"You should have told me immediately when you got injured today. I should have rushed over to take care of you."

"This isn't about interfering with each other; it's what we, as husband and wife, should do."

He stared intently at her, his tone softening.

"Do you understand, Mu Siwan?"

Mu Siwan frowned, trying very hard to understand the words.

However, she still couldn't understand.

Why is it that once a man and a woman become husband and wife—

Some things have changed.

Before, she would bear her injuries alone, never thinking of telling anyone. The Mu family didn't care about her, and she didn't expect them to either. After they got married, Bo Yan said they wouldn't interfere with each other, and she felt even more that she shouldn't trouble him.

But now he says, "You should tell me."

He said, "I should come and take care of you."

Is this how it should be?

Mu Siwan stared at the apple in her hand, which was peeled cleanly, without breaking a single layer of skin.

She looked up at him again.

at a loss.

The man still looked tired from flying back overnight, and his eyes were bloodshot. He sat there, patiently staring at her.

She opened her mouth.

"But--"

"No buts." Bo Yan interrupted her thoughts. "Mu Siwan, you need to apologize to me."

Mu Siwan spoke subconsciously.

"sorry."

"Yes, I accept that. However, the fundamental reason why you didn't tell me right away is that I didn't give you enough security, and I apologize to you for that now."

"I'm sorry," he said solemnly. "I will give you a separate apology gift later."

Mu Siwan was completely bewildered by his words: "But I didn't prepare an apology gift for you."

Bo Yan took the peeled apple back from his hand and took a crunchy bite.

"Consider this your apology gift," he said, chewing on an apple. "If anything happens in the future, tell me immediately."

He paused, then added.

"You can tell me even if nothing happened."

Mu Siwan lowered her eyes and did not refute.

After a long silence, she spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse.

"But you peeled that apple yourself. Let me peel one for you, Bo Yan."

Bo Yan paused in his bite of the apple and stared at her.

Mu Siwan had already picked up another apple from the bedside table, then picked up the fruit knife, and bent down to start peeling it.

The movements were slow, and the person was not very skilled.

He raised an eyebrow, smiled, and leaned back lazily in his chair, watching her peel the fruit.

-

When the ward door was pushed open, Mu Siwan had just finished peeling the last layer of skin off the apple in her hand.

The old lady walked in front carrying a thermos, followed by Bo Ning carrying a bunch of things.

The two saw this scene as soon as they entered the room—

Bo Yan leaned back in his chair like an old man, his legs crossed, holding half an unfinished apple in his hand.

Mu Siwan sat on the bed, head down, carefully handing him the freshly peeled apple.

The old lady stood frozen at the door.

Bo Ning held the object in her arms, her mouth slowly opening into an "O" shape.

Bo Yan glanced at them, then accepted the apple Mu Siwan offered without changing his expression.

"You got the information from that traitor Wang Jin again?" He took a bite of his food. "And then you rushed over?"

The old lady took the doll that was originally meant for Mu Siwan and threw it at Bo Yan without saying a word.

"Did you never eat an apple in your past life?" she said angrily. "You expect your wife to peel one for you in your hospital bed?"

Bo Ning also indignantly echoed her sentiments.

"Brother, you're such a scumbag, how could you treat your wife like this?"

Bo Yan caught the toy that was thrown at him and took a bite of the apple without changing his expression.

Mu Siwan sat on the bed, watching this scene, and hurriedly explained.

"I wanted to cut it myself."

The old lady glared at Bo Yan, then looked at Xiang Musiwan, her anger instantly turning into heartache.

"You child, even at a time like this, you're still taking the side of this brat."

She walked over, snatched the doll from Bo Yan's hand, put it in Mu Siwan's arms, and then handed the fruit knife to Bo Yan.

"Let him peel them. Peel a hundred or two hundred, and let him treat the entire hospital's medical staff to apples today."

Bo Yan glanced at the old lady, said nothing, and picked up an apple without changing his expression, starting to peel it.

The movements were fluid and efficient, and there was no sign of reluctance.

Mu Siwan hugged the doll, looked at this scene, and looked apologetic.

"Grandma, no need—"

"It's fine, it's fine." The old lady waved her hand, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began to rummage through the thermos she had brought. "I made you some pig's trotter soup. There's an old saying that you are what you eat, so eat more to nourish yourself. Let's ignore him."

She lifted the lid, and steam rose up.

Bo Ning leaned closer and whispered in Mu Siwan's ear.

"Sister-in-law, my brother has probably never been bossed around like this in his entire life."

Mu Siwan turned her head to look at Bo Yan, who was peeling a second apple.

He kept his head down, the blade slowly cutting along the fruit peel, his profile illuminated by the light from the window.

As if sensing her gaze, the man looked up.

Eyes facing each other.

Mu Siwan tightened her grip on the doll.