Chapter 03

That tone, that expression, clearly regarded Lixing as a servant under He Hongxun

He gazed out of the window with a stern profile, his facial lines resembling a sharp blade, and his eyes were like the sea under the night sky, unfathomable

Looking at her wound, the doctor's expression was quite grim as he continued his actions while questioning, "How did this happen? Do you still want to keep your leg?"

A casual joke dispelled the gloom of the fighting incident. The He family, who usually do not pry into the matters of their juniors, believed He Xi's explanation, thinking that the unpleasantness between her and Xia Zhi Yu was merely due to a minor car accident

"Sister Yayan has checked it for me, and there is nothing wrong." After calming down, He Xi realized that she should not have caused such a scene at the wedding, especially not wanting anyone to know about her connection with Xia Zhiyu. She took the initiative to explain: "Last night, she was following me, and I got a bit angry before I acted. I didn't know she was Brother Ye's cousin. I'm sorry, Grandpa."

For a moment, He Xi, under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, forced herself to compose her emotions and revealed a faint smile, saying, "It's nothing, it's not a case of elopement, the wedding will continue." She then turned to He Hongxun and said, "Brother, I am going to the restroom." Seeing him nod, she brushed past Li Xing.

His gaze shifted to her calf, and aside from concern, there was no hint of reproach in He Hang's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he heard He Zhengsong gently admonish her with concern: "At your age, you still can't control your temper. Don't you know to be careful with an injury on your leg? What will you do if it gets worse?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand," he said, already feeling the weight of the misunderstanding. He explained, "I just wanted to let you know that I went by myself today." Gently stroking He Xi's hand, he softly uttered three words: "Trust me"

Under the moonlight, Xiao Yi, holding a trench coat and a book jacket, has broad shoulders and long legs, with his ancient pine-colored skin radiating a resilient sheen against the pure white of the shirt

The "Brother Ye" mentioned by He Xi refers to Ye Yi, the captain of the special forces team, and Ye Yi's father is a subordinate of Old Master He. He Xi has some understanding of the relationship between the elders, but Xia Zhiyu, who is Ye Yi's cousin, only learned this after asking He Yayan.

What follows is a prolonged silence. In the ears, apart from the occasional footsteps in the corridor, there remains only the even breathing of the two individuals

He gently held her elbow, his tone soft: "Be careful!"

A single unfriendly remark instantly froze the atmosphere, leaving a profound silence in its wake

The focus of his gaze was on her somewhat pale face, and Li Xing continued, "The work in the Political Department is a bit dull, but transferring to the Criminal Police Team may not necessarily be the only best choice. In terms of both physical ability and thinking, girls are generally not very suitable..."

He Yayan, seeing this, added fuel to the fire and said: "Now you know to chat with him? In my opinion, she shouldn't have been allowed to apply to the police academy in the first place. Now look, with a bit of skill, it's even worse. When she gets angry, she grabs a chair, and it's like she's joined the underworld..."

Applying pressure on the needle mark on the back of her hand, he whispered: "The needle has just been removed, afraid of bleeding"

His broad palm covered her smooth forehead, and He Xi could clearly feel the calluses in his palm. That rough warmth caused her inner defenses to retreat uncontrollably and rapidly.

"Are you meddling too much?" Does she appear to him as someone who is indulging in heroism due to her reassignment? He Xi immediately put up her guard, and before she could finish her stern words, she was interrupted. She spoke with a hint of hostility: "It seems my cousin has told you all about my situation; both Li Can and the head of the library seem to be quite well-informed about my matters."

A fine sweat beaded on his forehead, and in pain, He Xi gritted his teeth: "It’s nothing serious, right? Will it be better within a week?"

The tense nerves relaxed, and her pale white hand instinctively rested on Xiao Yi's arm. He Xi spoke frankly: "A little." Remembering that he had previously mentioned being unable to attend his cousin's wedding due to matters in another city, she asked: "How come you are here? Did you finish your business?"

A simple sentence stirred up endless thoughts; clearly knowing what he was asking, He Xi turned her head away and insincerely said: "I don't understand what you are saying"

Silence persisted until they reached the hospital entrance, and Li Xing took out the car keys. At that moment, a blinding white light suddenly illuminated, casting a steady beam onto the two of them, shattering the tranquility that belonged solely to the night.

In a state of half-sleep, I vaguely heard the door of the ward being pushed open. Although the newcomer deliberately walked softly, the highly alert He Xi still discerned that the sound of footsteps on the floor was made by military boots.

Upon mentioning Xia Zhiyu, He Zhengsong's brows furrowed: "I am seeing that girl for the first time today. I have heard your Uncle Ye mention her before, saying that she has been spoiled and has a bad temper, and that she was sent to the army to temper her character."

He Xi's response was concise; she said: "Borrowing."

After a moment of silence, Li Xing spoke in a calm tone: "It's not a bother." Noticing that she had stopped speaking, he asked: "Aren't you in charge of the work related to retired cadres in the Political Department? How did you get injured?" If it weren't for He Hongxun informing him that her old leg injury had not healed, he would have been unaware.

Weary, she opened her eyes, and her disordered gaze fixed on Li Xing's face standing before the hospital bed. Backlit, he stood with a resolute and rugged profile, his dark eyes resembling the sea under a night sky, his gaze deep and inscrutable to her, like a book she could not comprehend. After a moment of mutual gaze, he slowly raised his hand and gently placed his palm against her forehead

How big is considered big? The doctor replied irritably: It hasn't gotten better in a month

The guests were naturally unaware of the reason behind the conflict involving the He family's maid, as they were completely astonished by the swift actions of the two girls, forgetting even to whisper among themselves. Even the He family members were left in the dark. However, at this moment, it was not the time for inquiries. Stubborn as He Xi was, she would not offer an explanation.

He Xi scratched her cheek and did not respond. Due to some unusual sensations from the wound, she remained for the intravenous drip.

He Yayan is helpless against her, tapping her forehead while saying: "Eating is your eternal pursuit"

Knowing that she saw Xia Zhiyu move first, He Xi candidly admitted: "I provoked her"

"You really are something, managing to end up in the hospital just by attending a wedding." Xiao Yi walked over with a graceful stride, his gaze fixed on He Xi's face. Noticing her pallor and weakness, he gently yet firmly pulled her towards him and softened his tone to ask: "Does it still hurt?"

She withdrew her hand to avoid his touch and said, "I am fine now, you can go. I don't think there is a need for us to meet again in the future." Seeing him insist on taking off his military jacket and draping it over her, she resolutely said, "I am with him."

In an instant, her heart ached so much that she could not withstand a single glance. He Xi took a step ahead towards the door, avoiding Li Xing's gaze.

He Yayan snorted: "Even after grinding, there is still no sign of restraint"

Confirming that she does not have a fever, the tense expression on Li Xing's face slightly eased as he said: "The deputy commander asked me to come and take a look"

Seeing her indifference beneath the calm demeanor, she lowered her eyes

Uncertain if it was due to exhaustion, He Xi fell asleep later. When she woke up, it was already dark outside. The figure sitting by the bed remained in a proper sitting posture, motionless. She gently moved her leg, preparing to lift the blanket and get out of bed, only to realize that her hand was being held tightly by Li Xing.

In this situation, Li Xing's expression showed a slight change, though it was subtle and difficult for others to notice

The atmosphere of the conversation was quite terrible, with a heavy smell of gunpowder that made it difficult for anyone to remain calm. After a brief silence, Li Xing's deep voice spread through the air, and He Xi heard him ask: "What happened today?"

He Yayan quickly said, "But Mu Yan does not think so. I heard my brother say that his evaluation of Xiao Qi is 'unperturbed in the face of change.' I really don't know how she is unperturbed."

Supporting her as they walked towards the car, Xiao Yi said in a tone of nonchalance, "How would I know you were causing a ruckus if you didn't come back early?" Suddenly recalling something, he returned the military uniform draped over He Xi to Li Xing and casually added, "That person, thank you."

After He Hongxun and Mu Keli were married, He Xi, as if nothing had happened, attended to the guests on behalf of her cousin, and was busy until the evening before greeting her family and leaving first. She declined He Yayan's request to accompany her and went to the hospital alone to deal with her leg injury

He Zhensong understood his granddaughter's temperament well, so he said: "You should temper your disposition; how can you fit into the criminal police team like this?"

Raising his eyes towards Mu Yan, He Zhengsong said with a serious expression: "I will have a chat with him later"

Ignoring him, He Xi withdrew her hand on her own. Due to getting up a bit abruptly, she felt a slight dizziness and nearly fell off the bed

She believed! He Xi did not know if there was still any trust between them. Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes and remained silent, deeply afraid that speaking would reveal her innermost thoughts

A seemingly casual explanation from m.hetushu.com brought He Xi back to reality from her daze. Turning her head to avoid his touch, she closed her eyes. As Li Xing called the nurse to use hot water to alleviate the discomfort of the infusion flowing into her veins, she said: "No need to trouble Chief of Staff Li, you may leave, I can take care of myself"

Before the wedding ceremony commenced, He Xi reappeared in the banquet hall, walking directly past Xia Zhi Yu without a care. She casually returned to He Hang's side, as if she had not noticed that Li Xing was seated at a neighboring table less than two meters away, watching her intently.

He Yayan followed the sound, and as a doctor at the Army Hospital, she noticed something was off with He Xi. She quietly tugged at her older brother's hem and whispered something before quickly following along. Looking at He Hongxun's expression, it suddenly darkened.

He Xi let out a cry, stopping her from continuing: "Could you please not make things worse, sister! The way you talk makes it seem like I have a simple mind and strong limbs, but I have principles too, you know! Don't forget that if it weren't for me stepping in that time, you would have been bullied. So, in certain situations, force can indeed solve problems." To change the subject, she looked around and said: "Why isn't the meal being served yet? Planning a wedding is really troublesome; I've been so busy that I'm starving..."

He Xi squinted his eyes, looking somewhat unclear at the car parked not far away with its front door open. Then, a tall figure gracefully descended and walked straight towards them

His hand trembled imperceptibly as He Xi prepared to take off his coat. He quickly tightened his fingers around the front of his military uniform and said, "Put it on, it's cold outside." As if fearing she might say something to refuse again, he immediately added, "As long as you feel good, even if it's not me, it—" He paused for a long time, ultimately unable to utter the final word "okay."