Han Ye was actually getting rather annoyed with Han Wenlin.
His father was becoming more and more long-winded. He had been in the hospital room with Regiment Commander Zhou, droning on and on without end.
The two elders took turns asking about their life in the army—whether they were eating and sleeping well, how their comrades were doing, and how things were in their company.
In short, they had a great deal to say.
Every so often, Han Ye glanced toward the door. Zhou Dingwen did the same. Both of them seemed distracted, their minds clearly elsewhere.
Finally, Han Ye couldn’t take it anymore. He asked Han Wenlin, “Dad, why hasn’t Mom come? Neither have my younger brother and sister. Don’t tell me you offended Mom while I was away?”
Han Wenlin immediately glared at him. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly offend Teacher Qiao?”
Han Ye looked at him doubtfully. “Then why hasn’t Mom come to see me even though I’ve been back for so long? If you hadn’t offended her, she should’ve come by ages ago, right?”
Han Wenlin was so irritated that he didn’t know what to say.
Zhou Anping, sitting beside him, began laughing as well.
Zhou Anping had known both their families for more than a decade and had watched all the children grow up. Naturally, he knew that the “Mom” Han Ye was referring to was Qiao Lanshu, not Zhao Yanfang.
Han Ye called Qiao Lanshu “Mom” with remarkable affection. Now that she hadn’t come, he was even starting to find his own father irritating.
Han Ye continued, “Then it must be that you didn’t tell Mom I was back—and that I was injured, right? Otherwise, there’s no reason she wouldn’t have come to see me.”
Han Wenlin was speechless. He glared at Han Ye and said, “I only found out you were hospitalized after receiving word from your Uncle Qin. I came over in such a hurry that I didn’t even have time to see Teacher Qiao. How could I have told her? Uncle Qin should have told her. Just wait a little longer.”
The moment Qin Yuanzheng was mentioned, Han Wenlin felt troubled again.
A few days earlier, Qin Yuanzheng had gone to see him specifically to entrust his wife and children to him. He had said that he was worried he had terminal cancer and wouldn’t be able to look after Qiao Lanshu and the others if he died.
Han Wenlin had been deeply shaken at the time and desperately wanted to know how Qin Yuanzheng’s examination had gone.
Several days had passed now. Qin Yuanzheng had returned from the capital, but Han Wenlin still didn’t know whether his test results were out.
Ever since learning about the matter, Han Wenlin had been constantly worried. He had barely slept these past few days.
He had hardly had any appetite, either.
He didn’t dare tell his wife, Zhao Yanfang. After all, Zhao Yanfang and Qiao Lanshu were close friends and colleagues.
If he told Zhao Yanfang, Qiao Lanshu would know about it within half a day.
There was nothing he could do but keep it bottled up inside.
That was also why he had been so talkative today. He had something weighing on his mind, and he had suddenly realized that he and Qin Yuanzheng were about the same age. Even someone as physically fit as Qin Yuanzheng could come down with such a serious illness.
He didn’t even dare imagine what would happen if he became ill. What would Han Ye do? And what would happen to Zhao Yanfang, his wife of only a few years?
The more he thought about it, the more worried he became.
Seeing that Han Wenlin’s expression was off, Han Ye nudged his leg with his own. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he looked at him and asked, “Dad, what are you spacing out for? Don’t tell me you’re really hiding something from me?”
Han Wenlin: “…”
Han Wenlin helplessly brushed at his trousers and glared at him. “I told you there’s nothing going on. Why are you so talkative?”
Honestly, Han Ye had nearly managed to extinguish all the fatherly affection Han Wenlin had finally worked up.
Han Wenlin had initially felt so sorry for him. Han Ye had spent two years being toughened up in the army, stationed along the bitterly cold and difficult border, and had come back injured at only nineteen.
The moment Han Wenlin heard the news, he had hurriedly abandoned his work and rushed over. He had fussed over Han Ye, asking about his work and daily life, and worrying about his injuries.
Yet after two whole hours, Han Ye had barely paid him any attention. He had even seemed impatient, bringing up Qiao Lanshu again and again.
Han Wenlin’s heart had gone cold.
This unfilial son had been away from home for more than two years—long enough for him to nearly forget how rebellious the boy had been ever since childhood.
Han Wenlin sighed. “I thought two years in the army would teach you to rein in that rebellious temper of yours. But apparently, you haven’t changed at all.”
Han Ye: “…”
Han Ye said helplessly, “I went to defend the country, not to undergo reform through labor.”
Han Wenlin: “…”
Hearing the father and son bicker, Zhou Anping and Zhou Dingwen couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
Zhou Anping pointed at Han Ye. “You brat. You were the terror of the military compound when you were little, beating all the neighborhood kids until they cried for mercy. I bet you took quite a few hard knocks in the army, didn’t you?”
Han Ye said smugly, “Uncle Zhou, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you. Even in the army, no one could make me take a beating.”
Zhou Anping glanced at Zhou Dingwen.
Zhou Dingwen coughed and said, “Han Ye really is impressive. He’s incredibly strong and very perceptive. In a one-on-one fight, no one is his match.”
Of course, when it came to teamwork, having Han Ye on the squad was like holding the trump card.
Sometimes, one had to admit that certain people were simply born with particular gifts.
Everyone might put in the same amount of effort, yet some people would still stand out far more than others.
By now, Han Ye could no longer sit still in bed. He glanced at the wall clock. It was already past seven in the evening, and eight o’clock would be here soon. It was getting so late, yet Qiao Lanshu, Qin Qiao'an, Xiaxia, and the others still hadn’t come to see him.
How was he supposed to accept that?
Fine. If they weren’t coming to see him, then he would go find them himself.
His arm was injured, but it wasn’t as if he were Zhou Dingwen, who had one leg crippled. If he could walk, he could make it home on his own!
With that thought, Han Ye stood up and said to Han Wenlin, “Dad, it’s getting late. You’ve been here all evening too. Why don’t you go home first? It’s not right to leave Teacher Zhao by herself at home, is it?”
Han Wenlin: “…”
How could Han Wenlin not know what his son was thinking?
He looked at Han Ye with a stern expression. “Han Ye, don’t even think about doing anything reckless. The doctor already said that the two of you need to stay in the hospital for observation and can’t be discharged yet. So don’t even think about wandering off!”
Han Ye immediately bristled. “What are you thinking? Of course I know I can’t leave the hospital. Don’t worry, I’m not going to break the rules. I just want to go outside for a stroll, breathe in the air of my hometown, and take a look at the night sky here. That’s all.”
Han Wenlin snorted coldly. “Cut the nonsense. Do you think I’ll believe you? Lie down and stay there!”
Han Ye: “…”
If Han Ye actually listened to Han Wenlin, he wouldn’t be Han Ye.
He looked out the window. Night had completely fallen, and the lights at the hospital entrance illuminated the view outside.
He began calculating how long it would take to walk home from here.
He was about to say something else when a knock suddenly came from outside.
Before anyone in the room could react, his eyes lit up. He sprang to his feet, hurried to the door, and opened it.
Sure enough, Qin Yuanzheng and Qiao Lanshu were standing outside, with Qin Qiao'an and Qin Qiaoxia peeking into the room from behind them.
The moment Qin Qiao'an saw Han Ye open the door, he shouted, “Big Brother! You really came back!”
Han Ye was just as excited.
The instant he saw Qiao Lanshu, he rushed over to her. “Mom! My real mom! You finally came to see me! I thought you’d forgotten all about me!”
Qiao Lanshu looked at him in surprise, carefully examining him from head to toe. They hadn’t seen each other in more than two years, and Han Ye had changed so much.
Her eyes grew slightly moist.
With a smile, she said, “I raised you from the time you were little. How could I forget you? What a silly boy.”
Han Ye genuinely felt like crying now.
His nose grew stuffy, and he sidled up to Qiao Lanshu, hugging her arm with his uninjured one. In a pitiful voice, he said, “I’ve been back for hours already. Why did you only come to see me now? I thought none of you were coming. I was so anxious just now… Ow, Mom, look at my arm. My arm hurts so much! It’s practically broken. It’s terribly injured! Ow, I’m so pitiful.”
As he spoke, Han Ye’s eyes reddened.
It looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment.
Han Wenlin watched him with a speechless expression, wishing he could pretend not to know this son of his.
He had been visiting Han Ye for most of the evening, and Han Ye hadn’t once complained that his arm hurt, let alone cried.
But the moment he saw Qiao Lanshu, Han Ye became so ridiculously affected and melodramatic that it was almost unbearable to watch.
As expected, Qiao Lanshu immediately grew worried. “Is your arm really broken? The bone? That sounds terribly serious!”
Qin Yuanzheng added, “It’s only a fracture. It’s not as serious as he makes it sound.”
Han Ye continued putting on an act. “But it hurts so much! The doctor said it’ll take a long time to heal. Mom, you have no idea how dangerous that confrontation was. I almost didn’t make it back.”
Everyone fell silent.
Qin Yuanzheng, Zhou Anping, and Han Wenlin were all men who had fought their way up through the military.
In their eyes, what Han Ye had gone through was really nothing major. Compared with actual combat, this kind of confrontation had practically been a walk in the park.
Yet seeing Han Ye wailing like this made all three men hesitate despite themselves.
Could the border clash really have been that dangerous and serious?
Qiao Lanshu reached out and patted Han Ye’s arm before stroking his head. Her heart ached as she said, “You’ve lost so much weight in the past two years. And you’ve gotten so tanned. You’re practically a big black bull now.”
Han Ye had been fair and chubby since childhood.
After spending time in the military, he had slimmed down considerably. The lines of his face had become sharper, and he now looked every inch the mature, capable man.
Qin Qiao'an’s eyes practically sparkled as he looked at Han Ye.
He was carrying two insulated food containers, and he squeezed right between Qin Yuanzheng and Qiao Lanshu, forcing Qin Yuanzheng out into the hallway.
Qin Yuanzheng closed his eyes and endured it.
Qin Qiao'an went over to Han Ye, set the food containers on the table, and then threw his arms around him. “Bro! Bro, you’re so handsome! Wow, is your hand in a cast? That’s so cool! And you’ve got a scar on your face too. Did you get it during this mission? A man’s medal of honor! Bro, you’re amazing!”
Qin Qiao'an was incredibly loud, shouting so enthusiastically that he nearly shook the entire hospital room.
Qin Yuanzheng quickly brought Xiaxia inside and closed the door.
Han Ye naturally wanted to show off a little in front of his younger brother. He pointed to his arm and said, “Do you know how I injured this arm?”
Qin Qiao'an obediently shook his head. “Nope. Tell me about it, Bro.”
Han Ye immediately began to embellish the story. “The other guy swung an iron rod at us, and it was about to smash into my squad leader’s head. Could I just stand by and let that happen? Of course not! So I sprinted forward in one bound and threw out my arm to take the blow for my squad leader!”
Qin Qiao'an gazed at him with admiration. “Big Brother, you’d really go through fire and water for your comrades. You’re the very soul of honor!”
Qiao Lanshu felt her own arm begin to ache just listening to him.
Han Ye hooked an arm around Qin Qiao'an’s neck and compared their heights. Then he said, “Not bad, An'an. You’re almost as tall as your big brother now. Impressive.”
Qin Qiao'an had inherited Qin Yuanzheng’s build. Tall and broad-shouldered, he was already over six feet tall at sixteen or seventeen.
His features and fair skin, however, resembled Qiao Lanshu’s, making him a handsome, light-skinned boy.
Qin Qiao'an said proudly, “I exercise every day. I’ll definitely end up taller than you.”
Han Ye snorted. “Keep dreaming. I’m already six foot two. It won’t be that easy for you to catch up.”
The brothers slung their arms around each other’s necks and went over to one of the beds to chat.
They hadn’t seen each other in more than two years, so once they started talking, they had an endless amount to say.
After Qin Yuanzheng and Qiao Lanshu came in, they exchanged a few words with Han Wenlin and Zhou Anping.
Xiaxia had always been quiet by nature, and she said little now as well. However, she kept glancing at Han Ye from time to time. She felt that he had changed so much.
After more than two years apart, she almost didn’t recognize him.
Han Ye had become more masculine and even more handsome—and, of course, more mature.
Xiaxia watched him for a while before hearing someone call her.
“Xiaxia? Xiaxia?”
She came back to herself and turned around. Only then did she realize that Zhou Dingwen was lying in the hospital bed right beside Han Ye’s.
Even Xiaxia, who had always been exceptionally composed, nearly lost her composure.
Her eyes widened slightly as she studied Zhou Dingwen carefully.
Yes, he had gotten tanner, shaved his head in a buzz cut, and become rougher around the edges, but he was definitely Zhou Dingwen.
Xiaxia then turned to look at Han Ye. He was still chatting animatedly with Qin Qiao'an and hadn’t noticed her at all.
After a moment of hesitation, Xiaxia walked over to Zhou Dingwen. “Brother Dingwen? It really is you?”
Zhou Dingwen straightened his clothes and smiled. “It’s me. Han Ye and I are in the same unit, and we usually patrol together. Didn’t you know that?”
Xiaxia nodded. “I knew that. I just didn’t realize you were injured too.”
What she hadn’t expected even more was that these two sworn enemies would end up sharing a hospital room.
It was such a surreal scene.
