Blissful Care

Li Yang had been sleeping soundly when the sudden accident sent him flying. Before he even knew what was happening, he bounced onto the ground and rolled several times.

He finally came to a stop not far from Xu Rui. The jeans on his legs had been scraped up until they looked like a beggar's clothes, covered in holes of all sizes.

Li Yang tried to stand, but the pain shooting through his left knee immediately killed that thought. He sat there helplessly, staring at the unconscious Xu Rui ahead of him.

The metal sheets of the construction barrier had been smashed into pieces by the motorcycle. The steel-pipe frame blocked the bike's path, and plastic fragments were scattered all over the ground.

"Fatty, how are you?" Li Yang shouted several times from where he sat. Fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead from anxiety.

The road was completely empty at that moment. Fortunately, there were no passing vehicles, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Li Yang, hurry up and call someone," Xu Rui mumbled weakly.

"Oh." As if waking from a dream, Li Yang hurriedly pulled out his phone and checked it. Thank goodness—it was still intact. He immediately called the group of buddies who were still drinking and clearly explained what had happened.

Less than twenty minutes later, two taxis arrived. Everyone hurriedly carried Li Yang and Xu Rui into nearby 511 Hospital.

Outside the emergency room, Xu Rui was being examined and treated inside. Li Yang was not badly hurt. Aside from the torn skin on his leg, he only needed some disinfectant applied. He sat in the hallway outside and told the others what had just happened.

"So you mean both of you fell asleep?" He Junjun's eyes widened. The cigarette butt in his hand was nearly burning his fingers, yet he did not notice.

"Yeah. Otherwise, how could this have happened?" Li Yang replied worriedly. The thought of what had just happened still terrified him.

"Damn, I really can't believe that idiot Xu Rui," Zhang Xiangbei chimed in.

Some of them were still leaning against the wall and dozing off. After being tossed around all night, they probably could not hold on much longer.

"Smoking is prohibited in the hospital." A masked doctor walked out of the emergency room into the hallway. Seeing several of them puffing away, his face immediately showed disgust.

"Okay, Doctor." They quickly put out their cigarettes and tossed them into the trash.

"By the way, Doctor, how's my buddy in there?" Wang Long asked thoughtfully.

"He needed five stitches in his mouth. The rest are superficial injuries, nothing serious. There are no fractures either, but eating may not be very convenient while he recovers."

"He doesn't need to be admitted. Just pay the fees and you can leave. Here's the bill—go to the downstairs window to take care of it."

Wang Long took the bill and looked it over. Adding up all the charges, it came to more than seven hundred yuan.

"I'll go. I organized tonight's gathering, after all." Wang Long stood there and let out a breath. If something serious had happened, he would have had to bear most of the responsibility.

"How can that work? Let's all chip in. We can't let you shoulder it alone, and it's not entirely our fault either."

He Junjun seriously voiced his opinion, then asked Zhang Meimei for her wallet.

Everyone agreed and began searching through their wallets. Zhang Xiangbei scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. "Hehe, I left in a hurry today and forgot my wallet..."

He Junjun rolled his eyes at him. "I knew you were unreliable!" With that, he pulled three hundred yuan from his wallet and handed it to Wang Long.

The others also chipped in one after another and gave the money to Wang Long. Wang Long counted it, and they were still short by a little over a hundred yuan.

Just then, a voice called out, "Here's another hundred." Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Qin Shou walking over from nearby with a hundred-yuan bill in his hand.

"Didn't you go home to sleep?" Li Yang asked in surprise.

Qin Shou scratched his head and said awkwardly, "You guys called me. After I woke up, the more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt. I was worried, so I came over to check on you... Consider this my small contribution."

Wang Long took the money and looked gratefully at everyone. "Thanks, brothers. We really owe everyone for helping out this time. Once Xu Rui gets better, we'll have another meal together."

Everyone nodded. They went downstairs together to pay the fees. After that, they helped Xu Rui out of the hospital. His face had already begun to swell, and his already chubby cheeks looked as huge as loaves of bread. Someone cracked a joke, and Xu Rui's bitter expression immediately sent everyone into laughter.

When they reached the roadside outside the hospital, Li Yang checked the time. It was nearly five o'clock, and the eastern sky was gradually turning pale.

"Everyone head home. Qin Shou, Xiangbei, and I will take Xu Rui home." He Junjun continued making arrangements in an orderly fashion.

"What about my bike?" Xu Rui asked worriedly.

"It's fine. We pushed it to the front of the repair shop. I'll go check on it after daybreak." Xiangbei took on the task as well.

"Come on, Li Yang. You should go home with us too," Zhang Meimei said to Li Yang from the side.

"Forget it. I'll go hide somewhere else for a few days. I don't want my family to see me and worry." Li Yang voiced his concern. "You guys go home. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Alright. Call us if anything comes up." Seeing that Li Yang was not seriously injured, the others finally felt relieved. After saying goodbye at the hospital, they each went their separate ways.

As the sky slowly brightened, a new day began.

Li Yang hailed a taxi and painfully lifted his leg into the back seat.

"Driver, Tang Village," Li Yang said after closing the door.

"Alright." The driver immediately shifted gears and set off.

Li Yang closed his eyes and began resting.

"Handsome, we're here." The driver's words pulled Li Yang back just as he was about to drift off.

He opened his eyes and looked outside. By then, the sky was as bright as daytime.

"How much, Driver?" Li Yang asked as he took out his wallet.

"Eighteen yuan."

"Thanks." After paying, Li Yang opened the door and slowly got out.

Because the streets inside the Urban Village were too narrow, the driver had stopped at the entrance.

Dragging his painful left leg, Li Yang limped toward Yue Xiaodan's rented room.

It took all his strength to reach Xiao Dan's door. Along the way, he drew strange looks from everyone he passed.

Li Yang looked completely miserable. His body was covered in filthy, tattered clothes, while his pants were full of huge holes and little tears.

Li Yang gently knocked on the door. It was nearly six in the morning. Xiao Dan had gone to bed early the night before, so when she heard the sound, she was puzzled. Who would come looking for her so early?

"Who is it?" Xiao Dan put on her slippers and cautiously walked toward the door, calling out to whoever was outside.

"Open the door, wife," Li Yang called softly through the crack.

Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Dan quickly unlocked the door. When she saw Li Yang outside smiling at her—

Xiao Dan immediately covered her mouth, hurriedly pulled Li Yang inside, and locked the door again.

"What happened?" Xiao Dan's eyes filled with tears as she looked Li Yang up and down in distress.

After her repeated questioning, Li Yang finally told Yue Xiaodan everything that had happened.

"Serves you right for not listening to me." Angry enough to laugh and cry at once, Yue Xiaodan lightly bit Li Yang's lip.

Her hands also kept pinching the soft flesh around Li Yang's waist.

"Ow, that hurts! Are you trying to murder your husband?" Li Yang put on an exaggerated pained expression, which made Xiao Dan worry even more.

She began apologizing repeatedly, then gently helped Li Yang take off his dirty clothes.

Still wearing her pajamas, she fetched water for Li Yang to soak his feet. When she saw the alarming scrapes of all sizes on his legs—

Still worried, Xiao Dan took out the ointment she had prepared in the room and began applying it to Li Yang.

Then she squatted down and carefully washed Li Yang's feet. After drying them, she massaged his legs and feet for a while.

"How is it? Do you feel better?" Xiao Dan asked gently, looking up at him.

"You're so good to me, wife." Li Yang pulled Xiao Dan over to sit beside him and quickly kissed her beautiful lips.

"Don't... darling, I haven't even washed up yet..."

Xiao Dan replied indistinctly.

"I don't care..." Li Yang kissed her passionately.

"Alright, darling." After kissing for several minutes, Xiao Dan gently pulled away. Her little face was flushed as she said coyly, "You're so annoying. You're like this, and you still can't behave yourself." Then she shyly leaned into Li Yang's arms.

"Hehe, who told my wife to be so charming? I love you to death, wife. I'm going to recover at your place for the next few days."

"Dummy, it's our home." Xiao Dan looked up at Li Yang with infatuated affection.

"Mm, I'm sleepy, wife. I didn't sleep at all last night," Li Yang muttered softly, holding Xiao Dan while wearing only his underwear.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, darling. I forgot. Lie down first, and I'll wipe you down."

With that, Xiao Dan helped Li Yang lie down on her pink bedsheets. She poured some hot water from the thermos and carefully wiped his body with her own towel.

When she reached his private area, Xiao Dan generously pulled away Li Yang's remaining obstruction.

She thoroughly cleaned him. By the time she had wiped down his whole body, Li Yang had fallen asleep without her noticing.

Xiao Dan lovingly pulled over the thin blanket beside him and gently covered Li Yang's body. She kissed his lips once more, then went to wash up.

It just so happened that Aunt Flow had come to visit these past few days, so she would not have to wear out her beloved boyfriend at night. Thinking of this made Xiao Dan even happier. Li Yang would be spending the next few days with her, and the corners of her lips lifted into an unconscious smile.

After considering it again and again, Xiao Dan decided to take a day off. She was afraid Li Yang would have trouble moving around at first, so she decided to rest for the day and care for him. After washing up, she immediately took her phone into the hallway and called the supervisor at the store.

After explaining herself repeatedly, she barely managed to get a day off. That was enough. Xiao Dan happily went back inside.

Seeing that her boyfriend would not wake up anytime soon, Xiao Dan changed into a pretty dress. To avoid making noise, she put on flat shoes and quietly left the rented room.

Xiao Dan wanted to cook something delicious for Li Yang at noon, so she went out to buy supplies.

She first had a simple breakfast, then went to Da Zhang Supermarket to buy ingredients.

She bought Li Yang two sets of clothes, a box of men's underwear containing four pairs, and a pair of loose men's shorts. Still not fully reassured, she bought a pair of men's canvas shoes for warm weather. She knew Li Yang liked that style, so she carefully selected a size forty-one pair. After paying for everything, Xiao Dan felt happy and sweet inside whenever she spent money on Li Yang. They would also be convenient for him to wear at home while his leg was injured.

After shopping for several hours, Xiao Dan finally bought two large bags full of food, clothing, and other necessities before slowly carrying them home.

She would make rice for lunch, along with Big Plate Chicken and braised pig trotters for Li Yang. Eat what you need to heal, she thought, smiling mischievously.

Wanting to see her beloved Li Yang sooner, Xiao Dan unconsciously quickened her pace.

Just then, Xu Rui called. Xiao Dan looked at the phone and answered it impatiently.

"What is it, Xu Rui?" Xiao Dan cleverly pretended not to know anything.

"It's nothing. Li Yang and I fell off the bike last night. I wanted to let you know. We probably won't be able to go to work for the next few days."

"Oh, are you two alright? I'll come visit you when I have time," Xiao Dan replied vaguely.

"It's nothing. We'll be fine after resting for a few days. That's it, then. I'm going to sleep. I haven't been home long," Xu Rui replied.

"Alright, then. I won't disturb your rest. Bye."

After hanging up, Xiao Dan picked up the bags on the ground and quickened her pace home.

Back in the room, Xiao Dan changed into slippers again and took out the clothes she had bought for Li Yang. During their time together, Xiao Dan had already learned every detail of Li Yang's clothing sizes, including his underwear size. In her heart, Li Yang would always be the one and only man she loved most.

No one else in this lifetime could replace Li Yang's place in her heart.

Xiao Dan kept the promise she had made to herself for life. Years later, although they each started their own families, Xiao Dan always reserved a place in her heart for Li Yang. She never fell in love with another man again.

Then she took out the ingredients, Li Yang's toiletries, and slippers and arranged them properly.

She also used her own teacup to make tea for Li Yang.

After resting for a while and checking the time, she tied on an apron and slowly got busy.

Although Xiao Dan tried to keep the noise as low as possible, the room was small, and chopping vegetables still woke the sleeping Li Yang.

Seeing him awake, Xiao Dan quickly went to his side and said lovingly, "Sorry, darling, I woke you up. I'm making you food. After you eat, you can get some proper sleep again."

As she spoke, she reached out and stroked Li Yang's face, gazing at him tenderly.

"Alright, wife." Li Yang pulled back the blanket covering him.

"Oh my, what did you do to me, wife?" Li Yang looked exaggeratedly at his naked body and began teasing Xiao Dan.

"Hehe, I defiled you." Xiao Dan cooperatively gave him a lecherous look as she stared at his private area.

"Yeah right. As if I'd believe that," Li Yang said with a wicked grin.

"Alright, darling. Aunt Flow is here, so when would I have time to bother with you? Hurry up and get dressed. Try on the new clothes I bought you."

As she spoke, Xiao Dan mischievously grabbed Li Yang before quickly getting up to fetch the clothes.

"You female hooligan." Li Yang shook his head helplessly, then took the new underwear and clothes Xiao Dan had bought him and put them on.

"My wife really knows how to spoil me." Once dressed, Li Yang stood in front of the mirror, turning around for ages with smug delight.

Still wearing her apron, Xiao Dan watched Li Yang's figure with great interest.

She could not help muttering, "My man is still the most handsome."

"Thanks, wife." Li Yang scooped up Xiao Dan's light body, and her feet lifted off the ground as she wrapped herself around him.

"You're too skinny, wife. You're probably not even a hundred jin, are you?" Li Yang asked tentatively.

"Of course not. Ninety-four jin. I weighed myself just yesterday." Smiling brightly, Xiao Dan wrapped her arms around Li Yang and answered obediently.