Ye Chen hurriedly grabbed a bath towel and a clean set of pajamas, then took a hot shower.
After his shower.
He felt refreshed and invigorated.
Ye Chen couldn't help examining himself carefully in the mirror.
He wanted to see how he looked now compared to before.
Well, would you look at that!
His skin had become much smoother.
It was fair with a healthy rosy glow.
The few faint acne marks he'd had were all gone.
His eyes looked brighter, too.
He felt like he was more handsome than before.
About as handsome as the readers here, actually.
The scar at the corner of his left forehead seemed a little fainter, but it was still there.
Ye Chen touched the scar at the corner of his left forehead.
He couldn't help remembering the petite little girl from back then, who had been wearing a No. 1 Middle School uniform and was covered from head to toe in black ink, making her face impossible to see.
He wondered how she was doing now.
Was anyone still bullying her?
Ye Chen had still been in middle school then. He'd been passing by the entrance to a little alley.
He'd seen two girls in school uniforms and five hooligans, who looked like trouble and were carrying sticks, bricks, and knives, bullying a petite girl who was drenched in ink and whose face was impossible to make out.
Ye Chen hated school bullying more than anything.
There were so many of them, and they were picking on one little girl. It was despicable!
ฺ(╬◣д◢)
Ye Chen, who couldn't stand by and watch injustice, immediately called the police.
One of the boys was cursing and laughing as he raised a wooden stick, about to bring it down on the girl's head.
One blow like that would have left the petite girl bleeding from the head, and she might not have survived.
There was no time to wait for the police.
Ye Chen snatched up his long, pointed umbrella and charged forward.
Gripping the umbrella, Ye Chen jabbed it at the rear end of the hooligan with the raised stick.
The hooligan dropped his stick and clutched his backside, howling in pain.
His first strike had landed.
Ye Chen's courage surged. His hand trembled as he gripped the umbrella tightly. He was terrified, but still stood in front of the little girl to protect her.
When the other hooligans saw their leader had been ambushed, they all rushed over, waving their weapons.
Ye Chen had good reflexes and was agile, and he used his umbrella to jab at their most painful spots. He managed to take down two more hooligans.
But the other side had more people. Ye Chen let his guard down for a moment, and one of them cracked him on the forehead with a brick.
As the petite girl screamed in terror, Ye Chen was knocked unconscious.
That was how he got the scar at the corner of his left forehead.
By the time Ye Chen woke up in the hospital, someone had already paid his medical bills.
They had also contacted his parents and left one hundred thousand yuan as a thank-you gift.
Back then, one hundred thousand yuan was enough to buy a small apartment in the little city where Ye Chen lived.
Ye Chen's family had wanted to return the money to the girl.
He hadn't saved her for the money.
Even now, Ye Chen still didn't know who the little girl was.
He'd never run into her again after that.
Naturally, he had no idea how the little girl had fared afterward.
He didn't even know where the name tag from his chest had gone.
And he'd never had the chance to return the money to her.
But that untouched one hundred thousand yuan had later become the lifesaving money Ye Dashan needed after his car accident.
The gurgling of water brought Ye Chen back from his memories.
Ye Chen quickly put on his clean pajamas and headed for the kitchen.
The herbal water was ready.
He added some boiled water that had been left to cool.
He checked the temperature. It was just right.
Ye Chen hefted a large bucket of herbal water and carried it to the bathroom in the master bedroom.
"The water's ready. Shall I help you bathe? That way, you won't pull at your wound."
Ye Chen asked Su Ningwei.
"Mm." Su Ningwei nodded, her face blushing.
Thinking about how the two of them were about to begin their sweet, intimate life together, Su Ningwei felt her face grow even hotter.
Her heart thumped wildly.
It was deafening.
The bathroom was filled with the fragrant scent of herbs.
Ye Chen helped Su Ningwei take off her clothes.
Blushing, Su Ningwei covered her chest with one hand and her stomach with the other.
"You're beautiful," Ye Chen praised her sincerely.
Although Su Ningwei hadn't fully recovered her figure, it did nothing to diminish her beauty.
In Ye Chen's eyes and heart, Su Ningwei was the most beautiful woman in the world.
"How am I? I've gained so much weight since before I was pregnant. I'm so ugly," Su Ningwei said bashfully.
Ye Chen scooped up a ladle of warm water and gently poured it over Su Ningwei's shoulder.
Her skin felt soft and smooth to the touch.
As he washed her, he gently massaged her to help her relax.
Su Ningwei let out a comfortable little hum.
"Not ugly at all. Just looking at you gets me worked up. My body and my mouth are both honest," Ye Chen said with a smile.
Su Ningwei gave Ye Chen a shy look, her face blazing hot.
Why did Ye Chen seem even more handsome—and bigger—now...
Oh no... She was still supposed to be in postpartum confinement.
What was she thinking about...
Both of them were flustered as they finished the herbal bath.
[ Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden task: bathing your wife for the first time. ] [ You have received the Golden Throat Singing God skill. ]
At once, all kinds of singing techniques flooded into Ye Chen's mind.
A good voice plus technique, with some feeling thrown in...
Wouldn't he be a shoo-in to become the next king of pop?
Ye Chen imagined himself dazzling the crowd on a grand stage.
His future suddenly looked incredibly promising...
Back in the bedroom.
Su Ningwei felt comfortable all over.
Because her wounds hadn't healed, she hadn't been able to take a proper bath in the hospital.
For the first time, Su Ningwei realized that bathing could feel this wonderful and refreshing.
Especially the way Ye Chen had massaged her—it had felt amazing.
She was really looking forward to the next time Ye Chen helped her bathe.
Ye Chen found her long-sleeved pajamas and pants and helped Su Ningwei put them on.
"I'll help you apply the ointment," Ye Chen said.
A little nervously, Su Ningwei said, "Why don't I do it myself?"
After all, Su Ningwei wanted to show Ye Chen her best side. She didn't want him to see her ugly stomach.
Ye Chen took out the ointment and said sincerely, "Let me do it. Give me, the one who caused all this, a chance. I want to be the one to help you become as beautiful as you were before."
"Mm, all right."
Su Ningwei thought it over, then did as Ye Chen said and obediently lay down on the bed.
Ye Chen lifted the hem of Su Ningwei's shirt.
He lowered his head.
Reverently, he pressed a kiss to Su Ningwei's less-than-perfect stomach.
Su Ningwei nervously clutched the blanket.
That warm kiss seemed hot enough to burn.
It set Su Ningwei's heart ablaze.
Meeting Ye Chen and marrying him in this life had truly made it all worthwhile.
For the rest of her life.
She would love Ye Chen with all her heart, until the end of time.
Ye Chen squeezed out some ointment and carefully applied it to every stretch mark and horizontal incision.
He was afraid of missing even the tiniest spot.
These were marks she'd been left with for his sake.
So he would be the one to smooth them away.
The ointment was absorbed as soon as it touched her skin.
Mm, he couldn't see any changes yet.
"Is it working?" Su Ningwei asked impatiently.
Su Ningwei only felt a warm, slightly itchy sensation in her stomach. There was no other discomfort.
Was it really that amazing?
Su Ningwei was starting to look forward to it, too.
After all, what girl didn't want to stay beautiful?
Ye Chen put the ointment away and said gently, "Not yet. It probably won't work that quickly. Let's get some sleep for now."
Ye Chen had a lot of faith in things that came from the system.
Su Ningwei reached out and took Ye Chen's hand.
"Mm, the bed's so big and soft. Let's sleep together tonight," Su Ningwei said, her face faintly red.
"Of course."
Ye Chen smiled, took off his shirt, and climbed into bed.
He wrapped his arms around Su Ningwei from behind. She was soft and fragrant, with a milky scent.
He felt incredibly happy and at ease.
Su Ningwei wriggled around and turned to face him, holding him close.
Her playful little hand.
She drew little circles over Ye Chen's firm chest, right above his heart, as if casting some kind of irresistible spell.